RTHK: Pyongyang says it will respond to hostile Biden

Recent comments from US President Joe Biden and members of his administration show he is intent on maintaining a hostile policy toward North Korea that will require a corresponding response from Pyongyang, North Korea's Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.

The comments came in a series of statements carried on state news agency KCNA, after the White House on Friday said US officials had completed a months-long review of North Korean policy.

In one statement, a ministry spokesman accused Washington of insulting the dignity of the country's supreme leadership by criticising North Korea's human rights situation.

The human rights criticism is a provocation that shows the United States is "girding itself up for an all-out showdown" with North Korea, and will be answered accordingly, the unnamed spokesman said.

In a separate statement, Kwon Jong Gun, director general of the Department of US Affairs of the Foreign Ministry, cited Biden's first policy speech to Congress on Wednesday, where the new president said nuclear programs in North Korea and Iran posed threats that would be addressed through "diplomacy and stern deterrence."

Kwon said it is illogical and an encroachment upon North Korea's right to self-defence for the United States to call its defensive deterrence a threat.

Biden's speech was "intolerable" and "a big blunder," Kwon said. "His statement clearly reflects his intent to keep enforcing the hostile policy toward the DPRK as it had been done by the U.S. for over half a century," he said, using the initials for North Korea's official name.

Under the policy announced on Friday, Biden has settled on a new approach to pressuring North Korea to give up nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles that will explore diplomacy but not seek a grand bargain with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the White House said.

In Sunday's statement, Kwon Jong Gun said U.S. talk of diplomacy is aimed at covering up its hostile acts, and its deterrence is just a means for posing nuclear threats to North Korea.

Now that Biden's policy has become clear, North Korea "will be compelled to press for corresponding measures, and with time the U.S. will find itself in a very grave situation," he concluded.

In a third statement, Kim Yo Jong, a senior official in the government and sister of leader Kim Jong Un, sharply criticised South Korea for failing to stop defector activists from launching anti-North Korea leaflets.

An activist group in South Korea said on Friday it had released balloons into North Korea carrying dollar bills and leaflets denouncing the government in Pyongyang, defying a recently imposed law banning such releases after complaints by the North.

"We regard the maneouvres committed by the human wastes in the south as a serious provocation against our state and will look into corresponding action," Kim Yo Jong said.

Last year, North Korea blew up an inter-Korean liaison office in Kaesong, North Korea, after Kim Yo Jong led a campaign of criticism over the leaflet launches. (Reuters)

This story has been published on: 2021-05-02. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
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https://www.aish.com/ci/s/My-Nazi-Grandfather-Was-No-Hero.html

Lithuania patriots claim my grandfather could not really have wanted to kill Jews; he must have been forced to do so. I believe they are in denial.

My grandfathers signature sending thousands of Jews and half Jews to a ghetto in Zagare is on a primary source document dated August 22, 1941. The document states: The Jews residing in all the districts and secondary towns must be removed to the town of Zagare, from the 25th to the 29th of this month. On Yom Kippur, all the Jews were murdered.

This document has been available for 80 years in the Siauliai archives. Yet, according to the Lithuanian governments official arbiter of history, the Genocide Resistance and Research Center, it doesnt serve as proof that Jonas Noreika participated in the Holocaust. It doesnt matter that he was District Chief of Siauliai between the years 1941 and 1943 during the Nazi occupation, that his name is on 70 documents concerning the Holocaust in the Siauliai district, that he had the highest position a Lithuanian could have under a Nazi at that time, and that 8,000 to 15,000 Jews were murdered in his region by Nazis and their Lithuanian collaborators under his watch.

It doesnt matter that he was a lawyer, a captain in the Army, that he regularly wrote articles, a novel, and even won a literary award. According to the government, he just didnt understand what was happening. He must be considered innocent until proven guilty. According to the government of Lithuania, he would have had to have been tried during his lifetime to establish guilt  a standard not applied to those who committed crimes against Lithuanians.

When I interviewed the previous director about this document, she said, Its difficult to know what he (Noreika) was thinking. The document bore his signature, yet she was trying to excuse his name on this order by stating that she couldnt read his mind. She was offering the justification that I commonly heard from ultra-patriotic Lithuanians: He could not really have wanted to kill Jews; he must have been forced to do so. In his heart, he loved Jews and tried to save them. Yet, of course, there is no evidence of how that worked or names of saved Jews.

Yet he was appointed to this position and could have left at any time. He and his family lived in the best house in Siauliai, and he received about 1,000 RM each month from the Nazis. That sounds less like force and more like the perks of an ambitious drive.

If someone accuses Lithuanians of killing Jews, it is an affront to the nations honor, pride, and ego. We automatically raise the shield of denial to say, No, it wasnt us! It was the Nazis, only the Germans. Or in a somewhat contradictory manner, we say, Well, the Jews were Communists and they were our enemies and they deserved it! (Of course, we ignore that many more Lithuanians than Jews were Communists.) Or we might say, also in a manner that contradicts ourselves, The Nazis made us do it. If we didnt kill the Jews, the Nazis would have killed us too. Evidence shows this statement is false.

In writing my memoir over the past 20 years, I have learned that there has always been controversy concerning my grandfather long before I was born, that the controversy has been denied or buried to protect the nations reputation, and that despite everyones best intentions to make his role in the Holocaust invisible, the controversy will prevail.

The Jonas Noreika Grammar School

The school in Sukioniai, just outside of Siauliai, was named after my grandfather in 1995. When I visited the school in October 2000, I first learned from the director that there was controversy over naming the school after Jonas Noreika because he was accused of murdering Jews. It was the first time I had heard that, and I nearly fainted from the shock.

Years later, while sifting through my mothers archive, I came across a 1995 editorial of the school naming written by Aldona Veruitiene: People were scared not by General Vetras memorial, but by their own. . . politicians and leaders.

That was when I realized that it wasnt just the Jews who were against naming the school after him. It was the schools Lithuanian teachers as well. They were willing to face what he did during the Holocaust, but they were not willing to face the denial by politicians of what he did.

As the article explains, during the town meeting in 1995, the Education Chair said the school was accepting too much responsibility in memorializing Noreikas name, especially since his contentious past had not been fully settled by historians.

The towns agricultural leader concurred as he was particularly concerned about Noreikas role during the German occupation, especially the troublesome fact that he had been involved in helping organize the Jewish ghetto. The article continues that the meeting became so heated it was postponed until the next day.

That was when the Siauliai chair of political prisoners and exiles spoke for an hour defending Noreika. The schools teachers listened politely, but remained against it. To placate my grandfathers defenders, they suggested a memorial be placed, instead, at the spot where he was raised, rather than on the school where children would be taught.

The towns Cultural chair responded that there was nothing left of Noreikas home on that spot, that the only building of any significance in the town was the school.

He conceded, however, that he had never witnessed such a fierce argument by the towns public over the renaming of a building.

One of the schools teachers prophetically decreed to the politicians, We will be left to live with this memorial plaque . . . You will only come to visit and leave.

Despite all these misgivings, the school was named after my grandfather and in typical Lithuanian exuberance over its heroes, the politicians decided that another plaque needed to be placed at the spot where Noreika was raised.

Remove my grandfathers name from school building

During my research tour in Lithuania in the summer of 2013, I met a poet, Aleksandras Bosas, in Kaunas. He had been analyzing the storm swirling around my grandfather. He advised me to visit the school and tell them to remove my grandfathers name from the building because it made the school a laughing stock, embarrassed the entire country, and made all Lithuanians look like pigs. He was a poet who didnt mince words.

Six years later, I launched a petition to change the schools name, but to no avail. My grandfather had been decreed a hero by the countrys official arbiter of history, and that was that. If only they had acted truthfully and decently; if only the Lithuanian governments Genocide Center hadnt been a center of sidestepping a sincere look at Lithuanias role in the Holocaust; if only truth and reason had prevailed; if only the five courts in Lithuania hadnt gone along with the sham; if only Lithuanias public prosecutor hadnt protected Holocaust deniers from their own crimes; if only my grandfather hadnt been an architect of the genocide; if only the Holocaust not happened in Lithuania, leaving 200,000 Jews buried in 200 pits across its land.

My memoir, The Nazis Granddaughter is a study in how Lithuania has been gaslighting the Holocaust for the past 80 years  rationalizing primary source documents signed by my grandfather as something he didnt understand; discounting a live witness who worked for my grandfather who stated that Jonas Noreika ordered the murder of 2,000 Jews in Plunge; questioning the veracity of Jewish survivors who accused Lithuanians of killing Jews; and firmly sticking to the narrative the it was all the Nazis fault, and that was that.

Click here to order The Nazis Granddaughter: How I Discovered My Grandfather was a War Criminal.
https://www.aish.com/jw/id/Meron-The-Tragedy-of-Them--No-Us.html

Why does it take a catastrophe to unite us?

Thursday, the eve of Lag BOmer, was a happy day for our family  the upsherin, the first haircut, of our three-year-old grandson. In our circles, we do not cut a boys hair until he reaches three. Our family gathered for the celebration. For the first time, little Michael donned a kippa and tzitzis (ritual fringes). He licked honey off cookies shaped like the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. His father recited with him certain Torah verses. Then each member of the family snipped off a lock of hair.

Many families go to Mt. Meron to do the upsherin, but our family chose to do it close to home, in Jerusalem.

Except for Covid-restricted last year, hundreds of thousands of people, almost 10% of Israels population, travel to Meron for Lag BOmer. The date marks the yahrzeit of the 2nd century sage Rebbi Shimon Bar Yochai, known as the author of the Zohar, the foundational text of Kabbalah. Hasidim, Sephardim, and youths from every stripe, drawn by the charged spiritual and festive atmosphere, flock to the grave of Rebbi Shimon, perched atop a scenic mountain in the Galilee. Throughout Israel, Lag BOmer is observed by lighting bonfires, commemorating the great light that Rebbi Shimon revealed to the world.

Although my husband and I didnt travel to Meron, before going to bed Thursday night we watched the live streaming of the celebration. We saw the Toldos Aaron Rebbe seated on a platform, tens of thousands of Hasidim on bleachers jumping in time with the music, and the bonfire blazing next to the platform. Although I live barely a mile away from the Toldos Aaron community in Mea Shearim, truthfully I feel little kinship with them. They are anti-Zionists who are not my brand of Judaism. I watched them celebrate like a spectator at a foreign wedding.

Friday morning, I woke up to the tragic news  45 dead in Meron, crushed to death in a narrow passageway next to the Toldos Aaron bonfire. Shock and sorrow filled me. On my computer, I compulsively read the Israeli news, as if more information would give me more understanding of the tragedy.

Then I came upon a headline that pierced at my heart: RESCUE WORKERS SAY CELLPHONES OF THE DEAD INCESSANTLY RING WITH CALLS FROM MOM. I am a mother of children. I could identify with the horror of frantic mothers repeatedly calling their children while the cellphones ring in pockets of bodies already deserted by the life they gave them. I burst into tears.

At 10:08, a message on our neighborhood WhatsApp group announced that a boy from Teaneck, New Jersey, studying at Shaalavim, a Zionist yeshivah, was missing. An American? My brand of Judaism? This tragedy was striking closer and closer to home.

In addition to the dead and the injured, thousands of young people would now be traumatized by this close encounter with violent death.

A few minutes later Batya, my friend and neighbor, announced on our WhatsApp group: My son just walked in the door from Meron. He said his friends carried the niftarim [the dead] out. Batyas 17-year-old son had lost his father to a drowning accident eight years ago. I realized that in addition to the dead and the injured, thousands of young people would now be traumatized by this close encounter with violent death.

I called Batya. She was frantic about the son of a close friend who was missing. (The cellphone system crashed, so most of the survivors were unable to call home.) A couple hours later he was located. He was on a bus, without his shirt, because at Meron he had used it to cover the face of the dead boy beside him.

I was still reciting psalms for the boy from Teaneck when the announcement came that he was dead.

My husband came home from shul and informed me that a 13-year-old Jerusalem boy whose family had made aliyah from Passaic was missing. Later, we found out that he, too, was dead.

A phone call informed me that Avremi Nivin, the 21-year-old son of Rabbi Aryeh Nivin, whose personal growth chabura I had participated in for two years, was injured in Meron. Avremi is the son-in-law of Aish HaTorahs Rabbi Yom Tov Glaser and his wife Leah. I immediately called Leah.

Sitting by Avremis hospital bed, she told me that he had been standing at the base of the wet, slippery ramp where hundreds of people had fallen on each other. Caught in the pile of bodies, he heard the man (or boy?) beneath him yell, Get off me! I cant breathe. But Avremi was pinned down by the weight of bodies on top of him, unable to move. Moments later he heard the person below him take his final breaths.

Although traumatized, Avremi has no broken bones or internal injuries. The weight above him was so intense, however, that it crushed his cellphone.

Rebbetzin Leah Glaser, who had left the Toldos Aaron bonfire site some fifteen minutes before the catastrophe, told me that Jews from across the religious spectrum were there. Rebbe Shimon bar Yochai is about achdut (Jewish unity), she asserted. She reminded me of the Talmudic story: Hiding from a Roman death sentence, Rebbe Shimon and his son Elazer spent twelve years concealed in a cave, living off a carob tree and a spring of water that flowed past the cave. After Caesars death and the nullification of the decree, when they emerged after twelve years of studying the mystical profundities of Torah, Rebbi Shimon saw a Jewish farmer plowing his field. He became angered at such a mundane activity. His piercing, critical gaze subsequently burned whatever he looked at. He then heard a voice from Heaven, Did you come out to destroy My world? Go back to your cave. A year later, Rebbi Shimon again emerged, but with an entirely different understanding, one of deep love rather than criticism and superiority.

Villages throughout the North, including Arab and Druze villages, offered refreshments to the masses trying to make their way home, as well as accommodations for those stranded before Shabbat.

The bonfires of Lag BOmer, summed up Rebbetzin Glaser, are fires of love, not fires of judgment.

Indeed, Israel responded to the tragedy with a unity usually seen only during wartime. So many people lined up to donate blood that many were turned away due to the surfeit. Villages throughout the North, including Arab and Druze villages, offered refreshments to the masses of people trying to make their way home from Meron, as well as accommodations for those stranded before Shabbat.

At 2:05 PM, while I was still reeling from the catastrophe, a forwarded Hebrew notice appeared on one of my WhatsApp groups. It read:

A sad morning also to you, friends  The prophet Jeremiah said: Oh that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the dead of the daughter of my people! Today let us all kindle a memorial candle for the elevation of the souls of the dead of Mt. Meron. Even if we are not believers, its not really important where we stand or our personal opinions, or our political or national or religious worldview regarding the catastrophe. All those we will keep to ourselves for a week or a month or longer, each in his way. But today, Friday, Lag BOmer, 5781 [2021], please light one memorial candle, and spread [this message] to everyone youre connected with. Iris Sharon, Kibbutznik, Leftist, from Kibbutz Ma'abarot

This woman does not follow my brand of Judaism  nor that of the casualties of Mt. Meron  but she was reaching out, reaching up, above our differences, to clasp hands above our squabbling heads.

My husband got Iris Sharons phone number from information, and called her. He introduced himself as a Hareidi man from Jerusalem who had read her message. He wanted her to know that he had followed her suggestion to light a candle. Iris was surprised. How did you get my WhatsApp message? she asked.

I joined in the conversation and said it has spread through WhatsApp and I also forwarded it to my groups. I told her, I am a Hareidi woman who lives in the Old City of Jerusalem. I am politically and religiously right-wing, and I have very strong beliefs and opinions, but  

She interrupted me, chuckling, and said, Im the same way! I have very strong beliefs and opinions on the opposite end.

And you are my sister, I told her earnestly.

And you are my sister, she echoed.

Why does it take a catastrophe to unite us?

More on the Meron Tragedy:
A woman walking on a sidewalk was killed Monday night when she was struck by a man who had jumped from the ninth floor of a parking garage in a suicide, San Diego County authorities say.

A news release from the San Diego County Medical Examiners Office says Taylor Kahle, 29, of San Diego, suffered massive injuries when she was hit by the unidentified male. Police officers tried to give Kahle medical help but she died at the scene.

The unidentified male who jumped, who was between 20 and 30 years old, was taken to a hospital but died of his injuries. A witness says the man was seen dangling from a railing on a balcony of the parking garage before he fell.

The medical examiner has ruled his death a suicide.

A woman who was Kahles boss says Kahle was on a second date with a man she had met online and was walking with him when she was killed, CBS 8 reports.

I just want people to know she is an incredible person, Laurel McFarlane of McFarlane Promotions tells CBS 8. This tragedy does not define her.
By Aaron Morrison and John Seewer, Associated Press

Ben Crump, the Rev. Al Sharpton says, is Black Americas attorney general.

In less than a decade, the Florida-based attorney has become the voice for the families of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd -- Black people whose deaths at the hands of police and vigilantes sparked a movement.

He has won multimillion-dollar settlements in police brutality cases. Hes pushed cities to ban no-knock warrants. He has told a congressional committee that reform is needed because its become painfully obvious we have two systems of justice; one for white Americans and one for Black Americans.

And hes stood with Black farmers taking on an agribusiness giant, and families exposed to lead-contaminated water in Flint, Michigan.

Hes a real believer in what hes doing. He has taken the attacks. He has taken the cases that others wouldnt take, Sharpton said, adding, People can go to him. The reason I trust him is because he has never misled me. Good or bad, hell tell me the truth about a client.

Alabama cases Crump has been involved with include:

Family of man killed by police in Alabama mall shooting hires civil rights attorney

Huntsville school officials knew Nigel Shelby was suicidal, lawsuit says

Lawyer: If Madison police did nothing wrong, then release video of deadly shooting

Attorney: Police brutalized woman at Alabama Waffle House

These days, he seems to be everywhere. In April, he joined with George Floyds family in celebrating the conviction of ex-cop Derek Chauvin. Then he was among the mourners at the funeral for Daunte Wright, who was shot during a traffic stop in suburban Minneapolis in the week leading up to Chauvins verdict  a juxtaposition he finds incredible.

If ever there was a time for police to be on their best behavior, if ever there was a time for them to use the greatest standard of care, if ever there was a time for them to de-escalate, it was during this trial, which I believe was one of the most consequential police (and) civil rights cases in our history, Crump told The Associated Press.

After Wrights funeral, he was back in Florida to call for a federal investigation of a deputy who fatally shot two Black teenagers. And he began this past week demanding that police in North Carolina be more transparent after deputies fatally shot a Black man outside of his house.

Critics see him as an opportunist who never fails to show up amid another tragedy. But those who know Crump say hes been fighting for fairness long before his name was in headlines.

Where theres injustice, thats where he wants to be, said Ronald Haley, a Louisiana attorney, whos among a wide network of lawyers Crump works with on lawsuits. He understands hes needed everywhere, but he also understands he cant be everywhere.

Crump, 51, is a tireless worker who mixes Southern charm, a talent for attracting media attention to his cases and a firm belief that racism afflicts the nation, and the courts are the place to take it on.

He has an uncanny way of making his clients feel like kin, they say.

He has never missed a Thanksgiving to check in on me, he calls on Christmas, said Allisa Findley, who first met Crump three days after her brother, Botham Jean, was fatally shot in his apartment by a white Dallas police officer who mistook the Black mans apartment for her own.

Even the little things, he makes time for it, when there are no cameras rolling, she said. He does feel like family. I consider Ben family.

Terrence Floyd, the 42-year-old brother of George Floyd, said Crumps attention and care for his family over the last year has bonded them beyond the attorney-client relationship.

It feels like its more family-based than business, he said. After a while, I went from calling him Mr. Crump to calling him Unc, like he was one of my uncles.

Crump keeps up a dizzying schedule that takes him all over, but he makes sure hes home for Sunday services at Bethel Missionary Baptist Church. He lives in Tallahassee with his wife and their 8-year-old daughter, Brooklyn; he also helped raise two cousins and became their legal guardian.

I look at my daughter, Crump said, I look in her eyes, and then I look in the eyes of my nieces and nephews, and my little cousins  all these little Black and brown children. You see so much hope, so much optimism in their eyes. Weve got to give them a better world.

He added: What Im trying to do, as much as I can, even sometimes singlehandedly, is increase the value of Black life.

Crumps path to becoming a lawyer and advocate began while growing up in Lumberton, North Carolina, where he was the oldest of nine siblings and step-siblings.

In his book Open Season: Legalized Genocide of Colored People, he described learning in elementary school that a white classmates weekly allowance was as much as what his mother made in a week working two jobs at a shoe factory and a hotel laundry.

I wanted to understand why people on the white side of the tracks had it so good and Black people on our side of the tracks had it so bad, he wrote.

He often recounts how he learned about the world by reading the newspaper to his grandmother and how his mother taught him the story of famed civil rights lawyer Thurgood Marshall, who became his hero.

He has always gravitated toward leadership and being the answer to injustice, said Sean Pittman, an attorney who has been his friend for 30 years, since they met at Florida State University. There, Crump was president of the Black Student Union and led protests to bring attention to how the school recruited and treated Black students.

But his rise from personal injury attorney to a voice of Black America began in 2013 when he represented the family of Trayvon Martin, a teenager killed by a neighborhood watch volunteer in Florida. He then took on the case for the family of Michael Brown who was fatally shot by a white officer near St. Louis.

Crump organized marches and brought media attention to both of their deaths  each happening during the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement.

He has gone on to win financial settlements in about 200 police brutality cases. In March, the city of Minneapolis agreed to pay $27 million to settle a civil lawsuit from George Floyds family, which Crump said is the largest pretrial civil rights lawsuit settlement ever.

I keep hoping and believing, if we can make them pay multimillions of dollars every time they shoot a Black person in the back, that there will be less Black people shot in the back, Crump said. Thats my theory, but it remains unanswered because they keep killing us.

In recent years he has produced and hosted an A&E documentary Who Killed Tupac? and launched a production company to make shows about injustice and civil rights.

Crump even had a brief role in the 2017 film Marshall, which tells of the early life of his hero, who became the first Black U.S. Supreme Court justice.

His higher profile has brought more scrutiny and turned him into a frequent target. Conservative author Candace Owens in April accused Crump of trying to profit from police shootings and encouraging violent protests.

Keeping racial issues alive has become a business in America, she told Fox News Channels Laura Ingraham. Its Al Sharpton yesterday, Jesse Jackson tomorrow, Ben Crump today.

It doesnt really bother Crump: You cant care what the enemies of equality think of you, he said. It would be the height of arrogance to think that everybody is going to love you. Its not a popularity contest.

Its fitting that he is now mentioned among the giants of civil rights, said John Bowman, who has known him since Michael Browns killing and is now president of the St. Louis County NAACP.

I cant get in his head and say he charted out this course, and said, Im going to be the next strongest voice for injustice, Bowman said. I do know that when the call was made, he didnt shy away or step back from it.

But Crump says he eventually would like to step back from it all.

I literally pray for the day when I can close down the police brutality division of my law firm, he said, because I am so tired of seeing Black people killed by the police unjustifiably. Id like to tell my staff that we no longer have to fight in the courts, or be counselors to so many grieving mothers and fathers.

____

Morrison reported from New York City. Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio.

____

Morrison is a member of APs Race and Ethnicity team. Follow him on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/aaronlmorrison. Also, follow Seewer on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jseewerap.
By Ty Tagami, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (TNS)

ATLANTA  Online shopping got a boost from COVID-19, and that trend of buying without seeing in person has spilled over into far bigger decisions now being made by high school seniors.

With student commitments mostly due by Saturday, some students face an unprecedented challenge to pick a well-fitting school without the benefit of a traditional campus tour.

By the time the pandemic shuttered campuses last spring, many high school seniors had already made pilgrimages to their top choices. This years crop of graduates lacked that advantage, though.

Colleges have reacted by implementing virtual tours. Though imperfect, the online videos and talks have given more families more information than they used to have.

A lot of the schools have upped their game tremendously on virtual programming, said Allison Grandits, an education consultant based in metro Atlanta.

Theyre using eye-level cameras to produce remote walking tours. Theyre letting students sit in virtually on classes. Theyre arranging videoconferences with professors. Theyre concerned about their enrollment and getting students, so theyre trying to be as accessible as they can while still doing so safely, she said.

This has been a boon for students who cannot afford to travel, increasing their exposure to unfamiliar colleges.

Every year weve had students where the first time that theyll visit a campus is when theyre actually moving in, said Tamika Hibbert, a high school counselor for the DeKalb County School District. Seeing something virtually isnt the same as actually being there on campus, but it gives them some insight.

The head counselor at Martin Luther King, Jr. High School in Lithonia said the increased virtual access combined with the elimination of the traditional requirement for SAT and ACT scores has prompted many students to step outside their comfort zone and apply to colleges they might not have otherwise.

In one rural Georgia county, an organization funded by a state grant to increase postsecondary access for high-need students says the total pivot online has resulted in more contact with graduating seniors.

Dawn Harrison, the Thomas County coordinator for GEAR UP, which is funded by a U.S. Department of Education grant, said the organization contracted with a company that provides virtual college tours. I actually think were reaching more families due to the pandemic, she said.

One of them, DeAsia Daniels, still wishes she could have seen some of the more than two dozen colleges that accepted her. She said she probably could not have afforded the out-of-state costs at the University of California, Berkley or the University of Florida, and Howard University and Atlantas Spelman College were more expensive than the University of Georgia, even with financial aid. That helped with her decision.

But she would have felt more comfortable making a final decision had she actually seen the campuses. Her mother has underlying health conditions that have prohibited travel during the pandemic. Daniels, 18, narrowed the field to two, ultimately selecting UGA, but wonders what it would have been like to attend Spelman, in a big city very different from Thomasville or Athens.

I kind of wish I could have gone to both, she said.

Similarly, Caren Kim, a senior in Gwinnett County, was accepted to several top-ranked colleges, and had narrowed her choice to two  Princeton and Johns Hopkins  but was tortured by the final decision.

Seeing it online, you cant really get a grasp of what it actually looks like and what it actually feels like, said Kim, 17, who attends North Gwinnett High School in Suwanee.

Finally, after getting their first doses of COVID-19 vaccine, she and her dad hopped in the car and drove to both campuses. Neither was offering a tour, but at least she got a look at the real thing.

She was impressed by the architecture and the lively campus at Princeton. I want to go there, she decided.

Their dilemma is a common one, said Eric Greenberg, president of the Greenberg Educational Group in New York, which advises students on college admissions.

The energy of a school, its extremely hard to get a sense of it unless you have your feet on the ground, said Greenberg, who said many of his clients have traveled to colleges during this pandemic, including at least one to the University of Georgia.

Greenberg said most campuses seem to be allowing self-guided tours if theyre not actually giving formal tours.

Indeed, some campuses feel compelled to give formal tours, with modifications for virus safety.

The University of Georgia and Georgia Tech turn away more students than they accept, but lesser-known institutions such as the University of North Georgia have to try a little harder, said Brett Morris, the retired lieutenant colonel overseeing enrollment there.

The main campus in Dahlonega (there are several campuses across North Georgia) is still hosting tours, albeit much smaller than before, with a couple of families at a time.

Families need to see and touch and smell, said Morris, UNGs associate vice president for enrollment management. We find that students who come for tours tend to enroll at a much higher rate than those who dont, he said, so obviously were encouraging everybody to come pay us a visit. We are trying to be as accommodating as we can.

Bob Dechman and his son were among the visitors at UNG this spring. Theyd done the online tours there and at Kennesaw State University, but that wasnt enough for them, so they signed up for guided tours at both.

Dechman, of Thomasville, said they werent allowed to see the dormitories or the dining hall at either campus, but got a better sense of each. He was also able to visit both financial aid offices to get a clearer picture of the bottom line than he could online.

His son, Bradley, 18, has made his top choice, but the family was awaiting the final paperwork so Dechman wasnt ready to disclose his pick during a recent interview. Absolutely the tour helped, he said.

Rob Phillips and his son also visited UNG. He was accepted there and at another Georgia campus that wasnt offering tours. They also got to tour the University of Alabama, and his son, Kyle, 18, was impressed.

The Alpharetta dad said he thinks the tour, with its presentations and the opportunity to meet professors, put his son over the line for Alabama.

A kid needs to have something like that when theyre picking where theyre going to go for the next four years of their life, he said.

Greenberg, the New York consultant, said he thinks there could be consequences next year for colleges that didnt allow visits or for families that didnt take trips.

With so much uncertainty this cycle, he said, my guess is there will be more people interested in transferring a year from now than there normally might be.

___

2021 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Visit at ajc.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
When Huntsville police officer William Ben Darby shot and killed Jeff Parker during a mental health crisis more than three years ago, the case drew little attention.

There were no protests nor press conferences.

It took only about a month for Huntsville police to announce that the departments internal review cleared Darby of wrongdoing and that the young officer was back to active duty.

The case mostly escaped scrutiny by the public until about three months later when Madison County District Attorney Rob Broussard announced that a grand jury had charged Darby with murder.

Though the indictment raised questions about how the city handled the shooting, the public still knew very little about what happened. Body camera video wasnt released, and local officials avoided commenting on specifics of the case.

But now as Darbys trial begins on Monday with jury selection at the Madison County Courthouse in downtown Huntsville, the climate is different.

As protests swept the nation last summer, thousands of people marched in the streets of downtown Huntsville to demand justice for George Floyd and to protest racial injustice and police violence. Though racial bias was a primary focus of the protests that were sparked by the killing of a Black man by a white police officer, the case also spurred public scrutiny about other police violence, including how officers use force on people who suffer from mental illness.

The shooting

On the afternoon of April 3, 2018, 43-year-old Jeff Parker called police to his home on Deramus Avenue in west Huntsville. He said that he was armed and suicidal.

When Darby arrived, he grabbed a shotgun from his patrol car and sprinted toward the front door. Officer Justin Beckles was already there, standing near the front door, and Officer Genisha Pegues talked to Parker in the front room.

Body camera video played in a court hearing two years ago showed Parker sitting on a couch with a gun to his head. Pegues previously testified that she was de-escalating the situation before Darby arrived.

Darby shouted for Pegues to Point your f---ing gun at him, video footage showed. Seconds later, Darby pushed past Pegues and Beckles  both his senior officers  and told Parker to drop the gun. Within 11 seconds of entering the home, video footage showed, Darby shot Parker in the face.

Huntsville city officials have declined to release the video footage to the public, but it was shown in court during an immunity hearing.

Darby testified that he was protecting himself and the other officers and asked a judge to dismiss his murder charge. Madison County Circuit Judge Donna Pate denied the request.

Huntsville police officer William Darby shown in a Madison County courtroom for a hearing on April 3, 2019. Darby is charged with murder.

Darbys defense attorney appealed the ruling, but the Alabama Supreme Court declined to hear his case. Judge Pate set a trial date, but it was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A different climate

Activists and organizers in Huntsville, who marched in the streets to demand justice for George Floyd, say they will protest at the Madison County Courthouse this week to call for Darby to be convicted and fired from the police department.

Despite being under indictment for murder, Darby remains on the city payroll, collecting his $53,000 annual salary, while assigned to desk duty. Darby helps the departments accreditation manager with updates to the police policy manual, said Eddie Blair, an assistant city attorney, in response to a public records request from AL.com.

And the City Council voted to use public money to pay up to $125,000 of Darbys legal bills.

Yet the public still doesnt know much about Darby, who was 25 years old and had been with the police department for about two years, at the time of the shooting. The city has declined to release Darbys personnel and service records.

Conflicting narratives

Darbys indictment set up a public feud between the county prosecutor and city leaders. While Broussard announced the murder charge at the courthouse on Aug. 3, 2018, Huntsville police Chief Mark McMurray defended Darby at a press conference outside the police department, less than two miles away.

Broussard said that he had grave concerns about whether the shooting was justified and took the case to a grand jury. At the dueling press conference, Chief McMurray said Darby is by no means a murderer.

Mayor Tommy Battle, urging the Huntsville City Council to pay for Darbys defense, said that his administration has a different opinion than the district attorney has.

The indictment also raised questions about the police departments handling of the case. Huntsville police, unlike most other departments in the state, investigate their own officers when they shoot someone. (The police chief just this week announced that state police will soon take over such investigations.)

Huntsville police captains watched a presentation of the shooting investigation and determined that Darbys actions were consistent with department policy, according to a news release from the police department.

The department did not discipline Darby. But the other two officers at the scene of the shooting, Pegues and Beckles, were sent to remedial training.

The DAs office watched the same presentation but decided to indict Darby. They have called the other officers as witnesses against him.

[Related: How a Huntsville officer went from cleared by his department to indicted for murder]

In court, Madison County prosecutors Tim Gann and Tim Douthit will try to prove to the jury that the shooting wasnt legally justified, meaning that Darby did not have a reasonable fear that he and the other officers were in imminent danger.

Darbys defense attorney Robert Tuten will argue that Darby acted to protect himself and the other officers because Parker had a gun.

The trial is expected to feature few witnesses and wrap up by the end of the week.

Because of the pandemic, members of the press and public will have to watch a live stream of the trial, rather than view the proceedings in the actual courtroom. Members of the public will be allowed to watch the stream in a large courtroom on the second floor of the courthouse.

The criminal trial wont be the end of the case. Parkers family filed a lawsuit against Darby and the city of Huntsville. The civil case is on hold pending the outcome of the criminal trial.

Martin Weinberg, a Birmingham civil rights attorney representing Parkers family, said the family is grateful that the DAs office is pursuing the murder charge.

Were looking forward to justice, Weinberg said. We hope the trial will highlight how police interact with mentally ill individuals.
The final phase of ending Americas forever war in Afghanistan after 20 years formally began Saturday, with the withdrawal of the last U.S. and NATO troops by the end of summer.

President Joe Biden had set May 1 as the official start of the withdrawal of the remaining forces  about 2,500-3,500 U.S. troops and about 7,000 NATO soldiers.

Even before Saturday, the herculean task of packing up had begun.

The military has been taking inventory, deciding what is shipped back to the U.S., what is handed to the Afghan security forces and what is sold as junk in Afghanistans markets. In recent weeks, the military has been flying out equipment on massive C-17 cargo planes.

The U.S. is estimated to have spent more than $2 trillion in Afghanistan in the past two decades, according to the Costs of War project at Brown University, which documents the hidden costs of the U.S. military engagement.

Defense department officials and diplomats told The Associated Press the withdrawal has involved closing smaller bases over the last year. They said that since Biden announced the end-of-summer withdrawal date in mid-April, only roughly 60 military personnel had left the country.

The U.S. and its NATO allies went into Afghanistan together on Oct. 7, 2001 to hunt the al-Qaida perpetrators of the 9/11 terrorist attacks who lived under the protection of the countrys Taliban rulers. Two months later, the Taliban had been defeated and al-Qaida fighters and their leader, Osama bin Laden, were on the run.

In his withdrawal announcement last month, Biden said the initial mission was accomplished a decade ago when U.S. Navy SEALS killed bin Laden in his hideout in neighboring Pakistan. Since then, al-Qaida has been degraded, while the terrorist threat has metastasized into a global phenomenon that is not contained by keeping thousands of troops in one country, he said.

Until now the U.S. and NATO have received no promises from the Taliban that they wont attack troops during the pullout. In a response to AP questions, Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen said the Taliban leadership was still mulling over its strategy.

U.S. military spokesman Col. Sonny Leggett tweeted late Saturday that there was some ineffective firing in the area of southern Kandahar air base, one of the U.S. militarys largest bases. He also said U.S. forces had conducted precision strikes against missiles found aimed at the airfield in Kandahar.

Kandahar Airfield received ineffective indirect fire this afternoon; no injury to personnel or damage to equipment, he tweeted, without attaching blame.

However, he also posted a video clip of Gen. Austin Miller, head of the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan, speaking to an Afghan journalist in which he said a return to violence would be one senseless and tragic, but that coalition troops have the military means to respond forcefully to any type of attacks.

The insurgent group continues to accuse Washington of breaching the deal it signed with Bidens predecessor more than a year ago. In that agreement, the U.S. said it would have all troops out by May 1.

In a statement Saturday, Taliban military spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the passing of the May 1 deadline for a complete withdrawal opened the way for (Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan) mujahidin to take every counteraction it deems appropriate against the occupying forces.

However, he said fighters on the battlefield will wait for a decision from the leadership before launching any attacks and that decision will be based on the sovereignty, values and higher interests of the country.

Violence has spiked in Afghanistan since the February 2020 deal was signed. Peace talks between the Taliban and Afghan government, which were part of the agreement, quickly bogged down. On Friday, a truck bomb in eastern Logar province killed 21 people, many of them police and students.

Afghans have paid the highest price since 2001, with 47,245 civilians killed, according to the Costs of War project. Millions more have been displaced inside Afghanistan or have fled to Pakistan, Iran and Europe.

Afghanistans security forces are expected to come under increasing pressure from the Taliban after the withdrawal if no peace agreement is reached in the interim, according to Afghan watchers.

Since the start of the war they have taken heavy losses, with estimates ranging from 66,000 to 69,000 Afghan troops killed. The Afghan military has been battered by corruption. The U.S. and NATO pay $4 billion a year to sustain the force.

Some 300,000 Afghan troops are on the books, although the actual number is believed to be lower. Commanders have been found to inflate the numbers to collect paychecks of so-called ghost soldiers, according to the U.S. watchdog monitoring Washingtons spending in Afghanistan.

Still, the Afghan defense ministry and presidential palace in separate statements have said that Afghanistans security forces are in good shape to defend against Taliban advances.

Last year was the only year U.S. and NATO troops did not suffer a loss. The Defense Department says 2,442 U.S. troops have been killed and 20,666 wounded since 2001. It is estimated that over 3,800 U.S. private security contractors have been killed. The Pentagon does not track their deaths.

The conflict also has killed 1,144 personnel from NATO countries.

The Taliban, meanwhile, are at their strongest since being ousted in 2001. While mapping their gains and territorial holds is difficult, they are believed to hold sway or outright control over nearly half of Afghanistan.

We are telling the departing Americans ... you fought a meaningless war and paid a cost for that and we also offered huge sacrifices for our liberation, Shaheen told the AP on Friday.

Striking a more conciliatory tone, he added: If you ... open a new chapter of helping Afghans in reconstruction and rehabilitation of the country, the Afghans will appreciate that.

In announcing the departure, Biden said waiting for ideal conditions to leave would consign America to an indefinite stay.

In the Afghan capital and throughout the country, there is a growing fear that chaos will follow the departure of the last foreign troops. After billions of dollars and decades of war, many Afghans wonder at whether it was worth it.

Violence has been at its peak ever since the coming of foreigners. Every day we witnessed suicide attacks and explosions. said Hashmat Ullah, an Afghan browsing a marketplace in central Kabul Saturday. He welcomed the final withdrawal.

_________

Associated Press Writer Tameem Akhgar in Kabul, Afghanistan contributed to this report.
By Colleen Slevin, Associated Press

DENVER  Lawmakers in more than 20 states have considered bills this year to make the disciplinary records of police officers public or to share them with other agencies, a push that comes amid high-profile deaths at the hands of law enforcement. About 20 states still largely prohibit their release, however.

Supporters of greater transparency say it could help improve police accountability, build trust with the community and prevent officers with disciplinary problems who leave one department from being hired by another.

Opponents say the release of such records could harm the reputations of officers with only minor infractions or even put them in danger. They also argue that disciplinary actions are part of personnel records, which are exempt from state open records laws.

But amid growing nationwide protests against alleged excessive force by police officers, at least 16 states have contemplated measures to release such records, or summaries of them, publicly. Another eight have discussed making the records accessible to other law enforcement agencies.

In Utah, Republican Gov. Spencer Cox signed a bill in March providing legal immunity to law enforcement agencies that share background information about former employees with other agencies looking to hire. State Sen. Jani Iwamoto, a Democrat in the GOP-dominated Legislature, introduced the legislation in response to the case of a University of Utah officer who resigned while being investigated for allegedly sharing explicit photographs of a victim in an alleged extortion case who was later killed. The officer was later hired by police in Logan, Utah, who did not know about the probe.

We want people to feel that they can report a bad cop, said Iwamoto, who also successfully sponsored another bill to ensure that police disciplinary investigations are completed even if an officer resigns while one is in progress.

Without legislation in place, lawyers advised police departments not to share disciplinary records lest they be sued, Iwamoto said.

In North Carolinas Republican-controlled legislature, lawmakers want to create a confidential database from which law enforcement agencies in the state can track all disciplinary actions to prevent officers from hiding past problems when looking for a new job.

We enable agencies to better screen individuals ... so that we can weed out who the bad apples are, said Republican state Sen. Danny Britt.

Under an expansive police reform bill Britt is sponsoring, authorities also would track all use of force by officers resulting in serious injury or death. And the legislation would create an early warning system to collect data on citizens complaints and any transgressions with the aim of correcting an officers behavior before it leads to a deadly outcome.

Maryland has gone further, approving the release of records related to formal misconduct complaints. The Democrat-controlled Legislature overrode a veto by Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, who objected to the public release of complaints that havent been substantiated. Supporters contend the public has a right to see how police departments investigate complaints against officers.

The proposals come amid a national reckoning over the killings of Black people at the hands of police. Efforts to get access to police disciplinary records have increased along with public awareness of the issue, which has grown since the 2014 shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, said Rachel Moran, an associate professor and founder of the Criminal and Juvenile Defense Clinic at the University of St. Thomas School of Law in Minneapolis.

In Maryland, the move is part of a sweeping police reform package that was prompted by the 2018 death of Anton Black, a 19-year-old African American who died in a rural Maryland town after officers pinned him to the ground for more than five minutes as they handcuffed him and shackled his legs.

One of the officers, Thomas Webster, had nearly 30 use-of-force complaints lodged against him while previously working in neighboring Delaware. Webster also had been charged with second-degree assault in that state for allegedly kicking a Black man in the head, but was acquitted in 2015.

Anton Blacks sister, LaToya Holley, said she hopes the new law translates into quicker answers for the families of anyone who dies at the hands of police.

They need to work on trust, she said of law enforcement. There isnt that much trust in the community.

Other states seeking to address policing problems had already taken action before this year.

In 2018, California lawmakers voted to allow public access to records of officer shootings and other major uses of force. New York lawmakers last year repealed a law that had blocked public disclosure of disciplinary records for police officers, firefighters and correctional officers. Hawaii took similar action, allowing the public to learn the details of more than 80 cases of unwarranted assault and more than 100 cases of officers filing false reports or covering up infractions.

In New Jersey last year, state Attorney General Gurbir Grewal, without waiting for legislation, ordered local and state police to release the names and summaries of disciplinary records of officers who had been fired, demoted or suspended for more than five days. Grewal said the information was needed to promote community trust and police accountability amid protests against the death of George Floyd in Minnesota.

For their part, members of New Jerseys Democrat-controlled legislature considered but have failed to pass a bill this year to make police records public, though an early warning system of the kind being considered by North Carolina is already in place.

Meanwhile, nothing has come of Grewals order yet because of a legal challenge by law enforcement unions. They argue that personnel records are exempt under state open records laws, and that officers and their families could be put at risk if they are made public. They also object to releasing information about past confidential disciplinary agreements for problems such as drinking and domestic violence.

Pat Colligan, president of the New Jersey State Policemens Benevolent Association, said many officers who have dealt with problems like that have gone on to have good careers. Colligan said he would support the release of records only for major infractions, such as excessive force and civil rights violations, from now on.

He also would like to see the states early warning system be given a chance to provide officers with help or weed out those not meant to wear a badge.

People have to stop assuming every officer is a problem officer, he said.

In Alabama, police have refused to release to reporters records detailing police actions in several cases in the past year. Among them:

Huntsville declines to release records about tear gas at protests

Alabama police dog bites man accused of shoplifting at Walmart. Doctors perform 5 surgeries to save his arm.

____

Associated Press writers Mike Catalini in Trenton, New Jersey; Gary Robertson in Raleigh, North Carolina; and Audrey McAvoy in Honolulu, contributed. AL.com added to this report.
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Traditionally, every American president has been compared to his predecessors. From this point of view, the main divide between Biden and Trump is that Biden is 100% predictable, and Trump was not. Trump's unpredictability baffled everyone, domestically and internationally. On the other hand, Biden is an open book, and this book even has a title: "Resolutions of the 19th Congress of the Chinese Communist Party."

Predictably, Biden believes that all the problems facing America are connected directly or indirectly with the previous president and his millions of followers, all of whom are racists. Actually, all Democratic presidents adhere to this opinion. Still, there is a big difference between the militant socialist Obama and the awkward socialist Biden. If Obama tried to put America on a socialist track through legal, economic reforms, such as an attempt to nationalize the health care industry, Biden chose a different path. Biden is trying to achieve the left's goals with the help of financial mechanisms.

Biden's long-announced infrastructure bill is a multi-trillion-dollar and multi-year project. Its result should be an economy in which the primary employer in America will be not private companies, but the federal government. One federal employer, one federal legal owner of a gun, and one national ideology  this is the idee fixe of all the left. At the same time, under Obama, the nationalization of industry de jure did not occur, so Biden is trying to achieve this goal de-facto.

The American left is looking to the future with hope because the cost of Biden's mega-project exceeds the wealth of all American billionaires combined. Even theoretically, the American rich will not be able to resist this  they have too little money. Biden's program attempts to fulfill the dream of all leftists of equality of end results, which directly contradicts the fundamental American tradition of equality of initial conditions.

The same goes for Biden's education initiatives. In theory, focus on education should not be rejected by the public. Still, Biden's plan aims not simply to increase federal funding for education, but to establish unrestricted federal control over education, teachers, and school curricula.

If Biden's mega-project on infrastructure comes to fruition, there is little chance that all subsequent presidents can do anything to stop it. If Congress allocates the money, then all subsequent presidents will have to implement the Biden project, whether they like it or not. A typical example of such collisions is the construction of a wall on the border with Mexico. Biden really does not want to build this barrier, but the law is the law, and Biden is obligated to continue Trump's work.

If we mentioned the Mexican border, we must also mention Vice President Harris, with her demonstrative inaction over the chaos on the southern border. It should be noted that, from the Democratic point of view, the uncontrolled infiltration of illegal, or, as they are also called, undocumented aliens represents a well ordered  not chaotic  expansion of the electoral base of the left with the help of an avalanche of undocumented Democrats. In particular, the Biden administration has completely abolished fines for illegal aliens for illegal stay in the United States.

It is also sadly necessary to state that it was under Biden that conservatives and all other dissidents in America were given the status of second-class citizens. Most dissidents have been banished to digital Gulags and internet concentration camps. Conservative opinion, like any other dissent, is declared extremist in Biden's America. Unfortunately, we know that virtual, digital prisons are paving the way for real Gulags.

Democrats under Biden do not even try to hide their politically motivated criminal prosecution of the opposition. The case against Rudy Giuliani is an act of outright revenge for the troubles that Giuliani had brought to Biden's family. Who could have guessed that the most successful mayor of New York's apartment would be raided before the homes of the participants in the shameful Russian hysteria or the son of President Biden?

At the same time, there was another episode of Soviet-like justice in America: FBI agents demonstratively seized only those computers that, according to Giuliani himself, did not contain information about Biden's son. Without verification, Giuliani was taken at his word, although he several times during a search offered copies of Biden's son's computer disks to FBI agents. The FBI agents were well aware that the real purpose of their visit was not a search per se, but intimidation of the dissident.

Unfortunately, this search of Giuliani's apartment and office is only a minor episode in the leftists' ambitious strategy to criminalize the political opposition.

Besides criminalizing the opposition, Biden is also planning an unprecedented program to marginalize the opposition. This includes, for example, the desire to altogether abolish the filibuster in the Senate to pass laws by a simple majority. This will mean a fundamental transformation of America  in the new America, the opposition will have no rights and play a purely decorative, symbolic role.

In addition to the ambitious plans outlined, Biden also demonstrated several unforgivable mistakes.

He appropriated to himself (or rather, tried to appropriate) Trump's merits in creating a vaccine against the coronavirus. Sadly for Biden, the American people are not a mindless herd that does not remember what happened a year ago. Americans have an innate sense of justice, and outright lies and claims about the vaccine have resulted in a significant loss of Biden's political capital.

Biden's dispatch of two warships to the Black Sea for symbolic support of Ukraine was canceled by the same Biden. Moreover, it was canceled at the first angry shout from Moscow. If Trump had done something like this, it would definitely have led to his third impeachment.

Altogether, Biden's first 100 days have confirmed that he is an unexploded political bomb with a timed detonator. It is not known when this bomb will explode. Still, in his first 100 days, Biden systematically and mindlessly squandered his political capital, to the delight of not only the opposition, but also his own vice president.

Joe Biden managed to develop a simple and effective plan for America's bankruptcy in 100 days. Therefore, he reached the turn of the first 100 days, unfortunately, like a laughingstock of the whole world. It is already clear that Biden will take honor in the small pantheon of anti-American American presidents. So far, it is not evident that Sleeping Joe possessed sufficient intellectual potential to change the status quo.

Gary Gindler, Ph.D., is a conservative columnist at Gary Gindler Chronicles and founder of a new science: politiphysics. Follow him on (soon-to-be-suspended from) Twitter.

Image: Marc Nozell via Flickr, CC BY 2.0.
On Easter Sunday this year, Calgary pastor Artur Pawlowski was confronted by police who interrupted his service. Their mission: to disrupt his service by checking for compliance with local COVID guidelines. Pawlowski ejected them from the church by loudly stating "Get out Nazis!", "Gestapo not wanted here!" and other similar phrases. At first, the health department representative tries to talk to the pastor, demanding access to the church. She was denied. After a short standoff, the health department representative and her police escort are themselves escorted out of the church by Pawlowski.

A video of the incident has since gone viral. At the end of it, Pawlowski explains that Canadians and Americans are now seeing a Communist/Fascist takeover of their countries. He lived through it in Poland, where authorities made his uncle "into soap", as he says. He does not want it to happen again.

This week it happened again. A health department official served Pawlowski with papers from a Canadian court. She was supported by what appears to be the equivalent of a Canadian SWAT team. The pastor gave them the same treatment they got the first time, and with the same result: they left empty-handed. Pawlowski said they could make an appointment and inspect the premises later, at a time when church services weren't being held. For some reason though, his would-be invaders prefer to interrupt ongoing worship services. They are just like the Gestapo, he says, and must be stopped.

The same thing happening in Canada is happening in the United States: law enforcement is being co-opted. Illegitimate and elected officials alike seem more interested in Gestapo-like conformity enforcers than in law enforcement. Churches across the country are feeling the heat as they are told they must either shut their doors or follow guidelines that appear designed to inhibit free speech and the free exercise of religion. The ostensible reason for these violations of our constitutionally guaranteed rights is that a national health emergency demands it. However, the "health emergency" may be more smoke than fire.

According to a growing number of medical professionals, a number of falsehoods have been spread by our government and media regarding the COVID crisis. They say that:

1) COVID-related infection rates are inflated by testing prone to false positives.

2) Death rates are inflated by recently modified definitions of "cause of death" that allow COVID to be listed as a cause even in cases of fatal gunshot wounds and other injuries.

3) Mask-wearing is dangerous and not prophylactic for COVID.

4) Vaccines now being forcibly administered to the handicapped in California are associated with a growing number of suspicious deaths and injuries to otherwise healthy people.

Law enforcement is being used by local government to enforce guidelines issued by state governors under emergency powers of questionable legality. Many cases have been filed regarding the lawfulness of COVID regulations in state and federal courts. Some have prevailed (meaning the orders were not lawful) and some were not (thus supporting the use of law enforcement to enforce rules and regulations that are not based on law). Meanwhile, police have been issued stand down orders during BLM and Antifa-led riots, but are ordered to arrest seemingly anyone who visited Washington D.C. on January 6th, regardless of whether they participated in the Capitol breach, and the White House has been turned into a Fortress of Solitude, impregnable thanks to a 6,000 strong contingent of National Guard troops.

With all this going on, law enforcement officers face a serious dilemma: do they follow orders that are on their face unlawful and unrighteous? Or do they refuse? Do they barge into churches during Easter services and eject the congregants from the building? In Canada, RCMP officers were ordered to close a church and they did. They even surrounded it with barricades and sent a large contingent of officers to guard the building, preventing entry to congregants and the owners of the property.

Is it lawful or right to stand by as BLM and Antifa members torch buildings, assault bystanders, loot businesses, and intimidate citizens? Is it lawful to order police to stand down in the face of such threats? At the same time, is it lawful or right to order police to close churches, arrest pastors for holding services, arrest subway patrons for mask-wearing violations, or incarcerate business owners for trying to make a living?

I support law enforcement, but like Canadian pastor Artur Pawlowski, I don't want to see law enforcement misused by those who currently hold political power in government. A police officer is not and should not be used as a dumb instrument of power. They are obliged to follow orders, with the understanding that the orders given will be lawful. When they aren't, or the orders are questionable, their obligation is broken. We see the results in the cities around us.

Law enforcement officers are people and citizens also. They have the ability to think independently, to reason, and understand what they are asked to do. These days, I pray for them and for my fellow citizens, that illegitimate officeholders do not misuse their authority by compelling law enforcement to deprive Americans of Constitutionally-protected freedoms. One thing politicians sometimes forget is that they may be called lawmakers, but the Constitution is the supreme law of the land.

According to the first amendment to the Constitution, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." Sometimes, Congress needs to be reminded of this.

Image: Federico Carboni

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The news that federal investigators searched and seized electronic devices from the apartment and office of Rudy Giuliani, a Trump lawyer, raises so many questions and involves so much missing information that even someone as skilled a mystery writer as Patricia Cornwell might have difficulty unraveling the story. Im not that person, unfortunately, but let me try to make some sense out of this crime story.

Background

President Bidens son, Hunter, had a lucrative position with a Ukrainian energy company, Burisma, and it raised suspicions that this created a conflict of interest respecting U.S. policy toward Ukraine. Suspicions about improper influence upon the Bidens by certain Ukrainian officials were heightened when Joe Biden publicly bragged that he was effective when he threatened to cut off aid to Ukraine unless the prosecutor investigating Burisma was fired. Although the FBI received Hunters laptop with relevant evidence, to my knowledge the FBI declined to examine it. In the course of his representation of Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani traveled to Ukraine in December 2019, accompanied by a team from One America News. OAN produced a documentary of the trip in which it publicized the relationship between Hunter and Burisma and Joe Bidens publicly admitted action to cover this up by getting the prosecutor fired.

Anonymous Sources Reveal Baseless Warnings to Giuliani and Senator Ron Johnson

The first account I read was in the Washington Post, where Ellen Nakashima, Shane Harris, and Tom Hamburger clearly megaphoned the FBI story in an account which suggests we are seeing the phony baloney Russian Collusion tale being repeated with the same sort of willing collusion by the press, a role long played by Nakashima.

According to this account several current and former U.S. officials said that FBI counterintelligence agents warned Giuliani and OAN that they were being manipulated by the Russian government to promote its interests and that [Giuliani] appears to have brazenly disregarded such fears.

Update: The Washington Post, New York Times, and NBC News have all issued retractions for their reporting that Giuliani was cautioned.

Halt! If the revelation had to be made anonymously because the matter remains highly sensitive, werent these people sharing this information in violation of their obligations and if so, werent they inherently untrustworthy? Moreover, since when do the FBIs counterintelligence operatives determine who U.S. citizens and the press can interview? Giuliani, OAN, and Senator Ron Johnson were certainly entitled to make their own assessment of the credibility of those they interviewed and the information they provided. They were certainly entitled to probe the Ukraine connection, CI warnings notwithstanding, otherwise, as is obvious, simply warning people off on the grounds of purported national security concerns would give these agents an unfettered right to censor news and legitimate investigations. A strange claim after the Russian Collusion fiasco, in which we learned how FBI agents themselves, with the aid of foreign operators, manipulated baseless charges against Donald Trump.

Nor was there much behind the warning, according to Senator Johnson, who also received such a briefing as chair of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee who was also investigating the Hunter Biden-Burisma link. He told the Post reporters that there was no substance to the warning he received.

I asked the briefers what specific evidence they had regarding the warning, and they could not provide me anything other than the generalized warning . Without specific information, I felt the briefing was completely useless and unnecessary[snip]. Because there was no substance to the briefing, and because it followed the production and leaking of a false intelligence product by Democrat leaders, I suspected that the briefing was being given to be used at some future date for the purpose that it is now being used: to offer the biased media an opportunity to falsely accuse me of being a tool of Russia despite warnings.

Nothing in the Posts account provides factual evidence -- it is a self-serving leak by untrustworthy (because of the leak) officials.

The Search of Giulianis Home and Apartment

Ostensibly the search for electronic devices in Giuliani's possession was for evidence of a violation of the Foreign Agent Registration Act. Like the claim that they have a right to preclude investigation by private citizens, Congress, and the press on their vague warnings, the assertion that Giuliani could have been acting as an agent of Ukraine seems preposterous. Guilianis lawyer, Robert Costello, said that they sought communications between him and reporter John Solomon .

Mr. Costello in an interview called the search warrant legal thuggery. He said that in recent years he had offered to answer investigators questions as long as they agreed to say what area they were looking at ahead of time. He said they declined the offer. Its like Im talking to a wall, he said. Mr. Giuliani has denied ever serving as a lobbyist or agent of a foreign government. [snip] In a statement posted late Wednesday night on the website for Mr. Giulianis radio show, Mr. Costello said the search warrants involve only one indication of an alleged incident of failure to register as a foreign agent, but didnt specify the incident. Mr. Costellos statement also accused the Justice Department of targeting supporters of Donald Trump while employing a double standard for high-level Democrats whose blatant crimes are ignored.

Costello didnt name names, but the news that John F. Kerry revealed highly classified information to Iranian officials about Israeli strikes in Syria comes to mind.

The Foreign Agents Registration Act, the ostensible basis for the investigation, criminalizes in its present form people who meet this test and fail to register they are acting as agents of:

people and organizations that are under control of a foreign government, or

of organizations or of persons outside of the United States ("foreign principal"), if they act "at the order, request, or under the direction or control" (i.e. as "agents") of this principal or of persons who are "controlled or subsidized in major part" by this principal



Have we ever learned on whose direction Christopher Steele actually prepared his dossier, a pack of lies surely confected by Russian intelligence?

Scott Johnson at Powerline blog is as skeptical as I am about the Giuliani warrants. He says FARA is a farce and the Giuliani position in this fandango remains a mystery:

Yesterdays [New York]Times story vaguely reported that the criminal investigation involves Giulianis dealings in Ukraine. Todays Times story is ambiguous about Giulianis status: The warrants do not accuse Mr. Giuliani of wrongdoing, but they underscore his legal peril: They indicate a judge has found that investigators have probable cause to believe that a crime was committed and that the search would turn up evidence of that crime. So is Giuliani a target, a subject, or a witness in the investigation?

(Pursuant to a search warrant, federal agents also seized Victoria Toensings phone. She had worked with Giuliani seeking an investigation into Ukrainian influence on Joe Biden and she, like Giuliani, said shed have happily turned over any relevant documents had they simply asked. According to Giuliani, the only thing the federal agents were offered which they refused to take was Giuliani's copy of the material in Hunter Biden's laptop.)

Sloppy, sloppy work here by the FBI and the press. And the Washington Post was not alone. All the usual suspects hopped aboard. CNN chose Andrew McCabe, disgraced for his role in the Russian Collusion fable (lying about his authorization of leaks to the media), to comment on the matter. Was he one of the Posts sources? Its certainly possible. Hes knows the drill, having played this game before.

Time magazine also weighed in and got a slap back from Don Surber:

"The witnesses, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described lengthy interviews with investigators in Europe, Manhattan and Washington, starting in the fall of 2019 and continuing through February. The calls and meetings with investigators grew more frequent and intense after Joe Bidens victory in last falls presidential election, says one of the witnesses. Two of the witnesses say they were working with Giuliani while cooperating with federal investigators." Nice job, Time. Now name the cop who shot and killed an unarmed Ashli Babbitt.

The NY Times and Washington Post have since issued corrections which undercut the entire premise of the raid on Giuliani.

The retraction and correction by the Post: Correction: An earlier version of this story, published Thursday, incorrectly reported that One America News was warned by the FBI that it was the target of a Russian influence operation. That version also said the FBI had provided a similar warning to Rudolph W. Giuliani, which he has since disputed. This version has been corrected to remove assertions that OAN and Giuliani received the warnings. New York Times correction and retraction: Correction: May 1, 2021 An earlier version of this article misstated whether Rudolph W. Giuliani received a formal warning from the F.B.I. about Russian disinformation. Mr. Giuliani did not receive such a so-called defensive briefing. How Long Has Spying on Giuliani Been Going On

More outrageous than the search and seizure was the revelation by Giuliani that in late 2019 the Department of Justice covertly obtained access to my iCloud and never notified me, They invaded the attorney client relationship as we were defending against the phony impeachment. These prosecutors violated the laws, not me.

2019? The attorney general then was William Barr. Did he authorize such a travesty -- violating the attorney-client privileged communications between the president and his lawyer? That seems hard to believe. A very serious breach of the fundamental rights of any defendant. Alan Dershowitz agreed to help and explains how serious a breach the invasion of Giulianis iCloud is.

From Newsweek:

This is a very serious breach of privacy, and I agreed to help advise him on this issue," Dershowitz later confirmed to Newsweek. Dershowitz said search warrants are executed only when you have reason to believe that the lawyer would destroy evidence," adding that lawyers, doctors, priests and other individuals with privileged information have protections under the Fourth Amendment.

Was this an off-the-book operation by rogue agents? I mean, if these people feel free to constantly leak to the press sensitive material, how far off the reservation have FBI agents gone? Or was this shoved under the carpet as a national security matter and the DNI was responsible and kept Barr in the dark? A mystery of significant importance. Did they have a FISA warrant to do this? If so, ever more reason to scrap this monstrosity.

If you are not yet concerned about the FBIs counterintelligence operations, its incompetency and KGB-type operations, you just arent paying attention.

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Kelly Donohue thought that life was wonderful. Hed won not once, not twice, but three times on Jeopardy!. Perhaps for his familys benefit, or maybe just to boast, with each win, hed flash a small hand signal showing the number of wins hed had. Little did he know, but that third victory signal is allegedly a hand symbol that White supremacists flash to each other. Even though he obviously acted innocently, the vicious woke mob took his victory and turned it into ashes.

You must see the video to understand the kerfuffle:

Donohue was boasting a little bit. The fact that it was entirely innocent is demonstrated by the fact that, on preceding shows, hed made a similar hand-to-the-chest gesture highlighting the number of wins he had under his belt. Using screengrabs from Jeopardy!, the Daily Mail put together a montage of Donohues hand gestures over the course of three days:

Its worth noting that, while Americans use the pointer, middle, and ring fingers to show three, other cultures use different fingers to make the same symbol. Anyone who saw the movie Inglourious Basterds knows that:

Its also worth pointing out that not everybody automatically knows what gestures mean. Theres a famous picture of Churchill flashing what he thought was the V for Victory sign but was, in England, actually the up yours gesture. Its also questionable whether any person whos not politically focused would know that the three-finger signal is indeed a White supremacist sign. All of this came out back in 2019 what some perfectly innocent cadets at Annapolis were accused of being White supremacists for making the same hand symbol.

Nevertheless, the woke tyrants swung into action. You can see some examples here. Additionally, because virtue signaling requires people constantly to up the woke ante to prove that they are pure  just as North Koreans had to outdo each other crying at Kim Jong-Ils funeral  450 former Jeopardy! Contestants piled onto the hapless Donohue.

In other words, some of what we saw was rampant virtue and power signaling. However, those former contestants also showed that theyve internalized the message that, in a totalitarian world, silence is complicity. (Indeed, the woke mobsters, from Biden on down, are explicit about this.)

The charge against Donohue was so ludicrous, however, that even the notoriously leftist and woke Snopes site debunked it:

In context, it appeared to be nothing more than a gesture signifying his status as three-time winner, and there was never any evidence offered to the contrary.

Despite his innocence, Donohue is not a culture warrior in the battle against the madness of leftist social politics. Instead, hes a mild-mannered bank examiner from Massachusetts (suggesting he could even be a Democrat). So, he apologized:

Did you catch what happened to him? Let me repeat what the woke mob did to that poor man: I removed the previous post because the comments were more than I could bear.

Those horrible, vicious people took what should have been a wonderful triumph in a bank examiners life and turned it into an experience that will probably give him PTSD for the rest of his days. Who would ever have thought in the early days of social media that it would become such an incredible force for mob rule and evil?

IMAGE: Kelly Donohue hand gesture. YouTube screengrab.

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Based on the reaction he received as he spoke to the GOP convention in Utah, it looks like Mitt Romney has exhausted the reservoir of goodwill he enjoyed thanks to his saving of the 2002 Winter Olympics from financial disaster. I always assumed that was the reason he enjoyed electoral victory when he ran for the Senate from the Beehive State, after having been born and raised in Michigan and making his career in Massachusetts, where he amassed a fortune and served as governor. His membership in the Church of Latter Day Saints, Jesus Christ no doubt helped him among adherents of that faith, but so far as I know, there is no analogue to Israels Right of Return for Jews that makes LDS members automatically citizens of Utah.

His NeverTrump status and especially his vote to convict on one count of President Trumps second impeachment seem to have alienated a lot of Utah Republicans, in a state renowned for genteel politeness. Watch and listen to the heckling:

A loser showed up at the @UtahGOP Convention todaywell deserved! pic.twitter.com/3gNcebZZLm  Dan Scavino (@DanScavino) May 1, 2021

Mitt asks a question that looks an awful lot like projection to me: Arent you embarrassed?

Photo credit: Twitter video screengrab

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The Centers for Disease Control, which bills itself to the public as an agency all about "science," is actually pretty political.

So in late February, when the agency released its disappointing recommendations to slow and halt school re-openings, despite the pandemic passing its peak, the obvious options for outdoor learning, and the success of school reopenings in Europe, and among private schools here, many assumed they were just a little slow on the uptake, and maybe going by their outdated research.

Nope, they were parroting what the American Federation of Teachers told them to say, word for word at times, according to a report in the New York Post:

The American Federation of Teachers lobbied the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on, and even suggested language for, the federal agencys school-reopening guidance released in February. The powerful teachers unions full-court press preceded the federal agency putting the brakes on a full re-opening of in-person classrooms, emails between top CDC, AFT and White House officials show. The emails were obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request by the conservative watchdog group Americans for Public Trust and provided to The Post.

The Post described a "flurry" of emails between not just Dr. Rochelle Walensky, Biden's newly appointed CDC director and union bigs, with plenty of gushy praises in the lovey-dovey exchanges, but also the White House, which then very much played a part in the weird CDC behavior in the month of February following the exchanges.

Walensky, recall, had been in trouble with this bunch, because when she first came on the job, she did say schools could safely re-open and teachers did not have to be vaccinated.

Then the unions got involved, and she took a U-turn. Remember this?

Following weeks of standoff in some cities and states where teachers unions are demanding vaccines as a condition of reopening, the issue came to a head Wednesday when Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said vaccination of teachers is not a prerequisite for safe reopening of schools. But in a juggling of positions, the White House declined to back Walensky, saying she was speaking in her personal capacity. Asked Friday about her earlier comments, Walensky punted.

Nope, she was speaking science at the time and certainly in an official capaicty, and now the emails indicate that the union set her to rights.

Then Joe himself, recall, in an unusual move, tweeted this weird public service message featuring her below.

I know folks have a lot of questions about COVID-19 mutations, our vaccination progress, and much more. @CDCDirector Dr. Walensky sat down to provide answers. pic.twitter.com/K0Rlkc4Ti2  President Biden (@POTUS) February 22, 2021

I wrote about the strangeness of the whole thing here, arguing that Walensky's bizarre smiling visage as she commanded more masks and lockdowns came off as strangely insincere at a time when the public was beginning to suspect a "COVID-Industrial complex" at work, and she looked like a puppet ... of someone.

Instead of seeming like someone medically trustworthy, she comes off as kind of a screwball commercial actor, insincere but grinning, or else a lowly customer service representative spouting the company line, or worst of all, maybe someone who likes the sort of situation she's touting with a commercial interest in permanent lockdowns. That's bad, because it's what the public already is suspecting.

No kidding.

The details of the New York Post piece are actually pretty shocking as you get deep into the weeds of it:

Thank you again for Fridays rich discussion about forthcoming CDC guidance and for your openness to the suggestions made by our president, Randi Weingarten, and the AFT, wrote AFT senior director for health issues Kelly Trautner in a Feb 1 email  which described the union as the CDCs thought partner. We were able to review a copy of the draft guidance document over the weekend and were able to provide some initial feedback to several staff this morning about possible ways to strengthen the document, Trautner continued.  We believe our experiences on the ground can inform and enrich thinking around what is practicable and prudent in future guidance documents.

So is this an agency that works for the benefit of public, or an agency that takes its "science," health advice, and marching orders from the teachers' unions? Word for word? People like the lady in this picture of health, whose very union is now commanding the Centers for Disease Control about what public health orders to issue? Or him? I bring it up because among union leaders, obesity, a self-induced COVID co-morbidity, is common. Some of these union officials obviously know nothing about health and certainly don't follow health-based guidelines even on themselves. They sure as heck aren't going to know more than the CDC would know about infectious diseases. But with political tools like Walensky in place, they do.

Yes, there is an argument to make, and the leftists who love these unions will make it, that the union members' "experiences on the ground" were all that this exchange was about. That, too is highly questionable, given that union officials aren't themselves actual teachers, and more to the point, have political interests that supercede any science that they abhor.

What are their political interests? What they've shown us now is that they are big on the bunny-slipper commute for their members, as AT's Andrea Widburg aptly put it, doing very little work, taking a full salary with bennies, and making themselves even less accountable for their failures to effectively teach their students at any respectable level. Anything that can achieve that political aim for their members -- big salaries, gargantuan pensions, long vacays, and very little work, is the unions' political agenda for itself.

And incredibly, the CDC took that "advice," from this union fully corrupted by self-interest, a known Washington lobby, and put it forward to the public as "science." No pushback. No concealing it. Not telling the public of course about who was telling them under the table to say it.

Anybody going to trust anything the CDC says from here on out? Every health guideline they issue has now got to be checked for lobbyists writing it.

The backdrop here is interesting, too.

According to this July 2020 report from Stat, which seems like a leftist publication, but a pretty intelligent one, the CDC is actually a malleable outfit, given that its headquarters are in Atlanta, rather than Washington, D.C. The article accuses Trump administration officials of manipulating them, but the same case is clearly true for union officials dictating their recommendations to the Biden administration, and who knows if they did the same earlier with Trump. CDC denizens don't actually know a lot about Washington power politics, the article says. They're an agency that up until recently has been ignored.

The directors are often between a rock and a hard place, they are trying to make the case in Washington  for what the evidence-based approaches would be, and encountering politics, and then trying to explain back at the agency how some of the recommendations that are being made [by the CDC] may not be possible given the political environment, said John Auerbach, the president and CEO of Trust for Americas Health and a former associate director of the CDC. That tension has been on full display in recent days as CDC Director Robert Redfield has attempted to defend the CDCs school reopening guidelines amid calls from Trump and Vice President Mike Pence to significantly water them down. Political pressure from the White House forced the CDC to shelve similar guidelines on reopening community spaces, like churches. A senior HHS official even accused the CDC of undermining the president after it released a report on the risk of coronavirus for pregnant women.

Were union officials pressuring the CDC to keep schools closed even during the Trump administration? The Trump administration got pushback for its supposed interference, but the Biden administration and its union buddies got only gushing love notes. Yet they certainly had an interest in ousting President Trump from office before the election, that was their agenda at the time. Would be interesting to see the FOIA documents from those months, too.

Bottom line here is that the CDC has become a chew toy for the teachers unions. A power void of lobbying influence, described by Stat, has clearly been filled, and maybe was filled long ago.

This isn't the way you operate a science- and evidence-based government public-health agency. No lobbyist should ever be allowed near an agency of this kind, it should be a federal violation bustable with examples. Yet under Biden, the unions not only are lobbying for what eventually becomes 'science,' they are actually calling the shots. And CDC lets them, showing no pride whatever. This agency doesn't work for the public. With this New York Post report, it's pretty clear that CDC is nothing but a lackey for the unions.

Congressional hearing should be held on every last CDC recommendation at this point. The CDC officials involved in this lovefest should be fired, and the Biden administration officials involved should be booted.

Image: Twitter screen shot

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Many Americans were understandably shocked to hear that federal agents executed search warrants on former mayor Rudy Giuliani. In reporting on the event, CNN waffled, offering puzzling justifications while admitting it was unusual for these types of warrants to be executed on lawyers. CNN columnists Erica Orden and Paula Reid defend the raid as the inevitable result of a two-year investigation into Giulianis alleged involvement with Ukrainian officials. At another point, the authors suggested that the warrants may be retribution for the 2020 election. The bottom line is that when CNN cant even provide a cohesive defense of the federal overreach, it portends an autocracy that will become more restrictive.

Over the last year, several conservative media outlets have voiced concerns about western nations devolving into police states. In December, Victoria Friedman of Breitbart News rightfully decried the lockdown restrictions enforced on Britons. Just this week, National Review published an editorial to rebut President Bidens calls for police reform. The article is not claimed by any particular author. Instead, the byline reads only the editors. The implication is telling; given the political witch hunt underway against conservatives, publishing platforms have noticed.

Last summer, Elias Yousif penned a scathing Op-Ed in The Hill. He juxtaposed the personal peril undertaken by protestors opposing what they saw as police brutality and qualified immunity that shields officers of the law. Regardless of what one thinks of Mr. Yousifs claimor The Hill, for that matterit speaks volumes when center or left-leaning media outlets run articles titled, [i]s America becoming a police state?

Conservatives have long complained of Deep State operatives. Proving their existence seems a constant struggle. Reframing the conversation to broaden the definition to Police State is, at least, attracting attention from the center. Still, its challenging to find reliable news outlets willing to call out municipal, state, and federal officials for their depraved behavior of misusingor outright abusingtheir authority over law enforcement. Sure, plenty of articles document the misdeeds of smug apparatchiks. Few go so far as to say America is on the verge of autocracy.

The obvious question is, what are the characteristics of a police state?

Glenn McDonald of Seeker.com warns to look for these 10 clues when deciding if your government is repressive. His historically researched list, written in 2013, includes:

Abusing human rights;

Arresting and imprisoning political dissidents;

Censoring access to online content or platforms;

Forbidding citizens from revealing the plight of their state-sanctioned detention;

Leaders who have been in power for decades;

Outlawing or curtailing political representation (read: voting);

Restricting freedom of the press;

Spying and reporting on neighbors to curry favor with the government;

Using electronic surveillance on private citizens or businesses; and,

Using internet companies to gather intelligence about individuals.

When Mr. McDonald wrote his article, it was in response to leaks about the NSA spying on Americans. Still, its hard to imagine that a mere eight years ago, only two of his examples were explicitly about the United States. In looking at the list today, nine readily describe the aggressive behaviors of turncoats at all levels of the American government. Perhaps, all ten are accurate descriptors, and the evidence simply hasnt yet come to light.

It certainly appears that the United States fits the characteristics of a police state. Merriam-Webster defines the term as:

A political unit characterized by repressive governmental control of political, economic, and social life usually by an arbitrary exercise of power by police and especially secret police.

Do law enforcement agencies in the United States arbitrarily exercise their powers? Are there secret police that undermine the rights of private citizens?

In 2015, the Washington Post began to log every fatal shooting by an on-duty police officer in the United States. Since that time, roughly 1,000 Americans are killed each year by police officers. No doubt, many of the deceased placed themselves in situations where the officers involved had little choice but to administer deadly force. What that precise number amounts to is not known. What is known is that the American legal system is founded on the premise that all suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Only in cases of grave bodily injury or certain death to an officer or bystander should law enforcement be compelled to deny that fundamental right to a suspect. If peace officers are granted the authority to administer deadly force, it should be a last resort when all other reasonable uses of force for the incident in question have been exhausted.

To be clear, law enforcement officers are, by and large, good and decent people who only hope to serve their community. They want to go home to their families at the end of the dayjust like everyone else. The fault for the loss of life must rest with those who make policy and provide the scant resources for training or equipment to allow officers to carry out their duty safely.

It is not counterintuitive to support the men and women patrolling American streets and investigating alleged crimes while also questioning the very policymakers and administrators who place an unreasonable burden on the officers in their charge. It is akin to supporting the individual troops sent into harms way to fight some foreign war while questioning the government that sent them.

It is even more of a concern when a government employs secret police. In this case, the officers involved do bear responsibilityalong with their superiorsfor violating the inalienable rights of private citizens. Think back to the Portland riots last summer. Federal agents were reported to have jumped out of unmarked vehicles throughout the citygrabbing protestors seemingly without cause. Here again, the possible involvement in criminal activity implies that anyone suspected of being involved may be detained. After all, America was founded on law and order. However, there are strict boundaries to ensure that enshrined individual rights are forever protectedeven in times of great emergency.

Compare this with the raid on Rudy Giuliani. Despite getting warrants, the federal agents did not alert the White House of their planned invasion. While the Justice Department is not required to do so, it strains credulity to think that raiding the private home and business of the personal attorney (Mr. Giuliani) of a former President does not meet a standard where the White House should at least be notified in advance. It screams of another instance where federal agents acted under dubious orders to silence a political adversary.

This isnt the America conservatives want to celebrate. Its gone beyond any semblance of seedy Deep State functionaries secretly pulling at the levers of government. Its in the streets now. Working Americans are the victims. Perceived crimes or transgressions are as real in their consequences as actual crimes. Conservatives must demand laws be followed by those entrusted to enforce themelse, the boundaries of freedom will shrink into oblivion. Should that happen, America will be knee-deep in a police state.

Photo credit: Steve Rhodes (cropped) CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 license

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As a Catholic, let me deliver this message to all of those fellow Catholics who are disappointed with President Biden: what were you thinking?

Suddenly, there are pro-life Democrats disappointed with their party. Again, didn't you know that your party is committed to a pro-abortion message? I may be wrong, but wasn't Governor Casey the last pro-life prime-time speaker at a party convention? That was in 1992, and a fellow named Perot was running for president.

Once again, we hear that bishops are talking about the Catholic who has never heard of an abortion he'd disapprove of.

This is from National Catholic Register:

In his first weeks in office, he issued an executive order to cancel the Mexico City Policy that prohibited U.S. taxpayer funding of abortion and advocacy for abortion abroad. The move flouted repeated reminders from the U.S. bishops about how his pro-abortion commitments conflict with the Church's clear teaching about this preeminent moral issue of our time, as well as Pope Francis' repeated warnings about "modern forms of ideological colonization," including the exportation of a progressive agenda against the unborn. With the stroke of a pen, our nation's Catholic president forced his fellow Catholics, and other Americans who abhor abortion on the grounds of their faith-based belief in the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death, to violate their consciences by making them complicit in funding the international abortion lobby. Biden's executive action, undertaken with the deliberate intent to convey his complete conformity with the Democratic Party's allegiances to Planned Parenthood and the abortion industry, was followed by the confirmation of a succession of stridently pro-abortion appointees to senior administration posts. Most notably, Biden installed Xavier Becerra as secretary of Health and Human Services. Becerra, a Catholic politician who dissents on abortion even more flagrantly than the president, began his campaign to integrate pro-abortion priorities into the framework of the federal government in April by overturning the HHS' prohibition on Title X health-care funding being directed to organizations that are involved with abortion. Planned Parenthood will be by far the biggest beneficiary of the Title X money that is now poised to flood into the abortion industry.

Sorry, but it's time end the charade. President Biden may think that he is a Catholic, but his actions say otherwise.

The bishops need to call him out on it and include Speaker Pelosi in the announcement. Abortion is a major issue for the Catholic faith, and President Biden, and Speaker Pelosi, can't continue with their games.

PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk).

Image: Gage Skidmore via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0.

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As the Biden/Harris/Obama wrecking crew seeks to destroy America, our federal system provides an effective response: The states must resist in every possible way. While there are many different items on the resistance menu lets look at education.

For decades, the left has exercised a laser-like focus on capturing education and molding it to their design. They have been successful. If you can teach children how bad America is and promote a leftist agenda as the only answer. you are getting close to home in terms of turning the country towards a hard-left haven.

It is remarkable that any objectively educated people still exist. But thankfully, there are, and we can build on them right now to turn America around. After all, we know there are at least 75 million Trump voters and perhaps many more.

Educations capture flows thru the teachers unions, the state-level education departments, the local school boards, the effective opposition to education vouchers, and leftist control over state universities that train the teachers and subvert the overall student body in general  and most importantly through the legislatures and governors.

State legislatures control public education policy and funding. Unfortunately, conservative states pay little attention to what is really going on in public education. Legislatures in conservative states must learn from the left and laser focus on transforming education.

What should be done? Abolish teacher unions. Abolish state education departments. Take local school boards back from the left. Put education vouchers in place with no restrictions. Take back the public universities from the left.

Can teacher unions be abolished? While it may be impossible to eliminate teacher unions completely, it is possible to reign in their illegal activities and reduce their political power. For example, teacher unions often use blackmail-style strikes to secure higher pay or close schools, as weve seen with COVID. If teachers were fired (as air-traffic controllers once were) it would send a message that some things are off-limits. If teachers were informed of their right not to join or pay dues to unions, that would substantially curtail the unions power to set far-left policies.

State education departments should be abolished because they serve no effective purpose. States should also decline any Federal money tied to education at the K-12 level. Catholic parochial schools get by on much less funding than public schools and generally provide higher quality education. Public schools could get by on less funding if they followed this example. Finally, refuse to communicate with the U.S. Education Department and insist that it be abolished on constitutional grounds.

Local school boards can be taken back from the left in conservative states and even in some counties in highly progressive states. Well-organized local effort is required, but obviously quite doable. Recent organizational successes in Wisconsin provide hope for the future.

Put unrestricted education vouchers into place. While many states have voucher programs, the percentage of students enrolled is extremely low. This is causally related to hard-left opposition restricting access.

The argument against vouchers is that they will destroy public education. Unfortunately, the reason we need vouchers is that public education in many cases has already destroyed itself. Public schools monopoly status allows them to be bad. With vouchers, public education will benefit because the product will be forced to improve if the schools want to attract students.

Leftists control almost all public universities. To take the universities back, university administrators must be replaced with people who want real education to flourish. Amazingly, this probably means that the key administrators cannot be educators. Universities are somewhat like the DC Swamp. You cant appoint a card-carrying swamp dweller to run a university. You must appoint outsiders to clean up, as President Trump had begun to do in D.C.

The outsiders must have unwavering backing from the states governor and legislature, and from the university boards. This means that the boards must be reorganized to reflect a full-court press. The outsider agenda and message must be about control and big changes, which mean firings and reorganization  think of the Bain Capital approach to revitalizing a failing company.

Areas ripe for reorganization are those having no business on campus, such as identity politic departments, which should be closed. Deans and department chairs would be replaced in many cases. Education and journalism schools would be heavily reoriented. The curriculum would need a redo. Qualified faculty, not students, would develop the requirements to include what used to be a full university education (just review 1950s requirements). Unqualified faculty members would need to be fired. Let the lawsuits come.

Any viable organization in America knows how to be fair in hiring. A diversity department sends false racist signals and is totally unnecessary in the America that exists outside DC.

The new university would have to be very careful about accepting money from DC or leftist foundations. In many cases, this would mean declining to accept such money.

Can this be done? Yes, it can!

Christopher Garbacz is a former economics professor, who thinks America is not done just yet. Hold the fork.

IMAGE: Learning by klimkin from Pixabay.

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Things began to change, parents said. Surveillance cameras were installed to record both video and audio, for what David Centner said were security and insurance purposes. Leila Centner once remarked that children should be kept away from windows, for fear of radiation from 5G cell towers, another baseless conspiracy theory. (The windows at the preschool now have electromagnetic frequency shielding blockers, David Centner said in response to a question about the schools 5G concerns.) The school opposed feeding children sugar and gluten and required that students have different shoes for indoors and outdoors. Some parents said they thought such ideas odd but inoffensive  unlike what began to happen with the schools response to the coronavirus.
While an uncertain public awaits results from the Arizona election audit, the immediate major media outcry, prematurely denouncing it, should be viewed as the audit's hitting a major media nerve. The media's reaction vividly demonstrates their fear of a searching re-examination of the election purity they have so arrogantly and unwaveringly proclaimed.

After all, if this election were as well run as touted (with the customary admission to the mere occasional and inevitable, but insignificant, error), then the Biden-centric media should be cheerleading the effort. Shouldn't the audit, to use a favored media word, be anticipated to "debunk" the claims of widespread irregularities?

The media have drawn great succor from numerous court cases turning down challenges to the 2020 election results. However, these claims raised issues not properly cognizable by our judicial system. Ordering a recount is one thing; relitigating a multimillion-vote election is quite another. It looks tremendously suspicious that, after Republican poll-watchers were banished, massive blocs of Detroit votes were introduced in the early morning, with 95% Biden selection. But what exactly is a smart person in black robes supposed to do with this tableau? Overturn the election without taking evidence? Convene a three-month trial with numerous witnesses and experts, while Biden and Trump cool their heels? A wise court should toss the case, as each reviewing jurist did. But this rejection should not be seen as validating the election process, as the major media did.

The election process itself, not the judicial system, is supposed to be administered so as to provide the public with confidence in the announced tallies. For this reason, the only widely recognized judicial remedy, as in Bush v. Gore, is an order to recount, which brings the process back to its proper venue: the election centers. So the unsuccessful Republican and Trump lawsuits to invalidate the various election results do not validate the propriety of election procedures; they merely demarcate the limited jurisdictional boundaries of our judicial system.

But that is not how major media, at once partisan and ignorant, have spun this string of unsurprising Republican defeats:

To Cast Doubt On Election Results, Republicans Lean On Conspiracy Theories npr.org

Arizona Republicans are auditing election results using company run by man who spread conspiracy theories about them chicagotribune.com

QAnon fans are obsessed with Arizona vote "audit," still hoping for Trump comeback salon.com

Arizona Republicans' desperate crusade to find nonexistent voter fraud washingtonpost.com

Media hyperventilation about the recently commenced Arizona audit is evidence that pro-Biden forces discern grave danger in the process. They have known all along that an audit, not a court case, is the proper forum for detection of maladministration allowing improper votes. If the media can portray the audit as being about nothing more than warmed-over voting machine paranoia, the yells of "conspiracy theory" will become even louder. But if a credible evidentiary challenge to the results in Arizona can be strongly shown, the media will be soundly discredited, and with them their assurances of election legitimacy.

So it behooves the auditors and their sponsors to focus both on palpably wrongful voting and sufficient numerosity of suspect votes. Such a result would not necessarily mean that the national election was illegitimate. But it would give some support to that entirely reasonable inference. At the least, it would dramatically demonstrate that, yes, our national election, especially in key urban areas controlled by Democrats, was so poorly administered, whether negligently or fraudulently, that radical reform is needed to ensure that this uncertainty never again occurs. And yes, H.R. 1 would be a problem, not a solution.

One more conclusion that will be reasonably drawn if such an audit outcome is credibly proven: the major media were once again complicit in fraudulent partisan concealment of a major affront to our democracy, making their suppression of the Hunter Biden laptop story just one leaf of their poisonous tree. Indeed, they would be convicted by the jury of public opinion as one of the main culprits in the fiasco we call the 2020 election.

John D. O'Connor is a former federal prosecutor and the San Francisco attorney who represented W. Mark Felt during his revelation as Deep Throat in 2005. O'Connor is the author of the book Postgate: How the Washington Post Betrayed Deep Throat, Covered Up Watergate, and Began Today's Partisan Advocacy Journalism and the host of the new podcast series The Mysteries of Watergate.

Image: cagdesign via Pixabay, Pixabay License.

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A university student writing for thecollegefix.com, recently noted that he had attended an online debate during which automatic soap dispensers were cited as proof of systemic racism. One student claimed that the egregious cleanser-dispensing implements are racist because they force black and brown bodies to show their palms if they want to get soap. See the inherent racism? The student did, noting that Black and brown peoples palms are the only light areas of their skin.

Coincidence or diabolical plot? Another young scholar took a different, nearly opposite, tack to arrive at the same conclusion. She claimed that the dispensers dont see her hands due to the darker pigment of her skin.

Incredibly, the writer says that the majority of the more than 80 U.C.L.A. students virtually attending the discussion shared similar views about the marginalizing nature of automatic soap dispensers. The author further noted that the dispensers are actually triggered by an infrared light sensor, and that infrared light is emitted by all people, irrespective of color.

YouTube screeengrab

Arguably even crazier claims were put forth during the dialog, ranging from White people fed Black babies to crocodiles, to I had a racist teacher who was racist because she asked me where I was from. Talk about your conspiracy theories!

One has to laugh when hearing preposterous statements such as these, but it is terribly sad in the end. When an entire generation is urged to see systemic racism and white supremacy everywhere, that generation is condemned to a bitter, sad life of no great achievement. If youre a person of color, why put out great effort if you cant possibly succeed because the cards are stacked against you? If youre not, youre told that everything you have and anything you accomplish is entirely due to your privilege, whatever your actual circumstances. So, why pile on the guilt and self-loathing by continuing to strive and succeed?

On the one hand we punish success, while, on the other, we tell certain groups that nothing is their fault, they are not accountable in any way, that every negative outcome is solely the result of a society structured to benefit the white male Christian patriarchy. As Paul Harvey might have said, the results of such actions are too obvious to require elaboration. Or should be.

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
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Vaccines: Varhelyi in the Balkans, tomorrow first EU doses Enlargement Commissioner visiting on the occasion of delivery

(ANSA) - BRUSSELS, 02 MAG - "I will visit the Western Balkans to send a clear message: we care about our partners, and we care about health workers and the most vulnerable," said the EU Commissioner for Enlargement, Oliver Varhelyi, in a statement, announcing a visit next week to the countries of the region on the occasion of the delivery of the first Covid vaccines funded by the EU. Starting from next week until August, Albania, Kosovo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, and North Macedonia will receive 651,000 doses of Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines to secure health staff and the most vulnerable sections of the population. According to Variety, "the delivery of vaccines confirms the EU's continuous commitment to providing help" as "we have done since the outbreak of the pandemic." The vaccines, financed thanks to the 70 m aid package adopted by the Commission last December, were purchased through Austria's mediation with legal agreements with the manufacturer and partner countries. Varhely will travel to Serbia on Monday afternoon; on Tuesday, he will visit Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, and North Macedonia, and will end his visit on Wednesday in Albania and Kosovo. (ANSA).





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Prime Minister Boris Johnson has given his backing to a pet theft taskforce to tackle anyone who is malicious enough to steal a dog.

Mr Johnson said that while some people may think a surge in dog thefts during the pandemic as just a second order offence, it actually can cause huge pain and grief to the victims.

In an article in the Mail on Sunday, he wrote: At present this crime is far too often dismissed as relatively trivial  on a par, say, with shoplifting but Mr Johnson disagrees with this view.

Lord Chancellor Robert Buckland has set up a pet theft taskforce to deal properly with a surge in thefts which this year has seen Hertfordshire Police recover 27 dogs and make three arrests while 83 dogs have been returned and six arrests made in Suffolk.

Mr Johnson adds: If you are cynical and nasty enough to steal a dog, in an organised gang, then you will almost certainly be party to other types of crime as well.

This is a fight that can be won.
Dominic Raab said he has no idea if a Conservative donor was asked to pay for Boris Johnsons childcare as the Foreign Secretary dismissed the allegation as tittle-tattle.

The Cabinet minister mounted a defence of Mr Johnson on Sunday amid signs a string of allegations may be damaging the Tories ahead of this weeks elections.

But he declined to deny a report in the Sunday Times that a second invoice for lavish renovations of the Prime Ministers Downing Street flat may have been settled by a Tory donor.

Mr Johnson is seeking to focus attention on tackling crime and the coronavirus recovery in a pitch to voters before polls open across Britain on Thursday.

It came as two new polls suggested the Conservatives lead over Labour has been cut ahead of Thursdays local elections in England and votes for the parliaments in Scotland and Wales.

The polls will raise concerns among Conservatives that recent sleaze allegations battering the Prime Minister are beginning to turn some voters off.

The Electoral Commission this week launched an investigation into whether any donations or loans to pay for the refurbishment of his Downing Street flat were properly declared.

And Mr Johnson has been forced to deny saying he would rather see bodies pile high than impose a third coronavirus lockdown, on top of a lobbying row and allegations of cronyism.

(PA Graphics)

But further allegations emerged over how renovations at his No 11 residence were initially paid for and that an MP has received a complaint from a Tory donor that they were asked to pay for a nanny for Mr Johnsons one-year-old son Wilfred.

The donor was alleged to have said: I dont mind paying for leaflets but I resent being asked to pay to literally wipe the Prime Ministers babys bottom.

A No 10 spokeswoman said: The Prime Minister has covered the cost of all childcare.

But she did not respond when asked if Mr Johnson paid for the original bill himself or had reimbursed somebody else.

Asked about the allegation in the Sunday Times, Mr Raab told Skys Sophy Ridge on Sunday: I have no idea, you dont have conversations like that with the PM. I cant comment on every little bit of gossip thats in the newspapers.

The last thing you asked me about I think is an example of tittle-tattle.

The PMs former aide, Dominic Cummings, has accused Mr Johnson of wanting donors to secretly pay for works on his flat (Yui Mok/PA)

He declined to deny another allegation that a second invoice for the renovations reported to cost up to 200,000 was settled by a third party directly with the supplier.

There are three reviews now I think into this and I think the right thing for me to do is not add political commentary that could otherwise prejudice those reviews but to respect the integrity of them, Mr Raab said.

So Im not going to offer you Im afraid any more commentary or if you like chatter on the various different reports and speculation that I see in the Sunday papers.

He also said he has no idea if Mr Johnson personally called newspaper editors to criticise former aide Dominic Cummings but insisted the Prime Minister is absolutely focused on the pandemic.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister appealed to voters in an article for The Mail on Sunday by saying he would bring the hammer down hard on the gangs and set up a pet theft task force.

He said the rollout of vaccines, one popular element of his handling of the pandemic, was helping to ease restrictions ahead of the expected relaxations on May 17 and June 21.

This country is moving forwards cautiously but I hope irreversibly through the steps of the road map, Mr Johnson wrote.

Week after week we are seeing how the vaccine rollout is helping to restore our freedoms  and with those freedoms I have absolutely no doubt that our economy will bounce back strongly.

Sir Keir Starmers Labour Party has made ground on the Tories in the latest polling (Ian Forsyth/PA)

Although earlier polls suggested the sleaze allegations were not significantly denting public support for the Tories, fresh surveys gave evidence to the contrary.

The Conservatives fell to a five-point lead over Labour, with 42% compared to 37%, according to the Opinium poll of more than 2,000 adults between Wednesday and Friday.

That put the Tories down two points and Labour up four compared to a week earlier, halving the Conservatives lead ahead of the elections, in which some 48 million people are eligible to vote.

And in separate polling, Focaldata put Labour on 39%, one point behind the Tories, who previously had a healthy lead, according to The Sunday Times.

Mr Johnson has denied breaking any laws over the refurbishment of his No 11 residence and insisted he had paid personally for the works.

But he has refused to say whether he received an initial loan from the Conservative Party, as Downing Street launched two separate reviews into the controversy.

Questions intensified when Mr Cummings accused the Prime Minister of wanting donors to secretly pay for the works in a possibly illegal move.

The elections on Thursday will be the first major electoral test for the Conservatives and Sir Keir Starmers Labour Party since the 2019 general election.
Here is a timeline of the key events since Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was arrested in Iran in 2016.

 April 3 2016: The mother-of-one is detained by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard at Imam Khomeini airport after a holiday visit to Iran where she introduced her daughter Gabriella to her parents.

 July 12 2016: Richard Ratcliffe, her husband, delivers letters to Downing Street for outgoing prime minister David Cameron and his replacement Theresa May on his wifes 100th day in custody. He says it is astonishing no British minister has publicly criticised Tehran for arresting Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe.

 August 9 2016: New prime minister Mrs May raised concerns about Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe during a phone call with president of Iran, Hassan Rouhani.

Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe and her husband Richard Ratcliffe (Zaghari-Ratcliffe family/PA)

 September 9 2016: Mr Ratcliffe says his wife has been jailed for five years following a conviction on unspecified national security-related offences  a sentence he describes as a punishment without a crime.

 November 13 2016: Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe begins a hunger strike, which she ends after five days amid her familys fears for her health.

 January 2 2017: Mr Ratcliffe says Mrs May and her ministers could have publicly stood up for Nazanin more and should have called for her release. Mr Ratcliffe said: She raised those concerns in September. What happened after September? Nothing much, really.

 April 24 2017: The family of Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe say she has lost the final stage of her appeal against the sentence.

 November 6 2017: It is feared Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe may face a further period of imprisonment because of remarks made by then-foreign secretary Boris Johnson. Mr Johnson told a parliamentary committee the previous week that Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe was working in Tehran training journalists at the time of her arrest in 2016. Four days later, she was summoned before an unscheduled court hearing, where the foreign secretarys comments were cited as proof that she was engaged in propaganda against the regime.

 November 7 2017: It is announced that Mr Johnson told his Iranian counterpart in a phone call that his comments to a Commons committee provide no justifiable basis for further legal action against Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe. A Foreign Office spokesman says Mr Johnson now accepts that he could have been clearer when he told the Foreign Affairs Committee that the British woman had been training journalists in Iran at the time of her arrest.

Painted stones in support of Richard Ratcliffe, the husband of detained Nazanin Zaghari Ratcliffe, outside the Iranian Embassy in Knightsbridge, London (Victoria Jones/PA)

 November 12 2017: Mr Ratcliffe says his wife has seen a medical specialist after finding lumps on her breasts and is on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

 November 15 2017: Mr Ratcliffe describes an hour-long meeting with Mr Johnson as positive and constructive.

 December 12 2017: Mr Johnson said he and his Iranian counterpart spoke frankly regarding the case of Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe, during talks in Tehran.

 Later in December 2017: Mr Ratcliffe said he believes there is still a chance his wife may be released in time for a dream Christmas together.

 December 28 2017: Mr Ratcliffe says he is in limbo waiting for news of his wifes release but has not given up hope, and describes the situation as a lot more positive than last year.

 April 14 2018: Iranian ambassador to the UK, Hamid Baeidinejad, says the Iranian government is doing its best to secure Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffes release, saying the judicial process was complicated but insisted we are trying our best.

Supporters outside the Iranian Embassy (Victoria Jones/PA)

 May 21 2018: Mr Ratcliffe says his wife has been told to expect another conviction after appearing in court over a new invented charge.

 August 3 2018: New foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt pledges to do everything possible to secure Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffes release, after talks with Mr Ratcliffe.

 August 21 2018: Mr Hunt says he is considering a request by Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffes husband to grant her diplomatic protection.

 August 23 2018: Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe is given temporary release from prison for three days and her husband says it feels like home is one step closer. She returns to prison three days later.

 September 26 2018: Mrs May and Mr Hunt ramp up pressure on Iran to release the charity worker during talks in New York. The PM tells Mr Rouhani she has serious concerns about the jailing of Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe.

 December 26, 2018: Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe turns 40 in jail. Three days later, she marks her 1,000th day of incarceration.

Campaigners spell out birthday messages outside the Iranian Embassy (Kathryn Younger/PA)

 January 14 2019: She begins a hunger strike in protest over her treatment in jail. The action ends after three days.

 January 24 2019: Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif raises hope of Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffes return to the UK by suggesting she could be freed in exchange for an Iranian woman held in Australia on a US extradition request. The minister subsequently backs away from his comments.

 June 15 2019: Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe begins another hunger strike, this time lasting 15 days. She is joined, in a show of solidarity, by her husband, who strikes outside the Iranian Embassy in London.

 June 24 2019: Mr Johnson, who came under fire as foreign secretary for his comments about Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffes case in 2017, becomes Prime Minister. Dominic Raab replaces Mr Hunt as Foreign Secretary.

 September 23 2019: Mr Ratcliffe says Mr Johnson can make amends for his failings in his incarcerated wifes case by telling Irans president enough is enough and securing her release.

 October 10 2019: The couples daughter, Gabriella, returns to the UK after more than three years living in the Middle East. The child, who is now five years old, had been living with her grandparents in Tehran since her mother was arrested. Her father says: It has been a long journey to have her home, with bumps right until the end.

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffes daughter Gabriella campaigning for the release of her mother (Ian West/PA)

 December 18 2019: Mr Ratcliffe is joined by Gabriella singing Christmas carols outside Downing Street, and he called on the Prime Minister to please take responsibility for Nazanins case and do what you can to get her and others home.

 January 3 2020: A US air strike kills Irans top military chief, General Quassem Soleimani. Mr Ratcliffe says he is worried about his wife, and tells ITVs Good Morning Britain: I sit here partly worried for what that means for Nazanin, partly worried what that means for my in-laws, sat in their ordinary living room in Tehran where theyre all really worried.

 January 10 2020: Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe spends one night in a clinic after suffering palpitations and panic attacks due to the tensions in Tehran, sparked by the death of Gen Soleimani, Mr Ratcliffe says.

 January 23 2020: Mr Ratcliffe and their five-year-old daughter Gabriella meet the Prime Minister in Downing Street, but Mr Ratcliffe says there was no breakthrough.

He tells reporters: I dont think I have come away thinking Nazanin is coming out tomorrow or even next week, and I will think carefully about what I tell her on the phone on Saturday about where the hope is to come.

 February 23 2020: Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg tells the House: It is a particular concern that the coronavirus has been rumoured  but I emphasise rumoured and not confirmed  to be in the prison in Evin where Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe is.

 February 29 2020: Mr Ratcliffe says he believes his wife has contracted coronavirus in prison as he expresses concern at the jails refusal to test her.

 March 3 2020: The couples Labour MP, Tulip Siddiq, says she believes Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe may be temporarily released from jail due to the Covid-19 outbreak in Iran.

She tweets: News from Iranian Ambassador that my constituent Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe may be released on furlough today or tomorrow from prison in Iran.

If this is true, Nazanin would welcome leaving Evin jail, but weve been here before.

 March 17 2020: Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe is temporarily freed from jail. She says she is happy to be out, even with the ankle tag and can only go within 300 metres of her parents home.

Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe at her parents house with an ankle tag (Free Nazanin Campaign/PA)

 March 28 2020: Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffes temporary prison release is extended to April 18 and Mr Ratcliffe says his wifes file has been put forward to the Iranian prosecutor general to be considered for clemency.

 April 21 2020: After a delay, Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffes prison release is extended again for around one month. Mr Ratcliffe, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, reveals that the family are able to talk via video calls for about four to five hours a day.

 May 20 2020: Mr Ratcliffe says his wifes release has been extended indefinitely until there is a decision on her clemency. He describes the news as a real step forwards I dont think its guaranteed one way and I dont think she thinks its guaranteed one way, but lets enjoy the moment.

 May 26 2020: Mr Ratcliffe says the family are on the cusp of potentially good news and thinks the family could find out about a decision on her clemency the following day.

August 24 2020: Lawyers for Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe ask Defence Secretary Ben Wallace for a meeting and call on the British Government to stand up to Iran over its abusive treatment.

 September 8 2020: Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe appears before a branch of Irans Revolutionary Court in Tehran, where she faces a new charge.

 March 7 2021: On the day Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffes sentence is due to come to an end, her constituency MP Tulip Siddiq reveals she has had her electronic tag removed but faces a new court date.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab says her treatment is intolerable and calls on Iran to allow her to return to the UK.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab (Jeff Overs/BBC)

 April 26 2021: Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe is given an additional one-year jail term and is also banned from leaving Iran for a year.

Her lawyer Hojjat Kermani says she received the second jail sentence on a charge of spreading propaganda against the system for participating in a protest in front of the Iranian Embassy in London in 2009.

Mr Johnson says the decision to sentence Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe to another year in prison is cruel, inhumane and wholly unjustified.

Mr Ratcliffe says news reports his wife may be released are probably a good sign (Ian West/PA)

 May 2 2021: Dominic Raab admits Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe is effectively being held hostage by Iran, describing her treatment as torture.

Iranian state TV reports the UK will pay the 400 million debt to Iran to free Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe, citing an anonymous official.

Mr Ratcliffe says he and his family have heard nothing about his wifes release.

But he adds it is probably a good sign such news is being reported in Iran, telling PA: Its probably a good sign that its being signalled, just as last weeks sentence was a bad sign.

But it feels part of the negotiations rather than the end of them.
Billionaire investing icon Warren Buffett kicked off Berkshire Hathaway's (BRK-B, BRK-A) annual meeting of shareholders by sharing some lessons for new investors.

"I'll have one or two very short lessons for perhaps the new investors who are not necessarily in Berkshire Hathaway, but people who have entered the stock market in the last year, and ... I think there has been a record number enter the stock market. I'll have a couple of little examples for them," Buffett said in his opening remarks.

A wave of new investors has flooded the stock market, with lockdowns, no-fee trading, and stimulus checks making it easier to open up a brokerage account and start trading.

The "Oracle of Omaha" told this generation of first-time investors: "it's not as easy as it sounds."

The famed investor shared two items for new entrants to the stock market to ponder a bit before they try to do 30 or 40 trades a day to profit from what looks like a very easy game.

To illustrate his point, Buffett showed a slide of the 30 largest companies by market capitalization as of March 31, 2021, which includes Apple (AAPL), Saudi Aramco, Microsoft (MSFT), Amazon (AMZN), Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL), Facebook (FB), Tencent, Tesla (TSLA), Alibaba (BABA), and Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A, BRK-B) in the top ten.

Warren Buffett slide showing the 30 biggest companies by market cap in 2021.

Highlighting that five of the top six companies are American, Buffett reiterated his bullish message on the U.S., noting it's "not an accident" and it's a system that's worked "unbelievably well."

Referencing the list, Buffett urged new investors to make their own guess as to "how many of those companies are going to be on the list 30 years from now?"

"What would you guess? Think about that yourself...Would you put on five, eight, whatever it might be?"

Buffett then juxtaposed a slide of the top 20 companies from 1989 from market cap, which only included six U.S. companies, which are noticeably absent from the 2021 list.

Buffett's slide of the 20 biggest companies by market cap in 1989

"It is a reminder of what extraordinary things can happen. Things that seem obvious to you," Buffett said, later adding, "The world can change, and very very dramatic ways."

Buffett said this is a "great argument for index funds," to own a diversified group of U.S. equities over a long period. Buffett has long argued that investors  both small and large  would be better off putting money in low-cost index funds, and thereby avoiding fees shelled out to active managers to pick "the place to be," from IPOs to SPACs these days.

"I could tell you their best ideas in 1989 did not necessarily do that well," Buffett said.

To further his point, Buffett shared that in 1903, the year his father was born, automobiles were the exciting industry. "Everybody started car companies just like everybody's starting something now that can be where you can get money from people."

Buffett shows a list of defunct car makers starting with the letter "M."

"But in any event, there were at least 2,000 companies that entered the auto business, because it clearly had this incredible future. And of course, you remember that in 2009, there were three left, two of which went bankrupt. So, there is a lot more to picking stocks than figuring out what's going to be a wonderful industry in the future," Buffett said, adding that "very, very, very few people the picked the winner."

Buffett, 90, joined his long-time friend and partner Charlie Munger, 97, for a virtual shareholders meeting held in Los Angeles, instead of Omaha, Nebraska. Munger has lived in Southern California for nearly 60 years.

"So I just want to tell you," Buffett told new investors, "it's not as easy as it sounds."

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Julia La Roche is a correspondent for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter.

Read more from the Daily Journal Meeting:
WILMINGTON, Del. (AP)  One of President Joe Biden's top White House advisers suggested Sunday that he's still wearing a mask outdoors out of habit although the latest public health guidance says he doesn't need it.

Questioned about Biden's practice, senior adviser Anita Dunn told CNN's State of the Union that she realized that she was also still wearing her mask outdoors even after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said fully vaccinated people like her and Biden can stop wearing masks outside when they're alone or not among strangers.

I myself found that I was still wearing my mask outdoors this week, because it has become such a matter of habit," Dunn said. I think the president takes the CDC guidelines very seriously. And hes always taken his role as sending a signal to follow the science very seriously, as well.

Biden wore a mask outdoors several times last week as he approached microphones to give speeches, including an appearance on the White House lawn last Tuesday to discuss the CDC's relaxed mask guidance.

Asked afterward about the message he was sending by wearing a mask outside as he stood alone, Biden replied: By watching me take it off and not put it back on until I get inside.

The CDC recently said Americans fully vaccinated against COVID-19 dont need to cover their faces anymore unless theyre in a large crowd of strangers.

Some public health experts have questioned Biden's continued mask-wearing outdoors.

Dunn said some extra precautions are taken with Biden since he is president. She urged people to follow CDC guidelines and to get fully vaccinated because that will mean they can go mask-free outside as summer approaches.
The Associated Press reports there is no official count of how many people entered the country legally and overstayed visas. The government estimates that 11.4 million were living in the country illegally as of January 2018 but doesnt distinguish between how many entered legally and stayed after their visas expired and how many arrived illegally.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP)  Utah Republicans booed Sen. Mitt Romney but ultimately rejected a motion to censure him Saturday for his votes at President Donald Trumps impeachment trials.

The measure narrowly failed, 798 to 711, in a vote by delegates to the state GOP convention, The Salt Lake Tribune reported.

Romney drew heavy boos when he came to the podium earlier in the day.

Davis County delegate Don Guymon, who authored the resolution, said Romneys votes to remove Trump from office hurt the Constitution and hurt the party.

This was a process driven by Democrats who hated Trump, Guymon said. Romneys vote in the first impeachment emboldened Democrats who continued to harass Trump.

The proposal, among several platform changes debated Saturday, also sought to praise the other members of Utahs congressional delegation for their support of the former president.

Others warned supporting the censure risked defining the party around Trump instead of the conservative principles most delegates treasure.

If the point of all this is to let Mitt Romney know were displeased with him, trust me, he knows, said Salt Lake County delegate Emily de Azavedo Brown. Lets not turn this into a Trump or no Trump thing. Are we a party of principle or a party of a person?
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  The United States on Sunday immediately denied a report by Iranian state-run television that deals had been reached for the Islamic Republic to release U.S. and British prisoners in exchange for Tehran receiving billions of dollars.

It wasnt immediately clear if the report represented a move by the hard-liners running the Iranian broadcaster to disrupt negotiations with the West amid talks in Vienna on Tehran's tattered nuclear deal.

It also wasn't known if there had been any ongoing negotiations with the West over frozen funds and prisoner exchanges, both of which accompanied the 2015 atomic accord.

Even after an initial American denial, an anchorwoman on Iranian state TV still repeated the announcement.

Some sources say four Iranian prisoners are to be released and $7 billion are to be received by Iran in exchange for releasing four American spies," the anchorwoman said. She described the claimed deal as coming due to congressional pressure on President Joe Biden and his urgent need to show progress made in the Iran case.

But Iran's ambassador to the United Nations, Majid Takht-e Ravanchi, later denied the report of the prisoner swap, saying that it's not confirmed, according to the Telegram channel of state-run IRNA news agency.

Iran has always emphasized the comprehensive exchange of prisoners between the two countries," he said, without elaborating.

State TV did not identify the Iranians that Tehran sought to be freed.

State Department spokesman Ned Price immediately denied the Iranian state TV report.

Reports that a prisoner swap deal has been reached are not true, Price said. As we have said, we always raise the cases of Americans detained or missing in Iran. We will not stop until we are able to reunite them with their families.

Bidens chief of staff Ron Klain told CBS Face the Nation that unfortunately, that report is untrue. There is no agreement to release these four Americans.

Were working very hard to get them released, Klain said. We raise this with Iran and our interlocutors all the time, but so far theres no agreement.

Tehran holds four known Americans now in prison: Baquer and Siamak Namazi, environmentalist Morad Tahbaz and Iranian-American businessman Emad Shargi. Iran long has been accused of holding those with Western ties prisoners to be later used as bargaining chips in negotiations.

Despite the American denials, there have been signs that a deal on prisoners may be in the works based on Iranian officials' remarks in recent weeks.

Although no formal proposal for a swap has yet been presented to officials in Washington, let alone been signed off on by the White House, the specificity of the reports from Iran suggested that working-level consideration of a deal is at least underway.

State TV also quoted sources as saying a deal had been reached for the United Kingdom to pay 400 million pounds ($552 million) to see the release of British-Iranian woman Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.

British officials played down the report. The Foreign Office said the country continues to explore options to resolve this 40-year-old case and we will not comment further as legal discussions are ongoing.

Aside from Zaghari-Ratcliffes case, the U.K. and Iran also are negotiating a British debt to Tehran from before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Last week, Zaghari-Ratcliffe was sentenced to an additional year in prison, her lawyer said, on charges of spreading propaganda against the system for participating in a protest in front of the Iranian Embassy in London in 2009.

That came after she completed a five-year prison sentence in the Islamic Republic after being convicted of plotting the overthrow of Irans government, a charge that she, her supporters and rights groups deny.

While employed at the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of the news agency, she was taken into custody at the Tehran airport in April 2016 as she was returning home to Britain after visiting family.

Richard Ratcliffe, the husband of Zaghari-Ratcliffe, told The Associated Press he was not aware of any swap in the works.

We havent heard anything, he said. Of course, we probably wouldnt, but my instinct is to be skeptical at present.

Earlier Sunday, U.K. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told the BBC that he believed Zaghari-Ratcliffe was being held unlawfully by Iran.

I think shes been treated in the most abusive, tortuous way, Raab said. I think it amounts to torture the way shes been treated and there is a very clear, unequivocal obligation on the Iranians to release her and all of those who are being held as leverage immediately and without condition.

The announcement by state TV comes amid a wider power struggle between hard-liners and the relatively moderate government of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. That conflict only has grown sharper as Iran approaches its June 18 presidential election.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who pushed for the 2015 nuclear deal under Rouhani, has seen himself embroiled in a scandal over frank comments he made in a leaked recording. Zarif's name has been floated as a possible candidate in the election, something that now seems unlikely as even Iran's supreme leader has apparently criticized him.

Tehran is now negotiating with world powers over both it and the U.S. returning to the nuclear deal, which saw it limit its uranium enrichment in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. Iran has not held direct negotiations with the U.S. during the talks, however.

As the negotiations continue, Iranian diplomats there have offered encouraging comments, while state TV quoted anonymous sources striking maximalist positions contradicting them. That even saw Abbas Araghchi, the Iranian deputy foreign minister leading the talks, offer a rebuke on Twitter last week to Iranian state television's English-language arm, Press TV.

I dont know who the informed source of Press TV in Vienna is, but s/he is certainly not informed,' Araghchi wrote.

___

Lee reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran, and Danica Kirka in London contributed.
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Marc Wilson is a Writing and Philosophy Instructor at TVCC and is a long-time resident of Ontario. The views and opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily represent those of The Argus Observer.
Dana Young is president of Treasure Valley Community College. The views and opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily represent those of The Argus Observer.
ASHLAND -- Ashland, Ohio and Ashland, Oregon share a multitude of similarities: They have the same name, similar populations and are both home to universities.

However, the relationship between the two cities stems even deeper. Ashland, Oregon was actually named after Ashland, Ohio over 150 years ago.

For historical context, it's important to know that Ashland, Ohio was originally established in 1815 as Uniontown. Due to the popularity of the name, the city of Uniontown underwent a name change in 1822. The city was officially dubbed Ashland.

The name was originally tabbed by supporters of Kentucky Congressman Henry Clay, who's estate in Lexington, Kentucky was known as Ashland. Ashland, Kentucky also shares the same namesake.

A carpenter born in Ashland, Ohio, Abel Helman, learned his trade in Wooster and later sailed to San Francisco, California on a ship called the Ohio in an attempt to make a fortune during the California Gold Rush.

In 1851, he led a team of mule-riders through northern California and into Jackson County, Oregon, where he stumbled upon a piece of land nestled in between two mountain ranges: the Cascade and the Siskiyou.

In 1852, Helman claimed the land through the Donation Land Claim Act and settled there with his family. He named the encampment "Ashland Mills" after his birthplace of Ashland, Ohio. "Mills" was later dropped from the name.

Helman lived in Ashland, Oregon for the remainder of his life. He became a mountain ranger and the first postmaster of Ashland, Oregon -- a title he held for 27 years. He died in 1910.

Helman Elementary School was named after Abel and has remained in operation in Ashland, Oregon since 1966.

According to the Mayor of Ashland, Oregon, Julie Akins, their Ashland features fertile soil and a healthy crop environment, which she attributes to local Native American practices and influence. The community is known for its fruits, berries and hemp.

Were a biodiversity hotspot, which means were a really important place on the planet Earth because were a sort of nexus. Were the meeting ground for a lot of different species," Akins said. "It is just an important place in terms of its ecological standing.

The regional environment plays a key role in Ashland, Oregon's city government, as the city charter separates the city council and the parks and recreation commission as two distinct elected bodies. Lithia Park, which features a paramount creek flowing through it, is a highlight of the city.

Parks here are a big deal," Akins said. "We care a lot about our environment. Lithia Park is a huge and gorgeous park that is set along Ashland Creek.

The town is located near the Pacific Crest Trail, which runs from Mexico to Canada. Hikers frequently stop at Ashland, Oregon during their journey.

Reciprocating Ashland, Ohio's Balloonfest, the Oregon community hosts the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, attracting individuals from across the globe.

We have one of the nations best theatre troupes here," Akins said. "Its Tony-award-winning theatre. Its on the national stage.

"Weve had playwrights here who have written amazing productions, and so its kind of a cool thing for a small town that brings people from all over the world.

The Oregon Shakespeare Festival runs from spring until fall and features worldwide known performers and symphonies.

Ashland, Oregon and Ashland, Ohio may reside near opposing coasts, but the shared heritage solidifies this fact: Once you are an Ashlander, you are always an Ashlander.
Every week that goes by, we get weaker and the governor gets stronger, Ritter said of the legislature. He can run the state with more money than any governor in the history of the state of Connecticut, so we have to find a way to not let that become his play and his trump card  and also get him to understand where our members are coming from and find that middle ground. Its a real challenge, but we can do it.
Services for Mabel McCrackin McGee, 92, of Tyler were held Tuesday, June 8, 2021 at 2 p.m. at Stewart Family Funeral Home Chapel in Tyler and Rev. Brandy Stevens officiated. Burial followed at Goodgame Cemetery near Athens under the direction of Stewart Family Funeral Home. Mabel McGee passe
That would be that type of device, carrying payloads that can kill and destroy, that can float around in the air for short periods of time, looking for the best target and the best moment to strike. Thats why people like to call this kind of ammo suicide or kamikaze drones One of the biggest makers of such devices is American company AeroVironment. Since 2012, assembly lines have been rolling something called Switchblade, a family of killer drones that now comprises two types of ammunition, the 300 and the 600.Were already covered the 300 a bit when the U.S. Army awarded AeroVironment a logistical support contract earlier in April. But now the 600 comes into play as well, after we learned more of this technology will be deployed by forces of the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM).The 600 is the bad boy of the Switchblade family, and has improved capabilities compared to the 300. Its flight autonomy is of more than 40 minutes, compared to the 15 of its smaller sibling, meaning it can stay airborne until its absolutely positive the target is about to hit is the right one.It uses a gimbaled sensor suite to gather data, and most importantly, it packs an anti-armor warhead that can take out lightly armored enemy vehicles or hardened enemy positions. Just like its little brother, it can be carried by a single soldier.The USSOCOM wants a lot of Switchblade 600s, and will give AeroVironment over $26 million for them. Plans are to deploy the weapons on unnamed specialized maritime platforms that should be completed by 2023.
DOHC

If custom BMWs happen to be your thing, youll be pleased to learn that fiddling with Bavarias two-wheeled brutes is this workshops main area of expertise. As you browse through the photos on their Instagram profile , you will come across a drool-worthy K1100LT with cafe racer DNA. In fact, lets see what were dealing with here, shall we?Before it got subjected to HellGates surgical interventions, the bike were featuring today was an ordinary 1995 variant from Motorrads touring lineup. This German predator is powered by a liquid-cooledinline-four behemoth that packs a colossal displacement of 1,092cc and sixteen valves.When the tachometer hits 7,500 spins, the engine is perfectly capable of supplying 100 feral ponies to a five-speed transmission, which feeds the oomph to the rear wheel via a shaft final drive. On the other hand, a peak torque output figure of no less than 79 pound-feet (107 Nm) will be produced at about 5,500 rpm. This whole shebang translates to a respectable top speed of 130 mph (210 kph) and a 0-62 mph (0-100 kph) acceleration time of 4.3 seconds.In our day and age, these figures arent exactly as impressive as they used to be during the 90s, but this Beemer is far from sluggish. Nonetheless, the laborious task of transforming BMW s beefy 95 MY tourer into an agile cafe racer is still no walk in the park! Without further ado, well go right ahead and examine how NYCs HellGate managed to achieve this remarkable feat.After discarding the bikes factory bodywork, the duo enlisted the help of Brooklyns Tim Harney Motorcycles to have its subframe replaced with a one-off alternative, which tightens K1100LTs proportions. The entire framework was then cleaned up and enveloped in a stealthy coat of gloss black paint.Next, the Queens-based moto specialists turned their attention to the creatures powertrain. As such, they disposed of the standard gearbox to make way for a higher-spec item, while the final drive was refurbished to ensure smooth performance. A set of top-shelf billet aluminum velocity stacks can be seen where youd normally find the airbox, joined by a unique exhaust system and a stainless-steel aftermarket muffler on the other end of the combustion cycle.Handling improvements are accomplished thanks to rebuilt forks and a premium piggyback shock absorber from Ohlins catalog, as well as new brake pads and drilled rotors. The beast rides on a pair of 17-inch forged wheels that hail from a K1100RS , both of which received grippy tires from Bridgestone.Although the original gas tank has been retained, the same cant be said about the remainder of K1100LTs chunky outfit. At the rear, we spot a Twisted Brothers fiberglass tail section sitting atop the custom subframe, while the front tire is flanked by a minute fender. In terms of accessories, this bad boy comes equipped with a 7-inch Motodemic headlight unit, Vortex clip-on handlebars and an LED rear lighting strip.The clip-ons wear Motogadget mo-View mirrors and bar-end turn signals from Rizoma. To bring about a tougher riding stance, they are appropriately complemented by rear-mounted foot pegs on the opposite end. Lastly, the tail and fuel chamber were honored with a Tungsten Silver Metallic finish from Aston Martin s color palette.
Come this summer, though, Ferrari will take a concrete step toward becoming a proper fashion house. The distinction probably means little even to those who already buy Ferrari fashion . Still, it is important because it signals a decided move by the carmaker to continue pushing in this direction.This summer, in June, Ferrari will stage a runway show in Maranello, Italy, WWD reports. The location is no coincidence, as the fashion show will take place at the carmakers headquarters for an added touch of exclusivity. Should everything go according to plan, the event will be an in-person one. Fashion designers and houses have already proved that virtual events or limited-capacity runways can still work wonderfully, but Ferrari probably wants to go all out for its first outing.As per the same report, the collection will feature a little bit of everything: mens, womens, and childrens fashion, as well as accessories. Luxury suppliers will work under designer Rocco Iannone, the Ferrari brand diversification and creative director and former head designer for Giorgio Armani.The Cavallino Ferrari-owned restaurant in Maranello is scheduled to open simultaneously as the launch of the first Ferrari runway collection.Maintaining the focus of making limited-production cars and being very selective of customers means that carmaking isnt always flush business for Ferrari, especially in these trying times and decreased demand. That said, even before 2020, merchandising was big for the Prancing Horse, so it only makes sense for the storied marque to look into more opportunities of the kind.One such opportunity is the recently announced partnership with watchmaker-to-the-stars and proven rule-breaker Richard Mille. The other is establishing itself as a proper fashion house.
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The FBI confirmed Tuesday it will open a civil rights investigation into the death of Andrew Brown Jr., a Black man fatally shot by sheriff's deputies in North Carolina last week.

The big picture: Police in Elizabeth City shot Brown five times, including in the back of his head, according to an independent autopsy report released by family attorneys Tuesday. The autopsy was performed Sunday by a pathologist hired by the family.

The attorneys also released a copy of Brown's death certificate, which cited his cause of death as a "penetrating gunshot wound of the head."

Catch up quick: Brown was killed Wednesday after police attempted to serve drug-related search and arrest warrants. Family attorneys said he was driving away with his hands on the wheel when police opened fire.

Brown's death prompted protests in Elizabeth City, with many calling for the release of body camera footage.

At a news conference on Monday, family attorneys said authorities shared 20 seconds of footage from one deputy's body camera. At least eight deputies appear in the video, attorney Chantel Cherry-Lassiter said.

"Theyre shooting and saying 'let me see your hands' at the same time," she added. "His car is riddled with bullets."

What they're saying: "Agents will work closely with the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina and the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice to determine whether federal laws were violated, an FBI spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

"As this is an ongoing investigation, we cannot comment further."

Brown family lawyers said in a statement they have "great faith that this caliber of an investigation will prevent any obscuring of the facts released to the Brown family and public, and will overcome any local bias that may prevent justice from being served."

Editor's note: This story has been updated with the statement from lawyers representing the Brown family.
President Biden told the director of Israel's foreign intelligence service, Yossi Cohen, on Friday that the U.S. has a long way to go in talks with Iran before it agrees a return to full compliance of the 2015 nuclear deal, per a senior Israeli official briefed on the talks.

State of play: Cohen, who has been director of the Mossad since 2016, laid out Israels position on the issue, telling Biden it would be a mistake for the U.S. to return to the deal without improving it first. Biden assured Cohen that the U.S. will continue to seek Israel's input in the future.

Between the lines: A spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council said Cohens meeting at the White House Friday was with adviser Jake Sullivan and other national security officials. The spokesperson said Biden dropped by to express condolences for the tragedy at Mount Meron."

But a senior Israeli official disputed that description, saying the meeting Between the Mossad director and U.S. president wasnt a drop in, and was not connected to the Mount Meron stampede, but was a pre-scheduled meeting specifically with the president to discuss Iran.

The meeting took place on Friday before noon, right after the phone call between Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during which Biden offered condolences for the disaster.
Sailors and DOD civilians are all doing their part by voluntarily getting vaccinated. Its now easier than ever to get a vaccine, and the faster that people get vaccinated the faster well be able to finally sink COVID-19 once and for all, he said.
The unanimous guilty verdicts against Derek Chauvin are a huge relief for Washingtons political establishment but seem unlikely to rush in the systemic overhauls George Floyds family and civil rights and progressive leaders seek.

The big picture: An acquittal or mistrial involving the former police officer would have unleashed violence and days more of protests  and added bipartisan pressure to act on criminal and police reform.

Senior Democratic and Republican aides  who would never let their bosses say so on the record  privately told Axios the convictions have lessened pressure for change.

They noted the aftermath of mass shootings: time and again, Congress has failed to pass gun control legislation, and the conversation ultimately moves on until another terrible event occurs.

Yes, but: Several Democrats still hope the conviction brings about broader reforms.

During a huge moment sure to be written about in history books, more than a dozen members of the Congressional Black Caucus huddled around a laptop in the Capitol's Rayburn Reception Room to watch as Judge Peter Cahill announced the jury's decisions in Minnesota.

There was an audible chorus of sighs after each "guilty" verdict was read.

CBC Chairwoman Karen Bass (D-Calif.) and Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), the top leaders pushing for comprehensive police reform, said they hoped attention from the trial would fuel meaningful change.

It just marks to me the first step, and I'm hoping that, having justice now might serve as a catalyst to really finish the bill, Bass told Axios.

She's recently held conversations with Scott, Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and a number of House Republicans about a way forward.

"I think the verdict just reinforces that our justice system continues to become more just," said Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate.

At the White House, President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris watched the verdict with staff in the Private Dining Room. Along with first lady Jill Biden, they then spoke with Philonise Floyd, George Floyd's brother, from the Oval Office.

The president rescheduled a speech about his infrastructure package, planned for Tuesday evening, to shift to a nationally televised address focused on the country's next chapter.

This month, Biden backed down from his campaign promise to create a police reform commission, saying he would back other legislation wending its way through Congress.
Countries around the world are sending supplies and aid to India to help the country fight its COVID-19 outbreak, currently the world's worst.

Why it matters: Hospitals are running out of supplies, crematoriums are burning around the clock, and experts are increasingly concerned about the presence of a new variant in India.

The United States: Last Wednesday the White House announced it would send $100 million worth of aid to India, including 15 million N95 masks, 1 million rapid diagnostic tests, and an initial delivery of 1,100 refillable oxygen cylinders.

These supplies will be delivered in six shipments to India. A third of those deliveries arrived in New Delhi Sunday, per the New York Times.

The United Kingdom: The British government announced in a statement Sunday that it would be sending 1,000 more ventilators, on top of what it promised last week, which included 200 ventilators, 495 oxygen concentrators and 3 oxygen generation units.

France: France's Indian embassy announced Sunday the arrival of France's first cargo flight of aid materials, containing 28 tons of medical equipment.

Included are eight oxygen generators, each of which can supply 250 patients. It also includes 28 ventilators and 200 electric syringe pushers.

The statement notes that a second shipment of aid is being planned currently.

Germany: A German plane carrying 120 ventilators and a team of 13 medical experts reached India Saturday, per Deutsche Welle.
The Now Boarding wheel landed on Australia, which is difficult for a couple of reasons. First, Australia has no plans of reopening its borders anytime soon. Second, bookings for 2022 are up into the $2,500+ range for flights plus hotels.
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Brown was dressed in a dark suit and tie with red roses at each end of his casket. About 30 people initially stood in line to see him. It was expected the group would return to view the body at the museum from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
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President Trump is moving toward his 2024 candidacy as per all indications from his enlightening address to the NC GOP on June 5, 2021. Considering this political vector as a distinct possibility: What is your electoral pleasure as an integral cog in this Representative Republic?

No Vote: Mr. Trump will never be president again as we boldly march toward a Socialist society.

Yes Vote: Mr. Trump was the best president since Ronald Reagan, and we need a real leader, who is fully cognitive of that responsibility in these tumultuous times..
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Olympia Dukakis, a character actress best known for her Oscar-winning supporting turn in Norman Jewisons Moonstruck and for her role as the wealthy widow in Steel Magnolias, has died. She was 89.

Dukakis brother, Apollo Dukakis, confirmed her death to Variety. Apollo Dukakis announced her death in a Facebook post, writing: My beloved sister, Olympia Dukakis, passed away this morning in New York City. After many months of failing health she is finally at peace and with her Louis.

The actress was 56 when she came to prominence overnight thanks to her Oscar-winning turn in Moonstruck, the 1987 film in which she played, with an extraordinary comic ethnic gusto characteristic of the movie as a whole, the mother of Chers character. The Washington Post singled out Dukakis for praise: Cher and Nicolas Cage are backed by an equally quirky cast of marvelous supporting players  especially Olympia Dukakis, whose role as Lorettas world-weary mother Rose is expected to get Oscars attention.

Dukakis, who also did a lot of television work, was thrice Emmy nominated, first for the 1991 TV movie Lucky Day, the second time for Armistead Maupins More Tales of the City in 1998 and the third time in 1999 for the miniseries Joan of Arc.

When she won her Oscar for Moonstruck in 1988, she gave a shoutout to her cousin Michael, then campaigning for president in her acceptance speech. Probably made before her Oscar changed her fortunes, Mike Nichols Working Girl, released later that year, returned Dukakis to the sort of role she had had on a regular basis for much of her career: She was 12th credited for her role as the personnel director.

By the next year, however, she was third-billed, behind John Travolta and Kirstie Alley, in baby comedy Look Whos Talking, in which she played the pregnant Alleys mother in a manner reminiscent of her work in Moonstruck. She returned for the 1990 sequel.

Herbert Ross 1989 hit Steel Magnolias, starring Julia Roberts, Sally Field, Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine and Dukakis, drew women of all ages with its effective sentimentality and even more effective one-liners, but Rolling Stone said, For the real fun, stick with MacLaine as the town crank and Dukakis as the wealthy widow who goads her to distraction; theyre priceless.

The actress starred with Diane Ladd and Ellen Burstyn in the Bill Duke-directed 1993 film The Cemetery Club, about three Jewish women all of whom find themselves widowed over the course of a year and must reconstruct their lives, with Dukakis character prickly and strong-willed.

Dukakis was part of the Greek chorus that was either a charming conceit or an ungainly one, depending on whom you ask, in Woody Allens 1995 romantic comedy Mighty Aphrodite, in which the chorus comments on the Allen characters infidelity. Also that year she appeared as the skeptical, hard-nosed principal in sentimental Richard Dreyfuss vehicle Mr. Hollands Opus, and as the mother of a gay man in the AIDS drama Jeffrey.

The next year she had a small role in Danish auteur Bille Augusts spiritually based period film Jerusalem. The actress also had a small but powerful role in the 2005 father-son road movie The Thing About My Folks, starring Peter Falk and Paul Reiser.

In 2006, Dukakis was part of the ensemble cast of The Great New Wonderful, a series of vignettes about life in New York City a year after the 9/11 attacks, and she did excellent work in Sarah Polleys Alzheimers drama Away From Her, starring Julie Christie, in which Dukakis character reveals an unwaveringly realistic view of a difficult situation  her husband is an Alzheimers patient as well.

She played a senile grandmother in Jon Kasdans In the Land of Women, starring Adam Brody, Kristen Stewart and Meg Ryan. But much more interesting was writer-director Thomas Fitzgeralds 2011 film Cloudburst, in which Dukakis starred with Brenda Fricker as a lesbian couple who travel to Canada in order to get married. Variety said, Dukakis outdoes even her most memorable earlier turns as Stella, the irrepressible old dame determined to spring her lover free.

Her TV work included playing Anna Madrigal, the flamboyant matriarch presiding over an apartment house in San Francisco, in HBOs 1993 Armistead Maupins Tales of the City and the 1998 sequel Armistead Maupins More Tales of the City, for which she drew an Emmy nomination; and 2001s third entry Further Tales of the City.

Among the many TV movies in which Dukakis appeared was HBO and BBCs The Last of the Blonde Bombshells (2000), starring with Judi Dench and Ian Holm and focusing on a reunion of a group of women who formed an orchestra in London during WWII.

Dukakis was a series regular on the brief 2004 CBS sitcom Center of the Universe, starring John Goodman and Jean Smart. She also guested on numerous TV series, providing voices on Frasier and The Simpsons and appearing on Numbers; Law & Order: SVU, as a defense attorney; and HBO detective comedy Bored to Death.

Born in Lowell, Massachusetts, Dukakis graduated from Boston University and studied acting with Peter Kass in Boston.

Dukakis first experience on Broadway was as an understudy in 1962 on the original play The Aspern Papers, written by Michael Redgrave based on a story by Henry James and starring Maurice Evans and Wendy Hiller. Dukakis won an Obie in 1963 for her work Off Broadway in Bertolt Brechlts Man Equals Man. She hit the stage in 1964 in the one-nighter Abraham Cochrane. She returned to Broadway in 1974 in Peter Ustinovs Whos Who in Hell, but its run proved brief as well. Much more successful was her 1986-87 run in Andrew Bergmans Social Security, directed by Mike Nichols and also starring Ron Silver, Marlo Thomas and Joanna Gleason. In 2000 she starred on Broadway in the one-woman show Rose, in which she played an 80-year-old Jewish woman in Miami Beach who talks to the audience of her life, including her experiences in the Holocaust.

She made her television debut in 1962 on an episode of The Doctors and the Nurses, also guesting on Dr. Kildare the same year. The actress made her bigscreen debut in the 1964 film short Twice a Man. Over the next 10 years she had a number of small, often uncredited, roles in films including Death Wish. In the Peter Yates 1969 film John and Mary, starring Dustin Hoffman and Mia Farrow, Dukakis played the Hoffman characters mother; she also had a supporting role in 1971s Made for Each Other, starring Renee Taylor and Joseph Bologna.

Dukakis was one of the stars of a 1974 political film by writer-director Jules Dassin called The Rehearsal, concerning the massacre of students protesting the ruling junta in Greece; many famous people were involved with the film, including Laurence Olivier, Arthur Miller, Melina Mercouri, Maximilian Schell and Arthur Millet, but by the time the film was completed the junta fell and it was never publicly seen in this country until decades later. In 1975, the actress appeared in a Great Performances presentation of a production of Chekhovs The Seagull that also starred Frank Langella, Blythe Danner and Lee Grant. She had supporting roles in Philip Kaufmans The Wanderers in 1979 and in Taylor Hackfords The Idolmaker in 1980. But despite years earning credits in film, on television and onstage, the actress did not break through until Moonstruck in 1987.

Much later, Dukakis taught master classes in acting throughout the U.S. and elsewhere. In July 2020, a documentary feature about her life, titled Olympia, was released in the U.S.

Dukakis is predeceased by her husband, actor Louis Zorich, who died in 2018. She is survived by daughter Christina Zorich, an actress; and sons Peter and Stefan Zorich.

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HOUSTON  When Shalemu Bekele awoke on the morning of Feb. 15, the townhouse he shared with his wife and two children was so cold, his fingers felt numb.

After bundling up in extra layers, Bekele looked out a frosted window: A winter storm had swept across Texas, knocking out power to millions of homes, including his own, and blanketing Houston in a thin layer of icy snow.

It was beautiful, Bekele, 51, recalled thinking as he headed outside to snap photos of his two children, ages 7 and 8, playing in their first snow. After a few minutes, he sent them back inside to warm up under blankets as he cleared ice off his car, unsure if he would be expected to drive into work.

RELATED: ERCOT names new, temporary leader two months after deadly winter storm

Bekeles wife, Etenesh Mersha, 46, meanwhile, made a fateful decision, one repeated by scores of Texas residents who lost electricity that week. Desperate to warm up, she went into their attached garage and turned the key to start her car. As the engine hummed, it provided power to run the cars heater and charge her phone while she talked to a friend in Colorado  at the same time, filling her garage and home with a poisonous gas.

There was no carbon monoxide alarm in place to warn the family of the invisible danger. None was required under local or state law.

When Bekele went back inside 30 minutes later, he found Mersha slumped over in the drivers seat, poisoned by the fumes flowing from the cars tailpipe. Confused, he shook her and called her name. Still on the line, the friend in Colorado pleaded over the cars speakers for someone to explain what was happening.

Not knowing what else to do, Bekele, a devout Christian, ran and grabbed holy water from inside and splashed it on his wifes face, as his children cried and shouted: Whats wrong with Mama? Whats happening?

Thats when Mersha vomited. Suddenly starting to feel ill himself, Bekele wondered if theyd all been sickened by the eggs hed made for breakfast. Panicked, he sent the kids inside to grab towels to clean up their mother. Before they could return, both children collapsed onto the floor inside.

Bekele fainted next, landing with a thud on the garages concrete floor as the car continued to run.

After the power flicked off in millions of homes across Texas during the states historic freeze in mid-February, families like Bekeles faced an impossible choice: risk hypothermia or improvise to keep warm. Many brought charcoal grills inside or ran cars in enclosed spaces, either unaware of the dangers or too cold to think rationally.

In their desperation, thousands of Texans unwittingly unleashed deadly gases into homes and apartments that, in many cases, were not equipped with potentially lifesaving carbon monoxide alarms, resulting in the countrys biggest epidemic of CO poisoning in recent history, according to Dr. Neil Hampson, a retired doctor who has spent more than 30 years researching carbon monoxide poisoning and prevention. Two other experts agreed.

READ ALSO: Texas House targets power grid flaw that worsened February blackouts

In the aftermath of the unprecedented wave of poisonings two months ago, Texas lawmakers have taken few steps to protect residents from future carbon monoxide catastrophes. That choice caps more than a decade of ignored warnings and inaction that resulted in Texas being one of just six states with no statewide requirement for carbon monoxide alarms in homes, ProPublica, The Texas Tribune and NBC News found.

Instead, Texas has a confusing patchwork of local codes, with uneven protections for residents and limited enforcement, all of which most likely contributes to unnecessary deaths, health policy experts said.

At least 11 deaths have been confirmed and more than 1,400 people sought care at emergency rooms and urgent care clinics for carbon monoxide poisoning during the weeklong Texas outage, just 400 shy of the total for 2020. Children made up 42% of the cases. The totals dont include residents who were poisoned but did not seek care or those who were treated at hospitals and urgent care clinics that do not voluntarily report data to the state.

Black, Hispanic and Asian Texans suffered a disproportionate share of the carbon monoxide poisonings, ProPublica, The Texas Tribune and NBC News found based on a review of statewide hospital data. Those groups accounted for 72% of the poisonings, far more than their 57% share of the states population.

Over the past two decades, the vast majority of states have implemented laws or regulations requiring carbon monoxide alarms in private residences, often on the heels of high-profile deaths or mass poisonings during storms.

But in Texas, where top lawmakers often promote personal responsibility over state mandates, efforts to pass similar carbon monoxide requirements have repeatedly failed.

Lawmakers introduced a slew of bills aimed at overhauling the states electric grid after the storm, which had its most devastating effects from Feb. 14-17. Temperatures plunged into the single digits, nearly 4.5 million Texas homes and businesses lost power at the peak of the storm, and more than 150 people died, many of them frozen in their homes.

Demands for change triggered a series of resignations but, with virtually all of the media and legislative focus on the regulatory failures that caused the power outage, little attention was paid to carbon monoxide alarms. The result was a significant missed opportunity to pass reforms after an entirely preventable public health crisis, said Emily Benfer, a visiting professor at Wake Forest University School of Law in North Carolina who specializes in housing health hazards.

Lawmakers this year are considering a broader modernization of state building codes that is unrelated to Februarys storm. If the measure passes, it would require carbon monoxide alarms in some new homes and apartments, but not those built or renovated before 2022. And it would allow local governments to opt out.

Its completely shocking, Benfer said. In a single week we have concrete evidence of a state governments willful disregard for the health and safety of the most vulnerable residents of the state.

Public health disaster

Bekele and Mersha came to Houston from Ethiopia a decade ago with dreams of a better life for their family. For years, they lived in a small apartment and set aside their earnings as gas station clerks until they could afford to buy a home. In 2017, they purchased the three-bedroom townhouse in southwest Houston where they planned to watch their son, Beimnet, and daughter, Rakeb, grow up.

Shalemu Bekele with his wife, Etenesh Mersha, daughter, Rakeb, and son, Beimnet. Credit: Courtesy of Bekele Family

Looking back, Bekele doesnt remember if anyone notified them that the home lacked carbon monoxide alarms. State law requires that information to be disclosed when single-family homes are sold, but there is no policy in Houston or across Texas that would have required the previous owners to install one.

Ive never been told about carbon monoxide before, Bekele said, speaking through an interpreter in his native Amharic.

The first thing he remembers after passing out on the morning of Feb. 15 was waking up in the back of an ambulance. He thought hed only been knocked out for a few minutes, oblivious that it was now after midnight. He and his family had spent more than 12 hours unconscious inside while the friend in Colorado, unaware of their address, frantically searched on social media for family members who could direct emergency responders to their home.

Bekele started to ask the paramedics what happened to his wife and children but blacked out before he could get the words out.

The ambulance driver navigated ice-covered roads to deliver Bekele to Memorial Hermann Hospital in the Texas Medical Center. The hospital was overrun with patients like Bekele. Medical staff were treating so many people for carbon monoxide poisoning that the department was running out of beds and oxygen tanks, said Dr. Samuel Prater, the medical director of the hospitals emergency department.

Weve never seen anything like this, Prater said later.

Each year, the Memorial Hermann Health System treats about 50 patients for carbon monoxide poisoning at its 20 emergency rooms in Houston and surrounding counties. But that Monday, staff at Praters ER alone treated more than 60. Across the Memorial Hermann system, one of the largest hospital chains in the Houston region, 224 patients sought care for carbon monoxide poisoning during the freeze and power outages  more than four times its annual volume of such patients, according to data provided by the hospital.

Prater worked quickly to get more oxygen tanks to the ER and to set up emergency triage protocols to prioritize the hospitals limited hyperbaric chambers. The chambers, which deliver oxygen at high pressure to more quickly flush carbon monoxide from patients bloodstream, are a standard treatment for halting the damage done by serious cases of CO poisoning.

With the power still out in millions of Texas homes and temperatures dropping, Prater asked the heads of media affairs at Memorial Hermann and UTHealths McGovern Medical School, where hes a professor, to reach out to news outlets to help warn residents about the dangers of carbon monoxide.

In no uncertain terms, this is a public health disaster, Prater said at a televised news conference a day later, urging people whod lost power not to bring charcoal grills or portable generators inside. Additionally, never run your vehicle inside your garage and then get inside that vehicle as an attempt to get warm.

In an interview later, Prater explained what was at stake: Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that, at high concentrations, can kill within minutes. In serious cases, those who survive may suffer from permanent brain damage and other long-term health problems, including memory loss, blindness and hearing damage.

Almost 80% of patients treated at Memorial Hermann facilities for carbon monoxide poisoning that week were Hispanic or Black, even though those groups account for 55% of the population in the greater Houston region. The majority of patients came from neighborhoods that the hospital identified as home to vulnerable populations.

Part of this disparity is a result of where the power outages occurred. Across the state, areas with a high share of residents of color were four times more likely to lose power compared with predominantly white areas, according to an analysis of satellite and U.S. census data released by the Electricity Growth and Use in Developing Economies Initiative, a nonprofit collaboration among five universities.

Once their power went out, families in lower-income communities generally faced greater challenges. Few had relatives they could stay with. Some didnt have vehicles that could handle icy roads and others lacked awareness of local warming shelters. This left many trapped in freezing homes and at higher risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, said Melissa DuPont-Reyes, an assistant professor at Texas A&M who studies health disparities.

They have no other option to stay warm, she said. Theyre going to use whatever means possible, and unfortunately its toxic.

Benfer, the Wake Forest professor, agreed: The most marginalized communities are also marginalized from information, resources and a safety net they can fall back on in a time of crisis.

More than 24 hours after passing out, Bekele finally regained consciousness inside one of Memorial Hermanns hyperbaric chambers. He immediately asked about his wife and kids, he said. A nurse told him he was very sick and needed to rest.

But Bekele kept asking, he said, until finally a doctor sat down at his bedside. He cried when she delivered the news.

His son, Beimnet, was connected to a ventilator in the intensive care unit, the doctor told him.

His wife and daughter, the doctor said, had died before paramedics arrived, poisoned by a gas that until that moment Bekele had never heard of.

Pleading for help

As Bekele was recovering in the hospital, 911 calls continued flooding emergency operators across the state.

In Austin, the states capital, Franklin Pena felt increasingly powerless as he watched his 3-year-old son shiver from the brutal cold that engulfed his familys apartment. On the evening of Feb. 16, after two days without electricity, Pena brought in a charcoal grill to burn wood for warmth.

My desperation was such that I lost all fear or my head, Pena said in Spanish during an interview. The only thing I could think of doing was to bring the grill in.

Just after 6 p.m., Penas wife and two children started to throw up. His own legs shaking, Pena dialed 911.

Please help me, he pleaded with the operator in Spanish, according to a recording obtained via a public information request. His wife wailed in the background as he told the 911 operator that his older son, 12, who has a developmental disability, had fainted. Because of their high metabolic rates, experts say, children can be more vulnerable to the effects of carbon monoxide.

Is everyone out of danger? the operator asked as Pena explained that they had fled their apartment and were outside in the cold. They are breathing but they are not doing well, he responded.

For 30 excruciating minutes, the 37-year-old Mexico native struggled to answer the operators questions as his wife and 12-year-old son drifted in and out of consciousness. Please, se fuerte mami, he repeated between sobs, begging his wife to be strong.

An incident report later cited extreme levels of carbon monoxide in the familys apartment, which Pena said had no CO alarms.

None were required.

Texas has given local governments the discretion to establish their own carbon monoxide rules. As a result, requirements vary widely, and no single agency tracks them across the state.

Fort Worth and Dallas require the devices in newly constructed homes and existing multifamily units, but not in most single-family homes. Houston requires them only in new or renovated homes, though its now considering a broader requirement that will include existing homes. Most rural communities have less oversight.

Even in cities with stricter regulations, many homes lack the devices.

In 2017, Austin voted to become the first major Texas city to require carbon monoxide alarms in new and existing residences with fuel-fired appliances or attached garages. The change was prompted, in part, by an incident years earlier that left two residents dead.

Penas home only had electric appliances, which excluded his apartment from the requirement.

When emergency responders finally arrived at Penas home, they rushed him, his wife and 12-year-old son to the hospital with carbon monoxide poisoning. The 3-year-old was given oxygen but not hospitalized. Pena, who works painting and remodeling houses, said all have since recovered but occasionally suffer from headaches and the trauma of what they lived through that night.

Any time it gets cold, we become afraid, he said. If we see any kind of smoke coming out of the stove, we become afraid and everything that happened that day comes flooding right back.

Emergency room data provided by the state does not reflect the number of residents by city or county who visited hospitals for carbon monoxide poisoning. But 911 call records obtained and analyzed by ProPublica, The Texas Tribune and NBC News show that, in Austin and surrounding Travis County, the majority of the 60 emergency calls for carbon monoxide exposure came from vulnerable neighborhoods, where residents earn two-thirds that of Travis County overall.

The vulnerabilities were more pronounced around Rundberg Lane in North Austin, where Pena lives. A third of the citys carbon monoxide emergency calls came from the community, which has more than double the countys proportion of immigrants and refugees. About 4 in 5 residents in the area are people of color and nearly 2 in 5 are not proficient in English, according to an analysis of 911 calls and U.S. census data by the news organizations.

Three miles from Penas home, Lucila Montoyas family brought inside a gas-powered portable stove to cook lunch and a grill with burning charcoal to help keep their apartment warm, not realizing the white-hot coals still emit fumes even after the flames are down.

About an hour later, Montoya felt weak but thought it was her pregnancy. She was due in March. But then her daughter Tifany, 7, started crying and losing consciousness. Montoya grabbed the phone as her husband, Jose, threw the child on his back and took her outside in the freezing weather.

My little girl got sick, she started throwing up and is not responding, please, Montoya, a Honduras native, frantically told the 911 operator in Spanish through an interpreter. I need you to come quickly. ... Shes barely breathing.

The 28-year-old mother, who was hospitalized for a day along with her daughter, recalled Tifany saying she couldnt breathe. She felt like she was going to die, said Montoya, whose home didnt have a carbon monoxide alarm.

We were so naive  we almost ended her life and mine, added Montoya, who has since given birth to a healthy girl. As a mother, I dont wish this upon anyone.

Failed reform attempts

In the weeks and months after the outages, Texas lawmakers scrambled to introduce and pass bills aimed at overhauling the states electric grid, with the goal of preventing future disasters.

When I see people who die of hypothermia, or carbon monoxide poisoning, when I see the disruption to the business community, the people who cant get a hot meal, cant get water ... this cannot stand, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a Republican who sets legislative priorities in the state Senate, declared in February.

But even as lawmakers demanded a wave of complex reforms, they did little to address one of the simplest changes: establishing a statewide requirement for carbon monoxide alarms in homes. The devices cost as little as $15 and health experts say they are critical to preventing carbon monoxide poisoning.

The states top three Republicans  Gov. Greg Abbott, House Speaker Dade Phelan and Patrick  did not respond to questions about why carbon monoxide safety wasnt a legislative priority.

State Rep. Donna Howard, a Democrat from Austin and a member of the legislative committee where energy reforms were discussed, said carbon monoxide wasnt on her radar. But Howard said the findings from ProPublica, The Texas Tribune and NBC News show that it should have been.

Clearly weve had to have reminders throughout this discussion of the fact that people died, she said. We all know how tragic it is, but we get caught up in the politics of the policies and sometimes lose sight of that bottom line.

Legislation seeking to create statewide regulations for carbon monoxide alarms has repeatedly failed to pass the Texas Legislature, even following major storms that led to a surge in CO poisonings and deaths. A bill filed in 2019 that would have required the devices in rental housing didnt get a hearing.

Former state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, a San Antonio Democrat, co-wrote a failed measure in 2007, a year after former state Sen. Frank Madla and his mother-in-law were killed in a house fire. His 5-year-old granddaughter, who was also in the home, died from carbon monoxide exposure.

The measure would have required smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms in newly constructed homes and older homes for sale if the residences had fuel-burning appliances.

But the bill did not advance despite the close connection many lawmakers had to Madla and supportive testimony from fire chiefs, an emergency room doctor and a poison control center representative.

Industry groups like the Texas Association of Builders at the time staunchly opposed it, criticizing carbon monoxide alarms as an unproven technology that would do more harm than good if required.

We believe mandating this would create a false sense of security for homeowners and would open up liability for homebuilders should they fail, Ned Munoz, vice president of regulatory affairs and general counsel for the group, said during a 2007 House hearing. Munoz also pointed out that the devices were not yet included in the international building codes that are widely adopted by state and local governments.

Van de Putte cant shake the feeling that the states failure to pass a statewide carbon monoxide policy cost lives in February.

We have so many things that protect the physical, the tangible, the property, Van de Putte, a pharmacist, said about current regulations. By not putting in carbon monoxide alarms, thats what were valuing. Were valuing property over life.

Since the failure of the 2007 bill, carbon monoxide alarms have become more reliable and are now required by most state governments and recommended by leading health and safety organizations. The International Code Council first recommended them for many newly constructed and renovated single-family homes in 2009 and apartment complexes in 2012.

In light of the new standards, the Texas Association of Builders has changed its position, said Scott Norman, the groups executive director. The group now supports requirements for carbon monoxide alarms in newly constructed and renovated residences, Norman said.

Decades ago, there were questions about the reliability, he said. But the codes evolve.

Fire safety advocates and public health experts say that a statewide requirement for carbon monoxide alarms would better protect residents and help drive home the message about the deadly hazard.

You dont know if youre going to be exposed until its too late and youre sick or dead from it, said John Riddle, president of the Texas State Association of Fire Fighters, which represents first responders. A statewide law or requirement would absolutely make things easier.

In some states that have passed robust statewide rules, theres been a significant reduction in poisonings, fire safety experts say.

When the state comes in and requires it, there is continuity across the whole state  there is one message, said Jim Smith, the state fire marshal in Minnesota, where emergency department visits for carbon monoxide poisoning fell by 45%  from 411 to 226  in the seven years after the state passed a sweeping law requiring alarms in most private residences. It is no different than a seat belt.

In early April, the Texas House passed a bill that would require cities to adhere to more recent health and safety codes for newly constructed and renovated residences. Under the measure, which has not yet been approved by the state Senate, carbon monoxide alarms would be required in homes built after 2022 that have fuel-fired appliances or attached garages. The requirement wouldnt apply to unincorporated areas unless counties chose to adopt the codes, and cities could opt out of the provision.

The legislation, as written, would not protect millions of Texans who live in already constructed homes and apartments.

Starting over

In Houston, Bekele was well enough to be discharged after a four-day hospital stay, but he did not go home. For days, he sat vigil at his sons bedside, leaving only to shower at a family members house, while a machine pumped oxygen in and out of the boys lungs.

Bekele was there, at Beimnets side a few days later, to mark his ninth birthday.

Initially doctors told him that his son had a very low probability to survive, Bekele said. Even if he did, doctors warned that hed likely suffer from permanent brain damage. Prolonged exposure to carbon monoxide had prevented oxygen from reaching his brain.

Day after day, Bekele held his sons hand and begged God to spare his boy.

Then, nearly two weeks after being admitted, Beimnet regained consciousness. Within days, he was off life support and was up and walking around the hospital, slowly getting stronger until he was finally well enough to leave.

Two months later, Beimnet takes pills to prevent a relapse of seizures like the ones he suffered as a result of his carbon monoxide exposure, but he otherwise shows no signs so far of permanent damage.

He is attending school now and is doing well, said Bekele, who has since returned to work at the gas station.

Bekele and Beimnet in April. Credit: Annie Mulligan for ProPublica/The Texas Tribune/NBC News

This month, Bekele sued nearly a dozen companies that supply power to the states electric grid, one of dozens of lawsuits that seek to hold Texas companies accountable for serious injuries and deaths caused by the winter outages. The power companies have not yet filed a response to Bekeles lawsuit in Harris County District Court but have denied responsibility for outage-related deaths in similar cases filed across Texas.

Bekele doesnt know what will happen with the case, but he said no amount of money can make up for what hes lost.

He still hasnt had the strength to return to the place he and his family called home before his wife and daughter died. Hoping for a fresh start, he took money raised by loved ones on GoFundMe and put it toward the security deposit and rent for a nearby apartment. Its smaller than their old townhouse, but enough space for just the two of them.

Not long after moving in, Bekele discovered a problem, one that he said he planned to fix as soon as possible: The apartment had no carbon monoxide alarms.

About the data: Statewide emergency room data is from Feb. 13-20 and came from the Texas Syndromic Surveillance system. Patients self-reported their race and ethnicity. A total of 11% of individuals who did not report their race or ethnicity were removed from the analysis. A separate analysis on patient ages removed less than 5% of individuals whose age was missing. Economic and demographic data is from the 2019 five-year American Community Survey and was analyzed at the census tract-level. Unless otherwise noted, areas with EMS calls were compared to the entire Austin-Travis County EMS service area.

Disclosure: Memorial Hermann Health System and Texas Association of Builders 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.
The Texas House preliminarily approved a bill that would lower the criminal penalty for possessing small amounts of marijuana and provide a path for many Texans charged with such a crime to expunge it from their criminal records. The bill applies to possession of 1 ounce or less  approximately two dime bags.

Currently in Texas, possession of up to 2 ounces of marijuana is a Class B misdemeanor, which can be punishable by up to 180 days in jail and a $2,000 fine. House Bill 441, authored by state Rep. Erin Zwiener, D-Driftwood, would reduce possession of 1 ounce or less to a Class C misdemeanor, which carries no jail time. Police also wouldnt be allowed to make arrests for possession at or under an ounce.

In a committee hearing, Zwiener said the language had been worked on with Gov. Greg Abbotts office and praised the bipartisan conversation over reducing possession penalties. The House passed a similar measure two years ago, but Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick opposed it and quickly declared it dead in the upper chamber. Patricks office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Several Texas prosecutors and law enforcement agencies have already stopped arresting and prosecuting people found with small amounts of marijuana on their first offense. A 2021 University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll found that 60% of Texas voters believe possession of small or large amounts of marijuana should be legal for whatever purpose.

HB 411 is one of many attempts to lower the criminal penalties for marijuana possession statewide. Ten bills in the Legislature address the issue, but only one other bill has made it out of committee. House Bill 99 would get rid of arrests and driver's license suspensions for marijuana possession only punishable by a fine. Its author, Rep. Steve Toth, R-The Woodlands, is a notable conservative who told the House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee that he did not support decriminalization or legalization, but nevertheless believes the racial disparity in marijuana arrests must be addressed.

According to a 2020 report by the American Civil Liberties Union, Black Texans were 2.6 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession in 2018 than white Texans despite similar usage rates nationwide. In both 2018 and 2019, about 30% of those arrested for marijuana possession in Texas were Black, despite the state population being 12% Black.

Class B misdemeanors carry other penalties, such as preventing someone from obtaining a firearm license for five years and automatic driver's license suspension. Lowering the charge to a Class C misdemeanor and allowing for record expungement would also eliminate the barriers and stigma associated with having a criminal record when a person applies for jobs and financial assistance.

Marijuana possession charges have also gotten more complicated since the Legislature legalized hemp and hemp-derived products  such as CBD oil  last session. Difficulty differentiating between legal hemp and illegal marijuana led to a drop in the number of low-level possession charges in the state. In 2019, the Texas Department of Public Safety reported more than 45,000 arrests for possession of marijuana  a decrease from the nearly 63,000 reported arrests in 2018. In July of 2019, the department issued a memo instructing DPS officers to issue citations, rather than make arrests, for possession of less than 4 ounces of marijuana.

Disclosure: The University of Texas at Austin has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribunes journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

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 a time when celebs are leveraging their social media to amplify information on Covid-19 related matters, Harshvardhan Rane has started to raise funds for oxygen concentrators. Sharing this news on his Instagram Stories, he said he put his bike for sale to buy O2 concentrators.

What made the actor come up with such a gesture? The actor replied, Whenever I go for a workout or jog, I cross my motorcycle in the parking lot. And when I see it, I feel a sense of deep guilt  that I have something parked here but someone somewhere doesnt even have oxygen to breathe. So I decided to give up my bike in exchange for the oxygen concentrators.

Harshvardhan Ranes motorcycle which he put up for saleHarshvardhan says that he feels guilty looking at the terrifying things that are happening around the country. I cant even think of complaining about anything in life because people out there are scrambling for hospital beds, oxygen supplies, and life-saving medicines, etc. The whole scenario is so scary and this is not even a tiny spec in the vast universe, he said, adding that giving away the motorcycle is only his tiny bit of trying to help.

Its nothing compared to whats going on, my gesture is a basic human reaction. To give away what you have to someone who is in dire need during this hour is humanity, explains the actor who further states that he can live without the motorcycle but one cannot live without oxygen. Many people have offered to buy the motorcycle, however, with the current lockdown in Mumbai; the actor is looking for logistics.

For someone who is passionate about motorcycles, trading the bike must be an emotional moment. It is, but I can still live without it, he elucidates.

Like most people, Harshvardhan too says we was unprepared for this second wave of Covid-19.
"Have other dogs? Cats? Dont apply unless they like being shaken up like a ragdoll by a 13lb rage machine."

"Prancer only likes women. Nothing else. He hates men more than women do."

"Hes never been in the presence of a child, but I can already imagine the demonic noises and shaking fury that would erupt from his body if he was."

Those are just a few lines from 2-year-old chihuahua, Prancers, adoption ad, which went viral when it was posted last month.

"You know that episode of The Office where Michael Scott silently whispers 'Ill kill you' to Toby? Thats Prancer having to begrudgingly coexist with everyone when Im around," reads Prancer's adoption ad. "If you have people over he would have to be put away like hes a vacuum. I know finding someone who wants a Chucky doll in a dogs body is hard, but I have to try."

Prancer's adoption ad was released in early April by New Jersey-based adoption agency Second Chance Pet Adoption League. According to Tyfanee Fortuna, a volunteer with the adoption agency, Prancer had spent six months with her before he was listed with the Second Chance Pet Adoption League.

Ariel Davis, 36, of New Haven, Conn. adopted the dog last week after she felt a connection to him through his brutally-honest description.

I kind of knew what it was like to have a dog that was like Prancer," she said. "I figured, 'why not, it doesnt hurt to send an email,' Davis told Hearst Connecticut Media.

Second Chance Adoption and Tyfanee were some of the most amazing people that Ive ever met," she added. "They did a really good job in making sure that he went to a good home.

Davis, who runs his now-viral Instagram account, traveled down to New Jersey to meet Prancer, and the two connected quickly.

He wasnt really friendly because of his situation, but by the time I got him in the car and we were alone...he was really happy," Davis said. Hes been such a sweetheart. It took him a couple days for him to settle in and when he did, he started to open up. I can definitely see the neurotic personality that hes got.

Davis said that Prancer loves going on walks around New Haven and has started to settle into his forever home.

For anyone looking to adopt a dog like Prancer, Davis had a few words of advice:

Check your motives, know what youre getting into and make a commitment.

"We do miss Prancer and he was loved here despite his quirks" Fortuna wrote in a Facebook post. "I have a lot of experience with toxic men, so it was easy for me to overlook his malicious tendencies and love him anyway,"

Despite being described as "a traumatized Victorian child" that "will probably live to be 21 through pure spite," Prancer has also been described as "loyal beyond belief" and loves car rides.
A supporter of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee shows a victory sign after her party won state elections, in Kolkata, India, May 2, 2021.

Updated at 2:50 p.m. ET on 2021-05-02

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjees party swept the state elections on Sunday, routing Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modis party, which many blame for the horrific nationwide surge in COVID-19 cases.

Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came a distant second in state legislature polls, a result that could have long-term national repercussions for the party, analysts said. Still, the party managed to widely increase its share of seats in the state assembly.

For Banerjees Trinamool Congress (TMC) party, this was a third consecutive win in state elections. However, Banerjee lost Nandigram, the seat she was contesting from.

To win a greater battle, one has to sacrifice something, Banerjee told supporters in a speech broadcast live on Facebook.

We have won the match, dont be upset about Nandigram. We will take this matter to court. How can the result in Nandigram be different from that in all other constituencies, she said as her party alleged counting irregularities.

Banerjee, 66, was projected as her partys chief ministerial candidate throughout the campaign, and now she would need to win a by-election to the state assembly within six months, according to Indias election laws. She was chief minister during the TMCs earlier two terms and is currently the only woman chief minister in India.

Toward the end of almost 12 hours of counting  a much slower process than before due to pandemic-related health protocols  Banerjees TMC had won or was leading significantly in 215 of 292 seats. In the last state elections in 2016, the TMC had won 211 seats. The TMCs vote share also rose, nearly 4 percentage points from 2016, to 48.26 percent.

The BJP had won or was leading in 78 seats, having managed to increase its seat share from three in 2016. Counting was still underway Sunday evening local time.

Modi congratulated Banerjee on Twitter.

Congratulations to Mamata didi for the TMCs win in West Bengal. The Centre will continue to extend all possible support to the West Bengal Government to fulfil peoples aspirations and also to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic, he said. Banerjee is called didi  which means sister  by her supporters.

Results in polls in three other states and one union territory were also declared on Sunday. The BJP lost in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, retained Assam, and won in Puducherry where it contested in an alliance with other parties.

But it is the West Bengal defeat that is a huge loss of face for Modis party at the national level, said Aditya Nigam, a political theorist at New Delhis Center for the Study of Developing Societies.

Many see this win as the beginning of a countdown against the BJP. And it will impact next years state elections in Uttar Pradesh, too, Nigam told BenarNews, about a northern Indian state which has a BJP government.

Uttar Pradesh sends the largest number of candidates to Indias Parliament. As Uttar Pradesh goes, so goes India, many have said before. The next general elections in India are to take place in 2024.

The BJP had to win Bengal to establish a pan-India presence. And it had to defeat Banerjee, who has been a thorn in its side. Banerjee has twice attempted a secular coalition of regional parties across India to form a front against Modi and his belligerently Hindu-nationalist BJP.

Rahul Gandhi, whose Congress party contested with left parties in West Bengal, commended Banerjee for her partys decisive win against the BJP.

Im happy to congratulate Mamata ji and the people of West Bengal for soundly defeating the BJP.

Approach of arrogant conquest

The build up to the West Bengal polls had seen the birth of a No Vote to BJP campaign in association with farmers organizations.

Thousands of farmers have been protesting since last August against new farms law passed by the BJP-led central government. Farmers say the laws will lead to reduced agricultural revenue for the farming community.

In March, group of farmers got on their tractors and drove nearly a 1,000 miles to Kolkata to urge voters against casting their ballot for the BJP.

Tanmay Ghosh, a spokesperson for the No Vote to BJP campaign said the TMCs win is a slap in the face for the BJP.

The defeat in Bengal is a huge blow to the fascist aggression of the BJP across the nation. It will also boost popular movements like the farmers protest, Ghosh said in a statement after it became clear the TMC was heading for a sweeping win.

In the months leading up to the state election in West Bengal, a slew of TMC politicians defected to the BJP. Banerjee had called these defectors greedy and corrupt. Others said the BJPs vast financial resources enabled it to attract top TMC politicians.

These defections turned voters against the BJP, said veteran journalist and political analyst Suvashis Maitra.

The BJPs approach of arrogant conquest antagonized voters, Maitra told BenarNews.

Also, the constant influx of national-level BJP leaders, who flew in helicopters and stayed in five-star hotels, reinforced Banerjees claim that the BJP was a party of prosperous outsiders.

Maitra also said that the platforms on which the BJP had sought to draw votes  religion, and corruption within the TMC  appear to have turned off voters.

Instead, the defections of important but allegedly corrupt TMC leaders to the BJP just days before the elections had a negative fallout. Voters saw the BJP as a party of traitors, he said.

Elections in the four states and one union territory were held amid an intense second wave of COVID-19 cases.

Scientists from a government-appointed forum of advisers said that the Modi government ignored warnings about a new, more contagious variant of the coronavirus in the country, Reuters news agency reported on Sunday.

Four scientists who are part of the forum said that despite the warning, the central government did not impose restrictions and allowed a mass Hindu festival to take place. In addition, Modis BJP and opposition politicians held huge political rallies where no health protocols were followed.

On Saturday, the country reported 392,603 new COVID-19 cases and 3,673 virus-related deaths, taking the cumulative caseload to 19.6 million and total fatalities to nearly 216,000.
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A total of 100 cylinders have been handed over to Andhra Pradesh, 50 to TTD and 50 to Secunderabad Cantonment at Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Missile Complex, DRDO, Hyderabad.  PTI file photo

Hyderabad: In what comes as a major help to patients who are getting treated at various hospitals in two Telugu states, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Missile Complex of DRDO handed over oxygen to Andhra Pradesh state, Tirumala Tirupati Devastanams (TTD) Board and Secunderabad Cantonment to meet the scarcity of oxygen while treating Covid-19 patients.

It may be mentioned here that lack of oxygen has already claimed many lives so far during the pandemic second wave.

Officials of DRDO in Hyderabad handed over 200 oxygen cylinders to meet the urgent requirement of oxygen supply at hospitals and medical institutions in various parts of the country. It has procured oxygen cylinders from various sources.

These cylinders are of 46.7 litre water capacity each and can be pressurised up to 150 bars. Each of these cylinders can store 7,000 litres of oxygen. These are high pressure seamless cylinders certified by Bureau of Indian Standards and approved by Petroleum & Explosives Safety Organisation.

A total of 100 cylinders have been handed over to Andhra Pradesh, 50 to TTD and 50 to Secunderabad Cantonment at Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Missile Complex, DRDO, Hyderabad.
Berkshire Community College allows high school seniors to take a free course for college credit during the academic year. BCC President Ellen Kennedy has joined calls for the state to increase funding for early college as the coronavirus pandemic has generated concerns over affordability gaps and student readiness for college.
Amanda Burke covers Pittsfield City Hall for The Berkshire Eagle. An Ithaca, New York native, she previously worked at The Herald News of Fall River and the Fitchburg Sentinel & Enterprise. Find her on Twitter at @amandaburkec.
@facebook.com/northeastberksnews/

Lisa Mitchell is an editor for Berks-Mont Newspapers, covering news and events in the Northeast Berks County area.
A former Georgia sheriffs deputy is accused of labeling the beating of a Black man in Custody sweet stress relief. He also allegedly expressed a desire to charge Black people with felonies in order to prevent them from voting.

Via court records, federal investigators suggested 28-year-old Cody Richard Griggers of Montrose was a White supremacist. He also pleaded guilty to a federal weapons charge.

According to CNN, in an affidavit supporting the governments criminal complaint against the former Wilkinson County Sheriffs Department deputy, an FBI agent highlighted messages allegedly written by Griggers that depicted hatred towards Black people and the LGBT community, while also speaking positively about the holocaust.

Court records state Griggers came on the FBIs radar after agents seized the phone of a man under investigation in San Diego. The federal agency alleged Griggers, the San Diego suspect and another person who hasnt been identified were part of a group-text that expressed anti-government views and hatred toward minorities.

In August 2019, the FBI claims Griggers sent a text describing an incident during which he used excessive force against a person of color who he suspected stole a firearm accessory from a local gun store, writing, I beat the s**t out of a [n-word] Saturday.

RELATED: Candace Owens Deflects Trump Proud Boys Comment As Sen. Tim Scott Calls For President To Correct His Remarks

Sheriffs dept said it look [sic] like he fell, Griggers added, according to the FBI, and said the brutality incident was sweet stress relief.
Crowds gathered at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus on Saturday (May 1) as demonstrators, members of MaKhia Bryant and Casey Goodsons families and more united to demand accountability and justice over their deaths at the hands of police.

MaKhias mother, Paula Bryant, was one of the people who spoke and described her 16-year-old daughter, as an honor roll student who loved the color blue and creating TikTok videos. Paula also said MaKhia had a great sense of humor and was kind to anyone she met.

She had a beautiful smile, was loving and had a beautiful personality, she told all who gathered Saturday afternoon, according to the Columbus Dispatch. She was a protector and had a motherly spirit about her.
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China ready to offer support, assistance to help India fight COVID-19: FM

Xinhua) 08:35, May 02, 2021

People wait in line to refill empty medical oxygen cylinders for COVID-19 patients in front of a shop in New Delhi, India, April 26, 2021. (Xinhua/Partha Sarkar)

BEIJING, May 1 (Xinhua) -- China is ready to provide support and assistance to the best of its capability to help India fight the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Friday.

In a phone conversation with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Wang said that China is very concerned about the new wave of COVID-19 infections in India, and Chinese President Xi Jinping has sent a message of sympathy to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

China, as a close neighbor and partner, fully understands the challenges facing India, he said, adding that the Red Cross Society of China, local governments, non-governmental friendship organizations and enterprises have rendered assistance to the Indian side.

Workers arrange beds at a quarantine center on the outskirts of Agartala, India, April 30, 2021. (Str/Xinhua)

China hopes and believes that the Indian government and people will secure a victory against the coronavirus, he said.

To further support India's fight against the pandemic, Wang said China is willing to take the following measures in response to India's needs:

Firstly, China will continue to encourage and support Chinese enterprises to speed up production and provide India with medical supplies.

Secondly, the Chinese side will facilitate customs clearance and transportation of anti-virus materials purchased by the Indian side.

Thirdly, health and infectious disease experts of the two countries will be organized to share experience and effective measures in overcoming the epidemic via video link.

Jaishankar, on behalf of the Indian government and people, expressed gratitude for Xi's message of sympathy to Modi and for China's goodwill and solidarity, as well as its strong support for India's purchase of anti-virus supplies.

As the COVID-19 pandemic is a global challenge, tackling it requires joint efforts by all parties involved, he said, adding that the cooperation measures proposed by China are very important and that India is ready to further strengthen cooperation with China in fighting the pandemic.

The two sides also exchanged views on bilateral relations and global cooperation.

(Web editor: He Zhuoyan, Bianji)
A Public Health Department official of the corporation said 13 health workers, including three sanitary inspectors, succumbed to Coronavirus out of 80 persons who had tested positive. (Photo: PTI)

VISAKHAPATNAM: The main administrative building of Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC), the fulcrum of Covid management, has been closed for the public. Employees strength has also been pruned and only key officials are attending to duties. Rest are working from home.

A Public Health Department official of the corporation said 13 health workers, including three sanitary inspectors, succumbed to Coronavirus out of 80 persons who had tested positive. Most of the affected are under home isolation and rest are undergoing treatment in various hospitals, the official pointed out.

GVMC has taken up the massive task of disinfecting colonies since last one week. Over 5,000 sanitary workers have been deployed to clear garbage. Contract Workers Union president K. Venkat Reddy said these workers are toiling despite harsh conditions. 300 of the sanitary workers have fallen sick. It is yet to be determined whether or not they have contracted the virus.

The corporation has stopped supplying masks, soaps and sanitisers despite persistent demand, CPM corporator B. Ganga Rao complained. He warned that entire sanitation system within the port city could collapse if these workers are not taken care of by providing them protecting gear.


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Its a landslide. Its a hat trick. With a two-thirds majority in her grasp, Trinamul Congress leader and incumbent chief minister Mamata Banerjee has defeated the communally divisive, reactionary, undemocratic, patriarchal and authoritarian assault of the BJP for the conquest of West Bengal in a spectacular victory.

Slim as the margin is, Mamata Banerjees own defeat from Nandigram is not a catastrophe. With around 214 wins out of 294, West Bengal is open to her to find an alternative, sure seat. In 2011, Ms Banerjee did not fight the Assembly polls; she did so later after coming to power in the state.

She chose to switch from Bhowanipore in Kolkata to Nandigram in East Midnapore to signal that West Bengal was her turf and a defector, even of the size of Suvendu Adhikari, backed by the aura and resources of the Adhikari clan, all of whom are in politics, offered no challenge to her popularity. The choice infused new energy into her party where the defection of mega leaders like Suvendu Adhikari and those who followed was a shock of a magnitude that was seriously demoralising.

The Trinamul Congress third term victory has established Ms Banerjee as a political force to reckon with. She was challenged by the much-touted invincible vote-winning machine of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah and turned it into a dysfunctional apparatus. The BJPs ambition of conquering West Bengal and winning 200 of the states 294 Assembly seats has turned into a misadventure, conceived in reckless ambition and unfolded as limitless greed, for more power and territory.

With West Bengal safely secured, its entirely likely that she will move forward in her declared objective of waging war against the BJP in national politics. The timetable for when and how she launches the counter-offensive is unclear, but it will happen.

Four states and one Union territory went to the polls. In Kerala, the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government of the CPI(M) and Left Democratic Front, in Tamil Nadu the DMK led by M.K. Stalin and in West Bengal, the Trinamul Congress led by Ms Banerjee have won. It was a victory for multi-party politics and the democratic space to nurture diversity, and in West Bengal it was a blow the idea of a double engine sarkar that the BJP had sold to voters as the acme of efficiency and good governance. By rejecting it, West Bengals voters have signalled that too much of the same thing does not cut ice.

West Bengal was the most crucial theatre of the war in which the BJP launched its most determined and resource-intensive effort to install itself in power. Supremely confident of its ability to bamboozle its way to a victory, BJPs unchallenged strategist Amit Shah admitted the party was organisationally weak, and was dependent on defections to meet the deficit in terms of its actual size and strength in the state. It had factored in that it wouldnt appeal to at least 27 per cent of the states voters who are Muslims.

West Bengals verdict has made it abundantly clear that without roots, the BJP is a superstructure without a foundation, regardless of the number of seats that it won this time. The basics of politics everywhere is a connection with the masses that is not limited to playing mind games, feeding on intangible anxieties and rabble-rousing by making a noise. In West Bengal, the BJP made the mistake in believing its own spiel and imagining that its narrative of a Hindu majority in danger of being swamped by an expanding Muslim minority, however contrary that is to the facts, the unifying power of an alien slogan Jai Shri Ram and the lure of a basket of goodies from citizenship for refugees, especially Hindu Matuas, employment and freedom to organise religious festivals, as though there had ever been an impediment, was sufficient to add the heft necessary to give it the votes it needed.

The political landscape of West Bengal has undergone a metamorphosis in this election. The Trinamul Congress now has a single Opposition party in the BJP. It is a warning that politics henceforth will be fought on dangerously polarising lines where religion and identity will be deployed to wreck the consensus, arrived at in 1946-47 by all major political parties, of keeping communalism out of politics in the state.

It will be Ms Banerjees responsibility to contain the BJPs provocatively divisive politics and then work to defeat it. There is no way in which the Trinamul Congress can achieve this on its own. The tacit support the BJP has garnered since 2016 from voters who earlier chose the Congress or the Left parties is a part of the problem that she must tackle to prevent West Bengal from turning communally volatile and erupting in violence. How she will do this, when the current Congress and CPI(M) leadership is as hostile to her as it is to the BJP, is the difficulty. Not finding a solution endangers the sometimes tense social and religious equations in West Bengal.

This election is an affirmation that Indias multi-party democracy, however weakened by the brutalising idea of homogeneity  one party, one nation  of the BJP, is alive and well, and able to successfully defend itself. The next step is to take back the political discourse and repair the deep wounds inflicted by the BJPs ambition to dominate by using institutions created by the Constitution for its own purposes.

In this larger fight, Mamata Banerjee will be a key player. How she does so is unknowable at this stage. The imperative to upgrade the fight is the catastrophic mismanagement of the Covid-19 pandemics surge that is killing thousands of Indians, mainly as the Narendra Modi government failed to create the resources in anticipation of this inevitability. And she has promises to fulfil to voters in West Bengal, as she needs the support of her base to tackle the BJP and its destructive politics on home ground as well as on the national level.

There is an urgency to revamping her government and her party to make it less corrupt and improve delivery to beneficiaries, which was one of the grouses against her and created the space for the BJP to grow by focusing on her shortcomings as chief minister and party leader. With so much to do and an appalling pandemic surge to contain, Ms Banerjee must work at speed and with an efficiency that disarms her critics.
IAMI, NIGER (Africa is a Country)  One striking feature of US military involvement in West Africa is the absence of an observable strategic vision for a desired end state. Nominally, US presence in the regions multilayered conflicts revolves around building security cooperation with state partners to improve counterterrorism capabilities, ostensibly providing protection to communities that states cannot. Concurrently, the US military is typically the prime diplomatic entity for high-level bilateral engagements. The result is that the US military is propping up the public authority of weak states, albeit in an ad hoc fashion that lurches from crisis to crisis.Regardless of the reasons for US presence, there is hardly any deep public support for these operations; about 60% of US citizens do not view these kinds of conflicts as a security threat, and more than 90% oppose US invasions, even if weapons of mass destruction were in use. For the first time in recent memory, US international relations scholars John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt write, large numbers of Americans are openly questioning their countrys grand strategy. Even within the Department of Defense, these doubts continue to periodically arise. As former Defense Secretary Mark Esper testified in February 2020 to the House Armed Services Committee, conventional forces in Niger, Chad, and Mali [need] to go back to home so they can prepare for great power competition.Due to war fatigue, the US has resorted to externalizing the strategic and operational burden of war to human and technological surrogates, creating what some scholars call a form of surrogate warfare. One example of externalizing the burden of war to the machine is a tool created by the Defense Innovation Unit and deployed at the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar in 2017. Throughout its deployment, this tool monitored and rapidly combined social media feeds in Syria before relaying that information to pilots and ground troops, who then used it to identify, track, and strike targets in that area of operations. General Joseph Votel, then-commander of US Central Command, boasted of the models success and indicated that it would be replicated in future operations.

In its preparation for great power competition, the US military is modernizing its joint airborne intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities by exploring the uses of artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques for target identification. The final goal is to connect ISR sensors across all warfighting domains (space, air, land, sea, and cyber) directly with commanders and weapon systems, sharing data at an accelerated speed. In Niger, this project has materialized as the deployment of the new Block 5 variant of the MQ-9 Reaper, a drone first used in Syria in 2017. The Block 5s major upgrades include the ability to integrate and combine multiple data feeds, as well as to process this data more quickly. Since 2018, the US has similarly armed their drones in Niger. In this fashion, West Africa joins Syria as a place that has become a test bed for this new wave of ISR technologies.

The ISR modernization program follows prior US military investment in the region with projects like the Trans-Saharan Counterterrorism Partnership, a military aid package of $353 million. Currently, H.R. 192, or the Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership Program Act, is a bipartisan bill seeking to codify that partnership. In 2015, the US military began construction of an airbase at Agadez, Niger, next to a Nigerien military facility. Costing $110 million, Agadez presents an attractive option from which to base ISR  assets given its proximity to the threats in the region and the complexity of operating with the vast distance of African geography, writes Nick Turse, a leading watchdog journalist of US-Africa military affairs. US forces are not supposed to have a direct combat mission in Niger, but their ISR role means they support local troops undertaking counterterrorism operations against Boko Haram and similar groups. This support has led to one publicly known US tactical engagement and combat casualties.

These military initiatives contribute to the African continents status as a longstanding field site for experimentation that traverses the colonial and postcolonial eras. More recently, since the publication of the Berg Report, Africa has been a proving ground for the neoliberal thought that permeates development economics, advocating for structural adjustment policies while most foreign direct investment is concentrated in resource extraction economies. This thinking tended to stop well short of acknowledging the enduring damage done by colonialism on the continent. Nigers colonial experience was particularly vicious, with French military violence used to pacify the territory. This trend continued in the lead-up to Nigers 1960 independence, as French military forces suppressed opposition so the French state could consolidate control over uranium deposits discovered between 1957 and 1967 and other minerals useful for high-technology industries. Today, uranium from French mines accounts for about 70% of Nigers exports, but tax exemptions mean that little of that value flows to the state or its citizens.

It is against this background that Niger provides a good case study of the intersection between the rural poors land struggles and US military presence. Most Nigeriens are subsistence farmers whose land tenure rights are insecure. The country is susceptible to frequent drought and severe food shortages, conditions which have been exacerbated by climate change. As of 2004, 9% of Nigeriens (about 870,000 people) were enslaved or lived as bonded laborers. As there are few formal political channels or avenues for dispute resolution, conditions are ripe for rural rebellions. Mediated through religion, these rebellions are antagonistic toward a state that is unable to consistently provide services; indeed, rebel groups present themselves as a viable counter governing authority to the weak Nigerien state. But for the US, assisting the Nigerien state in putting down these rebellions is coded as counterterrorism, a rhetorical move that misunderstands the basic drivers of local conflict while also supporting the very forces that cause these rebellions.

One way of thinking about the US militarys Niger operations is to see them as laboratories for warfare, testing new forms of observability and lethality guided by the US states algorithmic gaze, the components of which are built from the kinds of metals and minerals that are extracted from Nigers mines. Arguably, because of strategic non-oversight, West Africa is conducive for testing these weapons systems and assessing how they form a kind of predatory formation that spans from the borders to the hinterlands of the world.

Feature photo | Two soldiers from the Forces de Armees de Niger at a US military training facility. Robert Timmons | DVIDS

Scott Timcke studies issues of race, class, and social inequality. His second book, Algorithms and The End of Politics (Bristol UP) was released in February 2021.
Browsing books can lead people down an "extremist rabbit hole," warns USA Today's Jessica Guynn.



From USA Today, "Is Amazon recommending books on QAnon and white nationalism? Browsing books can lead to extremist rabbit hole":

Amazon's book recommendation algorithms that help customers discover new titles may have a dark side.



A new report from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue says these algorithms steer people to books about conspiracy theories and extremism, sometimes introducing them to the work of conspiracy theorists who've been banned by other online platforms.



People browsing a book about one conspiracy on Amazon are likely to get suggestions for more books on that topic as well as books about other conspiracy theories about everything from QAnon to the COVID-19 vaccine, the report found.

Wow, really groundbreaking stuff.

In a statement to USA TODAY, Amazon said: "We take concerns from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue seriously and are committed to providing a positive experience for our customers. Similar to other stores that sell books, we provide our customers with access to a variety of viewpoints and our shopping and discovery tools are not designed to generate results oriented to a specific point of view."

Translation: thanks for tipping us off (as an unpaid intern) to these thought criminals so we can add them to our massive list of banned books.



USA Today's warning against "browsing books" follows the New York Times' recent warning against "critical thinking."







Reading and critical thinking can lead to right-wing extremism so it's best for people to just binge-watch Netflix all day.



As USA Today's "senior tech writer," Jessica Guynn's job is to demand widespread censorship of everything our ruling oligarchs don't like.







Guynn's previous column called for Facebook to ban "lies" about George Floyd's "murder," such as the claim he died of an "overdose."







"Avaaz [a pro-censorship activist group] uncovered 65 posts pushing 15 false narratives on Floyd's murder, including that his death was staged or was filmed before COVID-19, that he died of an overdose and those involved in his arrest were crisis actors, that had an estimated 3.4 million views," Guynn said. "It flagged the posts for Facebook in September."



Guynn was a co-author of the article Glenn Greenwald recently panned that called for Capitol protesters to be blocked from raising funds for a legal defense.





And then, once they did this grotesque bullying, they declared - in the most sexist way possible - that the journalist that *they* chose as the lead reporter, whose name was first in the byline, is such a fragile young girl that no criticism is warranted: it's abuse. pic.twitter.com/ByV4xkh9VI  Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) March 29, 2021



Here's some more highlights of Guynn's invaluable work:































What would we do without such quality journalism???



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The New York Times, Washington Post and NBC News all issued retractions Saturday for their coverage of Rudy Giuliani following a raid of his Manhattan apartment by the FBI.

The Times appended their correction to a story about the role Giuliani may have played in the 2019 recall of ambassador Marie L. Yovanovitch and whether he received a warning from the FBI about Russian disinformation.

An earlier version of this article misstated whether Rudolph W. Giuliani received a formal warning from the F.B.I. about Russian disinformation. Mr. Giuliani did not receive such a so-called defensive briefing, The Times wrote Saturday in a note attached to the piece.

The Washington Posts correction, on a story about prominent Americans being targeted by Russian disinformation, was similar.

An earlier version of this story, published Thursday, incorrectly reported that One America News was warned by the FBI that it was the target of a Russian influence operation, the paper said.
New York: Olympia Dukakis, who won an Oscar for her performance as a sardonic, middle-aged mother who advises her headstrong daughter on matters of love in the 1987 romantic film comedy Moonstruck, died on Saturday at age 89.

Dukakis - a cousin of unsuccessful 1988 Democratic US presidential nominee Michael Dukakis - passed away at her New York City home on Saturday morning after months of failing health, according to her agent, Allison Levy. Her daughter, Christina Zorich, was by her side.

Olympia Dukakis has died aged of 89.

Dukakis, the Massachusetts-born daughter of Greek immigrants, worked for decades as a stage, TV and film actor before rocketing to fame at age 56 playing the mother of Chers character in Moonstruck.

Dukakis built on that with roles in films including Look Whos Talking (1989) and its sequels with John Travolta and Kirstie Alley, Steel Magnolias (1989) with Shirley MacLaine, Sally Field and Julia Roberts, director Woody Allens Mighty Aphrodite (1995) and Mr. Hollands Opus (1995) with Richard Dreyfuss.
The actors own commentary, geared to self-deprecation, tends to distinguish his roles by the stuff-ups he associates with them. Case in point, his acceptance speech at the 2008 Logie Awards after winning Most Outstanding Actor in a Series for The King. I got on this roll about how I should have bet my house that Chris Lilley would win this. That got a laugh, so I went on with it  I actually did bet my house on Chris Lilley and now I regret it. That got a laugh, so I held up the Logie and said, Ive got nowhere to put this now, Curry says. Because Im such an idiot I think, Three laughs, I have to make more jokes, so I get to the end thinking I nailed it, and then the shows publicist comes running over and says, You forgot to thank Foxtel, who actually paid for the entire thing. Stephen Curry, right, as Graham Kennedy, with Stephen Hall as Bert Newton, in The King. Credit: Currys latest role, which currently has no defining mishap, is the independent drama June Again. Written and directed by first-time feature director J.J. Winlove, the movie is  in the very best way  a delivery vehicle for star Noni Hazlehurst. The veteran actor plays June Wilton, a sufferer of vascular dementia who after five years in a nursing home attains a state of temporary lucidity. Its a window of opportunity for June, who looks askance upon the diverted lives of her adult children, played by Claudia Karvan and Curry, while remembering the missteps of her own life. If J.J. had miscast that role it would be the death of the film, but Noni is absolutely astonishing, Curry says. Tour-de-force is a word people mostly use to sound intelligent, but she really is an unstoppable force. She carries the film so beautifully, so heartbreakingly, and so hilariously. Ive seen it three times now, and shes something to behold.

Currys performance shapes itself to Hazlehursts  providing a reflection or a target as required for the character of the formidable matriarch. Curry does so unobtrusively, even as he continues to publicly insist that he simply has four serious faces that he cycles through because his acting process is essentially just being really good at pretending. Ive said that there are actors and there are pretenders, and that actors do vocal exercises. Im an untrained actor and what I mean by that is that Im instinctive  I dont need the Stanislavski Method to give me a framework to bring a character forward, Curry says. I like to be instinctive, and as such I make a lot more mistakes than people whove studied and have a technique. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video Film work is so bitsy with the way it happens. Youre never getting more than a scene in a run, and then theres all the angles and all the set-ups, which can take a day or more to shoot, he adds. I think there are precious few screen actors who have a strict method who can do it seamlessly, like the Daniel Day-Lewis people. After decades in St Kilda East with his wife Naadein Crowe, Curry made the move last year to the Macedon Ranges, substantially expanding his backyard to provide more space for his two sons, eight-year-old Arlo and six-year-old Beau (a classic Curry aside: please note thats B-E-A-U, not B-O, which my wife hates because it suggests he smells. He does smell, but thats not the point).

Curry, who himself grew up the youngest of five children in Deepdene in Melbournes eastern suburbs and went to Marcellin College for high school, has long talked about the bedrock strength of the family values he was raised with. But life in the Macedons does offer some positives you dont get in St Kilda East. Stephen Curry, Noni Hazlehurst and Claudia Karvan in June Again. Credit: I do have a ride-on lawnmower, which makes me feel very handy. I have a chainsaw, too, but [Im] one of those people who needs proper lessons before using anything like that, so I avoid cutting my hand off, Curry says. I did get lessons, and its one of the few things that lets me feel that my testosterone is getting a real work-out. That and my ride-on mower. If I could use the ride-on mower and the chainsaw at the same time Id feel incredible. Lets just add that image to the many roles Stephen Curry has  and will  play. How family keeps Curry grounded

Loading Part of developing a level-headed outlook in the Curry household was that the five children received a healthy amount of digs from their siblings. Given that all the Curry kids, to varying degrees, were involved in acting, its no surprise that Stephens first brief appearance on Neighbours  graduating from doing Wedgwood Pies and Nintendo Game Boy commercials as a teenager  was captured for posterity. Its one of the worst performances in the history of man. My brother Bernie recorded it on VHS and whenever people came over he would show them the scene, Curry says. It was me trying to spark up a cigarette in the coffee shop and Genevieve Lemon coming over and saying, How about you put that out? And me turning to her and delivering my single line, How about some cake? It was really overacted  I was nervous, my eyes were dart-y. Curry sighs, encapsulating decades of loving derision from those closest to you. Our family has always been good at keeping our feet on the ground, he says. June Again is in cinemas May 6.
To the Art Gallery of NSW on Thursday night, for a 150th birthday party for 260 invited guests who dined on a three-course dinner in the main gallery hall.

NSW Governor Margaret Beazley, AGNSW director Michael Brand, Arts Minister Don Harwin, AGNSW president David Gonski, and Premier Gladys Berejiklian cut the cake to celebrate the 150th birthday of the Art Gallery of NSW.

Such was the calibre of attendees  AGNSW president David Gonski, director Michael Brand and deputy Maud Page had invited dignitaries led by NSW Governor Margaret Beazley, Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Arts Minister Don Harwin that Uncle Allen Madden was prompted to remark during his welcome to country: Jeez, youre all bloody here - whos looking after the shop?!

Donors, trustees and friends of the gallery attending included Gretel and Ros Packer, federal MP Trent Zimmerman and Wendy Whiteley.

It makes no difference if it is a fifth birthday party or a 150th, the birthday cake still commands an inordinate amount of attention. It was not so much served as installed by two waiters who wheeled out to the stage what at first glance appeared to be a huge black basketball. It turned out to be what artists Latai Taumoepeau, a body performance artist from Tonga, and Brian Fuata, a Samoan born in New Zealand, dubbed VA: Centring around the narrative of the Oceanic symbolism of the coconut, the concept is a motivation for the Art Gallery to be a globally networked site for multicultural, multi-historical interdisciplinary exchange.
Queensland has unveiled a new regime to manage interstate COVID-19 outbreaks, in a step back from the total border shutdowns that have previously devastated businesses and led to travel chaos.

The new Interstate Exposure Venues Direction requires anyone who has been to a declared COVID-19 exposure site to immediately go into 14 days of quarantine in government-arranged accommodation.

Vehicles from NSW queue up at the Queensland border during 2020 border closures. Credit:Photo: Dan Peled

Rather than declaring entire cities or states as hotspots, the new direction targets specific venues, such as shopping centres and stores.

The order was first used on Sunday after a Perth hotel quarantine worker and two of his housemates tested positive to COVID-19.
West Australian Premier Mark McGowan said on Sunday there had been no new cases of COVID-19 detected in the community overnight and Perth would therefore avoid a lockdown for now.

But he would alter Perths COVID-19 restrictions and not permit spectators at Sundays western derby at Optus Stadium.

WA Premier Mark McGowan had good news and bad for the community after the latest hotel quarantine outbreak.

He said 45,000 spectators trying to arrive at Optus Stadium, most via WAs public transport system, would put too much strain on contact tracing efforts.

Nightclubs would also be closed immediately until just after midnight on Saturday, May 8.
The Morrison government has asked the Department of Defence to review the Northern Territorys 99-year-lease of the Port of Darwin to the Chinese-owned company Landbridge  a deal that has unsettled national security figures in the federal government since it was signed six years ago.

Defence officials are looking at whether the company, owned by Chinese billionaire Ye Cheng, should be forced to give up its ownership of the port on national security grounds under critical infrastructure laws passed in 2018.

The Defence Department is reviewing Landbridges ownership of the Port of Darwin. Credit:Glenn Campbell

The federal opposition and national security experts have questioned the deal since it was signed in 2015.

Defence Minister Peter Dutton confirmed the National Security Committee of Cabinet had tasked his department to come back with some advice, so that work is already under way.
Queenslands Liberal National Party delivered a strong message to Prime Minister Scott Morrison with its decision to place James McGrath above Amanda Stoker on its Senate ticket.

In a move that will be seen as a snub to Mr Morrison, Senator Stoker was defeated 212 votes to 101 at a meeting of LNP delegates in Brisbane over the weekend, relegating her to the still-winnable third spot.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Senator Amanda Stoker on the campaign trail during the 2019 election. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

Reeling from a national backlash over his handling of a series of sexual harassment and assault allegations in politics, including the case of former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins, the Coalition has been grappling with how to better represent women in Parliament.

Delivering an emotional mea culpa last month, Mr Morrison acknowledged merit-based appointments had not worked and he would be pushing state party divisions to adopt quotas.
The decision by Matovic, then the Slovakian prime minister, to order 2 million doses of Sputnik V set the country at odds with the European Union and brought one of Eastern Europes most stoutly pro-Western governments to the brink of collapse as junior partners in a fractious governing coalition, outraged by the import of Sputnik, defected. Loading Instead of plaudits, Matovic faced a revolt from his own ministers, who accused him of cutting a deal with Russia behind their backs, breaking ranks with the European bloc and succumbing to what his foreign minister, Ivan Korcok, described as a Russian tool of hybrid war that casts doubt on work with the European Union. I thought people would be thankful for my bringing Sputnik to Slovakia, Matovic recalled in a recent interview. Instead we got a political crisis, and I became an enemy of the people. Scepticism over Russias intentions with its vaccine runs deep across the former communist lands of East and Central Europe.

Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte of Lithuania said in a tweet in February that Putin offered Sputnik V to the world as a weapon to divide and rule. And Poland said it was considering buying Chinese vaccines, despite similar concerns about it, but would definitely not order Sputnik V. Loading A recent survey by the Globsec research group found that, among those willing to be vaccinated, only 1 per cent of Poles and Romanians and 2 per cent of Lithuanians would choose Sputnik over American and European brands. Even in Hungary, the lone European Union member to start inoculating its citizens with Russias product, only 4 per cent want Sputnik V. But in Slovakia, around 15 per cent of those willing to be vaccinated expressed a preference for the Russian vaccine, offering Moscow an opportunity to break out of the quarantine imposed by deep suspicion elsewhere. That Russia targeted Slovakia as a place to widen Sputniks narrow beachhead in Europe was evident long before Matovic decided to order the vaccine.

Peter Koles, director of the Slovak Security Policy Institute, which tracks Russian disinformation, said this was clear from the shifting message pumped out by a plethora of anti-establishment media outlets in Slovakia that routinely reflect Russias take on the world and are sceptical of their own countrys pro-Western government. For most of last year, before anyone had even produced a vaccine, he said, those outlets railed against vaccination, promoting wild conspiracy theories about plans to inject nano-chips in people and create mutants. Suddenly, when Sputnik was announced by Putin, the narrative changed, Koles said. While still sceptical toward Western vaccines, the pro-Russian media shifted in lock-step from denouncing all vaccination to praising Sputnik V as Slovakias saviour. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video Andrej Danko, a former speaker of the Slovak parliament who is well known for his Russia-friendly views, posted a video on Facebook in January saying that he was ready to help broker a deal with Moscow for the delivery of Sputnik.

His pitch appealed to the generally Russia-friendly sentiments of many ordinary Slovaks, particularly those of an anti-establishment bent. Martin Smatana, a former Health Ministry official in Bratislava, said he had been amazed by how many of his friends want the Russian vaccine and say, Screw the system, use Sputnik. Matovic, prime minister at the time of Dankos appeal, said he was well aware that the Russian vaccine had not been authorised for use in Europe, but decided that the only rule in a pandemic is health and life. Viktor Orban, Hungarys prime minister, helped Slovakia reach out to Russia. Credit:Bloomberg Matovic said the idea of ordering Sputnik came to him after neighbouring Hungary purchased it. He said he contacted Hungarys prime minister, Viktor Orban, who helped him reach out to Russia, which was eager to cut a deal.

When Matovic took the idea of importing Sputnik to his Cabinet in February he was told to wait until the European Medicines Agency gave a green light. He pressed on regardless, deciding that while the government as a whole had to follow European rules, his health minister, who has since resigned, had the right to order Sputnik to meet a health emergency. Martin Klus, secretary of state at the foreign ministry, said he heard about the delivery only a couple of hours before it arrived. Sputnik is a vaccine that saves lives, but the problem is: How did it get to Slovakia? he said in an interview. Slovakias Prime Minister Igor Matovic, centre, arrives for the cabinet session in Bratislava, in March. Credit:AP The uproar after Sputniks arrival was fast and furious. To keep his fragile coalition government afloat, Matovic agreed on March 30 to step down as leader and trade jobs with his finance minister, a humiliating demotion.

Russia, Klus said, might not have intended to topple the government but, after years of trying to break European unity over sanctions imposed after the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014, to collapse the government would be a very successful story for them. In a report this past week, the European Unions foreign service said that Russias drive to promote Sputnik abroad was aimed at sowing distrust in Europes medicines regulator and stoking divisions. Loading In response, the Russian state investment agency spearheading Sputniks export drive lamented that the vaccine, which it hails as a vaccine for all mankind, has fallen victim to unfortunate daily information attacks. On Friday, after Brazil raised concerns about Sputnik, complaining of inadequate data, the vaccines developer in Moscow, the Gamaleya Institute, issued an angry statement complaining that unethical forces continuously attack the Sputnik V vaccine for competitive and political reasons.

The testy arguments in Slovakia over the vaccine reached a peak in April when the countrys drug regulatory agency claimed that Matovic had fallen for a Russian bait-and-switch. It said the vaccine doses sent to Slovakia at a cost of around $US2 million differed from the Sputnik V reviewed favourably in a peer-reviewed February article in The Lancet, a respected British medical journal. The Slovak claim, denounced by Moscow as sabotage, cast doubt on Sputniks main selling point: a proven efficacy rate of over 90 per cent against COVID-19. The Lancet gave the vaccine 91.6% efficacy in February, and Russian scientists have since claimed a real world rate 97.6%. But the main issue with Sputnik has never been whether it works  most experts believe it does  but Russias repeated failure to follow procedure and provide all the data needed by foreign regulators to assess safety. Slovakias regulator made its damning statement not because it had discovered any specific problems with Sputnik but due to the lack of data from the manufacturer, inconsistencies in dosage forms and inability to compare the batches used in different studies and countries. The 200,000 doses that Russia delivered in March were still all unused at a pharmaceutical company in eastern Slovakia as of last week. But Matovic said Russia had already returned the money paid by Slovakia. Pavol Babos, a political analyst in Bratislava, said Matovic was never pro-Russian but very naive.

Desperate for a way to slow the pandemic and lift his own slumping ratings, the prime minister, Babos added, fell into a trap set by Russian propaganda. But Matovic scoffed at accusations that Moscow had played him to promote its own geopolitical agenda. The Russians, he said, wanted to help, but instead of thanking them we said, You are stupid, and you are cheating people around the world. Most at fault, Matovic said, was the State Institute for Drug Control, which asserted that the Sputnik V batches Russia sent to Slovakia did not have the same characteristics and properties as the version V reviewed by The Lancet. This, he said, was an extremely incorrect political statement. Zuzana Batova, the institutes director, who has received death threats from aggressive Sputnik fans, declined to be interviewed, saying she did not want to pour oil on the fire. The head of the Biomedical Research Centre, which carried out a series of 14 tests in Slovakia on the Russian vaccine, said she had no concerns over whether Sputnik V works but was troubled by Russias lack of transparency.
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Bullish on the long-term growth prospects of the Indian car market, South Korean auto maker Kia plans to introduce new models, enhance sales network and also ramp up production capacity to reduce the waiting period on the existing product range, as per senior company officials.

The carmaker, which currently sells three products, Seltos, Sonet and Carnival, is preparing to drive in a mid-sized multi purpose vehicle (MPV) in the country early next year as it expects the market to start recovering from COVID-19 impact from the festive season this year.

We are right now focusing on SUV and MPV segments and as part of that we are looking at the feasibility of some kind of a MPV. So we are looking at that possibility and preparing, Kia India Executive Director and Chief Sales and Business Strategy Officer Tae-Jin Park told PTI in an interaction.

The company already sells a premium MPV, Carnival, and is now looking to bring in a mid-sized product to garner volumes.

When asked if the company is also considering launching an electric vehicle in the country, Park said that with the government focusing on the segment, the company is also looking at the market situation intently.

What I can say right now is that we are analysing what kind of an EV can be launched in this market. We have not finalised it yet but we are looking at it, he noted.

With COVID-19 situation deteriorating and impacting auto sales, Park hoped for an improvement in the situation by festive season.

The current situation is impacting sales but we already have some experience from last year so it will not take a very long time. We will overcome this difficult time. I think maybe before the festival season the market will recover again, he said.

Elaborating on the situation, Kia India National Head of Sales and Marketing Hardeep Singh Brar said the market has been very resilient so far.

One thing which is different ... is that last year there was a complete lockdown and now there are partial lockdowns so the overall impact on business is less as compared with last year, he said.

He, however, cautioned that if things remain the same then there is definitely going to be an impact on the industry volumes.

From our perspective we are purely dependent on how much we are able to produce and whatever we are producing we are able to sell because of the long waiting period on products, Brar said.

He added that the company is now looking to ramp up production further as well as enhance penetration in smaller towns.

We are looking at how we can ramp up our production further to reduce the waiting period so that we can offer cars to customers at the earliest. We are planning to do it over the next couple of months so it requires few things like increase in manpower, increase in logistics capability etc, Brar said.

He noted that everything seems to be under control and we seem to be headed towards that but one thing which is not certain is the global supply chain.

Semi conductor supply is a question mark so if that is solved in next couple of months; we will be able to increase the production by July. We are ready to go ahead in the next few months, he added.

Currently, the company's Anantapur-based manufacturing plant has an installed production capacity to roll out 3 lakh cars per annum.

On sales network expansion Brar noted: Our plan is to have 350 dealerships this year. We are close to 300 number right now. So the plan is to increase the network by 50 odd outlets especially in Tier 3, Tier 4 areas. We have a lot of demand coming from those markets.

The company last week unveiled its new branding strategy in India.

Removing the 'Motors' from its name, Kia now aims to expand into new and emerging business areas by creating innovative mobility products.

(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.)
Curtains will come down on one of the countrys oldest advertising agencies, Rediffusion, following its acquisition by adman Sandeep Goyals Mogae Media.

Rediffusion partners Arun Nanda and Ajit Balakrishnan, who held 50 per cent each, have decided to step back from day-to-day operations of the agency.

Nanda, who founded Rediffusion along with Balakrishnan and Mohammed Khan in 1973, will remain chairman of Rediffusion. Goyal will take over as MD.

Rediffusion will be part of the Mogae Media group, people in the know told Business Standard.

Goyal was not available for comment when contacted. He was president of Rediffusion between 1997 and 2001. A formal announcement of the acquisition is likely on Monday.

The end of the road for Rediffusion comes nearly three years after Nanda and Balakrishnan acquired the combined 40 per cent stake of WPP agency Y&R (26.67 per cent) and Dentsu (13.33 per cent) in the agency. Before the transaction, the agency was branded as Rediffusion-Y&R.

The deal had also seen WPP exit joint ventures it had in other areas with Rediffusion, including direct marketing and health care advertising, respectively.

Nanda had then told Business Standard that the divorce with WPP, a long-time partner, would allow it to focus on areas such as digital and usher in a new chapter in its over four-decade-long journey. However, Rediffusion's exit now from the Indian advertising scene will mean that there will be one legacy brand less within the sector.

Some of Rediffusion's iconic campaigns include 'Give me red' for Eveready, 'The Zing Thing' for Gold Spot and 'Is it bad to look good' for Lakme. The agency also launched the brand Airtel in 1995.

Rediffusion works with Tata Sons, Parle, Tata Trusts, Tata Motors, State Bank of India, Liebherr, Larsen & Toubro, Brookfield, Orra and Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, among others. These clients will now be part of Mogae Medias roster.
As the second wave of COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc across the country, leading automobile companies have initiated various steps to safeguard their workforce from the highly infectious disease.

With a spike in the number of cases, companies like Maruti Suzuki, MG Motor, Hero MotoCorp and Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India have already announced temporary suspension of production work at their respective manufacturing facilities to break the transmission chain.

Others, who are still manufacturing, are taking multiple precautions like cutting down on the production by reducing the number of people in the factories as well undertaking various welfare schemes.

The country's largest automobile company Tata Motors told PTI that the company remains vigilant about the evolving COVID situation and has scaled up efforts to enhance the well-being of its personnel and its business as well as supporting the ecosystem.

Keeping employee safety foremost, standard operating procedures have been updated for the prevailing second wave with the focus on expediting vaccinations, providing support to affected employees and their family members, the company said.

We are running operations in strict compliance with guidelines issued by relevant authorities across all our plants. A limited number of employees are attending duties adhering to all safety protocols, distancing norms and hygiene standards, it added.

In addition to mandated testing, screening at plant gates is robust and if a symptomatic case is identified, the company ensures that the employee is isolated and provided with all support for quarantine and contact tracing thereafter, Tata Motors said.

Our medical teams have also begun vaccination drives in our plants by collaborating with local health authorities, for eligible employees, it noted.

The Mumbai-based firm has also set in motion a business plan to protect and serve the interests of its customers, dealers and suppliers as the lockdowns enforced in various parts of the country are expected to impact vehicle demand temporarily.

The automakers have been forced to initiate measures as India continues to witness a Tsunami of cases. On Saturday, the country reported over 4 lakh new infections in the last 24 hours.

Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) said it is extending support to employees to benefit from the nation-wide vaccination programme.

The company will bear the cost of inoculation for our employees and their spouse, eligible as per the government guidelines. To further facilitate this on priority, we have partnered with hospitals at various locations, M&M Human Resources Officer (Automotive and Farm sectors) Rajeshwar Tripathi noted.

So far, more than 90 per cent of the eligible workforce, including temporary and contractual employees, above the age of 45 years has been vaccinated, he added.

"We have also established company maintained quarantine centres for our associates at hotspots like Mumbai and Pune and we are providing for complete medical assistance where required, in collaboration with hospitals at all locations, Tripathi said.

Toyota Kirloskar Motor, which has already undertaken scheduled annual maintenance programme across both its plants from April 26 to May 14, noted that the company has set standard processes of disinfecting workplace and common areas on daily basis ensuring safety at all times.

At our plant facility, only a limited number of employees as permissible by the rules of social distancing & other mandatory guidelines are engaged in essential jobs and activities by following stringent safety rules, the spokesperson noted.

Besides, a COVID Vaccination Centre (CVC) has been set up at both the manufacturing plants for a seamless vaccination programme, the spokesperson said.

Beyond our workforce, to support a wider range of local communities in their fight against COVID, we are looking to extend the support for establishing a CVC in Bidadi Industrial Area for Toyota Group companies, suppliers and neighboring industries, the spokesperson added.

MG Motor has also temporarily suspended work at its Halol plant in Gujarat. It however noted that its service centres are currently operating with minimal staff while catering to the requirements of its customers.

The carmaker is also providing free vaccination to its employees and is focused on facilitating the same to its dealerships. It is also encouraging its dealers to provide insurance to their staff.

Last week Maruti Suzuki India advanced maintenance shutdown at its two Haryana-based manufacturing plants by a month.

The announcement came a day after the auto major acknowledged that there were 1,280 active cases of the virus among its 30,000 strong workforce.

MSI was supposed to take the shutdown at its two plants in Gurgaon and Manesar in June but due to the spike of Covid-19 cases, it has decided to take it one month earlier from May 1-9 in order to save oxygen for medical needs.

India's COVID-19 tally crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7; 30 lakh on August 23; 40 lakh on September 5; and 50 lakh on September 16. It went past 60 lakh on September 28; 70 lakh on October 11; crossed 80 lakh on October 29; 90 lakh on November 20; and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19.

The country crossed the grim milestone of 1.50 crore on April 19 this year.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Crematoriums here claim that the



last rites of as many as 2557 victims from district were performed in April, sharply contradicting the BJP-led state government's data which puts the COVID-19 deaths in the district last month at 104.

The mammoth mismatch has given credence to claims of massive under-reporting of COVID-19 fatalities in the city.

Managers of two crematoriums and a cemetery in told PTI that the last rites of 3811 people, including 2557 patients from district, were performed in the city last month.

Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra recently rubbished allegations about the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led government underreporting COVID-19 deaths in the state.

"Altogether 2052 people were cremated at our facility last month. As many as 1654 of them had died of coronavirus," Bhadbhada Vishram Ghat crematorium secretary Mamtesh Sharma said.

Those 1654 bodies had reached the crematorium from COVID-19 designated centres in air-tight plastic bags as per protocol to prevent the spread of the disease, Sharma said, adding they were consigned to flames.

The Bhadbhada crematorium and the Zada cemetery in Bhopal were initially authorised to perform the last rites of COVID-19 patients in the district, an official said.

However, due to the rise in fatalities, another crematorium, the Subhash Nagar Vishram Ghat, was also allowed to conduct the last rites, he said.

"The last rites of 1386 persons were performed at our crematorium last month. As many as 727 of them had died due to the coronavirus," Subhash Nagar Vishram Ghat manager Sobhraj Sukhwani said.

The bodies were cremated while following COVID-19 protocol, Sukhwani said.

Rehan Golden, president of the Zada cemetery committee in the Jahangirabad area said 373 burials, including those of 176 coronavirus victims, took place in the Muslim burial ground last month.

The official coronavirus death toll in Bhopal district last month, collated using the daily bulletins issued by the Madhya Pradesh government in April, comes to 104.

As per the government records, coronavirus has so far claimed 742 lives in Bhopal since the first case was reported last year.

Madhya Pradesh Saturday reported 12,379 new COVID-19 cases and 102 fatalities, taking the tally of infections to 5,75,706 and the death toll to 5,718 in the state, a health department official 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.)
In wake of the worsening COVID-19 situation in India, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) announced the departures of three additional COVID-19 relief supply aircraft carrying life-saving oxygen, oxygen supplies, and other critical health commodities to the country.

According to a press release, these additional flights are transporting additional oxygen cylinders and regulators, oxygen concentrators, rapid diagnostic tests, and more than one million N95 masks. Importantly, one of these flights will carry a Deployable Oxygen Concentration System, donated generously by California, with additional supplies to follow.

On Saturday night, a flight from the US, carrying 1,000 oxygen cylinders, regulators and other medical equipment landed in India, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) informed.

"Cooperation with US continues! Another flight from USA arrives carrying over 1000 oxygen cylinders, regulators & other medical equipment. Third shipment in a period of 2 days adding to our oxygen capacities. Grateful to US for its support," tweeted Arindam Bagchi, official spokesperson of MEA.

Earlier on Friday, the US deployed its first two planes carrying the initial emergency relief supplies including oxygen cylinders, regulators, and pulse oximeters generously donated by California, rapid diagnostic tests and N95 masks, according to the release.

"These emergency relief shipments build on USAID's ongoing efforts to combat the pandemic in India. Since the outset of the pandemic, USAID has worked closely with Indian health care facilities to improve preparedness and infection prevention and control. In addition, we have worked to keep India's brave frontline health workers safe so they can continue to save lives," the USAID said.

US President Joe Biden has already reaffirmed that the country is determined to support India in its efforts to contain the pandemic during the talks.

The Biden administration has also redirected its own order of AstraZeneca manufacturing supplies to India, which will allow it to make over 20 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

As India battles a devastating second wave of coronavirus, several countries around the globe including the United Kingdom and Russia have extended support as the country continues to struggle with the increase in its health infrastructure needs caused by the rising infections.

India on Saturday reported more than four lakh new COVID-19 cases on Saturday. A total of 4,01,993 fresh COVID-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking the cumulative count of the cases to 1,91,64,969, the Union Health Ministry reported.

(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.)
India on Sunday reported a net increase of 80,934 in active cases to take its count to 3,349,644. Indias share of global active cases now stands at 17.76 per cent (one in 6). The country is second among the most affected countries by active cases. On Sunday, it added 392,488 cases to take its total caseload to 19,557,457. And, with 3,689 new fatalities, its Covid-19 reached 215,542, or 1.10 per cent of total confirmed infections.

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The third and the largest phase of vaccination, under which beneficiaries in the 18-45 age group will be given jabs against coronavirus, will begin here on Monday.

Around 90 lakh people in this category will be eligible for the jabs. Five vaccination booths each have been set up at 77 schools for the inoculation exercise, an official said on Sunday.

The government set up vaccination centres at schools to accommodate a high number of beneficiaries, he said.

At present, jabs are being given to those aged above 45 at around 500 centres in the national capital.

Pre-registration will be mandatory for beneficiaries in the 18-45 age group and there will be no walk-ins for this category for now, the official said.

Three big private hospital chains Apollo, Fortis and Max have already started vaccinating people in the 18-45 age group at limited centres from Saturday.

The government has placed orders for 1.34 crore vaccine doses with manufactures which will be delivered over the next three months.

Of these, 67 lakh doses of Covishield vaccine are being procured from Pune-based Serum Institute of India.

Officials had earlier said the first tranche of three lakh doses would reach in the first week of May.

Around 1.5 crore people are targeted to be vaccinated in Delhi, of which 32 lakh have received at least one dose so far, they said.

The government is taking the help of the voters' list to ascertain the number of eligible beneficiaries.

According to it, there are around 60 lakh people aged above 45 years.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had on Thursday said a plan has been formulated to vaccinate all adults against coronavirus within the next three months.

He had said everybody aged above 18 would be administered COVID-19 vaccines free of cost in Delhi.

A government official had told PTI that inoculation of the 18-45 age group is likely to have a moderate start and will be ramped up gradually.

Vaccine will be delivered to the city government in phases. Private hospitals will have to procure vaccines directly from manufacturers, he had said.

The Centre will continue to provide vaccine for those aged above 45 years.

(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 (EC) moved the on Saturday against some critical observations made by the Madras High Court, holding the poll panel responsible for a surge in Covid-19 cases in the country.

The had observed that the responsible EC officials should probably be tried on murder charges for their failure to ensure adherence to Covid-19 protocols during the election process in four states ana a Union Territory.

The poll panel's appeal against the high court's refusal to entertain its petition opposing the critical remarks will be heard by a bench headed by Justice D Y Chandrachud on Monday.

"We have filed an appeal against the high court orders," the counsel for the EC, Amit Sharma, told PTI.

(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 government is likely to launch a 'reverse auction process' to supply rails for railway projects, Managing Director V R Sharma said.

After the launch of the process, a company that offers lower price can bag order of supplying rails to the Indian Railways, the industry executive said.

"Recently, we (were) apprised that is going to launch a reverse auction process for supply of rails. We are waiting for the government to launch the scheme," he told PTI while replying to a question related to JSPL's rail business.

Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL) and state-owned SAIL are the only companies in India producing various grades of rails at their facilities at Raigarh and Bhilai, both located in Chhattisgarh.

Sharma said that earlier, there was only one supplier Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) to "Now, more players are there in the competition. That's why the Indian is going to launch the reverse auction process."



In July 2018, announced bagging 20 per cent of the Rs 2,500-crore global tender by the Railways to supply long rails. Until then, according to a memorandum of understanding, the transporter was procuring rails exclusively from government-owned SAIL.

Ever since its entry into the rail supply to railways, the company has till now supplied various grades of rails for a number of completed and ongoing projects.

Sharma further said both "SAIL and can fulfil the entire demand of Indian Railways. There is no point Indian Railways should import rails for their requirements".

While JSPL operates one million tonne per annum (MTPA) rail mill at its 3.6 MTPA integrated steel plant at Raigarh, SAIL has set up a new 1.2 MTPA universal rail mill at its plant in Bhilai, to produce different types of rails.

(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.)
Over 392,000 fresh cases reported

India reported 392,488 fresh infections on Sunday, taking the cumulative caseload to 19.5 million, according to central health ministry data. The country saw 3,689 deaths due to the pandemic, taking the death toll to 215,542. The active caseload is at 3.3 million, while the total recoveries have surged to 15.9 million. As many as 156 million shots have been administered since the nationwide inoculation programme kicked off on January 16. Of these, 1.8 million were given on Saturday. Read more here

got most EC notices for violation of Covid protocols in Bengal polls

In the bitterly fought West Bengal polls which ended on April 29, the sent the most notices for violation of Covid-19 protocols to Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress (TMC), a report in the Hindustan Times said, citing officials familiar with the matter.

As many as 178 notices were issued to political parties in total, of which 67 were sent to the TMC, followed by 59 to the Bharatiya Janata Party. Notices were also issued to the Indian National Congress, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen and the Rashtriya Secular Majlis Party, the report said.



Read here.

Key members of Covid-19 task force push for national lockdown

Some members of the Covid-19 task forcean expert body that advises the Modi governmentare pushing for a national lockdown, a report in The Indian Express said. Members of the task force include experts from top health institutions, including and ICMR. The discussions and views of these experts are of significance since the chairperson of the task force, V K Paul, reports to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The task force has met several times during the recent surge in Covid cases.



Pollution control body asks 30 industries to alter nitrogen plants to produce medical oxygen

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has identified 30 industries that will alter their nitrogen plants to produce medical to aid India's fight against Covid-19, a report in the Hindustan Times said. Some of these plants can be moved to nearby hospitals and the ones that cannot be moved can produce on-site, according to CPCB. The central government had directed the CPCB to identify industries with spare nitrogen plants and explore the possibility of converting nitrogen plants to produce The CPCB has a database of all industrial units in the country, the report said.



Read here

Need 'aggressive lockdowns' to beat second wave: chief

chief Dr Randeep Guleria believes "aggressive lockdowns like the nationwide lockdown that was imposed last yearin areas where positivity rates are over 10 per cent are necessary to contain the second wave of Covid-19, a report in NDTV said. Guleria said night curfews and weekend lockdownssuch as those enforced by Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Haryana and other stateswere proving to be ineffectual.

Read here.
The sometimes eccentric, frequently vindictive but deeply rooted chief minister of West Bengal, is coasting towards victory, ensuring a place in history as the third consecutive non-Communist chief minister of Bengal. At last count, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) was heading towards a tally of more than 200 seats, lower than its 2016 mark of 229 in a house of 292 (two constituencies did not go to the polls). True, the gains of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are no less stupendous: from 3 MLAs in the outgoing house to 80s in this one. But as the song says, "the winner takes it all". And today must go down as Mamata Banerjees: who gave her all to the poll, even though her own election from Nandigram hangs in balance.

The verdict reveals many truths: BJP, with much of its local force of candidates borrowed from the TMC had to pay for the errors of commission (and omission) of these candidates. The party might have notched up even bigger gains had it had its own party MLAs. As it is, defections from other parties to the came in a rush just before the election: before the party had time to repair the record of MLAs.

The Left and the Congress, which parted ways to fight independently in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, came together again, like in 2016, to contest this round of assembly elections. But judging from current trends, their performance together and separately is no better. This suggests both have to spend time thinking of new ways to recast themselves. They seem to be behind the curve in the current politics of Bengal.





ALSO READ: Election results 2021 LIVE: TMC crosses 200-mark; AIADMK narrows gap in TN

Internally, those who left the TMC to join the will find themselves seriously at risk, especially if they have lost the election. They will immediately be on the state governments scanner. Bengal has, in the past, led in imposing the Narcotics, Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act on political rivals. This is a legislation the centre can do little about. Conversely, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) can be expected to become super-active in rooting out long forgotten investigations against TMC leaders--but only those who have stayed in the party. Cases against those involved in the Saradha scam will also be dug up now.

There are some big winners and big losers. Former Railway minister Dinesh Trivedi left the remainder of his Rajya Sabha term and joined the in the expectation that if the party came to power in the state, there would be an important position for him in the government. This may have been a historic mistake. Ashok Lahiri, former Chief Economic Advisor who left it all to join the BJP and contest the assembly election, is leading from his Balurghat. Unfortunately, his talents as practical economists will remain unutilized by the state government.

The same applies to the strategists and planners. The man most celebrating his victory will be Prashant Kishore, advisor who helped the TMC. Kailash Vijayavargiya , BJP general secretary in charge of Bengal, had linked his partys victory to his fortunes in his home state of Madhya Pradesh, where he would have challenged rival Shivraj Singh Chouhan if the BJP had been able to form a government in Bengal. He will now have to postpone his plans.

At the national level, things will change now: In the Lok Sabha, the Congress, which has shown its worst-ever performance in Bengal, will be muted and the TMC will increasingly become the most vocal and principal opposition. had called for opposition unity ahead of the elections  seeking support from other opposition parties for a united front against the BJP. That call will now have greater credibility.

However, the result--with the BJP snapping at her heels--should force Banerjee to change her management style but it is doubtful that it will. Such is Banerjees hold on her party that leaders know they must indulge her every whim, or face a fall from grace. This has led to unforeseen consequences, as several leaders who thought they had a brilliant political future discovered after they were dumped by Banerjee: for not listening to Rabindra Sangeet with the right level of concentration (Banerjee was singing) or for not taking medicines she had prescribed (she fancies herself as a doctor), for example.

An ominous fallout is greater religious polarisation in Bengal, with the BJP organisation behind it.
More than 100 million adult Americans have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 as of Saturday, according to data of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The fully vaccinated account for 30.5 per cent of the US population Xinhua reported

More than 144 million Americans received at least one Covid-19 shot, accounting for 43.6 per cent of the population, according to the CDC.

About 240 million Covid-19 vaccine shots have been administered across the country by Saturday, while more than 308 million Covid-19 vaccine doses have been distributed, CDC data show.

--IANS

int/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.)
Chief Minister Naveen



Patnaik on Sunday declared working of the state as frontline Covid warriors.

While approving a proposal to this effect, the chief minister said, are doing a great service to the state by providing seamless news feed and making people aware of coronavirus-related issues.

"They are a great support for our war against COVID- 19," a statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office said.

The decision would benefit over 6,500

"As many as 6,944 working journalists of the state have been covered under the Gopabandhu Sambadika Swasthya Bima Yojana. They are getting health insurance cover of Rs 2 lakh each," the statement said.

has also announced an ex gratia of Rs 15 lakh for the next of kin of journalists who die of COVID-19 while performing their duty, it said.

After being declared as frontline workers by the state government, journalists will now get priority in the vaccination programme, sources said.

As many as 11 newspareons have died of the infection in since the beginning of the pandemic, sources 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.)
A in the has urged it to direct the Centre to permit sale of Remdesivir, used in COVID-19 treatment, by those pharmaceutical companies which manufacture it solely for the purpose of export so that the drug is easily available in the market for needy patients.

The petition, which is listed for hearing on Monday before a bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jasmeet Singh, has said that there are more than 25 companies in India which manufacture the medicine, but only six to eight of them are permitted to sell it in the domestic market and the rest were producing it for exports alone.

The petitioner, Dincur Bajaj, has contended that since export of has been banned by the Centre, the companies which were producing it for export be permitted to manufacture and sell it in the domestic market.

"It is pertinent to mention that the scarcity of Remdesiviris causing its extensive black-marketing and the black marketers are charging prices up to Rs 1,00,000 per vial, due to its non-availability," Bajaj, who is a lawyer and the Joint Secretary of the Bar Association, has said in his plea.

The petition, filed through advocates Amit Saxena and Imran Ali, has also said that huge stocks of the medicine are lying at the ports for being exported and the same can be sold in the domestic market.

(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 forum of scientific advisers set up by the government warned Indian officials in early March of a new and more contagious variant of the taking hold in the country, five scientists who are part of the forum told Reuters.

Despite the warning, four of the scientists said the federal government did not seek to impose major restrictions to stop the spread of the virus. Millions of largely unmasked people attended religious festivals and political rallies that were held by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and opposition politicians.

Tens of thousands of farmers, meanwhile, continued to camp on the edge of New Delhi protesting Modis agricultural policy changes.

The worlds second-most populous country is now struggling to contain a second wave of infections much more severe than its first last year, which some scientists say is being accelerated by the new variant and another variant first detected in Britain. India reported 386,452 new cases on Friday, a global record.

The spike in infections is Indias biggest crisis since Modi took office in 2014. It remains to be seen how his handling of it might affect Modi or his party politically. The next general election is due in 2024. Voting in the most recent local elections was largely completed before the scale of the new surge in infections became apparent.

The warning about the new variant in early March was issued by the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genetics Consortium, or INSACOG. It was conveyed to a top official who reports directly to the prime minister, according to one of the scientists, the director of a research centre in northern India who spoke on condition of anonymity. Reuters could not determine whether the INSACOG findings were passed on to Modi himself.

Modis office did not respond to a request for comment from Reuters.

INSACOG was set up as a forum of scientific advisers by the government in late December specifically to detect genomic variants of the that might threaten public health. INSACOG brings together 10 national laboratories capable of studying virus variants.

INSACOG researchers first detected B.1.617, which is now known as the Indian variant of the virus, as early as February, Ajay Parida, director of the state-run Institute of Life Sciences and a member of INSACOG, told Reuters.

INSACOG shared its findings with the health ministrys National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) before March 10, warning that infections could quickly increase in parts of the country, the director of the northern India research centre told Reuters. The findings were then passed on to the Indian health ministry, this person said. The health ministry did not respond to requests for comment.

Around that date, INSACOG began to prepare a draft media statement for the health ministry. A version of that draft, seen by Reuters, set out the forums findings: the new Indian variant had two significant mutations to the portion of the virus that attaches to human cells, and it had been traced in 15% to 20% of samples from Maharashtra, India's worst-affected state.

The draft statement said that the mutations, called E484Q and L452R, were of high concern. It said there is data of E484Q mutant viruses escaping highly neutralising antibodies in cultures, and there is data that L452R mutation was responsible for both increased transmissibility and immune escape."

In other words, essentially, this meant that mutated versions of the virus could more easily enter a human cell and counter a persons immune response to it.

The ministry made the findings public about two weeks later, on March 24, when it issued a statement to the media that did not include the words "high concern." The statement said only that more problematic variants required following measures already underway - increased testing and quarantine. Testing has since nearly doubled to 1.9 million tests a day.

Asked why the government did not respond more forcefully to the findings, for example by restricting large gatherings, Shahid Jameel, chair of the scientific advisory group of INSACOG, said he was concerned that authorities were not paying enough attention to the evidence as they set policy.

"Policy has to be based on evidence and not the other way around," he told Reuters. I am worried that science was not taken into account to drive policy. But I know where my jurisdiction stops. As scientists we provide the evidence, policymaking is the job of the government.

The northern India research centre director told Reuters the draft media release was sent to the most senior bureaucrat in the country, cabinet secretary Rajiv Gauba, who reports directly to the prime minister. Reuters was unable to learn whether Modi or his office were informed of the findings. Gauba did not respond to a request for comment.

The government took no steps to prevent gatherings that might hasten the spread of the new variant, as new infections quadrupled by April 1 from a month earlier.

Modi, some of his top lieutenants, and dozens of other politicians, including opposition figures, held rallies across the country for local elections throughout March and into April.

The government also allowed the weeks-long Kumbh Mela religious festival, attended by millions of Hindus, to proceed from mid-March. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of farmers were allowed to remain camped on the outskirts of the capital New Delhi to protest against new agriculture laws.

To be sure, some scientists say the surge was much larger than expected and the setback cannot be pinned on political leadership alone. There is no point blaming the government, Saumitra Das, director of the National Institute of Biomedical Genomics, which is part of INSACOG, told Reuters.

Strict measures not taken

INSACOG reports to the National Centre for Disease Control in New Delhi. NCDC director Sujeet Kumar Singh recently told a private online gathering that strict lockdown measures had been needed in early April, according to a recording of the meeting reviewed by Reuters.

The exact time, as per our thinking, was 15 days before, Singh said in the April 19 meeting, referring to the need for stricter lockdown measures.

Singh did not say during the meeting whether he warned the government directly of the need for action at that time. Singh declined to comment to Reuters.

Singh told the April 19 gathering that more recently, he had relayed the urgency of the matter to government officials.

It was highlighted very, very clearly that unless drastic measures are taken now, it will be too late to prevent the mortality which we are going to see, said Singh, referring to a meeting which took place on April 18. He did not identify which government officials were in the meeting or describe their seniority.

Singh said some government officials in the meeting worried that mid-sized towns could see law and order problems as essential medical supplies like oxygen ran out, a scenario that has already begun to play out in parts of India.

The need for urgent action was also expressed the week before by the National Task Force for COVID-19, a group of 21 experts and government officials set up last April to provide scientific and technical guidance to the health ministry on the pandemic. It is chaired by V.K. Paul, Modis top adviser.

The group had a discussion on April 15 and unanimously agreed that the situation is serious and that we should not hesitate in imposing lockdowns, said one scientist who took part.

Paul was present at the discussion, according to the scientist. Reuters could not determine if Paul relayed the groups conclusion to Modi. Paul did not respond to a request for comment from Reuters.

Two days after Singhs April 18 warning to government officials, Modi addressed the nation on April 20, arguing against lockdowns. He said a lockdown should be the last resort in fighting the virus. Indias two-month-long national lockdown a year ago put millions out of work and devastated the economy.

We have to save the country from lockdowns. I would also request the states to use lockdowns as the last option, Modi said. We have to try our best to avoid lockdowns and focus on micro-containment zones, he said, referring to small, localised lockdowns imposed by authorities to control outbreaks.

Indias state governments have wide latitude in setting health policy for their regions, and some have acted independently to try to control the spread of the virus.





ALSO READ: India sees a record high of 3,689 daily Covid deaths; marginal dip in cases

Maharashtra, the countrys second-most populous state, which includes Mumbai, imposed tough restrictions such as office and store closures early in April as hospitals ran out of beds, oxygen and medicines. It imposed a full lockdown on April 14.

Ticking time bomb

The Indian variant has now reached at least 17 countries including Britain, Switzerland and Iran, leading several governments to close their borders to people travelling from India.

The World Health Organisation has not declared the India mutant a variant of concern, as it has done for variants first detected in Britain, Brazil, and South Africa. But the WHO said on April 27 that its early modelling, based on genome sequencing, suggested that B.1.617 had a higher growth rate than other variants circulating in India.

The B.1.1.7 variant, which orginated in the UK, was also detected in India by January, including in the northern state of Punjab, a major epicentre for the farmers protests, Anurag Agrawal, a senior INSACOG scientist, told Reuters.

The NCDC and some INSACOG laboratories determined that a massive spike in cases in Punjab was caused by the UK variant, according to a statement issued by Punjabs state government on March 23.

Punjab imposed a lockdown from March 23. But thousands of farmers from the state remained at protest camps on the outskirts of Delhi, many moving back and forth between the two places before the restrictions began.



ALSO READ: EC moves SC against Madras HC observations on surge in Covid-19 cases

It was a ticking time bomb, said Agrawal, who is director of the Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, which has studied some samples from Punjab. It was a matter of an explosion, and public gatherings are a huge problem in a time of pandemic. And B.1.1.7 is a really bad variant in terms of spreading potential.

By April 7, more than two weeks after Punjabs announcement on the UK variant, cases of coronavirus began rising sharply in Delhi. Within days, hospital beds, critical care facilities, and medical oxygen began running out in the city. At some hospitals, patients died gasping for air before they could be treated. The citys crematoriums overflowed with dead bodies.

Delhi is now suffering one of the worst infection rates in the country, with more than three out of every 10 tests positive for the virus.

India overall has reported more than 300,000 infections a day for the past nine days, the worst streak anywhere in the world since the pandemic began. Deaths have surged, too, with the total exceeding 200,000 this week.





Relatives of a patient grieve outside a Covid-19 hospital in Ahmedabad, Tuesday, April 27, 2021.

Agrawal and two other senior government scientists told Reuters that federal health authorities and local Delhi officials should have been better prepared after seeing what the variants had done in Maharashtra and Punjab. Reuters could not determine what specific warnings were issued to whom about preparing for a huge surge.

We are in a very grave situation, said Shanta Dutta, a medical research scientist at the state-run National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases. People listen to politicians more than scientists.

Rakesh Mishra, director of the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, which is part of INSACOG, said the countrys scientific community was dejected.

We could have done better, our science could have been given more significance, he told Reuters. What we observed in whatever little way, that should have been used better.

(Reuters  Reporting by Devjyot Ghoshal and Krishna N. Das in New Delhi; Additional reporting by Rajendra Jadhav, Aditya Kalra, Jatindra Dash and Zeba Siddiqui; Editing by Bill Rigby)
on Sunday delivered to India 150 concentrators and 500 cylinders to assist the country in its fight against a devastating second wave of the pandemic.

The Taipei Economic and Cultural Center (TECC) said more batches of medical equipment and supplies will be airlifted to India soon.

"To express strong friendship with India in its fight against a new wave of Covid-19 pandemic, is delivering critical medical supplies to India. The first batch of 150 concentrators and 500 oxygen cylinders have arrived in New Delhi on Sunday," the TECC said.

The TECC is Taiwan's representative office in India.

"On behalf of the government of Taiwan, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in India wishes to reaffirm the friendly bilateral relations between and India," it said in a statement.

"Taiwan's deployment of medical supplies is testament to the close collaboration and partnership across multiple agencies on both sides. It also reflects the robust relief efforts and contributions made by the government and people of Taiwan to bring humanitarian relief to India," it said.

India does not have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, but both sides have trade and people-to-people ties. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory.

Taiwan's aid to India came amid reports of violations of Taiwan's airspace by Chinese military jets.

"While the contribution is modest, we hope that it will bring comfort and relief to the patients in need and ease the burden on the healthcare workers who are working tirelessly to fight the pandemic," the TECC said.

It said President Tsai Ing-wen on April 27 conveyed solidarity with India and expressed deep concern about the country's situation.

"As India logged a record-breaking daily surge of infection for consecutive days, Tsai said that Taiwan 'stand with India' during this difficult time while offering to provide help," the TECC said.

Meanwhile, Uzbekistan too supplied 100 oxygen concentrators as well as remdesivir and other medicines to India.

As India battles a devastating second wave of the pandemic, several countries around the world are sending medical supplies to help it tide over the situation.

The leading countries that have announced assistance to India include the US, Russia, France, Germany, Australia, Ireland, Belgium, Romania, Luxembourg, Singapore, Portugal, Sweden, New Zealand, Kuwait and Mauritius.

Some of the countries have already delivered the 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.)
For the last two weeks, the government and some transport companies have stepped up efforts to help cope with Covid-19 by facilitating the import of essential medicines, vaccines, medical equipment, etc.

The finance ministry exempted basic on import of injections, active pharmaceutical ingredients of Remdesivir, Beta Cyclodextrin (SBEBCD) used in making and specified inflammatory diagnostic (marker) kits till end-October 2021. It also exempted basic and health cess on import of medical oxygen, equipment required for generation, storage, distribution and transport of oxygen and parts of such equipment, ventilator and their accessories, high-flow nasal canula devices, non-invasive ventilation masks for use with intensive care unit ventilators, helmets for use with non-invasive ventilation and Covid-19 vaccine till end-July this year. Imports of these items will, however, attract integrated goods and services tax (IGST).

Donations of Covid-related material and medicines from foreign governments have started arriving at our ports and airports. The finance ministry has instructed the Customs field formations to priorities Customs clearance of imported goods relating to the pandemic, including medical-grade oxygen, specified equipment for production, transportation and distribution of oxygen, equipment for oxygen therapy to Covid-19 patients and Covid-19 vaccines etc. In a meeting chaired by the Cabinet Secretary, it was decided that in all cases of Covid-related imports facilitated by the Ministry of External Affairs and/or imported by Indian Red Cross society, permissions/ licences/ authorisations required from other government departments/ agencies before clearance of goods, if any, would be deemed to have been given. In other words, such cases need not be referred to those agencies. The Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Mansukh Mandaviya has asked chairpersons of major ports to personally monitor the medical oxygen-related cargo for swift and efficient handling at all major ports. The Directorate General of Shipping has extended seafarer certificates of competency/certificate of proficiency till this year-end to help seafarers join the ships easily.

The commerce ministry has allowed the import of oxygen concentrators for personal use through post, courier or e-commerce portals, where Customs clearance is sought as gifts till 31st July 2021.

The defence ministry has deployed its resources for treating Covid-19 patients and transporting Covid-related medicines and medical equipment. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has set up a Covid-19 Helpdesk that would look into import/ export licensing issues, customs clearance delays and related complexities.

On Thursday, PM Relocations, a logistics firm, extended free service for moving medical and essential services to health care firms, hospitals, pharmacies and individuals. On the same day, Qatar Airways said that it would ship medical aid and equipment to the country free of charge from global suppliers. The airline intends to transport 300 tonnes of aid from its global network to Doha from where it will be flown in a cargo aircraft convoy to Indian destinations.

With concerted and coordinated efforts from all concerned, the supplies of essential goods should increase in the next few weeks. Hopefully, the demand for such goods will go down.

email:tncrajagopalan@gmail.com
Counting of votes polled in the April 6 Tamil Nadu assembly election will begin at 8 a.m on Sunday.

A total of 3,998 candidates are fighting it out to enter the 234-member Tamil Nadu assembly.

As per the Election Commission of India, 72.81 per cent of the 6.29 crore voters have cast their votes in the poll.

Apart from the Assembly election results, the bypoll results for the Kanniyakumari Lok Sabha constituency will also be known on Sunday.

The bypoll was fought mainly between former Union Minister and BJP's Pon Radhakrishnan and Congress candidate Vijay Vasanth, son of late MP H. Vasanth Kumar.

The assembly poll results will be crucial for the ruling government led by Chief Minister K. Palaniswami and the principal opposition party led by M.K. Stalin.

Majority of the pre-poll opinion survey and the exit polls predicted a large win for the 10 year power starved

While counting would begin at 8 a.m., by noon the trend will be known as to who would storm the Fort St. George, the seat of power in Tamil Nadu.

Counting of votes will be at 75 centres in the state with the deployment of state police and central para military forces for security.

Vote counting will be videographed.

With the spread of coronavirus, counting agents and others will be allowed into the counting centres on the production of Covid-19 negative test report or should have been vaccinated twice.

Though it was a five cornered contest, the major rivals are the ruling AIADMK-led alliance and the DMK-led front.

The other players in the fray are actor-turned-politicians Kamal Haasan's Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) alliance, the alliance led by Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) floated by T.T.V. Dhinakaran and movie director Seeman's Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK).

The ruling fought in 179 seats and six other small parties each contesting in one seat under the former's Two Leaves symbol.

The others in the alliance are the BJP (contested in 20 seats) and PMK (23), TMC (6).

The contested in 173 seats while alliance parties Congress (25), CPI, CPI-M, MDMK and VCK in six seats each, IUML, KMDK (3 each), MMK (2), All India Forward Bloc, Makkal Viduthalai Katchi, Athi Thamizhar Peravai and Tamizhaga Vazhuvurimai Katchi each contesting in one seat.

A total of 187 candidates -- DMK's own and that of alliance parties -- contested under the former's Rising Sun symbol.

The MNM allied with actor Sarathkumar's AISMK and IJK while Dhinakaran's AMMK allied with the DMDK, AIMIM and others.

The Seeman-led NTK went alone contesting in all the 234 constituencies and fielding 50 per cent women candidates.

The other parties in the fray on their own are the Bahujan Samaj Party (contesting in 160 seats), Puthiya Tamizhagam (60 seats) and Republican Party of India (16 seats).

Notable candidates in the polls and the constituencies are: Palaniswami (Edappadi), Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam (Bodinayakkanur), Stalin (Kolathur), his son Udhayanidhi Stalin (Chepauk-Tiruvallikeni), DMDK Treasurer and Vijayakant's wife Premalatha (Vridhachalam), MNM founder Kamal Haasan (Coimbatore South), TN BJP President L. Murugan (Dharapuram), actor Khushbu Sundar (Thousand Lights), TN BJP Vice President K.Annamalai (Aravakurichi), PMK's G.K.Mani (Pennagaram) and Seeman (Tiruvottriyur).

In the neighbouring Puducherry, Union Territory having just over 10 lakh voters, the fight for the 30-member Assembly was majorly between the Congress led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) consisting of Congress, DMK, CPI, VCK and an Independent and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) comprising of All India N.R. Congress, BJP and AIADMK.

The voter turnout was 81.69 per cent.

The exit polls have predicted a victory for NDA in Puducherry.

--IANS

vj/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.)
The ruling Trinamool Congress was ahead of the BJP in the keenly watched state of West Bengal while the saffron party-led NDA was leading in Assam and the DMK in Tamil Nadu, according to latest trends for assembly polls.

In Kerala, the ruling LDF is leading in 88 of the 140 assembly constituencies while the opposition Congress-headed UDF was ahead in 50 segments.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was leading by 3,351 votes in his home turf against his nearest rival C Raghunathan of the Congress, according to Election Commission figures.

The counting of votes for the assembly polls in four states and a union territory is being taken up at a time when the country is grappling with a raging COVID pandemic.

According to trends available for 271 out of 292 constituencies in West Bengal, the TMC was leading in 184 while the BJP in 84.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was trailing her BJP rival Suvendu Adhikari in Nandigram by 3460 votes after two rounds of counting,



In Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister K Palaniswami was leading in his home segment of Edappadi in Salem district and leader of opposition and DMK president M K Stalin was ahead in Kolathur constituency here, according to early trends.

While the DMK was ahead in 76 seats, the AIADMK was in 68, according to trends available for 170 out of 234 constituencies.

The trends indicated that the DMK was ahead in constituencies including Kurinjipadi, Neyveli, Virudhachalam.

BJP's state unit chief L Murugan was ahead in Dharapuram and AIADMK leaders and state Ministers K C Veeramani and Benjamin were ahead in Jolarpet and Maduravoyal he



In Assam, the ruling BJP-led NDA was leading in 71 seats, while the Grand Alliance spearheaded by the Congress is ahead in 38 places, according to available trends.

Assam has a 126-member assembly and 64 seats are needed for a simple majority.

In Puducherry, the AINRC-led NDA was leading in 9 seats while the Congress headed alliance was ahead in three segments after first round of counting of votes polled in April 6 elections, officials said.

INRC chief N Rangasamy was leading in his constituency



Counting of votes began at 8 AM and continue late into the night with as many as 1,100 counting observers watching the process.

Exit polls have forecast a tight contest between the incumbent Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress and the BJP in the crucial and put the ruling saffron combine ahead in Assam while projecting that the Left alliance will retain Kerala, a feat unseen in four decades.

For the Congress, the exit polls predicted that it may fall short in Assam and Kerala and lose in Puducherry to the opposition alliance of AINRC-BJP-AIADMK.

The only good news for the Congress was from Tamil Nadu, where the exit polls predicted that the DMK-led opposition alliance, of which it is a part, will trounce the AIADMK-BJP coalition.

The poll results in the four states and the UT are also likely to reflect how the handling of the COVID pandemic has played on the voters' mind.

Polling was held in eight phases in West Bengal between March 27 and April 29, in Assam in three stages on March 27, April 1 and 6, while votes were cast in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and the Union Territory of Puducherry in a single phase on April 6, when the COVID surge had begun in many of the states.

Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal are among the 11 states that account for 78.22 per cent of the total active cases, according to the Health ministry.

A three-tier security arrangement is in place in West Bengal's counting centres and 256 companies of central forces deployed across 23 districts of the state that voted in a gruelling election marred by violence and vicious personal attacks.

The result will decide whether Banerjee, who has been in power for 10 years and is arguably fighting the toughest poll of her political career, has been able to thwart the challenge by the battle-hardened election army of the BJP led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.

The BJP, which had just three seats in the 294-member Assembly after the polls and went to win 18 out of 42 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha election, had pulled out all the stops in the state in a determined bid to oust Banerjee, a vocal critic of Prime Minister Modi, and add another state to its tally of 17.

The Left-Congress alliance is the third main contestant in the state.

In Tamil Nadu, both Dravidian parties -- AIADMK and DMK -- went into the election without their stalwarts, J Jayalalithaa and M Karunanidhi.

In Kerala, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) is seeking to break the state's four-decade-old trend of swinging between the communists and the Congress-led United Democratic Front.

In Assam, the ruling BJP is facing a challenge from 'Mahajoth' or 'Grand Alliance' comprising the Congress, AIUDF, Bodoland Peoples' Front (BPF), CPI(M), CPI, CPI(ML) Liberation, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Anchalik Gana Morcha (AGM).

The BJP has an alliance with the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), the United People's Party Liberal (UPPL) and the Gana Suraksha Party (GSP),



In Puducherry, the AINRC-led NDA and the Congress-led Secular Democratic alliance are in a contest. While AINRC fielded candidates in 16 of the total 30 constituencies the BJP is contesting nine seats while the AIADMK is contesting five seats.

Counting will also be held in four Lok Sabha seats and 13 assembly seats across 13 states where bypolls were held.

The EC has banned victory roadshows and vehicle rallies.

(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.)
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West Bengal Chief Minister Sunday said combating the Covid-19 situation will be the topmost priority of her government and dedicated her party's resounding victory to the people of the state. "For us, combating the Covid-19 situation will be the topmost priority... This is victory of Bengal and only Bengal can do it ," she said in her brief message to party workers.

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
Chief Minister landed a landslide victory for her Trinamool Congress (TMC) in the West Bengal Assembly election, the result of which was announced on Sunday, decimating the challenges by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). But there remains a confusion over the outcome in Nandigram, the seat of her prestige fight with former party colleague and now a BJP member,

A three-member TMC delegation was understood to have met the Chief Electoral Officer at the Election Commission office in Kolkata and sought a recount in Nandigram, even as Banerjee's protege-turned-adversary Adhikari tweeted thanking the people of for their "love, trust, blessings and support" and for choosing him as their representative. He even tweeted a result annexure showing a winning margin of 1,736 votes.

However, the vote count would have to be verified against voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT). If Banerjee loses Nandigram, she would have to get re-elected within six months.

In the high-stakes 294-seat state election, the Trinamool Congress registered its best performance ever, winning or leading in 216 seats and bagging a vote share of 48 per cent, as Bengal shrugged off allegations of cut money and corruption levelled by the Opposition against the incumbent.

This is Bengals victory and victory of the people. They talked about a double-engine government, but I said we would score a double century. And you know what has happened, Banerjee said.

However, Banerjee cautioned against victory celebrations in the wake of rising Covid-19 cases and said a victory rally at the Brigade Parade ground would happen only after the present situation was in control.

Commenting on the mandate, Prime Minister tweeted: Congratulations to Mamata Didi for @AITCofficials win in West Bengal. The Centre will continue to extend all possible support to the West Bengal government to fulfil peoples aspirations and also to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic.



He also tweeted: I would like to thank my sisters and brothers of West Bengal who have blessed our party. From a negligible presence earlier, BJPs presence has significantly increased. BJP will keep serving the people. I applaud each and every karyakarta for their spirited effort in the polls.



The BJP has made huge gains from its performance in the 2016 Assembly election, but fell far short of its own projection of 200 seats, even as its central leadership  from Prime Minister to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, central ministers and chief ministers from states ruled by the party, flew in and out for the election campaign.

The saffron partys seat tally (victory and leads as of the time of publication) was at 73 and its vote share 38 per cent. Thats a huge jump from 2016, when it had got just three seats and a vote share of 10.16 per cent. In 2011, it had got a vote share of 4.14 per cent and failed to bag any seat.

The performance, however, had peaked in the Lok Sabha election of 2019  when religion-based identity politics had taken the centre stage  and its vote share had surged to 40.64 per cent, with the seat tally at 18. The surge indicated that Bengal could be headed for poriborton (change).

Even though BJP has lost vote share since, the mandate has reconfirmed that the fight in Bengal is now completely bipolar  between the BJP and the Trinamool  as the Left Front-Congress-ISF alliance has fallen flat. The Congress has got a vote share of 3.01 per cent and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) 4.55 per cent, but neither has bagged any seat. The ISF is leading in one seat.

Political analysts pointed out that in Malda, Murshidabad and North Dinajpur, minority votes almost entirely shifted to the Trinamool Congress from the Congress.

(In) the last three phases, the Trinamool Congress gained more than expected due to Covid mismanagement by the Centre. It seems there was a swing in favour of the TMC, said an analyst.

About 114 seats went to vote in the last three phases across Malda, Murshidabad, Dinajpur, Kolkata (South & North), Bardhaman and Birbhum.

Except Adhikari, all of the Trinamool turncoats who had joined the BJP ahead of the elections lost. In Singur  the seat of land agitation in 2011 which had seen Banerjees rise to power  Trinamool candidate Becharam Manna won by a huge margin of 25,923 votes, defeating Rabindranath Bhattacharya, who had switched sides to the BJP before the election.

This is like a reverse tsunami, said a bureaucrat.

But an analyst pointed out that partially this was also a mandate for Mamata Banerjees welfare schemes.

A massive outreach programme, Duare Sarkar, was launched ahead of the election to deliver 12 welfare schemes, including Khadya Sathi (food security), Kanyashree (financial assistance to girls for pursuing higher education), Krishak Bondhu (for farmers and sharecroppers), and the star attraction Swasthya Sathi (the universal health scheme), at the doorstep. Basics like roads, drinking water and electricity in the last 10 years were also brought into focus.

Banerjees next task is cut out, too  managing the rising Covid cases in the state. She said she would lead a movement against the Centre for free vaccines.
When the Puducherry assembly election results are declared on Sunday evening, former Chief Minister of the Union Territory and All India NR (AINRC) party chief, N Rangaswamy expects to win and become the Chief Minister. The NR Congress, and AIADMK had contested the elections together under his leadership.

NR chief N Rangaswamy, who contested from Thattanchavady and Yanam constituencies, voted at Government Boys Middle School in Thilaspet on April 6.

On March 9, Puducherry in charge, Nirmal Kumar Surana had announced that the party has finalised its seat-sharing deal with the NR and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) for the legislative assembly elections in the Union Territory.

"NR Congress, and AIADMK are going to contest the elections together," he had said.

"NR Congress will contest on 16 seats and BJP-AIADMK will contest on 14 seats. We will face elections in Puducherry under the leadership of N Rangaswamy," Surana had said adding that the alliance will contest polls under the leadership of NR Congress chief and former CM N Rangaswamy.

Addressing a press conference, Surana had said that Rangaswamy will lead the alliance.

Polling for 30 assembly seats in Puducherry was held on April 6. Of the 30 Assembly seats, five are reserved for the Scheduled Caste candidates. As many as 10,02,589 electors will choose the candidates for the 15th legislative Assembly of Puducherry.

Earlier, going back in history, Rangaswamy was the Chief Minister of Puducherry from 2001-8 representing the Congress party.

However, due to internal politics, he resigned from his CM post in August 2008 and formed his own party named All India NR Congress on February 7, 2011. Within three months, in the 2011 Legislative Assembly Elections, his party won 15 seats out of 17 seats it contested and its alliance partner, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam got 5 out of 10 seats it contested.

Rangaswamy again emerged victoriously and sat on the Chief Ministerial throne from May 16, 2011, till June 6, 2016. Later, he was succeeded by Narayanasamy in 2016.

However, in a recent turn of events, in February 2021, the Congress-led government in the Union Territory fell before completing its five-year term under Chief Minister V Narayansamy.

Narayanasamy had resigned on February 22 ahead of a floor test in the 33-member House (including three nominated) following the resignations of five Congress and one Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) legislators. On February 23, President Ram Nath Kovind accepted the resignation of Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy and his council of ministers.

Elections in Puducherry on April 6, which is currently under President's Rule, was mainly between the Congress-Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) alliance and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) comprising All India NR Congress, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The NDA in Puducherry is a rare case where the BJP is not the largest constituent of the alliance. The BJP is contesting on nine seats with the alliance led by the All India NR Congress contesting on 16 seats, and the AIADMK on five seats.

The Congress, whose government in the Union Territory fell in February before completing its five-year term under the Chief Minister V Narayansamy, has also ceded its ground to its allies in Puducherry, giving 13 seats to the DMK and one each to the Communist Party of India and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi. The party skipped fielding Narayanasamy. Congress is contesting on only 14 out of its 15 seats now.

The counting of votes is taking place today and the results of the Assembly elections will be declared by the Election Commission in the evening.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Though West Bengal Chief Minister is still trailing behind BJP's Suvendu Adhikari in Nandigram, the trends after the fourth round of counting show that the other Trinamool Congress heavyweights are leading in their respective Assembly constituencies.

After the fourth round of counting, Banerjee is trailing behind her one-time aide Adhikari in Nandigram in East Midnapore district by a margin of 3,710 votes.

As per the latest Election Commission data, Adhikari, who had jumped ship from the Trinamool to the in December last year, has got 34,430 votes against Banerjee's 30,655.

Banerjee, who had won the last two elections from the Bhowanipur Assembly constituency in Kolkata, left her seat this time and decided to contest from Nandigram. Adhikari, who was an important minister in Banerjee's cabinet before defecting to the BJP, had won from Nandigram in the 2016 elections on a Trinamool ticket.

Though Banerjee is trailing, the Trinamool Congress is showing signs of cruising to a big victory with most of its major candidates leading in their respective seats.

PWD Minister Arup Biswas is leading from the Tollygunge Assembly constituency over his rival Babul Supriyo by a margin of nearly 8,000 votes.

Education Minister Partha Chatterjee is also leading from the Behala West Constituency by a margin of nearly 5,000 votes. Similarly, Javed Ahmed Khan has taken a lead of more than 47,000 votes over his Left Front rival Shatarup Ghosh.

Apart from that, Panchayat Minister Subrata Mukherjee is leading from the Ballygunge constituency, IT Minister Bratya Basu is leading from Dum Dum in North 24 Parganas, Urban Development Minister and former Mayor Firhad Hakim is leading from Kolkata Port constituency, Food Minister Jyotipriaya Mullick is leading from Habra, while Minister of State for Women and Child Health Shashi Panja in leading from the Jorasanko constituency in North Kolkata.

Alternatively, Tourism Minister Goutam Deb is trailing from the Dabgram-Phulbari constituency in Jalpaiguri district, while Labour Minister Moloy Ghatak is trailing from the Asanasol South constituency in East Burdwan district. Minister of State for Fire Sujit Basu is also trailing from the Bidhananagar constituency.

BJP's Nisith Pramanik is leading against Trinamool heavyweight Udyayan Guha from the Dinhata Assembly constituency in Cooch Behar district.

Heavyweight candidates like Swapan Dasgupta, Locket Chatterjee, Biashali Dalmia, Rahul Sinha, Babul Supriyo and Samik Bhattacharya are all trailing in their respective constituencies.

--IANS

saibal/arm

(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 ruling looks set to



retain power in West Bengal with its candidates leading in 187 of the state's 292 seats that went to poll against BJP's 85, as trends were available for 275 seats.

Chief Minister and supremo Mamata Banerjee was, however, trailing her former protege-turned- rival Suvendu Adhikari in Nandigram by over 8,000 votes.

Belying expectations of a tight contest, the candidates appeared galloping to victory, and, if the current trends hold, the party will easily form its third successive government in the state.

Two of the Lok Sabha MPs Babul Supriyo, a minister in the Narendra Modi government, and Locket Chatterjee, were trailing in Tollygunge and Chuunchura seats. Supriyo represents Asansol and Chatterjee Hooghly seat in the Lok Sabha.

However, MP from Cooch Behar Nishith Pramanik was leading in Dinahata.

Shobhandeb Chattopadhyay, the TMC candidate for Bhabanipore that Mamata Banerjee vacated to contest from Nandigram, is leading his BJP rival Rudraneil Ghosh by over 3,000 votes.

Firhad Hakim, a state minister and Banerjee confidante was also leading.

(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.)
May 2, 2021, the hundredth birth anniversary of filmmaker Satyajit Ray, will forever belong to Defeating all odds, the Trinamool Congress (TMC), headed by her, coasted to a comfortable and credible majority in West Bengal, winning 216 seats, bettering its performance of 211 in the outgoing Assembly. While she lost her own seat, Nandigram, her partys performance elicited opposition congratulations from across the country.

The CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala also posted stunning gains, winning 97 seats, up from 91 in 2016, suggesting incumbency can also be a positive in elections. In Tamil Nadu, the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) alliance put up a brave fight (85 seats) but could not save its government, yielding to the opposition Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam alliance (149 seats), whose leader, will become chief minister for the first time. The Congress is a DMK ally.

In Assam, the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) retained its hold by winning 76 seats and defeating the Congress, which slipped from its 2016 tally of 51 seats to 48. The BJP, in alliance with the NR Congress, won 13 seats in Puducherry with the Congress getting five, but the majority needed is 15. In this situation of a hung assembly, independents (3) and defectors from the Congress may have to come to the aid of the NR Congress-BJP alliance. The current officiating lieutenant governor may be called upon to lend a helping hand.

However, the elections were not a net loss for the BJP. In West Bengal, the party went up from three seats in the outgoing assembly to 74. Unlike in Madhya Pradesh, where an assertive BJP could topple an opposition government, in West Bengal, which was a prestige election, the TMCs majority is too large to attempt any such moves. The BJP fell grossly short of its claim that it would cross 200 seats and could not even reach half that figure.

In Kerala too, while its vote share has improved, it scored zero.

E Sreedharan, much acclaimed as metro man, lost the Palakkad seats by a convincing margin of 7,000 votes. The BJP chief in the state, K Surendran, lost both the seats he fought. However, some notable winners in Kerala were Health Minister K K Shailaja, who is credited with managing the pandemic efficiently. Her victory margin was a stupendous 61,000 votes. Former chief minister and Congress leader Oommen Chandy won his seat. As chief minister gets down to forming the government, who his choice for finance minister will be is an open question as outgoing finance minister and frequently a dissenting voice in the GST Council, Thomas Isaac, did not contest election this time.

In Assam, questions are already being asked about who won the election for the BJP: Chief Minister or his deputy, Himanta Biswa Sarma, widely considered the architect of the victory in a campaign where the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the proposed Register of Citizens (NRC) dominated. Biswa Sarma won his constituency, Jaluk Bari, for the fifth consecutive time, by a margin of 100,000 votes. Both have thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and BJP President J P Nadda for the partys victory, but not each other. Akhil Gogoi, leader of the farmer body Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) and president of a new regional political party, Raijor Dal, is in prison but won from the Sibsagar constituency against BJP candidate Surabhi Rajkonwar by a margin of 9,000 votes.

In Tamil Nadu, while Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswamy (EPS) and deputy O Panneerselvam won their seats, the AIADMK alliances performance owes itself to the good showing of its alliance partner, the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), in the region dominated by the Vanniyar community. In this region the PMK has managed to win 4 seats. Without this, the AIADMKs tally would have been lower. The partys other alliance partner, the BJP, appears to have dragged it down in half a dozen seats. In the Kanniyakumari Lok Sabha byelection, the BJP candidate, Pon Radhakrishnan, former Union minister, was trailing against the Congress candidate, V Vasanth. Actor Kamalahaasan, who launched his own political party ahead of elections, has lost in Coimbatore.

An earlier version of this story wrongly mentioned that the PMK had won 16 seats in the elections, when in fact it had won 4. Likewise, Actor Kamalahaasan had lost from Coimbatore, and hadn't won as reported earlier. The errors are regretted.
Barring occasional interviews



with the news media, he works rather quietly in his election war room or is seated obscurely among throngs of party workers and leaders listening intently to them.

Yet, the "Man of the Match" sobriquent has often been bestowed upon Prashant Kishor for his role in winning for towering leaders across parties an election game. And West Bengal was no different.

"..., in reality BJP will struggle to cross double digits in #WestBengal," he had tweeted as early as December last year and his words proved prophetic.

"If BJP does any better, I must quit this space!" the poll strategist added, a statement was perceived as bravado by many given the BJP's impressive gains in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Bengal and its energetic, high-decibel campaign for the assembly polls.

On Sunday, despite the massive anticipated victory of the TMC, Kishor announced on national TV he will quit strategising for political parties.

"I am quitting this space," he told TV channels.

Prashant Kishor or simply PK, as he is called by his team members, started working for the at the request of party supremo soon after the 2019 Lok Sabha polls when the BJP won 18 of the state's 42 seats and the ruling party appeared losing its grip on the state.

Realising, that there was a ground swell of anger against several lower level leaders who were often accused of petty corruption in execution of public welfare schemes, Kishor designed the 'Didi Ke Bolo' (Tell Didi) campaign under which citizens could directly approach Chief Minister with their grievances.

"PK's programme became popular and acted as a safety valve allowing popular steam to come out," said Rajat Roy, political analyst and member, Calcutta Research Group.

The strategist, in his early forties, has loads of experience in successfully crafting election strategies, including Narendra Modi's first prime ministerial campaign in 2014 when he was the Gujarat chief minister.

Kishor spent months on end carefully crafting Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's 2015 campaign and subsequently helped devise Congress's Captain Amarinder Singh's successful bid in Punjab.

He proved he is the master of his craft when he helped catapult Jagan Mohan Reddy of the YSR Congress to power in Andhra Pradesh in 2019. He also advised Arvind Kejriwal during the 2020 Delhi assembly elections.

The inputs the got from its meetings with citizens groups and polls conducted by Kishor's team about candidates saw many senior leaders getting dropped and new faces brought in. Minor rebellions brewed but were stamped out.

The chief minister's attemps to tackle corruption in the middle and lower rungs of the party following BJP's accusation of large-scale irregularities in distribution of reief following cyclone Amphan, also bore fruit, said Kishor.

The strategist who is believed to have conceptualised the 'Duare Sarkar' (government at your doorstep) programme under which benefits of a host of welfare schemes, including scheduled caste certificates, were delivered to the homes of the beneficiaries, also boosted her standing among the poor.

West Bengal government's UN award winning 'Kanyashree' programme, where money is transferred to the bank accounts of girls so they could study further and early marriages could be prevented, was highlighted during the campaign.

The strategy to extend the 'Swasthya Sathi' health insurance scheme to the entire population in December 2000 was welcomed by all. The scheme was launched by Banerjee in 2016. It is a basic health cover for secondary and tertiary care up to Rs five lakh per annum for every family.

The branding of the TMC government as pro-women proved immensely beneficial for the party.

"The chief minister remains extremely popular with women, the campaign stressing pro-women initiatives went down well....their (women's) high turnout helped," said Prof. Ranabir Samaddar, well-known political scientist and former head of Maulana Azad Institute of Asian Studies, Kolkata.

But the high-pitched election campaign by the BJP which Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah had invested heavily in, making a dash for West Bengal every few days, had Kishor rethink his strategy.

His answer was the 'Bangla nijer meyekei chay' (Bengal wants her daughter) slogan that found resonance with the people.

Banerjee raking up the insider-outsider debate was part of the strategy to appeal to Bengali subnationalism, something hitherto alien to West Bengal politics. It was an ace Kishor pulled to give a huge heft to Banerjee's campaign against the BJP's mighty election army.
The Reserve Bank conducts supervision of the banks through offsite monitoring of the banks and an annual inspection of the banks, where applicable.

The Reserve Bank has decided to review and strengthen the Risk Based Supervision (RBS) of the with a view to enable financial sector players to address the emerging challenges.

The uses the model, including both qualitative and quantitative elements, to supervise banks, urban cooperatives banks, non-banking financial companies and all India financial institutions.

"It is now intended to review the supervisory processes and mechanism in order to make the extant model more robust and capable of addressing emerging challenges, while removing inconsistencies, if any," the said while inviting bids from technical experts/consultants to carry forward the process for banks.

In case of UCBs and NBFCs, the Expression of Interest (EOI) for 'Consultant for Review of Supervisory Models' said the supervisory functions pertaining to commercial banks, UCBs and are now integrated, with the objective of harmonising the supervisory approach based on the activities/size of the supervised entities (SEs).

"It is intended to review the existing supervisory rating models under CAMELS approach for improved risk capture in forward looking manner and for harmonising the supervisory approach across all SEs," it said.

Annual financial inspection of UCBs and is largely based on CAMELS model (Capital Adequacy, Asset Quality, Management, Earnings, Liquidity, and Systems & Control).

The undertakes supervision of SEs with the objective of assessing their financial soundness, solvency, asset quality, governance framework, liquidity, and operational viability, so as to protect depositors' interests and financial stability.

The Reserve Bank conducts supervision of the banks through offsite monitoring of the banks and an annual inspection of the banks, where applicable.

In case of Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs) and NBFCs, it conducts the supervision through a mix offsite monitoring and on-site inspection, where applicable.

A technical advisory group consisting of senior officers of the RBI would examine the documents submitted by the applicants in connection with EOI.

EOI said the consultant would be required to work in close co-ordination with officers of RBI's Department of Supervision in Mumbai.

(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.)
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said the people of the state have 'blessed' them and that he is confident that they will form the government. In the 126-member Assam Assembly, BJP is leading with 80 seats while Congress is leading in 46 seats, as per the trends at 1:20 pm.

"People have blessed us. We can say for sure that the BJP will form the government in Assam. We are coming back to power with our partners AGP and UPPL," Sonowal told reporters.

When asked if the ruling coalition will be able to bag 100 seats, as claimed by the saffron camp ahead of the polls, he said, "The trends are completely in favour of the BJP. The party will achieve its target. However, we will have to wait for the final results."

The BJP is looking to create history by becoming the only non-Congress government in the state to win consecutive terms. This election season was different for BJP in the state as Assam is the only place where it was fighting to retain its power.

The BJP fought this year's election in alliance with Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), the United People's Party Liberal (UPPL) and the Gana Suraksha Party (GSP). They faced competition from two sides -- Congress-led Grand Alliance along with minority-backed All India United Democratic Front, the Bodoland People's Front and marginal players such as Anchalik Gana Morcha, Communist Party of India (Marxist), CPI and CPI (Marxist-Leninist) and secondly from the Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) and the Raijor Dal that emerged out of the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests in 2019.

The three-phased elections in the state took place at a time when the second coronavirus wave was starting. As many as 79.93 per cent, 80.96 per cent and 82.33 per cent people turned out in the three phases respectively to vote.

Also read: Election Result 2021 Live Updates: Mamata Banerjee fights back, leading by 2,700 votes in Nandigram
Elections Results 2021 Live News Updates: Election results 2021 or Vidhan Sabha results 2021 for West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry assemblies will be announced today on May 2. Counting of votes with regard to West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry election results will start around 8 AM. It's a big day for political parties but election results are being announced amid an extremely bad Covid-19 situation in the country. BusinessToday.In will bring all the latest action on assembly election results 2021. Stay tuned to catch all the news updates on West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam, and Puducherry election results 2021 or Vidhan Sabha results 2021 LIVE news updates.

Check out all the latest updates on elections results in five states and UT on BusinessToday.In live blog

10:46 pm: TMC demands recounting of votes in Nandigram

Trinamool Congress has demanded recounting of votes in Nandigram constituency from where West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee had contested. The party alleged illegalities in vote counting process.

10:24 pm: Congress Assam president resigns

Taking responsibility for the party's defeat in Assam, Congress' state president Ripun Bora has resigned from the post. Bora has sent his resignation letter to Sonia Gandhi.

9:43 pm: Sonia Gandhi congratulates Mamata Banerjee, Stalin

Congress leader Sonia Gandhi spoke to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and DMK's MK Stalin and congratulated them for their victory in assembly polls.

8:53 pm: Sharad Pawar says attempts being made to revoke Mamata's win

NCP supremo Sharad Pawar says West Bengal election results should be accepted with "large heart". Says attempts are being made to revoke Mamata Banerjee's win.

The voters of Bengal have overwhelmingly supported Mamata and endorsed her for a third term. This result has to be accepted with a large heart. But the manner in which attempts are being made to revoke her win can only be called pettiness.#MamtaBanerjee - Sharad Pawar (@PawarSpeaks) May 2, 2021

8:14 pm: Suvendu Adhikari thanks people of Nandigram for his victory

BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, who defeated West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, thanked the people of Nandigram for electing him MLA.

My sincere thanks to the great People of Nandigram for their love, trust, blessings, and support, and for choosing me as their representative and the MLA from #Nandigram. It is my never-ending commitment to be of service to them and working for their welfare. I am truly grateful! pic.twitter.com/oQyeYswDa8 - Suvendu Adhikari    (@SuvenduWB) May 2, 2021

8:05 pm: BJP President thanks Assam for reposing faith in NDA government

BJP President JP Nadda thanked the people of Assam for showing faith in NDA government.He said Assam has witnessed tremendous growth in all sectors with the double engine government and people have completely rejected the communal politics of Congress and chosen the development politics of BJP. With the guidance of PM Modi, the state will now reach new heights.

Thank you Assam for showing faith in the NDA administration with this massive mandate. The state stands strongly with PM @narendramodi ji's vision of progressive & prosperous Assam. I congratulate @sarbanandsonwal ji, @RanjeetkrDass ji , @himantabiswa ji & every Karykarta of BJP. - Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) May 2, 2021

7:36 pm: PM Modi congratulates Banerjee, Stalin, Vijayan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulates West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and DMK's MK Stalin for victory.

Congratulations to Mamata Didi for @AITCofficial's win in West Bengal. The Centre will continue to extend all possible support to the West Bengal Government to fulfil people's aspirations and also to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic. @MamataOfficial - Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 2, 2021

I would like to congratulate Shri @vijayanpinarayi and the LDF for winning the Kerala Assembly elections. We will continue working together on a wide range of subjects and to ensure India mitigates the COVID-19 global pandemic. - Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 2, 2021

Congratulations to Thiru @mkstalin and @arivalayam for the victory in the Tamil Nadu assembly elections. We shall work together for enhancing national progress, fulfilling regional aspirations and defeating the COVID-19 pandemic. - Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 2, 2021

7:29 pm:Mamata Banerjee to move court against Nandigram verdict

TMC supremo Banerjee said she will move court against 'mischief' in Nandigram

6:43 pm: Mamata concedes Nandigram; Suvendu leads by 1,957 votes

In a surprising deevelopment, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee said that she concedes Nandigram seat after earlier reports claimed that she has won the constituency by 1,200 votes. Later clarifications stated that the counting for Nandigram has not been completed yet, and the seat is still open. As per latest reports, TMC turncoat and BJP candidate Suvendu Adhikari is ahead on the seat by 1,957 votes.

6:10 pm: This is Bengal's victory; COVID first priority: Mamata

Dedicating TMC's landslide victory to people of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee during a press briefing said that fighting COVID-19 will be the top priority of her government. Promising that her government will stymie the spread of COVID, Banerjee urged the Centre to make COVID-19 vaccine free for all. She also urged TMC workers to avoid any victory celebrations. The oath ceremony will be a small affair, she added.

6:02 pm: Not time for celebrations, have to fight COVID: Vijayan

"Kerala has given a verdict in favor of the LDF. But this is not the time to celebrate with great joy as COVID-19 continues to spread. This is the time to continue the fight against COVID-19" CM Pinarayi Vijayan told a press meeting after a historic victory in the state assembly elections.

5:43 pm: Rahul Gandhi congratulates MK Stalin

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi congratulated ally MK Stalin on DMK's strong show in Tamil Nadu election, exuding hope that the alliance will move ahead towards developement of state's population

Congratulations to Shri MK Stalin for the victory.



People of Tamil Nadu have voted for change and we will, under your leadership, prove to be a confident step in that direction.



Best wishes.  Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 2, 2021

5:47 pm: Tharoor congratulates Mamata, says 'good fight' to Kerala Congress cadre

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor congratulated Mamata Banerjee on her "spectacular victory" in West Bengal elections. To Congress workers in Kerala, who were hopeful of return to power, Tharoor commended them on a "good fight" and asked them not to be disheartened.

Congratulations to @MamataOfficial Mamata Banerjee on her spectacular victory over the forces of communalism and intolerance. The voters of Bengal (& esp Nandigram) have demonstrated where their hearts lie. The BJP has met its match in Bengal, and lost.  Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) May 2, 2021

It's a day of disappointment for many of my friends & colleagues in @INCKerala. You fought a good fight. The energy &commitment I've seen from you is the party's greatest strength. We must not be disheartened. There is work ahead to renew & revive our party, &to serve the people.  Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) May 2, 2021

5:33 pm: Mayawati congratulates Mamata on TMC's peformance

BSP supremo Mayawati has congratulated Mamata Banerjee for the party's exemplary performance in West Bengal assembly elections. She also congratulated DMK's MK Stalin, CPI (M) leader Pinarayi Vijayan and BJP's Sarbananda Sonowal.

                      

 ,    ,                      Mayawati (@Mayawati) May 2, 2021

5:26 pm: Assam election results 2021: Himata Biswa Sarma wins Jalukbari

Himanta Biswa Sarma, BJP's candidate for the Jalukbari seat, has won against Romen Chandra Borthakur from Congress. He had won this seat in 2016.

5:16 pm: Lalu Prasad Yadav congratulates Mamata, Stalin

Out on bail in fodder scam case, Lalu Prasad Yadav congratulated Mamata Banerjee and MK Stalin for their performance in respective state assembly elections. Banerjee has won her seat in Nandigram, de-throning TMC turncoat and BJP candidate Suvendu Adhikari.

Heartiest congratulations to you @MamataOfficial Ji on this historic victory against all odds. I wish you good health.



I would also like to thank & congratulate people of Bengal who wholeheartedly voted for Didi & didnt fall for vitriolic & divisive propaganda of BJP.  Lalu Prasad Yadav (@laluprasadrjd) May 2, 2021

Many congratulations Thiru @mkstalin on your stupendous victory! I am sure you will carry forward the social justice legacy of respected Kalaignar Karunanidhi ji and live up to the expectations of dravidian brothers and sisters.  Lalu Prasad Yadav (@laluprasadrjd) May 2, 2021

5:11 pm: West Bengal election results 2021: TMC extends victory margin

TMC has increased its seat tally this year as compared to five years ago. The party is leading on 215 seats, 6 more than what they scored in 2016. BJP has increased its tally from 3 seats in 2016 to 76 seats in 2021, while Left lost 73 seats with a tally of zero. Others have 1 seat.

4:57 pm: Maintain COVID protocols, return home: Mamata

Ahead of a press briefing, Mamata Banerjee asked TMC workers to adhere to COVID-19 protocols and return home. A decision on victory celebrations will be taken later, she added. "This is Bengal's victory."

4:50 pm: Kerala election results 2021: LDF marches on

Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF is moving ahead to create history as its is set to become the first government in 40 decades to be re-elected in Kerala. LDF is ahead on 93 seats, whereas BJP is holding its own on 43 seats. BJP just has 1 seat to its credit, whereas others are leading on three seats.

4:30 pm: Mamata Banerjee defeats Suvendu Adhikari

In a very close fight, Mamata Banerjee has defeated rival and BJP candidate in Nandigram.

4:28 pm: Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan to address media at 5.30pm

Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan will hold a press conference at 5.30pm. His party LDF is all set to win in the assembly elections.

4:20 pm: Rajnath Singh congratulates MK Stalin and Pinarayi Vijayan

"Congratulations to DMK leader, Thiru MK Stalin on his party's victory in Tamil Nadu assembly elections. I extend my best wishes to him," said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. He also wished Pinarayi Vijayan on his victory. "Congratulations to the Chief Minister of Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan on his party's victory in Kerala Assembly elections. My best wishes to him for his next tenure," he said.

4:17 pm: Rajnath Singh congratulates Mamata Banerjee

"Congratulations to the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee Didi on her party's victory in West Bengal assembly elections. My best wishes to her for her next tenure," said Rajnath Singh.

4:!4 pm: Modi govt's policies led to BJP victory in Assam: Rajnath Singh

"The pro-people policies of Narendra Modi-led Govt & the state Govt under Sarbananda Sonowal have once again helped the BJP in winning assembly elections in Assam. Congratulations to PM Modi, CM Sonowal, Adhyaksh JP Nadda & karyakartas on BJP's impressive victory in Assam," said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

4:10 pm: Suvendu Adhikari again ahead of Mamata Banerjee

Mamata Banerjee who was leading with 8,000 votes after trailing behind Suvendu Adhikari has again fallen behind. She was leading after the counting of two tables. But after counting of the third table, Suvendu was ahead of Mamata by six votes. The final round of counting is yet to be conducted.

4:04 pm: No victory celebrations: DMK chief MK Stalin

DMK chief MK Stalin has asked his party workers and supporters to avoid victory celebrations in view of the second coronavirus wave.

3:57 pm: Metro Man defeated in Kerala

Metro Man E Sreedharan who was leading in Palakkad has been defeated. Congress sitting legislator Shafi Parambil retains the seat.

3:54 pm: Prashant Kishor, man behind TMC victory, quits as political consultant

Prashant Kishor, who has been credited for TMC's victory in West Bengal has decided to retire as political consultant. Kishor had earlier announced that if BJP crossed 100 seats in Bengal then he would step down. BJP failed to secure 100 seats in the state but he has still decided to quit.

3:48 pm: Kerala election results 2021: CPI (M) candidate Ramachandra wins Puthukkad

CPI (M) candidate from Puthukkad constituency KK Ramachandran has won the seat. He defeaated Congress candidate Sunil Anthikkad by 27,353 votes.

3:39 pm: Counting continues, server slowed down due to load: EC

Election Commission has clarified that counting in four states and Puducherry is going on unhindered although the server has slowed down due to heavy load. Counting is going on as planned in constituencies.

3:33 pm: Assam election results 2021: Congress holds on to hope

Congress has claimed that its alliance 'Mahajot' will once again form government in Assam despite trends so far showing BJP in a considerable lead. BJP and allies are ahead on 76 seats, whereas Congress and its allies are leading on 48 seats.

3:16 pm: West Bengal election results 2021: Mamata Banerjee widens lead to 8,000

Mamata Banerjee has increased her lead from the Nandigram constituency to 8,000 votes. Her prime competitor is Suvendu Adhikari, the turncoat TMC leader who went to BJP ahead of the polls.

3:12 pm: DMK supporters clears out from in front of party HQ

DMK workers and supporters, celebrating in front of the party headquarters in Chennai, left after the Election Commission ordered states and UTs to prohibit victory celebrations urgently. Leader MK Stalin also told the workers that there will be no celebrations.

Chennai: DMK workers and supporters who were celebrating at the party headquarters have now left after the Election Commission ordered States/UTs to prohibit victory celebrations urgently#TamilNaduElectionspic.twitter.com/suKCkPgyEQ  ANI (@ANI) May 2, 2021

3:05 pm: Sharad Pawar extends congratualtions to Mamata, Stalin, Vijayan

NCP leader Sharad Pawar has congratulated Mamata Banerjee, MK Stalin and Pinarayi Vijayan on their possible victories in the latest state elections West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Congratulations @MamataOfficial didi for landslide victory. What a fight!



Congratulations to the people of WB  Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 2, 2021

Congratulations @mkstalin on your win, a truly well deserved victory! Wishing you the best to serve people who have instilled their faith in you!  Sharad Pawar (@PawarSpeaks) May 2, 2021

Congratulations to Mr. @vijayanpinarayi on a historical consecutive victory in the Kerala elections.

Together we fought these elections and now together we will fight the battle against Covid!  Sharad Pawar (@PawarSpeaks) May 2, 2021

2:57 pm:Assam election results 2021: BJP set to return to power

BJP is currently leading on 77 seats in Assam, set for a re-election to power in the state. Congress is on the second positon with lead on 48 seats.

2:47 pm: Arvind Kejriwal congratulates Mamata, Stalin, Vijayan

As counting for state asembly elections progresses in five states, TMC, DMK and LDF have secured a substantial lead in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, respectively. As trends unfold, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has congratulated leaders of these parties.

Many congratulations to @mkstalin on a resounding victory in the Tamil Nadu assembly polls. I wish him a successful tenure and the very best in fulfilling the aspirations of people of Tamil Nadu.  Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 2, 2021

Heartfelt congratulations @vijayanpinarayi sir.



People of Kerala have reposed faith in you becoz of ur pro-people governance.  Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 2, 2021

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# __ pic.twitter.com/wlnUmdfMwA  Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) May 2, 2021

2:37 pm: Kerala election results 2021: 'Metro Man' E Sreedharan trails

'Metro Man' E Sreedharan, who is contesting on BJP's ticket from Palakkad seat in Kerala, is now trailing after staying for the earlier part of the day. Congress' Shafi Parambil, who won the seat in 2016, is in lead now.

2:33 pm: LDF set to create history in Kerala

Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF is set to break a 40-year-long trend in Kerala as it continues to be on the path to re-election in the southern state. The Left alliance is leading on 91 seats, with Congress-led UDF a distant second with lead on 44 seats. BJP-led NDA is well out of the picture with lead on just 3 seats.

2:30 pm: Tamil Nadu election results: DMK maintains lead on 139 seats

MK Stalin-led DMK has maintained its comfortable lead, now at 139 seats while AIADMK follows with lead on 91 seats. Kamal Hassan's MNM is ahead on one seat.

2:25 pm: 'Didi jiyo Didi': Akhilesh Yadav congratulates Mamata Banerjee

SP leader Akhilesh Yadav has congratulated Mamata Banerjee as TMC races ahead to victory in West Bengal. This victory is a fitting reply to BJP's 'Didi O Didi' taunt, Yadav said, adding a twist of his own to the remark: 'Didki Jiyo Didi'.

2:20 pm: TMC candidate Manoj Tiwary wins from Shibpur

Former cricketer and TMC candidate from Shibpur seat in Howrah district has won by 32,339 votes, reports India Today.

2:15 pm: Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut wishes Mamata, calls her 'Tigress of Bengal'

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut congratulated Mamata Banerjee on securing a comfortable lead in West Bengal state assembly elections. TMC is leading on more than 200 seats whereas BJP is ahead of less than 100 seats.

Heartiest congratulations to @MamataOfficial didi & everyone at @AITCofficial for the remarkable victory in West Bengal. The BJP & a throughly partisan Election Commission threw everything including the kitchen sink at you & you prevailed. All the best for the next 5 years.  Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) May 2, 2021

2:11 pm: Omar Abdullah congratulates Mamata

"Heartiest congratulations to @MamataOfficial didi & everyone at @AITCofficial for the remarkable victory in West Bengal. The BJP & a throughly partisan Election Commission threw everything including the kitchen sink at you & you prevailed. All the best for the next 5 years," tweeted former Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah.

#WATCH Trinamool Congress supporters in large numbers gathered outside the BJP office in Kolkata's Hastings area, as TMC leads in 200 plus seats #WestBengalElectionspic.twitter.com/KywRZVoq2v  ANI (@ANI) May 2, 2021

2:08 pm: Victory celebrations continue

Party workers in several parts of the country continued to congregate to celebrate probable victories of their parties in state assembly elections, flouting COVID protocols and ECI warnings.

#WATCH | DMK supporters continue to celebrate outside party headquarters in Chennai as official trends show the party leading on 118 seats so far.



Election Commission of India has banned any victory procession amid the #COVID19 situation in the country.#TamilNaduElections2021pic.twitter.com/z6Fp5YRnKP  ANI (@ANI) May 2, 2021

The cadres are simply jubilant. Our leader's advice to the cadres is that let them celebrate from their homes as Election Commission is taking serious note of any violation. We are a responsible political party: TKS Elangovan, DMK, in Chennai pic.twitter.com/eZi3msiNqR  ANI (@ANI) May 2, 2021

1.52 pm: We are a responsible political party: TKS Elangovan

"The cadres are simply jubilant. Our leader's advice to the cadres is that let them celebrate from their homes as Election Commission is taking serious note of any violation. We are a responsible political party," says TKS Elangovan of DMK in Chennai. -- ANI

Congratulations @MamataOfficial on your stupendous victory!

Let us continue our work towards the welfare of people and tackling the Pandemic collectively.  Sharad Pawar (@PawarSpeaks) May 2, 2021

1.47 pm: Didi fights back in Nandigram

It's a tough fight for Didi in Nandigram but she seems to have sailed through. After suffering initial setbacks, Didi is now back at the winning table as she leads by 2,700 votes against her strong opponent and one-time ally Suvendu Adhikari.

1.35 pm: Pawar congratulates Mamata on "stupendous victory!"

National Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar congratulates Mamata on "stupendous victory!". "Let us continue our work towards the welfare of people and tackling the pandemic collectively," he adds.

#WATCH | A police personnel instructs TMC supporters to stop celebrations in Asansol



EC asks States/UTs to "prohibit victory celebrations urgently", also directs that responsible SHOs/officers must be suspended immediately and criminal& disciplinary actions must be initiated pic.twitter.com/QUuVO3CrzV  ANI (@ANI) May 2, 2021

1.30 pm: Police swing into action after EC order

A cop instructing TMC supporters to stop celebrations in Asansol.

#WB remarkable 4variety of reasonsbest brake on #BJP arrogance; shows mere money pumping wo boots on ground does nt work; that decibel levels often inversely proportional 2reality; tht local vs outsider is imp; tht polarisation has limits & drawing room perceptions dangerous!  Abhishek Singhvi (@DrAMSinghvi) May 2, 2021

1.27 pm: West Bengal election 2021 result status

TMC comfortably ahead of the victory margin of 147. From now on, it looks pretty clear that Mamata Banerjee-led TMC is winning the West Bengal Assembly polls 2021.

Status known for 284 out of 292 constituencies

AJSU Party: 1

All India Trinamool Congress: 202

Bharatiya Janata Party: 77

Independent: 2

Indian National Congress: 1

Rashtriya Secular Majlis Party: 1

1.20 pm: Important victory for left in Kerala: CPIM's Prakash Karat

CPIM's Prakash Karat has said it's an important victory for left in Kerala as in the past 40 years, no government was re-elected for a second successive term. "This shows people of Kerala have appreciated performance of Pinarayi Vijayan govt, the way it tackled floods, COVID and pro-people development," he adds.

1.05 pm: EC takes serious note of parties celebrating amid Covid concerns

"ECI takes serious note of reports coming in of congregation(s) of people to celebrate anticipated victory. EC has directed Chief Secretaries of all 5 states to file FIR in each such case, suspend concerned SHO and report action taken immediately of each such incidence," says the Election Commission of India.

12.55 pm: Mamata has won hearts & minds with her guts: Abhishek Singhvi

Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi says irrespective of Nandigram result - and she is trailing there - Mamta showed her tigress fighting instincts by eschewing multiple safe seats available and took the fight right to the heart of the enemy's den. "Win or lose, she has won hearts & minds with her guts," says the Congress leader.

.            ,               !



                    



# __ pic.twitter.com/wlnUmdfMwA  Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) May 2, 2021

12.44 pm: Akhilesh Yadav congratulates Mamata Banerjee

Former UP CM Akhilesh Yadav congratulates Mamata Banerjee for defeating "the politics of hate of BJP" in Bengal.

#WATCH TMC supporters celebrate at Kalighat, Kolkata as party leads on 202 seats as per official trends#WestBengalElections2021pic.twitter.com/iiOyPhf8be  ANI (@ANI) May 2, 2021

12.33 pm: TMC erupts into celebrations

TMC supporters celebrate at Kalighat, Kolkata, as party leads on 202 seats as per official trends. -- ANI

#WATCH | DMK workers and supporters celebrate outside Anna Arivalayam, the party headquarters in Chennai, as official trends show the party leading.#TamilNaduElections2021pic.twitter.com/61tbcETHYk  ANI (@ANI) May 2, 2021

12.30 pm: Mamata all set for victory in Bengal

Of the total 292 seats, Trinamool Congress is leading on 202 seats, the BJP is leading on 77. TMC supporters celebrate in Kolkata as party surges ahead towards the victory.

12.19 pm: Assembly polls results in Assam

Trends show clear majority for BJP-led alliance in Assam, we will retain power for sure, says CM Sarbananda Sonowal. As per the trends of 98 seats, BJP is leading on 50 seats, its ally Asom Gana Parishad on 11. Congress leading on 19 seats, its ally AIUDF on 9 seats.

12.18 pm: Mamata closes in gap with Adhikari

Mamata closes in gap with former aide Suvendu Adhikari in the Nandigram Assembly constituency in Bengal. Adhikari now ahead by just 3,710 votes. Suvendu has got 51.32 per cent vote share, while Mamata has received 44.43 per cent votes as yet.

11.56 am: Assembly election result 2021 in Kerala

'Metro man' E Sreedharan, BJP candidate from Palakkad, leading from the Assembly constituency. As per the EC trends, Communist Party of India (Marxist) is winning on 55 seats, while Indian National Congress is winning on 24 seats in 140-seat assembly.

11.50 am: BJP wins big in Assam

The BJP has big reason to smile in Assam where the party is winning big. As per the latest EC trends, the BJP is leading on 56 seats in the state, while the Congress is behind with lead on 29 seats in 126-seat assembly. All India United Democratic Front is winning on 11 seats, while Asom Gana Parishad is surging ahead on 10 seats.

11.46 am: Tamil Nadu assembly election results 2021

TN deputy CM O Panneerselvam leads by 360 votes in Bodinayakanur. BJP is winning big in the southern state.

11.37 am: Tamil Nadu assembly election results 2021

Election Results 2021 LIVE News Updates: Celebration erupts at DMK headquarters in Chennai. DMK is marching towards victory in Tami Nadu. Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) is ahead on 108 assembly seats, while All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) is leading on 80. DMK has already crossed the halfway mark in the state with 234 constituencies.

As per the trends, it is clear that Bharatiya Janata Party will form the government in Assam: Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal#Assampic.twitter.com/EuxHnucmtD  ANI (@ANI) May 2, 2021

11.30 am: BJP to form govt in Assam, says Sonowal

As per the trends, it is clear that Bharatiya Janata Party will form the government in Assam, says Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal.

11.26 am: Babul Supriyo is trailing

West Bengal Election Results 2021 LIVE News Updates: BJP leader Babul Supriyo is trailing from Tollygunge constituency.

Current status in West Bengal

TMC leading on: 184 seats

BJP: 84

Total seats: 292

11.22 am: West Bengal slipping away from BJP

As per the latest EC trends, TMC has crossed the halfway mark and is leading on 178 seats in West Bengal. BJP is far behind and is leading on 87 seats.

11.14 am: MK Stalin leads by 10,000 votes in Tamil Nadu

DMK's MK Stalin leads by 10,000 votes. His party Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) is leading on 104 seats, while AIADMK is leading on 81 seats in the southern state.

11.11 am: BJP will wait till final numbers are in: Dilip Ghosh

Election Results 2021 LIVE News Updates: BJP chief Dilip Ghosh says the numbers are only "early trends" and that the BJP is waiting for the final numbers to come in.

11.01 AM: Assembly election result 2021 update from West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam

Election Results 2021 LIVE News Updates: Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress Party gains early leads across 175 out of 292 seats. The DMK is ahead of the halfway mark in Tamil Nadu. The BJP is surging ahead in Assam. The ruling LDF is leading in 75 seats in Kerala.

10.45 am: West Bengal assembly poll results 2021

Trinamool Congress is surging ahead with 50.2 per cent vote share, while BJP is trailing with 35.7 percent voteshare.

10.41 am: Bypoll 2021 results

NCP candidate Bhagirath Bhalke leading in Pandharpur Assembly bypoll in Maharashtra, according to initial trends.

Telangana Assembly bypoll: TRS candidate Nomula Bhagat leading in Nagarjuna Sagar seat, according to EC trends. -- PTI

10.39 am: Key candidates winning in Kerala

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Health Minister KK Shailaja, Congress leaders Oommen Chandy and Ramesh Chennithala leading in respective constituencies, according to initial trends.

10.35 am: Official EC trends from Tamil Nadu

All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam: 70

Bharatiya Janata Party: 3

Communist Party of India: 2

Communist Party of India (Marxist): 2

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam: 82

Indian National Congress: 8

Makkal Needhi Maiam: 1

Pattali Makkal Katchi: 9

Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi: 1

Total seats: 234

10.32 am: Visuals from West Bengal

DEO Kalimpong overseeing the Postal Ballot counting for 22 Kalimpong Assembly Constituency of Darjeeling District.

DMK candidate from Chepauk assembly constituency, Udhayanidhi Stalin arrives at Queen Mary's College in Chennai where counting of votes for #TamilNaduAssemblyPolls is underway.



AIADMK leading on 8 seats, DMK on 1 and PMK on 2 seats. pic.twitter.com/LwXBTJrn7m  ANI (@ANI) May 2, 2021

10.31 am: Official trends for 11 seats in Puducherry

NR Congress leading on: 6 seats

BJP: 2

DMK and Congress: 1 each

10.20 am: West Bengal Assembly election 2021 results: Mamali losing Nandigram

Mamata Banerjee is trailing by more than 8,000 votes from Nandigram assembly constituency. BJP's Suvendu Adhikari ahead by 8,106 votes.

10.15 am: Official trends for by-election to Vidhan Sabha

BJP leading in Gujarat and Jharkhand

BJP and Congress leading on 1 seat each in Karnataka

Zoram People's Movement leading in Mizoram

Congress leading on 2 BJP in 1 in Rajasthan

TRS leading in Telangana

10.05 am: Kerala assembly election results 2021

Former CM and Congress candidate Oommen Chandy leading from Puthuppally. Early trends of parties leading as per the EC data are:

Bharatiya Janata Party leading on: 1 seat

Communist Party of India: 8

Communist Party of India (Marxist): 36

Independent s: 2

Indian National Congress: 18

Indian National League: 1

Indian Union Muslim League: 8

Janadhipathiya Kerala Congress: 1

Janata Dal (Secular): 2

Kerala Congress: 2

Kerala Congress (Jacob): 1

Kerala Congress (M): 5

Loktantrik Janta Dal: 1

Nationalist Congress Party:1

Revolutionary Marxist Party of India: 1

Total: 88

10.00 am: Assembly election results 2021 Tamil Nadu

DMK candidate from Chepauk assembly constituency, Udhayanidhi Stalin arrives at Queen Mary's College in Chennai where counting of votes for Tamil Nadu Assembly polls is underway.

AIADMK leading on: 8 seats

DMK: 1

PMK: 2

Official trends for #WestBengalElections2021 | BJP's Suvendu Adhikari leading from Nandigram.



(File photo) pic.twitter.com/P9a4ZD0Gf9  ANI (@ANI) May 2, 2021

9.50 am: Assam election result 2021 news updates: EC update

All India Trinamool Congress: 45

Bharatiya Janata Party : 29

Independent : 1

Total: 75

9.45 am: Assam election result 2021 news updates: EC update

Asom Gana Parishad: 2

Bharatiya Janata Party: 8

Bodoland Peoples Front: 1

Indian National Congress: 2

United People's Party, Liberal: 1

Total: 14

9.40 am: Assam election results 2021 live news updates

Just like West Bengal, it's tight contest between the BJP+ and the Congress alliance in Assam, shows the early trends. The BJP has gained an early lead on 36 seats, while the Congress is ahead on 20 assembly seats. Other parties and independents are leading in total 4 seats.

9.32 am: Mamata Banerjee Vs Suvendu Adhikari in West Bengal

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is trailing from Nandigram assembly constituency by 1,497 votes. Suvendu Adhikari had joined the BJP before the polls, ending his long-time association with TMC and Mamata.

9.29 am: Assembly election results 2021 Puducherry

The BJP gains early lead in the Union Territory by surging ahead on three seats -- Manadipatti, Nellithop, and Kamaraja Nagar. Congress has gained early lead on just one seat.

9.25 am: West Bengal assembly election result 2021

Neck-and-neck fight between both the BJP and the Congress in West Bengal. Early trends show TMC leading on 70-87 seats, while BJP ahead on 63-89. The Left-Congress alliance is ahead on 2-4 seats.

9.18 am: Early trends on Assam assembly polls 2021

BJP+ leading on: 24 seats

Congress alliance: 19

9.17 am: Assembly election result 2021 in Kerala

'Metroman' E Sreedharan, who's contesting on the BJP ticket, is leading from the Palakkad assembly seat in Kerala.

9.10 am: Suvendu Adhikari Vs Mamata Banerjee

BJP's Suvendu Adhikari now leading in Nandigram assembly seat, while chief minister Mamata Banerjee is trailing. Suvendu Adhikari was a one-time close confidante of Mamata who defected to the BJP.

8.59 AM: Assembly election results 2021 West Bengal: Mamata leads in early trends

Election Results 2021 LIVE News Updates: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is leading from her constituency Nandigram. Other leaders who are leading in early poll trends are BJP's Babul Supriyo in Tollygunge; Bengal minister and TMC leader Moloy Ghatak in Asansol Uttar; BJP's Swapan Dasgupta in Tarakeswar Assembly; and BJP's Mukul Roy in Krishnanagar Uttar.

Also read: West Bengal Election Results 2021: Counting of votes underway in 292 assembly seats

8.55 am: Assembly election results Tamil Nadu: DMK leading on 17 seats, AIADMK 12

Election Results 2021 LIVE News Updates: The early poll trends show expected results in Tamil Nadu. The DMK alliance is leading 17 assembly constituencies, while AIADMK is leading on Tiruchirappalli East, Kumarapalayam, Cuddalore and nine other assembly seats.

8.45 am: Visuals from Darjeeling

Media centre seating arrangement at counting venue of 23 Darjeeling assembly constituency of Darjeeling district.

Counting of votes for #WestBengalPolls is underway. Visuals from a counting centre in Haldia of East Midnapore where votes in Haldia, Mahishadal and Nandigram are being counted.



TMC leader and CM Mamata Banerjee had contested against BJP's Suvendu Adhikari from Nandigram. pic.twitter.com/Z7T7mJhw7E  ANI (@ANI) May 2, 2021

8.43 am: Visuals from a counting centre in Haldia

Counting of votes for West Bengal polls is underway. Visuals from a counting centre in Haldia of East Midnapore where votes in Haldia, Mahishadal and Nandigram are being counted. TMC leader and CM Mamata Banerjee had contested against BJP's Suvendu Adhikari from Nandigram.

Trends and results can be accessed at https://t.co/JCoAEDlky2 and "Voter helpline" mobile app available at Google Play Store and Apple App store pic.twitter.com/TZT3S6b2XK  Sheyphali Sharan (@SpokespersonECI) May 1, 2021

8.39 am: Where to get official info on poll trends?

For official trends and results data on assembly election results 2021, log on to https://results.eci.gov.in or download "Voter helpline" mobile app from Google Play Store and Apple App store.

8.35 am: TMC takes early lead in Bengal

TMC leads on 38 seats in West Bengal, while the BJP is catching up fast, shows early poll trends.

8.32 am: Assam Assembly election results: BJP leads on 4, Congress 3

Counting for postal ballets underway in Assam. There's a close fight between the BJP and Congress in Assam, with the saffron party taking an early lead on 4 seats, while the opposition Congress ahead on three seats.

8.26 am: West Bengal election results 2021

Total seats: 294

TMC ahead on: 25

BJP: 20

CPI (M)+: 0

Others: 0

8.20 am: TMC ahead on 15, BJP 13

Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress gains early lead on 15 assembly seats in West Bengal. The BJP is ahead on 13 assembly seats.

8.15 am: Sanitisation on in West Bengal

Sanitisation is going on before entering counting venue, Medinipur college, Paschim Medinipur district.

8.01 AM: Counting of votes begins in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala and Puducherry. Early trends will start showing in a few moments from now.

7.50 AM: Where to watch live streaming of West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala, Puducherry voting results:

BusinessToday.In will be bringing you a 360-degree coverage of election results from four states and a UT. You can follow BusinessToday.In live blog and other coverage to get the latest insights of election results.

will be bringing you a 360-degree coverage of election results from four states and a UT. You can follow live blog and other coverage to get the latest insights of election results. You can also watch live streaming of election results on India Today online and India Today TV.

AajTak channel and its online platform will also be running live commentary on election results on its platforms.

channel and its online platform will also be running live commentary on election results on its platforms. You can keep a tab on the EC website (website-results.eci.gov.in) or its mobile app ('Voter Helpline' app).

7.30 AM: Congress not to take part in election debates on TVs today

The Congress on Saturday decided that it will not participate in election debates on television on Sunday when the results for assembly polls for five states are out. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said in view of the serious coronavirus situation in the country, the party's spokespersons will not participate on the TV debates after poll results are out. The results for assembly elections in states of Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Kerala would be declared today. "At a time when Nation is facing an unprecedented crisis, when Govt under PM Modi has collapsed, we find it unacceptable to not hold them accountable and instead discuss election wins and losses. We @INCIndia have decided to withdraw our spokespersons from election debates," he said on Twitter.

7.24 am: EC moves SC over Madras HC remarks

The Election Commission (EC) has moved the Supreme Court over the Madras High Court's remarks criticising the poll body for conducting elections amid the second wave of pandemic and failing to ensure political parties adhere to Covid-19 norms. The matter will be heard by the SC on Monday. The EC, in its plea, has termed the HC remarks as "uncalled for and blatantly disparaging".

7.15 am: Ban on victory processions amid critical Covid-19 situation

The Election Commission has banned any victory procession amid critical Covid-19 situation in the country. It was also directed that banning victory procession would include any kind of procession by or congregation of supporters of victorious candidates anywhere in constituency(ies) beyond limits on number prescribed by concerned state/UT. The commission has also directed the chief secretaries of all these States/UT to ensure that all directions of ECI and extant instructions of NDMA/SDMA concerning gatherings etc in the wake of counting should be complied with.

7.06 am: Counting arrangement in West Bengal

Counting arrangements of Phansidewa (ST) Assembly Constituency of Darjeeling District. Counting of votes for West Bengal assembly elections will start around 8 am. BJP may throw a surprise in the state today.

Trends and results can be accessed at https://t.co/JCoAEDlky2 and "Voter helpline" mobile app available at Google Play Store and Apple App store pic.twitter.com/TZT3S6b2XK  Sheyphali Sharan (@SpokespersonECI) May 1, 2021

7.05 AM: Counting of votes to start at 8 am

Counting to begin from 8am on 2nd May 2021 at 2,364 counting halls across 822 ACs in 5 atates/UT & 4PCs and 13ACs where byepolls were held.

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7.00 AM: Assembly polls results in Assam

Opposition may not be able to spring a surprise in Assam as the BJP-led NDA is likely to come back to power in the state. However, the ruling BJP may face a stiff challenge from 'Mahajoth' or 'Grand Alliance', including the Congress and Bodoland Peoples' Front. The counting of votes will begin at 8 am today.

6.57 AM: Negative report must for candidates, agents entering counting halls

Election Results 2021 LIVE News Updates: If you are an election candidate or a party agent and want to enter the vote counting hall, you must produce a Covid-19 negative report or the certificate of double dose vaccination to the EC officials to get an entry.

6.52 AM: Counting officials to adhere to strict Covid rule compliance

To ensure strict compliance amid the raging Covid-19 wave, the Election Commission authorities have made elaborate arrangements for the counting of votes. This time around, there are 2,364 counting halls as compared to 1,002 set up in 2016 for 822 assembly constituencies. At least 15 rounds of sanitation will be carried out at each counting centre and all other social distancing norms will be followed.

6.44 AM: What do exit poll surveys say?

Exit polls have announced their verdicts and it's not a pretty picture for Mamata in West Bengal. AIADMK also seems to be losing the state of Tamil Nadu and Pinarayi Vijayan is seen to be bucking the anti-incumbency trend in Kerala. The saffron party will retain Assam, while the NDA will spring to power in the union territory of Puducherry.

Also read: BJP may throw a surprise in Bengal; DMK win in TN, Left in Kerala: India Today-Axis My India exit poll

6.40 AM: Counting of votes in all states will begin on May 2 (Sunday). The Election Commission of India (ECI) will begin uploading the election trends on its website and app from 8 am onwards.

How to check election result on ECI website

Step 1: Visit the ECI results website-results.eci.gov.in

Step 2: Click on the link reading 'General Assembly Elections 2021'

Step 3: You will be redirected to a new page

Step 4: Results of the elections will display on your screen

Also read: Exit polls 2021: Neck-to-neck fight in Bengal; DMK victory likely in Tamil Nadu

How to check election result on ECI app

Step 1: Download the ECI's 'Voter Helpline' app from the Google Play Store or Android App Store

Step 2: Fill in registration details and the one-time password (OTP) received

Step 3: You can also leave this step and directly visit the results page

Step 4: Once done, go to the 'results' option on the homepage to find 'Assembly Elections 2021' results

6.30 AM: The Election Commission has made elaborate arrangements for counting of votes on May 2 for the West Bengal assembly polls and put in place measures to ensure strict adherence to health safety protocols, amid a raging second wave of COVID-19, an official said on Saturday. A three-tier security arrangement has been in place at 108 counting centres of West Bengal where polled electronic voting machines (EVMs), along with voter-verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) units, have been kept in strong rooms.

Also read: West Bengal Election 2021: Voting dates, election results, full poll schedule, timings, all FAQs
West Bengal is one of the poll states that will see the outcome of the state assembly elections today, along with Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. This time around, the state has witnessed a tough fight between BJP and Mamata Banerjee-led TMC. According to the India Today-Axis My India exit poll, Trinamool is likely to be a step behind with 130-156 seats, while BJP is likely to win 134-160 seats.

The election in West Bengal was conducted in eight phases at a time when India struggled with an unprecedented coronavirus wave. Many parties scaled down or cancelled rallies as cases saw a sharp increase.

There are three main sides in this fight -- BJP, Trinamool, and Congress and Left Front that fought the elections in alliance.

Here are 10 things you need to know about the Bengal Election 2021:

There are 292 seats that went to the polls this season. Around 82 per cent voters cast their votes. Polling in two constituencies was deferred due to the death of contestants. To win in the 294-member West Bengal Assembly, a party or coalition needs to win 148 seats.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is eyeing her third consecutive term as Bengal CM. In the course of the elections, BJP emerged as TMC's principal rival. The two parties had a fierce face-off.

BJP that had sensed the anti-incumbency mood and its chances of victory, sent in the bigwigs to campaign in the state. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, party president JP Nadda conducted several rallies in the state.

Congress and the Left contested the election in alliance. The two parties are rivals in Kerala that also went to the polls this election season. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi did not have an intense campaign. In fact, in view of the rising coronavirus cases, Gandhi called off his rallies in Bengal.

The state voted on issues of immigration, citizenship laws, COVID-19 management, religious polarisation and Cyclone Amphan. Even as multiple parties promised job creation, development of infrastructure and efficient public services, the prime focus was not the same.

The second phase in the eight-phased elections in the state saw the highest polling percentage at over 86 per cent followed by 84.63 per cent in the first and 84.61 per cent in the third phase.

The seventh and eighth saw the lowest voter turnout at about 77 per cent and 78 per cent respectively. This was mostly due to the exponential increase in the number of coronavirus cases.

The maximum number of seats that went into the poll was in the fifth phase with 45 constituencies, followed by 44 in Phase 4, 43 in Phase 3, 35 in Phase 8, 34 in Phase 7 and 31 in Phase 3. Phase 1 and Phase 2 saw 30 constituencies each.

The Election Commission had asked its observers and poll officers to strictly enforce its updated norms on COVID-19 safe campaigning. It asked them to cancel public meetings and rallies and invoke penal provisions if violations are observed.

BJP on Saturday asked its party workers to strictly follow guidelines prohibiting victory procession. "India is suffering from a dangerous phase of Covid-19. Lakhs of people are getting infected. The central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is working hard to help fellow Indians and to defeat the second wave of coronavirus," said BJP general secretary Arun Singh in a letter.

Also read: West Bengal Election Results 2021: Counting of votes underway in 292 assembly seats

Also read: Election Result 2021 Live Updates: Counting of votes begins in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala, Puducherry
India on Sunday, May 2, received essential medical supplies and equipment from France to help the country fight the second wave of COVID-19.

The medical stock received on Sunday comprises 300 electric syringe pumps, 500 anti-bacterial filters, 28 ventilators, eight oxygen generators, 28 AFNOR/BS Flexible tubes, 500 machine filters, and 500 related patient circuits, sources told ANI. The total weight of these materials is over 28 tonnes.

Also Read: Russia sends over 22 tonnes of medical supplies to help India battle COVID-19 wave

The eight generators are Novair Premium RX 400 Hospital Level Oxygen Generators, with each unit having the capacity to provide year-long oxygen for 250 beds. These generators would make 8 hospitals oxygen autonomous for more than 10 years, sources told the agency.

"A testament to India-France strategic partnership & friendship! 28 tonnes of medical equipment including 8 hospital-level oxygen generators and other medical supplies arrives from France. Deeply appreciate the support from France. Will bolster our oxygen capacities," tweeted Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.

As per a press release, the airfreight sent by France is the first phase of the country's solidarity mission. Moreover, a second delivery of oxygen generators and medical equipment is in progress in the wake of several contributions made by French companies in India with the active participation of the Indo-French Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IFCCI).
In order to ramp up the supply and availability of medical oxygen amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday chaired a meeting to review the usage of gaseous oxygen for medical purposes.

"Many industries like steel plants, refineries with petrochemical units, industries using rich combustion process, power plants etc have oxygen plants which produce gaseous oxygen which is used in the process. This oxygen can be tapped for medical use," a release by the government said.

It said state governments are being encouraged to set up more such facilities with oxygenated beds to deal with the pandemic and it is expected that around 10,000 oxygenated beds can be made available in a short period of time by making temporary hospitals near such plants.

"The strategy being used is to identify industrial units which produce gaseous oxygen of requisite purity, shortlist those which are closer to cities/dense areas/demand centres and establish temporary Covid care centres with oxygenated beds near that source," it said.

Also read: COVID-19: Could not predict exact nature of second wave, say scientists working on mathematical models

A pilot for five such facilities has already been initiated and there has been good progress on it. This is being accomplished through PSUs or private industries operating the plant & coordination of centre & state governments.

The prime minister also reviewed the progress on pressure swing adsorption (PSA) medical oxygen generation plants. "He was informed that around 1,500 PSA plants are in the process of being set up through the contribution of PM CARES, PSUs and others. He directed officials to ensure speedy completion of these plants," the release said.

The meeting was attended by Principal Secretary to PM, Cabinet Secretary, Home Secretary, Secretary Road Transport & Highways & other senior officials.

As India battles the second wave of coronavirus pandemic, shortage of medical oxygen has been reported from many parts of the country. On Saturday, Batra Hospital in Delhi told the Delhi High Court that it was out of oxygen supply for over an hour, which resulted in the deaths of 12 COVID-19 patients, including a doctor.

India reported 3,92,488 new COVID-19 cases and 3,689 deaths because of the infection in the preceding 24 hours as on Sunday morning. The total active caseload stands at 33,49,644.

Also read: COVID-19 vaccination: Centre says 122 cr doses needed to inoculate 59 cr people in 18-45 age group
India's exports in April jumped nearly three-folds to $30.21 billion from $10.17 billion in the same month last year, according to commerce ministry's preliminary data released on Sunday.

Imports too rose to $45.45 billion last month as against $17.09 billion in April 2020.

"India is thus a net importer in April with a trade deficit of USD 15.24 billion, which increased by 120.34 per cent over the trade deficit of USD 6.92 billion in April 2020," the ministry said in a statement.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic induced lockdown last year, exports shrank by a record 60.28 per cent in April 2020. In March this year, exports grew by 60.29 per cent to $34.45 billion.

In April 2021, oil imports stood at USD 10.8 billion as compared to $4.65 billion in the corresponding month last year.

Major export commodities which have recorded positive growth in April include gems and jewellery, jute, carpet, handicrafts, leather, electronic goods, oil meals, cashew, engineering, petroleum products, marine products and chemicals.

Also Read: India's organic food products exports jump 51% to $1 bn in 2020-21
With counting of votes for state assembly elections underway in five states, Election Commission of India has asked states to take action against people congregating to celebrate electoral victories.

"ECI takes serious note of reports coming in of congregation(s) of people to celebrate anticipated victory. EC has directed chief secretaries of all five states to file FIR in each such case, suspend concerned SHO, and report action taken immediately of each such incidence," said the Election Commission of India on Sunday.

ALSO READ: Election Result 2021 Live Updates: Mamata Banerjee fights back, leading by 2,700 votes in Nandigram

The directive came as videos of party workers gathered outside party offices and other regions despite directions against doing so.

Earlier this month, Election Commission had put a ban on victory processions following results on May 2. Candidates have been allowed to take two persons with them as they collect their certificates of election from returning officers.

The ECI has also made it mandatory for candidates and their agents to produce negative RT-PCR test reports or complete vaccination reports before entering ballot counting centres.

ALSO READ: West Bengal election results 2021: Cong, Left surrendered to TMC, claims BJP's Vijarvargiya

"No candidates/agents will be allowed inside the counting hall without undergoing RT-PCR/RAT test or without having 2 doses of vaccination against Covid-19 and will have to produce negative RT-PCR report or RAT report or vaccination reports within 48 hours of start of counting," Election Commission had stated.

District election officers have been asked to arrange for the RT-PCR tests of candidates as well as counting agents before the day of the final counting. The poll authority has also prohibited public gatherings outside counting centres.

ALSO READ: Tamil Nadu Assembly Election Results 2021: DMK crosses halfway mark
RSS affiliate Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) has asked the central government to issue flexibilities in India's Patent Act to allow more companies to manufacture COVID-19 vaccines and medicines.

In a statement, SJM want the government to use legal provisions to exempt patent rights and get these products manufactured for government use or issue a compulsory licence under section 92 of the Patents Act to scale up production of medicines like Remdesivir, Faviracire, Tociluzumab, and new medicines like Molnupiravir.

Also Read: RSS wing cautions against 'nexus' of MNCs, Indian business houses in retail

"Though the local production of Remdesivir and Favirapvir is taking place, the available quantity is highly inadequate to meet the increasing demand due to the severity of the problem. Another important medicine to treat COVID-19 patients with a deadly "cytokine storm" is Tocilizumab, which is not produced in India. The importation of this medicine is highly inadequate to meet the requirements," Ashwani Mahajan, National Co-Convenor, SJM said.

SJM called for the facilitation of technology transfer of vaccines, including the trade secrets to all potential manufacturers to scale up production of Covaxin and Covishield. It wanted the government to license vaccine production widely to more pharma companies with technological capabilities, instead of a few companies.

The organisation called for providing regulatory clearance to start the local production of the Sputnik V vaccine and impose a ceiling of prices of COVID-19 medicines and vaccines taking into account the cost of production-based formula.

Also Read: COVID-19 vaccine: First lot of Sputnik V arrives in Hyderabad

The organisation also want India to transfer the technologies for the production of medicines and vaccines globally and articulate the need for a waiver of intellectual property and facilitation of technology transfer in all relevant international forums at the global level and accelerate diplomatic efforts at G7, G20, and other groupings.

"SJM strongly deplores the statement of global corporate leader, Bill Gates that vaccine formula shouldn't be shared with India and other countries. This is nothing but yet another manifestation of corporate greed to profit from the worst pandemic of the century. There is an urgent need to invoke measures like ceiling of the prices of these medicines. The prices of vaccines announced by both companies for the state government procurement and private hospitals are exorbitant and affect the acceleration of vaccination in the country. Unreasonable profit for medicines and vaccines are unjustifiable in all circumstances, especially in a pandemic," Mahajan said.
After a heated contest and a difficult-to-believe twist, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee conceded the Nandigram constituency to BJP candidate Suvendu Adhikari. Addressing a press briefing on Sunday evening, Banerjee stated that the Election Commission of India (ECI) has retracted the statement.

"Don't worry about Nandigram. I struggled for Nandigram because I fought a movement. It is okay. Let the Nandigram people give whatever verdict they want, I accept that. I don't mind. We won more than 221 seats and the BJP lost the election," she said.

Meanwhile, TMC stated that the counting for the Nandigram seat is not complete yet as votes in the last round of counting were not included in the result. It would seem that the ECI had pre-maturely announced the result for Nandigram. As things stand, BJP's Adhikari is leading by 1,957 votes.

The counting process for Nandigram has not been completed. Please do not speculate.  All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) May 2, 2021

Banerjee also stated that she will take legal recourse against ECI's irresponsible conduct.

Adhikari had maintained a lead over the incumbent Chief Minister in the early hours of the morning on Sunday with Banerjee slowly closing the distance. After a neck-and-neck competition between Mamata and her former acolyte, reports claimed that the West Bengal Chief Minister had taken a lead. At 4:25 pm, news agency ANI confirmed that Banerjee had defeated her former aide with a margin of 1,200 votes.

The ECI then retracted the result an hour later; Banerjee then informed about the gaffe in her press briefing.

Adhikari had previously served under Mamata Banerjee as the Minister for Transport, Irrigation and Water resource in West Bengal from 2016 to 2020. His association with Banerjee goes long back; Adhikari was by Banerjee's side as she fought for farmers' rights in Nandigram in 2011.

Adhikari had resigned from the primary membership of the All India Trinamool Congress on December 19, 2020. Adhikari had filed his nomination papers for the West Bengal legislative assembly election on March 13, 2021, under BJP's ticket. Adhikari had vowed to defeat Banerjee in the West Bengal assembly elections 2021 by at least 50,000 votes. The Chief Minister in response had called Adhikari a "traitor".

The battle for the Nandigram seat was one of the most carefully watched during this election season as the incumbent Chief Minister was going against a former cabinet minister from her administration on a seat that had gone to the latter in 2016.

As for the rest of the state, the TMC has an enormous lead over the BJP. TMC is leading in 216 seats while the BJP leads in 75 seats. Other politicians in the country have taken to Twitter to congratulate Mamata Banerjee and the TMC for their performance in the West Bengal assembly elections 2021.

Congratulations to the Chief Minister of West Bengal, @MamataOfficial Didi on her party's victory in West Bengal assembly elections. My best wishes to her for her next tenure. - Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) May 2, 2021

Congratulations to @MamataOfficial Mamata Banerjee on her spectacular victory over the forces of communalism and intolerance. The voters of Bengal (& esp Nandigram) have demonstrated where their hearts lie. The BJP has met its match in Bengal, and lost. - Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) May 2, 2021

Congratulations @MamataOfficial didi for landslide victory. What a fight! Congratulations to the people of WB - Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 2, 2021

.            ,               !           '  '         # __ pic.twitter.com/wlnUmdfMwA - Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) May 2, 2021

ALSO READ: West Bengal election results 2021: Cong, Left surrendered to TMC, claims BJP's Vijarvargiya

ALSO READ: West Bengal election result 2021: 'Still hopeful we will win,' says BJP chief Dilip Ghosh

ALSO READ: West Bengal Assembly Election Results 2021: List of winners and losers
Tamil Nadu Election 2021 result: The opposition DMK-Congress alliance is all set to return to power in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. The ruling party AIADMK has given a tough fight though it'll fall short of majority to be able to form the government.

As per the latest Election Commission of India trends, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) is ahead on 117 seats, while its alliance partner Congress has lead on 13 assembly seats. The ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam is leading on 84 seats, while its alliance partner BJP has been able to lead on four assembly seats. The DMK alliance has already crossed the majority mark of 118 and the party looks all set to return to power after a decade in the state.

The 2021 elections in Tamil Nadu were historic in a sense that both the big parties, AIADMK and DMK, fought elections without their towering leaders, J Jayalalithaa and M Karunanidhi. While Jaya had died in 2016, DMK patriarch Karunanidhi died in 2018, leaving a huge void to fill. His son and party chief MK Stalin has been able to regroup the party and alliance partners to secure a possible victory in the state. Stalin is already winning from Kolathur assembly constituency, show polling trends.

Actor Kamal Haasan's Makkal Needhi Maiam or MNM is leading on just 1 seat this time after failing to make a debut in 2019 General Elections. All major names -- chief ministers K Palaniswami, former CM O Panneerselvam, DMK president MK Stalin and MNM leader Kamal Haasan -- are leading from their respective constituencies in TN. According to initial trends, the BJP, for which Tamil Nadu has remained a virtual final frontier with no preference from the electorate for long, is leading in four seats.

A key pointer in the trends available so far is that the AIADMK continues as a force to be reckoned with, despite the burden of a 10-year anti-incumbency. The party is doing well in its traditional stronghold of western region, comprising districts like Coimbatore, Salem, and Tirupur, besides in parts of North, while DMK was surging ahead in many parts, including the Cauvery delta region, even as it was leading in most of the 16 seats in Chennai, often described as its stronghold.

DMK allies -- the Congress is leading in 12 segments, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi in three, and the two Left parties together in four seats. AIADMK's allies the PMK and BJP are ahead in seven and four segments, respectively. This included state BJP chief L Murugan from Dharapuram.

Also read: Election Result 2021 Live Updates: Mamata Banerjee fights back, leading by 2,700 votes in Nandigram

Also read: West Bengal Election Results 2021: Counting of votes underway in 292 assembly seats
In a wide-ranging exclusive interview with PTI, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said the entire world is shaken by the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic in India and there are queues everywhere, whether for oxygen cylinders, for life-saving medicines, for hospital beds and even outside crematoriums.

He accused the government of misreading and mishandling the situation and alleged that all early warning signs were ignored, including from scientists.

Also Read: Oxygen crisis in Delhi: Rahul Gandhi urges AAP govt to help victims' families

Here is the transcript of the interview:

Q. The second wave of coronavirus has hit India hard. We see people gasping for medical aid, medicines, oxygen. They have no access to facilities in the national capital and across the country. How do you see the situation and the response of the government?

Ans. It breaks my heart every single day to wake up to the absolute devastation around us. This is not a wave; it is a tsunami that has destroyed everything in its wake. There are never-ending queues everywhere. There are queues to get an oxygen cylinder, queues to refill the cylinder, queues to get life-saving medicines, queues to get a hospital bed, and now there are queues outside crematoriums. There is a fatal shortage of every single item we need to tackle COVID-19. Our capital's best hospitals are bursting at the seams. We are getting frantic SOS calls for oxygen from India's top doctors. Hospitals are petitioning High Courts for oxygen. Our healthcare workers are seeing patients die in front of their eyes, they cannot save people. India is now the world's coronavirus epicentre. The entire world is shaken by what they are seeing in India. None of this should have happened. There were multiple early warning signs. Forget the signs, scientists clearly warned the government this would happen - they ignored them. We could and should havebeen much better prepared. And now, where is the government in this crisis? It is completely missing in action. They are obsessed only with saving the Prime Minister's image and blaming others. The new buzzword is that the 'system' has failed. Who is this 'system'? Who runs the 'system'? It's just a ploy to avoid admitting responsibility.

Q. Did the government falter in assessing the COVID situation? Who is at fault?

Ans. Absolutely. The Prime Minister is at fault. He runs a highly centralised and personalised government machinery, is solely and substantially devoted to building his own brand, is utterly focused on imagery rather than substance. The fact is that this Government completely failed to understand or to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic -- right from the very beginning, despite repeated warnings.

Since the very start of this pandemic back in 2020, I kept trying to warn the government about the this disaster ahead if we did not urgently prepare but they attacked me and ridiculed me. It's not just me - anyone who tried to sound the alarm, the state callously and thoughtlessly ignored.

Modi government let this virus enter India through our airports in February and March of 2020. And then it panicked and without consultation or thought imposed the world's harshest lockdown. Migrant workers were left to fend for themselves and an unprecedented exodus began from the cities.

The poorest of the poor were forced to walk hundreds of kilometres home with no support, no aid, no assistance. In his sheer ignorance, the Prime Minister said he would defeat the virus in 21 days, akin to the battle of Mahabharata! Modi government is plainly arrogant and focuses on perception over reality- declaring victory against the virus is absolute insanity and demonstrates a complete misunderstanding of the nature of what this virus is.

The only way to fight corona is with humility and by realising that you are faced with a relentless opponent, who can adapt and is very resilient. The PM had an entire year to better prepare, protect India, and think through this crisis but what did they do? Did the PM & the Govt add sufficient oxygen capacity, ramp up testing, increase hospital beds, ventilators? Did the PM think long-term about the state of our health infrastructure and start building for the sort of subsequent Corona waves that almost every country in the world was experiencing?

It was sheer luck that we emerged out of last year's nightmare, to a point where we had less than 10,000 new cases in a day early in 2021. We were not testing enough then. We are not testing enough now. Where was the preparation for this massive second wave? Why were the jumbo facilities put up last year dismantled? Why did they raise oxygen exports over 700% - think of that number, 700% - in the months before this brutal second wave?

Also Read: 'Was COVID-19 vaccine export an oversight?': Rahul Gandhi asks in letter to PM Modi

Q. What could the government have done differently to address the second wave?

Ans. The Modi Government was both grossly negligent and blindly overconfident. The BJP announced the end of the pandemic and congratulated the Prime Minister for his "success" even as the second wave was just beginning.

The Prime Minister himself is on record as having said that India had successfully fought the pandemic and won. In reality, there was no coherent strategy. One, the government should has built massive capacity over the last year -- testing, oxygen, hospital beds, ventilators. Two, they should not have declared victory prematurely. Three, the Prime Minister and his government did not even acknowledge there was a problem.

How can you fix something you don't even accept exists? Four, the government did not act on scientific advice or evidence. They continuously ignored rising cases and were busy instead with election campaigns. They encouraged super-spreader events.

They even bragged about them. Our Prime Minister and Home Minister were not even wearing masks in public over the past few months. What sort of a message is that sending to citizens? Five, most importantly, the only solution we have is vaccination. We are supposed to be the largest manufacturer of vaccines in the world. And yet, India is desperately short of vaccines. We are making them, why weren't our people first in line to be vaccinated? If that is not a failure to plan and execute, what is?

Q. With India seeing around 4 lakh cases a day, the highest in the world, is there a case for the national emergency considering the unprecedented crisis?

Ans. We are already in the midst of a national emergency. But just declaring something is not the answer. The biggest problem of this government is it announces and then absconds. Now that the situation is completely out of control, they have dropped the ball and thrown it to the states.

They have made the states and citizens truly 'Aatmanirbhar'. Rely on yourself is the motto. No one will come to help you. Definitely, not the Prime Minister. The need of the hour is to hold hands, work together and heal our people. India must be the only country in the world facing this massive pandemic without the guidance of an expert and empowered group that is charged with fighting the virus and protecting the people, with planning ahead, anticipating needs and taking the decisions that will result in swift action to save lives.

Q. The Centre has said it repeatedly warned states about the second wave and asked them to map the need for essential supplies like oxygen, ICU beds, and continue with containment efforts. Would you say the current situation is a collective failure of the Centre and states?

Ans. The entire country has already been under the Epidemic Act for more than a year. The Centre has absolute power over states under the Act. This is a government that wants to control everything. When cases went down, they declared victory, and the Prime Minister took all the credit as he always does.

Now that the situation is terrible, why are you blaming the states? Out of 162 oxygen plants sanctioned in October by the Centre, only 33 are functional. This was set up with the PM-CARES funds. The Modi Government took tens of thousands of crores of donations in his name, without any transparency, without any accountability. The states have rejected the sub-standard ventilators supplied by the Centre through these funds.

States do not even get there GST dues on time. States are dependent on the Modi Government for quotas of oxygen, Remdesivir and Tocilizumab injections. The Modi Government has chained the hands of the states behind their backs, so they are completely powerless, and then asks them to sort out their own affairs. Obviously, the system will collapse.

Q. Adult vaccinations are starting on May 1 along the lines you demanded, but states say they cannot start as they do not have the vaccines. What is your view? Did you seek the expansion of vaccinations too early? The UK will start adult vaccines from June?

Ans. First, the government set a target of vaccinating 300 million by August. This is the above 45 age category. They managed to fully vaccinate not even 2 per cent of the total population. With the mounting pressure of the government not vaccinating enough, they added another 600 million to the list, by starting vaccinations for the 18+ group from May 1.

But where are the vaccines? Why did the Modi Government abandon the people between age groups of 18 to 44 years by refusing to take responsibility for their vaccination? Why is there a discriminatory policy on the pricing of vaccines? Why should there be five different prices for the same vaccine? What is the strategy beyond two companies? How can that suffice for almost 1 billion people? We need 2 billion doses. Now, they are scrambling for vaccines. The numbers just don't add up.

Also Read: 'Tughlaqi lockdown': Rahul Gandhi slams Centre's COVID-19 strategy

Q. You have said the liberalised Vaccine policy is discriminatory. Vaccine makers has reduced prices for states. Your comments?

Ans. this is the story of 'discount sale', where you mark up the price, and then make a show of reducing it. It is a complete eyewash. Why should states pay more than the Centre to buy vaccines? Why should the states be left to fend for themselves? Why should there be a difference in price for vaccines for the Centre, the States and the private hospitals? Why should the price of the vaccine even for the two companies be different? Why the discrepancy? After all, even when states pay for the vaccination of those between the age groups of 18 to 44 years, it is taxpayer's money.

Q. The government has not invoked compulsory licensing for vaccines despite repeated calls by Congress?

Ans. Dr. Manmohan Singh asked for compulsory licensing in his letter to the Prime Minister. The Congress President has repeated it several times now. Other countries have done this. The USA ramped up its vaccine production using their Defense Production Act. We have to do whatever it takes, within our laws, to ramp up the domestic production of vaccines here. We have a domestic manufacturing base. We can manufacture for both India and the world. All the industry needs are licenses and raw materials. It should have been done months ago.

Q. The Congress party has said it is willing to work together with the Centre in the fight against Coronavirus. How will you make it accountable then?

Ans. Congress Party has said from day one that it is willing to work with the government in the fight against Coronavirus and for a year now, even in just the last few days, the Congress President has repeated this position very clearly. We have been consistently giving suggestions on all possible forums. Forget taking them seriously, the government has not even meaningfully acknowledged these suggestions.

I see no contradiction in working together with the government in times of unprecedented crisis while at the same time holding it accountable for its decisions. The problem arises when the government doesn't believe in consultation, in carrying everyone along, in tapping expertise it lacks. This government seems to think that acknowledging help is needed is a sign of weakness. The hubris and pettiness of this government are unbelievable.

Q. The Madras High Court has held the Election Commission responsible for the COVID situation. Your views?

Ans. The court was echoing a widely held view. In the past 7 years, like so many other institutions, the Election Commission of India has also crumbled. The court has said what it believes, I don't want to make any further comment.

Let your readers judge for themselves. Our Institutions are a warning system- they give us feedback and information on how to respond to crisis but our institutions have been completely destroyed and taken over. The press, judiciary, election commission, bureaucracy - none of them has played their role of guardian/watchdog. This means India today is like a ship in a storm, sailing without any information. Corona is just part of the problem - the real problem is that India now doesn't has the capacity to respond to any major crisis because of what has been done to its systems over the last 6 years.

Q. There have been demands within for internal elections and a new Congress president? Are you ready to lead again in such times, especially when there are demands from various quarters within for you to lead?

Ans. I have always favoured internal organisational elections within the Congress and these will be conducted in time. It is for the party workers to decide as to who should lead the party. I will do whatever the party wants me to do. But right now, the focus is on controlling the pandemic, saving lives, and alleviating India's widespread suffering and pain. there will be time for everything else in due course.
Even as Bharatiya Janata Party continued to lose ground in West Bengal, party leader Kailash Vijayvargiya claimed that Congress and CPI (M) surrendered to Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress to cut down the lead his party acquired in the first four rounds of polling. Vijayvargiya, who led BJP's campaign from the front in the TMC bastion, also accounted BJP's probable loss in the state to low turnout of middle-class voters.

"We started with three seats and have now come to this stage. It is no mean feat. There is no example of any political party in the country that has made such a jump. We tried... we are not disappointed," said Vijayvargiya during an interaction with India Today.

He blamed Congress and the Left for surrendering before the TMC after fourth round of polling to diminish BJP's lead in the election.

ALSO READ: West Bengal election result 2021: 'Still hopeful we will win,' says BJP chief Dilip Ghosh

"If you see the first four rounds of voting, we were ahead, but had trailed in the subsequent rounds. I believe that Congress and CPI (M) have surrendered before TMC to stop BJP in its tracks. After Mamata Banerjee's letter and Sharad Pawar's appeal calling the opposition together, Congress and CPI (M) surrendered before TMC," said Vijayvargiya.

On the question of public discontent over worsening COVID-19 situation being responsible for BJP's poor show, Vijayvargiya did not give a clear answer. As for impact on poll canvassing due to campaign restrictions in view of COVID-19 second wave, he said it might have played a part but was not a deciding factor. Vijayvargiya also refuted allegations that BJP outsourced people from other states for its election campaign in West Bengal.

ALSO READ: West Bengal Assembly Election Results 2021: List of winners and losers

On a question on any misgivings about the results, Vijayvargiya said, "I was confident till the seventh round [of voting], but felt something was wrong in the eighth round. The middle-class, upper middle-class voters who typically side with BJP did not come out to vote in this round. I later found that the seventh round had shown similar voter turnout. So it can be said that our voter did not turn up in the seventh and eighth rounds."

Vijayvargiya said that the party will thoroughly analyse its performance in West Bengal.

ALSO READ: Bengal Election Result 2021: 10 things you need to know
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Counting in 292 assembly seats in West Bengal is underway. The bastion of Trinamool is where the stiffest fight has taken place in this election season. According to India Today-Axis My India exit poll, BJP is likely to win 134-160 seats, while Mamata Banerjee's TMC is likely to win 130-156 seats.

A phase-wise analysis of the elections showed that BJP gained momentum in the early phases. However, it lost out in the latter phases. In the first two phases BJP secured around 45 and 46 per cent votes, while in phase five and six it received 46 and 44 per cent votes respectively. However, in phase seven and eight, it secured 40 and 37 per cent votes.

TMC, slow to start, picked up pace in the latter phases.

West Bengal saw a fierce fight between TMC and BJP. Violence erupted in polling booths between workers of both the parties, resulting in multiple deaths.

The eight-phased elections in West Bengal come at a time when the country is struggling with a devastating second wave of coronavirus. Many parties scaled down or cancelled their rallies in view of the rising number of cases. The Election Commission that was blasted by the Madras High Court over its election schedules across Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Puducherry and Tamil Nadu had asked its observers and poll officers to strictly enforce its updated norms on COVID-19 safe campaigning. It asked them to cancel public meetings and rallies and invoke penal provisions if violations are observed.

BJP on Saturday asked its party workers to strictly follow Election Commission guidelines prohibiting victory procession after the counting of votes. "India is suffering from a dangerous phase of Covid-19. Lakhs of people are getting infected. The central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is working hard to help fellow Indians and to defeat the second wave of coronavirus," said BJP general secretary Arun Singh in a letter.

Also read: Election Result 2021 Live Updates: Counting of votes begins in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala, Puducherry
In a major upset, BJP candidate Suvendu Adhikari who is taking on TMC supremo Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is leading from the Nandigram constituency. At 9:46 am, Adhikari was leading with 3,000 votes.

Suvendu Adhikari was a TMC veteran who switched to BJP last year after a fallout with Banerjee. Adhikari and Banerjee's fight is one of the most-watched this election season.

Soon after joining BJP, Adhikari vowed to defeat Banerjee by more than 50,000 votes in Nandigram. "Write this down and mention the date and time. I will leave politics if I cannot defeat her (Mamata Banerjee) by a half lakh (50,000) votes," he said in a rally in South Kolkata. He said that Banerjee must prepare a letterhead with 'former chief minister' written on it.

Mamata Banerjee too called Adhikari a 'traitor' and said that she was wrong to have blindly supported the Adhikari family. She called him Mir Jafar -- synonymous with traitor in Bengal's political history. Banerjee said that she won't leave even one inch of soil to Adhikari or any of the opposition leaders.

Banerjee is aiming for the third consecutive term as Chief Minister of West Bengal. However, her victory in Nandigram is important for her to retain her power.

The Adhikari family played a major role in the ascent of Trinamool Congress and Mamata Banerjee's clinching of power from the Left Front who had ruled the state for 34 years. Suvendu Adhikari, his brother Soumendu and father Sisir formed the crux of the power in the family that was intrinsical in the anti-land acquisition movement in Nandigram.

Also read: West Bengal Election Results 2021: Counting of votes underway in 292 assembly seats

Also read: Election Result 2021 Live Updates: Counting of votes begins in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala, Puducherry
China's Shandong aircraft carrier group has recently conducted routine annual exercises in the South China Sea, the People's Liberation Army said Sunday, after Beijing criticised the US for sending Navy ships into the strategic area.

The Chinese Defence Ministry last week urged the US to restrain its front-line forces in the air and seas near China. US reconnaissance aircraft and warships have become more active around China since President Biden took office, it said.

The South China Sea is particularly contentious because China's smaller neighbours also have competing claims to one of the world's busiest sea lanes, which Beijing claims virtually in its entirety. China has constructed several man-made islands in the disputed waters in what the US says is a move to militarise the area.

Navy spokesperson Gao Xiucheng said in a statement that the exercises were completely legitimate and part of safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests, as well as maintaining regional peace and stability.

"We hope the outside world will view it in an objective and rational way. In the future, the Chinese navy will continue to hold similar exercises as planned," said Gao.

The Shandong is the second Chinese aircraft carrier to enter service after the Liaoning, which was originally purchased as a hulk from Ukraine and entirely refurbished.

Also Read: China's Sichuan Airlines suspends cargo flights rushing COVID-19 medical supplies to India
The Enemy as Sociologist American exceptionalism as diagnosed by the Nazi propaganda magazine Signal Sara Krolewski

The English-language edition of the first issue of Signal, published in April 1940, (left) and the German-language edition of the fifth issue of 1945. (Issues were sometimes denoted by month, sometimes simply by number.) The headline in the red circle on the cover of the latter issue reads: The future of European youth? Appearing only in German, Dutch, and Swedish, this was the final issue to be systematically circulated. There is one extant copy of a sixth 1945 issue of the magazine, printed in Swedish, but it is believed that it was never distributed.

Long before Donald Trump was calling for America to be made great again, the Nazi propaganda magazine Signal wrote of an American people which was once great.[1] American realitygone with the wind, proclaimed the subheading of a 1943 article on the industrialization of agriculture in the United States. Writing in usually flawless English, Signals editors criticized what they saw as a degenerated, yet still alarmingly strong, United States: a land of abundance and possibility, now riven by greed, vice, and conformity, and spurred on by ceaseless imperialism. Today the Americans are busy introducing their economic system of careless and ruthless exploitation to other parts of earth, the editors wrote. They pretend they are fighting for democratic liberty, but in actual fact they are systematically extending their power.[2] This was a United States whose influence only a united Europeunder the aegis of Nazi Germanycould restrain. In the pages of Signal, a magazine designed to vouch for the force and credibility of Nazi Germany, the United States was an enemy who had once been something of a model. But it was a nation that could not be made great again. Instead, it had to be resisted.

The cover of the second of the two Spanish-language issues published in June 1941. The magazine was originally a semimonthly; not surprisingly, its production schedule began to falter in 1944.

In 1943, Signala glossy magazine produced by the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany, and best known for its rare and striking wartime photoswas the most widely selling magazine in occupied Europe, reaching a readership of over 2.5 million.[3] Starting in 1940, it was published in languages other than German, including Italian, French, English, and Dutch. By 1942, there were twenty-two foreign editions circulated in total, ranging from Finnish and Serbian to Turkish and Arabic.[4] The magazine was distributed globally, though aimed largely at a European audience: readers in nations Germany had conquered or hoped to conquer, and those in a handful of neutral countries, including Sweden. Within Germany, the magazine circulated only among the military. The English-language edition was imported into the United States (until the end of 1941, when the US entered the war), the neutral Republic of Ireland, and the German-occupied Channel Islands of Guernsey and Jersey.[5]

Andre Zuccas photograph of an advertisement for Signal on a Paris newsstand, August 1941. The French photographer in fact worked for Signal, which meant that he had access to German AgfaColor stock and took some of the only known color images of the city under occupation. His association with the magazine led to his arrest following the war, though he was never prosecuted. We cannot verify whether this photograph was itself taken for the pages of Signal.

Signal was an insidious tool of Nazi ideology, meant to counteract an image of fanaticism and indiscriminate violence: by late autumn 1943, as many Jews as Signal readers had been murdered in Polands extermination camps.[6] A rosier, apparently benign Germany could be found in Signals editorials and photo-essays. German youth, film stars, and soldiers posed for full-page photo spreads, symbols of a robust, nurturing empire. In a 1943 essay entitled Nazalia: The Girl from the Ukraine, Signals editors profiled a young Ukrainian woman who was rescued by a German soldier after her village was destroyed. Germany, Signal suggested, had civilized the Ukrainians, the unspoilt children of nature, and obtained better lives for them.[7]

The front cover (left) and back cover of the second of the four Italian-language issues of Signal published in 1945.

In reality, after the defeat at Stalingrad in early 1943, the Germans were on the brink of losing the war. The tenor of Nazi propaganda changed accordingly, replacing bombastic descriptions of military triumphs with a gentler form of persuasion, and a more sober, realistic tone of rationalized hope.[8] Signals own argument to readers was simple and enticing. By joining forces with Germanyor choosing not to resist Nazi occupationtheir countries could avoid US and Soviet intervention, and the destructive effects of capitalism and socialism. Neither economic system, Signal argued, would improve life in Europe. In short, polemical essays, Signals editors sharply condemned both nations, with occasional jabs at Great Britain and France.

The tragic carnival. Spread from the eighteenth issue of Signal published in 1944, featuring two diary entries written on 25 and 26 July 1943 by a German lieutenant who served as a Rome correspondent for the magazine. The first entry laments that days decision by the Fascist Grand Council to dismiss Mussolini and return constitutional powers to King Victor Emmanuel III.

But in the English-language edition, they paid particular attention to the United States, demonstrating a surprisingly thorough understanding of the current events of their opponent to the west. By 1943, the issues in English were only available to readers in Ireland and the Channel Islands, who would have been more familiar with the culture and politics of the United States than of the Soviet Union. The idea, then, was to convince these readers of the United States weaknesses and mounting failures.

By contrast, the American propaganda magazine Victoryproduced by the Office of War Information in response to Signal and also disseminated in Europe, though with less than half of the formers circulationonly contained content about the United States, mainly general articles on Americas war effort and evergreen pieces focusing on showing how America lives.[9] Signals focus on the United States makes the magazine all the more striking as a work of propaganda: one that took pains to depict its adversary with depth and clarity, and occasionally, a note of mild approval.

The table of contents for the English-language edition of the eighteenth issue of Signal published in 1944.

In the 1943 English-language edition of Signal, a series of articles under the heading Americana explored and analyzed fissures in American society. Many of these reproduced excerpts from US magazines and newspaperssnippets offered as proof for Signals anti-US claims, and to bolster the magazines credibility. One article, Concerning the Victory Girl and What Colliers Magazine Has to Say about Her, drew on a March 1943 Colliers article describing a trend among young women, dubbed Victory Girls, of pursuing sexual relationships with soldiers and sailors. After reading a large number of American newspapers and periodicals published in 1943  even the most impartial observer must obtain a nothing less than shocking impression of the moral degradation of a certain part of the people of the United States, wrote Signals editors.[10] We do not wish to make vague assertions and will consequently quote what has been said in America itself, they added, before directly quoting from Colliers. In addition to Victory Girls, the article also detailed instances of juvenile delinquency and crime in Los Angeles, Detroit, and New York City, which Signal pointed to as evidence of Americas internal decay.[11]

These same themes were echoed in Americana: Zoot SuitersJitterbug, which cited an article from Time magazine describing the 1943 Los Angeles Zoot-Suit Riots, in which white servicemen and residents attacked Black and Mexican-American youths attired in zoot suits, a type of suit fashionable with non-white, working-class Angelenos. America has here to do with one of the particularly outstanding characteristics of the complete break-up of discipline and morals in her youth, Signals editors remarked (in a poor English translation, perhaps a result of waning resources for the English-language edition). Yet they were also critical of the racial tensions at playrebuking the sailors and whites who flogged the zoot suiters.[12] They want to be American, the editors wrote of the victims, but the rest of the Americans refuse to recognize them in any way. They are neglected and abandoned like wreckage and drift-wood on the seashore.[13]

Another Americana essay, Between Favour and Hatred, offered explanations for the colour riots that had taken place in various cities in the summer of 1943: indescribable living conditions for Black migrants in the North; white workers fear of losing their jobs to lower-paid Black workers; Washington politicians hollow, inefficacious rhetoric of social progress.[14] The editors offered this oddly prescient diagnosis: The unsolved colour problem is gnawing deeper and deeper like a slow venom into the unstable, social structure of the U.S.A. The color riots this summer are in all probability only the forerunners of even more serious disturbances.[15] At a time in which US publications tended to malign minoritiesan editorial in the Tucson Daily Citizen from 1943 noted that all wearers of the [zoot suit] are suspectSignal reflected instead on the oppression they faced, portraying racial hatred and strife as symptoms of Americas own deterioration.[16]

Unusually for German propaganda, Signals anti-American appeals were factual and free from harsh invective. In striving for persuasion and an intellectual, highbrow tone, Signal was careful to avoid the aggressive language of anti-Semitism and racism found in the newspapers Der Angriff (The Attack), founded by Joseph Goebbels in 1927, and Das Schwarze Korps (The Black Corps), the official newspaper of the SS. Nor did Signal resort to caricature, as US propaganda often didfor example, depicting Japanese soldiers as exaggerated, grotesque figures.[17] Instead, Americana essays were detailed examinations of social and cultural dilemmas, often focused on the weaknesses of American capitalism. In an Americana essay entitled The Green Heart of America, Signals editors described the deforestation of the countrys hinterland and the industrialized exploitation of the broad prairie land in the heart of America, processes that had left vast swaths of land unusable and affected weather patterns.[18] Signal viewed farmers in the Midwest, like factory owners in cities, as individuals blindly motivated by profit, rather than by duty or care for their country. The American farmer has always looked upon his land as something to be exploited, they noted: these farmers had contributed to a remarkable modification in the American climate, while urban businessmen incited labor conflicts.[19]

A critique of the failure of the United States to properly manage its forests and agricultural lands. The unsigned article argues that the lack of stewardship is a function of the countrys rampant materialism and fetishization of technology. From the French-language edition of the second of the two issues published in May 1943.



In Signals view, capitalism had even stripped the United States of any authentic culture. In a cartoon accompanying The Green Heart of America, workers are assembled in identical outfits on a conveyor belt, then placed into matching vehicles. The images caption explains that in the United States, people now live on tinned food, wear standardized shirts, standardized hats, and standardized suits. Thinking has been standardized too, and in American civilization there is no place for culture.[20] Without the clear nationalist rhetoric of other Nazi publications, Signals critiques of American capitalism scan as accurate, even percipientprefiguring the work of later US writers like David Riesman and C. Wright Mills, who analyzed the effects of capitalism on an increasingly uniform, alienated American middle class.

For all of the anti-American opprobrium of the Americana series, a strange ambivalence underscores much of Signals writing about and attitudes toward the country. For one, though Signal lamented the state of US culture, the magazine looked to that same culture for inspiration, consciously modeling itself on the American periodical Life. Signal also included the input of Nazi propagandists Major Fritz Solm and Giselher Wirsing, both of whom took particular interest in US society and culture. Signal was the brainchild of Solm, who studied at Columbia University and worked at the New York advertising firm J. Walter Thompson in the 1920s. After returning to Germany in the 1930s, he became involved with the Division for Defense Propaganda, a branch of the Wehrmacht. Drawing on his experiences as a marketer in the United States, Solm, together with economist Heinrich Hunke, approached the leadership of the Wehrmacht in the autumn of 1939 to propose a propaganda magazine in the style of Life: a general-interest publication for the European middle-class reader, with colorful photo spreads and articles on current events.[21] Solm hoped to replicate Lifes success, appealing to the same demographic in Europe. Life itself would eventually describe Signal as part of the great, intricate and effective propaganda machines of Berlin, Rome and Tokyodeeming the Axis powers publications and ephemera more slashing than American propaganda like Victory, which was also modeled after Life.[22]

Toward a third world war? With World War II still raging, Giselher Wirsing speculates on the political conditions that might provoke the next global conflict. Also from the French-language edition of the second of the two issues published in May 1943.



Wirsing, a journalist and SS captain who became Signals chief editor in 1943overseeing the production of the Americana series, and contributing to the content of many of the articleswas fluent in English and had frequently traveled to the United States to report for German magazines. In spring 1938, on a trip financed by the weekly magazine Munchner Illustrierte, Wirsing had met with Henry Luce, the owner of Life, and the magazines editorial staff; later, he had had a private conference with President Roosevelt, and meetings with several US senators. Though Wirsing primarily used the trip to advocate for Nazi Germanyexpound[ing] the beneficial and rational influence of Nazi Germany on Europe to the politicians he metand would later write a vitriolic book, Der malose Kontinent (The excessive continent), on the United States under Roosevelt, his curiosity about the country seems to have been acute.[23] His five-month tour of the United States included stops in New York City and Washington, DC, but also the South (including Atlanta, where he met Margaret Mitchell, the author of Gone with the Wind, a title alluded to in the subheading of one Americana essay), the West (where he toured film studios in Hollywood), the Midwest (in Detroit, he visited Ford and General Motors), and New England (where he spent time at Harvard University). Many of these stops likely provided fodder for the Americana essays. But the breadth of Wirsings trip also suggests his familiarity, and even fascination, with American geography, industry, and art. Clearly, both Wirsing and Solm found something to admire in the United States, even as they helped shape Signal into an anti-American magazine.

This same faint sense of admiration runs beneath many of the Americana pieces, surfacing in subtle ways. In The Green Heart of America, Signals editors described a nation whose resources made it worthy of respect, though its prosperity was unlikely to last: a rich country in which a culture can spring up in a very short time only to disappear in the course of a few generations.[24] The Americans carelessness and avarice, his lack of appreciation of his own soil, were bound to transform this abundant, fast-growing country into a barren, lifeless one.[25] Even US cities, in which Signal saw moral decay, corruption, and destitution, had been venerable at one point: Without a fruitful soil and without forest land which is perpetually renewed the splendour of the cities will become a ghostly shadow.[26]

In Concerning the Victory Girl, Signal identified a select group of Americans still upholding moral standards in the face of national decline: Even today there is another America for which morals and decency still existbut it is condemned to silence and patience.[27] What was this other America that might redeem its other, fallen half? Here, Signal remained oblique, but its editors were more forthright in their admiration for the pace and extent of industrialization in the United States, an outlook that was widely shared not just throughout Nazi Germany but in continental Europe as a whole. As Klaus P. Fischer writes in Hitler and America, as late as 1942 Hitler was praising the industrial and technological achievements of the United States, which had provided its citizens with wealth and autonomy, even as he denounced the country as a materialist, degenerate and corrupt state.[28] Such admiration had a long history and had only intensified in the wake of World War I, as the United States saw widespread industrialization and the growth of its nouveaux riches, while many parts of Europe lay devastated, economically and otherwise. At the same time, the means by which industrialized success had been achieved in the United States had led some Europeans to regard it as a nation of spiritual emptinessmaterially wealthy, but lacking tradition or forms of community, and worshipping consumption above all else.[29] Signal played into these common assumptions and attitudes, while standing in for the ideological apparatus of the Nazi state.

We tend to think of propaganda as distortion, but Signal cannot neatly be classified as such. Its editors combined careful reportingsupported by Wirsings research and excerpts from US magazines and newspaperswith blustery calls for European unification; the Americana series portrayed America with more nuance and ambivalence than might be expected, striving for thoroughness instead of straightforward denunciation. As a stealthy instrument of Nazism, Signal omitted truths about Germanys own crumbling war efforts. But its analyses of problems in the United States have a ring of accuracy to themin many cases, more so than even US publicationsreflecting its architects keen interest in the country.

Reading Signal today, I had the strange, uncomfortable feeling that I was agreeing, at least partially, with analyses promoted by the United States most notorious enemy. Several of Signals Americana critiques are still pertinent, echoed in various ways by contemporary critics. Have we yet arrived at any definite, lasting solutions to racial discrimination, climate change, and the deleterious consequences of capitalism? Have we at all tempered our system of careless and ruthless exploitation, or merely continued it? An overarching narrative of American exceptionalism has often impeded necessary progress. It can be (and has repeatedly been) said that Americans are blind to their own long record of faults and failures. If this extreme myopia does in fact define us as a people, an artifact such as Signal asks us to consider: What if our enemies know us better than we know ourselves?

[n.a.], Americana: Concerning the Victory Girl and What Colliers Magazine Has to Say about Her, Signal, no. 16/2 (August 1943), p. 38. At its peak, Signal was publishing two issues per month; the issue number notations throughout these notes indicate whether the issue was the first or second in a given month. [n.a.], The Green Heart of America: American RealityGone with the Wind, Signal, no. 10/2 (May 1943), n.p. Some issues of Signal were unpaginated. S. L. Mayer, Signal, Years of Retreat, 19431944: Hitlers Wartime Picture Magazine (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1979), n.p. S. L. Mayer, Signal, Hitlers Wartime Picture Magazine (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1976), n.p. The tally of of foreign editions is derived from the research of Alexander Zoller et al. See signalmagazine.com/files/editions.gif. As Jordan Henry notes in We Europeans: Signal Magazine and Political Collaboration in German-Occupied Europe, 19401945, as late as 1943, content from the magazine was still being reproduced in American newspapers, including the Cleveland Plain Dealer. While some Signal-produced reports appeared in US newspapers after 1941, full versions of the English-language editionin which the Americana series would have appearedwere not available in the United States after 1941. See Jordan Henry, We Europeans (undergraduate thesis, The Ohio State University, 2017), p. 15. Available at kb.osu.edu/bitstream/handle/1811/80695/JordanHenryThesis.pdf. Nicholas OShaughnessy, Selling Hitler: Propaganda and the Nazi Brand (London: C. Hurst & Co., 2016), p. 77. Quoted in S. L. Mayer, Signal, Years of Retreat, n.p. Nicholas OShaughnessy, Selling Hitler, pp. 8384. Marja Roholl, Preparing for Victory: The U.S. Office of War Information Overseas Branchs Illustrated Magazines in the Netherlands and the Foundations for the American Century, 19441945, European Journal of American Studies, vol. 7, no. 2 (March 2012), p. 7. Available at journals.openedition.org/ejas/9629#tocto1n4. [n.a.], Americana: Concerning the Victory Girl, p. 38. Ibid. [n.a.], Americana: Zoot SuitersJitterbug, Signal, no. 12/2 (June 1943), n.p. Ibid. [n.a.], Americana: Between Favour and Hatred, Signal, no. 19/1 (October 1943), n.p. Ibid. [n.a.], The Zoot Suit, Tucson Daily Citizen, 8 April 1943. See, for example, illustrator Harold Von Schmidts 1043 advertisement for Chrysler Corporation. Its text begins: It wasnt just dark  it was black as Tojos heart! Available at archives.library.wcsu.edu/omeka/items/show/4666. [n.a.], The Green Heart of America, n.p. Ibid. Ibid. Jordan Henry, We Europeans, p. 12. [n.a.], U.S. Propaganda, Life, vol. 14, no. 12 (22 March 1943), p. 12. Available at books.google.com/books?id=KVEEAAAAMBAJ&dq=. An account of Wirsings trip is given in a report prepared by the US Army International Center Interrogation Section in 1946, when Wirsing was being held as a prisoner of war. See www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/WIRSING%2C%20GISELHER_0016.pdf. [n.a.], The Green Heart of America, n.p. Ibid. Ibid. [n.a.], Americana: Concerning the Victory Girl, p. 38. Klaus P. Fischer, Hitler and America (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2011), p. 10. Ibid.

Correction

4 May 2021: An earlier description of the cartoon accompanying The Green Heart of America misidentified the various Europeans watching the American conveyor belt. We have deleted the erroneous portion of the description. Our thanks to Daniel Dittmar.



Sara Krolewski is the Stenbeck Fellow in Cultural Reporting and Criticism at NYUs Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute. A former editorial assistant at Cabinet, she is a graduate of Princeton University and the University of Edinburgh, where she was a Witherspoon Scholar.
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Police line the parking lot outside the Oneida Casino in the early morning hours of Sunday, May 2nd, 2021, near Green Bay, Wisconsin. Authorities in Wisconsin say a gunman killed two people at a Green Bay casino restaurant and seriously wounded a third before he was shot and killed by police Saturday. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)




Retail investors' stock ownership in Samsung Electronics, Korea's most valuable company, surpassed 10 percent for the first time as they went bargain hunting for its shares amid the COVID-19 pandemic last year, industry data showed Sunday.







Individual investors owned a total of 65.3 million common shares of Samsung Electronics as of Friday, accounting for 10.1 percent of the total, according to industry data.







The world's largest memory chip and smartphone vendor is valued at 486.5 trillion won ($435.3 billion) as of Friday, representing about 22 percent of the Korea Composite Stock Price Index's (KOSPI) total market capitalization.







Retail investors' holdings of the company reached 6.5 percent at the end of 2020, up from 3.6 percent a year earlier.







They bought a net 18.4 trillion won in the first four months of this year, purchasing 3.6 percent of shares in the company to raise their total ownership to over 10 percent.







The ratio is now even higher than that of the nation's state fund, which in March reported that its shares in the company fell below 10 percent as it locked in profits from last year.







Excluding the National Pension Fund, institutional investors' shares in Samsung Electronics stood at 4.6 percent.







Shares of Samsung Electronics fell as low as 42,300 won on March 19, 2020, in the wake of the pandemic, but they nearly doubled to 81,000 won at the end of last year. They closed at 81,500 on Friday. (Yonhap)


F-35B Lightning II mechanics with the F-35 Rapid Response Team at Fleet Readiness Center East and Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 164 (Reinforced), 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, remove a tail from the aircraft aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island March 18. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Patrick Crosley)
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Photo: Twitter, @XRVancouverBC

Vancouver police arrested several demonstrators after a climate protest occupied a major downtown Vancouver intersection for the duration of Saturday afternoon.

In total, five adults ranging in age from 22 to 65 refused to leave and were arrested for mischief and intimidation to block a roadway, "after hours of attempted negotiation," police said in a news release issued May 1.

At its peak, a group of 150 people blocked the intersection of Granville and Georgia Streets while surrounding a [15-foot boat] boat, said VPD Const. Tania Visintin.

"Protestors blocked traffic in all directions and caused major traffic disruptions," she added.



Organized by Extinction Rebellion's Vancouver chapter, the demonstration was intended to be a nonviolent display of civil disobedience calling for action in the face of a worsening climate emergency. The group has continuously made headlines in recent months for similarly disruptive protestsa sit-in on the Cambie Bridge in March and a protest taking over the Hornby and Smithe intersection in February that both ended in numerous arrests, for example.



After permitting demonstrators "to peacefully assemble and express themselves for several hours," on Saturday, police asked those gathered to disperse and allow the intersection to reopen for traffic.



While most attendees complied, four people remained in the boat, "despite multiple requests from police to exit," according to the VPD.



Vancouver Fire Rescue Services helped remove the boat from the intersection following the arrests.

'We literally don't know what else to do'

The watercraft was painted pink, with black letters reading "Tell the truth," while the boat was named Tahlequah, "after the orca J35," Extinction Rebellion explained in a tweet on Saturday. In 2018, after her calf died, the southern resident killer whale made headlines for carrying the calf's body for 17 days in an unprecedented display of grief.



Protestors stepped into the boat throughout the afternoon to speak out about their climate-related concerns, from the loss of species and old-growth forests to rising temperatures and food scarcity.



"The horror of what has already been lost and what's to come is being soft-peddledwhile meaningful action is delayed. Rationalitylistening to science, mutual care, and protecting the life support systems that actually keep us aliveis now radical," the group claimed in a tweet posted Saturday evening.

"Our governance systems are so defunct that they are still psychopathically ignoring the radical/rational path forward," it added. "This is why we're making sacrifices and putting our bodies on the line. We literally don't know what else to do."



Saturday's demonstration is intended to be the first of several protests and events scheduled to block major arteries throughout Vancouver over the first five days of May. Organizers are calling it a "Spring Rebellion."



On Sunday, the group plans to take over the Granville Street Bridge to call for Extinction Rebellion's second demand: "Act Now." Members plan to follow that up by shutting down the Lions Gate Bridge on Monday, to "say no to fossil fuel exports in waters of the Salish Sea, and to demand a Citizens' Assembly on climate and ecological justice."

Following these two major disruptions, Extinction Rebellion will host a bike/skate for climate and educational sessions with elders and members of host first nations on Tuesday and Wednesday.



Extinction Rebellion is a global movement that began in the U.K in 2018. It claims to use non-violent civil disobedience to appeal for increased climate action from both governments and the public, which group members say is necessary "to halt mass extinction and minimise the risk of social collapse."



 with files from Elana Shepert
Photo: The Canadian Press Thrive Cannabis's on-location storefront prepares to be Ontario's first farm-gate store, set to open this month in Simcoe, Ontario.

When customers roll up to Thrive Cannabis' 184-acre farm in Simcoe. Ont, they'll find three shipping containers fashioned into a pot shop and a colourful crew making history.

That crew is led by Thrive's vice president of business development and ethos Bubba Nicholson, who jokes he has the facial hair to match his company's Greybeard brand, and founder Art Bluhm, who is as spirited about pot as he is about the brisket sandwiches he sometimes surprises farm visitors with.

"We're not just some boardroom brand that's out there," said Nicholson, over a video call made from his parked car during a business trip to Vancouver. "We call it a team of misfits."

But until recently few knew the misfits behind the brand or how their products were made. That all changed on April 21, when Thrive became Ontarios first licensed producer to sell cannabis products at the site where theyre made.

The arrangement, which is being piloted or considered by several provinces, is called farm-gate cannabis because it involves taking pot from "seed-to-sale" all at one site and uniting customers with people like Nicholson and Bluhm, who were deeply involved in the journey.

According to the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority, farm-gate sales are allowed in the province, but there are currently no retail stores located at production sites.

B.C. is on track for a 2022 launch and several companies are hoping to join Thrive by offering farm-gate in Ontario later this year.

In order to begin farm-gate sales in Ontario, companies must have a retail operator license, a retail store authorization for a proposed location and pass several inspections.

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario said in mid-April that it had received 14 retail operator license applications for farm-gate sales and approved six from Thrive, Tweed Inc., Dykstra Greenhouses, Medz Cannabis Inc., Muskoka Grown Ltd. and Level Up Infusions.

It had received nine retail store applications for farm-gate and has so far issued approvals to Thrive and Medz.

Canopy Growth Corp., whose Tweed Inc. brand wanted to start farm-gate at its Smiths Falls, Ont. factory, said it has put its plan on hold until later this year.

However, many are still forging ahead because they believe farm-gate programs help consumers get their hands on fresher cannabis faster, especially in rural areas where the closest pot shop can be a considerable distance away.

With farm-gate, shoppers will learn how their favourite products are grown and processed directly from the people who made them, building relationships, trust, transparency and brand recognition.

The opportunity to build brand loyalty and educate customers confused about products is a huge opportunity for pot businesses, said Denis Gertler, senior regulatory adviser at consulting firm CannDelta.

These businesses have been hindered by laws that heavily restrict their marketing opportunities and the COVID-19 pandemic, which has forced many stores to operate through curbside pickup with few chances for brands to meet shoppers.

A June 2020 survey of 3,000 Canadian cannabis consumers from the Brightfield Group research firm suggested these factors have weighed on brand recognition. The survey found most pot brands were only recognized by between one and 15 per cent of those questioned and no brand had a recognition rate above 41 per cent.

Farm-gate can tackle this problem because "it's an opportunity for a savvy company to build a brand" like craft brewers and distillers have, but the model is not without challenges, Gertler said.

"Distilleries are often in these kinds of areas too and many of them have factory stores, which are essentially farm-gate, but there isn't the same kind of stigma around alcohol, as there is around cannabis," he said.

However, Robyn Rabinovich, Thrive's vice-president of strategic initiatives, is confident the company can build a following with farm-gate similar to what wineries experience.

"They come home with a case and they are the biggest champions of those brands because of that experience that they got through learning the process," she said.

"We're really excited to have people wear that Greybeard badge of honour."

Customers who visit will get access to 12 Thrive products and about 10 from other brands, though they'll have to settle for buying them through curbside pickup until the pandemic subsides.

Williams Lake First Nation (WFLN) is watching the situation closely.

The community located six hours outside Vancouver started building a growing facility and farm-gate store under the Sugar Cane Cannabis name earlier this year, after it signed an agreement with the B.C. government to allow farm-gate sales of its craft pot products.

Getting to that point involved negotiations between the solicitor general, who was resistant because of the industry's nascence, and WFLN, which wanted Indigenous rights to be respected, recalled Kirk Dressler, the community's director of legal and corporate services.

Eventually, the province softened when it saw how serious WFLN was about farm-gate.

"I think that they saw it as a real opportunity, a way for people who are operating smaller operations, who want to transition into the white marketto make it viable," Dressler said.

WFLN recently submitted its Health Canada applications for its growing facility and hopes to open it by July, but the retail store may not ready until several months after, Dressler said.

Chief Willie Sellers is already anticipating it will create jobs, boost tourism and share a secret: Sugar Cane is experimenting with music to enhance the growing process.

He hopes visitors will delight in tidbits like that and feel a deeper connection between the community, its cannabis and the process it took to get farm-gate going.

"Everybody that comes into our store is going to be able to hear about this journey that we went on and how we are growing our cannabis," he said.

"It's exciting and it's fun to think about this cutting edge stuff."
Major is walked on a leash by the South Portico of the White House minutes before President Joe Biden departs the White House on March 23.
Taking his second consecutive win of the weekend (the first coming at his home track in Chattanooga, Friday night) Booger Brooks (#48) won Wartburg (TN) Speedway's 604/Crate Late Model Special Saturday.

Brooks overtook Virginian bad-boy Logan Roberson on the 26th lap for the $2,000 victory.

Chickamauga's Dale McDowell was 4th behind winner Tanner English of Kentucky at Clarksville Speedway, north of Nashville Saturday. Cleveland's John Ownbey was seventh overall.

Landon Britt (#10) of Memphis was victorious over Friday night's winner Californian Jared Horstman in Rock Auto USCS Sprint Car competition Saturday night at I-75 Raceway in Sweetwater.

Nearby in Spring City, Michael Smith (#15) parked his Limited Late Model in Victory Lane at Mountain View Raceway. Sean Truelove (#287) of Cleveland won the Sportsman feature. Fort Payne Motor Speedway's season opener was won by Jeb Merriman (#112) of Hokes Bluff, Al. in the Sportsman division.

Next Friday the Lucas Oil Dirt Late Model series invades Gatlinburg/Seymour as the 411 Motor Speedway hosts the $12,000 to win Super Late Models for the "Tennessee Action Track 50" race. The MavTVplus.com website will broadcast the event live on the internet for subscribers. Racing is set to start at 7 p.m. More details for the event Friday can be obtained at 411motorspeedway.net or on their Facebook page.
Tania Maduro and her husband, Syngin Colchester, have become household names over the years in the 90 Day Fiance franchise. They are a popular couple, and some fans cant seem to get enough from these two.

Tania recently shared a revealing image on her social media of her trip to Greece. We have the details youll want to know.

Tania Maduro and Syngin Colchester in 90 Day Fiance Happily Ever After | 90 Day Fiance/TLC/YouTube

Tania Maduro and Syngin Colchester from the 90 Day Fiance franchise

The couple has been in a variety of spinoffs over the years, and that, of course includes their first appearance in season 7 of the original 90 Day Fiance. They made a memorable appearance in season 5 of 90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After, and they are also in HEA Strikes Back and discovery+ exclusives series that include 90 Day Diaries, 90 Day Fiance: Love Games, and 90 Day Bares All. Theyll also be in a new spinoff on discovery+ called 90 Day: Foody Call, premiering on Saturday, May 29, 2021.

How did Tania Maduro and Syngin Colchester meet?

RELATED: 90 Day Fiance: See the New Trailer for Upcoming Spinoff 90 Day: Foody Call

Tania and Syngin reside in Connecticut together, and they met in a rather unique set of circumstances. Tania flew to South Africa to be with another man that she met on a dating app. The guy was flying to South Africa the next day, and he bought her a ticket. Tania went over there, but she explained on 90 Day Fiance, he was actually not a good guy.

Tania left and went to a bar, and its there that she met her future husband while he was bartending. She went back to his place that night, and she ended up staying with him for almost two months. Syngin came to the United States on the K-1 visa, and they were finally married in season 7 of 90 Day Fiance.

Tania Maduro shared a revealing image from Greece

Both Tania and Syngin have been known to post on their social media, and Tania recently shared a revealing image from her trip to Greece. In it, shes in crystal clear water up to her knees with her back turned to the camera. She has her arms lifted and spread out to the sky, with her long hair down her back. Shes wearing a thong bathing suit, and her behind is clearly visible in the image. Theres a ship in the distance as well as someone else in the water nearby.

Tania commented on her Instagram with a lengthy post about traveling to go along with the photo. Since I first traveled abroad in 2014 for my last college credits.. Ive been lucky enough to travel abroad every year since, Tania says in the Instagram post. When counting countries, I dont include beach resorts where I had no exposure to actual local culture and could have been on a beach anywhere in the world, and I dont count places that I didnt spend valuable time in  2 weeks or more. Ive been to Italy, Thailand, Greece, South Africa, Laos, Costa Rica, and my most recent and most meaningful trip  Colombia.

She goes on to detail that Greece was her favorite trip. She actually went alone, but ended up meeting people on the flight there. They invited her to follow them to Mykonos. Tania adds, where I convinced them to rent a small fishing boat who took us to random islands.

I had sex on the beach under moonlight with the club music pumping in the background, did a mainland ancient history tour and got blessed by orthodox people in monasteries in cliffs, almost got stuck on Santorini Island when my CC was maxed out but thank goodness I met some cool ppl who helped me out, Tania reveals.

She recommends traveling, especially solo. She goes on to recommend Thailand for that. The picture she shared is from her trip to Greece, and she says shes shared it on Instagram before.
Keanu Reeves is one of Hollywoods most famous actors, consistently making headlines since he first emerged in 1985. Hes appeared in dozens of films since his breakout role in 1989s Bill & Teds Excellent Adventure, from Speed to Hardball, to Constantine to the Matrix franchise. But some of his best-known work is the John Wick movies.

In them, Reeves plays the titular character, a former assassin who sets on a new mission after the deaths of his wife and his dog. The franchise has offered up some of the best fighting movie scenes that fans have ever seen. But theres one in particular that really stands out to Reeves.

Keanu Reeves poses at the John Wick: Chapter 3  Parabellum photocall in Berlin | Isa Foltin/WireImage

Keanu Reeves names the craziest John Wick scene he ever did

In 2019, Reeves did an interview with BuzzFeed where he answered fan questions while playing with puppies. Around the 1:53 mark, he was asked to name the craziest experience he ever had while shooting the John Wick movies. [It was] during a gunfight on a horse on the streets of Brooklyn, he admitted. Thats in [John Wick: Chapter 3  Parabellum]. That was pretty crazy.

RELATED: What Is Keanu Reevess John Wick Training and Workout Routine?

Reeves is referencing a scene in the 2019 film where his character was trying to escape assassins chasing him down on motorcycles. Despite the odds, he successfully got away on a horse. But at the end of the film, he was attacked again and left for dead, setting up more drama in future films.

The next John Wick movies are on the way

Lionsgate announced in 2019 that John Wick 4 would be coming out in May 2021, per Variety. However, the film was delayed because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The new release date for John Wick 4 is now May 27, 2022, according to Collider.

Im hearing most of the shoot will take place in Berlin and Paris, with additional photography in New York City and Japan, wrote Collider writer Steve Weintraub. The reason theyre shooting in Berlin and Paris is because both cities are featured in the story. Same with NYC and Japan.

Details about John Wick 4 are limited, but director Chad Stahelski told The Hollywood Reporter it could feature deleted scenes from John Wick 3.

There were two action sequences that we had really kind of conceived, but we just didnt have room for them, he shared. So, we pulled them from the movie. And Id like to think that 90 percent of what I pulled, theres a place in John Wick 4 that I can definitely reinsert them.

RELATED: Keanu Reeves Learned This John Wick 3 Move in 3 Tries

John Wick 5 has also been approved, but theres no known release date for that one. It was previously reported that it would begin filming after John Wick 4 was finished, but now that the fourth movie has been pushed back, the fifth has also been delayed.

Showbiz Cheat Sheet will keep you posted with any details that might arise. But in the meantime, get ready for John Wick 4.
There are few reality television shows that have made a bigger impact on pop culture than Keeping Up with the Kardashians.

The show is not only responsible for making stars out of people like Kim Kardashian and Kris Jenner, but it has redefined the way that many people view reality television in general. Still, the show has changed quite a bit over the years, and many fans have slammed Keeping Up with the Kardashians (and the Kardashian-Jenner clan) for no longer being transparent with fans.

In a recent Reddit thread, fans discussed the most recent, final season of the iconic reality series, admitting to each other that they believe the show is a waste of time.

When did Keeping Up with the Kardashians debut on television?

Kim Kardashian West | Marc Piasecki/GC Images

RELATED: Will Travis Barker Be on Keeping Up with the Kardashians?

In 2007, the world was a very different place. Early 2000s culture still dominated the headlines, with stars like Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie making waves with their bright pink tracksuits and bleached blonde hair.

That was also the year that a very different breed of reality stars rose to fame when Keeping Up with the Kardashians premiered on television. The family, raised in privilege in Calabasas, California, appealed to fans everywhere for their antics, as well as for their ability to be totally real on camera, revealing everything from sibling drama to relationship turmoil.

In short order, the Kardashian-Jenner family became superstars, taking to social media to connect with fans and in order to launch a plethora of new businesses. These days, the Kardashians are all fabulously wealthy  and with the reality show that they launched now airing its final seasons, a great deal has changed in their relationship with the fanbase.

KUWTK is in its final season

We're taking a little break fam  There are more new episodes to come starting Thursday, May 6 on E! #KUWTK pic.twitter.com/tj7JIGGkGK  Kardashians on E! (@KUWTK) April 23, 2021

RELATED: Why Do People Hate Keeping Up with the Kardashians So Much?

In the spring of 2021, Keeping Up with the Kardashians began airing its highly-publicized final season.

The show had already been struggling in the ratings for several years, with other reality shows such as 90 Day Fiance stealing some of its shine. In addition to the problems with ratings, however, is the issue of the Kardashian-Jenner familys relationship with their fan base.

For years, rumors have swirled that the Kardashian-Jenner family members are no longer comfortable with some of their darker family secrets getting exposed for public consumption  and in return, many fans have complained that the once-dynamic series has lost its edge.

What do fans have to say about what the show has become?

RELATED: 6 of the Fakest Moments on Keeping Up with the Kardashians

In a recent Reddit thread, some critics dissected the latest season of Keeping Up with the Kardashians.

One poster wrote Im finding it so hard to watch the Kar-Jenners complain about covid restrictions and quarantine while they are all hanging out with their friends every day and still having partiesIts boring and also kinda gross given the economic situation of so many others in the US/globally.

Others chimed in to agree, with one fan noting I cant believe while watching this horrible boring season Kim is going through a whole ass divorce and were watching Khloe and cheatcheat hunt for UFOS. goes to show how much has changed in regards to what they share.

The same fan slammed the show, going on to write the whole show is just a facade at this point and a waste of time. also as much as Id love to not watch covid TV anymore its the reality of the world right now and seeing people so blatantly ignore it (yet still talk about it and complain as if it affects them at all) is irritating.

Ultimately, many fans seem to have had enough, not only with Keeping Up with the Kardashians but with the family in general.
Financial Services Commission Chairman Eun Sung-soo attends a meeting with CEOs from financial institutions and securities firms here, at the Korea Exchange's Seoul office on April 15. Yonhap



By Lee Min-hyung



With the country set to resume some forms of short-selling after a 14-month ban, investors and stock market analysts said biotechnology stocks could be affected by the resumption.



From May 3, retail investors on either the KOSPI or the tech-savvy Kosdaq will be allowed to "borrow" shares. Despite the partial resumption, the financial authorities will decide later whether to allow the short-selling of other listed stocks.



The overall consensus is that the partial lifting will not have a noticeable impact on the stock market, and the intensity of the partial resumption will not be enough to derail its current bullish run. But market analysts said electric vehicle (EV) and biotech shares could be the primary targets of short-selling.



"Targets of short-selling could be focused on EV shares and bio stocks as I believe these are the shares that may be overvalued compared to their peers," Kim Il-tae, a senior fund manager at Meritz Investment, said Sunday.



General thoughts are stocks exposed to short-selling will experience price corrections over the next few days after the temporary ban is lifted.



Retail investors have for years cried foul over the practice of short-selling, which allows investors to profit from stocks when they go down in value. Retail investors have also urged the financial authorities to keep extending the ban, to stop institutional and foreign investors from making "unfair" profits.



The benchmark KOSPI rose more than 10 percent during the first four months of the year on top of a 30 percent increase last year.



With the Financial Services Commission (FSC) deciding to allow some forms of short-selling this time after extending the ban twice after the pandemic shock erupted in March last year, investors are advised to make careful stock transactions at least for the next few weeks.



Biotechnology is also one of the representative sectors expected to be hit hard by the resumption as prices of bio stocks have experienced huge volatility for the past year. For instance, Celltrion, a biopharmaceutical firm here, is considered to be one of the Korean stocks most vulnerable to short-selling.



"That's because appetite for bio stocks has increased based on expectations that their valuations will rise further in sync with governments' moves to invest more in COVID-19 treatment candidates. And that could be a good excuse for investors to take profits through short-selling," said Park O-ki, a senior analyst at IBK Investment.



The FSC applied the measure in 2008 and 2011, though the KOSPI bounced back after a couple of months after short-selling was resumed. The KOSPI 200 index increased 10 percent about three months after the ban was lifted.



"After short-selling resumed during the two periods, the KOSPI and Kosdaq remained weak for about a month, but the indices gained upward momentum for the next three to six months," eBest Investment & Securities analyst Yeom Dong-chan said.



Even if it is hard to generalize by citing the two previous cases, a common feature is that both large-cap and mid-to-small-cap stocks reported weak growth for a month after short-selling resumed, according to the expert.



"But the local stock markets, led by blue chips, bounced back shortly," he said.



According to data from the Korea Exchange, fears of a short-selling resumption appear to remain in place in the securities markets. Most of the top 10 stocks on the KOSPI reported drops last week, which was the last trading day before the resumption of short-selling.



The stock price of Samsung Electronics, the largest company by market capitalization, dropped 0.24 percent to close at 81,500 won ($72.93). Shares of other major tech companies also dropped 0.2 percent to 3 percent on the same day. Samsung Biologics was the only firm among the top 10 whose closing price rose.



The FSC is in a position to step up monitoring of any illegal short-selling and take steps if the market shows signs of instability.



Huh Jae-hwan, an economist at Eugene Investment & Securities, said retail investors should be cautious over the resumption of short-selling, but do not have to consider it to be a serious fear factor.



"Our view is that foreign or institutional investors cannot engage in short-selling proactively given the current financial market conditions here," he said. "This is because the outlook for most firms' earnings remains promising this year and next year, so it is hard to come to an abrupt conclusion that short-selling can guarantee gains from the viewpoint of institutional and foreign investors."






Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced in February 2021 that theyre expecting their second child. The news came only a few months after Meghan penned a heartfelt essay about her miscarriage, which occurred after the two welcomed Archie in 2019.

Now, Harry and Meghan are looking toward welcoming a daughter  and Meghan is reportedly planning for a home birth.

Meghan Markle looks at Prince Harry at a royal outing in 2018 | Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle lost Meghans second pregnancy

Harry and Meghan were overjoyed when they welcomed their first child, Archie Harrison, back in May 2019. The duke and duchess had wed only one year earlier, and they were itching to start a family right away.

After moving to the United States last year, Meghan became pregnant once more. But, as she wrote in a New York Times essay, she went through a miscarriage.

After changing his diaper, I felt a sharp cramp, Meghan wrote. I dropped to the floor with him in my arms  I knew, as I clutched my firstborn child, that I was losing my second.

Meghan later detailed her time in the hospital with her husband, as well as how much the words, Are you OK? can impact a person.

Losing a child means carrying an almost unbearable grief, experienced by many but talked about by few.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Ireland in 2018 | Samir Hussein/WireImage

RELATED: Meghan Markle Revealed She Was Friends With 1 British Royal Before She Even Met Prince Harry

Meghan Markle is reportedly planning a home birth for baby no. 3

The essay, which was published in November 2020, came less than three months prior to some more exciting news: Harry and Meghan were once again expecting. The couple announced it with a loving photograph, though neither revealed how far along Meghan was or when she is due. The two then revealed during their March interview with Oprah Winfrey that they are having a girl.

According to Insider, Meghan Markle is doing the second birth differently from the first. Meghan gave birth to Archie in a London hospital, but this time around, the duchess is reportedly going with a home birth.

She has a beautiful home in California, its a beautiful setting to give birth to her baby girl, a source close to the duchess revealed. Meghan and Harry had reportedly planned to have a home birth with Archie as well, but doctors advice had Archie delivered in a hospital instead.

Harry and Meghan have not specified the babys due date, but Harry told Oprah Winfrey that it was amazing to learn they were having a girl. What more can you ask for? he added.

Prince Harry holds Meghan Markles hand as she protects her stomach shortly after announcing pregnancy with Archie in 2018 | Chris Hyde/Getty Images

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have already started decorating the babys nursery

Harry and Meghan are settling nicely into their Montecito, California, mansion. The two purchased the home last year, and with so many bedrooms, their daughter will certainly have the nursery of her dreams.

According to Us Weekly, Harry and Meghan have already started decorating their little girls nursery. A source told the magazine that Meghan is feeling great during this pregnancy and that the two have already started designing the nursery.

The couple hasnt give details about the babys nursery, but fans are hoping for a photo or two once the baby is born.
With many American celebrities influencing cultural shifts and living their lives under the watchful public eye, the attention received can be compared to royalty. However, for some celebrities, the royal treatment is more true than you might think. Several stars have proven that they are related to the British royal family. Among those include the princess of a global hotel empire, Paris Hilton. The reality TV star recently revealed her familys connection to Queen Elizabeth and the royal family.

Paris Hilton | Emma McIntyre/Getty Images

What is Paris Hiltons net worth?

Chill day by the pool reading my favorite book #ConfessionsOfAnHeiress. So proud it was on the New York Times Best Seller List.  Loves it! pic.twitter.com/Bb96BGZ3fn  Paris Hilton (@ParisHilton) March 26, 2021

Born in New York City, Hilton spent her childhood there and in Beverly Hills. Born into a hotel empire as the great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton, she first gained public attention as being a regular in NYCs late-night parties. Besides her partying reputation and thats hot phrase, Hilton is best known for starring in the reality TV series The Simple Life with fellow socialite and friend Nicole Richie. The show ran on Fox for five years with 13 million viewers.

In addition to starring in The Simple Life, Hilton published a New York Times Best Selling book titled Confessions of an Heiress, leading to a major film role in the House of Wax remake. She also had a self-titled studio album in 2006 that reached number six on the Billboard 200. By 2008, she had returned to the reality TV scene with Paris Hiltons My New BFF, and later with The World According to Paris and Hollywood Love Story.

Paris Hilton is considered one of the firsts to begin the famous for being famous movement and faced many critics for becoming a household name not for her talents or work, but because of her inherited wealth and lavish lifestyle. Her media attention has brought her entrepreneurial success, including her perfume empire that has sold over $2.65 billion worth of fragrance in its sixteen years on the market, according to Elle Canada. Hiltons net worth is estimated to be $300 million.

Hotel princess to royalty

RELATED: Why Did Paris Hilton Go to Jail?

As a media personality, party girl, actor, and entrepreneur, Hilton has a lot going for her. As the great-granddaughter of the founder of Hilton Hotels, she has grown up in a life of luxury with royalty-like treatment. According to Insider, the royalty claim is actually true with a bloodline connection to the royal family from both her father and mothers side. Hilton is a descendant of King Henry II on her fathers side of the family. Hilton also told Cosmopolitan, My mom just did one of those 23andMe DNA kits and I am related to Marilyn Monroe and Queen Elizabeth. Thats what it said!

Its hot to have a common ancestor to British royalty

On her fathers side, there is a link to King Henry II, who ruled as the King of England from 1154 to 1189. He was born in March 1133 and died at the age of 56 and was succeeded by Richard. After the results from her mothers DNA kit, Hilton found out she was a cousin to Queen Elizabeth. Elizabeth II has reigned as Queen of the United Kingdom since 1952. She currently is the longest-lived and longest-reigning British monarch.

Elizabeth II was the first child of the Duke and Duchess of York, who later became King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. She married Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, in 1947, and the two helped modernize the British royal family. With the recent passing of her husband, Queen Elizabeth II entered an eight-day mourning period. During the time, she stopped all royal duties. While she will return to her royal engagements, she may never return to Buckingham Palace and instead live the rest of her life at Windsor Castle.
Lauren Caldwell is only 20 years old, but Duggar family followers think Kendra Duggars little sister might have been at the center of a love triangle. Duggar followers first started discussing Laurens romantic life in 2019, and several theories about who she is dating have been tossed around since It seems like critics might have been right. There is reason to believe that Lauren was involved in a Duggar love triangle.

Duggar family followers linked Lauren to Jason and James Duggar before she announced an engagement

Lauren might seem single now, but family followers strongly suspect she has been dating under the radar for years. First, she was connected to Jason Duggar after the pair were spotted together on a mission trip to Greece. A tour guide claimed that Jason and his future bride invited her to visit them back in the United States. The story was never corroborated, and the pair never announced a relationship.

RELATED: Duggar Family News: Jedidiah, Jason or James Duggar, Who is Lauren Caldwell Dating?

If Jason and Lauren were ever an item, he might not have been the only one with a romantic interest in her. Family followers think another Duggar boy might have been interested in dating her, too. Several months after the rumors of Jason and Laurens romance circulated, fans spied Lauren and James Duggar looking awfully comfortable with each other. James and Lauren were seen together on multiple webisodes of Counting On. Jim Bob and Michelles 13th child also showed up in several photos with the Caldwells. Once again, the Duggars nor the Caldwells ever announced a courtship.

Lauren Caldwell was briefly engaged to a man named Titus Hall

While Duggar family followers assumed Lauren would eventually settle down with one of her two potential Duggar suitors, she threw critics a curveball in October 2020. Instead of announcing a courtship with one of the Duggar boys, Lauren revealed that she was engaged to a man named Titus Hall.

The Duggar family visits Extra at their New York studios | D Dipasupil/Getty Images for Extra

Titus, 27, and Lauren, 20, never said when they began their courtship. The relationship was not meant to last. By Christmas 2020, Lauren was no longer wearing an engagement ring, and the Caldwell and Hall families had both scrubbed evidence of the relationship from their social media pages. A reason for the breakup was never publicly given, but Duggar followers strongly believe a love triangle was at play.

Duggar family followers think James and Lauren might be back on

If Titus came between Lauren and James before, some family followers think they have patched things up. Lauren was recently spotted wearing a tee-shirt that belongs to James and Justin Duggars joint business together. The Caldwell family posted the photos to the familys Instagram page. Laurens choice of tee-shirts doesnt seem like an oversight, either. The logo is prominently displayed in the solo shot of the Duggar in-law.

RELATED: Duggar News: 3 Courtships That Family Followers Think Are About to Happen

The tee-shirt also comes after months of a rumored rift between the Caldwell family and the Duggar family. According to users on Free Jinger, The Duggar family stopped attending the church that Paul Caldwell works for several months back, opting to participate in services at another local house of worship. The familys new pastor served as the officiant of Jedidiah Duggar and Katey Nakatsus April 2021 wedding.

The Duggar family nor the Caldwells have confirmed rumors of a possible relationship nor a possible family feud. Due to current circumstances, it seems unlikely that the Duggars will be announcing another relationship anytime soon. Family critics have their eyes fixed on Josh Duggar, the familys eldest son. Josh is being held in an Arkansas detention center after pleading not guilty to child pornography charges.
Tom Clancys Without Remorse introduces Michael B. Jordan as John Kelly, a former SEAL on a very personal mission. Kellys story connects with some of the other Clancy books and movies, and understanding that is key to understanding the ending of his new adventure.

[Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers for Tom Clancys Without Remorse.]

Michael B. Jordan |Nadja Klier/ Paramount Pictures/Amazon Studios

Showbiz Cheat Sheet is here to help. Heres an explanation of the ending of Jordans new movie, and how it relates to the Clancy world.

Who is John Clark in the book Without Remorse?

At first, hes not even John Clark. Hes John Kelly, and the movie Tom Clancys Without Remorse begins the same way. Kelly returns home from a mission in Syria, in which his team rescued hostages who were revealed to be ex-Russian Military. He and his SEAL team are attacked, and only Kelly survives. They even kill Kellys pregnant wife in a home invasion attack.

Jamie Bell and Jodie Turner-Smith | Nadja Klier/Paramount Pictures/Amazon Studios

RELATED: Tom Clancys Without Remorse Movie Review: Michael B. Jordan Hunts For Clear and Present Patriots

After recovering from gunshot wounds in the hospital, Kelly goes after the men connected to the Syrian mission and the suspected assassins. Kelly teams up with Karen Greer (Jodie Turner-Smith) and Robert Ritter (Jamie Bell) to lead another team into Russia to capture the Russian agents, although Kelly isnt necessarily interested in taking them alive.

How the ending of Tom Clancys Without Remorse sets up more John Clark adventures

After a harrowing mission in Russia, in which Kellys team has to fight off not only the Russian terrorists but the Russian government who does not want U.S. forces there, Kelly returns home. By this time, hes learned that Secretary Clay (Guy Pearce) spearheaded the Russian terrorists. Clay believed that America needed a villain, and he could create one.

Kelly takes Clay in his car and confronts him. He drives the car off a bridge and forces Clay to admit killing Kellys wife while the car fills with water. The car sinks to the bottom and Kelly sits in the drivers seat, seemingly at peace with drowning. Without Remorse then cuts to his funeral as hes buried alongside his wife.

Jodie Turner-Smith and Michael B. Jordan |Nadja Klier/Paramount Pictures/Amazon Studios

RELATED: Creed III: Michael B. Jordan Sequel Gets a New Writer, and Its Not Ryan Coogler or Sylvester Stallone

But, when Greer returns to her car, Kelly is waiting for her. A flashback reveals they had planned to fake his death as she arrived at the submerged car with a breathing apparatus. Kelly was also recording Clays admission to incriminate him. Greer gives Kelly a new identity, John Clark. He jokes that its not very creative, and Greer acknowledges thats not the CIAs forte. Clark is now ready for off the books missions.

Other Tom Clancy connections

Fans of the Clancy books and movies will recognize the names Greer and Ritter, too. If Tom Clancys Without Remorse is your first, heres a little more background.

Greer is the niece of Admiral Jim Greer. The Admiral is Jack Ryans mentor. James Earl Jones played him in the Alec Baldwin and Harrison Ford movies. Morgan Freeman played him in The Sum of All Fears.

L-R: Jamie Bell and Michael B. Jordan | Nadja Klier/ Paramount Pictures/Amazon Studios

RELATED: Michael B. Jordan Just Fired the Police from Any Event He Attends

Ritter is Kellys prime suspect for most of the movie, but hes wrong this time. He should still keep his eye on Ritter, though. Played by Henry Czerny, Ritter will become the mastermind of a conspiracy in Clear and Present Danger.
Mare of Easttown is a small-town murder mystery starring Kate Winslet as a detective investigating a murder in her tight-knit community. The show is set in a Pennsylvania suburb. But exactly where was Mare of Easttown filmed?

Kate Winslet in Mare of Easttown | Michele K. Short/HBO

What is Mare of Easttown about?

Mare of Easttown tells the story of Mare Sheehan, a divorced mom and grandmother who works as a detective in a small Pennsylvania town. And when a local teen is found murdered, Mare finds herself questioning people shes known for years.

The series explores the dark side of a close community and provides an authentic examination of how family and past tragedies can define our present, the HBO synopsis reads.

The Mare of Easttown food pyramid: fries, peanut butter, spray cheese, vitamins, and beer. pic.twitter.com/bKGEeCEKyQ  HBO (@HBO) April 29, 2021

RELATED: Kate Winslet Put in the Work Every Damn Day on Her Mare of Easttown Accent

Is Easttown a real place?

As its name suggests, Mare of Easttown is set in Easttown, a real-life township in Chester County, Pennsylvania. The locality sits about 20 miles northwest of Philadelphia and encompasses small towns like Berwyn and Devon.

Census data for 2019 suggests Easttowns population is just under 11,000. And the townships close-knit community feel is well-reflected in the shows characters and storyline.

The series began filming in late 2019, but production was paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. Shooting resumed in the suburban Philadelphia area in September 2020.

Lets take a look at the facts: Kate Winslet  Small town drama  An air of mystery  Kate Winslet in plaid  Beer  pic.twitter.com/o260rBWqP1  HBO (@HBO) April 18, 2021

RELATED: Kate Winslet Says Mare of Easttown Is so Much More Than a Thriller

Mare of Easttown was filmed in Pennsylvania

Mare of Easttown writer/creator Brad Ingelsby was born and raised in Berwyn, Pennsylvania. He used many of his hometown experiences as inspiration for the show. And at a 2021 TCA panel in February, Ingelsby revealed that he insisted Mare of Easttown be filmed in the Pennsylvania areas it is set in.

We said to HBO that we had to shoot it where it was actually set in the story, he said via Deadline. I think just like the accent, the setting is so importantit adds a sense of richness and authenticity.

Mare of Easttown creator Brad Ingelsby, director Craig Zobel, and the cast highlight the shows setting and its tight-knit community. pic.twitter.com/WH59K69ijR  HBO (@HBO) April 21, 2021

So all the actors were local, all the locations were within a couple [of] miles, I thinkof Sun Center (a film studio 15 miles south of Easttown), Ingelsby added. Some of them we went a little bit deeper out, but for the most part, that was sort of our nucleus, Sun Center right in Aston, Delaware County, and then we kind of used that to spread out a little bit.

During the panel, showrunner Craig Zobel noted that producers tried their best to film in the exact locations depicted.

We definitely pursued as many locations and things that were very regionally specific, he said. Delaware County and that area of Southern Philadelphia really does look very unique in its own way and we wanted to make sure we got as much of it in the frame as much as possible.

New episodes of Mare of Easttown air Sunday nights on HBO and HBO Max.
Almighty God,

whom truly to know is everlasting life:

Grant us so perfectly to know your Son Jesus Christ

to be the way, the truth, and the life,

that we may steadfastly follow his steps in the way that leads to eternal life;

through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,

who lives and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God,

for ever and ever.

Amen.
China shuts down Bible App, Christian WeChat as new crackdown policies go into effect

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Chinas communist authorities are continuing their crackdown on Christianity by removing Bible Apps and Christian WeChat public accounts as new highly restrictive administrative measures on religious staff went into effect Saturday.

Father Francis Liu from the Chinese Christian Fellowship of Righteousness said in a tweet that some Christian WeChat accounts, including Gospel League and Life Quarterly, were no longer available online, the U.S.-based persecution watchdog International Christian Concern reported.

When someone tries to access those accounts, a message reads, (We) received report that (this account) violates the Internet User Public Account Information Services Management Provisions and its account has been blocked and suspended.

Bible Apps have also been removed from the App Store in China, and Bibles in hard copy are no longer available for sale online either, ICC added. Bible Apps can only be downloaded in China with the use of a VPN.

Another sign of the ongoing crackdown is that bookstores owned by the state-sanctioned Three-self churches have increasingly been selling books that promote President Xi Jinpings thoughts and communist ideology.

Even their WeChat accounts are turning into propaganda channels for CCP, ICC said.

On Saturday, new regulations on religion that Chinas State Administration for Religious Affairs released in February went into effect. The regulations Article 16 under Chapter III states that Catholic bishops must be approved and ordained by the state-sanctioned Chinese Catholic Bishops Conference.

According to the interpretation of the Union of Catholic Asian News, the regulations indirectly assert that the election of Catholic bishops will be done by the state-approved system under the Chinese Communist Partys direction and the Vatican and Pope Francis will have no role in it [] It runs contrary to the laborious China-Vatican deal on the appointment of Catholic bishops, signed in September 2018.

A 2018 China-Vatican Agreement, renewed last year, permits the Chinese government to propose new bishops to the Vatican through its state-approved Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, with the pope having veto power on the decision. At the time of the signing, the Vatican said it hoped the deal would promote unity among Chinas estimated 10 million to 12 million Catholics.

Further, Article 27 states that senior religious leaders will remain in their position for a term of three to five years, after which the individual must again submit their personal information to the authorities, said the U.K. based group Christian Solidarity Worldwide, explaining that it could be used to punish any criticism or failure to obey regulations by refusing their application to re-register.

The regulations in Article 3 include requirements that clergy support the leadership of the Communist Party, CSW added.

Furthermore, Article 12 stipulates that clergy must not endanger national security or be dominated by foreign forces.

Last month, Asia News reported that Chinese authorities punished a man who provided a worship venue for believers, fining him $30,000 under the charge of hosting illegal religious activities."

According to recently-released reports, religious persecution in China intensified in 2020, with thousands of Christians affected by church closures and other human rights abuses.

Under the direction of President Xi Jinping, CCP officials are enforcing strict controls on religion, according to a report released in March by the U.S.-based persecution watchdog China Aid.

Christians in both official, state-run churches and house churches were ordered to fly the Chinese flag and sing patriotic songs in services.

Last October, internet censorship targeting Christians in China became so severe that even official government-sanctioned Christian groups started using the Chinese Pinyin initials JD to replace Chinese characters for Christ, China Aid reported at the time.

Two official government-sanctioned religious organizations  the Christian Council of China and the Committee of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement of the Protestant Churches of China  updated titles and descriptions of all their books on Tianfengshuyuan, their official WeChat bookstore, reported China Aid.

In 2018, the Chinese government banned the sale of Bibles at online bookstores across the country to comply with a white paper that dictated compliance with the core values of socialism.

Australia's ABC News reported at the time that copies of the Gospels had been removed from online retailers following the release of a regime document titled Chinas Policies and Practices on Protecting Freedom of Religious Belief.

The white paper declared that Chinese faith communities should adhere to the direction of localizing the religion, practice the core values of socialism, develop and expand the fine Chinese tradition and actively explore the religious thought which accords with China's national circumstances.

China is ranked as one of the worst countries in the world when it comes to the persecution of Christians, according to Open Doors USAs World Watch List.

The communist regimes crackdown on religious freedom has also led the U.S. State Department to label it as a country of particular concern for continuing to engage in particularly severe violations of religious freedom.

In an earlier interview with The Christian Post, the then-U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said it was certainly the case that the Chinese Communist Party [engages in] efforts to stamp out religious freedom every place that they find.
Nigeria: 3 students escape Fulani militants after attack on Christian missions school; 1 remains captive

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Christians in Nigeria are praying for the safe return of a student held captive by Muslim Fulani herdsmen who attacked a Christian missions school in Nigerias Plateau state.

Four students were kidnapped Thursday from The Kings School, a Christian missions school established by Calvary Ministries, in Gana Ropp village in Plateau states Barkin Ladi County. While three of the kidnapped students escaped after security forces deployed to the area, one student remains captive, Morning Star News reported.

The herdsmen broke into the rear fence at the school to enter the compound and abduct the students.

Bayo Famonure, head of the school, was quoted as saying that the student who remains captive "phoned us to say they were already in the Fulani herdsmens camp, barely 20 minutes after he was captured and taken away.

Had it not been for security forces, the attack could have led to another mass abduction, the Rev. Gideon Para-Mallam, president of the Para-Mallam Peace Foundation, was quoted as saying.

Lets pray that God will work out the release of the abducted student, and as many that are also in captivity elsewhere in the country, he said.

Concerted efforts are on toward rescuing the victim and arresting the perpetrators, police spokesman Ubah Gabriel Ogaba said in a statement.

Meanwhile, notorious gang leader Auwalu Daudawa, who is said to have kidnapped possibly as many as 500 students in Katsina state on Dec. 11, 2020, has been killed by a rival gang, BBC reported.

Daudawa was given an amnesty as part of a peace deal in February but was reported to have returned to his gang last month.

About a week after the mass abduction at a boys' school last December, security forces rescued 344 of the kidnapped students.

The attack bore similarities to the kidnapping of the 276 Nigerian schoolgirls in 2014, which gained international attention with the #BringBackOurGirls campaign, executive director of Save the Persecuted Christians, Dede Laugesen, told The Christian Post at the time.

In 2014, over 276 schoolgirls were kidnapped by Boko Haram in the town of Chibok in Borno state. Over 112 remain missing.

While Nigerian officials deny they pay to free hostages, security analysts say kidnapping for ransom is becoming a lucrative industry for terrorist groups in the West African nation where weapons are readily available to militants thanks to war-torn Libya.

According to The Wall Street Journal, a kidnapper who recently turned himself in to the government in exchange for amnesty said that buying guns in the countrys North is now like buying bread.

The Global Terrorism Index ranks Nigeria as the country third-most affected by terrorism globally, as over 22,000 people were killed by acts of terror from 2001 to 2019.
Troops pullout marks failure of U.S.-led war on terror in Afghanistan, say analysts

Xinhua) 09:02, May 02, 2021

KABUL, May 1 (Xinhua) -- Local observers describe the U.S.-led war on terror in Afghanistan as a "failure", and they say the upcoming troops withdrawal marks a "clear defeat" of the United States and the U.S.-led coalition forces in the Afghan war.

"No doubt, it is clear defeat of the U.S.-led coalition forces in the Afghan war as both the Taliban and al-Qaida network and like-minded militant groups are still active and operational in Afghanistan," political analyst Nazari Pariani told Xinhua on Saturday.

U.S. President Joe Biden announced in April that the U.S. and NATO troops will begin to pull out from Afghanistan from May 1, and that the withdrawal will be completed by September 11, the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks.

There are roughly 3,500 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, and about 7,000 NATO troops in the country relying on U.S. logistics and security support.

The United States invaded Afghanistan and dethroned the Taliban regime which is accused of providing shelter to former al-Qaida network chief Osama Bin Laden, the alleged mastermind of the 9/11 terror attacks on New York and Washington in 2001.

Thousands of members of the U.S.-led forces and countless Afghans including civilians, security personnel and the Taliban militants have been killed in the so-called war on terror but the outcome, Pariani said, is zero as the brutal fighting has been continuing, claiming lives every day.

"The U.S. has labeled both the Taliban and al-Qaida as terrorist groups 20 years ago and invaded Afghanistan to destroy the terrorists' havens but after 20 years, the U.S. has taken a U turn and given recognition to the Taliban outfit as a political force and inked a peace agreement with the group in order to pull out its troops from Afghanistan," Pariani observed.

The renowned political analyst, who is also editor-in-chief of the popular daily newspaper Mandegar, said he believes that the United States will have to do its best to keep a minimum military and intelligence presence in Afghanistan or its neighboring countries in Central Asia.

"The failure of the U.S. in the war on terror can be gauged from that in 2001 there were only the Taliban and al-Qaida network in Afghanistan but presently (there are) more than 20 terrorist groups," Pariani said.

Retired army general Atequllah Amarkhil, who is a political and military analyst, also observed that the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan has led to the emergence of more terrorist groups and the continuation of war in the Asian country.

"Before the U.S. invasion of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, there were al-Qaida and the host Taliban hierarchy, but currently several terrorist groups such as Islamic State, Jandullah, Al-Jihad, Lashkar-e-Tyeba and a few more are fighting in Afghanistan which clearly speaks of the U.S. failure in the war against radical groups," he said.

(Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Bianji)
By Lee Kyung-min



VIG Partners, a Seoul-based private equity firm, is reportedly considering between 70 billion won ($62.6 million) and 100 billion won in equity financing for Korea's internet-only bank, K bank, according to industry sources, Sunday.



This development is the latest in the months-long effort towards a capital increase of 670 billion won by the internet-only bank whose market competitiveness has fallen behind that of its rival Kakao Bank, mostly due to a failure to draw in enough capital investment.



The addition of K bank to VIG's investment portfolio will help the private equity firm diversify its earnings, given the surging demand for online transactions brought on and prolonged by the COVID-19 pandemic.





The deadlocked discussion on the financing picked up after K bank became open to granting new investors drag-along rights, whereby majority shareholders are able to force minority shareholders to join in the sale of a company. However, the agreement requires the majority owner doing the "dragging" to give the minority shareholders the same price, terms and conditions as any other participant in the deal.



About 30 percent, or 200 billion won, will be put up by BC Card, the bank's largest shareholder. The remaining 470 billion won will be drawn from local and foreign strategic investors, including private equity firms, pension funds and brokerages.



VIG Partners, formerly known as Vogo Investment Group, is the second major private equity firm, alongside MBK Partners, reportedly considering about 100 billion won in investments in K bank, through a special fund.




Pastor Rich Villodas laments celebrity culture invading churches: 'Disease of the soul'

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Pastor Rich Villodas weighed in on the dangers of celebrity-ism that has infiltrated many churches and highlighted the role every Christian has to play in combating the ideology he warned is incompatible with the Christian faith.

Generally speaking, celebrity and Christianity are not necessarily contradictions in terms because notions of celebrity are often projected onto people, Villodas, the Brooklyn-born lead pastor of New Life Fellowship, said at the Q 2021 Culture Summit on April 22.

Jesus Himself could be regarded as a celebrity in the first century, he said: Wherever Jesus went, throngs of people followed him, Jesus of Nazareth was a household name. You can be sure that people asked Him to sign their tunics and autograph their parchment paper. Jesus was very known in those parts.

The problem, then, is celebrity-ism and Christianity, Villodas emphasized.

Christian celebrity-ism is failure with regard to our witness before Jesus because it's trapped in the lie that mass appeal equals maturity, that influence equals integrity, that charisma equals character, he explained.

Celebrity-ism creates a culture in which self-proclaimed influencers assume the role of spiritual mothers and fathers, he said. Celebrity-ism is deceptive and incompatible with Christian faith because it locates authority in the number of followers and blue checks next to our names. Celebrity-ism is not found in the crowds, but in the soul and in the environments that reinforce it. It's a sickness of the soul and a disease of the system.

The Deeply Formed Lifeauthor noted that in the wilderness, Satan tempted Jesus to build a ministry that would be based on a kind of ancient celebrity-ism," one not rooted in self-giving love but in spectacular showmanship.

The story shows us that the celebrity-ism that we are tempted with is one that's marked by entitlement, one that's marked by performance, one thats marked by power, he contended.

Entitlement is found in the expectation that I deserve to be treated differently. Performance is oriented around the lie that my sense of self is predicated on the attention and affirmation of the crowd. This notion of power is expressed in the incessant need to advance my personal agenda, and this is a sickness of the soul.

Celebrities dont form on their own  and behind every celebrity pastor is an adoring congregation that both loves and supports the celebrity atmosphere. Similarly, the development of a celebrity culture also doesn't happen overnight. Rather, it begins when a pastor has a driving ambition for fame, but it can't take root unless the congregation supports that ambition, the pastor said.

Unfortunately, many people want their pastor to be a spiritual hero or celebrity at some level, he said.

Villodas stressed that celebrity-ism is not monopolized by megachurches or big names, adding: Ive seen all kinds of leaders and small churches and medium-sized churches act like they're part of the royal family.

For the health of the Body of Christ, celebrity-ism must be resisted, and that will require every believer asking themselves four questions.

- Have I wrestled honestly with the entitlement I carry?

- Am I submitting myself to authority willingly, joyfully and transparently?

- Am I regularly proximate to people I'm not gaining any social capital from?

- Am I living from the center of God's affirming, unconditional love?

The pitfalls associated with celebrity pastors have been the focus of much discussion in recent years amid the public downfall of well-known Christian leaders, including former Hillsong pastor Carl Lentz and legendary apologist Ravi Zacharias.

New York pastor and author Tim Keller told The Christian Post that when pastors get to be well-known, the praise can turn their heads, the criticism can prompt self-pity, and the overwork can cause them to neglect their prayer life.

For all those reasons, very often, so-called celebrity ministers and figures very often live lives less consistent with the Christian faith than Christians who are not so famous, Keller said.

It's the job of the so-called famous Christians to just live ordinary, good Christian lives, and not overwork and burn out and get filled with self-pity and anger over all the people that are criticizing them. Thats the thing that sets them up for these things where they embezzle money, they have affairs or they do things like that.

While Christian leaders who have not been faithful or responsible with the platform God has given them must be held accountable, Keller stressed their moral failure doesn't mean that the Christian faith doesn't work.

A quack doctor doesn't mean that medicine is illegitimate. A quack evangelist doesn't mean that the Gospel isn't true. So on one hand, dont make excuses for your heroes. On the other hand, it doesnt mean that everything theyve ever said is illegitimate, he said.
A unified call for prophetic accountability

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Throughout the Bible, prophetic ministry played a central role to the point that, if you take it out of the Bible, you no longer have a Bible. At the same time, prophetic ministry presented many challenges, with false prophets doing as much damage as true prophets did good.

The apostle Paul summed up the possibilities and the problems associated with prophecy in a few short verses, writing, Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good (1 Thessalonians 5:19-21).

So, on the one hand, prophetic ministry should be encouraged, not suppressed. On the other hand, it must be tested.

Unfortunately, in church circles where prophetic ministry is still accepted, we tend to go to one extreme or the other, either welcoming prophecy with little or no discernment or virtually shutting it down with a hyper-cautious attitude.

Today, in light of the failed Trump prophecies, which received widespread media attention, and which followed on the heels of the failed end-of-Covid prophecies, prophetic ministry has a bad name. Not only so, but many believers have become spiritually disoriented while many pastors are asking, Who cleans up the mess now?

In the lead-up to the 2020 elections, amid a storm of pro-Trump prophecies, Bishop Joseph Mattera and I began to discuss the need to convene a number of charismatic leaders, sensing the fallout that would come should Trump not win reelection.

The first conference call took place on February 8, with about 20 leaders participating, and without names being released. That led to the drafting of a Prophetic Standards document, which was then submitted for discussion during a second call on March 15, involving most of the same leaders and some others who had not been part of the first call.

During that second call, the document was reviewed line by line, resulting in many changes and improvements. Then, it was sent to a number of other key charismatic leaders who were not part of either call, resulting in further sharpening of the statement.

It is, therefore, a group statement rather than that of any individual or denomination or stream or network or group.

As for the initial signers, they too represent different denominations, streams, networks, and groups, including megachurch pastors, biblical scholars, theologians, evangelists, leaders of apostolic networks, recognized prophetic ministers, and local church leaders.

It is our hope that this statement will both honor and encourage prophetic ministry while at the same time calling for greater accountability, since unaccountable prophecy has been a bane on the modern Pentecostal-charismatic movement for decades.

As the statement begins, At a time when there are many questions in the Body concerning the gift of prophecy and the ministry of the prophet, and in light of the needs of local pastors as well as individual believers to have practical guidelines for processing prophetic words, as Pentecostal and Charismatic leaders, we felt that now was the opportune moment to produce this current document.

It is not the purpose of this statement to condemn or accuse. Instead, our purpose is to help provide scriptural guidelines for the operation of the gift of prophecy and the functioning of the ministry of the prophet, while at the same time affirming the importance of these gifts and ministries.

To read the full statement, go here. To see the initial list of signers, which represent different nations including the USA, Canada, Australia, Nigeria, Israel, go here. If you are a ministry leader, you can add your name to the list of those who affirm the document here.

As you will see, the statement addresses the question of responsibility for failed prophecies, circles of local and national accountability, assessing prophetic words delivered in unfiltered form on the internet, joining our faith with prophecies, and the definition of a false prophet.

Note also that no judgment should be made on those whose names do not appear on this first list, since the statement was not sent out to multiplied hundreds of leaders, let alone multiplied thousands, to join the initial signatories. However, we invite all leaders to add their names to the document now, giving their affirmation.

We also encourage all interested believers to send this statement to their pastors or spiritual overseers, asking for their affirmation. And we encourage believers to send the statement to prophetic ministers whom they follow, asking for their affirmation as well.

Let us use this unique moment in history to cultivate sound prophetic ministry since the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy (Revelation 19:10). It is a great gift to the Church, and should neither be neglected nor abused.
Democrats call out Biden, Harris for not addressing border crisis

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Two border-state Senate Democrats have called out President Joe Biden for failing to make policy changes to fix the border crisis a priority in his first 100 days in office.

Vice President Kamala Harris has also been criticized by Republican lawmakers for refusing to go to the border. Instead, Harris will speak with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on May 7 to discuss a tree planting proposal in Central America in an attempt to provide more jobs and reduce migration. This proposal doesn't address the influx of fentanyl, heroin and meth trafficked into the U.S. by drug cartels and illegal border crossings by people from China and other nations.

Harris has also pledged $310 million in additional humanitarian aid for Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. The majority of the funds, $255 million, would be allocated to help asylum seekers and disaster relief projects in the region. Another $55 million would go to Guatemalas farming industry and literacy programs in that country and Honduras.

The Biden administration has yet to speak on the impact the border crisis is having on healthcare, education and public safety in communities most affected by the migrant surge.

Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., who's up for re-election in 2022, said Wednesday that Biden had not paid enough attention to the border crisis during his address to Congress.

While I share President Bidens urgency in fixing our broken immigration system, what I didnt hear tonight was a plan to address the immediate crisis at the border, and I will continue holding this administration accountable to deliver the resources and staffing necessary for a humane, orderly process as we work to improve border security, support local economies, and fix our immigration system, Kelly said in a statement.

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, also a Democrat from Arizona, has said the Biden administration needed to address the border crisis and support Arizona border communities.

Shes spoken directly with administration officials on this, Sinemas office told Fox News.

At least 46% of Americans believe the situation at the U.S. border has worsened compared with what it was under former President Donald Trump about two years ago, according to a recent Fox News poll, which revealed that only 15% of Americans think otherwise.

Fox News also reported on Friday that Harris had neither visited the border region nor held a news conference about her border-related duties since she took on a special border assignment from Biden on March 24.

Today would be a good day for Vice President Harris to visit the southern border, Republicans of the House Judiciary Committee wrote on social media on Friday.

This comes as police in Houston, Texas, found over 90 people, all men except five women, packed inside a room in what could be a human smuggling case as they were responding to a kidnapping call at a separate location Thursday night, according to Houston Police Assistant Chief Daryn Edwards.

Edwards said its definitely more of a smuggling thing and not a trafficking thing, according to The Epoch Times. He also cautioned that there may be some positive COVID-19 cases inside the house.

In many cases, children have been used to pose as families to get adults into the U.S.

Last month, a 36-year-old Brazilian man was caught crossing the border with an 8-year-old girl he claimed was his daughter.

The man later confessed that he had brought a friends daughter in Brazil so that U.S. authorities would be more lenient toward him, The Washington Times reported.

The Times noted that Homeland Security was still not using DNA testing often enough to validate family relationships of adults accompanying children.

Earlier last week, Republican Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, a ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, pressed the issue of Harris not going to the border. Vice President Kamala Harris visited North Carolina yesterday. Shes set to visit New Hampshire on Friday. Whens the border czar going to visit the southern border? Jordan asked in a tweet.
Arizona passes law banning abortions based on genetic abnormalities

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Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey signed a sweeping bill into law that makes it a felony to perform an abortion based on genetic abnormalities of unborn babies, such as Down syndrome, and also enacts several other pro-life measures.

Known as Senate Bill 1457, Ducey signed the legislation on Tuesday, saying in a statement that the new law is part of his commitment to pro-life ideals.

Theres immeasurable value in every single life  regardless of genetic makeup, stated Ducey. We will continue to prioritize protecting life in our preborn children, and this legislation goes a long way in protecting real human lives.

SB 1457 was sponsored by State Sen. Nancy Barto and includes exemptions for life-threatening medical emergencies for the mother and when the deformity is itself lethal.

Medical providers who do perform abortions prohibited in the law could face the possibility of prison time.

The bill also prohibits a facility that is run by or that operates on the property of a public educational institution from performing an abortion unless it is necessary to save the life of the woman having the abortion.

Further, SB 1457 bars public funding of university or college research on aborted fetal remains and requires proper burial of the remains of surgically aborted unborn babies.

We need to protect our most vulnerable, especially those with treatable genetic conditions, stated Barto. They are loved, integral members of our community that make Arizona whole  and Im proud to sponsor legislation that gives them a voice before theyre even born.

Critics of the legislation include the Arizona chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, which last week urged Ducey to veto SB 1457. The organization labels the bill as dangerous.

"The decision to have a child is too important to leave to politicians. That's why abortion is a constitutional right. Its critical for people to be able to access abortion if and when they need care," stated ACLU of Arizona Policy Director Darrell Hill.

This law will have a chilling impact on a persons relationship with their doctor and will make it harder for a person to have honest and informed conversations with their health provider."

The federal courts have been divided on the constitutionality of similar laws. Earlier this month, the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of an Ohio law banning abortions performed because a baby has been diagnosed with Down syndrome.

In January, the Eighth Circuit ruled against a similar Arkansas law.

In recent years, Arizona has passed several pro-life laws, including ones that mandate a 24-hour waiting period for women seeking an abortion and another that bans telemedicine abortions.

Last November, Planned Parenthood Arizona dropped litigation against those laws, though still expressing opposition to the enforcement of the measures.
Biden talks Equality Act, American Families Plan, white supremacist threat in Congress speech

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In his first speech before a joint session of U.S. Congress Wednesday night, President Joe Biden urged the legislative branch to support his progressive agenda, unveiled his American Families Plan and warned of the threat posed by white supremacy.

Biden addressed the 117th Congress in the U.S. House of Representatives chamber one day before his 100th day in office. While Biden spent his speech attempting to portray his proposals as popular among Americans of all political persuasions, the president also made overtures to the progressive base of the Democratic Party.

He specifically expressed a desire to see federal lawmakers send the Equality Act to his desk, which he described as a bill to protect LGBT Americans.

Biden delivered a specific message to the transgender community, one of the intended beneficiaries of the legislation that would codify discrimination protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity into federal law.

All transgender Americans watching at home, especially young people, who are so brave, I want you to know your president has your back, the 78-year-old declared.

The Equality Act has already passed the House but has stalled in the Senate. Championed by Democrats, the Equality Act has come under frequent criticism by conservatives, who have expressed concerns about its implications for religious liberty and womens sports.

Throughout his speech, Biden discussed a wide variety of topics, including the coronavirus stimulus package, the progress in distributing the coronavirus vaccine, efforts to fight climate change and foreign policy. The president promoted the American Jobs Plan, his infrastructure plan, in addition to unveiling his American Families Plan.

American Families Plan

The plan seeks to expand access to education, reduce the cost of child care and support women in the workforce while providing upwards of $1.8 trillion in investments and tax credits for American families and children over ten years, according to the White House.

The plan will be financed by raising taxes on high earners.

Discussing the need to compete with other countries, specifically China, Biden stressed that the United States needs to make a once-in-a-generation investment in our families and our children.

According to Biden, the American Families Plan addresses four of the biggest challenges facing American families and in turn America.

Biden identified the lack of access to a good education as one of the biggest challenges facing American families.

Arguing that 12 years of free public education was no longer sufficient as the U.S. seeks to compete on the world stage, he explained that the American Families Plan guarantees four additional years of public education for every person in America.

The great universities in this country have conducted studies over the last 10 years that shows that adding two years of universal, high-quality preschool for every 3-year-old and 4-year-old no matter what background they come from puts them in a position to be able to compete all the way through 12 years, he said. It increases exponentially their prospect of graduating and going on beyond graduation.

The research shows when a young child goes to school  not daycare  theyre far more likely to graduate from high school and go to college or something after high school, he added. When you add two years of free community college on top of that, you begin to change the dynamic.

Additionally, Biden explained, the American Families Plan will increase Pell Grants and invest in historically black college[s] and universities, tribal colleges [and] minority-serving institutions.

The American Families Plan will provide access to quality affordable child care, he announced. It would guarantee that low and middle-income families will pay no more than 7% of their income for high-quality care for children up to the age of five while the most hard-pressed working families wont have to spend a dime.

He said the plan would provide up to 12 weeks of paid leave and family and medical leave. He lamented that the U.S. is one of the few industrial countries in the world without such a policy.

No one should have to choose between a job and a paycheck for taking care of themselves and their loved ones or parent or spouse or child, the president said.

The former senator from Delaware maintained that extending a $3,000 child care tax credit for children over the age of 6 and a $3,600 child care tax credit for children younger than 6 years old through 2025 will help more than 65 million children and help cut child care poverty in half.

The president vowed that to pay for his proposals, he would not impose any tax increase on people making less than $400,000.

Instead, the cost would fall on corporate America and the wealthiest 1% of Americans, whom he argued needed to pay their fair share. He proposed increasing the top income tax rate to 39.6% and getting rid of the loopholes that allow Americans to make more than $1 million a year and pay a lower tax rate on their capital gains than Americans who receive a paycheck.

As he addressed foreign policy, Biden warned that terrorism has metastasized to the point where the threat has evolved way beyond Afghanistan. He vowed that its time to bring our troops home.

Racism and policing

While stating that Al Qaeda and ISIS are still in the Middle East and Africa, he cited the intelligence agencies analysis when characterizing white supremacy as the most lethal terrorist threat to the homeland today.

We have to come together to heal the soul of this nation, Biden stressed as he pivoted to discussing the death of George Floyd and race in America. Weve all seen the knee of injustice on the neck of black Americans. Nows our opportunity to make some real progress.

The vast majority of men and women wearing a uniform and a badge serve our communities, and they serve them honorably, he continued. We have to come together to rebuild trust between law enforcement and the people they serve to root out systemic racism in our criminal justice system and to enact police reform in George Floyds name that passed the House already.

While he praised Republicans for having very productive discussions with Democrats in the Senate, Biden reiterated the need to work together to find a consensus, urging Congress to pass criminal justice reform by May 25, the first anniversary of Floyds death.

Immigration

Describing immigration as essential to America, the president asked Congress to support a comprehensive immigration bill that includes a pathway to citizenship for 11 million undocumented folks as well as high tech border security.

He specifically highlighted protection for Dreamers, illegal immigrants brought to the country as children. He called for permanent protection for immigrants who are here on temporary protective status and a pathway to citizenship for farmworkers who put food on our tables as the most important immigration-related priorities that Congress must address.

H.R. 1

In addition, Biden asked Congress to pass H.R. 1, also known as the For the People Act.

Democrats, including Biden, have portrayed the bill as necessary to expand Americans access to the ballot box. But conservatives allege that H.R. 1, which they characterize as a federal takeover of the administration of elections, will make it easier to cheat and make it easier to manipulate election results because it loosens voter ID requirements and signature verification requirements for mail-in ballots.

As his speech concluded, Biden declared, I have never been more confident or optimistic about America because weve stared into the abyss of insurrection and autocracy, pandemic and pain and we the people did not flinch.

While it is not customary for newly elected presidents to give State of the Union addresses, they have given speeches to joint sessions Congress soon after assuming office.

The audience in the Hosue chamber did not include most of the 535 members of Congress as is customary for State of the Union addresses or similar addresses given by presidents shortly after taking office.

To maintain social distancing as the U.S. continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic, only a handful of members of Congress were physically present in the chamber.
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For twenty-five years of leading different companies and churches, I have learned the hard way how to lovingly terminate staff. In my role as pastor or as a CEO/COO I would love to say that I have always terminated staff in a loving way. But, I have not.

One of the greatest lessons I learned as an Executive Pastor at Mars Hill Church was to lead as a pastor and not a professional. Over time, Jesus taught me a lot from and with Pastor Dave Bruskas as he led our staff through the pastoral epistles (1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus) each week. By the grace of God, in the end, we got closer to getting termination right than we had in the past.

These are some lessons I learned during that time about how to lovingly terminate a staff member.

Termination should never be a surprise to the staff member.

Terminations should fall into two categories: immediate termination for a gross action or termination for not meeting the expectations in their job description. In either case, the termination should never come as a surprise. This is what distinguishes a termination from a layoff. Where a layoff often occurs because of financial reasons and may come as a surprise to the employee, a termination is more disciplinary in nature. It should not come out of the blue. I cover how to lovingly layoff staff in this article.

Immediate Termination for a Gross Action

There is a long list of actions that will lead to a staff member being terminated immediately. Many companies have policies that state that if the staff member breaks a lawstealing, fraud, use of illegal drugs, or other actionsthen the staff member will be terminated immediately. In each case, the employee is not surprised if they are terminated for one of these reasons. They acknowledged upfront these company policies that clearly stated they would be terminated for these actions.

Termination for Not Meeting Expectations

Most terminations fall into this category, and this termination should come after a lengthy discussion of unmet expectations. If the staff member is surprised at termination, the supervisor and organization have failed the staff member.

As the supervisor, you must provide a current job description to the staff member. Each time your staff changes job responsibilities, you, as the supervisor, must reproduce their job description and review it with them.

When there is any variance where the staff member is not meeting the expectations of the role, the supervisor must sit down with the staff member and discuss the variance. Most of the time, I have found when a staff member does not meet expectations, it is because they do not clearly know how to meet the expectation or there is another factor that might be inhibiting their performance.

A great tool to use as a leader to assist in reforming an employee that is not meeting expectations is a Performance Improvement Plan or PIP. A PIP helps to communicate the path needed for the staff member to be successful in their current role. I have included a link to the Vanderbloemen PIP to help you build your own.

However, even after using clear communication and Performance Improvement Plans, you may still need to terminate based on performance. You may also have to terminate immediately for cause. The following steps are good advice for the supervisor.

Termination

There should never be a time when terminating a fellow staff member is easy. However, I believe you can do it in a kind and honoring way. Here are some tips Ive learned over the years about how to do so:

 Be certain that the termination is correct and needed. Although many labor laws need to be upheld, the process cannot be rigid, cold, or short. In the past, I have made that mistake and have thankfully learned from it.

 There is a balance between job performance and grace. After you have communicated the desired change, give time for the employee to change their activity and work through a PIP. Then, if the performance has not improved, it is time to terminate the employee.

 Be compassionate with the person and pray through what this will do to their family, their career, and their relationships in the church or organization. Have great empathy for that employee and communicate this empathy to them during your final meeting.

 Have another staff member, preferably your Human Resource professional and, if this is a church, a pastor, in attendance with you during the final meeting.

 Ask for feedback from the terminated employee in the form of an exit interview. This should not be conducted by the supervisor but a Human Resource professional, pastor, or impartial person. Make sure someone follows up with the former employee about the comments they make. This is something I have at times failed to do.

 Pray for the terminated employee at the end of the meeting.

 Depending on your environment and culture, you might want to have your termination meeting at the end of the day or even off-site. This provides the opportunity for the staff member being terminated not to have to face fellow colleagues during office hours.

 Consider a company or church policy that states that once an employee is terminated, they are not allowed to email or communicate with staff regarding company business. And make it a standard practice that their access to email, server, and other technology is immediately eliminated.

 Give severance pay when financially able to do so and extend health benefits when possible. Another option, if the organization is financially able, is to pay for their COBRA insurance for a period of time.

I wish I had followed the suggestions above each and every time I terminated a staff member over my 25 years of leading organizations (church, for-profit, and non-profit). I did not. Thanks be to God for the power of the Holy Spirit which has graciously sanctified me in this area.
Tucked away in a remote canyon, park rangers in Death Valley National Park stumbled across a massive, illegal marijuana grow.

The 40-acre grow was found in Jail Canyon, a rarely visited canyon on the western side of the Panamint Mountains, the National Park Service said in a news release. The area is near the border between California and Nevada.

While California legalized marijuana in 2016, it remains prohibited on federal lands. It's not known who was cultivating the spot, but a park spokesperson told National Parks Traveler that rangers flew over the area to "photograph the extent and to (hopefully) encourage the growers to abandon the site."

The illegal grow is one of hundreds that authorities have found in Death Valley over the last decade, officials said, and marijuana grow sites can damage or destroy parts of the national park. Chemicals used in pesticides, clearing of protected lands and diverting water resources can all cause irreparable destruction.

The park service said in a statement that illegal marijuana growers have also been known to threaten hikers who inadvertently came across their crops.

The natural and cultural resources in these areas are irreplaceable and invaluable, damaging them for profit shows incredible disrespect to our homeland, Barbara Durham, Traditional Historic Preservation Officer for the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe, said in a statement. The Timbisha Shoshone Tribe's reservation is within the park.

National Parks Traveler reported Jail Canyon is closed while rangers survey the area.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Kalaupapa peninsula lies in a remote area of Molokai island in Hawaii, at the base of a 2,000-foot sea cliff wall and surrounded by ocean on three sides. The massive bluffs cut off Kalaupapa from the rest of Molokai, and Kalaupapa is only accessible by plane, hiking, mule ride, or a rough boat ride.

There is no way to drive into Kalaupapa, which is home to a permanent population of 10 people, the remaining patients of what was once an infamous leprosy community. Now elderly, they were forced to live here at Kalaupapa against their will.

As the world continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, the people exiled so long ago and shuttered from the public, are now doing everything they can to protect themselves from the world and the novel coronavirus.

Theyve endured isolation, and lived a significant portion of their lives in segregation, and now its reversed, says Miki'ala Pescaia, interpretive park ranger at Kalaupapa National Historical Park. Their isolation was imposed upon them in a way to protect the public from them, and now, were trying to protect them from the public.

Today, about 95% of people are immune to leprosy, and those who do come into contact with it can use antibiotics for treatment. However, in the late 1800s, leprosy, an infectious disease spread from person to person through prolonged contact that affects the skin, eyes, and nerves, was a mysterious illness in the Hawaiian islands. At the time, there was no treatment or cure for the disease as it reached epidemic proportions on the islands and threatened to wipe out the native Hawaiian population. The indigenous peoples of Hawaii did not have immunity to withstand foreign disease, due to the isolation of the islands.

In an effort to stop the spread of Hansens disease, the Kingdom of Hawaii passed An Act to Prevent the Spread of Leprosy in 1865, and designated Kalaupapa as the place where those with leprosy  and those suspected of having it  would reside. The kingdom purchased 800 acres of land on the Kalaupapa peninsula, and began forcing people, mainly native Hawaiians, to Kalaupapa to live out the rest of their days, relying on themselves for food and resources. In January 1866, 12 Hawaiian citizens arrived at Kalaupapa, the first of about 8,000 people who were taken from their families and homes, and forced into isolation.

Over time, the settlement grew and the government evicted the original people who inhabited the land at Kalaupapa, meaning the only people who lived at Kalaupapa were those with leprosy and their caregivers. Housing, supplies, and facilities improved over the years, with hospital facilities, dormitories, and other things being built, but life at Kalaupapa was never easy, as limited medical resources, lack of supplies, and isolation made things difficult.

tropicalpixsingapore/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Things began to change when a cure for Hansens disease arrived in Hawaii in 1946. It meant that patients were no longer contagious after treatment, and isolation was no longer necessary. The forced quarantine laws were then abolished in 1969, more than 100 years after they were put in place.

Some patients chose to leave Kalaupapa and reunite with their families, but many who remain there today have chosen to stay for the rest of their lives. For many, Kalaupapa is the only life theyve ever known, says Pescaia.

Patients were also worried that their history wasnt going to be curated and preserved, and so many stayed to tell their stories. In the 1970s, the state began looking at who the right entity would be to help tell these peoples stories, and they chose the National Park Service. In 1980, Kalaupapa became a National Historical Park.

Today, about 10 patients remain at Kalaupapa, but currently, only about half of those patients are there, as the pandemic has prevented the other half from returning.

In addition to patients, there are usually anywhere from 80 to 100 people in the settlement during the weekdays. Most work for the Park Service and the state, as well as others, including the postmistress, Catholic priests, nuns, airport workers, Department of Transportation workers, and long-term volunteers and interns. These workers return to their families on topside Molokai on weekends, when the number of people on Kalaupapa would drop to approximately 35 to 40.

But since the pandemic hit last year, these numbers are drastically lower. Pescaia notes that currently, less than half of the Park Service staff is in service working in the park. The number of state workers on Kalaupapa was also cut in half, although some are returning, slowly. There is also a mandatory 14-day quarantine for anyone coming into the settlement; essential workers have a modified quarantine that allows them to work, but they must return home as soon as their shift ends.

GeoStock/Getty Images

Kalaupapa National Historical Park also stopped allowing visitors to enter last year after the pandemic hit. Residents have not been able to see their families and have only had the company of one another and workers for over a year. But the staff cuts and strict no-visitors policy have been effective in keeping the Kalaupapa patients safe. None of the patients has contracted COVID-19.

However, the lack of visitors, lack of family time, and the inability to leave the peninsula in over a year have taken their toll. Weve spent so much energy trying to maintain some normalcy, and trying to reconnect them, and help them overcome the trauma of separation and disconnect, says Pescaia. And now, we're right back where we were 50 years ago, where we cant touch them or hug them or hold their hands.

The lack of visitors also means that residents, who usually conduct tours and share their stories, have been out of a job since the pandemic hit and havent been able to share their history. This is how the last chapter of Kalaupapa is going down? Pescaia asks. This is not fair. They should be enjoying laughter and the company of their families, and not feeling so lonely.

For now, Kalaupapa National Historical Park is still closed to the public. A reopening date has not been discussed yet, but Pescaia says they are relying on the rest of society to do its part and stay vigilant.

Isolation has taken on a whole new meaning for people who are stuck in Kalaupapa, she says. Its a blessing, because its a safe and beautiful place and theres so much to enjoy. But we miss people.

Amanda Ogle is a freelance writer and editor covering travel, sustainability, food and drink, health and wellness, and general lifestyle topics. Her work has appeared in Travel + Leisure, National Geographic, Texas Highways, OZY, Virtuoso Traveler, American Way and more. You can find all of her work at amandaogle.com.
Members of activist groups, including Political Mamas and the Korean Hanbumo Association, hold a press conference in front of KBS in Yeouido, Seoul, April 14, to protest discrimination against single parents. This issue came up after the broadcaster decided to have Japanese TV personality Sayuri Fujita, who became an unmarried mother by choice, appear on a childcare program. Korea Times photo by Lee Yu-ji



By Bahk Eun-ji



Every country has a legal definition of and boundaries around what constitutes a "family," so that it can apply laws in regard to various family issues, such as childcare, household subsidies, inheritance and housing among others.



Such laws, however, can have adverse effects on people who do not fall into the legal concept of family, causing discrimination against them for not forming a "normal" family.



Korea has recently seen a debate on what kind of family is normal and what kind is not  a debate sparked by, among other things, television personality Sayuri Fujita, who became an unmarried mother using artificial insemination and an anonymous sperm donor.



According to a 2020 government survey, 69.7 percent of respondents said people living together and making ends meet together should be recognized as a "family," even if they are not a married couple or do not have blood ties. Additionally, more than 55 percent of people in their 20s and 30s said that they can accept unmarried mothers, as in Sayuri's case.



Korea has seen the proportion of households comprising parents and unmarried children, traditionally considered the "typical family," decrease from 37 percent in 2010 to 29.8 percent in 2019.



In response, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family announced last month that it would begin discussions on expanding the legal concept of family to include more non-traditional types, such as unmarried partnerships. The plan is in accordance with the decline in marriages and the low birthrate, as well as the necessity to create an environment for all forms of family not to be discriminated against, the ministry said.



One of the plans includes allowing a couple to choose between the father's and the mother's surnames for their children at the time of birth. According to current regulations, a child must have the family name of the father, but the mother's surname is allowed if the parents agree when they register their marriage, not at the time of childbirth.





Lee Seol-ah, left, and Jang Dong-hyun, an activist couple, speak in front of the Constitutional Court in Seoul, March 18, after filing a petition to review the constitutionality of the nation's family registration law. Yonhap

Civic activist couple Lee Seol-ah and Jang Dong-hyun said that when they asked about applying the mother's surname when registering their marriage at the district office last December, they were instructed to sign an agreement indicating their decision on the surname.



"It is questionable why our future child's surname should be decided at the time of our marriage registration, and why such an agreement is needed only when using the mother's last name and not needed when using that of the father," Lee said.



"It violates articles of the Constitution which state that marriage and family life are based on individual dignity and gender equality."



So the couple filed a petition with the Constitutional Court, asking it to review the constitutionality of the relevant law.



"The country's current traditional concept of family has plagued many minorities in our society. In order to put a small rupture in the entrenched framing of family that people consider normal, we decided to file a constitutional petition," Lee said during a press conference in front of the court, March 18.



The government's move has been welcomed by liberal parents' groups.



"We welcome the ministry's plan, because it is appropriate to embrace diverse forms of family in Korea," Kim Jung-deok, an activist from the civic group, Political Mamas, said.





Gender Equality and Family Minister Chung Young-ai speaks during a briefing on a new basic five-year plan for healthy families at the Government Complex Seoul, April 27. Yonhap



"People should be able to form the family or small community they want, and whichever diverse form of family that is, it's the government's job to guarantee the status of that family without discrimination," Kim said.



Oh Jin-bhang, manager of the Korean Hanbumo Association, an activist group supporting single parents, said, "When we carefully look at the government's plan, there are still several things that are not satisfactory in detail, such as housing support for single-parent families, but we welcome such attempts to create laws and systems that accept diversity."



"Not everything will change at once, but our society should move in a way that can reduce discrimination," Oh said.





Members of conservative religious groups hold a press conference in front of KBS on Yeouido, Seoul, April 15, to denounce the broadcaster's decision to have TV personality Sayuri Fujita appear on its childcare-themed TV program, saying that this decision encourages unmarried childbirth. Screenshot from the website of the Civic Group against Same-sex Marriage.




Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong left for Britain on Sunday to attend a Group of Seven (G7) meeting for discussions on access to COVID-19 vaccines, climate change and other global issues.







The first in-person gathering of G7 foreign and development ministers in over two years is slated to take place in London from Monday to Wednesday. Though not party to it, South Korea, Australia, India, South Africa and Brunei, the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, have been invited as guests.







On the margins of the session, Chung is set to meet bilaterally with his U.S., British, Indian and European Union counterparts  Antony Blinken, Dominic Raab, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Josep Borrell.







The multilateral forum could set the stage for Chung's first talks with his Japanese counterpart, Toshimitsu Motegi. Diplomatic efforts have been under way to arrange the bilateral talks, as well as a trilateral meeting involving Secretary Blinken.







During their talks, Chung and Blinken are expected to discuss a diplomatic approach to North Korea's nuclear issue, as Washington has set its policy toward the recalcitrant regime.







White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Friday that the U.S. policy to the North calls for a "calibrated, practical" approach, and will not focus on achieving a grand bargain nor will it rely on strategic patience, a term that refers to an Obama-era approach of waiting for the North to signal a change in its behavior while maintaining diplomatic and economic pressure.







Also drawing keen attention is the possibility that Chung and Motegi could meet for the first time in their current capacities.







Chung has made overtures for dialogue with Motegi "in any format," but Motegi has not acceded to that call amid protracted rows over Tokyo's wartime forced labor, sexual slavery and export curbs.







The agenda for the G7 meeting includes joint efforts to ensure equitable access to vaccines, recover from the pandemic, support girls' education in underdeveloped countries and tackle climate change. (Yonhap)


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A. Transportation. There's a strong need for a long-term mobility plan, especially on U.S. 19 and State Road 44.

B. Resiliency. Crystal River needs blueprints for the future, especially focusing on sea level rise and health of bay waters.

C. Downtown. Areas within the city's CRA need more projects like the Town Square.

D. Revitalization. Abandoned shopping centers and older structures like the mall need a makeover.

E. Residential neighborhoods. Interconnecting communities and maximizing the potential in Crystal River neighborhoods is the key to happy living.

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An Instagram post showing antique porcelain dishware at a cafe owned by Oceans and Fisheries Minister nominee Park Jun-young's wife, who is accused of illegally bringing in the pieces from the U.K. and selling them. Captured from Instagram





By Kwon Mee-yoo







The wife of Oceans Minister nominee Park Jun-young has been accused of smuggling porcelain pieces into the country and illegally selling them.







According to Rep. Kim Sun-gyo of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), Park's wife, surnamed Woo, purchased antique porcelain tea cups and dishes when her husband was a minister counsellor at the Korean Embassy to the U.K. from 2015 to 2018. She then brought them into Korea as part of her diplomatic moving package without making a customs declaration







Woo opened a cafe in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, in December 2019 and allegedly sold some of the antique porcelain dishware at the cafe, which was registered as a restaurant business and thus legally not allowed to sell such items. She posted pictures of a large quantity of ceramic tea cups and dishes on the cafe's Instagram page and they were stated as for sale.







Rep. Kim claimed that the act violated customs laws, and that selling non-food products at a business not registered for a wholesale or retail business license is also illegal.







PPP deputy spokesma Hwang Kyu-hwan said in a statement, Saturday, "Importing and selling porcelain articles worth millions of won without declaring them at customs and registering them for retail sale is equivalent to smuggling.







"The Korea Coast Guard, in charge of catching maritime smuggling, is under the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. Park will face allegations that he is compromised if he becomes the oceans minister," Hwang said.







Park released an explanation, Saturday, saying that the porcelain in question was purchased by his wife at flea markets in the U.K. as a hobby.







"When she brought the porcelain from the U.K., they were secondhand articles of little worth and not intended for sale in Korea. They cleared customs as part of the whole moving package," Park said in the statement. "When my wife opened a cafe in 2019, she displayed the porcelain from her collection to differentiate it from other cafes and sold some of them not knowing what she was doing was illegal. I apologize for not meeting public expectations. I and my wife will cooperate with the authorities on the issues including customs evasion and retail business registration."







Park, a career public official at the ministry, served as vice minister before being nominated for the ministerial position April 16.


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Make Canadian experience count: Pathways to PR for workers and graduates in Canada Exploring different pathways to permanent residence for immigration candidates in Canada.

Make Canadian experience count: Pathways to PR for workers and graduates in Canada Exploring different pathways to permanent residence for immigration candidates in Canada.

Make Canadian experience count: Pathways to PR for workers and graduates in Canada Exploring different pathways to permanent residence for immigration candidates in Canada. Michael Schwartz Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif

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Canadian experience has always been valuable toward an application for permanent residence. Recently, it has become even more important.

Coronavirus has caused Canada to shut its border to non-essential international travel. Which means, until regular travel resumes, Canada is focusing much of its immigration energies on temporary residents who are already physically present in the country.

Here is an overview of some of the pathways to permanent residency for those with professional experience in Canada.

Limited-time PR Streams

Canada will launch six new immigration streams on May 6. These new streams are designed for essential workers and recent grads who are working in Canada. Candidates may be eligible if they have work experience in essential occupations such as healthcare and others. To apply, you must currently be working in Canada in any occupation. These programs are unique because they do not take National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill level into account. Many federal programs do.

Canada will accept up to 90,000 applications for these new programs, plus an unlimited number of francophone or bilingual candidates. The new streams are popular  so popular that the English language test provider websites crashed due to high demand. Applicants need to demonstrate a minimum language requirement, and the immigration department has said language test results need to be included in the application.

Do you live in Canada? Apply for PR under these new pathways!

Canadian Experience Class (CEC)

The CEC is a long-standing federal immigration program designed to attract and retain people who already have experience living and working in a skilled occupation in Canada. To be eligible, a candidate needs one year of skilled (NOC 0, A, or B) work experience in Canada within the last three years, as well as an intermediate to high English proficiency, depending on what type of occupation you hold. There is no job requirement to be eligible.

The CEC is managed through the Express Entry system, designed to process most complete applications in six months or less. Express Entry uses a grid called the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) to rank candidates, and periodically sends those with the highest scores Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for Canadian permanent residence. Having a job offer, high proficiency English or French, an advanced educational credential, and more years of Canadian work or educational experience will all help improve your score.

Find Out if Youre Eligible for Canadian Immigration

Quebec

Quebec administers its own economic immigration programs. Many of these programs are quite similar in structure and form to the federal governments, although with an added emphasis on French language proficiency. There is, for example, a Quebec Experience Class that has sub-streams for people who have skilled work experience in the province, and for recent graduates of Quebec post-secondary institutions.

Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)

A nomination under a federal immigration program allows a person to settle in any province or territory in Canada, except for Quebec. In addition to the federal and Quebec programs, there are scores of Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs), which allow provinces to nominate people to immigrate to that specific place.

Alberta, for example, runs the Alberta Opportunity Stream (AOS) for people who are already working in the province. You have to be working in an eligible occupation and show that you will continue to hold employment in it. Alberta identifies ineligible occupations, but it does not provide a list of occupations that are eligible.

Ontario recently launched an Expression of Interest (EOI) system for its Employer Job Offer Category. Although domestic experience is not necessary for the program, it is worth more points on the EOI scoring grid.

There are also several PNPs align with Express Entry and the programs it manages, including the CEC. PNPs that are aligned with the Express Entry system are called enhanced programs. A nomination from an enhanced PNP gives a candidate 600 additional points in the CRS system, which has a maximum of 1,200 points. As such, an nomination from an enhanced program makes it extremely likely a person will receive an invitation to apply for permanent residence.

Conclusion

Canadian work or study experience is always valuable. However, it is particularly useful now, since Canada is focusing on reaching its immigration levels targets during a period of travel restrictions other coronavirus-related public health measures. At both the federal and provincial levels, there are opportunities abound for you to use your Canadian experience as a springboard to your future as a permanent resident.

Find Out if Youre Eligible for Canadian Immigration

 CIC News All Rights Reserved. Visit CanadaVisa.com to discover your Canadian immigration options.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A 32-year-old man was shot dead while panhandling in the citys Woodland Hills neighborhood Saturday morning, police say.

The man has not yet been identified in the shooting that happened just before 10 a.m. on East 128th Street near Forest Avenue, Cleveland police spokeswoman Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia said.

Police responded to the call and found the man lying on the sidewalk with gunshot wounds to his head and body. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.

Investigators learned the man was panhandling near East 130th Street and Buckeye Road. He was last seen walking with an unidentified man.

Police do not know if the man the victim left with is responsible for his death, but witnesses saw a man running from the area of the shooting through yards.

Read more crime stories on cleveland.com:

Bedford High School student shot in head by fellow student dies, police say

Lorain County student brings loaded gun to school after losing bet, sheriffs office says

This is not going to stand: Father of Arthur Keith and other victims of police brutality rally in Cleveland: This Week in the CLE special episode

Woman dies after suffering from multiple gunshot wounds in Cleveland

25-year-old man dies in shooting in Clevelands Kinsman neighborhood
Ohioans will soon see legislation, now being drafted, to implement sound policing reforms that Gov. Mike DeWine called for in the wake of 2020s murder of Black Minnesotan George Floyd by ex-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.

DeWines proposals, announced last June in collaboration with Attorney General David Yost, are practical and commonsense. Now, the General Assemblys leaders who, like the governor, are Republican, must reciprocate his practicality by ensuring input and encouraging buy-in by the General Assemblys Black members, all Democrats, in a bill that must ensure equal treatment of all Ohioans.

DeWine himself set the pace, saying, in announcing his proposed reforms, that they were developed with feedback from the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus, Ohio Conference of NAACP, Ohio Chiefs of Police Association, Buckeye State Sheriffs Association, Fraternal Order of Police, and others.

His plan, cleveland.coms Jeremy Pelzer reported then, would:

* License police in the same manner Ohio licenses teacher and lawyers.

* Require that internal investigations of an Ohio police department be conducted by the state Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation or other outside agencies, not the department itself.

* Establish a statewide, public database about all instances when Ohio police use force;

* Forbid police from using chokeholds except in life-or-death encounters.

Two Ohio House Republicans, Reps. Phil Plummer of Dayton and Cindy Abrams of suburban Cincinnatis Harrison, are fashioning the police-reform legislation. Earlier, Plummer was Montgomery County sheriff. And Abrams was a Cincinnati police officer.

They co-sponsored a police reform bill during the 2019-2020 legislature that was not acted upon. But Chauvins murder conviction, and the deaths, as the result of police shootings, of eight Black people in Columbus or Franklin County since January 2020, including 16-year-old MaKhia Bryant on April 20, have understandably led to widespread calls for policing reform in Ohio.

Reforms are critical, not just to restore public confidence in the states police forces but also to address persistent racial disparities in policing.

Scholars at Yale and the University of Pennsylvania reported in October in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health on whether racial disparities in fatal police shootings had been altered by recent heightened public awareness and consequent measures taken to reduce such disparities. The answer was no.

Over the past five years there has been no reduction in the racial disparity in fatal police shooting victims despite increased use of body cameras and closer media scrutiny, said a Yale press release on the findings.

Thats one reason any police reforms have to be inclusive, and inclusively written. Yet state Rep. Stephanie Howse, a Cleveland Democrat and former president of the Ohio Legislative Back Caucus, recently told Pelzer that no Black Caucus members, or, for that matter, any House Democrats, had been consulted on the Republicans police-reform bill.

Plummer in turn told Pelzer, Well still have more meetings with the minority community, just to make sure theyre on board and get their input on it. But this has to be balanced for both sides  the police and the community.

Yes, balance certainly is essential  because it doesnt exist now. Exhibit A is Ohio House Bill 22, introduced by two other GOP lawmakers in February. As the nonpartisan Legislative Service Commission summarized the bill, it seeks to [expand] the offense of obstructing justice to include failure to follow a lawful order from a law enforcement officer or diverting a law enforcement officers attention.

As critics of HB 22 have noted and testified, that language is so broad, it could in theory have enabled police to keep onlookers to George Floyds killing from being able to record video of his death or even from being close enough to witness the police actions sufficiently to provide testimony at trial.

Meaningful police reform must be balanced -- but that means balancing the interests of police, in doing their jobs fairly to serve and protect all Ohioans, and those of the community, which needs its freedoms respected and its trust restored, especially for Ohioans of color, who have endured generations of mistreatment.

DeWines proposals are practical, theyre important, and, if implemented in good faith, they would go a long way toward rebalancing liberty and order. The governors led the way. Now its the legislatures job to hear out Ohioans, of every background, to fashion fair, effective reforms.

About our editorials: Editorials express the view of the editorial board of cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer -- the senior leadership and editorial-writing staff. As is traditional, editorials are unsigned and intended to be seen as the voice of the news organization.

Have something to say about this topic?

* Send a letter to the editor, which will be considered for print publication.

* Email general questions about our editorial board or comments or corrections on this editorial to Elizabeth Sullivan, director of opinion, at esullivan@cleveland.com.
Dogs for grooming training are held in cages at a pet grooming academy in South Gyeongsang Province in this April 10 photo. Korea Times file



By Bahk Eun-ji



Some private "academies" that train people to groom pets have been accused of animal abuse due to the poor treatment and hygiene of the animals used in training.



Critics say that these problems come from a legal loophole in animal protection laws. Under the Animal Protection Act, animal groomers should manage facilities hygienically and safely, as well as prepare equipment to prevent dogs from suffering health problems, but such academies are not included in the animal beauty industry category because they are considered educational institutions, not workplaces



There are online posts uploaded by people who attended such academies, who say that most of the institutions do not have proper facilities, such as hot water, devices to prevent animals from falling from grooming desks and rest areas.



Moreover, most put the dogs in narrow cages and do not provide good hygiene, they said.



In a video clip and photos posted last month by the animal activist group, "Mom and Dad for Abandoned Animals," many dogs at a "grooming academy" were kept in narrow cages, with one suffering from a tumor, another an injury that may have been sustained from scissors, and one more with part of its tongue cut out. But there was not even minimal treatment for these illnesses and injuries, such as applying medicine, according to the group.



The clip and the photos have incited public anger, with people calling for regulations to be put on the grooming industry and its academies. A petition posted on the Cheong Wa Dae website on April 12 calling for the establishment of a relevant law to sternly punish such animal cruelty in private pet grooming academies had gathered over 40,000 signatures as of Sunday.



Some say that these academies should be required to use replicas or mock-ups during training instead of using living creatures.



On this issue, the Korean Kennel Club (KKC), one of the organizations responsible for the pet grooming qualification test, said it uses a wig instead of a dog for the test.



"We began using wigs in 2016. At first, it was out of fairness during the test to provide the same environment for test takers," said an official of the KKC. "But the use of wigs is better in terms of animal protection as well, and it also reduces the risk of spreading infectious diseases among dogs during the test."



However, the official said that using only wigs for training has its limitations.



"Those future pet groomers are not going to be using wigs when they actually do their jobs," he said. "I don't think that it will be such a big problem for the academies to use dogs, as long as they are educated sufficiently not to abuse the animals."



In the meantime, the pet grooming industry is growing rapidly, as the domestic pet population has soared to 15 million. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, there were 6,351 pet grooming establishments in 2019, up 34.4 percent from a year earlier.


Heres the headline: Ohio is losing one of its 16 U.S. House seats.

Heres the question: Will anyone notice?

After all, because of rigged congressional districts, and not just in Ohio, the British House of Lords seems like an edgy experiment in democracy.

Yes, voter-passed redistricting reforms are supposed to induce the creation of fair congressional districts in Ohio. But even fair (actually, less-unfair) districts wont keep Ohioans from peopling the U.S. House with historically unremarkable people.

Well-publicized people? Yes. But anyone whose departure from Congress would affect the well-being of a single Ohio family besides his or her own? No.

True, by losing a U.S. House seat, Ohio will also lose one electoral vote. And that says something about Ohio, which, as late as 1940, still had more residents than California  albeit just 225 more. Meanwhile, over, say, the last 100 years, the men and women Ohio has sent to the U.S. House (some directly from the Statehouse) have been at most middling. The only book most will appear in is Mr. Websters dictionary  as illustrations next to the definition of forgettable.

True, in the last 100 years, two Ohioans became U.S. House speakers: Cincinnatis Nicholas Longworth, and suburban Cincinnatis John Boehner. A third Ohio Republican, U.S. Rep. William M. McCulloch of Piqua, in Congress from late 1947 through 1972, was a sterling champion of civil rights for all people. McCulloch was Ohio House speaker from 1939 through 1944. A bronze bust just outside the Houses chamber honors McCulloch.

Some readers likely think one Ohioan now in the U.S. House has star quality and will long remain in the national spotlight as a GOP champion: Rep. Jim Jordan, the Urbana Republican. That may be a fair assessment, keeping in mind that (with one crucial exception) Jordan probably couldnt be elected dogcatcher outside Ohios GOP-rigged 4th Congressional District.

The exception: If Republicans regain U.S. House control in November 2022 (which is certainly possible), Jordan may be a contender for House speaker.

Any Ohioan who says Jordan could never become speaker may have once said Donald Trump could never become president.

Consumer squeeze: Still stalled by Senate GOP leaders are two bills that would really repeal House Bill 6 and repeal another brazen anti-ratepayer Ohio law.

In March, the legislature did repeal the nuclear-power-plant bailout part of HB 6. But HB 6, passed in 2019, still requires Ohio electricity consumers to pay $700 million to bail out two money-losing coal-burning power plants, one in Indiana. A bill to repeal the coal plant subsidies (Senate Bill 117, sponsored by GOP Sen. Mark Romanchuk, of Ontario, and Democratic Sen. Hearcel Craig, of Columbus) seems stuck in the Senates Energy and Public Utilities Committee.

The panels chair is Sen. Bob Peterson, a Washington Court House Republican. Petersons running for the 15th Congressional District seat that Rep. Steve Stivers, an Upper Arlington Republican, is leaving. Stivers artfully gerrymandered 15th District includes eight counties and parts of four others, including a chunk of Franklin County.

The coal plants owners include American Electric Power, AES Ohio (Dayton Power & Light) and Duke Energy. AEP is fielding 10 Statehouse lobbyists. AES Ohio is fielding eight. Duke is fielding 11. Lobbyists have every right to represent private interests. But the stall by Petersons Senate committee on SB 117, to repeal the coal plant bailout Ohio still forces consumers to pay, may make voters wonder just whos representing the public interest.

Also seemingly on ice in Petersons Senate committee is another pro-consumer measure, Senate Bill 95, introduced Feb. 24 by Sen. Tina Maharath, a Canal Winchester Democrat.

Maharaths bill would overturn one of Ohios most brazen anti-consumer laws: Utility ratepayers are typically denied refunds even when the Ohio Supreme Court finds a [Public Utilities Commission of Ohio]-approved charge to be unlawful, Maharath said in sponsor testimony. For example, FirstEnergys two million [Ohio] consumers were denied nearly a half-billion dollars in refunds after the [Ohio Supreme] Court ruled [FirstEnergys] so-called distribution modernization charge to be improper, she said.

Thats fair? No. Thats the status quo in Ohio. And, evidently, the legislatures GOP leadership thinks thats swell.

Thomas Suddes, a member of the editorial board, writes from Athens.

To reach Thomas Suddes: tsuddes@cleveland.com, 216-408-9474

Have something to say about this topic?

* Send a letter to the editor, which will be considered for print publication.

* Email general questions about our editorial board or comments or corrections on this opinion column to Elizabeth Sullivan, director of opinion, at esullivan@cleveland.com.
Beachwood, OH (44122)

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Rain showers in the morning with thunderstorms developing for the afternoon. High 79F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%..

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By Kim Ae-ran





In his 55th message for World Communications Day, May 16, 2021, titled "Come and see. Communicating by encountering people where and as they are," Pope Francis quotes several authors including Saint Augustine, William Shakespeare and Manuel Lozano Garrido.



"Come and see" (John 1:39) are the first words of Jesus to his disciples. The apostle Philip also recommends Nathaniel to "come and see" (John 1:46). This invitation is the simplest method for "all authentic human communications," going beyond "hidden dangers such as a complacent attitude," empty rhetoric, misinformation, prejudices, hasty conclusions and deceptive appearances.



Like volunteers who helped in the aftermath of the "Sewol" ferry tragedy, open-minded people are willing to go and see those who are in desperate situations, to spend time with them, to listen to their stories, to console and heal the hurt.



As a witness of "come and see", Pope Francis mentioned the advice of Garrido to his fellow journalists: "Open your eyes with wonder to what you see, let your hands touch the freshness and vitality of things, so that when others read what you write, they too can touch first-hand the vibrant miracle of life."



What drew my attention was Manuel Lozano Garrido (1920-1971), a Spanish journalist and author with the nickname "Lolo," who was beatified in 2010 as a patron of journalists.



His father died when he was six years old, and his mother passed away when he was aged 15. He had seven brothers and one sister, Lucia. He joined "Catholic Action" at age 11 and visited prisoners to sneak Holy Communion to them as a Eucharistic minister during the war. Because of his secret Eucharistic activity, he was arrested in 1937 and spent Holy Thursday in prison where the blessed sacrament hidden in a bunch of flowers was passed to him.



As a soldier at 22, he continued attending Mass every morning, but he began to suffer from "spondylitis" (inflammation of his vertebrae resulting in crippling paralysis). He lived the rest of his life in a wheelchair.



He had an altar in his house and placed his portable typewriter in front of the Eucharist. He prayed that "Your light and clearness may be the mind and heart of all that I type on it, so that everything written may be noble, fair, and promising."



When he lost the use of his right hand, he learned to write with his left. When it became paralyzed, he dictated his work to his sister. In 1962, he lost his sight but kept writing articles and nine books.



Being a man of joy and humor, he always had a smile and he never complained. "What suffering did was sowing hope.  Only suffering could have made my human vocation and my spiritual dreams feasible."



In celebration of the 100th anniversary of his birth on Sept. 23, 2019, the Pope said: "Despite the illness that constrained him to spend 28 years in a wheelchair, he didn't stop loving his occupation. In his Journalist's Decalogue he recommends "paying with the coin of frankness, kneading the bread of clean information with the salt of style and the yeast of eternity, and serving neither pastries nor spicy dishes, but rather a tasty bite of the clean and hope-filled life."





The author is a member of the Daughters of St. Paul (Figlie di San Paolo) living and spreading the Good News to the world by means of social communication. Learn more about the congregation at fsp.pauline.or.kr.


Dr. Irina Jaeger of University Hospitals recently received designation as a center of excellence for GreenLight laser therapy, a minimally invasive outpatient procedure for men living with enlarged prostates, specifically benign prostatic hyperplasia. She is the first physician in Ohio and t
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 2)  Two lawmakers are pushing through with their group's distribution of the anti-parasitic drug ivermectin, despite criticisms and a looming investigation.

In an online forum on Sunday, Sagip Party-list Rep. Dante Marcoleta said aside from Barangay Balara in Quezon City, they would also be giving out ivermectin to residents in Barangays Commonwealth and Holy Spirit.

"Hinihingan namin ng sulat at petisyon 'yung mga kalapit na barangay tulad ng Commonwealth at Barangay Holy Spirit para sa ganon pormal 'yung paghingi nila ng ivermectin sa amin," says Marcoleta.

[Translation: We are asking for letters and petitions from nearby barangays like Commonwealth and Barangay Holy Spirit to formalize their request for ivermectin from us.]

The said barangays are some of the areas with the most number of COVID-19 cases in Quezon City. As of May 2, 2021, Brgy. Matandang Balara has recorded 1,614 cases, Brgy. Commonwealth has 2,665 cases, and Brgy. Holy Spirit with 2,123 cases.

According to Marcoleta, the request for a formal petition from the two barangays was meant to avoid accusations being thrown at their group that they are forcing residents to take the drug.

Last week, Marcoleta, along with Anakalusugan Party-list Rep. Mike Defensor, earned the ire of doctors and pharmacists after distributing ivermectin through prescriptions with no doctor's details.

Groups such as the Philippine Medical Association in a statement dated May 1, warned doctors not to prescribe the use of ivermectin outside permitted hospitals.

But Marcoleta maintained they were not breaking any laws.

"Anong guideline ang aming viniolate? Ang Constitution mismo ang viniolate ninyo. Ano po 'yung declared policy ng estado? It is the declared policy of the state to protect and promote the right to health of its people," said Marcoleta.

[Translation: What guideline did we violate? You violated the Constitution itself. What is the declared policy of the state? It is the declared policy of the state to protect and promote the right to health of its people.]

This weekend, Health Secretary Francisco Duque said studies on the efficacy of ivermectin as an anti-COVID-19 drug are still ongoing.

"There are ongoing clinical trials. I think about 20 or 30 clinical trials worldwide but as the WHO has repeatedly said and agreed upon by our technical advisory group of experts, there is no sufficient evidence as of today to show that this can actually lead to treatment or prevention of COVID infection," said Duque.

The DOH and the Food and Drug Administration will endorse to the Professional Regulation Commission reports of invalid prescriptions of ivermectin made to residents
By Joschka Fischer





BERLIN  The Afghan drama is nearing its end, at least as far as Western militaries are concerned. Exactly two decades after al-Qaida's attack on the World Trade Center in New York City, the last Western troops are, if U.S. President Joe Biden sticks to his timetable, scheduled to leave Afghanistan on Sept. 11, 2021. The war had to end at some point. But after so much blood and treasure spent, many will be wondering what, if anything, has been achieved.







Though al-Qaida's terror network was weakened by the war, it was not destroyed. The United States tracked down and killed the group's leader, Osama bin Laden, and expelled the Taliban from Kabul. But outside of the capital and a few other areas, the Taliban is stronger than ever  and poised to reclaim power once Western troops leave.







Radical Islamist terrorism has not been defeated, either militarily or ideologically, and remains a constant threat to the West. After all these years, Afghanistan still lacks stable governing structures capable of policing domestic terrorism, corruption, and the drug trade, let alone offering Afghan society the prospect of a more peaceful, prosperous future. Regional stability will probably be more fragile after the Western withdrawal than it is today.







We should harbor no illusions. The West's troop drawdown amounts to a defeat, the humanitarian consequences of which will be dramatic. For the Afghan people, the war will continue. The probable return of the Taliban and their stone-age Islamism will again force women and girls under the burqa and deprive them of their human rights. Legions of well-educated, urban Afghans will try to flee to the West. Those who remain will face a dismal fate, along with most ethnic and religious minorities.







One wonders if the European Union and NATO are really prepared for what comes next. Militarily, the withdrawal makes sense: the West has nothing to gain in Afghanistan. Yet in humanitarian and moral terms, it is flirting with a foreseeable disaster. The EU, in particular, should expect a large flood of refugees, reminiscent of the Vietnamese "boat people" who sought shelter in the West after the U.S. withdrawal from Vietnam.







The geopolitical price will also be high. How will Islamist extremist groups interpret the West's acceptance of defeat? Will Afghanistan really not become a terrorist safe haven again, as it did after the end of the Cold War and the withdrawal of the erstwhile Red Army? And, beyond Central Asia, might not Russia and China respond to the West's perceived weakness with increased aggression toward Ukraine and Taiwan, respectively?







Biden's inaugural message was that "America is back." But the loss of U.S. credibility after Donald Trump's presidency cannot be reversed so easily. The process of restoring America's place in the world will take time and could lead to dangerous miscalculations by its foes and rivals.







In Afghanistan, the end of the West's long presence will create a power vacuum that competing regional powers will seek to fill. The last 20 years were not just about America and its war against al-Qaeda and the Taliban.







For Pakistan, the war has always been about safeguarding its hinterland against its archenemy, India. Islamist terrorism is a key tool in Pakistan's effort, which is why its policy toward the U.S. has been so ambiguous.







On one hand, Pakistan allowed the U.S. to use its harbors and territory to provision US forces in Afghanistan. On the other hand, it provided a safe haven for Islamist terrorists, including bin Laden and much of the Taliban leadership.







Meanwhile, the Iranian regime has long sought to protect the Afghan Shia population and its own eastern border by maintaining a presence in western Afghanistan. And the region's largest, most expansive power, China, has significant natural-resource and geopolitical interests in the country. In addition to being a potential entrepot for China's Belt and Road Initiative, Afghanistan's close relationship to Pakistan could become more salient now that China has rekindled its Himalayan border conflict with India.







Just as the West's presence in Afghanistan has helped to contain these conflicts, so will its withdrawal likely have the opposite effect. China will increasingly try to assert itself as America's successor as regional hegemon. Whether it can handle this powder keg better than the Soviets and the Americans did is another matter. There are good reasons to doubt that it can.







The tragedy of Afghanistan, at least since the nineteenth century, is that it has constantly been the focus of great-power interests. Early on, it was a major bone of contention between the British and Russian Empires in their scramble for Central and South Asia. Then in the twentieth century, it got caught in the crossfire of the Cold War, when the Soviets invaded in 1979.







After the Soviets withdrew in 1989, the country descended into civil war, becoming a base for groups like al-Qaida when the Taliban consolidated control. And, after Sept. 11, 2001, the U.S. and its Western allies swooped in. All told, the country has been at war for a half-century, and there is no reason to think that its misery will end anytime soon.







There is no stable alternative to a Western military presence in Afghanistan. Sept. 12, 2021 will not bring a safer, better world. On the contrary, the Western withdrawal inevitably will result in humanitarian catastrophe. The Afghan people will be the first to suffer, but they will almost certainly not be the last.









Joschka Fischer, Germany's foreign minister and vice chancellor from 1998 to 2005, was a leader of the German Green Party for almost 20 years. His article was distributed by Project Syndicate (

).


(CNN)  Two Venezuelan mayors are in hot water after marking the houses of potential Covid-19 patients with warning signs -- a measure that has been harshly criticized by civil rights NGOs and has prompted an investigation by Venezuela's attorney general.

In a video posted on his official Instagram account on Tuesday, Mayor Luis Adrian Duque of Guama, a small village in the central Venezuelan state of Yaracuy, announced the measure as part of the town lockdown policy.

"We are protecting our people, [this sign] indicates a positive case or a potential case, so that people are aware," Duque says in the video, pointing to a red prohibition sign placed on the window of a local house.

People caught removing the Covid-19 signs on their homes would be fined 10 million bolivars, a sum out of reach for many in Venezuela, where the minimum monthly salary is less than a US dollar. Those who were not able to pay the fine would be required to serve days of "voluntary" community services, Duque said.

A photo posted by mayor's office in the neighboring city of San Felipe also showed local officers standing next to a similar "quarantine" sign. The photo, which touted Mayor Rogger Daza's campaign against the coronavirus, has since been removed from social media.

Some users on social media commended Mayor Duque for taking a strong stance against the pandemic, which has piled stress on a health sector already damaged by seven years of economic crisis.

According to figures collected by the Venezuelan government, the country has reported a total of 169, 074 cases and 1,693 deaths. However, health officials and the Venezuelan opposition have questioned the government's capacity to collect and analyze data, and warned the real number of cases could be much higher.

But criticism of the strategy was also fierce. Local Venezuelan NGO "Access to Justice" condemned the signs as harmful to the dignity of the patients, and a civil rights group in Yaracuy has called for a virtual protest on social media, since public gatherings are banned in Venezuela under lockdown rules.

Miguelangel Delgado, 33, of San Felipe, deplored the signs as a way of instilling fear. "People are afraid, there's a lot of rejection towards this way of dealing with the pandemic, but there's also a lot of fear to be singled out."

Henry Narvae, 23, a local resident, told CNN the practice that such extreme containment measures were distraction from an actual lack of health services. "The only solution the authorities put in place is to limit the citizens without providing any assistance," he said.

"Here in Guama, the Mayor has taken to mark houses and terrify the population with the military, which reminds me of the Nazis, while the town only has one ambulance to move patients," he added.

Neither Duque nor Daza responded to CNN's attempts to contact both mayors by phone and messages. A spokesperson from Yaracuy's governor Julio Leon, who's currently in quarantine with coronavirus, told CNN the governor's office was aware of the signs displayed in Guama, but did not elaborate if Duque faced any censure from local authorities. They also said they would get back in touch with a response, but that hasn't happened so far.

Late on Wednesday night, the Venezuelan attorney general Tarek William Saab announced an investigation into Duque's actions, calling them "macabre" and not sanctioned by the Venezuelan government. Saab confirmed to CNN Duque was under investigation but said he could not comment on the ongoing case. The attorney general took several hours to intervene in the situation, and when he did so, social media was in flames around the issue.

The two mayors are not alone in ordering drastic measures in an attempt to contain the virus. Embattled President Nicolas Maduro himself has taken the extreme step of ordering that all potential Covid-19 cases be hospitalized either in local hospitals or quarantined in ad-hoc facilities at hotels and recreation centers.

On Thursday morning, however, at least one of the Covid-19 signs displayed in Guama had been removed Narvae told CNN, describing it as a small sign of defiance. "The mayor wants to give the impression of control, but people are not okay with it," he said.

This story was first published on CNN.com "Backlash after mayors marked homes with Covid-19 warning signs in Venezuela".
The Coastal Point is a local newspaper published each Friday and distributed in the Bethany Beach, South Bethany, Fenwick Island, Ocean View, Millville, Dagsboro, Frankford, Selbyville, Millsboro, Long Neck and Georgetown, Delaware areas.
Weather Alert

...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING... * WHAT...Heat index values in the mid 90s expected. * WHERE...In Vermont, Western Franklin County. In New York, Eastern Clinton and Eastern Essex Counties. * WHEN...From noon today to 8 PM EDT this evening. * IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses to occur. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances. Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location. Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1. &&
Penn State University Police received a report of an indecent assault on Saturday at 5 p.m., according to a timely warning.

The assault was reported by a third party and occurred in a residence hall in Penn State's East Halls complex.

The assault was perpetrated by a known individual who inappropriately touched a student.
Lawmakers and advocates say if the suspect in the deadly Atlanta-area shootings had been forced to wait before getting a gun, he might not have acted on his impulse.
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The glib answer to this, of course, would be, "Yo, you're buying a hotdog. That thing is 90-percent ass already, there's no making it grosser." (A more serious response would be, "Yeah, and what if you touch your FACE before selling a hotdog, your face looks like a butt.") Because barring any, er, penetrative butt touching, the face is very much the more risky source of germs -- which is why all food vendors are supposed to wash their hands, and why the hotdog ladies' carts included the same mandatory hand-washing stations as everyone else's.

A second objection came from those who figured the sexy getup was merely an advertisement, with actual sex the product for sale. Clearly, these women were having sex with customers, taking in just as many wieners as they dished out.

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Police did sometimes accuse them of this, as a part of longer lists of vague offenses. But when newspapers inquired after more details, police admitted that they'd never arrested any hotdog vendor for prostitution nor appeared to have any evidence of it occurring. A fair number of the women had experience as strippers but not more explicit sex work.

There was a third objection, though, and it was that the women might be killing people.
Two border-state Senate Democrats have called out President Joe Biden for failing to make policy changes to fix the border crisis a priority in his first 100 days in office.

Vice President Kamala Harris has also been criticized by Republican lawmakers for refusing to go to the border. Instead, Harris will speak with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on May 7 to discuss a tree planting proposal in Central America in an attempt to provide more jobs and reduce migration. This proposal doesn't address the influx of fentanyl, heroin and meth trafficked into the U.S. by drug cartels and illegal border crossings by people from China and other nations.

Harris has also pledged $310 million in additional humanitarian aid for Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. The majority of the funds, $255 million, would be allocated to help asylum seekers and disaster relief projects in the region. Another $55 million would go to Guatemalas farming industry and literacy programs in that country and Honduras.

The Biden administration has yet to speak on the impact the border crisis is having on healthcare, education and public safety in communities most affected by the migrant surge.

Source:The Christian Post
Christians in Nigeria are praying for the safe return of a student held captive by Muslim Fulani herdsmen who attacked a Christian missions school in Nigerias Plateau state.

Four students were kidnapped Thursday from The Kings School, a Christian missions school established by Calvary Ministries, in Gana Ropp village in Plateau states Barkin Ladi County. While three of the kidnapped students escaped after security forces deployed to the area, one student remains captive, Morning Star News reported.

The herdsmen broke into the rear fence at the school to enter the compound and abduct the students.

Bayo Famonure, head of the school, was quoted as saying that the student who remains captive "phoned us to say they were already in the Fulani herdsmens camp, barely 20 minutes after he was captured and taken away.

Source:The Christian Post
Excluding Coupang owner from watchlist gives preference to foreigners



The Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) designated Coupang last Thursday as a large business group with assets of 5 trillion won ($4.48 billion) or more. However, the antitrust watchdog did not name Kim Bom-suk, the founder and chairman of the e-commerce giant, as the group's head because he has U.S. citizenship. Accordingly, Kim, who has a 10.2-percent equity stake in his group and 76.7 percent of the voting rights, is free from the obligation of disclosing his financial transactions with his family members and relatives.



This means that Kim can also dodge regulations on obtaining stakes in, or dealing with, Coupang and its affiliates by his family members and people who have a special relationship with group owners, which are strictly applied to Korean tycoons. "We recognize Chairman Kim's control over his group," the KFTC said. "However, even if we designate Kim as the group's head, it will have little effects because of institutional loopholes." The antitrust overseer also pointed out that since Coupang is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and supervised by U.S. regulators, it is under sufficient corporate oversight.



However, Kim is obviously enjoying privileges  just because he is not a Korean national  if the government exempts him from antitrust regulations and legal responsibility for the possible violation of labor and environmental laws. Given that most of Coupang's business takes place in Korea and several of its delivery workers have died from overwork, the current laws and systems have too many loopholes. Kim's brother and brother-in-law are now working at Coupang, receiving annual salaries of $100,000, while staying off the KFTC's radar.



In comparison, Lee Hae-jin, chairman of Naver, Korea's largest search engine, has been designated as the group's head subject to various regulations, raising controversy over "reverse discrimination" against Korean entrepreneurs. Considering that more companies will list their shares abroad while operating in Korea as Coupang does, the government should urgently come up proper measures to better deal with the heads of such business groups. Already, Korean companies are reeling under various business barriers overseas. The government should plug the antitrust loopholes to prevent Korean companies from being discriminated against even at home.


Crossville, TN (38555)

Today

Rain showers in the morning with numerous thunderstorms developing in the afternoon. High 74F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Locally heavy rainfall possible..

Tonight

Thunderstorms in the evening, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. Low 66F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.
Kankakee, IL (60901)

Today

Partly cloudy skies early. A few showers developing later in the day. High near 85F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

A few clouds from time to time. Low 66F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.
Dalton, GA (30720)

Today

Rain showers this morning with numerous thunderstorms developing during the afternoon hours. High 83F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%. Locally heavy rainfall possible..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy with showers and a few thunderstorms. Low near 70F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.
David Donaldson, D-Kingston, sits in the chairman's seat in the Ulster County Legislature chamber on Jan. 9, 2020, at the County Office Building in Kingston, N.Y.
North Korea's harsh rhetoric dampens hope for dialogue



It is difficult to expect North Korea to return to dialogue anytime soon as the country is ramping up its rhetoric against the United States. It is disappointing to see the North trying to heighten tension on the Korean Peninsula, instead of making good on its denuclearization commitment.



On Sunday, Kwon Jong-gun, director general of the U.S. affairs department at the North's Foreign Ministry, denounced U.S. President Joe Biden for calling Pyongyang's nuclear program a "serious threat"  he lashed out at Biden for making a "big blunder." His criticism came after Biden said in his first congressional address last Wednesday that the U.S. will work closely with its allies to address serious threats from North Korea and Iran through "diplomacy" and "stern deterrence."



Kwon even threatened to take corresponding measures against Washington. "The U.S. will face a worse and worse crisis beyond control in the near future if it is set to approach the DPRK-U.S. ties still holding on the outdated policy from a Cold War-minded perspective and viewpoint," he said. He and his country have apparently become angry with Biden's use of the expression "diplomacy and stern deterrence" which Kwon called a "spurious signboard for covering up its hostile acts" and a "means for posing nuclear threats" to the North.



But Kwon should realize it is not the U.S., but North Korea that still sticks to outdated thinking and policies. Refusing to keep its promise to denuclearize is certainly based on Cold War mentality. The North should explain why it has continued to boycott denuclearization talks since the second summit between its leader Kim Jong-un and then U.S. President Donald Trump ended without a deal in Hanoi in February 2019. Pyongyang should no longer pass the blame on to Washington.



Also regrettable is a separate statement issued by the North's Foreign Ministry which attacked the U.S. for criticizing its human rights record. It said the U.S. insulted the dignity of its supreme leader. This criticism was in response to a statement by U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price last week on the occasion of North Korea Freedom Week that the North is one of the most repressive and totalitarian states in the world. Yet the Kim regime should humbly accept what Price pointed out and stop trampling on the human rights of its people.



The North's harsh rhetoric came ahead of the U.S.'s plan to announce the results of its North Korea policy review, and the upcoming May 21 summit between Biden and South Korean President Moon Jae-in in Washington. The Kim regime seems to be raising its objections to Biden's North Korea policy which will be different from his predecessor.



The U.S. said Saturday that it had completed the policy review. As White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki noted, Biden's policy will not focus on a "grand deal" sought by Trump nor will it rely on the "strategic patience" of the Obama administration. Biden is expected to take a practical approach based on diplomacy and deterrence. This could mean that he will not offer a generous package of incentives to the North before it takes substantive steps toward complete denuclearization. However, the North wants the U.S. to lift sanctions first. If both sides fail to narrow their differences, they cannot make any breakthrough. This will put the Biden administration to the test.


Kingston High School's main building on Broadway in Kingston, N.Y., is seen in this photo taken July 2, 2020.
US DOLLAR WEEKLY TECHNICAL FORECAST: EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/CAD CHARTS & LEVELS IN FOCUS

The US Dollar Index dropped -2% in April despite rebounding sharply higher into month-end

EUR/USD price action recoiled nearly 100-pips lower after probing bearish trend resistance

Pound-Dollar bulls might look to wrestle back control next week and push GBP USD higher

USD/CAD seems a bit oversold but the Loonie could remain strong against its US Dollar peer

It was quite a rough month for the US Dollar throughout April. Broad-based US Dollar selling pressure left the DXY Index on pace for a -3% decline at its low point, but thanks to a notable late stage reversal on the final trading day of the month, the Greenback was able to erase some downside. The US Dollar Index finished April -2% lower on balance, which was largely fueled by the Euro advancing 300-pips. EUR/USD price action is the largest component of DXY Index performance with a 57.6% weighting.

US Dollar weakness was reflected across other major currency pairs like GBP/USD and USD/CAD as well. This looked primarily attributable to softer US Treasury yields with the ten-year shedding about 10-basis points. That said, in light of Dallas Fed President Robert Kaplan suggesting that the FOMC should start talking about tapering policy, potential for the US Dollar to continue its rebound next week is front and center. What are the key technical levels worth keeping an eye on for EUR/USD, GBP/USD and USD/CAD?

EUR/USD PRICE CHART: DAILY TIME FRAME (10 NOVEMBER 2020 TO 30 APRIL 2021)

Chart by @RichDvorakFX created using TradingView

Jitters from the onset of Fed taper talks may have provided the US Dollar with a bullish fundamental catalyst, but looking at a daily EUR/USD chart, it appears that the sharp move lower was technically charged too. We can see that the latest pullback by EUR/USD roughly coincided with its descending trendline extended through the 06 January and 25 February swing highs.

EUR/USD price action started to lose upward momentum prior to this as suggested by the MACD indicator. The shrinking Bollinger Band width and relative strength index approaching overbought territory both pointed to pullback potential as well. An extension of the US Dollar rebound might bring the 38.2% Fibonacci retracement and 20-day simple moving average into focus for EUR/USD bears. Below this possible area of technical support is the 50-day simple moving average, which, if breached, could expose year-to-date lows.

GBP/USD PRICE CHART: DAILY TIME FRAME (26 OCTOBER 2020 TO 30 APRIL 2021)

Chart by @RichDvorakFX created using TradingView

GBP/USD price action has lacked direction for the last couple months. The cable has been broadly rangebound between 1.3670-1.4000 as highlighted on the daily chart above. These respective levels of technical support and resistance look likely to keep GBP/USD relatively contained. This is considering how the barriers are reinforced by its Bollinger Bands, which statistically speaking, encompass price action 68% of the time.

The 20-day simple moving average could serve as an insightful barometer for the tug-of-war match between GBP/USD bulls and bears. That said, the US Dollar could struggle to sustain its rebound versus the Pound Sterling. This is in light of the long-term bullish trendline and 50-day simple moving average perched right below GBP/USD price action.

USD/CAD PRICE CHART: DAILY TIME FRAME (09 DECEMBER 2020 TO 30 APRIL 2021)

Chart by @RichDvorakFX created using TradingView

USD/CAD price action extended its slide by another 190-pips last week despite broader US Dollar strength. The Loonie has traded favorably against its US Dollar cousin for a while and arguably leaves USD/CAD looking oversold now. This is highlighted by the relative strength index. If a rebound does come into play, USD/CAD bears might look to fade the 20-day simple moving average before the 1.2600-price level comes into the crosshairs.

The bearish descending trendline extended through the series of lower highs likely stands to keep exerting downward pressure on USD/CAD price action. After all, it is important to remember that the trend is your friend more often than not. This brings to focus the 1.2250 and 1.2065 price levels, which respectively underpin the early 2018 lows and 2017 swing low, for potential technical support.

-- Written by Rich Dvorak, Analyst for DailyFX.com

Connect with @RichDvorakFX on Twitter for real-time market insight
Sunbury, PA (17801)

Today

Partly cloudy skies this morning. Thunderstorms likely during the afternoon. High 86F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy with showers and a few thunderstorms. Low around 65F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.
Margaret Jay was quick to ensure we all knew she had nothing to do with the Cash for Curtains row last week  but wasnt so forthcoming about the fact that she is already facing a separate investigation.

As soon as it emerged Baroness Jay had been asked to join a trust to fund Carrie Antoinettes gold wallpaper habit, the Labour peer appeared on Newsnight to tell us that nothing untoward had happened. However, I can reveal that the peer is currently under investigation by Parliaments watchdog for a breach of personal honour.

Asked to comment on the probe, Jay remained silent. It was a different story when she appeared on Newsnight last week to comment on Cushiongate, having been approached by Tory donor Lord Brownlow to sit on the Downing Street Trust

Sounds potentially serious for Jim Callaghans daughter  and it is, according to the rules. The Lords Code of Conduct describes breaches of personal honour as peers who show a clear willingness to breach the Code (for example, by attempting to negotiate an agreement to provide parliamentary services in return for payment). A Lords spokesman said another example of a personal honour breach would be lobbying Ministers or abusing their position as a member of the House.

Asked to comment on the probe, Jay remained silent. It was a different story when she appeared on Newsnight last week to comment on Cushiongate, having been approached by Tory donor Lord Brownlow to sit on the Downing Street Trust. Thanks to recently published emails we now know Lord Brownnose donated 58,000 to cover the payments the party already made on behalf of the soon-to-be-formed Downing Street Trust.

He then approached Jay this year to sit on the Trust. She told Newsnight she expressed interest but nothing formal was ever agreed and it all went nowhere.

Probably a good thing, given her own unrelated ethical quagmire.

Nadine Chief Whip? Get out of here!

Nadine certainly has first-hand experience of the Whips Office. In 2012, she was suspended by the party for neglecting her MP duties by nipping off to Australia to take part in ITVs Im A Celebrity

Tory MPs of a nervous disposition will be choking on their Shreddies this morning to learn just who fancies becoming Chief Whip in Boris Johnsons reshuffle. I hear no-nonsense Scouser and ex-nurse Nadine Dorries, currently a Health Minister, is being touted for the Cabinet job.

Nadine certainly has first-hand experience of the Whips Office. In 2012, she was suspended by the party for neglecting her MP duties by nipping off to Australia to take part in ITVs Im A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!

And while she proved unpopular with the public  being the first voted off the show  this time around she has gained one crucial fan in Carrie Symonds. A connection thats making several backbenchers who question her competence quake in their boots.

Lib Dem leader Ed Davey added his two pence to Wallpapergate, demanding clarity over who paid for Boris Johnsons flat refurb and whether any favours were offered in return. Daveys predecessor Tim Im Not A Bigot Farron has kept quiet on the subject, however. Could it be because he has just been rapped for breaking the MP Code of Conduct by, er, failing to declare donations for more than a year?

Will Ministers ever reveal cash secrets?

Geidt, pictured, decided to tie the registers publication to his probe into BoJos soft furnishings

Lord Geidt, the PMs new ethics chief, is already putting to good use his skills as a paid adviser to the famously ethical arms dealers BAE Systems. He used his first week in the job to kick the much-delayed Register of Ministers Interests into the long grass.

A reminder for those at the back: the Ministerial Code says the register must be published twice yearly to avoid any conflicts of interest. Last year this pledge was broken, with only one register published  in July.

Since January, the Cabinet Office has repeatedly told me the register is coming shortly. Two weeks ago that became very soon and a week ago it would be published when the new ethics adviser has been appointed.

Instead, Geidt decided to tie the registers publication to his probe into BoJos soft furnishings. So, the Cabinet Office are now saying the earliest well see any information on Ministers interests is within weeks. But dont expect to see what Boris did or didnt declare since last summer as his entry will be updated in light of whatever Geidt finds. All of which leaves the impression the PMs new ethics adviser is firing blanks.
GS25's first promotional poster for camping items / Courtesy of GS Retail



By Kim Jae-heun



GS Retail's convenience store brand, GS25, decided to delete a poster for camping products after the ad was criticized for containing sexist content that belittles men.



The convenience store chain revealed the promotional material Saturday on its social networking service that contains a drawing of a hand trying to grab a sausage. The poster was planned to be displayed for a month.



However, one customer pointed out online that the hand depicted in the poster is making a sign used by misandrists belonging to the radical feminist online community "Megalia" to express their hatred towards men. The image of a sausage situated next to the hand only stirred up controversy.



Customers also argued that the text written on the poster, "Emotional Camping Must-have Item" can be read as "megal" in Korean if the last letters are read backwards. Megal is a word used on Megalia to describe the members themselves.





GS25's second promotional poster for camping items / Courtesy of GS Retail
Melbourne couple Julia and Jordy Kay have revealed how they 'solved the plastic problem' and developed a cling wrap made from potato waste

A young Australian couple have thrown in their day jobs as an architect and wine maker to tackle 'the plastic problem' after being disheartened by the sheer amount of waste in their industries.

Julia and Jordy Kay are producing the world's first compostable cling wrap and pallet wrap which is made out of potato waste.

The Melbourne couple sold more than $30,000 of 'Great Wrap' in their first week.

Julia, 28, said they couldn't make Great Wrap 'fast enough'.

'The guys at the factory are under the pump.

'We're proud to have converted 2000 homes from using plastic wrap,' she said of the first rush of online orders.

They wrap costs $14.95 for two 30m rolls.

Scroll down for video

The couple sold $30,000 worth of the wrap in their first week of online orders

They have a factory on the Mornington Peninsula that is completely solar powered

Julia and her husband Jordy, 30, started thinking about making a sustainable, compostable product two years ago.

'We were doing our best to live sustainable lives and make the best choices at work when we ordered products, only to be disheartened when it arrived wrapped in huge amounts of plastic,' she said.

They realised the technology was out there to make an environmentally friendly option - but the dots hadn't been connected yet.

So they set about connecting them on their own.

'We didn't want to leave the plastic problem to our children, to the next generation, so we are tackling it,' she said.

The couple quit their jobs at the beginning of 2020, spoke to experts and developed a fully compostable product that doesn't leave any nasty micro plastics behind.

'There have been some challenging moments, but the minute we put the idea out their we found a great team of people cheering us on,' Julia said.

The couple have been flat out filling the first 2000 orders which rushed in after they opened their sales

The plastic is made from potato waste which is imported from the US - they hope to develop a similar product using Australian fruit waste soon

Now they have 15 staff, a solar-powered factory on the Mornington Peninsula and big plans to tackle the most destructive plastic-based products one at a time.

Their first product to go on the market was Great Wrap which was officially launched in April, they have made just over 500,000 metres of the plastic alternative.

'We have made all of these sales organically, just advertising on our own Instagram and Facebook, so it is good to see how well it has been received,' Julia said.

This is the second plastic wrap they have launched, the first was with 'an inferior formula' made in a foreign factory. They sold out of $100,000 of stock in less than a month.

The couple have made more than 500,000 metres of the potato-based wrap so far

'It proves to us that people want this, they have been looking for it.'

The product feels and works 'exactly like cling wrap' but it breaks down in nature in less than 18 days.

The next product will be the pallet wrap - which has to be certified to show it can handle heavy loads without breaking.

This will be made from the potato waste as well.

'More than 150,000 tonnes of plastic wrap goes to landfill every year, everything you see at the supermarket came on a pallet wrapped in plastic,' Julia said.

Plastic-wrapped pallets were the reason the couple started the company - but coming up with a saleable product is more complicated than kitchen wrap.

Now they have a machine capable of making the pallet wrap which consists of five layers of their potato-based material and 'waffle reinforcement' to give it the strength to keep stock safe.

The couple currently import the potato waste product from the US but are excited to be working with Monash University to find a fruit-based alternative.

'We didn't want to leave our mess for our children, the next generation, to clean up,' Julia said

'We are working with two research fellows on a new formula as we speak,' Julia said.

This will mean the couple will be able to offer Great Wrap at the same price point as regular petroleum based cling films, making it as accessible as possible.

It will also mean Australian companies, like large wine companies or fruit juice makers, will be able to send their waste somewhere other than landfill.

'The companies are stoked, at the moment one big company we have been speaking to sell their waste to pig farmers for $20 a truck, because it is the only choice other than landfill,' she said.

'We are hoping to team up with compost facilities so we can collect our wrap from the companies who use it and take it full circle.'

The husband and wife team quit their jobs, hers as an architect, his as a winemaker, to solve the plastic problem after seeing too many plastic-wrapped deliveries

At the moment the couple work together all day at the factory and then talk about their business when they get home.

'This business is our baby, we are so excited about it,' she said.

But they have had a few 24-hour bans on talking about their plastic-free wrap.

'It has been really nice to just go hiking or something and not talk about it,' she said.

They are thankful their former careers have given them to knowledge and skills to help solve the plastic problem - and hope to keep working on it one step at a time.
An Aldi shopper has been left baffled after noticing two different health star ratings on the same bag of butter-flavoured popcorn.

The woman shared an image to the Aldi Mums Australia Facebook group and pointed out how the packets were identical - but one had a health star rating of three while the other had a rating of 0.5.

The woman clarified each packet had a different 'use by' date despite being bought on the same day.

The social media post confused other customers who wondered why the ratings would differ for the same product.

The woman shared an image to the Aldi Mums Australia Facebook group and pointed out how the packets were identical - but one had a health star rating of three while the other had a rating of 0.5

Several asked whether the energy rating was different between the two, while some considered if one contained more butter.

'One probably is made with real butter and the other just butter flavouring. Check the ingredients panel,' one woman wrote.

'They recently changed some of the star ratings so it may be related to that,' another said.

'I would go with three stars so I wouldn't feel as guilty,' a third said.

An Aldi Australia spokesperson cleared the confusion and told Daily Mail Australia: 'We recently reformulated our Butter Flavoured Popcorn Range to significantly reduce the amount of saturated fats, resulting in a higher Health Star Rating.

'We are currently transitioning to the newest iteration of the product, so customers may see both versions on shelves for a short period of time.'

The health star rating system is designed to show the 'nutritional profile' of packaged foods to indicate to customers how healthy the food is.
Royal enthusiasts have gone wild over Princess Charlotte's striking resemblance to her great-grandmother, the Queen.

A photograph of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's daughter, who turns six today, was released by Kensington Palace to mark the occasion.

Princess Charlotte appears happy and relaxed in a floral summer dress, with her long hair loose and tousled in the picture, taken this weekend in Norfolk, by her mother Kate.

Delighted royal fans rushed to point out the family resemblances, noting how similar Princess Charlotte often looks to her great-grandmother, the Queen.

Royal enthusiasts have gone wild over Princess Charlotte's (pictured left, aged six) striking resemblance to her great-grandmother, the Queen (pictured right, aged six)

Delighted royal fans rushed to point out the family resemblances in Princess Charlotte's new portrait, noting how similar the young royal (pictured left, in a photo released to mark her first birthday) often looks to her great-grandmother, the Queen (pictured right, when eight-months-old)

One person wrote on Twitter: 'I've always said I see so much of Her Majesty, The Queen, in little Princess Charlotte. Shes got the Queens eyes!'

Another wrote: 'She really is a Windsor! Such a gorgeous girl!', while a third added: 'Ive always thought Princess Charlotte was a mix of the Queen and Prince William.'

The new photo shows the smiling princess pictured outdoors while wearing a dark blue short sleeved 59 dress with a pink floral design from British childrens clothing brand Rachel Riley.

Royal fans compared the portrait to one of the Queen, then Princess Elizabeth, when aged six, showcasing Princess Charlotte's uncanny resemblance to her great-grandmother.

In a portrait released of the Queen when at the same age of her great-granddaughter, Her Majesty can be seen sporting the same charming smile.

Princess Charlotte, aged two, pictured left, while pictured right, is her great-grandmother the Queen at the same age in 1928

Princess Charlotte, aged three, at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, pictured left. Pictured right, The Queen aged three or four

When aged four, a picture of Princess Charlotte (seen left) showed the young royal holding a flower as she ran through a field, similar to a snap of her great-grandmother at that age (seen right)

Princess Charlotte, aged five, pictured left. Pictured right: The then Princess Elizabeth in 1931

Princess Charlotte on December 11, 2020, at a special pantomime performance of The National Lottery's Pantoland at London's Palladium Theatre, pictured left. Pictured right: The Queen in 1931, in London

The young Princess Elizabeth wore a stylish headband and ruffled ballet dress in the photograph.

But it's not just this year's portrait where the similar features can be spotted, with photographs of Princess Charlotte and the Queen when at the same age repeatedly showing their likeness.

For instance, when aged four, a picture of Princess Charlotte showed the young royal holding a flower as she ran through a field, similar to a snap of her great-grandmother at that age.

A young Princess Elizabeth was photographed playing in a field of flowers on June 3, 1930, when also aged four.

One-year-old Princess Charlotte with the Duchess of Cambridge in Canada, pictured left, and the then Princess Elizabeth as a baby with the Queen Mother, pictured right

Princess Charlotte, aged two, in 2017 in Berlin, Germany, pictured left, and the Queen as a toddler, pictured right

Princess Charlotte, aged five, left, and right, Princess Elizabeth playing with a doll in a toy pram in 1933, outside the Welsh House, a miniature house presented to Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret by the people of Wales in the grounds of the Royal Lodge, Windsor

Although Princess Charlotte's parents have always fiercely protected their childrens privacy, restricting the number of photocalls they take part in each year for instance, they have been more relaxed of late.

During lockdown, they shared their experiences of homeschooling, with Prince William admitting it was a bit of a nightmare and joking that he struggled with Year 2 maths.

Along with her brothers, Princess Charlotte was pictured clapping for carers during the first lockdown and delivering packages of homemade pasta to isolated pensioners on the Sandringham Estate.

The Queen, then Princess Elizabeth, pictured around the age of six. Although Princess Charlotte's parents have always fiercely protected their childrens privacy, restricting the number of photocalls they take part in each year for instance, they have been more relaxed of late

Princess Elizabeth (to become Queen Elizabeth II) with her mother and father in the late 1930s (left) and with her sister Princess Margaret as children in the 'grounds' of the model house - Y Bwthyn Bach - presented to them on Elizabeth's sixth birthday by the people of Wales in 1933

Reaction: Royal enthusiasts took to Twitter today to comment on how much Princess Charlotte looks like her great-grandmother the Queen

In a video with David Attenborough, Princess Charlotte was heard declaring: 'I like spiders. Do you like spiders too?'

The new photograph follows the release of a video of Princess Charlotte with her brothers, Prince George, seven, and Prince Louis, three, and their parents to mark the Duke and Duchess of Cambridges 10th wedding anniversary last week.

It showed the family enjoying time outdoors at their Norfolk residence Anmer Hall and on sand dunes at a nearby beach.

In the video, Princess Charlotte was seen playing and toasting a marshmallow on a camp fire.
Prince Charles has shared a touching childhood picture with royal fans to thank them after they sent notes of sympathy to Clarence House following the Duke of Edinburgh's death.

The Prince of Wales, 72, has been sending cards to royal fans who have expressed their condolences following Prince Philip's death on April 9th at the age of 99.

One fan shared on Instagram how they'd received the card, which included an erstwhile photo of father-and-son on a boating trip.

The photograph was accompanied by a printed letter written by Prince Charles, thanking the person for their letter of good wishes.

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The Prince of Wales, 72, has been sending cards to royal fans who have expressed their condolences to Clarence House following Prince Philips' death on April 9th. Charles shared this picture of them on a motorboat, dating back to his childhood, in the notes sent out

A typed note accompanied the picture of Prince Charles and Prince Philip, in which the Prince of Wales said letters of sympathy had been of 'great comfort to him'

Royal fans on social media said the sweet photo was 'nostalgic' while some noted it was appropriate Charles would share a picture of him and Philip on a boat, since they both served in the Royal Navy.

The letter accompanying the picture read: 'The Prince of Wales thanks you so much for your very kind message of sympathy.

'His Royal Highness has been enormously touched by the many generous messages that have been received in recent days; they have provided great comfort at this very sad time,' it went on.

'The Prince of Wales sends you his warmest thanks and best wishes,' he added.

In the picture, a young Charles is sat next to his father as they speed along in a motorboat. Prince Philip, wearing a jumper, is sat at the helm, confidently looking ahead, while his eldest son looks at him smiling.

This photographed father-and-son moment captured Philip and Charles' shared interest for sailing and water sports. In 1971, aged 23, Charles followed into his father and grandfather's footsteps and decided to serve in the Royal Navy.

Prince Charles said he was 'touched' by the letters of condolences sent by royal fans after his father's death (pictured at Prince Philip's funeral on April 17th)

Royal fans noted it was appropriate of Charles to share a picture of him and his father on a boat, because they both served in the navy

He enrolled in a six-week course at the Royal Naval College Dartmouth that year, before serving on the guided-missile destroyer HMS Norfolk until 1972.

The Duke of Edinburgh completed a term as a cadet at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth when he was 17. From 1972 to 1973, Charles served on the frigate HMS Minerva, and in 1974, he served on HMS Jupiter.

In 1974, he joined the 845 Naval Air Squadron, which operated from HMS Hermes, and for his last ten months of active service in the Royal Navy in 1976, he took command of the coastal minehunter HMS Bronington.

Meanwhile, Prince Philip joined the Royal Navy aged 18, and fought for England during the second World War. In January 1940, he was appointed as a midshipman and spent four months on HMS Ramillies, protecting Australian convoys in the Indian Ocean, before complete shorter posts.

Prince Philip sat next to Prince Charles during a visit to Dorset in October 2017, before the Duke of Edinburgh retired from his royal duties

In February 1941, he became a sub-lieutenant and illustrated himself in several naval operations, which led him to becoming a lieutenant just a year and a half later in July 1942.

In October 1942, he became on the youngest members of the Royal Navy to be promoted to First Lieutenant during his post on the HMS Wallace.

After his wedding to the Queen on 20 November 1947, from 1949, Prince Philip was stationed in Malta, where he served as first lieutenant of the destroyer HMS Chequers. In July 1950, he was promoted to lieutenant commander and given command of the frigate Magpie.

Prince Philip and Prince Charles in their uniforms, showcasing heir military orders and medals, during the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012

His active naval career ended in July 1951, but in June 1952, Philip was promoted to commander.

Royal fans loved the intimate pictures capturing father-and-son sharing a special moment.

'Thats beautiful, and that photo of father and son in a boat, which is so appropriate,' one said.

'This is just a dear image. Hes got Philip all to himself,' another said.

'Such a beautiful, nostalgic photo for PC,' another wrote.
A British vet who left behind her party lifestyle to start a street dog charity in Sri Lanka has revealed how going on a trip with her ex-boyfriend moments after they'd broken up changed her life forever.

Janey Lowes, 32, from Barnard Castle, County Durham, started her animal charity in Sri Lanka, WECare Worldwide, in 2014 after a holiday there inspired her to move to the Indian Ocean island permanently .

Talking to the Mirror, the animal medic said she was moved to help an unhealthy street dog she saw during the trip to Sri Lanka that she took with her rugby player boyfriend Alex, whom she had been dating since she was 14.

She revealed the trip came close to never happening because the couple broke up while waiting to board their plane but decided to go on with the holiday 'as friends'.

Six years on, Janey credits the trip for completely changing her life, and has told her story in her book, Janey The Vet.

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Janey, 32, from County Durham, started a street dog charity in Sri Lanka in 2014 after breaking up with her boyfriend at the airport. The couple still went on the trip 'as friends' but Lowes says her life changed forever after she helped a street dog there. (Pictured with Ben Fogle in 2019 on the Channel 5 series New Lives in the Wild)

Janey says she had wanted to be a vet since she was a child growing up in County Durham, and adopted an abandoned puppy named Finn when she was 16, who ignited the special bond she has with dogs today.

As she prepared to board the plane to Sri Lanka back in 2014, her relationship with Alex, who she had been with since she was just 14 was crumbling.

The pair moved in together after Janey completed her vet qualification at Nottingham University, and she says that, by age 25, she had 'the life of her dreams.'

But cracks started to show during the couple's time living together, with Janey coming home stressed and tired, and Alex, a professional rugby player, exhausted from long hours of training on the rugby pitch.

Janey said she wanted to help as many street dogs as she could when she set up her charity, thinking she'd be back in the UK within a year (pictured working at her vet practice in Sri Lanka)

The couple decided to holiday in Sri Lanka in May 2014 to shake their routine and get their relationship back on track. However, they ended their romance at the airport, while still waiting to board the plane.

Their decision to still go on the trip as friends changed Janey's life completely, she now says. Once on the island, the British vet was shocked by the number of street dogs she spotted, with many of them unwell.

She revealed she spotted a dog who had a nasty gash under the eye, and tried to get him treated by a local vet.

'I asked several vets, but despite me offering to pay, none would agree to treat a street dog, because they werent viewed as worthy, which shocked me and I didnt know what to do,' she says.

Janey grew up in County Durham, but moved to Sri Lanka two years after graduating from university to set up her charity WeCare Worldwide

Janey moved to Sri Lanka and brought this property on the outskirts of the coastal town Talalla, in the south of the country. She converted it into a veterinary practice

Once back in the UK, Janey said she couldn't shake the dog - whom she had called Tom - out of her mind, and that she looked up charities in Sri Lanka bur couldn't find one that had been set up by a veterinarian.

'With Alex and I now split, it would have been easy to move out and carry on with my nice comfortable life, but I realised there was nothing tying me down now. Why not go to Sri Lanka and start treating these animals?,' she said.

With enough savings to survive a year, Janey packed her bags and departed for Sri Lanka.

'With Alex and I now split, it would have been easy to carry on with my nice comfortable life, but I realised there was nothing tying me down now... Janey Lowes

Thanks to a 10,000 loan from her former boss and after researching what would best help street dogs in the country, Janey set up her charity WECare Worldwide.

She left the UK in October 2014, thinking she'd be back to her homeland the next year.

She set up camp in the beach town of Talalla, in the south of Sri Lanka, where she had met Tom, and treated her first dog, whom had been bitten by another street dog and was covered in maggots.

Determined to make the charity a success, Janey taught herself how to build a website, how to fundraise and how to generate publicity for WECare Worldwife.

She now has 17 members of staff, including five vets, three nurses and several trainees, and has adopted five dogs of her own, called Mali, Benji, Stitch, Lottie, and Tilly.

Janey's incredible story might have not happened if she had not decided to still go on a trip to Sri Lanka with her boyfriend after their break up (pictured at her Sri Lankan practifce)

Since setting up her charity six years ago, Janey has helped more than 12,000 street dogs in Sri Lanka.

In 2019, she appeared on Ben Fogle's New Lives in the Wild for Channel 5, where she introduced the presenter to her way of life.

She revealed she had often been bitten by dogs, including some with rabies, and had had to receive several jabs which had sometimes made her sick.

She also revealed some unkind locals had been abusive towards her because they thought she was crazy, but in spite of these challenges, Janey said the adventure has been worth it.

The former party girl has transformed her life by moving to Sri Lanka and setting up her own veterinary charity to treat some of the country's millions of stray dogs

The vet explained she came back to the UK twice a year to undergo some medical appointment as well as beauty treatments such as going to the dentist, hairdresser and getting her legs waxed.

She also said she undertook some fundraising in the UK before heading back to Sri Lanka, and that her life in the Asian country had changed her priorities.

Talking to Fogle in 2019, Janey admitted that she used to be quite 'self-obsessed' and buy a new outfit to go out on the town every weekend.

She now never wears make up during the day and goes surfing at least once a day. She said she lives frugally and eats fruit and fish, but misses UK treats like wotsits and chocolate.
WHAT'S NOW & HOW TO DO IT: GLOSSY LEGS

British beauty expert Elsa McAlonan, reveals a selection of the best products for glossy, polished legs (file image)

For bare legs, a light sheen of oil gives a glossy, polished look; and this year, the best products contain ingredients to boost circulation, too.

Legology Cellu-Lite Salon Secret For Legs Legology Cellu-Lite Salon Secret For Legs is infused with detoxifying juniper. legology.co.uk Shop

RACE YOU THERE!

Weve come to expect Aldi to come up with products that appear to look uncannily like bestsellers. The latest line from Lacura is a colourful range of limited-edition skincare that appears to have similarities to the cult Glow Recipe. The Pineapple Face Serum (4.99) is a refreshing blend of pineapple extract, vitamin C and turmeric extract that balances and brightens skin, and costs a fraction of the Glow Recipe Pineapple-C Bright Serum (46, cultbeauty.co.uk). The Lacura range is at aldi.co.uk and in stores from May 9. Shop

ANGELINAS 2 HAIR HERO

Angelina Jolie (pictured) uses Hask Argan Oil from Morocco Repairing Deep Conditioner

Angelina Jolies hairstylist, Audrey Futterman, has revealed that the actress/director is a fan of affordable haircare brand Hask. The stylist applied a sachet of Hask Argan Oil from Morocco Repairing Deep Conditioner (2, Boots) to the actresss hair every day for a month.

The super-strengthening, hydrating treatment is great at restoring dry, damaged, chemically treated or generally over-processed hair.

THIS WORKS

Sanctuary Spas new Ultra Rich Hand Cream Although the skin on our hands is hardy, it can be the first to show the signs of ageing. Sanctuary Spas new Ultra Rich Hand Cream is both protective and restorative, with vitamin C to brighten skin, hyaluronic acid to lock in moisture and blemish-blurring niacinamide (vitamin B3). Superdrug Shop

SHOULD YOU SWAP FACE CREAM IN SUMMER?

Yes, says natural skincare expert Jennifer Hirsch, known as The Beauty Botanist, who advises switching to a lighter product.

We spend more time outside as the weather warms, and our skin is able to hang on to more of its own moisture in humid conditions. Products that are lightweight in texture will provide the hydration you need without overwhelming your skin.

Vitaskin Vitamin C Anti-Pollution Glow Day Cream Vitaskin Vitamin C Anti-Pollution Glow Day Cream is a hydrating anti-pollution day cream with kiwi seed oil, sea buckthorn oil and sweet orange oil. Holland & Barrett Shop

3 OF THE BEST: FAST SELF-TANNER

SHAMELESS INDULGENCE
As any parent knows, dressing children can be a costly  and wasteful  nightmare. Parents spend an average of 11,000 kitting out their kids, with some items worn only a handful of times before theyre outgrown, ruined or discarded.

But have you ever considered renting, rather than buying, your little ones clothes?

Its now possible to hire every single item in your childs wardrobe and have the clothes delivered directly to your door. You can even borrow designer garments, thanks to a service launched by online rental company My Wardrobe HQ, which includes 300 jackets, 250 dresses and 200 sweaters.

Sarah Rainey and Dinah van Tulleken, with help from their children, 17 month-old Charlie and Lyra three, and baby Sasha, test the best premium rental services for kids. Pictured: Dinah with Lyra and baby Sasha

The rental model is especially current now, with pandemic uncertainties and our fears for the environment, explains the brands creative director, Sadie Mantovani. As well as many people still not keen on going out to shops, lots of us dont want to accumulate more stuff.

So could hiring be the solution we mums have been waiting for? With the help of our children, 17-month-old Charlie, Lyra, three, and baby Sasha, we test the best premium rental services for kids.

PERFECT FOR THAT SPECIAL OCCASION

MY WARDROBE HQ KIDS

mywardrobehq.com/kids

WHAT IS IT? The little sister of womenswear rental site My Wardrobe HQ, this is the UKs first designer hire service for children aged 12 months to 12 years.

If you need chic occasion wear for a wedding when they start up again this summer, this is the site for you. Partner brands include Bonpoint, Marie-Chantal, Molo Kids and Gucci Kids, and you can opt to buy garments if your little fashionista cant bear to let them go.

COST: From 4 a day for dungarees, T-shirts or leggings, up to 10 a day for haute couture dresses.

My Wardrobe HQ is the UKs first designer hire service for children aged 12 months to 12 years. Pictured: Outfit from My Wardrobe HQ

HOW IT WORKS: Browse the website to choose individual items. The minimum hire term is four days; the maximum 14 days, which you can extend if its not reserved by another parent. Anything unworn entitles you to a full refund. A monthly subscription service, allowing a set number of outfit changes, is in the works.

RETURNS & CLEANING: Return the clothes for free using a pre-paid postage label. The My Wardrobe team deals with dry cleaning and disinfecting, using ozone to kill bacteria, sanitise and deodorise each item.

DINAHS VERDICT: Ive never had the cash to dress Lyra in designer clothes, but I can now see why people do. The cashmere jumper from Marie-Chantal (RRP 129; to hire 6 per day) felt softer than anything Lyra owns and the cord pinafore dress (RRP 125; to hire 6 per day) with that gorgeous button detailing fitted like a glove. But it wont for long, which is the joy of just renting it. Ill definitely use the site now that those special occasions are back in the diary.

THE PICK AND MIX APPROACH

THE LITTLE LOOP

thelittleloop.com

WHAT IS IT? Chic sustainable clothing rental service, founded by mum-of-two Charlotte Morley, who launched the company while on maternity leave. Customers have access to a Super Closet, stocked with desirable, high-end kids brands, from Mini Boden to Frugi and Kite.

The age range is two to five years, so its ideal for fast-growing toddlers, and clothes are priced according to their condition: brand spanking new, gently worn or well-loved.

The Little Loop is a chic sustainable clothing rental service for children aged two to five years. Pictured: Clothes from The Little Loop

COST: 17.50 per month, which entitles renters to 100 credits  equivalent to about six to seven items (worth about 165). The price lowers to 15 a month if you commit to six months.

HOW IT WORKS: Subscribe to a price plan to start browsing clothes, then use your credits as you wish.

T-shirts are about 12 credits, dresses are 20 and the fancier items  such as pinafores  around 28 credits.

The company guarantees no bobbling or unrepaired damage, whatever category you choose. If you cause significant damage or lose an item, youll have to pay a small additional fee.

RETURNS & CLEANING: Unlike other hire services, you can send clothes back one at a time; although you pay postage.

You can swap clothes for the next size up without using any of your credits or choose different ones if you have credits left.

Dinah said the package of clothes from The Little Loop looked and felt brand new. Pictured: Outfit from The Little Loop

Theyre then professionally laundered and steamed to remove bacteria, before being rigorously checked over.

DINAHS VERDICT: The package of clothes looked and felt brand new  like unwrapping a delivery from a fancy kids boutique, except everything was in reusable, sustainable packaging. Theres a lovely mix of special items, such as a smock dress (RRP 32; to hire 18 credits), as well as everyday items, including colourful leggings, striped T-shirts and embroidered dresses.

QUALITY CLOTHES FOR STYLISH KIDS

QOOKEEE

qookeee.com

WHAT IS IT? Eco-friendly baby and toddler clothes, 0-24 months. Launched in July by fashion expert Jacey James, Qookeee (pronounced cookie) rents out high-end sustainable brands including Mori, Toby Tiger and Kite Clothing. Items on offer range from dungarees and dresses to coats and pyjamas.

Sarah said Qookeee provides beautifully packaged, super-soft clothes, which are far nicer than anything Charlie owns. Pictured: Sarah and Charlie

COST: A five-item capsule wardrobe of key items costs 10 a month, and you can add specific garments  starting at 1.50 each per month. The minimum monthly subscription is 20.

HOW IT WORKS: Clothes are hired on a monthly subscription basis, which you can cancel at any time. You can choose up to 20 items from the website (capsules count as one item) and delivery is free over 30.

Stains, spills and wear and tear are included in the cost. If you, or your little one, lose something, theres a small replacement fee.

RETURNS & CLEANING: Email the company and theyll send a pre-paid label to post back unwanted items. Each one is quality-checked, washed, re-checked and then kept sealed ready for the next customer. If it doesnt reach quality standards, its either recycled (sent to a cotton mill which reuses the fibres) or offered for hire as part of a cheaper Love me again category.

SARAHS VERDICT: Beautifully packaged, super-soft clothes, which are far nicer than anything Charlie owns, and they look and feel brand new.

The yellow rain jacket (RRP 50) is a stand-out piece; Id never buy him something so expensive thatll last only one season, but for 5.50 a month, its the perfect spring staple. I just wish it came in an adult size.

PIONEER OF THE RENTAL TREND

BUNDLEE

bundlee.co.uk

WHAT IS IT? One of the first  and most successful  childrens clothing rental companies, Bundlee was founded by entrepreneurial Londoner Eve Kekeh in 2018.

Described as a revolving wardrobe for your baby, aged from birth up to two years, there are own-brand organic cotton options designed in-house, as well as garments from leading brands.

Bundlee is described as a revolving wardrobe for your baby, aged from birth up to two years. Pictured: Clothes from Bundlee

COST: 24 a month for 15 items from the Bundlee Basics selection (worth 300) or 39 for a personalised subscription where you can select from premium brands (worth 500).

HOW IT WORKS: Pick your plan from the website and choose a delivery date. Your Bundlee comes in reusable packaging, with a pre-paid returns label and care instructions. The cost includes insurance, so you dont need to worry about stains or wear and tear. If you notice a hole, simply return the item to be repaired.

RETURNS & CLEANING: Keep the clothes for as long as your baby needs (or fits into!) them  the average is three months  and then return them in the original bag. You can swap an item for the next size up, and pause or cancel your subscription with no hidden costs.

Garments are professionally laundered and disinfected between rentals and if clothes are too worn to be re-rented, theyre broken down and recycled.

SARAHS VERDICT: It took minutes to request my Bundlee online and it arrived the very next day. Inside was a gorgeous collection of soft, colourful, tasteful clothing that both Charlie and I loved, from printed leggings and slogan jumpers to plainer basics.

SERVICE WITH PERSONAL TOUCH

BELLES AND BABES

bellesandbabes.co.uk

WHAT IS IT? A boutique clothing rental service, founded by mum Emma Gillespie, Belles And Babes offers not only organic baby clothes, but it also has maternity wear for hire. Brands include Baby Mori, Pigeon Organics and Little Green Radicals, from 0-24 months and everything is either new or nearly-new.

Sarah said she was happy with the selection from Belles and Babes, although she wasn't able to choose any of the items. Pictured: Dungarees from Belles And Babes

COST: 35 a month for a bundle of 18 essential everyday items, worth up to 400. You can also hire special-occasion items, for babies up to 18 months, for 20  or one-off garments such as snowsuits, for kids aged up to five, for 35 per season.

Theres also the option of an annual subscription for 390.

HOW IT WORKS: Simply choose your childs age and gender, and let Emma know if you have any special requests.

For as long as you have your monthly subscription, new bundles will be sent out automatically as your child grows, at three, six and nine months. Wear and tear is included in the price.

RETURNS & CLEANING: If theyre the wrong size, send the clothes back with the pre-paid returns label, and Emma will swap them for the next size. The company deals with laundry and repairs.

SARAHS VERDICT: Although I wasnt able to choose any of Charlies clothes, I was very happy with the selection I was sent, which included a Mori sleepsuit (RRP 32.50), a knitted Kite romper (31) and cute Little Green Radicals dungarees (28). The clothes felt barely worn, were well-made and really suited my fun-loving son.
Theres a vibe in the air, can you feel it? Women in middle to late middle age deciding to embrace the grey.

Everywhere I look, theres a female contemporary taking the plunge. I like to think of myself as being slightly ahead of the curve, having made this change two years ago.

It was a big decision and took colourist Josh Wood three goes (if you are a natural brunette like me, as opposed to a natural blonde, the transition is more complicated). But the results, if I say so myself, were fantastic  not just aesthetically but psychologically, too.

Being me, I became evangelical. It wasnt enough that Id done it: I wanted every other middle-aged woman who was a slave to the bottle to do it, too.

Christa D' Souza (pictured) who became evangelical when she transitioned from a brunette to grey hair two years ago, explains her decision to go blonder since UK salons reopened

You may remember it was on the cover of Inspire. Why Every Woman Should Go Grey At 60, rang the headline, with me extolling my peers to stop being such a slave to youth! Embrace the grey within! That helmet of hair is beginning to look like a wig!.

I was evangelical because going greygerous, as Josh dubbed it, made me feel perversely younger. Or maybe I mean more adventurous. Because it is quite a daring thing to do, when society expects a woman of a certain age to hide the grey, almost as though not doing so is bad manners. Well here I was, a champion of ageism making a stand.

Im not saying I didnt also do it because I thought it would suit me. I knew it would. Id been flipping through Instagram feeds and magazine shoots of silver vixens for months in anticipation, encouraged by how much younger women had adopted the look.

It was a fashion moment I was piggybacking on  a fashion moment that suited me because of my light eyes and olive complexion  as much as it was about wanting to appear woke.

At the same time, I wasnt not making a statement. When you get to your 60s and you have as much hair as I do, going a different colour cant be anything but a statement.

Being unapologetically grey when you are approaching 60 sends an unspoken message out to the world that you believe women should be able to have their cake and eat it, too.

Christa said opting for grey hair made her feel perversely younger and she became the guinea pig among her female contemporaries. Pictured: Before

And among my female contemporaries, I was definitely the guinea pig. Although in principle they all thought it a brilliant idea, they wanted to see what it looked like before they tried it themselves. It was my own small way, as a post-menopausal woman, of performing a radical act.

And then came the pandemic. If Id been able to see Josh and go into the salon for regular titanium blue gloss shots, I might still be a silver vixen. But lockdown forced me to look after my hair myself. And Ive never been good at managing it, often not washing it for weeks because there is just so much of it.

In other words, I was forced to let my hair do its own thing, and it reached a kind of existential crisis after my 60th birthday in May.

Christa said an elegant ex-model in her 70s, told her she looked ten years older with grey hair. Pictured: Before

As you can see from these pictures, Im not greygerous any more. But let me scroll back a bit to explain.

It was during that window between lockdowns, in August, when I made my decision. My partner and I had been invited to stay with some glamorous Greek friends in Mykonos for a week.

One night, my hostess and a friend of hers, an elegant ex-model in her 70s, took me into a corner and read me the riot act. What on earth had happened to me since the previous summer? I looked ten years older! Had I lost my mind? I must go straight to the hairdresser when I get back and not only chop it all off, but dye it back to my pre-pandemic colour.

I was, of course, hugely insulted and spent the rest of the evening in a tight-lipped sulk. But when we got back, I took a long hard look at myself in the mirror.

Like many women, Id been in a bit of a beauty coma for most of 2020, courtesy of lockdown, not being able to get Botox or filler and never having to get out of my jeans and Uggs.

Looking back at photographs of myself from last year, I suddenly realised I didnt look so much like Id let go as given up. It was the old tree falling in the forest syndrome  if no one was going to see me, why bother to make an effort? And it was fun while it lasted, but it wasnt real.

Christa realised she didnt look so much like she had let go as given up, while looking at photographs from the past year. Pictured: after

I had never properly noticed before, but now I did: a horrid grey tide mark which ringed the circumference of my head and crinkly white hairs sprouting out of the top of it. And my sideburns, those were white, too.

Meanwhile, the ends of my hair were the colour and texture of straw, and the charming Pippi Longstocking braids Id had all summer suddenly looked a little mad. In Zoom calls, that suddenly felt even more apparent.

Why hadnt any of my family or my friends back home in England given me a nudge? My blunt Greek friends were quite right: I did look ten years older. Or rather, I looked my age, 60. And, in a world where 60 is the new 50, if not 40, that hurt.

Maybe they would have been less harsh if theyd seen it when it was first done and I had access to the salon. They didnt exactly catch it in it is best light, after all. But still. You need to be a certain sort of person to pull off statement hair.

Someone such as British Vogues Deputy Editor Sarah Harris, or the model Kristen McMenamy, a client of Joshs. And Im not sure if I am that person. Not yet, anyway.

My hair is less my crowning glory than it is my armour. It covers a multitude of sins.

Christa (pictured) decided to make her hair blonder in buttery chunks rather than all over when salons reopened

And so it was, when hairdressers opened a few weeks ago, I went back. Not to Josh, perhaps because I was feeling a bit sheepish, but to Danielle, his trusty sous chef.

We decided to make me a bit blonder than before (to accommodate all the new grey Id accumulated over the past year), but in buttery chunks rather than all over, so as to keep it from looking too done.

The process took a few hours and involved foils, balayage  the hand painting of strands  and a lot of conditioner and gloss. Danielle warned me it would take just as much upkeep as my grey hair, but I didnt mind. I love the way it looks.

We were in a traffic jam in London last week and a man in a white van leant out of his window and said to me, Hey, Babe.

He might have been addressing my dog, who was on my lap and is undeniably gorgeous, but I choose to think otherwise. The older one gets, the more one changes the goalposts. I know this, I realise it, but it doesnt stop me doing it.

When I am 70, I now tell myself, I will go back to being silver-grey. And maybe when Im 70, Ill postpone it until Im 80.

Does that make me a traitor to the cause? If so, Im sorry to let you down. We all have our blind spots, and wanting to look younger than I am for as long as is feasibly possible is obviously one of mine. I do hope Josh approves.

Dont miss Christa DSouzas Everyday Ageism column in Femail Magazine every Thursday.
Being a royal cannot be easy. Of course, there are the palaces and butlers and chauffeur-driven cars. But amid all the curtsies and ribbon-cutting, they are under the kind of pressure that few of us could endure. As well as all the formal duties, they carry the emotional weight of a nation.

Whether a royalist or not, we cannot help but be psychologically invested in them. We project so much on to them and look to them as archetypes of our own family and our own relationships. They are potent symbols and come to represent our hopes and fears.

Just look at how we have been obsessed with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridges tenth wedding anniversary. Ive been amazed at how, at work, even staunch anti-royalists have been talking about it.

Dr Max Pemberton said projecting onto the royals reminds us to hope, even in the darkest time. Pictured: Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

Partly, I think that were all desperate for some good news  and being thrown back ten years to their fairytale wedding is like a breath of fresh air.

But I think it also goes deeper than that. It speaks to us of how love does endure, and how good can prevail.

A few years ago, I read a fascinating book by a group of psychoanalysts called When A Princess Dies. This explored the psychology underpinning the public grief following the death of Princess Diana.

The book argued that what we witnessed was not some mass hysteria or anything mawkish. Rather, Diana had, as with many celebrities or people in the public eye, key characteristics that resonated with us. And when we grieve for their death, we are really grieving for something else, but it is easier and less painful to cry for someone you have never met.

This might sound fanciful, but its interesting that in the months after Dianas death, psychiatric units reported a 50 per cent decrease in admissions. It is thought this is because the princesss death had allowed people to express their own pent-up distress and, through the collective grieving, had felt connected to others.

It was impossible to watch Kate and Williams wedding without thinking of Princess Diana and the haunting image of those little boys walking behind her coffin. William and Harry represented our deepest fears being bereaved or abandoned, alone and defenceless.

Dr Max (pictured) said Harry and Meghan's exit to California and fallout from the Oprah interview isn't quite how we think the fairytale should end

And here, with William and Kates wedding anniversary, was the resolution of that image: our desperate need to see that, however awful, things can turn out all right in the end. Its that universal need to hear that goodness does win out.

I also think this is why the nation has been so distraught by Harry and Meghans departure. Its not the happy ever after that we were hoping for. In fact, as things stand now, the difficulties between the brothers only underpin the reality that families can, and do, fall apart.

Harrys story, in particular, began with the perfect narrative arc: a tragic opening with the loss of his mother, then a magical ending with his wedding to Meghan. It gave us hope that, no matter how bad things are, they can improve.

The shenanigans of Meghans family before the wedding only increased the tension in the build-up to the day and added to the joy at the denouement.

Dr Max said in an unsettling year, we need something to show us that love does conquer. Pictured: Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

And, of course, theres the fact that Meghan had the sort of modest upbringing many of us relate to (even if she did become a Hollywood actress), before meeting her prince. Its a story that every child knows because, again, it reflects the desire we all have for salvation.

Yet, with their exit to California and fallout from the Oprah interview, things have been left in the air  and that sits uncomfortably with us. Its not quite how we think the fairytale should end.

Of course, its unfair for us to project so much onto a group of people who are, despite all the pomp, only human. Perhaps this is why we held on to Kate and Williams anniversary so tightly.

After such an awful, unsettling year, we needed something to show us that love does conquer. It helped remind us that there is hope, even in the darkest times, and reaffirmed that, in the end, things do turn out OK.

Dr Max prescribes: a body positive celeb

Dr Max said young people should follow the Instagram account of Georgie Clarke (pictured) who has been trying to normalise normal bodies

If you have a young person in your life, then I would recommend they follow the Instagram account of Georgie Clarke. The 27-year-old reality TV star, best known for ITV2 show Survival Of The Fittest, has been posting astonishing photographs of herself showing the dramatic impact just lighting and tensing muscles has on a picture  in a bid to normalise normal bodies.

Its a real antidote to the manipulated and toxic images that we are constantly bombarded with.

The power of a little gossip

Dr Max said gossiping helps enforce bonds and to make connections. Pictured: Carrie Symonds

Of course, the details of Carrie Symonds and Boris Johnsons decorating fiasco are fascinating  how we love a good gossip! And now it turns out gossiping is good for you.

My neighbour is in the middle of an enormous flat refurbishment and its all the rest of us in our block have been talking about. Have you heard how much he spent on the bathroom alone? has been the chat for weeks. Gossiping helps enforce bonds and to make connections. It is hardwired into our brains because it helps ensure we develop a network.

Politicians think were all horrified by the scandal, but I think theyre barking up the wrong tree.

I think were all just fascinated to indulge in that guilty pleasure of having a thorough snoop around someone elses home, then having a good gossip about it afterwards.

Medics have named a new condition: Covid anxiety syndrome  a combination of compulsive hygiene habits and a phobia of public places. It is feared this could stop people re-entering society when lockdown is fully lifted. I have patients who still refuse to come to the clinic despite needing help.

I heard of one couple so worried about Covid that they refused to take their son to hospital even though the GP feared he had meningitis. Whats going on?

I think Covid has exposed the high levels of anxiety that were already in the population  and given it a focus.

Anxiety is seen as the poor relation to depression, yet it is more common than depression and just as crippling.

Taking photos can impair your memory of events, according to a new study.

This is because people take so long getting the shot just right, they fail to appreciate whats around them.

In trying to record the moment, it passes them by. Its a sad indictment of modern life.

Once, in a restaurant, I saw a family sitting silently staring at their glowing screens held in their hands. It struck me as ironic that while they were interacting with people on social media, they were ignoring the loved ones in front of them.

Theres no doubt that the technological revolution has given us much. But, really, how much does social media contribute to the sum of our happiness?

Has anyone ever spent 30 minutes on Facebook and felt better for it? No. All too often it simply makes us insecure, guilty, irritated.

It makes us more focused on ourselves than the world. And thats never a good thing.
Oyuna Tserendorj, 50, cofounded Oyuna, a luxury, sustainable cashmere brand, with her partner, David Bernasconi, in 2002. They live in London with their two sons, Elias, 11, and Sacha, five.

I was born in Mongolia and have so many memories of wearing cashmere as a child. Most people there own a cashmere pullover, as it gets to -20c in the capital and - 40c in the Gobi Desert.

The goats have developed this amazing underbelly coat (the hair of which is used to make cashmere) to protect them. The hollow fibres are a tenth of the size of human hair, hence why its so insulating, light and buttery-soft.

At 19, I left home to study clothing design in Budapest. I used to travel back to visit relatives and, on one trip, in 1998, I met my future husband David. He convinced me to move to the UK in 2001.

Oyuna Tserendorj, 50, (pictured) who lives in London, cofounded Oyuna in 2002, after struggling to find a cashmere throw for her partner David's mother

That summer, we visited Davids mother in Switzerland. I wanted to take her a cashmere throw, but couldnt find anything I liked in London. I got her one from Mongolia but it wasnt exciting: a dull pinkish beige. This frustrated me. Although Mongolia is known for the highest quality cashmere, the style was never right.

When I told Davids mother, Katya, she said: Well, why dont you do something about it then? That was my lightbulb moment.

I visited a factory in Mongolia and found a beautiful sample of a handmade throw. I put in an order for five different styles.

To fund it, David and I both put in 1,000 of savings. At the time, he was doing his masters degree in sustainability, but I roped him in to help for a few months. Now hes the managing director.

Softly does it: oyuna.com

Those pieces formed my first homewear collection, which I launched in 2002 as The Cashmere Republic. We later changed the name to Oyuna, which means turquoise in Mongolian.

That year, we managed to get stocked in Harrods and went on to do collaborations with interior designers Kelly Hoppen and Holly Hunt.

In 2009, we launched a womenswear and unisex collection. Our products are now sold in Selfridges, Liberty and on our website. Fans include Yoko Ono, Christy Turlington and Queen Rania of Jordan.

When I set up this brand, my aim was always to push the boundaries of cashmere, so its not just boring rollnecks. I wanted to create modern designs in vibrant colours.
Xi sends condolences to Israeli president over deadly stampede

Xinhua) 11:18, May 02, 2021

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday sent a message of condolences to Israeli President Reuven Rivlin over a stampede that has caused heavy casualties.

On behalf of the Chinese government and people, Xi expressed his deep condolences to the victims and extended sincere sympathies to the bereaved families and the injured.

(Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Bianji)
In this Oct. 1, 2019, file photo, soldiers of People's Liberation Army stand in formation near Tiananmen Square before a military parade marking the 70th founding anniversary of People's Republic of China in Beijing. China's newly commissioned nuclear-powered submarine is now armed with the country's most powerful submarine-launched ballistic missile capable of hitting the U.S. mainland, a source said. Reuters-Yonhap




Australian fitness queen Kayla Itsines has shared her favourite snack recipe that only requires five ingredients.

The 29-year-old, from Adelaide, said she 'loves' making a Mexican-style salsa when she's entertaining her friends or family - and it takes just minutes to make.

'Don't stress about eating 'unhealthy' foods when entertaining. This is so simple and easy to make and full of nutrients. It's so easy and yummy,' she wrote on Instagram.

To make the dish, you'll need tomatoes, red onion, coriander, lemon and serve with your choice of corn chips, flatbread or in tacos.

Fitness queen Kayla Itsines has shared her favourite snack recipe using just five ingredients

The 29-year-old, from Adelaide, said she 'loves' making a Mexican-style salsa dip when she's entertaining her friends or family - and it takes just minutes to make

How to make Kayla's Mexican-style salsa dip with corn chips SALAD 3 ripe tomatoes 1/2 a red onion - you can use red onion, spring onion or white onion depending on how strong you like it 1/2 a cup of cilantro or coriander DRESSING Salt & pepper to taste Splash of olive oil Juice of one lemon or lime METHOD Dice tomatoes, onions and cilantro. In a bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper. Mix the salad with a generous amount of dressing until well coated. Serve with corn chips, flat breads or in tacos Advertisement

The mother started by simply dicing the tomatoes, onions and coriander.

'You can use red onion, spring onion or white onion depending on how strong you like it,' she explained.

To make the dressing, she combined a splash of olive oil with lemon juice, seasoned with salt and pepper to taste.

'Then mix salad together with a generous sprinkling of your dressing ingredients,' she said, adding: 'Serve with corn chips, flat breads or in tacos. So delicious.'

Her post has since been liked more than 15,700 times, with many saying they couldn't wait to make it themselves.

'Great idea. I'm always looking for quick and easy snack to make,' one wrote.

Others pointed out the dish was called pico de gallo, a type of salsa commonly used in Mexican cuisine.

Meanwhile, many said they usually add other ingredients to the bowl, including avocado, beans and quinoa.

'I actually incorporate salsa/pico in dishes with quinoa. I'll put a base of quinoa, add black beans, and top with the salsa/pico. It's good hot or cold,' one woman wrote.

'Delicious! I love making salsa and guacamole when entertaining friends - easy to make and full of nutrients,' one doctor said.

And another revealed: 'I add avocado to mine to make a guacamole.'

Her recipe comes just over a month after she revealed hummus with pita bread was one of her favourite snacks to make.

'This recipe is my family recipe that I love and make it all the time because it's so quick and easy,' she wrote online.

Hummus is a traditional Middle Eastern dip that is often used as a spread or savoury ingredient in dishes and the main ingredient is crushed chickpeas.

Her recipe comes just over a month after she revealed hummus with pita bread was one of her favourite snacks to make

'This recipe is my family recipe that I love and make it all the time because it's so quick and easy,' she wrote online and shared an image on Instagram (pictured)

Kayla used garbanzo beans, a type of chickpea, along with cayenne pepper, lemon juice, garlic and olive oil.

'Chickpeas (garbanzo beans) are the main ingredient, and they are an amazing pantry staple, as they're an excellent source of both protein and fibre,' she said.

'When I make my hummus it usually lasts around five days in the fridge, so I always make a big batch on the weekends and then my snacks are sorted for the week ahead!'

Additional alternative ingredients also include tahini, coriander and chilli flakes.

'Chickpeas (garbanzo beans) are the main ingredient, and they are an amazing pantry staple, as they're an excellent source of both protein and fibre,' she said

The benefits of hummus: Hummus is a great source of plant-based protein, providing 7.9 grams per serving The snack is packed with nutrients and has been linked to many impressive health and nutritional benefits The rich ingredients help to: Fight inflammation Improve digestive health Feed good gut bacteria Control blood sugar levels Reduce the risk of heart disease Promote weight loss Help maintain a healthy body weight Source: Healthline Advertisement

Kayla's hummus recipe: Ingredients: 2 x 400g cans of chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

1 tsp cayenne pepper

3 tbsp lemon juice

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1/2 cup olive oil

Sprinkle of salt and pepper Method: Add all the ingredients together in a blender, except the olive oil Wipe down the edges when needed Once blended, gradually add the olive oil until the hummus is a nice consistency Source: Kayla Itsines Advertisement

To make the filling snack, she simply placed all the ingredients into a blender, besides the olive oil, to combine together.

'Once blended, gradually add the olive oil until the hummus is a nice consistency. And that's it!' she said.

Kayla said certain toppings such as chopped tomato, red onion and herbs can also be added if desired.

According to Healthline, hummus is linked to a number of health benefits as it's packed with plant-based protein.

These nutrients can help fight inflammation, promote digestive health and control blood sugar levels.
Taurus 21 April-21 May Its pointless to force the pace this week as Saturn wont allow it. Devote your time to finishing what youve begun. If that is not possible, end it in a way that doesnt create resentment in those whose fates are tied to yours. CALL 0904 470 1162*

Gemini 22 May-21 June The quality you need this week is patience. Once the Sun enters your sign next week youll be able to get moving again. Until then, control the urge to push ahead as starting too soon may be worse than not starting at all. CALL 0904 470 1163*

Cancer 22 June-23 July The Sun at odds with restrictive Saturn is liable to make you unusually jumpy. But it could also be your intuition telling you that a most important time of the year is about to begin. Either way, its nothing to worry about. CALL 0904 470 1164*

Leo 24 July-23 Aug The Sun, your ruler, linked to Saturn, urges you to accept whats happening in your life even if you dont like it. At times even a Leo must bend with the winds of change. Do what you have to do, do it well and dont waste time complaining. CALL 0904 470 1165*

Virgo 24 Aug-23 Sept You must yield to the whims of colleagues or partners who do not share your view of the world. It may be frustrating but, with a difficult aspect linking the Sun and restrictive Saturn, you wont be able to change it so dont get upset. CALL 0904 470 1166*

Libra 24 Sept-23 Oct There will be times this week when you could happily strangle anyone who refuses to see sense but if youre wise youll keep your murderous thoughts to yourself. Your way may well be best but no amount of threats will change their minds. Save your breath. CALL 0904 470 1167*

Scorpio 24 Oct-22 Nov Dont worry if you upset others this week because they need to know youre not the type to be pushed around. It may mean the end of a partnership or friendship but that is a small price to pay for securing your freedom and independence. CALL 0904 470 1168*

Sagittarius 23 Nov-21 Dec Youve a right to express yourself and hold controversial views but youre living in dreamland if you think there wont be a backlash. Others have the right to their opinions, too, and, if theyre at odds with yours, there may be fireworks before the weekend. CALL 0904 470 1169*

Capricorn 22 Dec-20 Jan Something that happens this week will bring you down to earth with a bump. Thats good, as if you continue on your present trajectory, the more painful will be the landing when whatevers keeping you up starts to unravel. Time to return to reality. CALL 0904 470 1170*

Aquarius 21 Jan-19 Feb In recent weeks you have let certain people get away with things they didnt deserve to get away with. Now you must go the other way and make them pay for their mistakes. You might punish yourself, too, for letting things get out of hand. CALL 0904 470 1171*

Pisces 20 Feb-20 March If there are loose ends that have been left trailing youre advised to deal with them this week. If you leave them flapping in the breeze they are sure to trip you up  and soon. This is one of those occasions when you cant leave the details to others. CALL 0904 470 1172*

Aries 21 March-20 April As the Sun squares up to Saturn, planet of trials, this may be a difficult week but what you learn could change your life for the better. If you are torn between past and future, choose the future; and if torn between friends and money, choose friends. CALL 0904 470 1161*
The portrait taken with her pigeon Birdie just after the procedure

In 1970, Amanda Feilding caused a furore after drilling a hole into her own skull (yes, really!). After decades of being dismissed as an oddball, her belief in the benefits of psychedelic drugs is suddenly being taken seriously

'I am not really in love with ketamine, states Amanda Feilding, the Countess of Wemyss and March. Its a rather startling revelation for a 78-year-old woman of impeccable manners who looks as though her field of expertise may be some finer point of social etiquette. But Amanda has never been a traditional type.

Its just I dont think the effects [of ketamine, a powerful anaesthetic with hallucinogenic qualities] are as long-lasting as with psychedelic-assisted therapy. LSD is my absolute favourite, of course, because of its purity. But the wonderful thing about ketamine is that its not illegal

While youd be forgiven for thinking that the countess is just another 60s drug casualty, she is actually talking about the recent proliferation of private clinics  including one in Bristol  prescribing tiny amounts of ketamine to combat depression (recreational ketamine remains a class B drug). Its a subject close to her heart because, over the past half century, Amanda has become one of the most respected forces in the field of drug research and reform.

Famously, Amandas life of research did begin in a rather unorthodox fashion with a youthful investigation into trepanation  the ancient practice of cutting a hole in the skull, supposedly to alleviate ailments or achieve a higher state of consciousness.

In 1970 she took a dentists drill to her own skull. A photograph taken just after the procedure shows a serene Amanda, head wrapped in a bright scarf, ready for a night on the tiles. On her shoulder is Birdie, a pigeon with whom she claims to have shared a deep and lasting telepathic connection.

That gory episode caused a sensation and was, in no small part, responsible for the eccentric aristocrat tag that promptly attached itself to her. Amanda subsequently ran for parliament twice, in 1979 and 1983, on a platform of Trepanation for the National Health. The venture  unsurprisingly  proved unsuccessful on both occasions. Many might judge that she was her own worst enemy if her goal was to be taken seriously by the scientific community.

Amanda, however, has never been put off by rejection and stoically believes this may be her time. Psychedelics are now being lauded as everything from a minor mood booster to a cure for clinical depression. While middle-class mummies try microdosing psilocybin (the active ingredient in magic mushrooms said to improve focus), scientists consider whether the compounds might help combat the looming, pandemic-exacerbated mental-health crisis. Ive never been busier in my life, setting up new collaborations that are all to do with the psychedelic space, she reports. For example, Ive co-founded a company with some people in the US to make a very democratised form of psilocybin which can be made incredibly cheaply and simply in a bioreactor vat, and I feel it is a way to guarantee access to any part of the world, however poor.

She is telling me all this over Zoom from the handsomely beamed attic of Beckley Park, the baronial home in which she was born. A moated Tudor hunting lodge set amid 400 acres of private Oxfordshire estate, its imposing back door features as the entrance to the Riddle House in the Harry Potter films. Headquartered here, the Beckley Foundation campaigns to change global drugs policy.

Its findings have shaped legislation and encouraged governments to reassess the potential of substances that have long been dismissed as, at best, a hippie affectation or, at worst, a path to moral ruin.

Amanda says her own mystical awakening began at Beckley Park in childhood, when she would imagine herself flying down the sweeping staircases. I had no toys and no friends; one had to mooch around doing the best with ones own brain, she recalls. Her father, Basil Feilding  the great grandson of the 7th Earl of Denbigh and the Marquess of Bath  did his farming by night so that he could paint all day, and would often pass out in a ditch because of his untreated diabetes. Her mother Margaret, Basils cousin, was a philanthropic Catholic who fervently believed in the idea of every life having a mission.

Left to her own devices, Amanda became fascinated by her Buddhist godfather Bertie Moore and at 16 she set out to join him in Sri Lanka with just 25 to her name. Hitchhiking as far as the Syrian border, she was taken in by a Bedouin tribe.

On her return to England, she began studying comparative religions and mysticism at Oxford University with leading philosopher Professor Robert Charles Zaehner. They were awkward tutorials because I was very shy and he was very shy too, she recalls.

Later, as the 60s began to swing, Amanda moved to London, where she met the genius Dutch chemist Bart Huges  a devotee of trepanation  and his acolyte Joe Mellen, father to Amandas two sons. Together, Amanda, Huges and Mellen experimented with a range of psychedelics including LSD. Amanda says she quickly began to regard LSD as a tool by which we can manipulate our consciousness in a positive way. We can get more energy, more insight and more joy by careful, intelligent use.

She credits LSD with curing her own youthful addiction to cigarettes. Some 50 years later, her Beckley Foundation provided the impetus for a Johns Hopkins University pilot study which found that the use of psilocybin yielded an 80 per cent success rate [after six months] in attempts to stop smoking. Whats more, nearly 90 per cent of the participants rated their psilocybin experiences among the five most personally meaningful and spiritually significant of their lives. Theres going to be a bigger study now, says Amanda.

Another recent trial, by the Centre for Psychedelic Research at Imperial College London, found that psilocybin may be at least as effective as a leading antidepressant in a therapeutic setting. Researchers said larger trials over a longer period were now needed.

Amanda has high hopes for psychedelics, specifically that they may hold the solution to the current crisis in mental health. Even before the outbreak of Covid-19, the World Health Organization estimated that one in four people were depressed, and mental illness was thought to be costing the UK economy 100 billion each year. The Centre for Mental Health, an independent charity, predicts that up to ten million people will require new or additional mental-health support as a direct result of the pandemic.

Amanda is blunt about the need to address this crisis  urgently. Were like lemmings heading towards the cliff, she says. Its looking really bad and we dont have satisfactory solutions. Perception-altering psychedelics, she believes, can change a persons core settings and bring about a fundamental change in just a few sessions. Over the years, she has been patiently gathering scientific evidence to support her convictions.

Sadly, all of this could have been established half a century ago, says Amanda, had psychedelics not been so enthusiastically condemned by the likes of the US President Richard Nixon. They have the misfortune of falling into the overarching concept of drugs, which is a dirty word, she says. Yet they are incredible medicines that humanity has used since the beginning of culture.

After 50 years of championing the benefits of psychedelic drugs, Amanda has gone from being an eccentric to finally being taken seriously by scientists

You just have to look at the [prehistoric paintings inside the] Chauvet Cave, done on psychedelics, [to see that] theyre at the very heart of culture as we know it.

The snag, of course, is that psychedelics have been outlawed for decades, making research both complicated and expensive. In the UK, LSD and magic mushrooms are class A drugs (alongside crack, cocaine and heroin), meaning possession can theoretically result in seven years in prison and a fine. There are only a small number of institutions licensed even to store LSD.

Initially, it was hard to raise the necessary funds for the Beckley Foundation, and Amandas husband, James Charteris  the Scottish peer whom she married in 1995 under the Bent Pyramid in Egypt  stepped in to help. (As a teenager, James served as Page of Honour to the Queen Mother.)

A crucial turning point for the Foundation was the development of brain imaging technology in the 1990s. After eight years, we finally got the authorisation to do [imaging on the neural effects of] LSD, she says. That study was recorded around the world and what it showed was the vast increase in connectivity that results when the blood supply is diverted from areas of the brain that create the ego mechanism or default mode network  in other words, when the censorship of the brain that comes with conditioning is turned off.

Philanthropy, she notes, has its limits, particularly during an economic downturn, and recently Amanda has set up a company, Beckley Psytech, with her youngest son Cosmo Feilding Mellen, a documentary maker whose films have explored the origins of LSD and the downsides of prohibition. I hope to create ethical businesses that prioritise health, happiness and the good of society over profit, says Amanda.

Last December, the company announced that it had raised 14 million from investors including the venture capital fund run by the founders of Innocent smoothies, to undertake research on 5-MeO-DMT, a short-acting psychedelic compound (naturally occurring in the secretions of the Sonoran Desert toad and several plant species) that switches on brain proteins normally activated by the wellbeing hormone serotonin. Used as a shamanic medicine by indigenous peoples of South America since the eighth century, it may be an effective modern treatment for depression, Amanda believes. It has the interesting quality of creating a mystical experience which correlated with healing, and in our brain-imaging studies we have found that the people who have the best results are often those whove had a mystical experience  a feeling of unity with the whole, says Amanda.

Humanity has gone so wrong in some ways, she adds. We are utterly brilliant but we are an unhappy, neurotic and, to a certain degree, psychotic species. She suspects social media is partly to blame. The worlds young are now brought up on images of people who look beautiful and happy but are probably unhappy, poor darlings, she says. They fuel resentment in the millions of people who follow them who feel they cant be rich or successful enough, so you have a culture of envy and disappointment thats creating neurosis and psychological disturbance.

The pandemic  with its attendant loneliness, job insecurity and general sense of uncertainty  is likely to make matters even worse. Amanda appreciates how fortunate she is in this regard. After all, social distancing comes relatively easy when home is a remote manor at the end of a mile-long path.

Over the past year, stories of magic mushrooms helping to beat depression have started to hit the headlines

Buoyed by the legitimisation of cannabis for medicinal use, Amanda hopes psychedelics are the next drug frontier. Her aim is to promote these compounds from the arena of illicit experimentation in student halls back into the science lab. Looking to the future, she hopes for the completion of this paradigm shift, where psychedelics will find application in the treatment of neurodegenerative illnesses, as well as illnesses associated with ageing. Wherever one looks, one sees a win-win situation, she says.

With a psychedelic renaissance apparently just around the corner, Amanda could well become the movements patron saint, a prospect she finds faintly amusing. Its a surprise to find myself a respected figure, because I certainly havent been [in the past], she says. Of course, Ive been exactly the same figure all along, its just that societys attitudes have changed.

She recalls her mothers desire to do good and wonders if her lifes work is born of a similar drive. I feel a duty to do this work and I feel the world needs it.

For further information about Amandas work, go to beckleyfoundation.org

Picture credits: Courtesy of Amanda Feilding, Luke MacGregor/Bloomberg/Getty Images
The Palazzo Versace luxury hotel styles itself as Australia's most luxurious digs - one of just a handful of six-star hotels in the country.

But behind the scenes, the hotel famous for hosting everyone from Johnny Depp to Snoop Dog and Tammy Hembrow, a drawn-out war is being waged between the owner, management and residents.

The outgoing general manager, Jane Kingston, described the goings on as 'utterly disgraceful'.

Jane Kingston, who was appointed in January 2020 is the latest GM to resign, following four others who have quit the role since 2014.

'Never in my life have I experienced such venomous and vociferous attacks from other human beings, where you just stop and think, "Is this for real?"' Ms Kingston told Daily Mail Australia.

'Anybody else who wasnt strong would have gone and committed suicide, thats how bad the attacks [on me] were. Its disgraceful.'

The Palazzo Versace on the Gold Coast was the first fashion-branded hotel in the world

Jane Kingston had resigned as General Manager after 'disgraceful' attacks by residents

The property has a dual personality as a hotel-resort and a home for condominium owners

Recent visitors and guests had criticised the hotel for a not being as glamorous as it projects

Ms Kingston said her reason for leaving is to take up a new job opportunity in Sydney, but her experience with the wealthy, high-powered residents of the resort's condominiums helped make the decision easier.

Palazzo Versace comprises 200 five-star hotel rooms but also more than 70 condominiums. Billionaire Clive Palmer once owned one of the condos, while recruitment company queen Sarina Russo is another owner.

Gold Coast real estate agency Kollosche sold a three-bedroom ground floor penthouse in the establishment for $6.42 million to an interstate buyer in January this year.

'They may be quite high-powered, but from my dealings with them, the way theyve gone about things is quite childish and could have been handled a lot more delicately and more intelligently,' Ms Kingston said.

The resort's expensive-looking grounds are favoured by influencers such as Tammy Hembrow

Snoop Dogg leaves the fruit platter looking pristine during his stay at Palazzo Versace

A number of issues between residents and the owner have plagued the hotel-resort since it was bought by China's Zou family through its Dong Run Group from local developers Sunland Group in 2012.

Disputes about 'excessive' management fees charged by the Palazzo Versace owner for everything from pool maintenance to security and insurance has created bad blood with residents, with Ms Kingston caught in the middle.

'Condo owners are not happy with the level of service,' one owner told the Gold Coast Bulletin in January. 'What they are trying to do is make the hotel accountable in terms of its maintenance.'

But Ms Kingston said the owners' constant complaints went beyond management fees to include accusations of theft by staff members and a desire to install their own security arrangements separate to those of the hotel.

'I got this terrible email from one of the residents accusing the staff of stealing, and then they all got on the bandwagon and had their two cents worth,' Ms Kingston said. 'That made me irate and I sent them back a whopper saying their behaviour was disgraceful.

'The truth is, each resident pays $12,000 a month for security of the apartments, for postal and package deliveries to their residences, plus emergency health response 24/7,' she continued. 'Who else is going to give them that kind of service? Are they nuts?

'They want to pay $500,000 for a separate security service and that will impact each shareholder who is a condo resident. That is not business thinking.'

One TripAdvisor review from 2020 described the pool as like 'swimming in Parramatta River'

Palazzo Versace offers more than 200 hotel suites and more than 72 resident condominiums

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 the hotel shut and stood down 200 staff

Ms Kingston said the hotel should not rely on the Versace name, which the owners licence

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard took to the Palazzo after the famous Pistol and Boo episode

'There are different personalities in there with an agenda and its definitely prejudicial towards the Chinese owners,' claimed Ms Kingston. 'Ive seen that through the content of emails to me and what has been said to me.'

Ms Kingston said the residents were far from a 'united front'.

'A lot of them are not talking to one another,' she said. 'It's gross bullying from a gang of ogres ... still to this day, I dont know what they want.

'There's a gang of about six to 10 who have their own agenda. They wanted the hotel put into liquidation so they could take it over and make sure the current owner lost everything, but theyre having a hard time at the moment.

'I was the roadblock, which is why I suffered all the attacks.'

Problems have beset the establishment - the first Versace-branded hotel in the world when it opened in 2000 - since it was sold to Dong Run for $68.5 million, who run it through Nanbai Australia.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic last year the hotel shut its doors and stood down 200 staff, while also telling them leave entitlements could not be paid. Many later went on JobKeeper until the hotel reopened.

The hotel had now had five general managers in the period between 2014 and 2021

The famous Versace logo drew a wealthy, fashion-conscious clientele when the hotel opened

Earlier this year, a series of damning TripAdvisor reviews of the establishment were highlighted by Daily Mail Australia, echoing a regular complaint by visitors, guests and travel industry specialists that Palazzo Versace's original 'six-star' status was no longer justified because upkeep, maintenance and renovation of its facilities had fallen behind.

'Whilst we were trying to enjoy our food, a bird excreted faeces above us which went straight through the top of our cabana and all over ourselves and our food,' wrote on reviewer.

One reviewer said using the hotel pool was 'like swimming in the Parramatta River', partly because a family of ducks had taken over and left droppings.

'There was no water in the lagoon pool which was meant to be part of the "amazing view". We couldn't use the bath because of the filth that came out of the jets. There were marks on the wall that looked like someone had smeared something on them,' wrote another.

Kyle Sandilands and former partner Imogen Anthony pictured at the troubled hotel

Ms Kingston defended her record by noting the hotel had just 'the biggest April' ever in terms of room occupancy, and she also had advice for whoever next steps up to the difficult GM role.

'First, you need to work very closely with the owners,' she said. 'There is a special relationship that you must have with a foreign owner, it goes without saying.

'Its quite tightly managed and if you dont like that, then youre not going to survive. I almost had to get approval to go to the bathroom.

'Second, youre not going to survive if you think youre going to ride on the coat-tails of [the] Versace name. You really do have to be a very good business operator as well.'

Daily Mail Australia sought comment from a number of condominium residents but none replied.
Richard Pusey is neither a killer, rapist or child molester, yet history will regard him as one of Australia's most despised individuals.

When four police officers were killed on the Eastern Freeway on the evening of April 22 last year, Melburnians were gripped in the middle of its first COVID-19 lockdown.

It was a time when news reports were littered with images of ordinary Australians hoarding food and fighting in supermarkets - a nation divided by fear.

Richard Pusey has been dubbed 'Australia's most despised man' after he filmed a dying police officer

Richard Pusey's Porsche is towed away after the horrific crash that killed four police officers. They had pulled over the speeding Pusey who escaped the wreck after he jumped the fence to urinate

Senior Constable Kevin King (pictured, far left), Constable Glen Humphris (second from left), Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor (second from right) and and Constable Josh Prestney (far right) all died in the crash

As the sun rose the following day, so too would a new monster who outraged a community already deep in disgust.

What Pusey did that night has been blanketed across mainstream and social media platforms for the past year as his case moved from courtroom to courtroom.

The mortgage broker had earlier been pulled over for speeding and only avoided being struck by the killer truck because he was urinating off the side of the road.

Senior Constable Kevin King, Constable Glen Humphris, Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor and and Constable Josh Prestney all died.

While the man who drove the truck, Mohinder Singh, slipped in and out of court with hardly a headline, Pusey would be rightly paraded by Victoria Police for what he did to those fallen officers in the seconds and minutes after the tragedy.

At Pusey's filing hearing a detective made a point of reading the entire summary of his offences to the court to benefit 'accurate reporting'.

'There you go. Amazing. Absolutely amazing. All I wanted to do was go home and have my sushi,' Pusey said as he filmed Leading Senior Constable Taylor clinging to life.

'And now you f**ked my f**king car.'

Victoria Police's then commissioner Graham Ashton struggled to contain his anger at Pusey's behaviour.

Richard Pusey would take his mates for a spin around the race track (pictured) in his Porsche. He would also be filmed driving at high speeds in the same car along the highway where four would die arresting him

Pusey during his arrest a day after the fatal crash. A homicide squad detective would go to court and outline to the media exactly what Pusey had done

Pusey would enjoy a short stint of freedom on bail, but was quickly back behind bars after an ugly incident that saw him ranting from the roof of his home

'If I wasnt wearing the uniform of Chief Commissioner, I would give you far more colourful language,' he told reporters.

On Wednesday, Pusey was finally sentenced in the County Court of Victoria.

With time served, he will likely walk free sometime over the next week.

Like every criminal that has sat in the court prison dock a convicted man, Pusey has a story dating back to his formative years.

When Pusey's name began filtering through to reporters the morning after the crash, news editors across Melbourne mocked their scribes for being sold a pup.

'Richard. Pusey. Dick Pusey. That was not a real name.'

It was a curse provided by his naive parents at birth and it would turn Pusey into the twisted soul he remains to this very day.

Raised in Frankston, in Melbourne's southeast, Pusey attended six primary schools as he struggled with bullying mostly associated to his birth name.

By the time he was a teenager, Pusey was already broken.

Anyone who knocked his name would promptly have their teeth knocked out.

He would become known among parents in the community as the child with whom to avoid social contact.

To look back at a young Pusey now, parents might feel some pity for the boy.

Despite his perhaps justified rage, Pusey was also a hard worker - something that in the years to come would make him a millionaire.

Mohinder Singh was jailed for more than 20 years for ploughing his truck into the four officers.

Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor was still hanging onto life, crushed behind Pusey's Porsche, when he filmed her on his mobile phone. His commentary would shock and disgust the nation

Richard Pusey will remain behind bars upon his current sentence expiring over allegations he made his wife watch him tie a noose around his own neck during an ugly incident before Christmas (pictured)

What Pusey Said On The Monash Pusey made videos, adding up to three minutes and eight seconds. 'Absolutely amazing' and 'look at that' he repeated while filming the carnage. At one point he said 'this is f**king justice' in the general direction of the road as other motorists went past. He then turned to Senior Constable Taylor, who was sprawled on top of the Porsche with her legs crushed by the truck and her hand through the sunroof, moaning and near death. 'There you go,' he said to her as his camera zoomed in on her face and injuries. 'Bang, bang, bang, they got thrown all the way over there,' he said. 'I think everyone got cleaned up - there's four people, look at that.' Soon after he showed a close up of injuries to one of the male officers and said: 'Oh he's smashed, look at that. Lucky I went and had a piss.' 'Look at that, man, you f**king c**ts, guess I'll be getting an Uber home,' he said. Advertisement

Pusey got his first job as a paperboy when he was just 10 years of age.

He worked at takeaway shops in his teens before being employed as a train station assistant where he worked for three years.

After completing a TAFE course in nursing, Pusey worked as a nurse for two full years.

It is hard to imagine.

After completing studies in financial management, Pusey worked successfully as a finance broker for 16 years.

In his element, Pusey was regarded as a hardworking, and perhaps gifted, finance manager.

He could be professional, but scratch the surface and Pusey was still a raging teenager with a chip on his shoulder.

In his own words, Pusey had a history of being 'hot-headed, impulsive and volatile'.

He admitted to such traits to his own doctor, but would rationalise it even when it was self-evident that his reactions were often excessive and unreasonable.

Here was a tormented soul who would take in abandoned cats and care for them, yet treat people he took a dislike to with extreme prejudice.

Those that have spent time with Pusey say he is generous to his friends and would go out of his way to help them.

He would take them on outings to the race track, where he would legally thrash the very same Porsche that was destroyed on the Eastern Freeway.





Richard Pusey had a deep hatred for police, and had appeared to have scrawled abuse directed at them underneath the doorbell of his own home

Pusey would soon become the hunted and had death threats painted on his garage door following the tragedy

The Fall Out Victorias police union boss Wayne Gatt unloaded on Pusey following his sentence, labelling him a 'worthless individual' and 'soulless coward'. 'Four upstanding heroes died on that day. One coward, one soulless coward lived. 'He is a worthless individual that lacks any human trait that would be, and should be, and is a feature of the Victorian community,' he said. 'Each and every one of us will face our mortality one day. 'When his day comes, I hope that he faces the same coldness and the same callousness with which he provided my members when they faced theirs.' Advertisement

His friends and family all knew he had issues, with many still standing by him today.

His wife of 12 years continues to support him as do his long-suffering parents.

But Pusey's underlying mental issues were never going to end well for him.

Long before the Eastern Freeway crash, Pusey's life was spiralling out of control.

The death of his brother from cancer in 2008 had hit him hard - his second brother would suicide while he was in jail.

Pusey began using drugs and driving on ordinary roads as if they were race tracks.

By 2018, after a series of violent incidents that saw Pusey charged with stalking and assault, he copped his first taste of jail.

He also lost his finance licence, which forced him to branch into property development.

Pusey spent much of the COVID-19 crisis in a protection unit by himself in the Melbourne Assessment Prison.

He had the money to take on the charge of outraging public decency, but ultimately folded his cards and took his medicine.





Richard Pusey upon his arrest on April 23 last year. He has spent most of his time behind bars in a protection unit

Richard Pusey's life began to spiral out of control in 2018 when he was jailed and lost his finance licence

Richard Pusey is likely to be released from jail in the coming days and weeks

His expressions of remorse to the families of the fallen officers have fallen on deaf ears.

Free on bail in December, Pusey said he felt for the families of those lost in the crash.

'I hope they're coping,' he said.

While Pusey was sentenced to 10 months in jail, only three of those were for his outrageous behaviour on the Eastern Freeway after the crash.

Perhaps more time would have made his apologies seem sincere.

Pusey, for now, remains behind bars while he awaits an assault charge to go through a system he now knows all too well.

He's accused of forcing his supportive wife to watch him place a noose around his own neck during a meltdown before Christmas last year while he was released briefly on bail.

Pusey will apply for bail again on his current sentence expiring.

Again, the life and times of Richard Pusey will be played out in open court.

And for a little while longer, a nation will look on in quiet disgust.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has sued Joe Biden's administration after it canceled this year's Independence Day fireworks display at Mount Rushmore, citing concerns about wildfires.

The South Dakota Republican governor filed a lawsuit against the Department of Interior in an effort to see fireworks shot over Mount Rushmore National Monument on July 4, 2021.

'Mount Rushmore is the very best place to celebrate America's birthday and all that makes our country special,' Noem wrote in her suit, which was filed Friday.

'After telling us they'd 'circle back,' the Biden Administration has not responded to our request to uphold the Memorandum Agreement between the State of South Dakota and the National Parks Service to host a safe and responsible national celebration and fireworks show,' she continued.

Last year, Noem successfully pushed for a return of the pyrotechnic display after a decade-long hiatus. The event drew national attention when former President Donald Trump joined Noem on July 3 , 2020 to give a speech ahead of the fireworks show.

South Dakota's Republican Governor Kristi Nomen is suing Joe Biden's administration for canceling the July 4 fireworks show at Mount Rushmore

The Independence Day celebration returned last year after Noem signed a deal with then-President Donald Trump, who attended the festivities on July 3, 2020

Despite the event happening during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, Noem claims contact tracing was unable to track a single case of COVID-19 back to the event.

The state's application to hold fireworks this year was denied by the National Park Service, which cited safety concerns tied to dry conditions and the possibility of wildfires - and also objections from local Native American tribes.

Noem's lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for South Dakota, argues that the decision was 'arbitrary and capricious' and violated the powers granted to the agency in the Constitution.

The state last year signed an agreement with the Trump administration and the Department of the Interior to work towards returning the pyrotechnic display this year.

Mount Rushmore is a huge tourism draw for the state, but it has also been a source of tension between the state and local Lakota tribes. Local activists have called for the monument to be returned to tribal control, pointing out the surrounding Black Hills were taken from the tribes in violation of treaties.

The Independence Day fireworks show at Mount Rushmore was canceled in 2009 due to wildfire concerns and objections from local Native American tribes

Last year's event drew concerns about wildfires set off by the fireworks, as well as protests from Lakota activists.

Fireworks were canceled after 2009 because of fire danger from a pine beetle infestation.

Noem's attorneys argue in the lawsuit that the surrounding forest has sufficiently recovered from the pine beetle infestation.

Last month, however, the park service had to close the monument for several days as firefighters battled wildfires within the park grounds.

The wildfires in part prompted Noem to declare a state of emergency until June, citing 'widespread drought conditions, low humidity, high wind and high temperatures that create serious peril for our state.'

But the governor in court filings invoked a spirit of patriotism to argue the show should go on, quoting former presidents from John Adams to George H.W. Bush.

The governor, closely allied to Trump, has headlined conservative events around the nation and is considered to be a potential name on the 2024 GOP presidential ticket.

Last year's Mount Rushmore event gave Noem an opportunity to enter Trump's orbit as she joined him on the flight back to Washington.
The final phase of ending America's 'forever war' in Afghanistan after 20 years formally began Saturday, with the withdrawal of the last U.S. and NATO troops by the end of summer.

President Joe Biden had set May 1 as the official start of the withdrawal of the remaining forces - about 2,500-3,500 U.S. troops and about 7,000 NATO soldiers.

Even before Saturday, the herculean task of packing up had begun.

The military has been taking inventory, deciding what is shipped back to the U.S., what is handed to the Afghan security forces and what is sold as junk in Afghanistan's markets.

In recent weeks, the military has been flying out equipment on massive C-17 cargo planes.

The U.S. is estimated to have spent more than $2 trillion in Afghanistan in the past two decades, according to the Costs of War project at Brown University, which documents the hidden costs of the U.S. military engagement.

Defense department officials and diplomats told The Associated Press the withdrawal has involved closing smaller bases over the last year.

They said that since Biden announced the end-of-summer withdrawal date in mid-April, only roughly 60 military personnel had left the country.

The U.S. and its NATO allies went into Afghanistan together on Oct. 7, 2001 to hunt the al-Qaida perpetrators of the 9/11 terrorist attacks who lived under the protection of the country's Taliban rulers.

A NATO armored vehicle patrols inside a US military base in Kandahar on April 29, ahead of the official start of troop withdrawal on May 1

President Joe Biden speaks from the Treaty Room in the White House in April about the withdrawal of the remainder of U.S. troops from Afghanistan

Two months later, the Taliban had been defeated and al-Qaida fighters and their leader, Osama bin Laden, were on the run.

In his withdrawal announcement last month, Biden said the initial mission was accomplished a decade ago when U.S. Navy SEALS killed bin Laden in his hideout in neighboring Pakistan.

Since then, al-Qaida has been degraded, while the terrorist threat has 'metastasized' into a global phenomenon that is not contained by keeping thousands of troops in one country, he said.

Until now the U.S. and NATO have received no promises from the Taliban that they won't attack troops during the pullout. In a response to AP questions, Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen said the Taliban leadership was still mulling over its strategy.

U.S. military spokesman Col. Sonny Leggett tweeted late Saturday that there was some ineffective firing in the area of southern Kandahar air base, one of the U.S. military's largest bases.

He also said U.S. forces had conducted 'precision strikes' against missiles found aimed at the airfield in Kandahar.

'Kandahar Airfield received ineffective indirect fire this afternoon; no injury to personnel or damage to equipment,' he tweeted, without attaching blame.

However, he also posted a video clip of Gen. Austin Miller, head of the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan, speaking to an Afghan journalist in which he said 'a return to violence would be one senseless and tragic,' but that coalition troops 'have the military means to respond forcefully to any type of attacks.'

The insurgent group continues to accuse Washington of breaching the deal it signed with Biden's predecessor more than a year ago. In that agreement, the U.S. said it would have all troops out by May 1.

In a statement Saturday, Taliban military spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the passing of the May 1 deadline for a complete withdrawal 'opened the way for (Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan) mujahidin to take every counteraction it deems appropriate against the occupying forces.'

However, he said fighters on the battlefield will wait for a decision from the leadership before launching any attacks and that decision will be based on 'the sovereignty, values and higher interests of the country.'

U.S. Marines in Shorab military camp of Helmand province, Afghanistan in January 2018

Violence has spiked in Afghanistan since the February 2020 deal was signed. Peace talks between the Taliban and Afghan government, which were part of the agreement, quickly bogged down. On Friday, a truck bomb in eastern Logar province killed 21 people, many of them police and students.

Afghans have paid the highest price since 2001, with 47,245 civilians killed, according to the Costs of War project. Millions more have been displaced inside Afghanistan or have fled to Pakistan, Iran and Europe.

Afghanistan's security forces are expected to come under increasing pressure from the Taliban after the withdrawal if no peace agreement is reached in the interim, according to Afghan watchers.

Since the start of the war they have taken heavy losses, with estimates ranging from 66,000 to 69,000 Afghan troops killed. The Afghan military has been battered by corruption. The U.S. and NATO pay $4 billion a year to sustain the force.

Some 300,000 Afghan troops are on the books, although the actual number is believed to be lower. Commanders have been found to inflate the numbers to collect paychecks of so-called 'ghost soldiers,' according to the U.S. watchdog monitoring Washington's spending in Afghanistan.

Still, the Afghan defense ministry and presidential palace in separate statements have said that Afghanistan's security forces are in good shape to defend against Taliban advances.

Last year was the only year U.S. and NATO troops did not suffer a loss. The Defense Department says 2,442 U.S. troops have been killed and 20,666 wounded since 2001. It is estimated that over 3,800 U.S. private security contractors have been killed. The Pentagon does not track their deaths.

The conflict also has killed 1,144 personnel from NATO countries.

The Taliban, meanwhile, are at their strongest since being ousted in 2001. While mapping their gains and territorial holds is difficult, they are believed to hold sway or outright control over nearly half of Afghanistan.

'We are telling the departing Americans ... you fought a meaningless war and paid a cost for that and we also offered huge sacrifices for our liberation,' Shaheen told the AP on Friday.

Striking a more conciliatory tone, he added: 'If you ... open a new chapter of helping Afghans in reconstruction and rehabilitation of the country, the Afghans will appreciate that.'

In announcing the departure, Biden said waiting for ideal conditions to leave would consign America to an indefinite stay.

In the Afghan capital and throughout the country, there is a growing fear that chaos will follow the departure of the last foreign troops. After billions of dollars and decades of war, many Afghans wonder at whether it was worth it.

'Violence has been at its peak ever since the coming of foreigners. Every day we witnessed suicide attacks and explosions.' said Hashmat Ullah, an Afghan browsing a marketplace in central Kabul Saturday. He welcomed the final withdrawal.
A millionaire trophy hunter has been caught boasting about helping to kill 13,000 doves and blasting a baboon.

In a phone call with an undercover investigator, businessman Rob Weir recounted a 2,800 hunting trip to Argentina, saying: 'There were five of us  one of them was a lady  and we shot 13,000 doves over four days.'

He said he had limited himself to 1,500 shells a day, adding: 'I tell you what, I'd love to go back. What an experience.'

BOASTS: Rob Weir (left), who boasted about helping to kill 13,000 doves and blasting a baboon, poses with a dead buffalo in 2017

Mr Weir, who owns H. J. Weir Engineering, one of the world's largest manufacturers of industrial laundry machines, said he had also made repeated hunting trips to South Africa over the past seven or eight years.

'The very first time I went out there I wanted to shoot a baboon. I had a thing about shooting a baboon, I don't know why but I did,' he said.

'I've shot buffalo out there, I've shot impala out there, I've shot warthogs out there, I've shot different gazelle-type animals out there.'

The 68-year-old businessman, who also owns the Weir Rallying motorsports team, made his comments to Eduardo Goncalves (above, at the Mirror Animal Hero awards in 2019) - the author and founder of the Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting

Approached for a comment, Mr Weir, who has not broken any laws with his hunting activities, said: 'I've got nothing further to say.'

The 68-year-old businessman, who also owns the Weir Rallying motorsports team, made his comments to Eduardo Goncalves, the author and founder of the Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting.

Mr Goncalves has spent the past year posing as a trophy hunter in order to uncover the industry's secrets for a forthcoming book.

It comes as pressure grows on the Government to implement its long-promised ban on trophy hunting, a pledge first made in the Queen's Speech in October 2019 and repeated in the Tory Election manifesto two months later.

Despite an estimated 200 animals being killed by British trophy hunters every year, there is still no official date for introducing the ban, although it is thought it will be mentioned again in next month's Queen's Speech.

Campaigners are worried, however, that civil servants may try to water down legislation by including a clause allowing hunters to import trophies if they pay a 'blood money' fee to conservation projects.

Last night, a Government spokesman said: 'The Government takes the conservation of endangered species in the UK and internationally very seriously, which is why we have committed to banning the import of hunting trophies from endangered species  as set out in the Government's manifesto.'
Working parents with two children aged under five could soon be paying as little as $6 a day in childcare fees as part of the federal 2021-22 Budget.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg announced on Sunday a $1.7billion package that will bring in several sweeping changes to the childcare system.

Among the changes include providing a 95 per cent subsidy for second and subsequent children aged five and under, and lifting the $10,000 subsidy cap for high-income earners.

Mr Frydenberg said the changes would not only be a massive help to hundreds of thousands of families, but also boost the number of people returning to the workforce.

'We are ensuring that around 250,000 families will be better off as a result of this package,' Mr Frydenberg said.

Working parents could soon be paying as little as $6 a day in childcare fees as part of the federal 2021-22 Budget (stock image)

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg is expected to announce on Sunday a $1.7billion package that will bring in several sweeping changes to the childcare system

'The Morrison government has made significant progress in boosting female workforce participation, as well as narrowing the gender gap. But there is still a long way to go.'

Families with two or more children aged five and under will be able to access the 95 per cent subsidy - a boost on the current 85 per cent.

Around 250,000 families are expected to save $2,260 a year on childcare fees.

Families who earn a combined $110,000 and have two kids in childcare four days a week will save $95.39 a week.

Parents who earn $140,000 altogether will be able to save $124.80 per week.

'This is a targeted and proportionate investment that simultaneously makes child care more affordable, increases workforce participation and boosts the Australian economy by up to $1.5 billion per year,' Mr Frydenberg said.

Around 18,000 families are also set to benefit when the $10,560 subsidy cap is lifted.

The change will be available for families who earn a combined $189,390 a year.

Under the current plan, high-income earners have been forced to pay the full childcare fees after passing the $10,560 threshold.

Minister for Education Alan Tudge said the cap had been a barrier for some parents who decided against returning to work.

'We're getting rid of that because we know from families it becomes a barrier from working more,' he said.

'By getting rid of that, people can have confidence to work the additional days without hitting the limit.'

Among the changes include providing a 95 per cent subsidy for second and subsequent children aged five and under, and lifting the $10,000 subsidy cap for high income earners (stock image)

Childcare fee overhaul Treasurer Josh Frydenberg announced on Sunday a $1.7billion package for the childcare system. High income earners with two or more children aged five and under will be able to access several benefits to ease the burden of high childcare fees. They will be eligible for a 95 per cent subsidy. The $10,560 subsidy cap will also be lifted for families that earn a combined $189,390 a year. Around 250,000 families are expected to save $2,260 a year on childcare fees. Advertisement

About 40,000 more people are expected to return to work because of the change.

'Today's measures are proportionate, they are targeted, and they are an investment in making our economy stronger and boosting female workforce participation,' Mr Frydenberg said.

Minister for Foreign Affairs and Women Marise Payne said the changes would boost the number of women in the workforce.

'We have seen women's workforce participation moving in the right direction,' she said.

'We are currently at 61.8 per cent, and the gender pay gap is narrowing.

'But as the Treasurer also said, we know there is more to do. This announcement today is integral to that. 'It is about supporting women into the workforce, supporting women into the workforce who want to work more days or more hours.

'It is about ensuring that families have choice and the support to make those choices in terms of the arrangements, but they want to have for their families.'

Business Council of Australia chief executive Jennifer Westacott praised the package as a step in the right direction.

'Today's announcement will make a huge difference to many of the 90,000 people across Australia who said they weren't in the workforce last year because of the high cost of child care,' she said.

Minister for Foreign Affairs and Women Marise Payne said the changes would boost the number of women in the workforce

Australian Childcare Alliance president Paul Mondo pointed out the changes overlooked families with one children and said there were 'opportunities for further enhancements of the package  to cover every child in every family'.

Shadow Treasurer Jim Chalmers was also critical of the childcare overhaul.

'The big problem here is this childcare announcement is about getting the Liberals through the election, it's not about getting women back to work,' he said.

'It makes it more complex and misses the chance to do a key economic reform.'

But Mr Frydenberg believes the changes will strengthen the economy.

'And at the same time provide greater choice to parents who want to work an extra day or two a week,' he said.
The Conservatives have drafted in the military to help secure victory in this weeks elections.

The party is fielding seven former Armed Forces personnel to stand as crime tsars.

They include Giles Orpen-Smellie, who served with the Parachute Regiment and is standing in Norfolk; former Cavalry Regiment officer Mark Shelford who is seeking election in Avon and Somerset; and Chris Nelson, an ex-colonel with the Royal Artillery, who is standing in Gloucestershire.

Mr Shelford, 59, said his frontline experience in Afghanistan and Northern Ireland would help to police Bristol, the scene of recent Kill The Bill rioting.

The Conservatives have drafted in the military to help secure victory in this weeks elections. The party is fielding seven former Armed Forces personnel to stand as crime tsars (stock image)

I was once standing alongside a police officer who was shot in the helmet and, with the good work of first aid, he survived, he said.

My service has taken me from the jungles of Borneo with the Royal Malay Police to work with the RUC in Northern Ireland and the Afghan National Police, so I have a very good idea of what good and bad policing looks like.

In Norfolk, Mr Orpen-Smellies 34 years of service include tours in the Falklands, Iraq and the Balkans. The 61-year-old said: I always wanted to join the Army and followed my father into his old regiment. Much like policemen and women, you volunteer for the service and in the heat of the moment you dont think about the danger.

Now I see my past experience, which was a lot about strategic planning, as being able to help in the role of Police and Crime Commissioner. Its about bringing different sectors together to address the conditions which lead to crime.

Mr Nelson served for 31 years in the Royal Artillery, including as an infantryman in Northern Ireland. The 65-year-old said: I saw there what police had to deal with and what they needed to prepare for their roles.

There is a right to protest and we need to be able to do that peacefully in a democracy but we have to put a stop to protests which are causing widespread disruption.

The last of 12 ex-military candidates is an independent, Dan Hardy, a former soldier, who is also standing in Dorset. Voters in England and Wales will be electing 39 PCCs on Thursday (stock image)

Labour has also fielded two former service personnel: ex-Royal Navy officer Gareth Derrick in Devon and Cornwall; and Joy Allen, who worked for the Armed Forces in Germany, in Dorset.

The Liberal Democrats have two veterans standing: Mark Robson, a former Royal Marine, in Dorset; and James Barker, a former RAF officer in North Yorkshire.

The last of 12 ex-military candidates is an independent, Dan Hardy, a former soldier, who is also standing in Dorset.

Voters in England and Wales will be electing 39 PCCs on Thursday.
Travelers wait at a train station in Nanchang in central China's Jiangxi Province, April 30. AP-Yonhap



Chinese tourists are expected to make a total of 18.3 million railway passenger trips on the first day of the country's five-day holiday for international Labor Day, according to an estimate by the state railway group. Tourists are rushing to travel domestically after the coronavirus has been brought under control in China.



The May Day holiday, which runs from May 1 to 5, is the first long break for Chinese tourists since the beginning of the year, when a domestic outbreak of the coronavirus before the Lunar New Year holidays in February cancelled travel plans for many after the government advised people to refrain from traveling.



Before the pandemic, the Labor Day holiday often saw Chinese tourists travelling internationally to countries in Europe and Southeast Asia. But border closures and travel restrictions mean tourists are traveling domestically this year.



Additionally, some 60 million vehicles are expected to hit the roads during the Labor Day holiday, China's Transport Ministry said earlier this week. In total, tourists are estimated to make 265 million trips.



''I feel like this is the first time ever that restrictions are really eased after the pandemic,'' said Sun Dandan, a real estate professional who lives in Xinjiang and was visiting Beijing for the first time.



''People's enthusiasm for traveling is strengthening again, and the economy is improving too.''





People visit the Great Wall during the labour day holiday in Beijing on May 1. AFP-Yonhap
Matt Hancock wants a new debate on legalising assisted suicide after asking for data on Britons with terminal conditions who have killed themselves.

The Health Secretary requested the figures from the UK's top statistician, Sir Ian Diamond, last week.

During a private meeting, Mr Hancock told the All Party Parliamentary Group for Choice that he hopes the data will provide further information for a discussion on legalising doctor-assisted suicide across the nation, reports The Telegraph.

In the UK, assisted suicide is illegal with anyone helping or encouraging someone to take their own life facing up to 14 years in prison in England and Wales

During a private meeting, Matt Hancock (pictured in London on Saturday morning) reportedly told the All Party Parliamentary Group for Choice that he hopes the data will provide further information for a discussion on legalising doctor-assisted suicide across the nation

Mr Hancock told MPs and peers that he had asked the statistician 'to consider what should be published in terms of statistics that can inform the debate in this country.'

He also said that he wants the figures to 'shed more light on the data of those at a time of their choosing'.

Mr Hancock reportedly explained that he was initially against assisted suicide, but was left impacted after speaking to Sir Paul Cosford, who served as Public Health England's medical director and died last month after a four-year battle with cancer.

He added: 'I think it is important that public debate is informed by the best statistics.'

The Health Secretary requested the figures from the UK's top statistician, Sir Ian Diamond (pictured above, during a media briefing), last week

Is assisted suicide illegal in Britain? Under the Suicide Act 1961, anyone helping or encouraging someone to take their own life in England or Wales can be prosecuted and jailed for up to 14 years if found guilty of an offence. Section two of the act states that a person commits an offence if they carry out an act capable of encouraging or assisting the suicide or attempted suicide of another person, and the act was intended to encourage or assist suicide or an attempt at suicide. In 2015 MPs including former prime minister David Cameron rejected a Bill to legalise assisted dying. Opposition to changing the law has come from faith groups, campaigners who say disabled people may feel pressured to end their lives and campaigners who fear assisted dying would become a business. Advertisement

It follows nearly 50 senior doctors calling for an inquiry into the ban on assisted dying in Britain last year.

The move came just days after New Zealand voted to make assisted dying legal for terminally ill people.

Other countries passing similar laws include Switzerland, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Luxembourg, Holland and parts of the US and Australia.

A survey from last October also found that 50 per cent of British doctors believe there should be a change in the law to allow helping patients to die.

It found half supported the change to allow the prescription of life-ending drugs.

The results could pave the way for the UKs largest doctors union to drop its long-standing opposition to assisted dying  its position since 2006.

Around four years ago the British Medical Association rejected a motion to adopt a more neutral position on the issue.

But the recent survey of its members found just 39 per cent are personally opposed to a change in the law, with 11 per cent undecided.

However, when it came to being prepared to actively participate in prescribing drugs which would lead to someones death, just 36 per cent said they would be willing, compared with 45 per cent who wouldnt.

The union said the results of the survey of almost 29,000 medics and students will not determine BMA policy but will be discussed in a debate at its annual meeting next year.

For confidential support, call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch. See samaritans.org for details.
Ten day self-isolation rules for those who have been in contact with a person who has tested positive for Covid could be replaced by a scheme of daily lateral flow tests.

A new trial is being set up to see if a daily testing regime could be an effective alternative to automatic quarantine rules.

Daily lateral flow tests will be given to as many as 40,000 people who have a positive Covid-19 contact in the Government-backed research announced on Sunday.

Instead of the 10 days of quarantine currently required, the participants will be sent a week's worth of tests and will be able to go about their lives as before, as long as the results are negative.

The trial - across England - may provide greater evidence to reduce the length of time contacts of positive cases need to isolate, under efforts to restart social lives and reopen the economy.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: 'This new pilot could help shift the dial in our favour by offering a viable alternative to self-isolation for people who are contacts of positive Covid-19 cases, and one that would allow people to carry on going to work and living their lives.'

The daily lateral flow tests will be given to as many as 40,000 people who have a positive Covid-19 contact (stock)

Instead of the 10 days of quarantine currently required, the participants will be sent a week's worth of tests and will be able to go about their lives as before, as long as the results are negative

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the new pilot could 'help shift the dial in our favour by offering a viable alternative to self-isolation'

Beginning on May 9, close contacts of people with Covid-19 will be contacted by phone and sent seven days of rapid tests if they wish to participate in the study

PCR AND LATERAL FLOW TESTS: THE KEY DIFFERENCES A PCR test can cost upwards of 180 per person, with the swab needing to be processed in a lab. The UK, on the other hand, favours faster tests which are not lab based and give a result within 15 minutes. These rapid coronavirus tests, known as lateral flow tests, are ones that can be done on the spot using portable equipment. They are faster and cheaper than lab-based PCR tests, which the government uses to diagnose people, but are less accurate. Advertisement

Beginning on May 9, close contacts of people with Covid-19 will be contacted by phone and sent seven days of rapid tests if they wish to participate in the study.

They will have to test themselves every morning for seven days and will be exempt from the legal requirement to quarantine at home every day they test negative, as long as they do not exhibit symptoms.

Professor Isabel Oliver, who is leading the study as Public Health England's national infection service director, said the study will be key to informing how 'the approach to testing might evolve'.

'This study will help to determine whether we can deploy daily testing for contacts to potentially reduce the need for self-isolation, while still ensuring that chains of transmission are stopped,' she said.

'Contacts of cases are at higher risk of infection so testing them is a very effective way of preventing further spread.'

A document for the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) released on Friday detailed an earlier pilot of 1,370 close contacts using testing as an alternative to isolation.

Running between December and January, the uptake of daily testing was 62%, but the group found that this was lower among people from ethnic minority groups.

The number of daily rapid lateral flow tests taken in England from October through to April 28

'Overall, our data suggested that daily testing has the potential to be a feasible and acceptable alternative to self-isolation,' the researchers said.

'However, there is a need to develop materials and campaigns to explain the rationale and procedures and address concerns, especially among BAME communities.'

It comes as it was revealed that UK coronavirus deaths have dropped by more than three quarters in a week - with seven deaths recorded yesterday.

The number of Covid cases fell slightly to 1,907 from last Saturday's 2,061 as the further easing of lockdown rules looks set to go ahead on May 17.

The seven deaths mark a drop on the 15 recorded last Saturday, demonstrating a continued steady decline in fatalities.

It comes after Office for National Statistics data suggested the total number of infections is lower than at any point since early September and infections have been falling constantly for five weeks.

HOW LATERAL FLOW TESTS ARE ONLY TRUSTWORTHY WHEN ADMINISTERED BY TRAINED STAFF Lateral flow tests are only accurate at diagnosing coronavirus when administered by trained professionals, studies have repeatedly shown. The tests, which give results in as little as 15 minutes, use swabs of the nose or throat. Samples are then mixed in a testing liquid and put into a plastic cassette which can detect the presence or absence of coronavirus and then produce an image of a line, the same way as a pregnancy test, to indicate whether it is positive or negative. The Department of Health and NHS are instructing people to use the tests on themselves, despite manufacturers of some kits saying they shouldn't be used as DIY swabs. Both the swabbing procedure and the use of the test cassette can easily be done wrong and affect the accuracy of the test. If the swab isn't done for long enough, or deep enough into the nose or throat, it may not pick up fragments of virus. Medical professionals are also able to use nasopharyngeal swabs, which go right to the back of the nostril, whereas this is not advised for people who test themselves. And if the sample isn't properly inserted into the cassette the result might be wrong, or people may misread the display when it produces a result. SELF-TESTING CUT ACCURACY FROM 79% TO 58% A University of Oxford and Public Health England evaluation of the Innova lateral flow test, which is being widely used in the UK, found its sensitivity - the proportion of positive cases it detected - fell from 79 per cent to 58 per cent when it was used by untrained members of the public instead of lab experts. Based on this evaluation, officials pushed ahead and used it for a real-world self-testing trial. PILOT IN LIVERPOOL FOUND FEWER THAN HALF OF POSITIVES When the same Innova test was trialled on members of the public in Liverpool - with people taking their own swabs and trained military staff operating the tests - the swabs picked up just 41 per cent of positive cases. In the study the rapid tests detected 891 positive results, compared to lab-based PCR swabs that found 2,829 positives in the same group. This means 1,938 people got a wrong negative result from the rapid test. The study didn't compare this to professionally done rapid tests, but the manufacturer Innova claims its test is 95 per cent sensitive in lab conditions. ...BUT TESTING DONE BY MEDICS IN SLOVAKIA 'REDUCED INFECTIONS' Despite rapid lateral flow tests getting bad press, officials in Slovakia used them on 5.2million people - almost the entire population of 5.5m - in a trial that a study later estimated to have cut the country's infection rate by 60 per cent. The tests used were between 70 and 90 per cent accurate and all the swabs and evaluations were carried out by trained medical workers. They used deep nasopharyngeal swabs, that go to the back of the nose, whereas self-testing generally relies on a swab of only the nostril. London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine researchers said that the scheme successfully weeded out coronavirus cases that wouldn't have been found otherwise, slashing the number of cases by over half in a week during a lockdown. HOW RAPID TESTS ARE DIFFERENT TO LAB-BASED PCR SWABS Lateral flow tests are an alternative to the gold standard PCR test - known scientifically as polymerase chain reaction testing - which is more expensive and more labour-intensive but more accurate. PCR tests also use a swab but this is then processed using high-tech laboratory equipment to analyse the genetic sequence of the sample to see if any of it matches the genes of coronavirus. This is a much more long-winded and expensive process, involving multiple types of trained staff, and the analysis process can take hours, with the whole process from swab to someone receiving their result taking days. It is significantly more accurate, however. In ideal conditions the tests are almost 100 per cent accurate at spotting the virus, although this may be more like 70 per cent in the real world. Advertisement

Experts said the data 'should be celebrated' and were the first proof that, despite the reopening of outdoor hospitality and allowing the rule of six earlier this month, there was still 'no evidence of an increased transmission risk'.

Meanwhile, Government data up to April 30 shows that 49,287,257 jabs have been given in the UK so far - 34,346,273 of which are first doses.

A further 129,657 people received their first dose, while 405,456 more Britons had their second.

Evidence that Covid has been stamped out in Britain is now overwhelming as the vaccine rollout speeds ahead and official figures show 22million people - one in three - live in areas where not a single person has died with the virus this month.

And Britons will be allowed to hug their friends and family in just over a fortnight as ministers look set to follow through with the next stage of Boris Johnson's roadmap out of lockdown.

The country's hugely-successful vaccine drive - coupled with social distancing rules - has meant just one in 1,000 people in England now have Covid, and the R rate is still below 1.

The drop in figures means the government will likely approve the next stage of England's lockdown easing on May 17.

From that date, limits on outdoor meetings are set to be lifted while the rule of six - or two households rule - will apply indoors.

And international travel looks set to resume as well, but with mandatory Covid tests and quarantine likely remaining in place for most holiday destinations, the Daily Telegraph reports.

Ministers could also relax social distancing between friends and family on May 17 - meaning loved ones kept apart for months may finally be allowed to hug.

Government guidance states the advice 'on social distancing between friends and family' will be updated on May 17.

And a source told The Times: 'The data is looking very good. The scientists say we're on track for the next stage unless something changes dramatically.'

Britain's families will get the go-ahead for summer holidays in popular European hotspots before the end of May with a green list update expected every three weeks

By Anna Mikhailova and Harriet Line for Mail on Sunday

Families are set to get the go-ahead to take summer holidays in some popular European hotspots before the end of the month, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

The Government is expected to announce as early as this week the first countries that Britons can visit without having to quarantine  but the list is only believed to include a handful of destinations.

Sources say the so-called 'green list' will be updated every three weeks, raising the prospect that new countries  including popular destinations in Europe  will be announced before the end of this month. For much of the country, the half-term break starts on May 31.

Under the traffic-light system for foreign travel, those returning from green countries will not need to quarantine but will have to take two Covid tests  one before they return to the UK, which can be either a lateral flow or PCR test, and a PCR test on the second day after they arrive back.

Families are set to get the go-ahead to take summer holidays in some popular European hotspots before the end of the month, The Mail on Sunday can reveal (Gibraltar pictured)

Sources say the so-called 'green list' will be updated every three weeks, raising the prospect that new countries  including popular destinations in Europe

Those who return from countries designated as either amber or red will still have to quarantine, either at home or in a hotel, and have three compulsory tests. Government officials are debating whether to stick to previous policy plans of having all children under 11 exempt from having to take the tests.

The majority of European countries are expected to be given amber status this week, but there is optimism that some will turn green when the list is next updated.

The ban on overseas holidays will end on May 17, along with the threat of fines for attempting to travel without a permitted reason.

Ahead of the cautious return to international travel, the Government will shortly unveil a new slogan 'Travel Safely, Plan Ahead'. It will replace the current 'Minimise Travel' guidance.

An announcement by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps of which countries have been given which colour is thought to have been pencilled in for Friday, although it could slip to early next week. Ahead of it, the Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC), which provides evidence-based analysis to the Government, will assess the latest data from around the world.

The system is based on four main criteria  the percentage of the population that has been vaccinated, the Covid infection rate, any emerging coronavirus variants and the strength of a country's genomic sequencing that would allow variants to be detected.

It is understood the JBC assessment means only a small number of countries will make the first 'green' list. These are thought to include Malta, Gibraltar and Israel.

Any tests required for travel for green, amber and red countries will have to be paid for privately. Costs, however, have been falling, with some firms charging just 45 per test.

Many countries require tests to be completed before leaving the UK, but Greece recently became the first major European country to announce that vaccinated Britons will not require any to enter. Spain, Portugal and France have also indicated they will follow suit.

Ministers are said to be confident about progressing to the next stage of the roadmap, which earmarks May 17 as the earliest date when international travel could resume.

They hope to move to a traffic light system with countries listed as either green, amber or red.

People travelling to 'green' countries will not need to quarantine on their return unless they test positive for coronavirus, while arrivals from 'amber' countries will need to quarantine for 10 days.

Travellers from 'red list' countries will be required to quarantine at a hotel at their own expense. Most European countries are expected to be on the 'amber list' when the categories are confirmed in the coming days.

Foreign holidays look set to resume this month as the Government prepares to reveal the 'green list' next week. Ministers are poised to decide next week that foreign holidays can resume from May 17, the next stage at which restrictions ease

Countries thought to be heading towards the 'green list' from May 17 include Portugal, Malta and Morocco.

Industry experts also predict Israel, Jamaica, Barbados, Gibraltar and Grenada may be immediately open to holidaymakers after taking into account vaccine rates, infection rates, evidence of variants and data quality.

They added that Iceland, Finland and the Cayman Islands could be among a 24-strong list of 'green' countries. It has been suggested this low-risk list could also include the US.

However, some nations will reportedly stay 'amber' due to growing fears over India's Covid-19 crisis.

Paul Charles, of the PC Agency, said: 'We are concerned by possible #India-related infection increases in #Seychelles #SriLanka and #Maldives so these wont be green on May 17.'

A Downing Street insider told the Daily Telegraph that ministers believe they can 'keep tight controls in place at the border while taking a significant step forward on international travel.'

However, it is expected that the system may be reviewed at the end of June ahead of the busiest period for holidays. By this time, it is hoped vaccinated Britons may be able to avoid quarantine entirely.

Those returning from 'green list' countries from May 17 may also be fast-tracked through passport control under plans proposed to combat queues at airports, the Times reported.

Ministers are poised to decide next week that foreign holidays can resume from May 17, the next stage at which restrictions ease. Pictured: Paynes Bay, Barbados

Government sources yesterday stressed that no final decisions have been made on which countries will make the 'green list', though industry experts have predicted that the majority of European countries will remain 'amber.' Pictured: Malta, which is predicted to be 'green'

The Home Office is reportedly planning to re-open automated e-passport gates for those entering the UK from the lowest-risk nations. This is in a bid to prevent lengthy wait times, with Heathrow bosses warning passengers could be delayed for up to six hours.

Some airports have already created separate lines for 'red list' passengers, who need to quarantine in a hotel, but this could develop further into 'green' and 'amber' lines when international travel reopens to Britons.

It comes as the UK's hugely-successful vaccine drive - coupled with social distancing rules - has meant just one in 1,000 people in England now have Covid, and the R rate is still below 1.

Britain's daily Covid deaths have fallen by nearly two thirds in a week as health chiefs recorded just 15 fatalities on Friday. Department of Health bosses also posted another 2,381 cases, with the outbreak remaining stable.

Last Friday there were 2,678 infections and 40 deaths reported.

Another 610,000 vaccines were also dished out, with 14.5million Britons now fully vaccinated against coronavirus.

A number of criteria will be used to determine which category a country falls into when travel restrictions are loosened on May 17, including vaccination data and infection levels.

A source said: 'We are keeping a tough border policy in place but if we think travel can be conducted safely with particular countries then we are looking to take the next step on the roadmap in that direction.'

The Global Travel Taskforce, which last month made recommendations on how travel could resume, has said the restrictions will be formally reviewed on June 28.

Industry experts have predicted Israel (pictured: Tel-Aviv), Jamaica, Barbados, Gibraltar and Grenada may also be immediately open to British holidaymakers after taking into account vaccine rates, infection rates, evidence of variants and data quality

Countries expected to be on the 'green list' from May 17 also include Portugal, Malta and Morocco. Pictured: Gibraltar

The Grand Mosque of Tangier is the main mosque of Tangier, Morocco. The country is expected to be on the 'green' list

Further formal reviews would take place no later than July 31 and October 1, it said.

International holidays are currently prohibited, and passengers must prove they have a valid reason to leave the country.

The Commons' Transport Select Committee issued a report last week which stated that the green, amber and red lists of destinations must be published by Saturday 'at the latest', but this has not happened.

Tory MP Huw Merriman, who chairs the committee, said the categorisation of countries is the bare minimum' that the travel industry and consumers need to make preparations for May 17, and the lack of information means they are 'still in the dark'.

He went on: 'Uncertainty has been prolonged. This uncertainty could cost people their jobs.

'How can it be right that countries with slower vaccination roll-outs are safely reopening to international travellers while the UK stays static?

Quarantine-free travel will only be possible to a handful of countries even if the blanket ban on travel is removed. And Government sources stressed that no final decisions have been made on which countries will make the so-called 'green list'

'The Government is in danger of squandering the opportunity to take advantage of the UK's world-leading vaccine dividend as countries across the globe begin to open up for international travel.'

Prime Minister Boris Johnson gave an upbeat assessment of the easing of lockdown restrictions earlier this week.

Deadline missed for release of holiday lists A deadline for grading countries under the new traffic light system for international travel has been missed by the Government. The Commons' Transport Select Committee issued a report last week which stated that the green, amber and red lists of destinations must be published by Saturday 'at the latest', but this has not happened. Instead, the Department for Transport has only said the lists will be made public in 'early May'. The ban on overseas leisure travel is expected to be lifted for people in England from May 17 as part of the next easing of coronavirus restrictions. The traffic light system will be risk-based, with different rules for people returning to England depending on which list their destination is on. Many people are eager to discover what countries are on the green list to avoid the need to self-isolate. Tory MP Huw Merriman, who chairs the committee, said the categorisation of countries is 'the bare minimum' that the travel industry and consumers need to make preparations for May 17, and the lack of information means they are 'still in the dark'. He went on: 'Uncertainty has been prolonged. This uncertainty could cost people their jobs. 'How can it be right that countries with slower vaccination roll-outs are safely reopening to international travellers while the UK stays static? 'The Government is in danger of squandering the opportunity to take advantage of the UK's world-leading vaccine dividend as countries across the globe begin to open up for international travel.' Advertisement

'As things stand I think we've got a very good chance of really opening up totally on June 21. But we've got to be cautious and go on the data, not the dates.'

He said that 'nobody wants to go into a lockdown but they've helped us. The discipline the public has shown has helped us to get the numbers of cases down very considerably'.

It has also been reported that Covid passports for summer holidays could be in place by June with UK-EU talks to resume travel set to start in days, officials have suggested.

Vaccinated Brits with Covid passports could holiday in the US, France, Italy and Germany by June 28, it was revealed, though Greece insists the handwritten paper NHS card handed out with a jab will suffice.

Spain also confirmed on Wednesday it was looking forward to welcoming back British holidaymakers and said June would be the start of the 'recovery' for tourism.

The EU is closing in on a deal with the US for Covid passports, with officials also saying they are open to a similar policy with the UK.

In response, a UK government spokesman said Britain was also ready to open talks with the EU shortly.

The spokesman said: 'Ensuring free and open travel with our European partners is vitally important which is why we will be engaging the European Commission on reopening travel routes from the UK shortly.'

Revealing Spain was throwing open its beaches, tourism minister Fernando Valdes Verelst said: 'June will be the start of the recovery of tourism in Spain. By then, we will have a digital vaccination certificate in place and we will be able to reopen our borders.'

He said Spain was pushing for the UK's digital vaccine passport to be 'mutually recognised' and that he welcomed Boris Johnson's plans to restart international travel.

Speaking at the World Travel and Tourism Councilin Mexico, he added: 'Because of the progress in our vaccine rollout with 22 per cent of our population having had their first dose already, we expect by June to be at the green light.

'We are having close conversations with UK authorities and we are exchanging information on Spain's digital system and the trial happening at our airports in May.'

Meanwhile, it was revealed UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps will hold talks with G7 counterparts at the Cornwall summit between June 11 and 13 with a view to securing a free travel agreement to popular destinations.

Mr Shapps will argue that they should agree international standards for vaccinated travellers heading to 'green list' nations who show digital proof of vaccination, a negative test or proof of immunity at passport control.

There would also be talks on bilateral 'travel corridors' to the US, France, Italy, Germany and other nations for passengers with a covid passport, according to the Daily Telegraph.
A little girl is fighting for her life after a 'tiny, harmless' lump the size of a mosquito bite on her elbow was later diagnosed as an aggressive type of cancer.

Gladys Hesse, from Logan, Queensland, took her five-year-old daughter Vaitiare to the doctor after she complained about a sore arm but was told the lump would subside, before being sent home with Panadol to cope with the pain.

'Initially, this was as innocuous as a mosquito bite, a tiny, harmless bump on her arm,' her mum Ms Hesse told 7NEWS.com.au.

But the lump started to grow and by the next fortnight a concerned Ms Hesse had taken her daughter back to the doctor, who referred Vaitiare for an ultrasound.

Five-year-old Queensland girl Vaitiare Hesse (pictured) was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma in late March after initially complaining of a sore arm

The ultrasound initially identified the lump as a tumour but further tests in late March confirmed a diagnosis of Ewing's sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer.

Ms Hesse, a single mum-of-three said she was left in shock and experienced 'the full gamut of emotions from sadness, anger, confusion, fear to the hardest one of helplessness'.

'As a parent you start asking the questions, "Why my baby?", "How did this happen?", "Is it something I did?",' she said.

Ms Hesse said she struggled to tell her daughter she had cancer and would need to spend the rest of the year in and out of hospital as she undergoes treatment for the cancer, which is currently 'localised'.

Vaitiare - who is three weeks through a 12-week chemotherapy cycle - is facing the prospect of having her arm amputated.

At the end of the chemotherapy cycle, a surgeon will decide whether the tumour can be removed.

Vaitiare has been described as a 'vibrant, smart and beautiful soul' who is 'a sociable and happy chatterbox'

Vaitiare has undergone MRI, CAT and PET scans, bone marrow aspiration, a frozen biopsy procedure and several ultrasounds

A GoFundMe page has been set-up by Ms Hesse's work colleagues to rise funds for medical costs and to support the family as she has had to take extended time off from her job to be by her daughter's side in hospital.

Ms Hesse does not have access to access to government income support as she is a New Zealand citizen.

'Vaitiare - "the dew of the flower" - is a vibrant, smart and beautiful soul. If you meet her, you'd quickly learn just how infectious her smile is - it illuminates every room she enters,' the GoFundMe page reads.

'Vaitiare is a sociable and happy chatterbox - not one to sit still for too long, she loves making new friends, dancing and singing and enjoys wrestling with her brothers.'

'Within her first week of admission alone, Vaitiare has already endured so much: MRI, CAT and PET scans, bone marrow aspiration, a frozen biopsy procedure and additional ultrasounds.'
A professor has explained how cases of the coronavirus pandemic decline as quickly as they surge - but warns the virus could hang around the US for much longer.

Zoe M. McLaren, an associate professor at the University of Maryland in Baltimore County, wrote in an op-ed for The New York Times about the mathematical concept of exponential decay in relation to COVID-19.

'The United States is still a long way from reaching herd immunity, but things could improve a lot before then. The worst of the pandemic may be over sooner than you think,' McLaren wrote.

However, McLaren - who studies policies to combat infectious disease epidemics - said that just because there may be steep drops in cases does not mean that COVID-19 is approaching its end.

'Exponential growth means case numbers can double in just a few days. Exponential decay is its opposite. Exponential decay means case numbers can halve in the same amount of time,' McLaren wrote.

McLaren explained that 'understanding exponential dynamics makes it easier to know what to expect in the coming phase of the pandemic.'

A chart shows the exponential growth and exponential decay phases of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States

Zoe M. McLaren wrote that the mathematical concept of exponential decay shows how the virus may disappear soon

She wrote that the situation will 'improve quickly as vaccination rates rise.'

There have been 243,463,471 doses of COVID-19 vaccines given in the United States as of Saturday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

McLaren stressed the importance of vaccines in getting the numbers 'to plummet' writing that 'every case of COVID-19 that is prevented cuts off transmission chains, which prevents many more cases down the line.'

However, those declines slow down over time and cases would likely rise again 'if people ease up on precautions too soon.'

'For example, reducing 1,000 cases by half each day would mean a reduction of 500 cases on Day 1 and 125 cases on Day 3 but only 31 cases on Day 5,' she wrote.

McLaren noted that exponential decay has already been seen in the United States as it took just 22 days for the number of daily cases to fall 100,000 from its peak of about 250,000 on January 8 to around 150,000 on January 31.

But it took more than three times as long for daily cases to fall another 100,000, McLaren wrote.

According to the CDC, the current 7-day moving average of daily new cases is 52,528 marking a 79% decrease from January 8.

The concept of exponential growth and decay as applied to the coronavirus pandemic had already been explained in an article in March in Design News - a publication for the engineering community.

'No virus can grow at an exponential rate forever. Virus growth is bounded by available resources, such as uninfected hosts, transmission medium, nutrients, water, etc. Still, the initial exponential growth of viruses do increase at an alarming rate,' the outlet reported.

'Fortunately, this type of infectious growth rate doesnt continue infinitum. As the growth rate peaks and begins to fall, the curve changes from an exponential one to a normal distribution or bell curve ... as the growth pattern begins to decrease.'

McLaren wrote that 'reaching herd immunity is a key goal.'

'It drives cases toward zero by slowing the spread of the virus through a combination of vaccination and infection-acquired immunity to maintain exponential decay  even as society resumes normal activities,' she wrote.

A map of the United States shows that there have been 32,369,584 total coronavirus cases with 576,553 deaths

A chart shows that there have been a total of 32,351,728 cases of coronavirus in the United States since the start of the pandemic

A chart shows the daily number of coronavirus infections in the United States in March and April

A chart shows that there have been a total of 576,291 coronavirus deaths in the United States since the start of the pandemic

A chart shows the daily number of coronavirus deaths in the United States in March and April

However, McLaren warned that reaching herd immunity does not prevent all outbreaks - just that they can be 'snuffed out' easily as they happen until the 'outbreaks themselves become less and less common.'

In another op-ed in The New York Times on Saturday, Drs. Carl T. Bergstrom and Natalie Dean noted that 'once enough immunity has been built in the population, each person will infect fewer than one other person.'

'But an epidemic that is already underway will continue to spread,' Bergstrom and Dean wrote. 'If 100,000 people are infectious at the peak and they each infect 0.9 people, thats still 90,000 new infections, and more after that.'

They added: 'A runaway train doesnt stop the instant the track begins to slope uphill, and a rapidly spreading virus doesnt stop right when herd immunity is attained.'

Bergstrom and Dean wrote that if the pandemic went uncontrolled in the United States, 'it could continue for months after herd immunity was reached, infecting many more millions in the process.'

'By the time the epidemic ended, a very large proportion of the population would have been infected  far above our expected herd immunity threshold of around two-thirds,' Bergstrom and Dean wrote.

In her article, McLaren said COVID numbers can be brought down quickly through the concept of exponential decay 'even before vaccination rates reach herd immunity.'

She explained that the way to do that is through wearing masks and other preventative measures.

She wrote: 'Every single thing people can do to slow transmission helps  including wearing masks, getting tested and avoiding crowded indoor spaces  especially given concerns about current and future variants, since it could be what gets us past the threshold into exponential decay.'


MPs have called on Parliament's ethics watchdog to 'immediately' drop its investigation into 91-year-old Baroness Boothroyd for failing to attend a sexual harassment course.

The Mail on Sunday last week revealed the Lords Standards Commissioner had opened a formal probe into the pioneering politician, despite knowing she is recovering from open-heart surgery.

Senior Labour MP Graham Stringer said: 'This treatment of a 91-year-old woman recovering from heart surgery is making the House of Lords into a national laughing stock.

'There is simply no excuse for hounding Betty Boothroyd in this way when she has explained perfectly well why she can't do the course at the moment.

'The Lords Standards Commissioner should drop this ridiculous investigation immediately.'

MPs have called on Parliament's ethics watchdog to 'immediately' drop its investigation into 91-year-old Baroness Boothroyd for failing to attend a sexual harassment course

Conservative MP Ben Bradley added: 'Setting aside the fact Lady Boothroyd made clear she is recovering from open-heart surgery and cannot access the online course, the decision to make this rubbish compulsory for Lords in the first place is highly questionable.'

Baroness Boothroyd, who made history as the first and only female Commons Speaker, is one of 60 peers under investigation by the commissioner for failing to attend the training session called Valuing Everyone, run by a controversial consultancy firm that uses giant blue puppets in its courses.

Data disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act has shown that Challenge Consultancy has been paid nearly 1 million in Government and Parliament contracts  including for similar training for officials in the Home Office and Cabinet Office.

Across the Commons and House of Lords, the company has been paid 885,354 for the courses.

Mr Bradley said: 'The Valuing Everyone training  which I have attended  turned out to be a two-hour journey around the benefits of not being horrible to your staff as if we didn't know.

Commissioner Lucy Scott-Moncrieff announced she was investigating the Baroness anyway

'I think I'm quite nice to my team in the office. If I wasn't, those two hours wouldn't have made the blindest bit of difference  apart from for the consultants running it who have lined their pockets with 1 million in taxpayer cash. This investigation into failing to attend it is total nonsense. A waste of time and taxpayers' money.'

Tom Hunt, another Conservative MP, called on the standards commissioner in the Lords to show 'common sense' and some understanding for Lady Boothroyd's medical condition.

Mr Hunt said peers should not be forced to do the course, which is not compulsory for MPs.

After she was contacted by the standards watchdog, Baroness Boothroyd explained that she had had an aorta valve replacement, adding: 'My medical condition has prevented me from attending the course online.'

Despite this, Commissioner Lucy Scott-Moncrieff announced she was investigating the Baroness anyway. Last night the House of Lords said the probe into Baroness Boothroyd was ongoing.
The Mail on Sunday has established that Ferdous Jahan, 31, (pictured) is living in the same Syrian refugee camp as Shamima Begum  and, like her, is hoping to be allowed back to Britain

The daughter of a computer engineer and a science teacher who grew up in a well-heeled West London suburb can today be revealed as another of Britains Islamic State brides.

The Mail on Sunday has established that Ferdous Jahan, 31, is living in the same Syrian refugee camp as Shamima Begum  and, like her, is hoping to be allowed back to Britain.

Interviewed in the Al-Roj camp last month, mother-of-three Jahan, who is believed to have been stripped of her UK citizenship by the Home Office, claimed she was duped by her British convert husband into joining IS and hopes to be allowed back to the UK.

If my children can have a good education and establish a normal life then Ill be very happy, she said. But if the UK decides not to do this, what can I do?

Her version of events has, however, been questioned by the parents of Terence Le Page, whom she married before they fled to Syria in November 2015. Le Page, who called himself Abu Khalid, was killed by a sniper in the Iraqi city of Mosul.

She was the one that convinced Terry to go. She was the driving force. When they went there, he did not like it and wanted to come back, said Donna Le Page, 54, at her home in Lewisham, South-East London. She was the instigator. I was raving when I heard that. How dare you take my son away.

Despite that, Mrs Le Page hopes the family can return to Britain  if only for the sake of her grandchildren, aged six, five and three. They dont deserve to be there, they didnt ask to go there, she said.

Known as Beena to friends and family, Jahan grew up in Twickenham but joined Al-Muhajiroun (ALM), the banned group led by infamous hate cleric Anjem Choudary. ALM arranged her Islamic marriage to Le Page, a Muslim convert who took part in protests for the extremist group with his brother.

Her version of events has, however, been questioned by the parents of Terence Le Page, whom she married before they fled to Syria in November 2015. Le Page (pictured), who called himself Abu Khalid, was killed by a sniper in the Iraqi city of Mosul

On one occasion, they screamed abuse at British soldiers guarding Greenwich Park during the 2012 London Olympics.

Jahan was eight months pregnant with their second child when the couple travelled to Syria, but she claims Le Page lied to her that it was a romantic trip to Turkey.

I didnt get to have a good honeymoon, so he said he will fulfil his promise, she said last month. But little did I know what other plans he had in the end. I barely knew most of the times when we were on the trips as I was sleeping throughout the journey.

Until shortly before his death, Le Page had lived with Jahan and their two children in Raqqa, the de facto capital of the IS caliphate.

A year later, she married the father of her third child, a Kurdish jihadi who was killed in an air strike in the south-eastern Syrian town of Mayadin. After his death, she fled to Baghouz, ISs last stronghold, where she was detained by Kurdish forces and sent to a camp.

Her hopes of being repatriated rose when the Red Cross delivered a letter from her family  the first contact with them for six years.

ON THE MARCH: IS fighters at the height of the groups powers in Raqqa, Syria

But her father now says they have stopped their legal efforts to bring her back. We dont know what decision the Government will take, he said at the 900,000 family home in Bow, East London. Weve stopped the court case. We dont want to say a single word about her.

Jahan is of Bangladeshi origin and her citizenship is understood to have been revoked on the same grounds as that of Begum  namely that Britain was not making her stateless because she can apply to live in Bangladesh. The Supreme Court ruled in February that Begum, who was a schoolgirl when she travelled to Syria to join IS in February 2015, could not return to the UK from Al-Roj to fight her case.

The unmasking of Jahan comes as the Government is reportedly planning to overhaul Britains 650-year-old treason laws to make it easier to prosecute returning jihadists.

The Times reported yesterday that Ministers could redefine the interpretation of an enemy to cover membership or support for groups that seek to harm the UK.

The campaign group Reprieve said last week that Britain had stripped citizenship from at least 19 of the 25 British adults being held in camps in north-east Syria. There are thought to be nine British men in Kurdish prisons, as well as 16 women and 34 children at the Al-Roj and Al-Hol camps.
Company bosses can sack workers for refusing to wear a face mask, a tribunal has ruled.

An employment tribunal said a food firm in Kent was within its rights to dismiss a truck driver who refused to wear a mask while he was making a delivery to a client.

In one of the pandemics first employment disputes, Kent Foods was found to have acted fairly by sacking Deimantas Kubilius last June for failing to follow rules set out by the client, Tate & Lyle.

Mr Kubilius was making a delivery to Tate & Lyle, where workers were required to wear masks. Mr Kubilius refused, despite several requests from Tate & Lyle staff.

The tribunal heard that Mr Kubilius was willing to wear a mask outside his truck, but not in the cab, stating: My cab is my home.

An employment tribunal said a food firm in Kent was within its rights to dismiss a truck driver who refused to wear a mask while he was making a delivery to a client (stock image)

But Tate & Lyle manager Jon Freeman was concerned about droplets coming from Mr Kubiliuss mouth when he spoke to people through the open window. Another manager, Nick Kirbyshire, approached Mr Kubilius to ask him to wear a mask.

Mr Kirbyshire said in a statement: To have a visitor blatantly refusing a simple request did make me very angry. That mask was not for his protection. That mask was to protect everyone else from potential Covid risk that the driver has brought in with him.

Mr Kubilius said in a statement: These employees [sic] attacked me for no reason and restricted my human rights.

After Tate & Lyle banned him from its site, he was dismissed by Kent Foods. He said that after the incident he was under a lot of stress, where I could not come back to my normal life for some time.

The tribunal said the worker had only general fears rather than specific ones about how the factory was run. Experts said the ruling protected bosses who wanted staff back to the office (stock image)

Tribunal Judge Barrett said it might have been more reasonable to issue Mr Kubilius with a warning, but the firm was still allowed to fire him.

Graham Mitchell, of Clyde & Co Solicitors, said: This decision highlights the behaviour expected of employees in their relationships with customers and suppliers.

A separate tribunal found a factory, Leeds Laser Cutting, could fire one of their engineers for failing to come to work because he feared catching Covid.

The tribunal said the worker had only general fears rather than specific ones about how the factory was run.

Experts said the ruling protected bosses who wanted staff back to the office.
Four prisoners on day release have been arrested as part of a 10 million drugs ring investigation.

Officers from the National Crime Agency and Scotland Yard's organised crime team seized 109kg of cocaine and 15kg of heroin in a raid on an industrial unit in Enfield, North London.

Ten men, aged between 20 and 50, were arrested  three Britons, six Turkish nationals and an Italian.

Officers from the National Crime Agency and Scotland Yard's organised crime team seized 109kg of cocaine and 15kg of heroin in a raid on an industrial unit in Enfield, North London

Four of the men were on day release from HMP Standford Hill, an open prison on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent.

They are understood to have been working in jobs on temporary licence and staying in the jail overnight.

Three of the men have been charged, with the other seven released under investigation.

Four of the men were on day release from HMP Standford Hill (pictured) - an open prison on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Brookes said: 'This seizure has stopped dangerous drugs from reaching the streets of London and beyond, where they have the potential to cause great harm to people and communities.

'While these operations are complex and resource-intensive, they are vital to disrupt organised criminal networks.'

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: 'We are aware of an ongoing investigation involving four prisoners at HMP Standford Hill.'
The Washington Post and New York Times have been forced to correct a key claim in their coverage of Rudy Giuliani's arrest that he received an FBI briefing warning him he was the target of a Russian disinformation campaign.

Both papers had claimed the former New York City Mayor was briefed by FBI agents that he was being used by Russia to dig up dirt on Joe Biden in the leadup to the 2020 Presidential election.

A prominent correction at the top of the Washington Post story was added on Saturday.

'An earlier version of this story, published Thursday, incorrectly reported that One America News was warned by the FBI that it was the target of a Russian influence operation.

'That version also said the FBI had provided a similar warning to Rudolph W. Giuliani, which he has since disputed.

'This version has been corrected to remove assertions that OAN and Giuliani received the warnings,' the correction added.

The New York Times quickly followed suit, placing a retraction at the bottom of their story.

'An earlier version of this article misstated whether Rudolph W. Giuliani received a formal warning from the F.B.I. about Russian disinformation,' The Times said in its correction posted at the bottom of the story online. 'Mr. Giuliani did not receive such a so-called defensive briefing.'

Giuliani's home on Manhattan's Upper East Side was surrounded by agents at 6am on Wednesday morning, as part of an investigation into his dealings in Ukraine.

The 76-year-old slammed the raid on his home as 'illegal' and 'unconstitutional'.

Rudy Giuliani's Upper East Side apartment was raided at 6am on Wednesday as part of a DoJ probe into his links to Ukraine (file photo)

The Washington Post issued a prominent correction to its story on Giuliani receiving an FBI briefing that he was the target of a Russian disinformation campaign

The New York Times also had to correct its story on Giuliani being warned he was the target of a disinformation campaign

The correction published on the Washington Post website on Saturday appeared at the top of their online story

The New York Times chose to place the correction at the bottom of their story

CNN media correspondent Oliver Darcy described the retractions as 'black eyes to both newsrooms'.

The two newspapers have aggressively chased connections between Giuliani and the Ukraine, focusing on the former Mayor's efforts to dig up dirt on Joe Biden in the lead-up to the 2020 Presidential election.

On Saturday, Rudy Giuliani was spotted out with his alleged girlfriend in New York City.

stepped out on Saturday in Manhattan with Maria Ryan - his rumored 56-year-old girlfriend and former alleged mistress.

Giuliani, who was wearing a face mask, was seen arriving at a cafe close to his apartment on the Upper East Side where he was met by Ryan.

The pair arrived in separate cars but left the cafe together. Giuliani appeared to be accompanied by an unidentified younger woman as he left the cafe.

Ryan, who stepped down as CEO of a New Hampshire hospital in December, has reportedly been dating Trump's personal lawyer since 2018.

Giuliani has previously denied allegations he had an affair with Ryan while he was still married to his third wife Judy Giuliani.

The Feds seized electronic devices from his home on the Upper East Side of Manhattan during the road on Wednesday morning

Rudy Giuliani was spotted leaving a cafe on the Upper East Side where he dined with his alleged girlfriend Dr Maria Ryan on Saturday

Dr Maria Ryan met Giuliani at the cafe after arriving there separately. The pair left in the same vehicle after emerging at different times

Ryan, who stepped down as CEO of a New Hampshire hospital in December, was spotted behind the wheel of the car as they left

Their sighting together came just days after the FBI executed a search warrant on his Manhattan home as part of an investigation into his dealings in Ukraine.

Giuliani, who is the former US Attorney for the Southern District of New York and former mayor of NYC, has already slammed the 6am raid as 'illegal' and 'unconstitutional'.

He has sought to discredit the federal investigation, saying the raid - which he said involved seven FBI agents - was unnecessary because he offered for two years to provide prosecutors his electronic devices and to 'talk it over with them'.

'They won't explain to me what they're looking into for two years,' Giuliani told Fox News' Tucker Carlson on Thursday night.

Giuliani's lawyer, Robert Costello, has previously said proposed meetings between investigators and Giuliani's legal team didn't take place because prosecutors wouldn't agree to a precondition that they first disclose more about the probe.

According to the warrant, investigators are seeking to review Giuliani's phones and computers for communications with more than a dozen people, including a high-ranking prosecutor in Ukraine.

They also are searching for communications with any U.S. government official or employee relating to Marie Yovanovitch, the US ambassador to Ukraine who was ousted by the Trump administration in 2019, the warrant said.

Agents seized more than 10 cell phones and computers from Giuliani's Manhattan apartment and office in raids.

The federal probe is examining Giuliani's interactions with Ukrainian figures and whether he violated a federal law that governs lobbying on behalf of foreign countries or entities.

Giuliani has insisted that all of his activities in Ukraine were conducted on behalf of former President Donald Trump.

At the time, Giuliani was leading a campaign to press Ukraine for an investigation into now-President Joe Biden and his son Hunter.

It has since emerged that Trump's allies are deeply troubled by the Giuliani raid.

Their fears emerged as a transcript of a conversation between Giuliani and a Ukrainian official was published, laying bare what seems to be the substance of the FBI's investigation.

Andrew Giuliani, son of the former New York City Mayor, mounted a spirited defense of his father after his apartment was raided this week

Rudy Giuliani, left, is pictured with Ukrainian-American businessman Lev Parnas at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, U.S. September 20, 2019

Marie Yovanovitch, former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, testifies during the House Intelligence Committee in November 2019. She was ousted as ambassador in May that year

A transcript of his July 2019 call, which took place between Giuliani and Andriy Yermak, who at the time was newly-elected President Volodymyr Zelensky's top foreign policy advisor, was published by BuzzFeed on Friday.

Giuliani attempts, on the call, to establish a working relationship between Kiev and Washington DC - bypassing the usual State Department channels to speak directly for Trump, although he is at pains to emphasize that he cannot speak for his boss.

He is particularly emphatic that the new president should investigate Biden, who, while serving as vice president, had pushed for the firing of the country's chief prosecutor, Viktor Shokin.

Shokin, who was seen with suspicion in the West, was fired in March 2016, as part of an anti-corruption initiative developed by the State Department and coordinated with the European Union and the International Monetary Fund.

Giuliani seeks an investigation, and wants Zelensky to publicly accuse Biden.

He also wants Ukraine to investigate possible interference in the election, and back the idea that Ukraine - not Russia - could have tried to tip the scales in favor of Trump.

'All we need from the president is to say: I'm gonna put an honest prosecutor in charge, he's gonna investigate and dig up the evidence, that presently exists and is there any other evidence about involvement of the 2016 election,' Giuliani tells Yermak.

'And then the Biden thing has to be run out.'

Giuliani says: 'He offered Poroshenko a $1.2 billion loan guarantee, critical to Poroshenko's success as president, in exchange for getting rid of a prosecutor general, that he didn't wanna get rid of.

'Somebody in Ukraine's gotta take that seriously.'

Giuliani then turns to Hunter Biden's energy firm, Burisma.

As part of a campaign to discredit Joe Biden and accuse him of influence peddling, Giuliani was keen for details of Hunter's work on the board of the company.

'That investigation of Burisma has been started, discontinued, started and discontinued about three times,' Giuliani complained.

He also issued a bizarre warning to the new president, via his aide, saying: 'What I wanted to tell the president is: be careful.

'Probably it's a little arrogant to say that. I shouldn't say that about being careful.

'But just as a person interested: be careful of the people around you, because they can very easily they can very easily get you into trouble.'

He did not provide more detail.
It is not the first time that Ms Rowling has been cancelled as a result of expressing her views on whether men who identify as women are the same as biological females

J. K. Rowling has again fallen victim to cancel culture after a literary festival in New Zealand scrapped plans for a Harry Potter-themed event over her comments on gender issues.

Peter Biggs, chairman of the Wairarapa book festival, reportedly decided to drop the annual childrens quiz that is usually held on the boy wizard following consultations with the LGBTQ community.

It is not the first time that Ms Rowling has been cancelled as a result of expressing her views on whether men who identify as women are the same as biological females.

The 55-year-old author has faced ongoing accusations of transphobia after publishing a blog post in which she argued that biological sex is real.

She also took issue with an article referring to people who menstruate, posting the withering tweet: Im sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?

Her comments led to a torrent of abuse on social media and calls for her books to be boycotted.

Further criticism followed from a string of famous names, including the young actors made famous by her Harry Potter films  Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint.

Last night Toby Young, founder of the Free Speech Union, which is due to open its first branch in New Zealand next week, said: J. K. Rowling is one of Britains most influential and respectable contemporary writers.

This is why the decision by the Wairarapa book festival to cancel a childrens Harry Potter quiz because of comments J. K. Rowling made during an important debate on womens only spaces is chilling.

If the creator of our most successful export since James Bond can be declared persona non grata, anyone can.
This screen grab taken from the NASA live feed early on May 2 shows the SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft, with parachutes open, returning to Earth as it carries four astronauts just before splashdown off the coast of Panama City in Fla. AFP-Yonhap



SpaceX safely returned four astronauts from the International Space Station on Sunday, making the first U.S. crew splashdown in darkness since the Apollo 8 moonshot.



The Dragon capsule parachuted into the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Panama City, Florida, just before 3 a.m., ending the second astronaut flight for Elon Musk's company.



It was an express trip home, lasting just 6 1/2 hours.



The astronauts, three American and one Japanese, flew back in the same capsule  named Resilience  in which they launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in November.



''We welcome you back to planet Earth and thanks for flying SpaceX,'' SpaceX's Mission Control radioed moments after splashdown. ''For those of you enrolled in our frequent flyer program, you've earned 68 million miles on this voyage.''



''We'll take those miles,'' said spacecraft commander Mike Hopkins. ''Are they transferrable?'' SpaceX replied that the astronauts would have to check with the company's marketing department.



Within a few minutes, Hopkins reported he could see light from the approaching recovery boats out the capsule's window.



Their 167-day mission is the longest for astronauts launching from the U.S. The previous record of 84 days was set by NASA's final Skylab station crew in 1974.



Saturday night's undocking left seven people at the space station, four of whom arrived a week ago via SpaceX.



''Earthbound!'' NASA astronaut Victor Glover, the capsule's pilot, tweeted after departing the station. ''One step closer to family and home!''



Hopkins and Glover  along with NASA's Shannon Walker and Japan's Soichi Noguchi  should have returned to Earth last Wednesday, but high offshore winds forced SpaceX to pass up a pair of daytime landing attempts. Managers switched to a rare splashdown in darkness, to take advantage of calm weather.



SpaceX had practiced for a nighttime return, just in case, and even recovered its most recent station cargo capsule from the Gulf of Mexico in darkness. Infrared cameras tracked the capsule as it re-entered the atmosphere; it resembled a bright star streaking through the night sky.



All four main parachutes could be seen deploying just before splashdown, which was also visible in the infrared.



Apollo 8  NASA's first flight to the moon with astronauts _ ended with a predawn splashdown in the Pacific near Hawaii on Dec. 27, 1968. Eight years later, a Soviet capsule with two cosmonauts ended up in a dark, partially frozen lake in Kazakhstan, blown off course in a blizzard.



That was it for nighttime crew splashdowns  until Sunday.



Despite the early hour, the Coast Guard was out in full force to enforce an 11-mile (18-kilometer) keep-out zone around the bobbing Dragon capsule. For SpaceX's first crew return in August, pleasure boaters swarmed the capsule, a safety risk.



Once aboard the SpaceX recovery ship, the astronauts planned to hop on a helicopter for the short flight to shore, then catch a plane straight to Houston for a reunion with their families.



Their capsule, Resilience, will head back to Cape Canaveral for refurbishment for SpaceX's first private crew mission in September. The space station docking mechanism will be removed, and a brand new domed window put in its place.



A tech billionaire has purchased the entire three-day flight, which will orbit 75 miles (120 kilometers) above the space station. He'll fly with a pair of contest winners and a physician assistant from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, his designated charity for the mission.



SpaceX's next astronaut launch for NASA will follow in October.



NASA turned to private companies to service the space station, after the shuttle fleet retired in 2011. SpaceX began supply runs in 2012 and, last May, launched its first crew, ending NASA's reliance on Russia for astronaut transport.



Boeing isn't expected to launch astronauts until early next year. (AP)


It's postmen and women have been a familiar sight on Britains doorsteps for centuries.

But Royal Mail now admits it is less trusted than US internet giant Amazon when it comes to delivering mail safely to our homes.

Internal postal service data, seen by The Mail on Sunday, shows that 38 per cent of mail recipients would recommend Amazon, while 35 per cent would back Royal Mail. DPD and Parcelforce, owned by Royal Mail, came next in the trust list.

Royal Mail chief commercial officer Nick Landon described losing top spot to Amazon as very worrying. In an internal message to its 140,000 staff, Mr Landon said: All of our pride should be dented by Amazon Logistics taking top spot'

Royal Mail chief commercial officer Nick Landon described losing top spot to Amazon as very worrying. In an internal message to its 140,000 staff, Mr Landon said: All of our pride should be dented by Amazon Logistics taking top spot.

Thats why everyone in our pipeline has a role to play in getting us back to being number one. Ask yourself, What can I do more?

Help us get back above Amazon so we can keep moving forward and win that trust on the doorstep.

Royal Mail traces its roots back to the 16th Century and was privatised in 2013. Amazon Logistics is part of the online behemoth and was launched in the UK in 2012.

Mr Landon said that research showed Royal Mail posties remained trusted, but he revealed that customers had marked the company down on areas including the accuracy of its tracking information, whether the item arrived on time, and the condition of the package on delivery.

He said: Our customers tell us that when Amazon say what time theyre going to be delivering an item they meet that time. And that is less so with us.

So we need to make sure every time that we are delivering an item on the day and at the time that it has been promised.

Its really important that what we say were going to do, we do.

If we dont do that, customers get upset, they phone us. It costs us money.

Royal Mail said year-on-year data showed it remains the UKs most trusted delivery company overall. It is also still the countrys largest courier, ahead of Amazon Logistics, Hermes, UPS and DHL.

The pandemic has turned the delivery industry on its head, as last years lockdown put huge strains on posties and drivers. Companies have since hired extra staff to cope with the surge in online shopping.

Royal Mails fortunes have been transformed by the Covid outbreak, pushing expected profits to around 700 million for the past 12 months, compared to 325 million last year.

But the pandemic also forced workers to self-isolate due to the virus, causing delays to deliveries.
It feels like the stuff of legend: a place where you can summon anything you need, and it will descend from the heavens.

But thats now a reality in one small town, where thousands of residents can summon groceries, takeaways, coronavirus test kits  even a hot cup of coffee  and get it all delivered to their doorstep by drone.

Its a test of a service that could soon be coming to towns across the UK, and on Friday the Moran family showed how it works, settling down for a movie night after their snacks  popcorn, sweets, crisps and a salsa dip  had descended from the skies.

Oisin Moran, with his wife Sinead and their daughter Meabh, received a special movie night surprise from the Manna Drone Delivery service in Oranmore, Co Galway

The company is able to airlift 4.4lbs of cargo within a two mile radius using two drones

TV cameraman Oisin  who was joined by his wife Sinead and their seven-year-old daughter Meabh  told The Mail on Sunday: Its a brilliant service especially for elderly people and its been invaluable during lockdown when people didnt, or couldnt, go out.

Start-up firm Manna  as in from heaven  uses two drones to make up to 60 deliveries a day to the 10,000 residents of Oranmore, in the West of Ireland, from partners including Tesco, Just Eat, Samsung and Ben & Jerrys. It has raised 18 million to expand the service into the UK, with plans for the rollout to start by the end of the year.

Residents use an app to order goods weighing up to 2kg (4.4lb), which are packed inside the hold of drones. The machines can reach 50mph and fly at around 200ft.

Customers can track the rather grandly titled missions on their app, similar to following an Uber minicab, and because aviation rules currently restrict drones to a two-mile radius of their base  in this case the roof of the local Tesco  all orders arrive within three minutes.

Once at a customers home, the drone uses a sensor to find a suitable flat surface on which to leave the delivery. The order then descends the last 15ft or so via a biodegradable thread which takes about seven seconds. But the company says the drop is so smooth it can deliver hot tea without spillage. It has also delivered a cream cake with the candles lit, just to prove it could do it.

Naomi Cullen, Mannas operations manager, said favourite orders included ingredients for a roast dinner or fry-up. If you need your rashers, sausages and eggs, thats a popular one, she said. But other orders have been more unusual: one family paid the 3 delivery charge to get just one 50p head of broccoli, while another shopping list comprised only a melon and nappy cream.

Naomi Cullen, Mannas operations manager, said favourite orders included ingredients for a roast dinner or fry-up. If you need your rashers, sausages and eggs, thats a popular one, she said. But other orders have been more unusual: one family paid the 3 delivery charge to get just one 50p head of broccoli, while another shopping list comprised only a melon and nappy cream

Manna admits there has been one mishap  when a customer arranged for a surprise birthday delivery for a relative, but they werent home.

When expanding into the UK, the company will focus on suburban towns of 50,000 to 100,000 people  and it estimates it will eventually need around 50,000 drones to supply a tenth of the UK market.

But it will face stiff competition, with Amazon also working on drone deliveries. The US giant plans to fly packages weighing up to 5lb as far as 15 miles in the next few years. At the moment, drones must always be in the pilots line of sight but the Civil Aviation Authority has just approved some trials without this requirement, which would pave the way for Manna deliveries.

Mr Moran said that in Oranmore the initial novelty of the drones had worn off since they arrived in October but the service was still proving useful. In the early days, people used to go out and film the drone, but not any more, he said. After all, you dont rush out to record a van or car dropping something off and the drones are just accepted as part of everyday life here.

When Meabh and I go to the playground in the middle of Oranmore we see the drones constantly going back and forth.

We find it hard to appreciate the service is not in every town but Ive no doubt theyll be everywhere in a few years.
One of Noel Clarkes co-stars has referred on social media to the emergence of allegations against him, saying: About f****** time.

Mandeep Dhillon, one of the main cast members in the first series of his police drama Bulletproof, was among several colleagues to comment on the revelations.

His Viewpoint co-star Alexandra Roach tweeted that she sees, hears and believes the alleged victims, adding: Thank you to the women for your incredible bravery in coming forward.

Earlier, Bulletproof star and co-writer Ashley Walters said he was deeply saddened by the claims against Clarke, but could not ignore them.

Mandeep Dhillon (pictured), one of the main cast members in the first series of his police drama Bulletproof, was among several colleagues to comment on the revelations

He wrote on social media: My thoughts are with the women who have come forward and told their awful stories.

I could never condone behaviour of this nature neither in nor out of the workplace, and whilst Noel has been a friend and colleague for several years, I cannot stand by and ignore these allegations. Sexual harassment, abuse and bullying have no place in our industry.

Every woman has the right to a safe workplace and moving forward I pledge my dedication to this.

Jaime Winstone, who featured in Clarkes breakthrough film Kidulthood, which came out in 2006, went on to Instagram to share the logo for Times Up, the movement founded amid the Harvey Weinstein scandal, which supports victims of sexual harassment.
A new national flagship costing up to 200 million is to be named after the Duke of Edinburgh, it was claimed last night.

Reports said the ship was expected to be named HMS Prince Philip and would boost British trade and drive investment in the UK's economy.

The claims sparked speculation that the new vessel would be seen as a successor to the Royal Yacht Britannia, controversially decommissioned by Tony Blair in 1997.

But a Number 10 spokesman stressed last night there were no plans for a new Royal yacht.

They also declined to comment on reports that an announcement by Boris Johnson could come within weeks.

A new national flagship costing up to 200 million is to be named after the Duke of Edinburgh, it was claimed last night. Pictured: Prince Phillip onboard HMS Ranger in 2015

The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh leave the Royal Yacht Britannia for the last time in 1997

But they said: 'The Prime Minister has an exciting vision for shipbuilding in this country and is committed to making the UK a shipbuilding superpower.

'We are always looking for new ways to promote Global Britain around the world, driving investment back to the UK and delivering value for money for the British people.'

According to The Sunday Telegraph, the new ship would be crewed by the Royal Navy.

The newspaper added that the vessel would be the first official Government commemoration of Prince Philip who died last month.

Reports said the ship was expected to be named HMS Prince Philip and would boost British trade and drive investment in the UK's economy. Pictured: Prince Philip aboard the motor boat which took him to join the ship, HMS Chequers in 1949

The announcement  dubbed Project Leith, after the Edinburgh district where the original yacht is moored as a tourist attraction  has reportedly been held up by an argument over which Government department would foot the hefty bill, the Ministry of Defence or the Cabinet Office.

But it would be seen as a fitting tribute to the Duke, who was Lord High Admiral from 2011 and who played a key role in the commissioning and design of Britannia.

Senior Government sources reportedly said the new flagship could promote UK businesses overseas by mooring near international trade fairs, hosting high-level trade negotiations.
An upmarket Japanese restaurant inside the Crown Sydney complex has reportedly lost some of its most generous tippers after a group of men were arrested in a series of police raids.

Officers busted their way into properties across Sydney and Wollongong last week and allegedly uncovered designer-branded drugs, bags of cash and luxury cars.

Six men were arrested in the raids, with one male pictured being hauled out of a home in Gucci slides while another was handcuffed in his underwear.

According to an insider within the restaurant who spoke to the Sunday Telegraph, some of the men arrested - dubbed the 'Gucci gang' - would eat at the establishment on a weekly basis and would leave 'whopping tips' on top of their bill.

'They always paid cash and used to spend $20,000 on average when they came in with their girlfriends,' they said.

Sis men were arrested after police raided properties across Sydney and Wollongong last week and allegedly uncovered designer-branded drugs, bags of cash and luxury cars (pictured, two of the men arrested)

NSW Police allege they busted an alleged criminal syndicate linked to bikies who are accused of dealing illegal drugs and guns

Some of the men arrested were reportedly regular customers - and generous tippers - of a Japanese restaurant inside the Crown Sydney complex (pictured)

Police allege they seized guns, 12.5kg of illicit drugs with a combined street value of $12million, $1.2million in cash, Rolex watches, Louis Vuitton sunglasses, and even Christian Dior-plated bricks of cocaine.

Detectives had been investigating the supply of drugs and alleged criminal activities in the state's south since September 2019.

Police allege a criminal syndicate was supplying illegal drugs - mainly cocaine, MDMA and methylamphetamine - across Sydney's eastern suburbs, southwest Sydney and the south coast.

In February, Strike Force Gommera was set-up to investigate the syndicate's link to Sydney-based outlaw motorcycle gangs.

Detectives had been investigating the supply of drugs and alleged criminal activities in the state's south since September 2019 - allegedly finding Dior-branded cocaine and a Rolex watch

The men were led away from their homes in Sydney and Wollongong lined with luxury cars

Officers seized more than $1million cash, three firearms with ammunition, four luxury cars, jewellery with a value of more than $1million, electronic devices, 100L of chemicals used in the manufacture of illegal drugs and items consistent with their supply.

The 12.5kg of illicit drugs included cocaine, MDMA and ice with a street value exceeding $12million.

Last Wednesday, a 36-year-old man was arrested in a car park in Bulli.

Officers then raided properties in Dover Heights, Miranda, Revesby, Pyrmont, Peakhurst, Rose Bay, Taren Point and Zetland.

Louis Vuitton sunglasses were among the items seized in raids across Sydney and Wollongong, police allege, as well as bags of cash

Police allegedly found $1.2million in cash during the raids across Sydney and Wollongong

Police allege a syndicate was supplying drugs, mainly cocaine, MDMA and methylamphetamine (ice), across Sydney's east, southwest Sydney and south coast (pictured, white crystals in a bucket allegedly found during the raids)

A further five men - aged 26, 28, 31, 31, and 47 - were arrested and charged with drug and firearms offences.

The 47-year-old was charged with supplying a large commercial quantity of a prohibited drug, supplying a commercial quantity of a prohibited drug, participating in a criminal group and dealing with the proceeds of crime.

A 31-year-old was charged with supplying a large commercial quantity of a prohibited drug, supplying a commercial quantity of a prohibited drug and directing the activities of a criminal group.

All were refused bail and appeared in various courts on Thursday.
A 39-year-old Colorado woman has died in an apparent black bear attack while out walking her dogs, authorities said on Saturday.

The woman's boyfriend found her body on Friday night near the town of Durango, about 350 miles southwest of Denver, Colorado Parks and Wildlife said in a statement.

The man told police he arrived home around 8:30 p.m. and found the couple's two dogs outside, but his girlfriend was missing.

He then searched a trail on private land where she frequently walked the dogs and notified authorities after discovering her body.

The woman's name has not yet been released by authorities.

Using tracking dogs, wildlife officers located a 10-year-old sow and two yearlings nearby, and euthanized the three bears 'out of an abundance of caution,' officials said.

The bear carcasses were transported to the state's wildlife laboratory for necropsies, and DNA samples will be analyzed at a forensic laboratory in Wyoming.

CPW wildlife officers and La Plata County Sheriff's deputies investigated the scene in Colorado where the woman was found dead on Saturday morning

An autopsy of the victim is pending, but authorities found bear fur, scat and 'signs of consumption on the body,' wildlife officials said.

The woman's death is just the fourth fatal mauling in the state since record-keeping began in 1960.

Officials say that while bear attacks are rare, the incident should serve as a reminder to the public that wild animals can be dangerous.

'Bear attacks are extremely rare,' said Cory Chick, CPW Southwest Region manager.

'This is a tragic event and a sad reminder that bears are wild and potentially dangerous. Out of an abundance of caution, the bears were removed for public safety. We ask the public to report any encounter with an aggressive bear to CPW.'

Colorado is home to an estimated 19,000 black bears. There have only been three other fatal black bear attacks since the state's Parks and Wildlife department began tracking incidents (file image)

Colorado is home to an estimated 19,000 black bears, Parks and Wildlife spokesman Jason Clay said.

The agency has documented three other fatal black bear attacks on humans since it began tracking them 61 years ago, Clay said.

Black bears, a name that describes the species rather than their coloring, are the only bears in Colorado.

Clay said black bears are active in the spring, and there have been several sightings of the bears near Durango.

A bear was seen rummaging through a garbage bin, and another tearing down a bird feeder outside a man's home along the Animas River, he said.
He has already been on the receiving end of one of AC-12s notoriously gruelling interviews.

But now Line Of Duty star Daniel Mays is facing an even more fearsome adversary  the taxman.

The actor, who played errant firearms officer Daniel Waldron in the third series of the acronym-heavy BBC drama, is being pursued for hundreds of thousands of pounds by HMRC after winding up his company.

A letter sent to creditors last year by the firm dealing with the liquidation of Supernova (London) Ltd details how HM Revenue & Customs was initially claiming 438,000 from the actor.

Lawyers acting for Mr Mays disputed the bill and, after what the letter describes as a detailed review of their calculations, HMRC revised the claim to 351,000.

Line Of Duty star Daniel Mays (left) is facing the taxman. The actor, who played errant firearms officer Daniel Waldron (right) in the third series of the acronym-heavy BBC drama, is being pursued for hundreds of thousands of pounds by HMRC after winding up his company

The 43-year-old actor was brought up in Essex by his electrician father and bank cashier mother and attended the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts before going on to win a place at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

He set up Supernova in 2007 as his career began to take off with a role as Saddam Husseins son, Uday, in the TV film Saddams Tribe.

A year later, he appeared in the urban crime thriller Shifty, winning a nomination for best supporting actor at the British Independent Film Awards.

A letter sent to creditors last year by the firm dealing with the liquidation of Supernova (London) Ltd details how HM Revenue & Customs was initially claiming 438,000 from the actor (pictured second left as Waldron)

He has gone on to play leading roles in TV dramas including Ashes To Ashes, Outcasts and the Netflix series White Lines.

In Line Of Duty, Mr Mays played Danny Waldron, whose armed response unit was probed by AC-12 after the shooting of a suspect.

The death of Waldron, who is shot dead by a colleague, leads to AC-12 uncovering a historic child sex abuse scandal.

Lawyers and representatives for Mr Mays did not respond to requests for comment.
A horse named after Breonna Taylor and owned by her family's attorney won a prestigious pre-Kentucky Derby race at Churchill Downs on Thursday.

Breonna, a three-year-old filly owned by Taylor family attorney Sam Aguiar and his wife Janelle, was a decisive winner in wet conditions during the six-furlong race on Thursday.

Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency medical technician, was shot and killed by police executing a no-knock warrant in March 2020.

Aguiar's wife Janelle said naming the horse after Breonna Taylor was a way of keeping her name in the spotlight.

CNN affiliate WAVE reported that Aguiar watched the race at his office with Taylor's mother Tamika Palmer.

'The horse is resilient and beautiful,' Aguiar told the station.

Wife Janelle wrote on Facebook: 'Any time we win a horse race is exciting.

'But it takes it to a new level when you name your horse Breonna in honor of #BreonnaTaylor, the horse wins at Churchill Downs on Derby week, and you hear so many people #SayHerName'.

Breonna, a three-year-old horse named after Breonna Taylor, won a race at Churchill Downs Thursday. The horse is owned by the Taylor family attorney

Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency medical technician, was shot and killed by police executing a no-knock warrant in March 2020

The wife of Breonna Taylor's family attorney Janelle Aguiar said she wanted to name the horse Breonna to keep her name in the spotlight

The couple owns about 20 horses through JS Stables, LLC -- a thoroughbred racing operation. They said it was the most thrilling victory of Breonna's blossoming career.

On Saturday afternoon, Medina Spirit stormed to victory in the Kentucky Derby on Saturday to deliver trainer Bob Baffert a record seventh win in the Run for the Roses.

The horse is owned by Taylor family attorney Sam Aguiar and his wife Janelle

Under jockey John Velazquez, Medina Spirit jumped to an early lead and fended off challenges down the stretch to cross the line first in front of 51,838 fans in the largest U.S. sporting event since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

The win was Hall of Fame jockey Velazquez's fourth in the Triple Crown race, which returned to its usual first Saturday in May spot on the sporting calendar having been pushed to September last year due to the pandemic.

Jockey John Velazquez earned his fourth Derby victory on Saturday aboard the dark brown colt that was purchased as a yearling for $1,000 and cost current owner Amr Zedan $35,000.

The raid on Taylor's home was part of a narcotics investigation for which a no-knock warrant was approved.

No drugs were found at her home.

Her boyfriend Kenneth Walker, who was there at the time, fired his gun once, saying later that he feared an intruder was entering the apartment.

One officer was struck, and he and two other officers fired 32 shots into the apartment, striking Taylor five times.

Aguiar and other attorneys negotiated a $12 million settlement in September with the city of Louisville over Taylor's death.

Officer Brett Hankison, who was fired from the Louisville Police Department following the raid on March 13, 2020, has pleaded not guilty to three felony counts of wanton endangerment.

Policing in Louisville, Kentucky, will undergo a sweeping Justice Department probe, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Monday.

It will focus on whether the Louisville Metro Police Department has a pattern of using unreasonable force, including against people engaging in peaceful activities, and also will examine whether the department conducts unconstitutional stops, searches and seizures, and execution of search warrants, Garland said.
A powerful teachers union allegedly pressured the Biden administration to put the brakes on schools reopening, it has been revealed - as cases surge in Oregon leaving 15 counties in lockdown.

The American Federation of Teachers sent emails to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention before it issued guidance on re-opening schools to in-person teaching, New York Post reported. White House officials were copied on them.

The union lobbied the CDC to tone down language about returning students to classroom regardless of community spread of COVID, and also to allow teachers the right to work from home.

The emails were provided to the outlet by the conservative watchdog group Americans for Public Trust - which reportedly obtained them through Freedom of Information Act requests.

The revelation comes as Oregon Gov. Kate Brown placed 15 counties in an 'extreme risk' category on Friday after cases rose by 51% in just two weeks, the Los Angeles Times reported. Oregon marks the fastest increase in the nation.

U.S. Senator Kamala Harris listens to American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten speak to the media in 2019

Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention testifies during a U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing

Students walk the hallways in between classes at Benson High School during Portland Public Schools first day of hybrid instruction for middle and high schools on April 19, 2021

Monique Adams leads her class at White Plains High School, Thursday, April 22, 2021, in White Plains, N.Y. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona visited the school Thursday as part of the 'Help is Here' tour. The school reopened to all students on April 12

Chunhuei Chi, director of Oregon State University's Center for Global Health, told the Los Angeles Times that Brown's placement of teachers ahead of senior citizens for vaccines in January in order to open schools was partly to blame for the increase.

Critics claim that Brown placing teachers ahead of seniors was evidence of her own loyalty to teachers unions.

In the AFT emails obtained by the New York Post, the union even suggested language for the CDC's school-reopening guidance released on February 12.

Kelly Trautner, the senior director for health issues for AFT, wrote an email on February 1 in which she thanked the CDC for 'openness to the suggestions' made by the union's president Randi Weingarten, the New York Post reported.

'We were able to review a copy of the draft guidance document over the weekend and were able to provide some initial feedback to several staff this morning about possible ways to strengthen the document,' Trautner wrote.

'We believe our experiences on the ground can inform and enrich thinking around what is practicable and prudent in future guidance documents.'

That email was forwarded to CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky by Carole Johnson, the White House coronavirus testing coordinator, according to the outlet. Will McIntee, an associate director of public engagement at The White House, was included on many of the emails.

The New York Post noted that suggestions made by the AFT were included 'nearly verbatim' by the CDC.

Trautner argued for the inclusion of a line noting that updates to the guidelines 'may be necessary' if there is 'high community-transmission results from a new variant' of the coronavirus. That line appeared on page 22 of the final CDC guidance.

The AFT also lobbied to allow teachers the right to work from home if they or someone they live with 'have documented high-risk conditions or who are at increased risk' for COVID-19, the New York Post reported. That was also included in the final draft by the CDC.

'Today, the CDC met fear of the pandemic with facts and evidence,' the union said in a February 12 press release when the new guidance was issued.

A child holds a 'zoom sux' sign at event to support fully reopening NYC public schools on Saturday

Protesters angered by lockdown measures rally in front of Gov. Kate Brown's residence, Mahonia Hall, on November 21, 2020 in Salem, Oregon

Students get off the bus at Roseway Heights Middle School on the first day of in-person hybrid learning

AFT spokeswoman Oriana Korin defended its role in advocating for its teachers in a statement to the New York Post and noted that the union also worked closely with the Trump administration.

'The AFT represents 1.7 million educators, healthcare professionals and public employees who spent the last 14 months serving on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic,' she said.

'So naturally, we have been in regular touch with the agencies setting policy that affect their work and lives, including the CDC.'

Jason McDonald, a spokesman for Walensky, told the outlet that the CDC 'has traditionally engaged with organizations and groups that are impacted by guidance and recommendations issued by the agency.'

'We do so to ensure our recommendations are feasible to implement and they adequately address the safety and wellbeing of individuals the guidance is aimed to protect,' he said.

'These informative and helpful interactions often result in beneficial feedback that we consider in our final revisions to ensure clarity and usability.'

McDonald noted that other groups that received advance copies of the guidance include the National Education Association, National Association of School Nurses and National Association of State Boards of Education.

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown visits Sitton Elementary School in North Portland, Oregon on March 5, 2020

The revelation comes as Oregon Gov. Kate Brown placed 15 counties in an 'extreme risk' category on Friday after cases rose by 51% in just two weeks

In Oregon, officials are worried that the situation could quickly spiral after cases have risen, the Los Angeles Times reported. Brown has shutdown indoor dining and gyms in 15 counties.

A previously healthy woman in her 30s was infected with COVID-19 by her child and was admitted to a Portland hospital this week.

Dr. Dean Sidelinger, Oregon's state epidemiologist, said there has been 'a decrease in how seniors are being impacted,' the outlet reported.

'But we've also seen an increase in the youngest adults, in the 18 to 34 age group,' he said.

Dr. Katie Sharff, an infectious disease specialist at Kaiser Permanente in Portland, said that elderly people are remaining healthy in the new surge which indicates that the vaccines have been effective.

'Unfortunately there is a fraction of the population that either didn't have access to the vaccine or chose not to get vaccinated, and that's who we're seeing at our hospitals,' she said.
Private school parents are facing bills of hundreds of pounds for their children's GCSEs and A-levels  even though the exams for this summer have been scrapped.

Exam boards in England are still charging schools the full fees despite the fact that teachers will assess pupils' work and that the services of 60,000 examiners will not be needed.

While state schools absorb the cost of exams, private schools pass on the fees to parents.

Private school parents are facing bills of hundreds of pounds for their children's GCSEs and A-levels  even though the exams for this summer have been scrapped. (File photo)

One mother whose daughter attends an independent school in North London said she was facing a 400 bill, even though the teenager will not be sitting her GCSE exams in June.

Meanwhile state schools are demanding significant rebates.

Boards have said they will return a portion of the money, but last year only a quarter was handed back.

The exam boards said the fees also paid for training and supporting schools.
Israel's national flag is lowered to half-staff as the country observes a day of mourning, Sunday, after 45 people were crushed to death at an ultra-Orthodox Jewish religious festival held on April 30. AP-Yonhap



Israel observed a day of mourning on Sunday for 45 people crushed to death at a Jewish religious festival, with flags lowered to half-staff and questions raised about accountability for one of the country's worst civilian disasters.



In accordance with Jewish tradition, funerals were held with as little delay as possible. More than 20 of the victims of Friday's disaster on Mount Meron were buried overnight after official identification was completed.



Witnesses described a stampede and a pyramid of bodies, including several children, in a slippery metal-floored passageway at the annual pilgrimage of ultra-Orthodox faithful to the tomb of a second-century Jewish mystic, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, in northern Israel.



"We're all heartbroken, saddened, shattered into a million pieces. There are no words to describe the feeling of the entire country," Rabbi Velvel Brevda, 66, said on Sunday on Mount Meron, where prayer vigils were being held.



Israeli media estimated that some 100,000 people attended the event on Friday, numbers that underscored a relaxing of coronavirus restrictions in a country that had sped ahead of others in its vaccination rollout.



Questions were being raised as to whether the government and police had been reluctant to limit the crowd size at the site  labelled hazardous years ago by state inspectors  so as not to anger influential ultra-Orthodox rabbis and politicians.



"A thorough inquiry is required," Culture Minister Hili Tropper told Kan public radio. "This terrible disaster will help everyone understand ... that there should be no place where the state does not set the rules."



The Justice Ministry said investigators would look into whether there had been any police misconduct. But police commissioner Yaakov Shabtai, in a message to the police force, said that police should not be singled out.



"We are working to discover the truth and produce educated and balanced lessons for all organizations involved in this complex event," he said.



Foreigners among victims



In his noon address in St Peter's Square in the Vatican, Pope Francis said he would remember the victims and their families in prayer.



"With sadness, I express my closeness to the people of Israel for the incident last Friday on Mount Meron that caused the death of 45 people and numerous injuries," Francis said.



Police and regional government officials said the Mount Meron site was administered by four separate private religious groups, making oversight difficult.



Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised an investigation. His presidential mandate to form a new government, after an inconclusive March 23 election, expires on Wednesday, but public calls to determine responsibility for the tragedy seemed certain to hound any incoming administration.



An official list of fatalities showed that five of the dead were visiting U.S. nationals. Two Canadians, a British citizen and an Argentinian were also killed.



Avigdor Chayut, who was injured in the crush, buried his 13-year-old son Yedidya overnight in a cemetery in Bnei Brak, a largely religious town near Tel Aviv.



He told Kan public radio he and Yedidya had become separated in the passageway. But a younger son, Shmuel, was at the father's side as people fell on top of them. Shmuel survived with a sprained limb.



"Dad, I am about to die. Let's say 'Shema Yisrael' (Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one)," he heard 10-year-old Shmuel say  a prayer traditionally spoken by Jews facing imminent death. (Reuters)


More than two thousand Utah Republicans booed Senator Mitt Romney as he arrived to speak at a convention in his home state on Saturday.

The vocal backlash came after Romney narrowly avoided censure by the Utah GOP over his votes during the two impeachment trials of President Donald Trump.

'Aren't you embarrassed?' said Romney in response to the catcalling as he walked onto the stage.

'I'm a man who says what he means, and you know I was not a fan of our last president's character issues,' he said.

Shouts of 'traitor' or 'communist' could be heard from the crowd.

Sen. Mitt Romney was booed as he addressed the Utah GOP convention on Saturday

Senator Mitt Romney addresses the Utah Republican Party 2021 Organizing Convention on Saturday in West Valley City, Utah

'You can boo all you like,' Romney continued. 'I've been a Republican all of my life. My dad was the governor of Michigan and I was the Republican nominee for president in 2012.

'So yeah, I understand that I have a few folks that don't like me terribly much and I'm sorry about that. But I express my mind as I believe is right and I follow my conscience as I believe is right,' Romney added.

Romney managed to elicit a few cheers when he asked the crowd if they were fans of Biden.

More than two thousand Utah Republicans booed Senator Mitt Romney as he arrived to speak at a convention in his home state on Saturday

The 2,000-strong crowd jeered after Romney, a frequent critic of former President Trump suggested that he wasn't a fan of Trump's 'character issues'

'So, what do you think about President Biden's first 100 days?' Romney asked.

The motion for Romney to be censured narrowly failed, 798 to 711, in a vote by delegates to the state GOP convention.

At one stage, the Chairman of the Utah GOP, Derek Brown, interrupted Romney's speech to tell the rowdy crowd to simmer down.

Despite the negativity, Romney ended his speech on a positive note.

'We need to come together in strength and unity,' he said.

Senator Mitt Romney walks off the stage after addressing the Utah Republican Party 2021 Organizing Convention on Saturday

Davis County delegate Don Guymon, who authored the censure resolution, said Romney's votes to remove Trump from office 'hurt the Constitution and hurt the party.'

'This was a process driven by Democrats who hated Trump,' Guymon said. 'Romney's vote in the first impeachment emboldened Democrats who continued to harass Trump.'

The proposal, among several platform changes debated Saturday, also sought to praise the other members of Utah's congressional delegation for their support of the former president.

President-elect Donald Trump and Mitt Romney were pictured in an awkward dinner date at Jean Georges restaurant in New York City in November 2016

The pair were also pictured weeks after Trump won the election in 2016 where the two discussed the possibility of a cabinet position for Romney

Others warned supporting the censure risked defining the party around Trump instead of the conservative principles most delegates treasure.

'If the point of all this is to let Mitt Romney know we're displeased with him, trust me, he knows,' said Salt Lake County delegate Emily de Azavedo Brown. 'Lets not turn this into a Trump or no Trump thing. Are we a party of principle or a party of a person?'

Romney was one of seven GOP senators who voted to convict Trump for inciting the deadly riots at the U.S. Capitol on January 6.

The Senate ultimately voted 57-43 to acquit the former president, failing to meet the 67-vote threshold to convict.

Romney is not facing re-election in 2022.
A SpaceX capsule carrying four astronauts departed the International Space Station late Saturday, aiming for a rare nighttime splashdown to end the company's second crew flight.

It will be the first U.S. splashdown in darkness since Apollo 8's crew returned from the moon in 1968.

NASAs Mike Hopkins, Victor Glover and Shannon Walker, and Japans Soichi Noguchi, headed home in the same Dragon capsule that delivered them to the space station last November.

The Crew Dragon capsule undocked from the ISS as scheduled at 8:35pm ET.

With the flight back to Earth expected to take six-and-a-half hours, the crew is scheduled to splash down in the dark of night off Panama City, Florida, in the Gulf of Mexico at 2:57am ET.

'Thanks for your hospitality,' Hopkins radioed as the capsule undocked 260 miles above Mali.

The capsule fired a series of short bursts with its thrusters to gently ease away from the ISS.

NASA livestream footage showed the Crew Dragon capsule moving off into the dark as it began its journey back to Earth, its rear engines lighting up in small flashes.

The SpaceX capsule departs the International Space Station carrying four astronauts aiming for a rare nighttime splashdown to end the company's second crew flight

SpaceX astronauts Shannon Walker, Victor Glover, Michael Hopkins and Soichi Noguchi were heading back to Earth on Saturday night

NASA and SpaceX have alternative landing sites ready, aside from Panama City, if necessary.

SpaceX boats are expected to reach the capsule about 10 minutes after splashdown.

Despite the early hour of the scheduled splashdown, the Coast Guard has deployed extra patrols - and spotlights - to keep any night-owl sightseers away.

The capsule of the first SpaceX crew was surrounded by pleasure boaters last summer, posing a safety risk.

Astronauts Hopkins, Glover, Walker and Noguchi went to space last November as the crew on the first fully operational mission to the ISS aboard a vehicle made by Elon Musk's SpaceX, which has become NASA's favored commercial transportation partner.

Prior to that, two American astronauts made a test mission to the ISS in May and stayed for two months.

That was the first launch to the ISS from US soil since the end of the Space Shuttle program in 2011. It was also the first crewed mission run by a private company, as opposed to NASA.

Until then US astronauts had caught rides to the ISS aboard Russian spacecraft.

LIVE: NASA's @SpaceX Crew-1 astronauts are strapped in for their journey home tonight. Watch the hatches close between Crew Dragon Resilience and the @Space_Station.



Ask questions using #LaunchAmerica. https://t.co/WX4VuVJXZk  NASA (@NASA) May 1, 2021

Elon Musk's SpaceX has become NASA's favored commercial transportation partner

Replacements for Hopkins' crew arrived a week ago aboard their own Dragon capsule - the same one that launched SpaceXs first crew last spring

This photo combination provided by NASA shows from left, Expedition 64 Flight Engineers and SpaceX Crew-1 members Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, Shannon Walker and Soichi Noguchi

Replacements for Hopkins' crew arrived a week ago aboard their own Dragon capsule - the same one that launched SpaceXs first crew last spring.

The four should have been back by now, but high offshore wind kept them at the space station a few extra days. SpaceX and NASA determined the best weather would be before dawn.

The delays allowed Glover to celebrate his 45th birthday in space Friday.

'Gratitude, wonder, connection. Im full of and motivated by these feelings on my birthday, as my first mission to space comes to an end,' Glover tweeted.

Saturday nights undocking left seven astronauts at the space station: three Americans, two Russians, one Japanese and one French.
A mobile phone charger, a mysterious woman and a drone could hold the key to solving the disappearance of an elderly man and his secret lover who vanished during a camping trip in remote bushland.

Police have been trying to piece together what happened to Russell Hill, 74, and Carol Clay, 73, in the lead-up to their disappearance from the Wonnangatta Valley, in the Victorian Alps, in March 2020.

The pair had been involved in a secret affair for years when they decided to take a camping trip together.

Two days later, their campsite was found burned to the ground and a trail of clues left behind have led authorities to believe the pair might have been set upon by unknown attackers.

Police have been trying to piece together what happened to Russell Hill, 74, and Carol Clay, 73, in the lead-up to their disappearance from the Wonnangatta Valley, in the Victorian Alps, in March 2020

A mobile phone charger is believed to have set their campsite on fire and burned their tent, table and camping chairs.

A DJI Mavic drone, which was found days later, was believed to have belonged to Mr Hill and its footage sparked hope that it could hold vital clues.

Speculation swirled that it may have captured illegal deer hunters in the area who sought to silence the pair.

Though it was later discovered that the drone belonged to someone else, and not Mr Hill.

In late May, police were notified that an older woman was spotted waiting to use a toilet at Black Snake Creek.

There were also sightings of an 'older person or older couple' around the area including a couple who were seen leaving in a car and included a woman who was 'looking out of place'.

Detective Inspector Andrew Stamper said in March, on the one year anniversary of the pair's disappearance, officers were chasing all leads and had zeroed in on a driver of a white ute that was seen in the valley a day before the pair disappeared.

'It might seem like only a very small possibility that those in the white ute will have information about Russell and Carol's disappearance but we can't afford to leave any stone unturned,' he said.

The ute remains unaccounted for, along with the couple's sleeping bags, prompting speculation they may have been used as body bags.

The vehicle was spotted at a public 'long drop' toilet in the valley the day before the camping companions last made contact with friends.

The pair had been involved in a secret affair for years and had gone on the camping trip before their site was found burned to the ground two days later

Police have also noted the toilet at the campsite had been unused, suggesting the couple had not had time to settle in before they disappeared.

Then in April, a police search in the nearby Mount Hotham area uncovered two shovels before they were placed into plastic bags and taken away for forensic testing.

Mr Hill's close mate Rob Ashlin said the bushland region was 'certainly not safe' and called for the person involved in the disappearance to come forward.

'We're waiting for people to drop their guard and open their mouths. Police have got to keep going, they can't leave a stone unturned,' Mr Ashlin told The Herald Sun.

'We want answers and that area of the bush is certainly not safe to go to at the moment.'

Mr Ashlin said Mr Hill's wife Robyn also wanted to know what happened, adding he had spoken to her on March 20 - exactly a year after the secret lovers, who had been having an affair for years, were last heard from on high-frequency radio.

'She is still on the sad side of things - she would like to know answers,' the friend said.

Russell Hill and Carol Clay (pictured) were last heard from on March 20 last year and had told friends she was heading away and was expecting to return by March 29

The search for Mr Hill and Ms Clay will now focus on the area along the Dargo High Plains Road, Cynthia Range Track, Herne Spur Track and the Wonnangatta Track.

Detective Acting Inspector Tony Combridge of the Missing Persons Squad said at the time police believed 'somebody was involved' in the pair's baffling disappearance.

They continue to investigate whether the pair met foul play.

Mr Hill left his home in Drouin, in Victoria's Gippsland region, on March 19 last year and collected Ms Clay from her home in the southeastern Melbourne suburb of Pakenham in his Toyota Land Cruiser.

They travelled through Licola, spending one night at Howitt High Plains before heading into Wonnangatta Valley and vanishing without a trace.

Mr Hill was last heard from on March 20 over the radio telling friends he was in Wonnangatta Valley, while Ms Clay had told friends she was heading away and was expecting to return by March 29.

The pair went missing in the Wonnangatta Valley, more than 200km north east of Melbourne

Authorities found the couple's campsite burnt out near Mr Hill's car days later, before it was discovered their sleeping bags, phones, and his drone were also missing.

Detectives have believed since December that their attackers torched their campsite to destroy forensic evidence of a crime.

An earlier school of thought from police was that Mr Hill and Mrs Gray were ambushed or shot by deer hunters

Fire forensics expert Greg Kelly experimented with tent fibres and ropes to see if the fire could have taken hold accidentally, but said those materials burned slowly and extinguished themselves.

There were also no burn marks across the doors of the nearby car doors, the rubber tyres weren't melted, and the esky - which was underneath the car - was intact.

Mr Kelly said the scene suggested the fire was short and hot, which was likely caused by an accelerant - such as the gas canisters inside the tent.

Cadaver dogs, which specialise in locating human remains, were sent to the region but failed to find any trace of the pair.

An earlier school of thought from police was that Mr Hill and Mrs Gray were ambushed or shot by deer hunters.

A number of friends agreed, with their bodies then dragged away in their sleeping bags.

MISSING CAMPERS THEORIES SHOT BY HUNTERS Locals believe the pair may have been shot and killed after Mr Hill's drone unwittingly caught illegal hunters in the act. Large numbers of deer carcasses were found near the burnt out campsite. MURDERER STALKING THE AREA A friend of Mr Hill said hunters in the area has seen a 'sinister' figure lurking near their campfire. THE 'BUTTON MAN' An 'oddball loner' expert bushman known as the 'button man' for his habit of making buttons out of deer antlers became a person of interest after the disappearance, but there is no evidence he is linked to the disappearance. KILLED BY UNKNOWN ATTACKERS Police maintain the campers were killed by unknown attackers Advertisement

High country musterer, Lachlan Culican, who helped police during the search, also believes the pair may have accidentally witnessed illegal hunters in the area.

He was shocked by the the sheer quantity of dead deer in the area where their scorched campsite was found, explaining he saw a new carcass every '200m or 300m'.

Mr Ashlin, who was friends with Mr Hill for 30 years, also suggested there might be someone sinister lurking in the mountains.

He had a friend who was hunting deer in the region and set up camp for the night with someone else.

As they sat around the fire, they saw a person standing at the edge of the light, staring at them.

'One of them shot over to his vehicle and this person who was standing there just wandered behind the shadow of a tree and was gone,' he said.

In May last year, a bizarre theory surfaced when locals made a connection between the couple's disappearance and an 'oddball loner' living in the Victorian Alps, who had been questioned over a number of mysterious disappearances.

Known as 'Buttons' or ominously, 'the Button Man', the expert bushman became a person of interest after concerns about his odd behaviour was raised by locals.

He is understood to have earned his nickname due to his hobby of using deer antlers to make buttons - which he then uses as large ear piercings.

Police carrying out a renewed search for the pair earlier this month found two shovels which were placed in plastic bags and taken away for forensic testing

'Being creepy is not illegal,' a police source told Daily Mail Australia at the time.

The source confirmed there was nothing to indicate the mysterious loner had killed the couple.

'We don't think they're in Queensland living (a secret) life. They're too old really to drop off the grid and why would they?' the source said.

A number of searches have been conducted in and around the Wonnangatta Valley during the past 12 months.

Police are confident the pair did not fake their own deaths and do not believe it is case of murder suicide.

Detectives continue to appeal to anyone who was in the Wonnangatta area around the time of the campers' disappearance to make contact.

They also want to speak to anyone who was in the Howitt Plains and Zeka Spur Track area on March 19-20, and the Wonnangatta Valley and Wonnangatta Station area from March 20-24.
North Korea on Sunday warned the United States will face 'a very grave situation' because President Joe Biden 'made a big blunder' in his recent speech by calling the North a security threat and revealing his intent to maintain a hostile policy against it.

Last week, Biden, in his first address to Congress, called North Korea and Iran's nuclear programs 'serious threats' to American and world security and said he'll work with allies to address those problems through diplomacy and stern deterrence.

'His statement clearly reflects his intent to keep enforcing the hostile policy toward the DPRK as it had been done by the US for over half a century,' Kwon Jong Gun, a senior North Korean Foreign Ministry official, said in a statement.

DPRK stands for the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, the Norths official name.

'It is certain that the U.S. chief executive made a big blunder in the light of the present-day viewpoint,' Kwon said.

'Now that the keynote of the US new DPRK policy has become clear, we will be compelled to press for corresponding measures, and with time the US will find itself in a very grave situation.'

Joe Biden, left, said North Korea posed a threat to US security during his first speech to Congress last week.

A senior North Korean official said US President had made a 'big blunder' in saying North Korea poses a 'serious threat'. In the above file photo, Kim Jong Un delivers a speech at a Communist party conference in April

Joe Biden is looking for a middle ground in North Korean policy between the approaches taken by his predecessors Trump and Obama

Kwon still didn't specify what steps North Korea would take, and his statement could be seen as an effort to apply pressure on the Biden administration as its shaping up its North Korea policy.

The White House said Friday administration officials had completed a review of US policy toward North Korea, saying Biden plans to veer from the approaches of his two most recent predecessors as he tries to stop North Koreas nuclear program.

Press secretary Jen Psaki did not detail findings of the review, but suggested the administration would seek a middle ground between Donald Trump's 'grand bargain' and Barack Obama's 'strategic patience' approaches.

Kwon's statement didnt mention Psakis comments.

After a series of high-profile nuclear and missile tests in 2016-17, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un launched summit diplomacy with Trump on the future of his growing nuclear arsenal.

But that diplomacy remains stalled for about two years over differences in how much sanctions relief North Korea could win in return for limited denuclearization steps.

In January, Kim threatened to enlarge his nuclear arsenal and build more high-tech weapons targeting the U.S. mainland, saying the fate of bilateral ties would depend on whether it abandons its hostile policy. In March, he conducted short-range ballistic missile tests for the first time in a year, though he still maintains a moratorium on bigger weapons launches.

'If Pyongyang agrees to working-level talks, the starting point of negotiations would be a freeze of North Korean testing and development of nuclear capabilities and delivery systems,' Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, said. 'If, on the other hand, Kim shuns diplomacy and opts for provocative tests, Washington will likely expand sanctions enforcement and military exercises with allies.'

Also Sunday, an unidentified North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman vowed a strong, separate response to a recent State Department statement that it would push to promote 'accountability for the Kim regime' over its 'egregious human rights situation.' He called the statement a preparation for 'all-out showdown with us.'

Kims powerful sister, Kim Yo Jong, also slammed South Korea over anti-Pyongyang leaflets floated across the border by a group of North Korean defectors in the South. The groups leader, Park Sang-hak, said Friday he sent 500,000 leaflets by balloon last week, in a defiance of a new, contentious South Korean law that criminalizes such action.

'We regard the maneuvers committed by the human waste in the South as a serious provocation against our state and will look into corresponding action,' Kim Yo Jong said in a statement.

She accused the South Korean government of 'winking at' the leaflets. South Korean officials earlier said they were checking if Park truly floated the leaflets and that they would deal with the case in line with the law.

Easley said the North Korean statements by Kwon and Kim Yo Jong show that 'Pyongyang is trying to drive a wedge between South Korea and the United States' ahead of the May 21 summit between Biden and South Korean President Moon Jae-in.
A mother allegedly ran over her own daughter while three times over the legal alcohol limit in the early hours of the morning.

Emergency services were called to Ash Avenue in Caringbah South, Sydney's south, about 12:40am on Sunday and arrived to find a 27-year-old woman trapped under a Toyota hatchback.

She had been dragged for more than 100metres while still conscious, police said.

The woman was freed more than an hour later by firefighters and rushed to St George Hospital in a serious condition with significant leg and arm injuries.

A 27-year-old woman was rushed to hospital in a critical condition after being hit by a car in Ash Avenue in Caringbah South early on Sunday morning (the street is pictured)

Her 58-year-old mother was subjected to a roadside breath test which allegedly returned a positive result.

She was arrested at the scene and taken to Sutherland Police Station where a breath analysis allegedly returned a reading of 0.0166.

Police have charged her with aggravated dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm and high-range drink driving.

She was granted conditional bail to appear in Sutherland Local Court on Wednesday. Her licence was suspended.

Police investigations are continuing.

Officers are also investigating after a teenage girl was hit by a car in nearby Menai on Saturday night.

A male driver underwent mandatory testing at Sutherland Hospital (pictured) after a teenage girl was hit by a car in Menai on Saturday night

Emergency services were called to the intersection of Old Illawarra Road and New Illawarra Road about 8.40pm.

The 14-year-old girl was later taken to the Sydney Children's Hospital at Randwick in a critical condition.

The 59-year-old male driver of a white Hiace van was taken to Sutherland Hospital, where he underwent mandatory testing.

Police are urging anyone with dashcam footage to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Police have charged a man whose car hit a bus, killing his passenger, in Sydney on Saturday.

The BMW driver is facing charges of dangerous and negligent driving and driving through a red light.

A 46-year-old woman died at the scene of the accident, which occurred just after 8am on Argyle Street at Parramatta.

The front-seat passenger in the sedan, a woman believed to be aged in her 40s, was unable to be freed from the wreckage and has died at the scene

Police were called to Argyle Street, near the intersection with OConnell Street, in Parramatta shortly after 8am on Saturday after a sedan and bus collided

She was unable to be freed from the wreckage after the man's grey BMW sedan collided with the bus.

The BMW driver, 54, was charged at Parramatta Police Station after he was released from hospital.

The 66-year-old bus driver was also taken to Westmead Hospital with minor injuries. The bus was carrying no passengers at the time.

The BMW driver will appear in Parramatta Local Court on June 9.

In a separate incident, an 18-year-old P-plater has been charged over the death of a motorcyclist at Lidcombe in Sydney's west on Saturday.

The woman's Toyota Prado SUV allegedly clipped the back of the man's trail bike shortly before 3pm.

Police officers who happened to be in the area gave the bike rider first aid but he died shortly after being taken to Westmead Hospital.

He is believed to be in his 20s, police say.

The woman has been charged with negligent driving occasioning death. She will appear before Burwood local Court on May 13.
The man behind a push to set up an Italian-style beach club on Bondi Beach has received death threats from the public.

Janek Gazecki has been receiving online threats against his life since he announced plans to set up the Amalfi Beach Club on the iconic beach in Sydney's east.

Mr Gazecki first went public with the idea in October last year and had planned to lodge a development application with Waverley Council last week - though the council says it has not received an application.

The plans have stirred controversy from the public calling it 'un-Australian' while some critics have taken it upon themselves to personally message Mr Gazecki and threaten him, Daily Telegraph reported.

'Sleep with one eye open,' one message read.

Janek Gazecki (pictured with his wife Natalie) has been receiving online threats against his life since he announced plans to set up the Amalfi Beach Club on the iconic beach in Sydney's east

The former lawyer has announced plans to push forward with plans despite opposition from locals and politicians, and has released teaser images of the venue (pictured)

The plans have stirred controversy from the public calling it 'un-Australian' while some critics have taken it upon themselves to personally message Mr Gazecki and threaten him

Another one warns: 'Make sure you have plenty of life insurance'.

The messages were sent in November and Mr Gazecki says he has since notified New South Wales Police.

The entrepreneur said the backlash from the community has taken a heavy toll on both him and his wife.

'It is an emotional situation and we've been through hell,' Mr Gazecki said.

'My wife has been in tears at times because of this.'

Daily Mail Australia contacted NSW Police for comment.

The former lawyer and Bondi resident has dismissed claims the venue is an 'exclusive' or 'private' club that would only cater for the rich and famous.

Mr Gazecki insists the plan is no more controversial than 'a restaurant in the sand' and said anyone is welcome to enter the venue regardless of their age or wealth, he told The Guardian.

The Amalfi Beach Club is intended to run for four months from November to February, operating with a kitchen and a bar, with a capacity for 100 people.

Patrons no longer have to pay $80 to enter the club, but can purchase a cabana or day bed for the same price to go towards their spend on food and beverages.

Mr Gazecki has said there is already a daybed hire business about 100 metres from his proposed stretch of sand.

Mr Gazecki announced plans to lodge the development application with the Waverley Council (pictured, an artist's impression of the Amalfi Beach Club)

Mr Gazecki said his Italian-style beach club has been designed to fit in with the existing Bondi Pavilion

'The only difference with us is we wish to introduce a food and beverage service to go with that,' he said.

Mr Gazecki said the venue would take up 1.3 per cent of the 55,000 square metres of sand on the beach and had been designed to fit in with the existing Bondi Pavilion.

'The Mediterranean design celebrates the heritage of Bondi Beach by paying tribute to our very own Pavilion, also inspired by inter-war Italian architecture, while complimenting the sandstone hues of Bondi's headlands', a post on the Club's Facebook page read.

Mr Gazecki revealed the process of building the club's facade had already begun and shipping containers had been purchased to constitute the kitchen and bar.

The entrepreneur said opponents of the plan had been misled as to how large and exclusive the venue would be and insisted he didn't plan on privatising the beach.

'None of that stuff that hit the media was in any way related to our proposal,' he said.

'It was weird speculation. It is pure and simply a restaurant on the sand. It is not privatising the beach, we are leasing the beach.'

Mr Gazecki (pictured with his wife Natalie) said the venue is for 'everyone', regardless of their wealth or age

Mr Gazecki compared his proposal to plans to host a pop-up restaurant on Manly beach this month for the 'Taste of the Beaches' food event organised by the Northern Beaches Council.

The Waverley Council confirmed on April 25 it had not received a development proposal for the Amalfi Beach Club.

'Bondi Beach is crown land and therefore landowner's consent from the minister for planning and public spaces is required prior to any DA being determined,' a council spokesperson said in a statement.

Planning Minister Rob Stokes, who has the power to approve the plan, says it will not happen.

'It's privatisation of prime public space and it crosses a line in the sand,' he said.

'Bondi is Australia's most iconic beach and the public want free access to it.'
He's sent rocket ships into space, revolutionized the auto industry, and wants to power the world with solar power: but judging from his first foray into comedy, Elon Musk shouldn't give up the day jobs just yet.

Musk, 49, is hosting Saturday Night Live on May 8, a controversial decision that has prompted a huge backlash against the polarizing multi-billionaire.

After the announcement, cast members Bowen Yang and Aidy Bryant posted snarky Instagram Stories taking aim at Musk, who is worth an estimated $173 billion.

Undeterred, Musk spent Saturday tweeting cringeworthy suggestions for SNL skits he could take part in - and encouraging his legion of fans to suggest their own ideas.

'Throwing out some skit ideas for SNL. What should I do?' Musk asked.

'Irony Man  defeats villains using the power of irony,' Musk Tweeted.

'Baby Shark & Shark Tank merge to form Baby Shark Tank,' was another.

He also suggested 'Woke James Bond'.

On their face, Musk's Tweets suggest he may struggle to convert his eccentric social media personality into an effective player in the cauldron of live televised comedy.

However, Musk is well known for causing controversy with Tweets that are deliberately designed to wind people up.

Several Saturday Night Live cast members have aimed sly digs at Elon Musk in their Instagram stories, expressing annoyance that the Tesla CEO has been selected to host the show

'Throwing out some skit ideas for SNL. What should I do?' Musk asked his 52 million followers on Twitter

'Irony Man  defeats villains using the power of irony', was one joke he suggested

Musk, who has a reputation for his unfiltered Twitter feed, wrote: 'Baby Shark & Shark Tank merge to form Baby Shark Tank'

Musk Tweeted: 'Woke James Bond'. It was unclear if this was another idea for a joke

The Tweets provoked a wave of suggestions from Musk's 52 million followers on Twitter.

One person suggested he do a skit on 'The Dogefather', a reference to the Dogecoin cryptocurrency whose price has soared since it was first championed by Musk.

'Definitely', Musk replied.

Musk's sprawling business empire includes Tesla, the electric car pioneers, SpaceX, which promises to colonize Mars, and believes he can build solar power capabilities to power the entire planet.

The serial entrepreneur, who has amassed a personal wealth of about $173 billion, has proved to be a controversial choice for host for the May 8 show.

There have been early signs of tension between the long-running show's core cast members and Musk.

Musk has referred to himself as 'The Dogefathger': a reference to dogecoin cryptocurrency

One person suggested he take hard drugs with Joe Rogan, a reference to the time Musk smoked marijuana on the famous podcast

Musk signals his support for a skit on The Dogefather

Earlier this week, Musk, known for his unique banter on Twitter, tweeted: 'Let's find out how live Saturday Night Live really is.'

Yang posted the tweet on Stories with the response 'what the f*** does this even mean'.

And hours after the hosting announcement, Bryant seemed to aim a subtle shot at Musk, the world's second richest man, by posting an old quote from Senator Bernie Sanders calling it a 'moral obscenity' that the 50 richest people in America own more than the bottom half combined.

A source told The New York Post that cast members would not be forced to appear with Musk if they didn't want to.

'Speaking historically, if a cast member has been that unhappy, they don't have to do it,' a source told on Friday.

They said that Lorne Michaels, the boss of SNL, 'won't ever make them do anything they don't want to do.'

No cast members have pulled out of the show yet, the paper said.

Rehearsals will begin on Tuesday.

The source added: 'Whether you like him or not, Elon is a very interesting character. He's very much a showman.'

SNL cast members have been told they will not be forced to appear alongside Musk if they don't want to

Bowen Yang posted Musk's tweet on Stories with the response 'what the f*** does this even mean' after Musk tweeted: 'Let's find out how live Saturday Night Live really is'

Aidy Bryant seemed to aim a subtle shot at Musk, the world's second richest man, by posting an old quote from Senator Bernie Sanders

Andrew Dismukes, who became a featured player this season after serving as a writer since 2017, also joined in, joking 'Only CEO I wanna do sketch with is Cher-E Oteri' in reference to a former SNL star.

The snide remarks were made on Stories that disappear after 24 hours, but eagle-eyed fans took screenshots.

Musk's selection as host is unusual for Saturday Night Live, which typically taps actors, comedians and other entertainers.

In one notable exception, Donald Trump hosted in November 2015, as he was pursuing his presidential bid, in a move that cast members grew to rue and looked back on as 'embarrassing and shameful'.

Musk's scheduled May 8 appearance on Saturday Night Live builds upon his recent run of success.

Tesla's stock is worth nearly six times more than it was before the pandemic started, leaving Musk with an estimated fortune of $177 billion, second only to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, according to Forbes.

Andrew Dismukes, who became a featured player this season, also joined in, joking 'Only CEO I wanna do sketch with is Cher-E Oteri' in reference to the former SNL star

And his SpaceX recently a launched a mission that sent astronauts to the International Space Station.

SNL doesn't make a habit of having business executives host its show, but Musk is far from a stuffy corporate type.

He regularly jokes around on Twitter, where he has nearly 52 million followers and has gotten into legal trouble for making disparaging remarks about critics.

He also once hinted that he might lead a buyout of Tesla, with that nugget resulting in Musk being fined $20 million by stock market regulators.

Miley Cyrus will be the musical guest on the night Musk hosts. Fan reaction to Musk's selection was largely negative, though it is seen as a lucrative move that will likely draw curious viewers.

Though visionary, Musk has become a controversial figure on account of his out of the box business moves and his often ludicrous Twitter antics.

Though a surefire way to get eyeballs on the screen, many fans took issue with the tech wizard hosting, as they felt he didn't need more exposure as he boasts a net worth of $177B dollars

He has shot himself in the foot on more than one occasion after going off on everything from his Tesla stock pricing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In May 2020 he tweeted: 'Tesla stock price is too high imo,' which wiped $14B off the company's value, as angry people fired back that his statements caused them to lose thousands.

In response to the COVID-19 lockdown he tweeted 'FREE AMERICA NOW,' and some began to dub him 'Elon Mask.'

And the marijuana-toking business mogul jeopardized his business again when he made what he dubbed a joke on the novelty holiday 4/20, writing: 'Am considering taking Tesla private at $420. Funding secured.'

That tweet garnered a lawsuit from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and required him to pay a $20M settlement fine, in addition to being forced to step down as chairman of Tesla's board of directors for three years.
Pose writer and director Janet Mock, used the premiere of show's third season to blast the industry and ask why she and the stars of the trans drama were not paid more for their work, saying 'f**k Hollywood'.

In a scathing speech in New York on Thursday, Mock also blasted co-creator Ryan Murphy as well as the quality of writing on the show - and revealed she had been unfaithful to her boyfriend.

The television series is about New York City's African-American and Latino LGBTQ and gender-nonconforming drag ball culture scene in the 1980s and 1990s.

But during a rare in-person premiere amid the COVID pandemic, Mock, 38, left those in the 100-strong audience stunned with a fiery speech lasting almost 15 minutes.

She said: 'F*** Hollywood  Does this make you uncomfortable? It should. It should make you f***ing shake in your motherf***ing boots. This is speaking truth. This is what Pose is.'

Writer, director and executive producer on the FX series Pose, Janet Mock, 38, pictured on Thursday, delivered a strong criticism of Hollywood at the show's season premiere event

Angel Bismark Curiel and Janet Mock are pictured together in February. On Thursday, Mock revealed that she had cheated on the 25-year-old with a fellow crew member on the show Pose

Janet Mock is pictured with co-creator of the show Pose, Ryan Murphy, with whom she addressed the issue of 'bad writing' on the series in front of 100 other guests on Thursday. The pair are pictured in 2018

She continued: 'I want to get paid more. Why am I making $40,000 an episode? Huh?' Mock wondered allowed. 'Do you know who the f*** I am? Do you know what I f***ing mean?'

'I am angry!,' she continued as she went on to demand more money and perks equivalent to other television execs.

'I'm hurting, y'all. I see injustice and it hurts me inside,' Mock said at the event, according to The Daily Beast.

Mock, a trans woman and activist, spoke for almost quarter of an hour and revealed she had cheated on her boyfriend, Pose actor, Angel Bismark Curiel.

Mock asked him to 'stand up  right now!'

Curiel nervously stood up according to Page Six while Mock bared open her infidelity to the crowd.

'Let me tell you something about love. Today, I was gonna let [Angel] go,' she said. 'I was gonna let you go, right, but what did I do? I f****d someone on the crew, right?'

Mock, a trans woman and activist, spoke for almost quarter of an hour as suddenly revealed she had cheated on her boyfriend, Pose actor, Angel Bismark Curiel, pictured right. Other cast members, Billy Porter, left, and Mj Rodriguez, center, in a scene from Pose in 2018

Janet Mock attends the FX's "Pose" Season 3 New York Premiere at Jazz at Lincoln Center on April 29, 2021 in New York City

'Angel, Angel. I'm not losing you. You hear me? You are f***ing important to me. I don't want to live in a house alone. I want you. You motherf******. Right there. That's who I want. I'm getting what's mine.'

The Post reports that guests sitting in their seats were gasping asking, 'What the hell is happening?'

But Mock wasn't finished. She went on to complain about the quality of the writing on the show in front of several Hollywood bosses who were gathered for the occasion.

Mock noted that the first two episodes of the show had been penned by solely male writers.

While on stage, she directly addressed co-creator of the show and Hollywood mogul Ryan Murphy asking him publicly what he did to address the issue.

'Who brought the girls in?,' she asked him. 'I did,' Murphy replied. 'I wanted the girls to be there. I wanted to bring in the girls.'

'You brought girls in to help you,' Mock said to Murphy.

Writer-director and executive producer Janet Mock attends FX's "Pose" third and finale season premiere at Jazz at Lincoln Center on Thursday, April 29, 2021, in New York

Mock spoke on stage for nearly 15 minutes, asking why she wasn't paid more for her work on the series, at one point saying: 'F*** Hollywood'. She is pictured, center, with Billy Porter, left, and the show's co-creator, Ryan Murphy, right

'It's a show, but it means so much to everyone to 'ensure that we enable black and brown trans women to make it' because that sounds good,' Mock said sarcastically.

'It makes you comfortable to talk like that because then I don't scare you into facing the f***ing truth. You all have stomped on us!'

Mock joined the series as a writer and rose through the ranks as a producer before finally directing the show.

She signed a multi-year agreement with Netflix in 2019 and became the first transgender person to land an overall studio deal.

'In my career that has now lasted for 25 years, It is the most important thing that I've been a part of,' Murphy said of Pose. 'And it is the thing I think that I'm the most proud to consider myself a part of.

'This is what Pose taught me', she said at the event. 'I stand up taller in the world because of this show. I know that I matter because of this show. I have a voice because of this show.'

The groundbreaking series was renewed for a third season back in 2019.

The seven-episode final season is now set to debut on May 2 at 10pm ET, with two episodes airing that night. The series finale will air on June 6.

'Write the TV show you want to watch!' That's what I was told in 2014 while completing my MFA in screenwriting,' said Steven Canals, executive producer, writer, director and co-creator of Pose.

The series made television history by featuring the largest cast of transgender actors series regulars ever assembled, along with the most LBGTQ actors in recurring roles ever.

In addition, many of the producers, writers, directors, and crew were people of color and members of the LGBTQ community.

Mock was the first trans woman of color hired as a writer on a TV series and the first trans woman of color to write and direct an episode of television.

Pose season 3 premieres on FX this Sunday.
Perth and the Peel region have avoided another lockdown for now after no further locally acquired coronavirus cases were detected but a raft of strict restrictions remain.

West Australian Premier Mark McGowan confirmed the news on Sunday, 24 hours after a hotel quarantine security guard and two of his housemates tested positive.

Contact tracers are continuing to work through the movements of the three men but all 16 close contacts identified by WA Health as 'high risk' have returned negative tests.

Results are pending for a further four close contacts, while a another 136 contacts are deemed casual or yet to be classified. All the new cases and their close contacts must quarantine for 14 days.

Residents in Perth and the Peel region will have to wear masks indoors and outdoors after a hotel quarantine security guard and two of his housemates tested positive for Covid

Nightclubs will close for the next week and all Perth and Peel residents must wear masks indoors and outdoors, regardless of proximity to others.

'We cannot underestimate this virus. We cannot be complacent. We need to follow the health advice. We need people to get tested. And we need everyone to keep wearing your masks,' Mr McGowan said.

'I want to avoid going into lockdown again. I know how much it can impact people's lives and businesses. But if we need to go back into lockdown, we will.'

But he added another lockdown this week was still 'a prospect'.

Sunday's AFL western derby between West Coast and Fremantle at Optus Stadium will be played behind closed doors, with the risk of 45,000 spectators travelling to the stadium deemed too high.

'Having 45,000 people try to get to Optus Stadium at the same time is too much of a risk, especially as we are still going through the close contacts,' Mr McGowan said.

Fans will be locked out of Sunday's AFL game at Perth's Optus Stadium under the latest Covid restrictions. Pictured is a match between the Fremantle Dockers and North Melbourne Kangaroos that was played at the stadium on April 24 without crowds during lockdown

The security guard in his 20s worked at the Pan Pacific Hotel between April 24 and 26 and tested positive on Saturday.

On his days off work from April 27 to 30, he moved through the community going shopping, seeing friends and visiting Mirrabooka Mosque.

He and his seven housemates were moved to hotel quarantine after he returned the positive result.

The guard had received his first dose of the Pfizer vaccine just days earlier.

Mr McGowan said the interim restrictions that had been in place in Perth and Peel following a snap three-day lockdown last weekend - including attendance limits at hospitality venues - had reduced the risk of a wider outbreak.

The security guard's two infected housemates - a roommate and a guest from Canberra - had both been working as food delivery drivers.

They each worked on April 29 and 30 and could have been infectious since the 27th.

But public health advice suggested the risk was low given they were required to wear face masks and had minimal contact with customers.

The hotel quarantine security guard that tested positive for coronavirus on Saturday worked at the Pan Pacific Hotel (pictured) between April 24 and 26

Authorities are working through which restaurants they attended to collect food and if any are determined to be potential exposure sites, they will be listed on the healthywa.wa.gov.au website.

One of the positive cases attending a cooking school on the 27th and 28th with about 20 other people at the Perth College of Business and Technology.

The other students are being contacted and advised to isolate until they have returned negative tests, along with other casual contacts.

More than 3000 tests were completed on Saturday.

'We are not out of the woods as yet. Our contact tracing team has a massive job underway today,' Mr McGowan said.

The security guard, wearing a mask, worked on the same floor as two travellers - one from the US and one from Indonesia - who were transferred to the Pan Pacific Hotel on April 24 and tested positive.

Authorities have reviewed CCTV footage and are yet to identify any concerns.
A wannabe momfluencer in California who went viral after alleging that a Latino couple tried to snatch her children has been charged with giving false information to police, it has been revealed.

Katie Sorensen now faces two misdemeanor counts after she claimed that Eduardo and Sadie Martinez had tried to kidnap her two children, the Argus-Courier revealed.

In her initial videos, Sorenson sat in her car as she relayed the claims about Sadie and Eddie, saying 'My children were the targets of attempted kidnap which is such a weird thing to even vocalize but it happened and I want to share that story with you'.

She later made a complaint to police.

The Sonoma County District Attorneys Office has now charged her with one count of giving false information to a police officer and another for giving false information to a police dispatcher - which each carry a maximum penalty of six months in jail.

Erika Margarita Mitchell, a family member of the couple, posted to Facebook praising prosecutors for charging Sorensen for the case that has been largely criticized as an example of racial profiling.

California mother-of-three Katie Sorensen (pictured) has been charged over a video in which she claimed a Latino couple made a kidnapping attempt on her children

Katie Sorensen made the videos from her car. She claimed her children 'were the targets of attempted kidnap'

Sadie and Eddie Martinez (pictured in CCTV footage released by police), who have five children between them and two grandchildren, have been cleared of any wrongdoing

'Great news for us all but mostly for my cousin, Sadie Vega-Martinez and her husband Eddie. They were falsely accused by this 'influencer' of trying to kidnap her kids at a local Michaels store,' Mitchell wrote.

'A major allegation! She obviously didn't know who she was messing with in my cousin. Prima, I'm so glad you persisted!'

Mitchell added: 'There absolutely need to be consequences for attention seeking 'influencers' that make up drama for likes and views on social.

'Prosecute Katie is now Convict Katie. Can you imagine this happening to YOU? It totally could. And it's unreal.'

The Martinez family, who have five children of their own, told the Argus-Courier that they were 'very happy with the news.'

'Its a nice step toward justice. It gives you hope,' Sadie Martinez told the outlet.

Martinez has also been appointed to Petaluma's citizen-led advisory committee on policing and race relations by Mayor Teresa Barrett.

She recently unveiled a local version of San Franciscos CAREN Act - which made racially motivated 911 calls a crime, the Argus-Courier reported.

The saga started when Sorensen posted two videos December 13 in which she detailed claims that she avoided the so-called kidnapping attempt - which racked up more than 4.5 million views on her defunct Instagram @motherhoodessentials.

Sorensen, a mother of three, drove to the police station to report the couple's actions and press charges before uploading the videos, which gained her more than 80,000 followers.

The influencer has it back at criticism. She is pictured here with one of her sons

In her initial videos, Sorenson sat in her car as she relayed the claims about Sadie and Eddie Martinez.

She said: 'My children were the targets of attempted kidnap which is such a weird thing to even vocalize but it happened and I want to share that story with you in an effort to raise awareness to what signs to look for and to encourage parents to be more aware of their surroundings and what is going on around them.

'I think right now that we are so distracted with everything that's going on in the world that we are have our guard up so much about masks and wanting to keep out children safe that way that we're forgetting the most important way to keep them safe and that is with us.'

According to the police statement, Sorenson said that she noted the suspicious behavior of a man and woman as they followed her and her children around the store and made comments about their appearance.

She told police that they followed her out to her car and lingered by the stroller as she placed her kids back inside the vehicle.

Police said Sorenson had not wanted to have anyone arrested when she filed the report but 'wanted to draw attention to the concerning behavior exhibited by the couple'.

In an interview with KTVU after she posted the videos, however, Sorenson relayed further claims about Sadie and Eddie Martinez.

'I heard them talking about the features of my children, but I was totally paralyzed with fear, I just couldnt bring myself to say anything,' she said.

The alleged incident took place in the parking lot of this Michael's in Petaluma

Erika Margarita Mitchell, a family member of the couple, posted to Facebook praising prosecutors for charging Sorensen for the case

She claimed that she had spotted the man looking at her in the parking lot before she went inside and that the couple had stood behind her in the checkout but then followed her outside without buying anything.

She noted that when she reached her car, a white van was parked alongside her, which she thought was strange given how far from the store she was.

Sorenson also claimed that the couple took two steps forward and then two steps back as the watched her load her children into the car.

'Very awkward. There is no other explanation to why they would do that other than they were building up the courage' she alleged.

Sorenson told the station that the man had reached out and grabbed the stroller but that another man walked past at the time and she began to scream for help.

She claimed the couple fled the scene in a car, but a third man emerged quickly from the white van. She said he acted like he was trying to help her before fleeing himself.

'I saw these people, they didn't look necessarily clean cut,' Sorenson told KTVU.

'I felt uncomfortable around them, and instead of making them uncomfortable with my discomfort, I chose to remain in my discomfort.'

Sorenson told Buzzfeed that she felt very overwhelmed to the reaction to the videos.

She said that she wanted those sending her negative comments to note that she was 'faced with a traumatic experience, it is impossible to function at full capacity'.

After the couple came forward, Petaluma police cleared Sadie and Eddie Martinez of any wrongdoing and launched the investigation into the momfluencer.

Sadie said she recognized the picture of herself and her husband Eddie when police released a CCTV still of them.

Speaking at a press conference at the time, she said: 'I couldnt believe it. It's like were literally guilty of being brown while shopping.'

And her daughter Esaia told BuzzFeed News: 'This isnt the first racist injustice to occur in Petaluma by a long shot, but we are definitely grateful that in this case the truth was rightfully pursued.'
Republican Susan Wright of Texas, the widow of the first member of Congress to die after contracting COVID-19, secured a place in a US House runoff for her late husband's seat Saturday night.

With votes still being counted, Wright was ahead with more than 18 per cent of the vote in Texas' 6th Congressional District.

Close behind were Republican Jake Ellzey and Democrat Jana Lynne Sanchez for the other runoff spot.

Wright, a GOP activist, moved on with the backing of President Donald Trump, who waited until this week to formally make an endorsement in a crowded field of 23 candidates.

Susan Wright's late husband, Rep. Ron Wright, died in February after being diagnosed with COVID-19. He was 67 and had also been battling lung cancer.

Susan Wright, center, on the campaign trail in April for the US Congressional House seat left vacant by her husband Ron, who died of COVID in February

Susan Wright was by her husband's side as he was sworn in on January 4, 2021, by Republican House leader Kevin McCarthy

Ron Wright, who died from COVID in February, had a 'tremendous work ethic' and 'commitment to conservative values'

The date of the runoff has not yet been announced.

Trump issued a congratulations to Wright from his Save American political action committee, which he uses to send out endorsements and other Trump-esque statements.

'Congratulations to Susan Wright on her great surge yesterday which made her NUMBER ONE and assures her participation in the TX-06 runoff against another Republican,' Trump wrote.

'The Democrats have just conceded the race. Susan surged after I gave her an endorsement last week. Her wonderful husband is looking down, and is very proud of her!'

The North Texas district includes the booming corridor between Dallas and Fort Worth, and it has long been safe Republican territory.

But Trump also saw his support there plummet in last year's election, carrying the district by just three points  a sharp fall from his double-digit advantage there in 2016.

Ten Democrats in the running had hoped that was a sign of an opening in the special election.

But the race drew little investment from Democrats nationally after their massive expectations for Texas in 2020 foundered.

Ron Wright was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2018, filling the seat of retiring Rep. Joe Barton, and ran for re-election in 2020 despite his cancer diagnosis.

Upon his death, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle paid tribute to his 'tremendous work ethic and his commitment to conservative values'.

President Joe Biden also put out a statement praising Ron Wright.

'He was also a fighter who battled bravely against both cancer and COVID-19, diseases that our nation will continue working tirelessly every day to defeat in the memory of all those we have lost,' the statement said.

The Wrights had three children and nine grandchildren.
Billions of pounds will be spent on improving road and rail links to Scotland under plans being put forward by Boris Johnson to strengthen the Union, it was claimed today.

The Prime Minister is said to be preparing to splash the cash on better infrastructure in a desperate bid to see off the threat of Scottish independence.

The Government is also looking at treating Scottish NHS patients on beds in England to deal with an operations backlog while UK diplomats in foreign capitals will be told to stress the case against independence.

The plans could also see a student exchange programme set up between the UK nations.

News of the PM's plans, first reported in The Sunday Telegraph, came amid fears of a an SNP landslide victory at Thursday's Holyrood election.

However, a new poll suggests that while Nicola Sturgeon's party is on course for victory, her chances of winning a crucial majority appear to be on a knife edge.

Boris Johnson, pictured on a visit to a school in London on April 29, is said to be preparing to spend billion of pounds improving transport links to Scotland

The PM is hoping the spending will help to counter Nicola Sturgeon's push for Scottish independence. The SNP leader is pictured in Perth on May 1

Winning a majority is seen as key because Ms Sturgeon believes it would give her a mandate to hold a second independence referendum.

Falling short of the benchmark would strengthen Mr Johnson's hand and bolster his position of refusing to grant permission for a re-run of the 2014 vote.

Mr Johnson is due to chair a meeting attended by Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Minister for the Cabinet Office Michael Gove, as well as the secretary of states for Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland, when his Union plans will be finalised.

The proposals are then expected to be rolled out in the aftermath of the 'Super Thursday' elections.

There are concerns in Westminster that Ms Sturgeon will immediately demand an independence referendum should she secure a majority.

One senior Government source told The Sunday Telegraph that the result is likely to be 'bloody awful' in Scotland and 'we are in a bare knuckle fight'.

There are hopes in Whitehall that Ms Sturgeon will fall short of a majority, potentially torpedoing her demands for a second border poll.

One minister told the newspaper: 'If you have a combined Lib-Lab-Con vote of over 50 per cent, then that is very significant.'

A highly-anticipated 'Union connectivity review' conducted by former Network Rail boss Sir Peter Hendy is due to report by July.

The work will include a feasibility study on establishing a permanent tunnel or bridge connecting Scotland and Northern Ireland.

It came as a Panelbase survey for The Sunday Times suggested Mrs Sturgeon is on course for victory on Thursday but that whether she wins a majority could be tight.

The poll, conducted between April 28 and April 30 suggested the SNP could gain two seats on their 2016 tally, giving them an outright majority of just one.

Sir John Curtice, professor of politics at Strathclyde University, said the polling numbers suggested the SNP could end up with 65 seats, the Tories down three with 28, Labour down six with 18, the Lib Dems up one with six, the Greens up three with nine and the Alba Party with three.
A family friend worked tirelessly for 48 hours non-stop to secure a new house and land package for Kelly Wilkinson's family and the three young children left behind.

A mystery donor, who wishes to be remain anonymous, kindly offered up the land for the children's aunt and uncle to build a new home for their growing family of 10.

Ms Wilkinson's badly burnt body was found on April 20 in the backyard of her home in Arundel on the Gold Coast, after neighbours reported hearing screams and the sound of an explosion.

Her former partner Brian Earl Johnston, 35, was found two blocks away on a front lawn in a 'semiconscious state' and was later charged with her murder.

Ms Wilkinson's three children aged between two and nine, who were at home at the time of the alleged attack, have since moved in with their selfless aunt Danielle Carroll, who has five children of her own.

Construction entrepreneur Tamika Smith, who is the stepsister of Ms Carroll's husband Rhys, launched an appeal on Wednesday afternoon to secure a house and land deal to build a new home to accommodate the family of 10 who are currently crammed into a four bedroom home.

Australians have rallied around the family of Kelly Wilkinson following her death on April 20. Her estranged husband Brian Earl Johnston, 35, has been charged with her murder

Tamika Smith (pictured) spent two days tirelessly working to secure a house and land package for Ms Wilkinson's sister family, which has grown from seven to 10

On Friday night after fielding hundreds of calls, texts and emails, Ms Smith finally received the call that would turn her dream into a reality.

A generous Good Samaritan, who wishes to remain anonymous came forward and offered the block of land needed to build a bigger home.

'Getting that phone call I did absolutely have tears running down my cheeks, down my face,' Ms Smith told the Gold Coast Bulletin.

'It wasn't like "yes we won" or anything like that, it was just this real sense of peace knowing I did what I had to do and perhaps what I was meant to do for those kids. There's a sense of accomplishment that comes with knowing you've done your job.'

Ms Smith said her stepbrother and his family are 'beyond thankful' for the donor's generosity.

Tamika Smith (pictured), the stepsister of Ms Wilkinson's brother-in-law launched a mission to secure a house and land package to build a new home for the family of 10 after taking in Ms Wilkinson's three kids

Sleeping arrangements have spilled into the loungeroom at the Carrolls' four bedroom home since they took in Ms Wilkinson's children.

'The family is overjoyed, they couldn't be happier,' Ms Smith said.

The location of the land has not been disclosed to respect the family's privacy.

Construction giant Metricon and more than 30 other suppliers are understood to have joined the campaign led by Ms Smith.

Ms Smith now looks forward to seeing the dream come to fruition with the ongoing support of the community.

'We need this family and our community to know that this is more than just a house,' she posted on Instagram.

'This home is a pillar of what we are capable of when we come together. And as an industry, we won't bury our heads in the sand when it's time to stand up.'

Ms Wilkinson's badly burnt body was found on April 20 in the backyard of her home in Arundel on the Gold Coast , after neighbours reported hearing screams and the sound of an explosion

Ms Smith also recalled the sleepless nights and long hours she endured into securing the house and land package.

'There has been politicians phoning, the media has got behind this also, conversations until midnight with every segment of our community and in sheer frustration I said to one politician - "just get me a bloody block! We let down Kelly, we will not walk away from those kids",' she wrote on Sunday.

'The love that has emerged in such tragic circumstances has shown that the entire industry is not ok with domestic violence.

'Having the uncomfortable conversations meant that we lift the veil on the experiences we once deemed shameful, and can begin to address the fundamental flaws not only in a culture, but in our laws which let a family down.'

Meanwhile, a GoFundMe appeal set up by another of Kelly's sisters, Natalie Wilkinson, to help the children is nearing $300,000 in donations.

More than 4,800 people have so far donated to the fundraiser, which has a target of $1million.

Ms Wilkinson's estranged husband has been charged with her alleged murder.

He was formally refused bail with his case to return to court at a later date.
Five Indian states named winners from elections held in March and April that were seen as a test of the impact the devastating second wave of the pandemic is having on support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi

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Indians were dancing in the streets on Sunday as the results of five state elections were announced amid a deadly second wave of coronavirus infections and deaths.

Five Indian states named winners from elections held in March and April that were seen as a test of the impact the devastating second wave of the pandemic is having on support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The vote counting comes as India's coronavirus crisis hit a grim new record on Sunday, with 3,689 deaths recorded - the highest 24-hour rise since the pandemic began.

Authorities reported 392,488 new cases on Sunday - a marginal dip from a high of 401,993 in the previous 24 hours - to push total cases to 19.56 million.

So far, the virus has killed 215,542 people, although experts believe the actual numbers of both cases and deaths are likely considerably higher.

In West Bengal, the incumbent chief minister's party defeated Modi's BJP. The BJP-run federal government has been criticised for focusing on the elections instead of making the pandemic his top priority.

Indians were dancing in the streets on Sunday as the results of five state elections were announced amid a deadly second wave of coronavirus infections and deaths. Pictured: Congress party supporters celebrate in Kolkata, West Bengal

Congress party supporters flash the victory sign in Siliguri, West Bengal on Sunday after the incumbent chief minister's party defeated Modi's BJP

Five Indian states named winners from elections held in March and April that were seen as a test of the impact the devastating second wave of the pandemic is having on support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Pictured: Congress party supporters in Siliguri, West Bengal

Some experts blame the federal election commission for allowing rallies and voting in which large crowds flouted rules on social distancing and mask-wearing.

Mamata Banerjee, 66, is set to be the chief of West Bengal for the third time after her Trinamool Congress party (TMC) won a two-thirds majority, taking more than 200 seats in the 294-seat state assembly, election commission officials said. Final counting for some seats was still underway.

Banerjee is now India's only woman chief minister.

Mamata Banerjee, 66, is set to be the chief of West Bengal for the third time after her Trinamool Congress party (TMC) won a two-thirds majority, taking more than 200 seats in the 294-seat state assembly, election commission officials said. Final counting for some seats was still underway. Pictured: Congress party supporters in Siliguri, West Bengal on Sunday

Banerjee is now India's only woman chief minister. Pictured: A Congress party supporter shows off a sicker of Banerjee on his motorcycle helmet in Kolkata on Sunday

In Tamil Nadu, the DMK - the main regional opposition party - secured victory. Pictured: Supporters hold pictures of party All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party leader Jayalalithaa Jayaram, who came second, during the vote count on Sunday

Despite the defeat, the BJP made substantial gains, making it the main opposition party as its tally in the state legislature went to nearly 80 seats from just three seats won in 2016.

Modi, his colleagues and regional politicians campaigned aggressively in five state elections despite the pandemic.

Banerjee, a sharp critic of Modi, largely conducted a one-woman campaign to retain power by leading scores of public rallies.

'It is a stupendous performance by Mamata Banerjee because Modi was determined to win Bengal, but it's clear that his entire political machinery and strategy was unable to defeat her,' said Diptendu Bhaskar, a political analyst in Kolkata, West Bengal's capital.

Most of the votes were cast in March, but polling in some constituencies continued through April, just as India started to detect thousands of new coronavirus infections everyday. Pictured: DMK supporters celebrate the results of the Tamil Nadu state election in Chennai on Sunday

Modi, his colleagues and regional politicians campaigned aggressively in five state elections despite the pandemic. Pictured: A woman wears an image of DMK leader M.K. Stalin on her forehead as she celebrates the party's win in Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Over 1,000 election observers conducted the counts on Sunday, with each expected to produce a negative COVID-19 test report or show they have been fully vaccinated. Pictured: DMK supporter celebrate the party's win in Chennai, Tamil Nadu

In Assam state, the BJP managed to retain political power. In Tamil Nadu, the DMK - the main regional opposition party - secured victory

In Kerala state, the ruling leftist political party was set to form government while the BJP led-alliance won no seats.

In the union territory of Puducherry, the All India NR Congress-led alliance was leading in 14 of the 30 seats assembly.

Most of the votes were cast in March, but polling in some constituencies continued through April, just as India started to detect thousands of new coronavirus infections everyday.

Over 1,000 election observers conducted the counts on Sunday, with each expected to produce a negative COVID-19 test report or show they have been fully vaccinated.

The election wins come as India is grappling with a brutal second wave of coronavirus infections and deaths that has seen a New Delhi court warn it will start punishing government officials for failing to deliver life-saving oxygen as Indian hospitals continue to struggle to secure steady supplies. Pictured: A patient receives oxygen provided by a Sikh temple in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh

Hundreds of thousands of new cases are being recorded in India each day. Pictured: A patient rests outside a Sikh temple in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh

Pictured: A health worker wearing PPE attends to patients inside a centre of the Commonwealth Games village temporarily converted into a Covid care facility in New Delhi on May 2

Modi and other politicians have been criticised for seemingly prioritising state elections over tackling the pandemic. Pictured: Patients receive oxygen provided by a Sikh temple in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh

The election wins come as India is grappling with a brutal second wave of coronavirus infections and deaths that has seen a New Delhi court warn it will start punishing government officials for failing to deliver life-saving oxygen as Indian hospitals continue to struggle to secure steady supplies.

Hospitals, morgues and crematoriums have been overwhelmed as the country has reported more than 300,000 daily cases for more than 10 days straight. Many families have been left on their own to scramble for medicines and oxygen.

The government has been using the railway, the air force and the navy to rush oxygen tankers to worst-hit areas where hospitals are unable to cope with the unprecedented surge in patients gasping for air.

Hospitals, morgues and crematoriums have been overwhelmed as the country has reported more than 300,000 daily cases for more than 10 days straight. Pictured: Bodies of victims who died of Covid-19 are carried on stretchers before being cremated in New Delhi on May 2

India's coronavirus crisis has hit a grim new record, with 3,689 deaths recorded on Sunday - the highest 24-hour rise since the pandemic began. Pictured: A crematorium in New Delhi

Authorities reported 392,488 new cases on Sunday - a marginal dip from a high of 401,993 in the previous 24 hours - to push total cases to 19.56 million. Pictured: A crematorium in New Delhi

So far, the virus has killed 215,542 people, although experts believe the actual numbers of both cases and deaths are likely considerably higher. Pictured: A crematorium in New Delhi

Twelve Covid-19 patients on high-flow oxygen died on Saturday at a hospital in New Delhi after it ran out of the supply for 80 minutes, said SCL Gupta, director of Batra Hospital.

The Times of India newspaper reported another 16 deaths in two hospitals in southern Andhra Pradesh state, and six in a Gurgaon hospital on the outskirts of New Delhi because of the oxygen shortage.

With the government unable to maintain a steady supply of oxygen, several hospital authorities sought a court intervention in the Indian capital where a lockdown has been extended by a week to contain the wave of infections.

'Water has gone above the head. Enough is Enough,' the New Delhi High Court said, adding it would start punishing government officials if supplies of oxygen allocated to hospitals were not delivered.

'We can't have people dying,' said Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Patil.

The court said it would start contempt proceedings.

Sunday's record daily death toll came as a New Delhi court warned it will start punishing government officials for failing to deliver life-saving oxygen as Indian hospitals continue to struggle to secure steady supplies. Pictured: A patient receives oxygen provided by a Sikh temple in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh

Hospitals, morgues and crematoriums have been overwhelmed as the country has reported more than 300,000 daily cases for more than 10 days straight. Pictured: Patients receive oxygen provided by a Sikh temple in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh

The government has been using the railway, the air force and the navy to rush oxygen tankers to worst-hit areas. Pictured: Patients receive oxygen provided by a Sikh temple in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh

India's federal government has been accused of declaring victory over the coronavirus too early, with relaxed measures and attitudes leading to a devastating second wave of infections

The death toll in India has risen sharply since February, with the country's morgues and crematoriums struggling to cope

Reuters news agency reported on Saturday that the federal government has been accused of failing to respond to a warning in early March from its own scientific advisers that a new and more contagious variant was taking hold in the country.

New Delhi recorded 412 deaths in the past 24 hours, the highest since the pandemic started.

The army opened its hospitals to civilians in a desperate bid to control the massive humanitarian crisis. Modi's government also gave emergency financial powers to allow the army to set up new quarantine facilities and hospitals and to buy equipment.

Pictured: Health workers in PPE attend coronavirus patients inside the Commonwealth Games village in New Delhi, which has been converted into a Covid care facility

The Indian military has called up 600 doctors who had retired in the past few years. The navy deployed 200 nursing assistants in civilian hospitals, a government statement said

The Indian Express newspaper reported on Sunday that the country's Covid-19 taskforce has advised the federal government to impose a national lockdown over the rising number of cases and deaths

The military also called up 600 doctors who had retired in the past few years. The navy deployed 200 nursing assistants in civilian hospitals, a government statement said.

The United States, Germany, the United Kingdom and several other nations are rushing therapeutics, rapid virus tests and oxygen to India, along with some materials needed for India to boost its domestic production of Covid-19 vaccines.

On Saturday, India said all adults 18 and over could receive shots. Since January, nearly 10 per cent of Indians have received one dose, but only around 1.5 per cent have received both, although the country is one of the world's biggest producers of vaccines.

India has so far given more than 156 million vaccine doses. Some states have already said they do not have enough for everyone, and even the ongoing effort to inoculate people older than 45 is sputtering.

The United States, Germany, the United Kingdom and several other nations are rushing therapeutics, rapid virus tests and oxygen to India, along with some materials needed for India to boost its domestic production of Covid-19 vaccines. Pictured: Ground staff unload medical supplies from France at the Indra Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi

The army has opened its hospitals to civilians in a desperate bid to control the massive humanitarian crisis. Pictured: Ground staff unload medical supplies from France at the Indra Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi

India has so far given more than 156 million vaccine doses. Some states have already said they do not have enough for everyone, and even the ongoing effort to inoculate people older than 45 is sputtering. Pictured: People sit in an observation area after receiving a dose of the Covishield vaccine in Mumbai

Nearly 10 Indian states and union territories have imposed some form of restrictions on daily life in an attempt to curb the spread of the virus, even as the federal government remains reluctant to impose a national lockdown.

The eastern state of Odisha became the latest to announce a two-week lockdown, joining Delhi, Maharashtra, Karnataka and West Bengal.

Other states, including Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Assam, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan, have either imposed night curfews or weekend lockdowns.

The Indian Express newspaper reported on Sunday that the country's Covid-19 taskforce has advised the federal government to impose a national lockdown.

Last month, Modi said all efforts should be made to avoid a lockdown.

The federal government fears another lockdown will have a devastating impact on the economy.

The lockdown imposed last year after the first Covid-19 outbreak led to job losses as economic output fell a record 24 per cent in April-June 2020 compared with the same period a year earlier.

Nearly 10 Indian states and union territories have imposed some form of restrictions on daily life in an attempt to curb the spread of the virus, even as the federal government remains reluctant to impose a national lockdown. Pictured: A patient receives oxygen provided by a Sikh temple in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh

Last month, Modi said all efforts should be made to avoid a lockdown. The federal government fears another lockdown will have a devastating impact on the economy. Pictured: A priest lights a wooden stick as he prepares to perform the last rites of a patient who died of Covid-19 during a mass cremation in New Delhi

Modi's government has been criticised for letting millions of largely unmasked people attend religious festivals and crowded political rallies in five states through March and April. Daily cases have spiked since then. Pictured: A priest lights a wooden stick as he prepares to perform the last rites of a patient who died of Covid-19 during a mass cremation in New Delhi
A teenager has been charged with murder after the death of a 51-year-old man from significant head injuries in Tasmania.

The man died in the Royal Hobart Hospital on Saturday night after allegedly being assaulted at Sorell, east of Hobart, on March 10.

Police on Sunday charged a 19-year-old from Sorell with murder. He is expected to face court on Monday.

The 51-year-old man died in Royal Hobart Hospital after he was allegedly hit with a blunt object

'Tasmania Police wish to express their sincere condolences to the family of the deceased at this difficult time,' investigators said in a statement.

'(We) thank members of the Sorell community who have assisted in the investigation of this incident.'

Police earlier alleged the man was hit with a blunt object.
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SpaceX has returned four astronauts from the International Space Station, making the first U.S. crew splashdown in darkness since the Apollo 8 moonshot.

The Dragon capsule parachuted into the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Panama City, Florida, just before 3am ET, ending the second astronaut flight for Elon Musk's company.

It was an express trip home, lasting just 6 and a half hours.

The astronauts, three American and one Japanese, flew back in the same capsule - named Resilience - in which they launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in November.

Their 167-day mission is the longest for astronauts launching from the U.S. The previous record of 84 days was set by NASA's final Skylab station crew in 1974.

Saturday night's undocking left seven people at the space station, four of whom arrived a week ago via SpaceX.

The SpaceX Dragon capsule parachuted into the Gulf of Mexico just early on Sunday, making the first US crew splashdown in darkness since the Apollo 8 moonshot

NASA astronaut Shannon Walker is helped out of the SpaceX Crew Dragon Resilience spacecraft onboard the SpaceX GO Navigator recovery ship after being assisted onboard

The SpaceX Dragon capsule lands into the Gulf of Mexico near Florida Panhandle just before 3am ET

NASA astronauts (L-R) Shannon Walker Victor Glover, Mike Hopkins, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Soichi Noguchi are seen inside the SpaceX Crew Dragon Resilience spacecraft onboard the SpaceX GO Navigator recovery ship shortly after landing

Pictured: the SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft, with parachutes open, returning to Earth as it carries four astronauts just before splashdown off the coast of Panama City in Gulf of Mexico

'Earthbound!' NASA astronaut Victor Glover tweeted after departing the station. 'One step closer to family and home!'

Glover - along with NASA's Mike Hopkins and Shannon Walker and Japan's Soichi Noguchi - should have returned to Earth last Wednesday, but high offshore winds forced SpaceX to pass up a pair of daytime landing attempts. Managers switched to a rare splashdown in darkness, to take advantage of calm weather.

SpaceX had practised for a night-time return, just in case, and even recovered its most recent station cargo capsule from the Gulf of Mexico in darkness.

Infrared cameras tracked the capsule as it re-entered the atmosphere; it resembled a bright star streaking through the night sky.

All four main parachutes could be seen deploying just before splashdown, which was also visible in the infrared.

Apollo 8 - NASA's first flight to the moon with astronauts - ended with a predawn splashdown in the Pacific near Hawaii on Dec. 27, 1968.

Support teams recovering the SpaceX Dragon capsule after it touched down in the Gulf of Mexico

The capsule is retrieved from the Gulf of Mexico near the Florida panhandle after landing

A recovery team opening the hatch of the SpaceX's Crew Dragon Resilience capsule, aboard the Go Navigator recovery boat after it splashed down carrying astronauts returning to Earth

A crew member from the SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft assisted while exiting the capsule

A crew member from the SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft exiting the capsule after its return to Earth, after splashdown off the coast of Panama City in the US state of Florida this morning

Eight years later, a Soviet capsule with two cosmonauts ended up in a dark, partially frozen lake in Kazakhstan, blown off course in a blizzard.

That was it for nighttime crew splashdowns - until Sunday.

Despite the early hour, the Coast Guard was out in full force to enforce an 11-mile (18-kilometer) keep-out zone around the bobbing Dragon capsule.

For SpaceX's first crew return in August, pleasure boaters swarmed the capsule, a safety risk.

Once aboard the SpaceX recovery ship, the astronauts planned to hop on a helicopter for the short flight to shore, then catch a plane straight to Houston for a reunion with their families.

Their capsule, Resilience, will head back to Cape Canaveral for refurbishment for SpaceX's first private crew mission in September.

NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins is helped out of the SpaceX Crew Dragon Resilience spacecraft onboard the SpaceX GO Navigator recovery ship after their capsule landed in Gulf of Mexico

NASA astronaut Victor Glover is helped out of the SpaceX Crew Dragon Resilience spacecraft

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Soichi Noguchi is helped out of the SpaceX Crew Dragon Resilience spacecraft after it splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico

The SpaceX capsule departs the International Space Station carrying four astronauts

Pictured: SpaceX astronauts Shannon Walker, Victor Glover, Michael Hopkins and Soichi Noguchi were heading back to Earth on Saturday night and the capsule landed this morning

Replacements for Hopkins' crew arrived a week ago aboard their own Dragon capsule

LIVE: NASA's @SpaceX Crew-1 astronauts are strapped in for their journey home tonight. Watch the hatches close between Crew Dragon Resilience and the @Space_Station.



Ask questions using #LaunchAmerica. https://t.co/WX4VuVJXZk  NASA (@NASA) May 1, 2021

The space station docking mechanism will be removed, and a brand new domed window put in its place.

A tech billionaire has purchased the entire three-day flight, which will orbit 75 miles (120 kilometers) above the space station.

He'll fly with a pair of contest winners and a physician assistant from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, his designated charity for the mission.

SpaceX's next astronaut launch for NASA will follow in October.

NASA turned to private companies to service the space station, after the shuttle fleet retired in 2011. SpaceX began supply runs in 2012 and, last May, launched its first crew, ending NASA's reliance on Russia for astronaut transport.

Boeing isn't expected to launch astronauts until early next year.

Pictured: Elon Musk's SpaceX has become NASA's favored commercial transportation partner

This photo combination provided by NASA shows from left, Expedition 64 Flight Engineers and SpaceX Crew-1 members Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, Shannon Walker and Soichi Noguchi

NASAs Mike Hopkins, Victor Glover and Shannon Walker, and Japans Soichi Noguchi, headed home in the same Dragon capsule that delivered them to the space station last November.

The Crew Dragon capsule undocked from the ISS as scheduled at 8:35pm ET.

'Thanks for your hospitality,' Hopkins radioed as the capsule undocked 260 miles above Mali.

The capsule fired a series of short bursts with its thrusters to gently ease away from the ISS.

NASA livestream footage showed the Crew Dragon capsule moving off into the dark as it began its journey back to Earth, its rear engines lighting up in small flashes.

Astronauts Hopkins, Glover, Walker and Noguchi went to space last November as the crew on the first fully operational mission to the ISS aboard a vehicle made by Elon Musk's SpaceX, which has become NASA's favoured commercial transportation partner.

Prior to that, two American astronauts made a test mission to the ISS in May and stayed for two months.

That was the first launch to the ISS from US soil since the end of the Space Shuttle program in 2011. It was also the first crewed mission run by a private company, as opposed to NASA.

Until then US astronauts had caught rides to the ISS aboard Russian spacecraft.
Christian Brueckner, the man suspected of abducting Madeleine McCann, is set to be charged with the 2004 rape of an Irish tour rep on the Algarve.

The German national is suspected of attacking Hazel Behan in her apartment in Praia da Rocha, three years before Maddie was snatched.

Police hope to charge Brueckner in the next 12 weeks. He is currently serving a seven-year sentence for raping a 72-year-old American in 2005 and was named as the prime suspect in the Madeleine McCann case in June last year.

The man suspected of abducting Madeleine McCann faces being charged with the 2004 rape of Irish tour rep Hazel Behan, 37, (pictured) on the Algarve

Christian Brueckner (pictured left) left Portugal after Madeline McCann (pictured right) disappeared on May 3, 2007. He is the prime suspect in the case

German prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters said the case against Brueckner was 'in a good way' and that he was 'hopeful for a charge'.

Wolters explained there were stark parallels between the attack on Ms Behan, the rape of an American tourists - for which Brueckner was convicted - and the 'abduction and murder of Madeleine McCann.'

He said: 'In each case the person has come into the person's apartment or property by breaking and entering, often not through the door.'

However, Wolters said he was unable to confirm whether police are working on the assumption Maddie's abductor entered the hotel room through the window, rather than the unlocked balcony doors, the Sunday Times reported.

Ms Behan was raped in apartment in Praia da Rocha, Portugal, in 2004 (building exterior pictured)

Ms Behan was attacked in the resort town of Praia da Rocha, which is around 20 miles away from Praia da Luz - where Madeleine was abducted in 2007

Ms Behan, who waived her right to anonymity in June 2020, had demanded police reopen her case

Ms Behan, who waived her right to anonymity in June 2020, had demanded police reopen her case after she discovered it had striking similarities with the rape of the American, for which Brueckner was convicted in December 2019.

She told the Guardian at the time: 'My mind was blown when I read how he had attacked a woman in 2005, both the tactics and the methods he used, the tools he had with him, how well he had planned it out.

'I puked, to be honest with you, as reading about it took me right back to my experience.'

She recently revealed details of the attack which saw a masked man climb over the balcony to her apartment in the early hours of the morning.

He is said to have held a knife to her throat, tied and gagged her before raping her repeatedly for a period of four or five hours.

The assailant then threatened to kill her before fleeing over the balcony and leaving her bleeding.

In September, German authorities agreed to open an investigation into the incident.

But, in a blow to investigators, police said traces of DNA found at the scene of the crime did not match that of Brueckner.

It is not yet clear what evidence has been uncovered that implicates Brueckner in Ms Behan's rape.

Following a charge, prosecutors are likely to seek a full trial before five judges in the district court in Braunschweig (Brunswick in English).

In June, Brueckner was identified the German man as a suspect in the case of Madeleine, who disappeared from an apartment in 2007 while her family was on holiday in the resort of Praia da Luz, Portugal.

In June, Brueckner was identified the German man as a suspect in the case of Maddie McCann, who disappeared from an apartment in Portugal in 2007

Brueckner was seen in public for the first time in November after he was named as the prime suspect in Madeleine's disappearance by German police

Brueckner lived in the Algarve for much of the period from 1995 to 2007, and German prosecutors say he received a phone call from a Portuguese number around the time of Madeleine's disappearance in May 2007.

He made a living doing odd jobs in the area where Madeleine disappeared, and was also known to have burgled hotel rooms and holiday flats.

He has two previous convictions for 'sexual contact with girls', authorities say, but they do not have enough evidence to hold him in prison on the strength of the McCann case alone.

Since taking the lead in the case earlier this year, German police have struggled to explain what evidence they have about Madeleine's disappearance.

In November, a leaked memo revealed that Portuguese investigators were 'shocked' by the lack of concrete evidence after being briefed on the case against Brueckner.

Before that, there was confusion about whether German authorities had specific evidence that Madeleine was dead, as they initially implied they did.

In the UK, the case remains a missing persons inquiry, as there's no 'definitive evidence whether Madeleine is alive or dead'.

Madeleine was just three years old when she disappeared while on holiday in Praia da Luz in Portugal's Algarve region with her parents Kate and Gerry McCann (pictured together)

Madeleine McCann's parents will 'never stop hoping' of finding their daughter as they face 14th anniversary of her disappearance alone as Covid cancels outdoor prayer gathering

Madeleine McCann's parents say they will 'never stop hoping' to find their daughter as they face spending the 14th anniversary of her disappearance alone, according to a close relative.

Kate and Gerry McCann will remember their daughter privately after an outdoor prayer gathering was cancelled due to the ongoing pandemic.

But the couple are asking well wishers to come together remotely to remember and pray for Madeleine, just days before her milestone 18th birthday on May 12th.

Three-year-old Madeleine, known as Maddie, vanished from a holiday apartment in Portugal's Praia da Luz on May 3, 2007. She had been left sleeping alone with her younger twin siblings while her parents were dining in a nearby tapas restaurant with friends.

Maddie's great uncle Brian Kennedy has said the family have never stopped hoping.

The family (pictured, Maddie's parents Kate an Gerry) will remember Madeleine privately on her 18th birthday on May 12

The family usually hold gatherings to mark Maddie's birthday but, for the second time, they have had to cancel due to coronavirus.

'We have decided with the Rothley churches that once again we will not hold a general gathering at the Green, though we had been hoping to do so,' Mr Kennedy, 81, said.

'We all consider that distancing would still be a problem if the usual numbers were to attend and we wouldn't feel entirely happy about that. So each of the churches will do their own service over Sunday and Monday and make them available as widely as possible by streaming.

'It's not perfect but the important thing is to remember the day as widely as possible.'

Former GP Kate, 53 and heart doctor Gerry, 52 would normally attend the Sacred Heart Catholic church near their home with twins Sean and Amelie, now aged 16.

In the evening the family would walk a mile to the war memorial where many supporters congregate for the annual informal prayers.

A candle still burns around the clock at Cross Green as a beacon of hope for the world's most famous missing child.

The family cling onto hope that Maddie could still be alive until they can be 'shown incontrovertible evidence which proves that she is dead,' ex family spokesperson Clarence Mitchell previously said.

British cops have requested new funding to carry on the 12.5m global search for her which is set to be approved by the Home Office.

Convicted paedophile and rapist Christian B (Brueckner), 44, remains under investigation as the prime suspect in Maddie's abduction.
A man has been mercilesly mocked online after police pictures revealed he was driving without a roof - after he cut it off in an attempt to turn the sedan into a convertible.

The bashed-up white Hyundai was stopped after its driver allegedly ran a red light after yelling at a nearby police car just before 1am on Sunday in the Adelaide beach suburb of Glenelg.

South Australia Police revealed over Facebook that the car was a standard Hyundai Excel sedan, but the owner had cut the roof off to turn it into a convertible.

Police found the car had significant crash damage to the rear - not to mention the fact it was a dodgy makeshift convertible

The 25-year-old driver and the passengers caught the attention of police when they yelled at the patrol car on Jetty Road in Glenelg before immediately driving through a red light, police claim.

When the car was pulled over police discovered the driver's license had been expired for six years and was on bail not to drive, officers will allege.

SA Police also noted that the car had significant crash damage to the rear of the vehicle.

Those who saw the pictures posted to the SA Police and Dash Cam Owners Australia Facebook pages have ridiculed the driver for his behaviour in front of police.

The owner of the Hyundai Excel had cut the roof off to turn it into a convertible (pictured) but was pulled over by cops on Saturday night

'The brain cells were weak in this one,' one wrote.

'Please sterilise this person. Dont let it breed,' another commented.

'They really do dob themselves in,' a third commented.

While some were more impressed by the 25-year-old's efforts to improve his Hyundai Excel.

'Never seen a better looking Excel,' one marvelled.

'Looks way better without the roof than it ever did with the roof,' wrote a second.

'I'm not even mad. Go hard or go home,' another commented.

There were some who couldn't help but see the funny side of the whole situation.

'The only real crime here is that a person had a four-door Excel,' one commented.

'You cannot make a Hyundai Excel any better even by chopping the f***ing roof off,' wrote another.

'The convertible conversion actually doesn't look bad?!,' wrote a third.

The 25-year-old driver from Elizabeth Downs was arrested and charged with driving unlicensed, failing to stop at a red light, breach of bail and breaching vehicle standards.

The convertible was defected at the scene before being towed.
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Dominic Raab today admitted that some rules on wearing face masks and social distancing could remain in place beyond the final step in the Government's lockdown exit roadmap on June 21.

The Foreign Secretary warned 'there will still need to be some safeguards in place' after that point in comments which sparked an immediate backlash from Tory MPs and the hospitality industry.

Pub bosses described the comments as a 'red flag' and warned firms need 'certainty' now on the terms on which they will be allowed to reopen heading into the summer.

Conservative MPs said retaining the wearing of face masks and social distancing in some settings like public transport could be acceptable.

But they argued all restrictions must be lifted on June 21 when it comes to pubs, bars and restaurants as they accused ministers of being 'hyper cautious'.

Mr Raab this morning rejected calls to speed up the roadmap as he insisted 'we are very close now to really turning the corner' in the battle against coronavirus. He suggested the UK is in the 'last lap' of the crisis.

The success of the UK's vaccination programme and falling infection numbers have prompted demands for the Government to bring forward its reopening dates.

But the Foreign Secretary urged people to be patient as he insisted June 21 is not far away and 'we are nearly there'.

He argued that 'taking steady steps out of the lockdown is the smart way to go' to avoid undoing the progress made during the national shutdown.

He also offered a significant incentive to Britons to stick to the current timetable as he promised that on June 21 'almost all social restrictions will be lifted'.

Meanwhile, Peter Openshaw, professor of experimental medicine at Imperial College London and a member of the Government's New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group, warned it is 'too early to declare victory and to drop our guard'.

He told the BBC the nation is 'on course' to hit the June 21 roadmap date but he stressed the need to be ready for a resurgence in the spread of the disease, potentially caused by a new variant.

He said: 'We just need to be very cautious and we need to use this time to prepare particularly for what may happen in the autumn when we go back to school and where there may be more transmission. So this is the time to prepare.'

It came after official statistics showed that UK coronavirus deaths had dropped by more than three quarters in a week after seven fatalities were reported yesterday.

Dominic Raab today rejected calls to speed up the nation's exit from lockdown as he insisted 'we are very close now to really turning the corner' in the battle against coronavirus

The Foreign Secretary this morning urged people to be patient as he insisted June 21 - the final step in the roadmap - is is not far away and 'we are nearly there'. People are pictured enjoying Friday evening in Soho, central London on April 30

Mr Raab argued that 'taking steady steps out of the lockdown is the smart way to go' to avoid undoing the progress made during lockdown. People are pictured walking in Whitstable in Kent yesterday

Britain's families will get the go-ahead for summer holidays in popular European hotspots before the end of May Families are set to get the go-ahead to take summer holidays in some popular European hotspots before the end of the month, The Mail on Sunday can reveal. The Government is expected to announce as early as this week the first countries that Britons can visit without having to quarantine  but the list is only believed to include a handful of destinations. Sources say the so-called 'green list' will be updated every three weeks, raising the prospect that new countries  including popular destinations in Europe  will be announced before the end of this month. For much of the country, the half-term break starts on May 31. Under the traffic-light system for foreign travel, those returning from green countries will not need to quarantine but will have to take two Covid tests  one before they return to the UK, which can be either a lateral flow or PCR test, and a PCR test on the second day after they arrive back. Those who return from countries designated as either amber or red will still have to quarantine, either at home or in a hotel, and have three compulsory tests. Government officials are debating whether to stick to previous policy plans of having all children under 11 exempt from having to take the tests. The majority of European countries are expected to be given amber status this week, but there is optimism that some will turn green when the list is next updated. The ban on overseas holidays will end on May 17, along with the threat of fines for attempting to travel without a permitted reason. Ahead of the cautious return to international travel, the Government will shortly unveil a new slogan 'Travel Safely, Plan Ahead'. It will replace the current 'Minimise Travel' guidance. An announcement by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps of which countries have been given which colour is thought to have been pencilled in for Friday, although it could slip to early next week. Ahead of it, the Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC), which provides evidence-based analysis to the Government, will assess the latest data from around the world. Advertisement

Mr Raab's comments came as:

The Foreign Secretary said that 'all the different contingencies' are being looked at when asked about a reported plan to offer vaccines to secondary school pupils as soon as September.

Adam Finn, a member of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, said it is 'very much an open question' whether secondary school pupils will need to be vaccinated.

Linda Bauld, professor of public health at the University of Edinburgh, backed the idea of vaccinating secondary school pupils as she said 'if the current trials are promising, then I do think (vaccinating children from September) will happen'.

Labour welcomed plans to trial the use of rapid lateral flow testing to make it easier for people to avoid quarantine after contact with someone with a positive test.

The next step of Boris Johnson's lockdown exit roadmap will see further rules loosened on May 17 before a fourth and final step on June 21.

The Government is hoping that the June 21 date will herald a return to something close to normal life.

But the UK's vaccination drive and falling death numbers have piled the pressure on the Government to move more quickly.

Mr Raab today defended the pace of the exit from lockdown as he was grilled by Sophy Ridge on Sky News on why people are still banned from hugging their loved ones.

The Foreign Secretary said: 'Look, there is all of the risks that come with this that we have just got to gauge very carefully.

'On the 17th of May we will take another, the third step in the roadmap if you like, we will ease up, there will be more opportunities for households to mix inside, subject to the caveats on that and then come the 21st of June which is, we are already into May, will have almost all the social restrictions that will be lifted.

'So what I would say to people at this stage is I know people are hankering just to go a bit faster but actually we've, I think, feel vindicated that taking steady steps out of the lockdown is the smart way to go and then we can assess all the data, all the evidence that comes back and make sure that we are not unpicking the gains that have been made.

'So we are very close now to really turning the corner and I think we still need to be careful as we go because as I said, we don't want to see the gains lost and the sacrifices that have been made undone.

'By the time we get to June 21 almost all social restrictions will be lifted, so theres only a little bit more time to go but its right we do that in a careful way.

'I do think we just need to make sure that in the last lap, if you like, that we are careful and we dont lose the gains weve made.'

Questioned on the speed of loosening rules and told that seven Covid-related deaths were reported yesterday, Mr Raab said: 'The question you ask takes us straight into vaccine certificates and all the rest of that which has been very contentious for various reasons.

'What I would say is actually, if you take a look at the big picture, by the time we get to the 21st of June, almost all social restrictions will be lifted so there is only a little bit more time to go.

'But it is right to make sure that we do it in a careful way and I think the public support that.

'They have supported the approach by and large, I think to their great credit, and we are at the end, really, of the process if you like.

'We have got two more steps to take but I do think given the rollout of the vaccine that is exciting it has got people thinking about not just the social interaction but yeah, of course, things like hugging your loved ones that you haven't been able to do for a while.

Which rules are due to be relaxed on May 17 and June 21? Step Three - No earlier than May 17 - Most social contact rules outdoors will be lifted but gatherings of more than 30 people will still be banned - Rule of six or two households rule will apply to indoor mixing - Indoor hospitality and entertainment venues like cinemas can reopen - Up to 30 people will be able to attend weddings - Up to 10,000 people will be able to attend large outdoor seated venues - International travel will return, based on the new traffic light system Step Four - No earlier than June 21 - All legal limits on social contact will be removed - Nightclubs could reopen - Restrictions on large events could be lifted - Hope to remove all remaining limits on weddings and other life events Advertisement

'But I do think we just need to make sure that in the last lap if you like that we are careful and we don't lose the gains that we have made.'

He added: 'The point I am making is actually that 21st of June fourth step out of lockdown is not far away now so I think if we just hang on, keep being guided by the science and evidence, measure the progress we have made carefully, we are nearly there.'

Reports suggest that the Government is considering vaccinating secondary school children in the autumn.

Asked if that was the case, Mr Raab told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: 'It is not something we have made a decision on. What we are doing as we come through step three and step four and with the positive progress we have made, we are looking at what extra safeguards, caveats need to be put in place.

'Also looking at once we have done cohorts one to nine, which are the adult population, the most vulnerable, what we might do then because we want to get to the position at the end of June when we can get life back as close to normal as possible but there will still need to be some safeguards in place.

'That is one of the tools that we will look at, or one of the options that we will look at, but no decision has been made.'

Asked by Mr Marr what kind of safeguards could be retained beyond June 21, Mr Raab said: 'I don't want to prejudge it.

'It will look at the things in the round, it will be particularly, I think it will be around distancing, maybe there will be something around masks, but I don't really want to prejudge. Those are just some of the options.'

Mr Raab's comments on face masks and social distancing came after Government sources suggested the 'one metre plus' rule will be dropped from June 21.

A source said: 'We will be able to go pretty far on abolishing social distancing.'

However, businesses could be encouraged to keep in place some measures, such as glass screens.

Hospitality bosses said Mr Raab's comments were a 'red flag' as firms try to plan for the future and recover from repeated lockdowns.

Kate Nicholls from the UK Hospitality industry body told MailOnline: 'June 21 is a critical moment for us. This is the point where hospitality businesses were looking to start breaking even again and turning to the corner to hopefully begin making profit.

'So this is crucial for us  because the industry has been through 14 months of making losses and 10 months with no money coming in at all.'

Ms Nicholls said in order to break even many hospitality businesses need to be freed from legal requirements on things like capacity limits and social distancing.

She said the prospect of social distancing and face mask rules going on beyond June 21 would create uncertainty within the industry.

Hospitality bosses said Mr Raab's comments on social distancing were a 'red flag' as firms try to plan for the future and recover from repeated lockdowns. Soho in central London is pictured on April 30

Pubs, bars and restaurants in England are currently only allowed to open outdoors. Indoor hospitality is due to reopen from May 17. Soho in central London is pictured on May 1

The end of the 10-day isolation rule? New trial will give daily lateral flow tests to close contacts of people with Covid so they can carry on their normal lives if they test negative Ten day self-isolation rules for those who have been in contact with a person who has tested positive for Covid could be replaced by a scheme of daily lateral flow tests. A new trial is being set up to see if a daily testing regime could be an effective alternative to automatic quarantine rules. Daily lateral flow tests will be given to as many as 40,000 people who have a positive Covid-19 contact in the Government-backed research announced on Sunday. Instead of the 10 days of quarantine currently required, the participants will be sent a week's worth of tests and will be able to go about their lives as before, as long as the results are negative. The trial - across England - may provide greater evidence to reduce the length of time contacts of positive cases need to isolate, under efforts to restart social lives and reopen the economy. Advertisement

She said: 'This is a red flag for hospitality. The positive news that we have had around the vaccine efficiency and its impact on transmission have been a cause of hope and optimism for businesses that restrictions could be lifted on June 21.

'But we have still not had any certainty about May 17  when pubs and restaurants could be allowed to open indoors  and on June 21.

'Businesses need that certainty to plan ahead. And it filters down to the employees too, particularly when you are asking them to come back but at the same time you can't promise them you will be able to open.'

Wetherspoon chairman Tim Martin said: 'The Prime Minister said in February he was "very optimistic" that all restrictions would end on 21 June.

'Since then the results from the vaccination programme have been far better than the government or SAGE expected.

'The Prime Minister said only five days ago that there is "a very good chance" all restrictions will end on 21 June.

'Most people will have taken the Prime Minister at his word and will find it difficult to understand a flip flop at this late stage.'

One Tory MP told MailOnline that the continued use of face masks in certain settings like public transport could be acceptable 'for a time'.

But they said continued social distancing of any kind in hospitality settings would be unacceptable and a red line for many Conservative backbenchers.

They said: I think it is [a red line]. If you are a publican it would be extremely difficult to operate.'

Another Tory MP said Mr Raab's comments suggested the Government is being 'hyper cautious'.

It remains unclear exactly what rules could remain in place beyond June 21, with Government scientists known to be pushing to keep the wearing of face masks and social distancing.

Many Tory MPs are adamant that all rules should be scrapped, citing increasingly positive data relating to the pandemic.

The number of new Covid cases fell slightly to 1,907 yesterday from last Saturday's 2,061 as the further easing of lockdown rules looks set to go ahead as planned on May 17.

The seven deaths announced yesterday mark a drop on the 15 recorded last Saturday, demonstrating a continued steady decline in fatalities.

Office for National Statistics data suggested the total number of infections is now lower than at any point since early September and infections have been falling consistently for five weeks.

Experts said the data 'should be celebrated' and were the first proof that, despite the reopening of outdoor hospitality and allowing the rule of six on social gatherings earlier this month, there was still 'no evidence of an increased transmission risk'.

Meanwhile, Government data up to April 30 shows that 49,287,257 Covid-19 jabs have been given in the UK so far - 34,346,273 of which are first doses.

A further 129,657 people received their first dose yesterday, while 405,456 more Britons had their second.

It came as the Government announced a new trial which could see ten-day self-isolation rules for people who have been in contact with someone who has a positive test replaced by a scheme of daily lateral flow tests.

The trial will seek to establish if a daily testing regime could be an effective alternative to automatic quarantine rules.

Daily lateral flow tests will be given to as many as 40,000 people who have a positive Covid-19 contact in the Government-backed research announced today.

Instead of the 10 days of quarantine currently required, the participants will be sent a week's worth of tests and will be able to go about their lives as before, as long as the daily results are negative.

The trial - across England - may provide greater evidence to reduce the length of time contacts of positive cases need to isolate, under efforts to restart social lives and reopen the economy.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: 'This new pilot could help shift the dial in our favour by offering a viable alternative to self-isolation for people who are contacts of positive Covid-19 cases, and one that would allow people to carry on going to work and living their lives.'
A teenager has died from his injuries after being stabbed multiple times in a Birmingham shop.

Bystanders reportedly rushed the 17-year-old to hospital but the car he was travelling in crashed en route.

The boy was found with stab wounds next to a crashed Ford Focus in Heath Street, Smethwick at around 4.20pm on Saturday, West Midlands Police said.

He was taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital but pronounced dead around an hour later.

An 18-year-old has been arrested on suspicion of murder over the knife attack, which police said occurred just five to 10 minutes before the boy was found.

A teenager has died from his injuries after being stabbed multiple times in a Birmingham shop. Bystanders reportedly rushed the 17-year-old to hospital but the car he was travelling in crashed en route

The boy was found with stab wounds next to a crashed Ford Focus in Heath Street, Smethwick at around 4.20pm on Saturday, West Midlands Police said

The victim was chased into a Polish convenience shop in Waterloo Road named before being attacked with a knife

The shop was cordoned off on Sunday while forensic teams investigated the scene of the fatal stabbing

The victim was chased into a Polish convenience shop in Waterloo Road named before being attacked with a knife.

The shop was cordoned off on Sunday while forensic teams investigated the scene.

A friend of the shop's owner told Snapper SK agency that 'two lads' had come into the shop and stabbed the 17-year-old in the neck.

A tent was also placed around the vehicle at the crash site, where a bloodied towel and item of clothing were seen in photos.

The white Ford Focus reportedly crashed into a Toyota Yaris and a sprinter van at the junction of Winson Street and Heath Street in Winson Green.

The force of the collision totally ripped out one of the tyres, disabling the vehicle.

A tent was placed around the vehicle at the crash site as forensic investigators began to examine the scene

The white Ford Focus reportedly crashed into a Toyota Yaris and a sprinter van at the junction of Winson Street and Heath Street in Winson Green. The force of the collision totally ripped out one of the tyres, disabling the vehicle

A suspect in the stabbing was identified and just before 2am officers arrested a man from a property in Smethwick, West Midlands Police said in a statement. The man remains in custody.

'This is a tragic loss of a young life and my thoughts are with the boy's family who are clearly devastated at what's happened,' Detective Inspector Hannah Whitehouse said.

'We understand the victim was stabbed in Waterloo Road but then transported in a white Ford Focus that crashed on Heath Street.

'Several people fled the scene of the collision and we are working hard to try and identify everyone involved.

'My officers worked through the night and this morning to seize CCTV, speak to witnesses and gather intelligence. And that led us to the address in Smethwick where a suspect was arrested.'

DI Whitehouse has appealed for any witnesses who might have seen the victim being chased in Waterloo Road or the victim or attacker leaving that location to contact police. Police also want to hear from anyone who saw the collision in Heath Street and what happened afterwards. Pictured: Officials cover potential evidence found at the crash site

A bloodied towel and item of clothing are seen at the crash site before being covered

DI Whitehouse has appealed for any witnesses who might have seen the victim being chased in Waterloo Road or the victim or attacker leaving that location to contact police.

Police also want to hear from anyone who saw the collision in Heath Street and what happened afterwards.

'If anyone captured video on phones or dash-cam then I would also urge them to get in touch as they could have vital information.'

People can message West Midlands Police on Live Chat via the website or call them on 101, quoting crime ref 20/549867/21.
A tradesman has been filmed allegedly attacking his neighbours with construction tools in a frightening brawl in the underground car park of an apartment complex.

Qutaiba Mehmood, 26, and his housemate Ali Ahmed were returning to their unit in Punchbowl, in Sydney's west, at about 4.30 on Saturday afternoon when they noticed their neighbour in the basement.

The 43-year-old asked the pair why they were 'staring' at him before he allegedly punched Mr Ahmed in the mouth, who then started to record the shocking scene.

Pictured: Assaad allegedly wielding a spirit level at neighbours in an apartment car park

In the footage, the man could allegedly be seen swinging the spirit level - a construction tool used to determine whether a surface is flat - aggressively at his neighbours.

A young girl winced as she watched the bloody scene unfold, before Mr Mehmood intervened yelling 'stop it'.

Police told Daily Mail Australia the 26-year-old was then allegedly 'struck several times in the face', before he was allegedly hit in the forearm and the leg.

A young girl (pictured left) winced as she watched the bloody scene unfold, before Mr Mehmood intervened yelling 'stop it'

Mr Mehmood tried to intervene and was allegedly hit with the spirit level. He suffered a broken arm

The housemates, bruised and bloodied from the alleged altercation, eventually retreated into the stairwell to escape the man's alleged wrath.

Mr Mehmood, who is a Pakistani blogger, had surgery to fix a broken wrist and arm.

'My arm was bleeding and I couldn't feel it,' he told 9 News.

'I lost my consciousness and I lost a lot of blood.'

The alleged attacker was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm, common assault, affray, armed with intent commit indictable offence, destroy or damage property, and stalk/intimidate intend fear physical harm.

The housemates eventually retreated into the stairwell to escape their neighbour's alleged wrath

Mr Mehmood (pictured) feared going back home, but his neighbour was ordered to move house and has been banned from going within 100m of the complex

He pleaded not guilty to all charges, claiming he acted in self-defense, and appeared in Paramatta Local Court on Sunday.

According to 9 News, he was granted conditional bail after his brother handed over $10,000.

Mr Mehmood feared going back home, but his neighbour was ordered to move house and has been banned from going within 100m of the complex.
A gamer in Swansea was found dead clutching his controller after a late night session, an inquest has heard.

Simon Shanks, 43, was found by his friend the next morning sitting upright on his sofa in front of the screen, with the controller in his hands.

Paramedics declared Shanks dead at the scene and a coroner recorded the cause of death an 'unintentional overdose'.

Simon Shanks, 43, was found dead clutching his controller after a fatal drug overdose during a late night session, an inquest has heard

The pair of friends had stayed up until around midnight playing on the Xbox on the night Shanks died.

The friend had gone upstairs to bed just before midnight and returned 11 hours later to find Shanks unmoved.

The 43-year-old was 'still on the sofa, in a sitting position, still clutching the Xbox controller', the inquest heard.

Paramedics and police were called to the property in Loughor, Swansea, but Shanks was pronounced dead at the scene at 12.15pm.

A post-mortem found Shanks had 'therapeutic levels' of prescribed medication as well as levels of methadone, cocaine, and morphine, in his blood.

The report also discovered signs the 43-year-old had a thickening of the heart, a condition which can render the organ unable to pump enough blood around the body, and result in a sudden death.

Acting senior coroner Colin Phillips recorded Shanks had died of an 'unintentional overdose' at Glebe Road, Loughor, Swansea, on October 19, 2020.

Shanks was found by his friend at the property in Loughor, Swansea, the next morning and was pronounced dead at the scene

Shank's death was recorded as caused by an 'unintentional overdose' by acting senior coroner Colin Philips

Shanks had previously been a heavy drinker after a relationship breakdown but had been seven years sober, the inquest heard.

South Wales Police PC Ben Evans told investigators: 'Simon's friend said that he had not taken any drugs the night before to his knowledge.

'Officers did not find any evidence of drug use. While Simon's death was not suspicious it was unexplained.'

An inquest into Shank's death on October 19, 2020 is being held at the Swansea Guildhall last week
Madeleine McCann's parents say they will 'never stop hoping' to find their daughter as they face spending the 14th anniversary of her disappearance alone, according to a close relative.

Kate and Gerry McCann will remember their daughter privately after an outdoor prayer gathering was cancelled due to the ongoing pandemic.

But the couple are asking well wishers to come together remotely to remember and pray for Madeleine, just days before her milestone 18th birthday on May 12th.

The family will remember Madeleine privately on her 18th birthday on May 12

Three-year-old Madeleine, known as Maddie, vanished from a holiday apartment in Portugal's Praia da Luz on May 3, 2007. She had been left sleeping alone with her younger twin siblings while her parents were dining in a nearby tapas restaurant with friends.

Maddie's great uncle Brian Kennedy has said the family have never stopped hoping.

The family usually hold gatherings to mark Maddie's birthday but, for the second time, they have had to cancel due to coronavirus.

'We have decided with the Rothley churches that once again we will not hold a general gathering at the Green, though we had been hoping to do so,' Mr Kennedy, 81, said.

'We all consider that distancing would still be a problem if the usual numbers were to attend and we wouldn't feel entirely happy about that. So each of the churches will do their own service over Sunday and Monday and make them available as widely as possible by streaming.

The then three-year-old Madeleine vanished from a holiday apartment in Portugal in 2007

'It's not perfect but the important thing is to remember the day as widely as possible.'

Former GP Kate, 53 and heart doctor Gerry, 52 would normally attend the Sacred Heart Catholic church near their home with twins Sean and Amelie, now aged 16.

In the evening the family would walk a mile to the war memorial where many supporters congregate for the annual informal prayers.

A candle still burns around the clock at Cross Green as a beacon of hope for the world's most famous missing child.

The family cling onto hope that Maddie could still be alive until they can be 'shown incontrovertible evidence which proves that she is dead,' ex family spokesperson Clarence Mitchell previously said.

British cops have requested new funding to carry on the 12.5m global search for Madeleine McCann which is set to be approved by the Home Office

British cops have requested new funding to carry on the 12.5m global search for her which is set to be approved by the Home Office.

Convicted paedophile and rapist Christian B (Brueckner), 44, remains under investigation as the prime suspect in Maddie's abduction.
Constipation, hiccups and toothaches are some of the most outlandish reasons why Australians call 000, it has been revealed.

Ambulance and police services have asked the public to save the 000 emergency line for genuine emergencies only, revealing they are often plagued with unnecessary calls.

In the last year, New South Wales Ambulance received 1,036 emergency calls with complaints of constipation.

Another 662 calls were made for toothaches, 215 for earaches while 157 couldn't sleep and 16 called because they had the hiccups, 9 News reported.

NSW Ambulance assistant commissioner Steven Norris pleaded with the public to only use the emergency line when absolutely necessary.

Some of the most ridiculous emergency calls have been revealed with NSW Ambulances receiving 16 complaints about hiccups in the last 12 months

'Let's save 000 for saving lives and preserve our control centre staff, paramedics and police for what they do best,' he said.

Acting Assistant Commissioner Rashelle Conroy also asked the public only to call the emergency line if it was a genuine emergency.

'We ask that if your phone call is not in relation to an emergency that you stop and consider before you dial,' she said.

In the last 12 months alone, the NSW Police emergency line has also been clogged up by unnecessary calls, with 150,000 calls being deemed non-urgent.

Emergency services have asked the public only to call in an urgent emergency - with 150,000 unnecessary calls in NSW in the last 12 months alone

Lara, an ambulance control centre worker, said she had someone calling for a stubbed toe while there was a nearby cardiac arrest.

'I took a call while somebody had stubbed their toe and they were complaining about how long the ambulance took, but around the corner there was a cardiac arrest,' she said.

In non-life threatening medical emergencies people are being urged to call their general practitioner or the health direct number rather than the emergency line.

Police assistant line: 131 444

Healthdirect Australia: 1800 022 222
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A group of British pub punters were snapped in torrential rain drinking outside their local, as they show their British 'Bulldog spirit'.

The group were snapped outside The Cranberry Farm in Cranbrook, Devon.

People can only drink in pubs if they are seated outside, according to current coronavirus rules.

The pub shared the photograph on Facebook, joking: 'Rain, what rain? Anything for a pint on a Bank holiday weekend!'

A group of hardy pub goers enjoy an outdoor pint in the pouring rain outside The Cranberry Farm pub, in Exeter, Devon

It has since gone viral with it being shared by hundreds of people on social media.

People replied saying it 'sums up British people' and others said it showed the 'Bulldog spirit', reflecting the 'epitome of Britishness'.

The Mail Online has contacted Cranberry Farm for comment.

It comes as freezing temperatures hit the UK over the May Bank Holiday, forcing winemakers to burn huge paraffin candles by their vineyards to stop grapes from icing over as the Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for 65mph winds and torrential rain tomorrow.

Vitaculturists at The Grange Hampshire vineyard lit their candles, known as bougies, in the early hours of yesterday morning during a period of frost.

A team of 10 local lighters were given an emergency alert at 2am in the morning and it took them about an hour and a half to light the 450 candles.

Once the sun comes up and the temperature reaches above freezing a different team will come and extinguish the candles.

And spirits across the UK are set to dampen as Britain is due to be blasted with 65mph winds and heavy rain tomorrow as the Met Office issued a weather alert and a freak hail storm left the Isle of Wight looking like a winter wonderland.

Hail battered the Isle of Wight yesterday leaving the Newchurch area looking like it was in the depths of winter and covered in snow.

Jamie Russell, of the Isle of Wight Met Service, said: 'It was amazing. I couldn't believe it. I was on the southern side of a big rapeseed field near Shanklin when I noticed something slightly unusual happening in the general direction of Newchurch and headed over there.'

And across the rest of the country punters were forced to huddle under blankets and coats while dining with friends and family outside amid the torrential rain yesterday.

In Wallingford, Oxfordshire, diners braved the conditions despite the rain lashing their umbrellas during a very wet al fresco lunch.

A yellow weather warning is in place for Monday with gusts of up to 65mph forecast in Wales and the south coast of England, while showers will continue to batter the country.

Freezing temperatures over the Bank Holiday weekend have forced winemakers to burn huge paraffin candles by their vineyards to stop grapes from icing over

Vitaculturists at The Grange Hampshire vineyard lit their candles, known as bougies, in the early hours of yesterday morning during a period of frost

A team of 10 local lighters were given an emergency alert at 2am in the morning and it took them about an hour and a half to light the 450 candles

Once the sun comes up and the temperature reaches above freezing a different team will come and extinguish the candles

An extraordinary freak hail storm hit the Isle of Wight and covered the fields and streets in Newchurch turning the landscape into a winter wonderland

Jamie Russell, of the Isle of Wight Met Service, said: 'It was amazing. I couldn't believe it. I was on the southern side of a big rapeseed field near Shanklin when I noticed something slightly unusual happening in the general direction of Newchurch and headed over there'

Pictured: An almost cloudless sunrise on a cold and misty morning in Glastonbury Tor, Somerset

A misty and smoke-filled sky. Pictured: Viticulturist Samuel Philippot walks amongst the burning bougies at The Grange Hampshire at sunrise

People take to the river Cam in Cambridge to make the most of the sunshine as they go punting

Punters take to the River Cam to make the most of the sunshine before rain is set to hit the country tomorrow

A yellow weather warning for rain and wind has been issued, with the wild weather likely to last into Tuesday morning. Pictured: Sunrise in Glastonbury Tor

Families and visitors wearing waterproof jackets and carrying umbrellas brave the rain and flock to the at the seaside resort of Lyme Regis in Dorset

Visitors to Lyme Regis hold umbrellas as they flock to the beach

Zam Baring, CEO, The Grange Hampshire Wine said: 'Frosty nights are all about horrible judgement calls. How cold is it going to be getting two or three hours' time? How much damage will be done to the buds if we don't light the candles?

'And, if we do light the candles tonight, will we have enough left for what is coming down the line tomorrow night, the night after or even next week? It is undeniably a beautiful sight, but it's a terrible sight too!

'There were very bad frosts last year in 2020 during the second week of May and, despite working hard to counteract the cold, The Grange Hampshire suffered a more than 60 per cent reduction in yield over the previous year. We use around 1,500 candles each year.'

Temperatures will remain low for this time of year with lows of -4C, lower than the temperature in Russia, and forecasts of torrential rain and storms to start tomorrow.

Today will see a cold start but will largely be sunny with a few showers, some heavy. Eastern and northeastern UK can expect the heaviest showers this afternoon.

Tonight temperatures will drop and there will be clear spells and rural frost overnight. It will be windier in the west of the country with rain into Northern Ireland by dawn.

Tomorrow will see gusts of wind up to 65mph in Wales and the south coast of England as rain will continue to batter the continue.

Visitors flock to Durdle Door at Lulworth in Dorset on an afternoon of warm spring sunshine. Visitors to the natural beauty spot caused a stir last year when thousands arrived in scorching heat

The main car park at Durdle Doors was packed with visitors this weekend. Police last year were forced to disperse crowds from Durdle Door last year when thousands arrived in the scorching heat.

Pictured: A freak hailstorm has left the Newchurch area of the Isle of Wight looking like it is in the depths of winter

Hail froze to the roads and grass, looking like snow was covering the Isle of Wight this weekend

Sunrise over the burning bougies in amongst The Grange Hampshire vines

Crowds flocked to the reopening of a popular car boot in smalley, Derbyshire, this morning in the chilly sunshine

Dozens of cars were seen blocking roads as they made their way to the popular car boot sale

A group of friends are seen sitting on a stone wall smiling and having a good time in Leeds on Saturday night

Two women sit down on the pavement in Leeds on Saturday night as people headed out to make the most of their weekend

Members of the public take to the streets in Soho tonight to make the most of their Saturday night

A waiter comes attends to a table in Soho, London, tonight as tables are packed with people out enjoying their Saturday night

A group of revellers hold drinks and smile together in Newcastle city centre this evening

Punters huddled under blankets and coats in the wet weather with diners still forced to remain outside due to Covid restrictions

The weather proved no obstacle to some who sat outside Britain's pubs and restaurants on Saturday amid the pouring rain

And the rest of the week is due to remain fairly wet with a few sunny spells.

The cold temperatures follow the coldest April on record with the lowest average minimum temperatures for April in the UK since 1922.

Met Office forecaster Marco Petagna said: 'There's quite a deep area of low pressure coming in from the West on Monday. It's pretty windy with some gales in exposed areas in the West's coast and hills.

'We could see a yellow wind warning being issued for Monday.

Three girls hug each other, with one clutching a drink, as they enjoy their night out in Newcastle city centre

A group of women pose together this evening in Liverpool as they wait to enter Circus night club to attend a Covid-19 pilot event

Revellers in Liverpool are seen drinking, smiling and taking photos together this evening as they wait to enter the Covid-19 pilot rave event being held at Circus night club at Bramley-Moore Dock

Diners in the Oxfordshire town of Wallingford brave the pouring rain for the chance to be together and to eat outdoors on Saturday

Huge numbers of people donned coats and hats to fight off the chill today as they made their way to the beach in Whitstable, Kent, to enjoy the sunshine

'Obviously with lockdown restrictions coming down now there could be more people out and about so the impact could be higher than normal but certainly a very wet and windy day moving in from the West on Monday.'

The yellow weather warnings will see some delays to road, rail air and ferry transport. The Met Office has said that some bus and train services will probably be affected.

And damage to outdoor temporary structures is possible with some tree branches down too.

It's likely that some coastal routes, sea fronts and coastal communities will be affected by spray and/or large waves.
Priti Patel has today blasted Extinction Rebellion activists for using 'dangerous tactics in the name of environmentalism'.

The Home Secretary said she would 'not be delivering on my promise to the law-abiding majority' if she did not crack down on the protesters.

He comments come after six Extinction Rebellion - also known as XR - protesters were cleared of causing criminal damage to Shell's London headquarters - despite the judge directing jurors they had 'no defence' in law.

The group staged 'protest of one' road blocks on Saturday to demonstrate against the Government's lack of action on climate change.

Today the Home Secretary told The Sun on Sunday: 'I would not be delivering on my promise to the law-abiding majority if I stood by as Extinction Rebellion deployed dangerous tactics in the name of environmentalism.

'These so-called activists blocked many of us from being able to access a newspaper last year.

'And last week they smashed up a bank's headquarters.'

Saturday's protests coincided with a number of demonstrations against the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill.

The Home Secretary said she would 'not be delivering on my promise to the law-abiding majority' if she did not crack down on protesters

The group staged 'protest of one' road blocks on Saturday to demonstrate against the Government's lack of action on climate change

The Bill was drafted partly in response to previous disruptive action by XR and the Black Lives Matter movement.

The proposed legislation would give police in England and Wales more powers to impose conditions on non-violent protests.

However it has been slammed by critics as 'too broad' and an 'unfair' crackdown on the rights of protesters - with those deemed 'too noisy' or a 'nuisance' liable to face fines or jail terms.

The bill has sparked several large protests, with thousands of 'Kill the Bill' protesters marching through central London yesterday.

There were also protests in 40 towns and cities across the UK against the increased police powers.

However, writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Ms Patel defended the proposed new legislation, saying: 'The powers will help the police to balance the rights of protesters to demonstrate peacefully against the rights of others to go about their daily business, and to dedicate their resources to keeping the public safe.

'That is democracy in action.'

Her comments come as Six Extinction Rebellion protesters were last week cleared of causing 25,000 worth of criminal damage to Shell's London headquarters despite the judge directing jurors they had no defence in law.

Two of the group's co-founders Simon Bramwell, 49, and Ian Bray, 53, were acquitted on Friday alongside Jane Augsburger, 55, Senan Clifford, 60, David Lambert, 62, and James 'Sid' Saunders, 41, after a trial at Southwark Crown Court.

The six, who represented themselves, were also cleared of individual counts of having an article with intent to destroy or damage property, while a seventh protester, Katerina Hasapopoulous, 43, earlier pleaded guilty to criminal damage.

Prosecutor Diana Wilson told jurors each of the defendants deliberately sprayed graffiti or smashed windows at the Shell building in Belvedere Road, central London, on April 15 2019.

The protest, which saw activists pour fake oil, glue themselves to windows and doors, break glass, climb onto a roof and spray graffiti, was part of wider Extinction Rebellion demonstrations across the capital.

Six Extinction Rebellion protesters have been cleared of causing criminal damage to Shell's London headquarters despite the judge directing jurors they had no defence in law. Pictured (left to right): Ian Bray, James 'Sid' Saunders, Simon Bramwell, Jane Augsburger, David Lambert and Senan Clifford

The six, who represented themselves, were also cleared of individual counts of having an article with intent to destroy or damage property

Ms Wilson said that while some protesters stood outside the building holding banners or speaking through megaphones, 'these defendants went further', adding: 'The seven involved caused significant damage.'

All those who stood trial explained they had targeted the Shell building because the oil giant was directly contributing to climate change, thereby causing serious injury and death, and argued it was a 'necessary' and 'proportionate' response to the harm being caused.

Clifford quoted Sir David Attenborough and former archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams in his evidence.

He said: 'I believe if I don't do whatever I can to protect our Earth, to protect life on this Earth, to stop the death and injury that is and will be happening, I'm committing a crime, a really serious crime, and I'm willing to break a window, to paint a message on a wall, I'm willing to break the glass on that emergency button, even if some say that's a crime.

'Because this is a much bigger crime and I'm trying to stop that crime, I'm trying to protect life in the only way I feel I can.'

The protest, which saw activists pour fake oil, glue themselves to windows and doors, break glass, climb onto a roof and spray graffiti, was part of wider Extinction Rebellion demonstrations across the capital

Prosecutor Diana Wilson told jurors each of the defendants deliberately sprayed graffiti or smashed windows at the Shell building in Belvedere Road, central London, on April 15 2019

Judge Gregory Perrins directed jurors that even if they thought the protesters were 'morally justified' it did not provide them with a lawful excuse to commit criminal damage.

With the exception of Saunders, who claimed in his defence that he honestly believed Shell's employees and shareholders would have consented to his criminal damage, the judge said: 'They don't have any defence in law for the charges they face.'

But the jury of seven women and five men took seven hours and four minutes to acquit them of both charges.

Some of the defendants waved at jurors, several of whom were visibly emotional, as they left court.

The six, who represented themselves, were also cleared of individual counts of having an article with intent to destroy or damage property

All those who stood trial explained they had targeted the Shell building because the oil giant was directly contributing to climate change, thereby causing serious injury and death, and argued it was a 'necessary' and 'proportionate' response to the harm being caused

Before reaching their verdicts, the jury had asked to see a copy of the oath they took when they were sworn in.

Thanking jurors for their 'care and attention', the judge said: 'This has been an unusual case.'

Augsburger, Bramwell, Clifford, Lambert and Saunders, who are all from Stroud, Gloucestershire and Bray, from Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, were jubilant as they left court.

Hasapopoulous, from Stroud, will be sentenced later.
A frantic search is underway for a Pakistani national who escaped quarantine by jumping off a ship moored in North Queensland.

The crew member was on livestock ship Polaris 3 when he breached international quarantine rules by jumping overboard while the vessel was docked in Townsville on Saturday night.

It's understood the the border jumper made it to land and left the port in a white van and has not been seen since, Nine News reported.

The ship's remaining crew have since asked to be left off and want to apply for asylum.

Livestock ship Polaris 3 (pictured) remains docked at Townsville after a crew member fled the ship and made it to land on Saturday night

The Pakistani crew member remains on the run 24 hours after he jumped overboard.

ABF has confirmed a search for the man is continuing but declined to provide further details.

An ABF source told the Townsville Bulletin extra border force personnel were called in to transport the asylum seekers to hotel quarantine at a location outside of Townsville.

Federal local MP Phillip Thompson said was ABF and Queensland Health were working to quarantine and detain the individuals.

Another 11 crew members also left the ship (pictured) and tried to claim asylum but have been detained

Queensland Health is working to protect the local community and to 'ensure the health of officers from agencies involved'.

'Crew members are being tested however the risk to the community is low,' a spokesperson said.

The ship left Huanghua in China on April 12 with hundreds of livestock onboard and spent 17 days at sea before it arrived in Townsville on Thursday.

Around 37 crew members are still on the board the ship, which had been given clearance to leave the port.
A fed-up motorist has left a polarising note on a Tesla after it was double parked in a shopping centre car park.

The Tesla Model 3, which sell for up to $100,000, was parked across two spots in the Bondi Beach Woolworths car park when an angry driver left the note.

'Did your fancy car park itself like this, or are you just an inconsiderate c**t?', the note read.

The note quickly sparked a hot debate among locals about who was right and who was in the wrong.

The motorist who saw the Tesla was not impressed by the attempted park and left this furious note (pictured)

Some were quick to point out that whoever wrote the note would have been caught on camera by the Tesla's high-tech security system.

'Whoever put it there will be on camera. Those cars have cameras in each guard filming for security,' one commented.

The pictures posted to the Bondi Local Loop Facebook group quickly split opinions.

Some agreed that the park was disrespectful and that the person was right to leave the note.

'Should have keyed the note into the paintwork,' one wrote.

'Brilliant!! More drivers need to be called C**Ts....in Sydney anyway,' another agreed.

'Why is it that every fancy car I see is driven by someone who absolutely cannot drive (or park)? Its literally like they got their license out of a Cornflakes packet,' commented a third.

The note sparked a hot debate among locals about who was right and who was wrong - with many slamming the Tesla's parking (pictured) - but others deeming the message unnecessary

Some disagreed, arguing that the note was unnecessary.

'Oh please get a life!' wrote one.

'Seriously who cares about this shit. People are starving and all you care about is white lines,' commented a second.

'Maybe it was an accident gosh,' another wrote.

While some simply saw the funny side of the note.

'I mean.... its funny,' one commented.

'It is very funny. Well action being consequences,' wrote another.

'Can't wait for the owner to review the cameras on the car,' laughed a third.
Lisa Sales (pictured), who says she was brutally assaulted by her tenant in 2011, later discovered that he was the son of one of the CIA's most valuable Russian spies

A Virginia woman, who says she was brutally assaulted by her tenant in 2011, later discovered that he was the son of one of the CIA's most valuable Russian spies after she stumbled across an investment report that listed more than $16million in assets following his arrest.

Lisa Sales recalled to Yahoo News how Dmitry Mikhaylov, a Russian immigrant attending graduate school at George Washington University School of Business, seemed to be a friendly and sociable person when she first met him nearly 10 years ago.

He had inquired about renting a space in her home and eventually the two agreed on him taking the basement for $2,000 per month.

Things appeared to go relatively well for awhile, and according to Sales' friends, she even started treating him like a younger brother.

Sales recalled how there were hints that Mikhaylov's life wasn't that of your typical graduate student.

She said he drove a flashy black Mercedes, would often buy rounds of alcohol for people when they went out and told a story about his father that made her a little suspicious.

After a few drinks, Mikhaylov reportedly told Sales that his father 'kind of an important person' who worked for 'the company', according to Yahoo. The company is a term that's sometimes used in movies and TV to reference the CIA.

Despite those initial hints, Sales brushed them off and their friendship continued as normal until the night of the attack on September 16, 2011.

Sales told the news site that Mikhaylov had been drinking heavily before the attack, which started with her dog, Halo.

During testimony at his trial, Sales said: 'First he went after my dog. He picked her up twice and threw her against the dresser.' She said he then 'lunged' at her and threw her to the ground.

Dmitry Mikhaylov (pictured), a Russian immigrant attending graduate school at George Washington University School of Business, was arrested and charged with the sexual battery of Sales in 2011. He later pleaded guilty to the assault

After his arrest, Sales began piecing together the life of Dmitry Mikhaylov through documents he left at her home. She came to believe that he is the son of Valeriy Mikhaylov (left in prison), who was arrested in 2007 in Russia for spying on the nation for the CIA. The man pictured on the right is Valeriy's attorney

'He sat on me. He took his knees and he spread my legs. And he was wearing  I will never forget this for as long as I live  he was wearing a red leather belt around his jeans... And he unbuttoned the top button of his jeans. He kept me pinned with his other hand, and then he unzipped his pants and started to touch himself,' she told Yahoo.

She said that while on top of her he rambled in Russian and English before screaming that he was going to 'f**k me for a bit'.

Sales said the incident lasted for about five hours as she 'kept trying to pull away'.

'I tried to get away from him. And he was just grabbing me. And I tried to get over from my back to my front and crawl away on my knees. And he kept pushing me down and sitting on me. He grabbed whatever he could grab. He was grabbing my limb, my foot, my leg, my hair, whatever he could grab,' she said, according to Yahoo.

Before it was all over, Sales said Mikhaylov tried to 'strangle' her in the bathroom.

Eventually, she broke free and barricaded herself in her bedroom with furniture while Mikhaylov screamed outside her door.

Sales said the attack left her with extensive injuries, including knee and back pain. Her doctor even recommended that she have surgery on her cervical spine after the incident.

Sales said she didn't immediately call police out of fear, but eventually she listened to her friends who urged her to speak to authorities. After she went to police, Mikhaylov was arrested and charged with sexual battery. He later pleaded guilty to the assault.

Mikhaylov testified that he did have several drinks on the night of the attack but he said they only argued for 30 minutes.

Lisa Sales, pictured, recalled how Dmitry Mikhaylov, a Russian immigrant attending graduate school at George Washington University School of Business, was her tenant in 2011 before he left her with extensive injuries to her knee and back

He said that he had 'several complaints' about the living situation, including that the utility bills were split down the middle as a fixed amount.

Mikhaylov claimed Sales became 'very upset and agitated' and they argued before he went to bed.

An officer who interviewed Mikhaylov about the incident following his arrest, said Mikhaylov told him that he had been drinking and the 'details of the evening may have escaped him'.

'He remembers throwing the dog but he said that occurs on a regular basis. Mr Mikhaylov stated that he regularly goes to Sales's bedroom but does not remember going into her room that night,' the officer said at the time.

'Mr Mikhaylov would not give me any statements of admission or denial of the accusations of the evening,' the officer added, according to Yahoo News.

Mikhaylov spent less than a month in jail for the assault. After filing a civil lawsuit, a jury awarded Sales just over $300,000 in damages for assault and battery and for infliction of emotional distress.

Days after his arrest, Sales began going through his belongings. While looking around, she came across a flash drive that contained an investment report listing total assets of more than $16million, according to Yahoo.

She also found a letter that Mikhaylov's father, Valeriy Mikhaylov, wrote to his son.

'Hello my son. Dima, thank you for your postcard and your greetings,' Valeriy Mikhaylov wrote, according to Yahoo News.

'Today is March 1, 2011, Tuesday, and the first day of spring. The weather is frosty and sunny. I just came back from a walk. I feel well and my mood is good. Soon it will be six months that I've lived in Lefortovo.'

According to the news site, Lefortovo is a prison where many of Russia's most high-profile criminals and spies are kept.

'Everything is because I made a mistake, believing in my lucky star,' Valeriy wrote. 'Now I will have to pay for it by spending a long time in captivity.'

Valeriy Mikhaylov reportedly volunteered to spy for the CIA in 2001. He spent six years spying on the Kremlin and Russian President Vladimir Putin (pictured). Valeriy retired in 2007 and ended up in the US before heading back to Russia in 2010, when he was arrested

When Sales took another look at the $16million investment report, she also found Valeriy's name on it.

This discovery piqued her interest and led to her emailing the FBI.

Sales wrote that she believed the younger Mikhaylov 'has fiduciary responsibility' for his incarcerated father.

'I am not certain why a man with his means would elect to enter into a lease arrangement with me and become my roommate,' she wrote, but the FBI never responded to her about her tenant's 'suspicious activity'.

Despite this, she continued her own investigation ahead of his trial.

She told Yahoo News that with the documents left behind, she came to believe that Mikhaylov made entry to the US with the help of the CIA, adding that Valeriy Mikhaylov appears to be one of the CIA's most valuable assets.

She pointed to a 2012 blog post by Joseph Fitsanakis, a professor at Coastal Carolina University. The post revealed that the Moscow District Military Court had convicted Valeriy Mikhaylov of high treason and sentenced him to 18 years in prison for passing 'thousands of secret and top-secret documents' to the CIA.

Valeriy Mikhaylov reportedly volunteered to spy for the CIA in 2001. He spent six years spying on the Kremlin and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Valeriy retired in 2007 and ended up in the US before heading back to Russia in 2010, when he was arrested.

Mikhaylov, who now works at the World Bank, told Yahoo News that he never attacked Sales, calling her a 'scammer' who who was only after his money.

Sales said justice in this case would be for the 'federal government' to 'take responsibility' and a public admission would be a start.
The Foreign Secretary has dismissed claims Boris Johnson asked a Tory donor to pay for a nanny and personal trainer.

Dominic Raab described the latest claims as 'gossip' when appearing on Sky News this morning.

It comes as Douglas Ross, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives, has said Boris Johnson should resign if he is found to have broken the ministerial code during the investigation into the renovations of his Downing Street flat.

On top of concerns over how the renovations were funded, Prime Minister Boris Johnson faced more allegations about his expenditure which included childcare for his young son.

The Sunday Times said the total cost of the refurbishment was around 200,000 and that one invoice was settled by a Conservative Party donor directly - a benefit-in-kind that would need to be declared to tax authorities.

The newspaper also reported that a Conservative Party donor had been asked to pay for a nanny for Johnson's young son, Wilfred.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab (pictured on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show this morning) has dismissed the latest expenditure claims as 'gossip' and says he has 'no idea' if they are true

'I don't mind paying for leaflets but I resent being asked to pay to literally wipe the prime minister's baby's bottom,' the unidentified donor was quoted as saying.

Johnson's Downing Street office did not address the reported refurbishment costs, but said in a statement: 'The Prime Minister has covered the costs of all childcare.'

The Conservative Party declined to comment on the report.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab declined to answer directly who initially paid for the work and said he had 'no idea' if a donor had been asked to pay for Johnson's childcare.

'The last issue you asked about is an example of tittle tattle,' Raab told Sky's Sophy Ridge.

He said Johnson had been 'crystal clear' about the expenditure on the refurbishment of the apartment.

When asked whether the Sunday Times' report that the Prime Minister asked a Tory donor to pay for his childcare costs, Mr Raab told Ridge: 'I have got no idea. You dont think I have conversations like that with the Prime Minister.

I cant comment on every little bit of gossip that is in the newspapers, Sophy.'

Pictured: Boris Johnson's Downing Street office did not address the reported refurbishment costs, but said in a statement: 'The Prime Minister has covered the costs of all childcare.'

The PM and Carrie Symonds, who is behind the costly refurbishment, face the prospect of handing over emails and phone messages as part of elections watchdog's investigation

Pictured: Designer Lulu Lytle who is believed to be behind refurbishment of Downing Street

Mr Raab backed the Electoral Commission as some backbench Tories called for reform of the watchdog.

'I trust it to look at these things in the right way,' the Cabinet minister said.

The Foreign Secretary declined to say whether the Prime Minister should resign if he is found to have broken the law by the Electoral Commission.

'I think the right thing for me to do is respect the integrity of those reviews and let them run their course rather than commenting on what may or may not be found at the end of it,' he told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show.

Mr Raab declined to deny a claim that a second invoice for lavish renovations of the Prime Minister's residence in No 11 may have been settled with the supplier by a Tory donor.

Meanwhile, Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said Boris Johnson should resign if he is found to have broken the ministerial code.

Mr Ross said on Sunday that Mr Johnson should 'of course' quit if he is found to have breached the code as probes continue into whether he properly declared any donations for the lavish refurbishments.

The Prime Minister, however, remains the 'ultimate arbitrator' of the code and gets the final say on whether he broke the rules, a situation Labour says allows him to be his own 'judge and jury' as the opposition calls for reform.

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross (pictured) says Boris Johnson should resign if he is found to have broken the ministerial code during the renovation of his Downing Street flat

He was asked on the Andrew Marr show if Mr Johnson should quit if found to be in breach of the ministerial code, with Mr Ross having previously called for the resignation of SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon if she had broken the rules.

'Of course, I think people expect the highest standards of those in the highest office of the land, that's why I think people are looking at the investigations that are currently ongoing and waiting for the answers,' Mr Ross said.

The Electoral Commission this week launched an investigation into whether any donations or loans to pay for the refurbishment of his residence in No 11 were properly declared.

But new standards adviser Lord Geidt has also been tasked with reviewing the controversy, in an investigation expected to touch on whether he has breached the ministerial code.

As well as pressure over the renovations, Mr Johnson has been forced to deny saying he would rather see 'bodies pile high' than impose a third coronavirus lockdown, on top of a lobbying row and allegations of cronyism.

Although earlier polls suggested the 'sleaze' allegations were not significantly denting public support for the Tories, two fresh surveys gave evidence to the contrary ahead of the local elections in England and votes for the parliaments in Scotland and Wales.

The Conservatives fell to a five-point lead over Labour, with 42 per cent compared to 37 per cent, according to the Opinium poll of more than 2,000 adults between Wednesday and Friday.

That put the Tories down two points and Labour up four compared to a week earlier, halving the Conservatives' lead ahead of the elections, in which some 48 million people are eligible to vote.

And in separate polling, Focaldata put Labour on 39 per cent, one point behind the Tories, who previously had a healthy lead, according to The Sunday Times.

Mr Johnson has denied breaking any laws over the refurbishment of his residence and insisted he had paid 'personally' for the works.

But he has refused to say whether he received an initial loan from the Conservative Party, as Downing Street launched two separate reviews into the controversy.
Senator Josh Hawley (pictured above on Capitol Hill on Wednesday) wants to 'break up' tech companies that he says have grown too powerful and pose a 'threat' to liberty in America

Senator Josh Hawley says the most powerful tech companies like Facebook, Google, and Amazon are working to transform America and pose the gravest threat to liberty - and thus need to be broken up.

Hawley told Fox News on Sunday that there was a 'strong alliance' between the left and 'mega-corporations' which threatened freedom of speech as well as free market principles including 'competition and innovation.'

When asked if tech companies censor those who disagree with the Democratic Party, the Republican senator from Missouri responded: 'For instance, if you post a comment that disagrees with [White House chief medical adviser] Dr. [Anthony] Fauci, you're likely to get dinged.

'Even if you're an expert from Stanford or an expert from Oxford or an expert from Yale or Johns Hopkins, if your viewpoint doesn't comport with the government-stated viewpoint out of the federal bureaucracy, you're likely to pay a price.'

Hawley is promoting his new book, The Tyranny of Big Tech, as one that corporate press, corporate media, and corporate monopolies want canceled.

The book goes on sale on Tuesday.

Hawley was referring to the decision by publishing house Simon & Schuster to drop the book after the MAGA riot at the US Capitol on January 6.

Hawley and other Republicans objected to certifying the results of the November 3 presidential election, which was won by Joe Biden.

The senator was seen entering the US Capitol before the riot, raising his fist in a gesture to MAGA supporters.

After the violence that ensued, Hawley was slammed for encouraging an insurrection and inciting protesters to storm the Capitol. Newspaper editorials condemned him and there was a social media campaign to ban his book.

The irony is, the book is about the control Big Tech has over our politics, and over our society, and it was Big Tech that led the effort to get this canceled, the senator told Fox News.

Hawley has blasted social media giants like Facebook (left) and Twitter (right) for misusing personal data as well as 'throttling' news stories like the New York Post article about the Hunter Biden saga

Hawley also wants to enact legislation that he says would strip Amazon of unfair competitive advantages that it holds over other retailers

Hawley hit out at tech giant Google for also owning YouTube as well as GMail

In explaining its decision not to publish the book, Simon and Schuster said that it 'cannot support Senator Hawley after his role in what became a dangerous threat.'

Hawley said of the decision by the publisher: I think it was a petition drive that started on Twitter  certainly was amplified by Twitter, that caused the corporate publisher to say we ought to back away from this.

Hawleys book was eventually picked up by another publisher, Regnery. The senator said that he was grateful there are still independent publishers.

This is a book that corporate leftists dont want anybody to read, and for good reason, Hawley said.

This is all about how big tech and mega corporations are working hand-in-hand with big government to try to run our country, silence our speech, and take over our government.

And we have to stop them.

The senator said the large tech conglomerates - Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Twitter - are so ubiquitous, so powerful, they are more powerful by the day.

Hawley accused tech firms of having interfered big time in the 2020 presidential election.

Hawley's book, The Tyranny of Big Tech, goes on sale on Tuesday

He specifically cited the controversial decision this past October by Twitter and Facebook to limit the circulation of a New York Post article about Hunter Bidens foreign business dealings.

The Post story was based on emails between the presidents son and an executive at Ukrainian energy firm Burisma Holdings. Twitter took down the story initially because it was obtained through hacked materials.

Two weeks later, Twitter, which had placed a lock on the Posts account, removed the lock and allowed the story to be shared freely on its platform.

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey told lawmakers in late April that the firms move to censor the story was a mistake and that the company erred.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said that the social network throttled the spread of the Posts Hunter Biden story after it received a warning from law enforcement officials to be on heightened alert about hack and leak operations.

Hawley also criticized the large tech firms for de-platforming former President Donald Trump after the events of January 6.

In an unprecedented step, Facebook and Twitter suspended Trump from posting to their platforms hours after the storming of the Capitol by his supporters.

Twitter locked Trump out of his account for 12 hours and said that future violations by Trump could result in a permanent suspension.

The company required the removal of three of Trump's tweets, including a short video in which he urged those supporters to 'go home' while also repeating falsehoods about the integrity of the presidential election.

Trump's account deleted those posts, Twitter said; had they remained, Twitter had threatened to extend his suspension.

Facebook and Instagram, which Facebook owns, followed up in the evening, announcing that Trump wouldn't be able to post for 24 hours following two violations of its policies. He remains banned from those platforms and has appealed to Facebook's supposedly independent 'Oversight Board' to be readmitted.

While some cheered the platforms' actions, experts noted that the companies' actions follow years of hemming and hawing on Trump and his supporters spreading dangerous misinformation and encouraging violence that have contributed to Wednesday's violence.

Hawley blasted Twitter and Facebook for preventing the circulation of a link to a New York Post article about Hunter Biden's foreign business dealings in October

Twitter reversed its prior demand that the Post delete tweets linking to the Biden articles, after CEO Jack Dorsey faced excoriation in a Senate hearing in late October

Civil liberties advocates have argued that large tech firms wield too much power in determining what information the public can be exposed to and whether it is permissible to censor unpopular views from the internet.

These are folks that want to try to impose their agenda  and it is a leftist, woke agenda  on the country, Hawley said.

The senator warned that the tech industry wants to tell people what you can post, wants to control the news, control what people read and what journalism looks like.

This is really about information control, Hawley said.

These companies want to do all of that, and they have the power to do all of that, increasingly, and we need to do something about it.

Hawley said that the Republican Party should lead the way in trying to break companies up.

Facebook currently owns Facebook, but also Instagram, and they also want to have their own currency, or something like it, Hawley said.

Google owns not just Google search, but Gmail, and all of these other products, and cloud computing services, and they own YouTube.

One company should not be allowed to have all of these different platforms, Hawley said.

He also mentioned the fact that Amazon, the online retailer, generates significant revenue from its huge cloud computing system - Amazon Web Services.

They shouldnt be able to do all of that simultaneously and control so much of the internet, Hawley said.

In his interview with Fox News' Mark Levin, Hawley criticized the decision by Amazon, Apple, and Google to de-platform Parler, the social media app and Twitter competitor that was popular among conservatives and Trump supporters.

Hawley said the move to shut down Parler was 'anti-American.'

'That is anti-free speech. It's anti-First Amendment ... and make no mistake, the left is cheering them on,' the senator said.

'You hear the Democrats sometimes talk about these companies - they love the power that these companies have,' the senator added.

Parler, the social network known as a conservative alternative to Twitter

The app was forced offline following the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of then-President Donald Trump

'They love it. They love the power over speech that Facebook and Twitter have, and they want them to do more.'

Last month, Apple said it reached an agreement with Parler that could lead to its reinstatement in the company's app store. Apple kicked out Parler in January over ties to the deadly January 6 siege on the US Capitol.

In a letter to two Republican lawmakers in Congress, 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.

Apple declined to comment beyond the letter, which didn't provide details on how Parler plans to moderate such content.

In the letter, Apple said Parlor's 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.

'While the App Store version of Parler will prohibit some posts that Parler allows, those posts will still remain visible on the web-based and Android versions of Parler,' the company said in a statement.

The First Amendment does not apply to private companies such as Parler  it prohibits the government from making laws that impede free speech.

But this has not stopped people from claiming that social media companies violate their free speech rights by moderating content, or from 'free speech' apps such as Parler from popping up to fill a perceived void of 'censorship-free' discussion sites.

As of midday Sunday, Parler was not yet available in the app store and Apple did not give a timeline for when it will be reinstated.

According to Apple's 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.

Google also banned Parler from its Google Play store in January, but Parler remains available for Android phones through third-party app stores.

Apple's closed app system means apps are only available through Apple's own app store.

Google reiterated its January statement that 'Parler is welcome back in the Play store once it submits an app that complies with our policies.'

So far, this has not happened.

Parler remains banned from Amazon's Web Services. Amazon said in January that Parler was unable to moderate a rise in violent content before, during and after the insurrection.

Parler asked a federal judge in Seattle to force Amazon to reinstate it on the web. That effort failed, and the companies are still fighting in court.

Republican political donor Rebekah Mercer has confirmed she helped bankroll Parler and has emerged in recent months as the networks shadow executive after its founder John Matze was ousted as CEO in February.

Hawley said that liberals in America are using tech companies to circumvent the First Amendment of the Constitution, which prevents the government from passing law infringing on citizens' freedom of speech.

'The left wants Facebook to censor more,' Hawley said.

'They want Twitter to censor more. They want Google to censor more. So there is a strong alliance between the left wing in this country and these mega-corporations.'

The senator added: 'The left can achieve with these companies what they could never do with government because the First Amendment would actually stand in the way, thank goodness, if it were government that were explicitly trying to censor us and tell us what we could say.'

However, he went on, 'when the left uses these mega-monopolies to do it, well, then it's fine.

Hawley faced backlash after objecting to the Electoral College results on January 6 and as an image went viral of him holding up a fist  appearing to encourage the pro-Trump mob as they descended on Capitol Hill

Former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele said that the image of Sen. Josh Hawley raising his fist in support would become a 'symbol of sedition'

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted the image of Hawley and called on the Missouri Republican to 'resign immediately'

Trump supporters try to break through a police barrier set up around the U.S. Capitol Building to protect lawmakers as they certify the Electoral College results

Democratic Coalition co-founder Scott Dworkin said Hawley 'needs to be arrested for his treason'

Trump supporters gathered outside the Capitol and were given a show of support from Hawley before breaking into the building in a chaotic display for several hours Wednesday

'And that's why they go out there and say, "Oh, the First Amendment doesn't apply to Facebook," "The First Amendment doesn't apply to Google, so censor away," and they want to combine the power of government and the power of these corporations.

'And boy, is that dangerous for free speech.'

Hawley warned that 'if the American people can't decide what we want to read and not, if we can't decide what kind of news we want to see and if we can't talk about it together, if I'm not allowed to to share what I want to share in terms of [saying] "I think you ought to read this news story, I want to comment on this," if there's some censor out there who can effectively shut me down any time I express a contrary view, how is our democracy going to survive?'

Last month, Hawley put forward legislation titled the Bust Up Big Tech Act, which would bar internet companies that own search engines or online marketplaces from also hosting their own computing services.

The bill would ban Amazon from selling Amazon-branded products on its own marketplace, which is used by other competitors. It would also prevent Amazon from owning the cloud computing services that other companies rely on for e-commerce.

Hawley said that if the law passed, social media would return to serve in the function that was originally intended.

I think if social media were truly social media, if it were really about communicating with each other, forming friend groups - think about Facebook before it introduced the newsfeed and algorithms that try to determine what we see and what we do, try to push advertising at us based on our behavior - before that, I think there could be a great benefit to having social media, Hawley said.

Hawley accused Facebook and Twitter of abusing the privacy of their users.

The two companies take our data and personal information without our consent or knowledge, and then they try to use that in order to control what we see, sell stuff to us, and are constantly using artificial intelligence to push stories at us to get us to click on this, to buy that, to read that.

I think that constant manipulation, which has become synonymous now with social media, I think thats dangerous.

I think that's bad, and I think the government shouldnt be subsidizing it.

Hawley said that if the public 'can get to a place where were not being constantly manipulated by the companies, I think there can be great value in that.

'I would say it is time we take back control over our own social communications from these companies, and practically speaking, people spend less time on the platforms, and do as much of our lives as we can with actual relationships, old fashioned meeting face-to-face, calling, texting,' Hawley said.

'But moving off the platforms so that they don't control every aspect of our lives.'
A renowned author's claim that the Monarchy is facing the 'endgame' has today been described as a 'load of tosh' by royal supporters.

Booker Prize winner Dame Hilary Mantel, who sparked outcry in 2013 by describing the Duchess of Cambridge as having a 'plastic' smile said of the Queen: 'I wonder if she's the only person who really believes in the Monarchy now, and I'm sure she believes with all her heart.'

The 68-year-old made the huge claim in the Telegraph Magazine that there is 'no legitimate public interest' in broadcasting events such as the funeral of Prince Philip or pictures of royal babies leaving hospital for the first time.

Despite 13.6 million Britons tuning in to watch the farewell to the Duke of Edinburgh last month, Dame Hilary said: 'I don't know how much longer the institution will go on.'

The Wolf Hall author's controversial comments have sparked a sharp backlash on social media from supporters of the Royal Family.

Hundreds have today rushed to platforms to mount an ardent defence of the monarchy.

One Twitter user said 'we are blessed' to have the royal family, while another heaped praise on the Queen, saying the 95-year-old monarch 'continues to inspire daily'.

Others rubbished author's prediction that the Royal Family was reaching the end of its usefulness, with one describing the idea as 'absurd'.

Dame Hilary, 68, (pictured) whose withering assessment of the Duchess of Cambridge as 'plastic' caused an outcry in 2013

One person wrote of Dame Hilary's comments: 'Absolute load of tosh. All the statistics say that we as a nation are behind the monarchy.

'I think there have been a few smear attempts this weekend at the royals and especially their future but I think we are blessed to have them.'

Another said: 'In a transient world, the UK is lucky to have a monarchy.

'We have a constant, something to depend on. Her Majesty the Queen continues to inspire daily.'

One Twitter user added: 'Fortunately the majority of the public disagree with Hilary Mantel.'

And one Twitter user said: 'Nah! Many people still like them a lot!'

Another said: 'Hilary Mantel writes brilliant books, fantastic imagination, but anything about real life she gets drastically wrong as has been proven in the past.'

Meanwhile on social media user predicted that the popularity of the Royal Family will increase during the reign of Prince William.

In an interview with the Daily Telegraph magazine yesterday, Dame Hilary said she wished the Queen had abdicated to make way for Prince Charles.

'I understand she thinks of this as a sacred task It's a conflict because most of the world sees the Royal Family as a branch of showbusiness.'

Reflecting on the death of the Duke of Edinburgh, Dame Hilary said that at the end of any long marriage, ordinary people sought routine and were 'able to mourn in a natural way', adding: 'But what recent events bring home is how far the Monarchy's arrangements with the media have turned it into a self-punishing institution.

'No other family would be expected to parade a very elderly, newly widowed lady before the TV cameras, and yet it's taken for granted that's what will happen  just as it's taken for granted that a new Royal mother will appear beaming on the hospital steps within a day of giving birth.

'There's no legitimate public interest behind it.'

Asked about the Monarchy's future, she added: 'I think it's the endgame. I don't know how much longer the institution will go on.

Asked about the Monarchy's future, she added: 'I think it's the endgame. I don't know how much longer the institution will go on'

'No other family would be expected to parade a very elderly, newly widowed lady before the TV cameras, and yet it's taken for granted that's what will happen'

'I'm not sure if it will outlast William. So I think it will be their last big era. There's no legitimate public interest behind it'

Eight years ago, Dame Hilary dismissed Kate Middleton as a personality-free 'shop window mannequin' with a 'plastic smile'

'I'm not sure if it will outlast William. So I think it will be their last big era.'

The Wolf Hall author's historical novels chronicle the brutal fate suffered by Royal consorts in Tudor times.

Eight years ago, Dame Hilary dismissed Kate Middleton as a personality-free 'shop window mannequin' with a 'plastic smile' whose 'only point and purpose' was to give birth.
A 27-year-old who originally went to the doctor in late 2019 with a lingering mouth ulcer has wound up having half his tongue removed after being diagnosed with an aggressive cancer.

Dayle Gordon from Victoria has since been told the tongue cancer has spread and is terminal, despite having undergone numerous gruelling surgeries and radiotherapy.

Mr Gordon was originally told the seemingly harmless mouth ulcer was not of concern, but a later diagnosis determined that it was cancer.

Dayle Gordon and his partner Taylah (pictured, together) have had their world tipped upside down after his cancer was deemed terminal aged 27

Mr Gordon (pictured in hospital) has been through numerous surgeries, chemotherapy and radiotherapy to battle the cancer

The fit and healthy 27-year-old then underwent surgery which cut half his tongue out, as well as removing 50 lymph nodes, his family told 7News.

After the surgery he was forced into chemotherapy and radiation treatment from which he was lucky enough to recover.

He was still having PET scans every three months to confirm his recovery was on the right track.

But by the end of 2020 he had developed a large lump on his neck, which also had to be removed.

Mr Gordon's partner Taylah has set up a GoFundMe that has raised over $55,000 for his treatment

The lump was removed in February this year after it had grown onto an artery leading to the brain.

Disaster struck again earlier this month when doctors found a spot on his heart meaning the cancer had spread, with doctors then deeming it terminal.

Mr Gordon's sister, Jessica Sexton said this news was the hardest to deal with.

'I think finding the tumour on his heart was really the one that hit him the hardest because he feels like he's gotten over hurdles and been through two major surgeries already and then to go back and then find it's back and spread was definitely the hardest to handle,' she said.

Mr Gordon's sister said it was when they found the tumour on his heart that it really 'hit him the hardest'

She said his partner Taylah had been his 'rock' throughout the last couple of tumultuous years.

'She is by his side constantly and taking so much time off work to be at his appointments and there for him during his surgery recoveries,' she said.

Mr Gordon was originally told the tumour couldn't be operated on but ended up receiving open heart surgery when doctors found a second tumour.

His sister said they were left with only one option when the tumours were found.

'Something like that size is just a huge risk because at anytime you could have heart failure and leaving the tumour there would have just been not an option,' she said.

For the rest of the tumours, the 27-year-old will go through radiation therapy targeting his neck and heart.

Since then Mr Gordon has continued to search for new ways to complete rehab including RGCC onconomics testing which is only available in Europe.

He sent samples of his blood to Europe before receiving a detailed treatment plan which will last for 18 days which he will do while also undergoing immunotherapy for the next 10 weeks.

His wife has launched a GoFundMe page to help pay for their hospital expenses, currently they have raised well over $55,000.
A leading Democratic Party figure in Texas has come under fire after he was accused of racism for referring to Senator Tim Scott as Oreo.

Gary OConnor is the chair of the Democratic Party in Lamar County, which is about 115 miles northeast of Dallas.

He wrote a controversial post on Facebook in response to Scotts speech after President Joe Bidens first address to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday.

Scott, the only black Republican in the United States Senate, was chosen by the GOP to give a response to the presidents address. The senator from South Carolina said that the United States is not a racist country.

OConnor wrote on Facebook: I had hoped that Scott might show some common sense, but it seems clear he is little more than an Oreo with no real principles.

The post has since been deleted. DailyMail.com has reached out to OConnor seeking comment.

Oreo is a reference to the famous sandwich cookie made by Nabisco. It consists of two dark-colored wafers separated by a white, creme filling.

In a racial context, Oreo refers to a black person who is perceived as 'acting white.'

House Rep. Pat Fallon, a Republican from Texas, put out a statement demanding that OConnor resign. Fallons home district includes Lamar County.

Gary O'Connor (left), the head of the Democratic Party in Lamar County, Texas used a racial slur to describe Senator Tim Scott (right), a Republican from South Carolina. Scott, the only black Republican in the United States Senate, was referred to by O'Connor as an 'Oreo'

Scott was chosen by the GOP to give a response to President Joe Bidens address before a joint session of Congress on Wednesday. The senator from South Carolina said that the United States is not a racist country.

OConnor wrote on Facebook: I had hoped that Scott might show some common sense, but it seems clear he is little more than an Oreo with no real principles. The post has since been deleted. DailyMail.com has reached out to OConnor seeking comment.

'Gary OConnor's comment against Senator Tim Scott is abhorrent, insulting, and unforgivable,' Fallon said.

'Both he and the entire Lamar County Democratic Party should be ashamed of this racist behavior.

'O'Connor must apologize and step down immediately.

Additionally, I call on both the Democratic Party of Texas and the NAACP to condemn these words, and the state party should take swift action to censure him.

'This kind of behavior is not tolerable in Texas, the United States, or any political party.'

Oreo is a reference to the famous sandwich cookie made by Nabisco. It consists of two dark-colored wafers separated by a white, creme filling. In a racial context, Oreo refers to a black person who is perceived as acting white

Scotts rebuttal speech and the response to his remarks from Democratic-leaning Twitter users have sparked controversy, particularly after the term Uncle Tim was trending for about 12 hours.

The three-term South Carolinian angered Democrats and their supporters when he denied that America was a racist country.

Biden reacted to Scott's remarks by saying that while he doesn't think the American people are racist, African Americans have been left 'so far behind the eight ball in terms of education and health, in terms of opportunity.'

Vice President Kamala Harris also agreed with Scott, saying that while America is not a 'racist country,' the nation needed to 'speak the truth' about its history.

Another prominent black politician from South Carolina, Democratic House Majority Whip James Clyburn, told The Washington Post on Friday that he agreed with Scott's assessment that the US is not a racist country.

'I agree with him on that,' said Clyburn, the third most powerful Democrat in the House whose endorsement of Biden during the party primaries last year is thought to have helped turn the tide in favor of the former vice president.

'I dont think a racist country would have elected Barack Obama as president, or Kamala Harris as vice president.

'Thats not the issue, thats a red herring. The issue is they allow the jurisdictions in this country that have institutionalized the history and legacy of race.

Another prominent black politician from South Carolina, Democratic House Majority Whip James Clyburn (seen left on February 25, 2019), told The Washington Post on Friday that he agreed with Scott's assessment that the US is not a racist country. Vice President Kamala Harris (right) also agreed with Scott, saying that while America is not a 'racist country,' the nation needed to 'speak the truth' about its history

'Thats what is happening.'

In an interview with Fox News on Saturday, Clyburn defended his comments in support of Scott.

He told the network that America is 'not about being perfect, but when you see a fault repair it.'

'We got a fault today in our law enforcement. Lets repair it. Theres a fault today with 47 states now coming out with these voter suppression laws.

Scott and Republicans were outraged on Wednesday after the senator from South Carolina was referred to as 'Uncle Tim' by Democratic-leaning supporters on Twitter. The term was trending on Twitter for some 12 hours before it was taken down on Thursday morning. A spokesperson for Twitter told Fox News that an algorithm allowed the term to trend

Author Yvette Nicole Brown said: 'Uncle Tim lost me when he said Biden was dividing us after he had sat quietly while Tang destroyed this country for four years. #BoyBye'

'Come on, United States of America, let's repair that.'

Clyburn is urging Congress to pass legislation that would reform policing in America as well as secure voting rights.

Scott appeared on CBS' Face the Nation on Sunday during which he said 'thank goodness' that Biden, Harris, and Clyburn agree with him.

'America is not a racist country,' Scott said on Sunday.

'The question is, is there a lingering effect after a couple of centuries of racism and discrimination in this nation? The answer is absolutely.

'The question we should be debating and fighting over is how do we resolve those issues going forward.

'One side says "I'm going to take from some to give to others." Fighting bigotry with bigotry is hypocrisy. It just doesn't work.

'The second - our side, what I've suggested is let's expand opportunity and make sure that we are fully equipped for the challenges of the future.'

Scott has accused the left of 'hypocrisy' following their attacks on his Wednesday night rebuttal of Biden's speech to Congress, saying the slurs left him saddened, but more convinced than ever that he was right to be a Republican.

He was mocked on Twitter as 'Uncle Tim', a play on the 'Uncle Tom' racial slur, used to describe black people who were too deferential to whites.

Twitter took 12 hours to remove the term from its trending list, and on on Thursday night Scott asked where the left-wing outrage was at the racial slur.

Policy analyst Javon Price Flagsaid: 'The fact that 'Uncle Tim' is trending on Twitter tells you all you need to know about the left'

Conservative writer Carmine Sabia: 'Not stunned that Uncle Tim is trending because how dare even one black person not follow the Democrats like the Pied Piper. How dare Sen. Tim Scott have his own opinions and principles?'

Yale professor Phillip Atiba Goff said: 'White people. Please do not use terms like Aunt Jemima, coon, and Uncle Tom. It's gross and racist and not the thing you seem to think it is. Even if you live in Brooklyn. Especially if you live in Brooklyn'

'It is really saddening to see that what the left is doing is fighting bigotry with bigotry,' Scott told Sean Hannity on Fox News.

'They have expose their hypocrisy and their true motivation,' he said.

'It has nothing to do with ending prejudice. It has everything to do with claiming or getting more power.

'Uncle Tom' is derived from an 1852 novel: It's become an offensive racial caricature The term Uncle Tom is derived from the lead character of white abolitionist author Harriet Beecher Stowe's 1852 novel Uncle Tom's Cabin. Uncle Tom is a gentle character, a smiling, wide-eyed servant who offered no resistance to the horrors of slavery. Described as the most enduring fictional slave, he later became 'synonymous with servility and self-hatred', according to a 2008 NPR documentary Why African-Americans Loathe 'Uncle Tom'. According to the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia, the Tom caricature 'is often old, physically weak, psychologically dependent on whites for approval'. Uncle Tom's Cabin sold over two million copies within two years of its publication. Advertisement

'I have never seen such power grab and using people in such a despicable way.'

Speaking directly after Biden's maiden address to Congress, Scott gave his party and its former leader, ex-President Donald Trump, credit for the COVID response - saying Biden had 'inherited a tide that had already turned' - while blasting Democrats for prolonged closures of schools and churches.

Scott also defended the GOP-backed Georgia voting bill, blasting Democrats for lying about the controversial legislation and labeling it 'mainstream.'

The South Carolina Republican started out his remarks, delivered elsewhere in the U.S. Capitol, by saying Biden 'seems like a good man,' and adding that his 'speech was full of good words.'

'But President Biden promised you a specific kind of leadership. He promised to unite a nation.

'To lower the temperature. To govern for all Americans, no matter how we voted. That was the pitch. You just heard it again,' Scott said. 'But our nation is starving for more than empty platitudes.'

Scott blasted Biden and the Democrats for 'pulling us further apart.'

Scott, who is facing re-election in 2022, said that it was a depressing spectacle.

'It is really disheartening to see the left response, and frankly even Twitter's response to racism and racial slurs.

'If it comes from the left, and must be okay according to Twitter's response 12 hours later.'

Scott said he was confident there would soon be a 'backlash' to the 'paternalism' of the left.

'What we are seeing happen is this response from good intentioned people who happen to be black, who happen to be Hispanic, who happened to be white, who happen to be Asian, rising up and saying you won't tell me what to think.

'I'm going to decide that for myself.

'There is a coming backlash to this liberal oppression that is becoming front and center.'

Scott, 55, also said that he was frequently attacked by liberals for his skin color.

'Intolerance so often comes from the left with words like Uncle Tim and the n-word being used against me,' Scott said.

'And last night what was trending in social media was Uncle Tim, and they doubled down on this concept of liberal oppression.

'It is stunning in 2021 that those who speak about ending discrimination want to end it by more discrimination.

'The left has doubled down that they are going to, not attack my policies, but they're literally attacking the color of my skin.'
Cruel vandals armed with a chainsaw chopped down an osprey nest a day after the protected bird laid its first egg of the season.

The platform was chopped down overnight, sending the nest plunging into the waters below at Llyn Brenig reservoir in Denbigh Moors, north Wales in a 'horrendous wildlife crime.'

Springwatch presenter Iolo Williams has pleaded for people to come forward with information while a member of the public has offered a 2,000 reward if anyone has details which leads to a prosecution.

Police have pledged to 'pull out all the stops' to find the culprits responsible for the crime and has called on people to come forward with information

The site of the attack lies within the Llyn Brenig Osprey project which began in 2013, with the first ospreys hatched in the area in more than 100 years born in 2018.

It is managed by Dwr Cymru Welsh Water, and is the fifth breeding site for the fish-eating birds in Wales.

Iolo Williams tweeted: 'If anyone knows ANYTHING about the morons behind this, please get in touch with North Wales Police. This cannot go unpunished.

'Unbelievable!!'

Police say they believe the culprit had a strong motive to rid the area of the rare birds and an investigation is now underway to find the person responsible.

Sgt Rob Taylor of North Wales Police Rural Crime Team said: 'We really are pulling out all the stops to try and catch the person or persons responsible for this and believe me they will receive the full force of the law if we do catch them.

'The whole team is absolutely devastated by it and sure the whole community is as well.

Workers discovered the destroyed nesting platform the morning after the attack, which was captured on CCTV

The osprey nest, pictured below the callous attack, was chopped down by vandals wielding chainsaws in Denbeigh Moors, north Wales

'These birds give a lot of people a lot of pleasure and I just can't understand how anybody can actually go and do something like that.

'We're checking cameras in the area and different systems to try to get closer to whoever his person is.'

Graeme Cotterill, of North Wales Wildlife Trust called the crime 'horrendous' and said efforts are now being made to ensure the rare birds have another nest.

'This is a horrendous wildlife crime,' he said. 'We appeal to all members of the public if you know anything at all about what happened here please do report it to the police using the crime number on our website.

Springwatch presenter Iolo Williams described those responsible 'morons' as he called on people to come forward with information

The birds are rare in the Wales, with five sites set up specifically for breeding and protection

'These are the rarest birds in Wales and there are very few breeding nests.

'Efforts are still being made here to persuade the pair that have been here already to stay around the area.

'One of the other nest platforms has been cleared and we hope they will migrate to that platform and lay further eggs this season but it's yet to be seen what will happen.'
It wasn't immediately clear if Sunday's report represented another means to disrupt negotiations by officials of the administration of Iran President Hassan Rouhani officials

The US immediately denied a report by Iran's state-run television broadcaster Sunday that deals had been reached between Iran, Washington and the UK that would see prisoners swapped and Tehran receive billions of dollars.

The announcement by Iran state television, relying on an unnamed source, comes amid a wider power struggle between hard-liners and the relatively moderate government of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. That conflict only has grown sharper as Iran approaches its June 18 presidential election.

The broadcaster long controlled by hard-liners has aired similarly anonymously sourced reports contradicting diplomats in Vienna trying to negotiate a return to its nuclear deal with world powers.

It wasn't immediately clear if Sunday's report represented another means to disrupt negotiations by Rouhani officials or sabotage any potential negotiations with the West over frozen funds and prisoner exchanges.

The official quoted by Iranian state TV said a deal made between the U.S. and Tehran involved a prisoner swap in exchange for the release of $7 billion in frozen Iranian funds.

'The Americans accepted to pay $7 billion and swap four Iranians who were active in bypassing sanctions for four American spies who have served part of their sentences,' state TV said, quoting the official in an on-screen crawl. It did not name the Iranians that Tehran sought to be freed.

U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price immediately denied the Iranian state TV report.

Iranian-American consultant Siamak Namazi is pictured with his father Baquer Namazi. Both are among the four Americans known to be being held prisoner in Iran

Siamak Namaz is one of four Americans known to be held in prison by Iran

Morad Tahbaz, an environmentalist, is one of the four Americans that Iran is holding prisoner

Emad Shargi, an Iranian-American businessman, is also one of the four who Iran is known to be holding captive

'Reports that a prisoner swap deal has been reached are not true,' Price said. 'As we have said, we always raise the cases of Americans detained or missing in Iran. We will not stop until we are able to reunite them with their families.'

Price did not elaborate. But Bidens chief of staff Ron Klain told CBS 'Face the Nation' that 'unfortunately that report is untrue. There is no agreement to release these four Americans.'

White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain told CBS that the report was 'untrue'

'Were working very hard to get them released,' Klain said. 'We raise this with Iran and our interlocutors all the time but so far theres no agreement.'

Tehran holds four known Americans now in prison. They include Baquer and Siamak Namazi, environmentalist Morad Tahbaz and Iranian-American businessman Emad Shargi.

State TV also quoted the official as saying a deal had been reached for the United Kingdom to pay 400 million pounds to see the release of British-Iranian woman Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.

British officials downplayed the report. The Foreign Office said that the country continues 'to explore options to resolve this 40-year old case and we will not comment further as legal discussions are ongoing.

Last week, Zaghari-Ratcliffe was sentenced to an additional year in prison, her lawyer said, on charges of spreading 'propaganda against the system' for participating in a protest in front of the Iranian Embassy in London in 2009.

That came after she completed a five-year prison sentence in the Islamic Republic after being convicted of plotting the overthrow of Irans government, a charge that she, her supporters and rights groups deny.

This undated file family photo, shows British-Iranian woman Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe. On Sunday Iranian state TV quoted an anonymous official that deals have been reached to release prisoners with Western ties held in Iran

While employed at the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of the news agency, she was taken into custody at the Tehran airport in April 2016 as she was returning home to Britain after visiting family.

Richard Ratcliffe, the husband of Zaghari-Ratcliffe, told The Associated Press he was not aware of any swap in the works.

'We havent heard anything,' he said. 'Of course we probably wouldnt, but my instinct is to be skeptical at present.'

Earlier Sunday, U.K. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told the BBC that he believed Zaghari-Ratcliffe was being held 'unlawfully' by Iran.

'I think shes been treated in the most abusive, tortuous way,' Raab said. 'I think it amounts to torture the way shes been treated and there is a very clear, unequivocal obligation on the Iranians to release her and all of those who are being held as leverage immediately and without condition.'

Last week, Cabinet spokesman Ali Rabiei hinted that a prisoner swap between Iran and the U.S. may be in the works, saying the idea 'has always been on the agenda' and noting the judiciary has confirmed its 'readiness.' His remarks followed that of the Foreign Ministry spokesman who suggested Tehran hopes to swing a major prisoner swap as part of ongoing negotiations in Vienna. A similar swap accompanied the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers

Tehran is now negotiating with world powers over both it and the U.S. returning to its 2015 nuclear deal, which saw it limit its uranium enrichment in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.

As the negotiations continue, Iranian negotiators there have offered encouraging comments, while state TV quoted anonymous sources striking maximalist positions. That even saw Abbas Araghchi, the Iranian deputy foreign minister leading the talks, offer a rebuke on Twitter last week to Iranian state television's English-language arm, Press TV.

'I dont know who the `informed source of Press TV in Vienna is, but s/he is certainly not `informed,'' Araghchi wrote.
The University of Chester has been criticised over plans to rent accommodation to its vice chancellor for less than what its students pay while 86 other staff face redundancies

A university has been criticised for plans to charge its 280,000-a-year vice chancellor LESS in rent than its own students.

The University of Chester's vice-chancellor Professor Eunice Simmons boasts an annual salary and pension package of 284,533.

Professor Simmons is planning to move into a 42 square-metre flat in plush and luxurious Senate House on campus, with her rent set at 121-a-week.

But the University and College Union (UCU) have revealed she will pay 28 a week less than students on campus renting the 149-a-week university flats.

It comes as 86 staff members at the university are under consultation and at risk of losing their jobs.

The university's website describes historic hotel and conference building Senate House as 'one of our most attractive and historic buildings'.

It adds: 'Senate House has been transformed into an elegant entertaining space for all occasions, whether you are celebrating a birthday, wedding, leaving dinner or another special occasion.

'It offers fine dining in its elegant restaurant and hosts meetings in the drawing room in a relaxed environment.'

The university insist a valuation was carried out to work out the rent, taking into account that she would be sharing the kitchenette with nearby meeting rooms.

But students living in small en-suite studio rooms in the university-owned Grosvenor House, with 'small double beds' are paying 23 per cent more than their vice chancellor will pay.

Prof Simmons plans to 'reconfigure two offices' at Senate House to create her flat, for which she will pay the rent, to give her somewhere to stay on campus.

Prof Simmons said in the email to staff: 'I have been giving thought as to how I can contribute to building our University community going forward.

Prof Eunice Simmons (pictured) plans to 'reconfigure offices' at the University of Chester's Senate House to create her flat and will pay 28 less each week than its own students

'To this end we are re-configuring the two offices immediately next to mine in Senate House to create a small flat which I will rent from the University in due course.'

A university spokesman said her rent valuation was arrived at as the flat is not furnished - and her kitchen will also be used for by neighbouring meeting rooms.

They said: 'The valuation took into account that the kitchenette to be used by vice chancellor Prof Eunice Simmons will also be used to service the adjacent meeting room and office so it is not self-contained like studios elsewhere on campus and the property is unfurnished unlike other studios.

'Under the terms of the valuation contract, the university is unable to share details of the firm which carried out the work leading to the rent figure Prof Simmons will pay for the accommodation she will occupy in service to widening participation and student engagement at the university.'

This comes as the university is in the process of making 25 staff members redundant with 86 staff members under consultation.

A spokesman for the Chester branch of the University and College Union (UCU) said members are 'disgusted and outraged' at the 'clear injustice'.

The small University of Chester student accommodation rooms at Grosvenor House, where students reportedly pay 28 a week more in rent than the vice chancellor for her apartment

The spokesman said: 'Staff have spent much of the last year working from home in a pandemic, paying for essential work costs such as wi-fi from their own pockets.

'Now they find senior management have signed off on over 21,000 of refurbishments while throwing 86 staff into a state of uncertainty and anxiety about their future.

'Our members are disgusted and outraged at this clear injustice. The low rate of rent the VC will be paying adds insult to injury.

'Staff and students can only dream of renting a private apartment in the centre of Chester for anything like the price the VC will pay.

'The university has the audacity to claim their finances are in a poor enough state to justify cutting staff, but UCU have seen the annual financial report which states the university had a successful financial year and an increase in students.

'Students have a right to expect their 9,000 a year fees are going towards a high-quality education - not funding the vice chancellor's interior decorating.

'The vice chancellor claim the Senior Executive Team are demonstrating 'financial probity' in their management of the university.

'Where is the responsibility, honesty, or integrity in destroying the livelihoods of much valued staff while signing off on unnecessary expenses?'
British-Iranian woman Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is to be freed by Iran with the UK paying 400 million to Tehran, according to an anonymous official quoted on Iranian state TV.

The channel reported that deals have been reached to release prisoners with Western ties held in Iran.

The official also said a deal with the US will see a prisoner swap in exchange for the release of $7 billion (5 billion) in frozen Iranian funds, a claim the US has denied.

It comes as Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab accepted that Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe is effectively being held hostage by the Middle Eastern state.

Despite the claims on Iranian state TV, UK officials have played down reports with Labour MP Tulip Siddiq adding that Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe's family have heard nothing.

Reports suggest that Iran has made the claim before, without her having been released, and that the Government's position has not changed.

Addressing the reports on Twitter, Ms Siddiq said: 'I am aware there are news reports circulating about the debt being paid to #FreeNazanin.

'I have spoken to her family and they have heard nothing confirming any of these rumours.

British-Iranian woman Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe (pictured) is to be freed by Iran with the UK paying 400 million to Tehran, according to an anonymous official quoted on Iranian state TV

'It was however welcome to hear Dominic Raab refer to her torture this morning on Marr. I hope the Government is doing all it can to get the hostages home.'

Mr Ratcliffe, who has campaigned for the release of his wife after her detention in 2016, confirmed: 'We haven't heard anything.

'It's probably a good sign that it's being signalled, just as last week's sentence was a bad sign.

'But it feels part of the negotiations rather than the end of them.'

It was being said that Iran has made the claim before, without her having been released, and that the Government's position has not changed.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: 'We continue to explore options to resolve this 40-year-old case and will not comment further as legal discussions are ongoing.'

The Foreign Secretary said this morning the treatment of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe by Iran amounts to 'torture' and accepted she is effectively being held hostage by the Middle Eastern state.

Dominic Raab told the BBC's The Andrew Marr Show that Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliff was being 'subjected to a cat and mouse game' by the Iranians.

During an interview this morning, Dominic Raab (pictured) told the BBC's The Andrew Marr Show that Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliff was being 'subjected to a cat and mouse game' by the Iranians

Asked if she could be described as a hostage, he replied: 'I think it's very difficult to argue against that characterisation.

'It is clear that she is subjected to a cat and mouse game that the Iranians, or certainly part of the Iranian system, engage with and they try and use her for leverage on the UK.'

The report of the supposed deal comes the week after Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe was sentenced to another year in prison in Iran, on top of a five-year sentence she already served in the Islamic Republic.

The mother-of-one's new sentence came amid negotiations as Tehran sought hundreds of millions of pounds from the UK from a decades-old arms deal.

While employed at the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of the news agency, she was taken into custody at Tehran airport in April 2016 as she was returning home to Britain after visiting family with her daughter.

She was convicted of plotting the overthrow of Iran's government, a charge that she, her supporters and rights groups deny.

The latest sentence was for charges of spreading 'propaganda against the system' for participating in a protest in front of the Iranian Embassy in London in 2009.

She and her family believe she was held as political leverage to try to force the UK's hand in a long-running financial dispute with Iran.

Nazanin's husband Richard Ratcliffe, pictured outside the Iranian Embassy in London in June 2019, has said the family has heard nothing of any deal which would see his wife released

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe posing for a photo with her husband Richard and daughter Gabriella

It dates back to the 1970s when the then-shah of Iran paid the UK 400 million for 1,500 Chieftain tanks.

When the shah was toppled in 1979, Britain refused to deliver the tanks to the new Islamic Republic but kept the cash, despite British courts accepting it should be repaid.

Asked about the debt on Sunday, Mr Raab said: 'It's not solely about that.

'That is not actually the thing that's holding us up at the moment, it's the wider context as we come up to the Iranian presidential elections and the wider elections on the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) which, inevitably from the Iranian perspective, the two are considered in tandem.

'Nazanin is held unlawfully, in my view, as a matter of international law. I think she's being treated in the most abusive, tortuous way. I think it amounts to torture, the way she's being treated.'

On Tuesday, Mrs Zaghari-Ratciffe's husband Richard Ratcliffe said ministers were 'enabling the abuse' his wife has suffered through their 'reluctance to do anything' that might upset Tehran.

Richard Ratcliffe, pictured, said UK Government ministers were 'enabling the abuse' his wife Nazanin has suffered through their 'reluctance to do anything' that might upset Tehran

He urged the Government to target members of Iran's leadership with new Magnitsky sanctions, which focus on people involved in some of the gravest human rights abuses around the world.

'I think that's proportionate, that is not extreme - these guys need to feel that this is a bad tactic,' he added.

Mr Ratcliffe, commenting on the lack of British representation in court at his wife's most recent hearing, said: 'What we got told was that they (the UK Government) didn't want to do something provocative that could could cause harm to Nazanin.

'And I was like, 'Are you effing kidding me?' You either stand up and protect her or you allow it to happen.

'They are taking her to court for the second time on a second stage of nonsense when you've invoked diplomatic protection - you need to show that your protection should be taken seriously.

'And the failure to do that will have emboldened the Revolutionary Guards to follow through and give her the sentence - and they gave the maximum they could.

'The timidity of the Government will have been a contributing factor.'
Oregon Gov Kate Brown has blamed the rise in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations for her decision to reinstate COVID-19 restrictions on 36 counties.

On Thursday, Brown extended Oregon's state of emergency for COVID-19 until June 28, saying a fourth surge of the pandemic is being driven by variants of the disease, including the B.1.1.7 variant, and causing increased cases and hospitalizations.

The declaration allows Brown to issue executive orders restricting activity and helps the state utilize federal COVID-relief funds, the governor's office said.

'In terms of why a statewide approach, it's about hospitalizations and health care capacity,' Brown said to KATU.

The new shutdowns come as Brown says an overwhelming majority of new COVID-19 cases are coming from younger, unvaccinated residents.

The states head of public health said demand for vaccines was dropping dramatically. Its not clear why, but some studies have shown younger people are more reluctant to get the shot.

Oregon Gov Kate Brown has blamed the rise in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations for her decision to reinstate COVID-19 restrictions on 36 counties

On Thursday, Brown extended Oregon's state of emergency for COVID-19 until June 28, saying a fourth surge of the pandemic is being driven by variants of the disease and causing increased cases (depicted) and hospitalizations

Brown was referring to the 15 counties that she put into the state's extreme risk category. Restrictions in those areas include banning indoor restaurant dining.

The counties in the extreme risk category are: Baker, Clackamas, Columbia, Crook, Deschutes, Grant, Jackson, Josephine, Klamath, Lane, Linn, Marion, Multnomah, Polk and Wasco.

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, whose city partially lies in Multnomah County, which was moved to extreme risk, urged people to use safety protocols to prevent further spread of the coronavirus.

'The key to reopening our city is ending the pandemic,' Wheeler said.

'In the past few weeks we are caring for more patients with COVID in our (intensive care units) who are sicker, younger, and without underlying medical conditions,' Oregon Health & Science University Chief Medical Officer Dr Renee Edwards said at a press conference on April 23.

The B.1.1.7 variant spreading in Oregon is one example of how variants in general can be the cause to the latest spikes across the US and the world.

Michigan has blamed the B.1.1.7 variant on the state's increase in cases last month. Currently, B.1.1.7 and another variant have been blamed for an outbreaking in India.

Dr Sujay Shad, a senior cardiac surgeon at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in India, told the New York Times: 'The current wave of COVID has a different clinical behavior. Its affecting young adults. Its affecting families. Its a new thing altogether. Two-month-old babies are getting infected.'

The restaurant sector has objected to Brown's action, with the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association declaring that the state lost more than 1,000 food service businesses in 2020 and that 200 more closed permanently so far this year.

The association wrote a letter to Brown last week, asking her to reconsider her 'approach to virus mitigation measures at this stage in the crisis'.

'The variants are indeed troublesome, and we share your concern for their spread. But shutting down our restaurants and further depriving Oregonians of their right to make calculated community engagement risks when the virus continues to spread elsewhere will not result in success,' the letter reads.

The group added: 'The time has come to allow our communities the opportunity to move forward while embracing continued health and safety precautions.

Brown said hospitalizations nearly doubled in the last two weeks, to more than 300

The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 331, which is three fewer than on Friday. There are 71 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit beds

The restaurant sector (file image) has objected to Brown's action, with the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association declaring that the state lost more than 1,000 food service businesses in 2020 and that 200 more closed permanently so far this year

'Our people understand the risks associated with COVID and our businesses have proven their ability to adhere to the highest expectations in safety, sanitation, and air quality.'

But Brown says her actions are temporary.

'I intend to fully reopen our economy by the end of June, and the day is approaching when my emergency orders can eventually be lifted,' Brown said in a statement.

'How quickly we get there is up to each and every one of us doing our part.'

Brown said more than 1.2 million people in the state have been fully vaccinated, but the 'overwhelming majority' of new cases are from younger, unvaccinated residents. Oregon's population is more than 4.2 million.

Public Health Director Joe Fiumara also said the 'demand level' for vaccines is 'dropping dramatically'.

For instance, Umatilla County has about 6,000 doses, and last week administered fewer than 500 doses as health department staff sat idly, waiting for people to come.

The level of vaccinations in the mostly rural county is far short of what health experts say is needed: According to Oregon Health Authority data, only about 19,000 people have been fully or partially vaccinated in the county where 78,000 people live.

Fiumara did not say why Oregonians may be reluctant to get the jab, but a study released early last month revealed that when it comes to age, vaccine hesitancy is the largest in young people.

Around 31 per cent of people 18 to 24 years old said they may not get the vaccine due to side-effect concerns, according to the Delphi Group of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.

Brown said hospitalizations nearly doubled in the last two weeks, to more than 300.

The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 331, which is three fewer than on Friday.

There are 71 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit beds.

On Saturday, Oregon health officials reported three new COVID-19 related deaths, raising the state's death toll to 2,498.

The Oregon Health Authority also reported 794 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19, bringing the state total to 185,597.

As of Saturday, the state has administered more than 1.6 million first and second doses of Pfizer, more than 1.3 million first and second doses of Moderna and 95,600 single doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines.

The seven-day running average is now 34,801 doses per day.
Prosecutors levelled two criminal charges Friday against a Republican member of the Oregon House of Representatives who let far-right rioters into the state Capitol in December.

Rep. Mike Nearman was charged with official misconduct in the first degree and criminal trespass in the second degree.

Oregon State Police struggled to force the rioters back out of the Capitol, which was closed to the public, on December 21 as lawmakers met in emergency session to deal with economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.

Marion County Deputy District Attorney Matthew Kemmy told Nearmans attorney, Jason Short, in a letter Friday that his client must appear in court on May 11 or face arrest.

Rep. Mike Nearman is seen leaving the Oregon Capitol building at about 8.30am on December 21, 2020. As he leaves, he pushes open the door and far-right protesters slip past him

The protesters are seen inside the Capitol building, holding open an inner door and gesturing for fellow protesters to enter the building, too

Short was out of his office late Friday afternoon and not available for comment. Nearman did not immediately respond to phone and email messages seeking comment.

Nearman had been seen on security cameras letting violent protesters into the Oregon State Capitol. They attacked authorities with bear spray.

Outside the building, some of the protesters assaulted reporters and broke glass doors on the marble sheathed Capitol. The state police investigated the case.

'He let a group of rioters enter the Capitol, despite his knowledge that only authorized personnel are allowed in the building due to the COVID-19 pandemic,' according to court documents.

Nearman's actions were 'completely unacceptable, reckless, and so severe that it will affect peoples ability to feel safe working in the Capitol or even for the legislature,' the documents stated.

In January, after Nearmans role became clear from the security footage, House Speaker Tina Kotek called for his resignation and stripped him of his committee assignments.

Oregon State Police are seen rushing into the vestibule to ward off protesters who are inside

Police are then seen gathering to fend off the protesters who've tried to enter the building

Nearman (pictured) was charged with official misconduct in the first degree and criminal trespass in the second degree

The image above shows the criminal complaint filed against Nearman by the Marion County District Attorney's Office

'Rep. Nearman put every person in the Capitol in serious danger,' Kotek said on January 11.

She referred to the deadly storming of the US Capitol that had occurred just days before, on January 6, by supporters of then President Donald Trump.

'As we tragically saw last week during the insurrection at the United States Capitol, the consequences (here) could have been much worse had law enforcement not stepped in so quickly,' Kotek said.

According to court records, the misconduct charge alleges Nearman, who is from the town of Independence west of Salem, 'did unlawfully and knowingly perform an act ... with intent to obtain a benefit or to harm another.'

The charge is a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by a maximum 364 days in prison and a $6,250 fine.

The trespass charge accused him of unlawfully letting others into the Capitol. It is a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by a maximum of 30 days in jail and a $1,250 fine.

Oregon Public Broadcasting was first to report Nearman being charged, later announced by the office of Marion County District Attorney Paige Clarkson.

In a statement that was released in January, Nearman expressed his belief that the State Capitol should be open to the public. It has been closed since lockdown measures were imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.

Since that time, the state legislature has been conducting its sessions virtually.

Nearman has been a vocal opponent to the statewide COVID-19 restrictions, which have been described as the strictest in the country.

'I dont condone violence nor participate in it,' Nearmans statement said.

Far-right protesters are seen clashing with police outside the Oregon Capitol Building on December 21 as they tried to enter the building which was closed to the public

Police are seeing being sprayed with mace by far-right protesters on December 21 outside the Oregon State Capitol building

Trump supporters are seen waving flags outside the Oregon Capitol building December 21

A demonstrator is seen screaming at Salem Police while trying to get inside the Capitol building on December 21 during the far-right protest

Armed supporters of former President Donald Trump are seen above in Salem, Oregon on January 6

'I do think that when Article IV, Section 14 of the Oregon Constitution says that the legislative proceedings shall be "open," it means open, and as anyone who has spent the last nine months staring at a screen doing virtual meetings will tell you, its not the same thing as being open.'

In the statement, Nearman suggested he was the victim of 'mob justice.'

After the charges were announced, Kotek, the state lawmaker who represents Portland, reiterated the call for Nearman's resignation.

'Rep. Nearman put every person in the Capitol in serious danger and created fear among Capitol staff and legislators,' Kotek said in a statement to OPB.

'I called on him to resign in January and renew my call in light of todays charges.'

Republicans have been largely silent on Nearman.

'If the investigation finds that actions taken were criminal, legislators are not above the law and will be held responsible,' Rep. Christine Drazan, leader of the House Republican Caucus, said in a statement.

'As we affirm the need for due process and the right of the public to fully engage in the work of the Legislature, we commit to protect public safety and hold accountable those who would willfully undermine that commitment.'
A tourist slipped and plunged 120ft off a sheer cliff and was saved by landing in four feet of water, with rescuers saying it's a 'miracle' he survived.

The 28-year-old man had reportedly gotten too close to the edge while taking a selfie at Old Harry Rocks, near Swanage, Dorset, when he lost his footing on Saturday afternoon.

The five friends he was with looked on in horror as the unnamed name disappeared over the precipice and plunged towards the bottom.

Luckily, a group of kayakers witnessed the incident and paddled towards the man, who had landed in shallow water.

They helped him on to the rocky shore at the foot of the chalk cliff and gave him first aid.

A tourist slipped and plunged 120ft off a sheer cliff and was saved by landing in four feet of water, with rescuers saying it's a 'miracle' he survived. The 28-year-old man had reportedly got too close to the edge while taking a selfie at Old Harry Rocks (pictured), near Swanage, Dorset, when he lost his footing on Saturday afternoon

The man was conscious and talking and was said to have suffered only cuts and bruises, despite falling from such a great height

The man was conscious and talking and was said to have suffered only cuts and bruises, despite falling from such a great height.

The inshore Swanage lifeboat arrived at the scene and placed the man on a stretcher before ferrying him to the all-weather lifeboat.

He was taken to the Swanage lifeboat station where an ambulance rushed met rescuers to rush the man to hospital to check for internal injuries.

Ian Brown, of the Swanage lifeboat, said it was a miracle that man was not killed, saying: 'I honestly don't know how he is still alive today.

'It is a sheer drop of anywhere between 90ft to 120ft there. The tide was in at the time and he landed in the water.

'It wouldn't have been that deep, probably four feet at most.

The inshore Swanage lifeboat arrived at the scene and placed the man on a stretcher before ferrying him to the all-weather lifeboat. He was taken to the Swanage lifeboat station where an ambulance (pictured) rushed met rescuers to rush the man to hospital to check for internal injuries

'He is incredibly lucky to have suffered relatively minor injuries. Apparently he was conscious and talking and was fine. His injuries were reported to have been cuts and bruises.'

The emergency was attended by both Swanage lifeboats, the Swanage at St Albans coastguard teams, the South Wester Ambulance service and the air ambulance.

'It was an accident and he must have hit the water which saved him. It is amazing,' Becky Mack, the Swanage lifeboat helm, said.

'The kayakers and a boat near to the scene were waving at us to indicate the casualty location.

'We immediately went ashore and carried out an assessment of the casualty and made plans to evacuate them.

Lisa Andrews, who was nearby when the man fell, said a witness had told her he had been posing for a selfie when he slipped

'He was really fortunate that the kayakers were close by and that they were able to help so quickly,' Mack said.

'We think they helped him out of the water and on to the shore.

'He was alert and conscious. He was talking and was calm.

'The casualty was handed over to waiting paramedics and we hope they will make a full recovery.'

The man and his five friends from the London area were visiting the beauty spot of Old Harry Rocks between Studland and Swanage on Saturday.

Lisa Andrews, who was nearby when the man fell, said a witness had told her he had been posing for a selfie when he slipped.

'Apparently people were warning him he was too close. I really hope he is OK,' she said.

'We are seeing a lot of people get too close to the edge there to take selfies all the time,' Mr Brown said.

'The cliffs there are very crumbly and our advice to anyone is to stand at least five metres back.'
Scott Peterson's sister-in-law has said that he has been 'failed' by the Justice Department, insisting that she has new evidence that says he could not have murdered his wife.

Peterson was found guilty in 2004 for the Christmas Eve murders of his wife Laci and unborn child.

He was sentenced to death, but in August had his death penalty overturned by the California Supreme Court. A hearing was held on Tuesday to discuss a new sentencing hearing: his supporters and legal team are hoping to overturn the conviction entirely.

Janey Peterson, who has spent years investigating the case, said police in Modesto, 90 miles east of San Francisco, ignored tips and leads in this case.

'There is no series of circumstances that fits the evidence where he could possibly have done it,' she told CBS 13.

Janey Peterson said her brother-in-law had been failed by the justice system

Her husband led the search for her for months but was arrested after Laci's badly decomposed body washed up on a San Francisco shoreline in April 2003. The couple married in 1997

'The justice system has failed here, and a lot of aspects have failed.

'And it started with the Modesto Police Department. And it started with the fact that they didn't follow up on evidence that showed Laci was alive the morning of December 24.'

Peterson, now 47, continues to maintain his innocence.

Laci disappeared on Christmas Eve in 2002. Peterson told police that he had been fishing in Berkeley that day, and when he came back home to Modesto, his pregnant wife was gone.

He led the search for her for months but was arrested after Laci's badly decomposed body and the fetus of their son washed up on a San Francisco shoreline in April 2003.

Peterson, who authorities say dumped the bodies off the side of his fishing boat, was on death row since 2005. He is now awaiting sentencing.

Janey Peterson said that she believed Laci had been killed after confronting burglars at a neighboring property.

'There was an anonymous tip that came in that named five people being involved in the burglary, but only two of those people were arrested and questioned,' Janey Peterson said.

'A Lt. Aponte who worked at Norco Prison in California called the Modesto police in January and said they had an inmate at their prison who was overheard discussing exactly that, that Laci had confronted the burglars at the Medina home.'

Prosecutors say that the burglary did not happen until two days after Laci disappeared.

They insist that the right conclusion was reached at trial, 18 years ago.

On Tuesday the defense disclosed their intent to send a request for discovery to the Stanislaus County District Attorney's Office.

The judge agreed that both sides will meet in 60 days on June 28 to discuss the status of the discovery request.

The California Supreme Court in August overturned Peterson's planned death by lethal injection, owing to errors in the trial.

Scott Peterson and his wife Laci are pictured in 2002, before her Christmas Eve disappearance

Peterson was convicted of her murder in November 2004 and sentenced to death in 2005

In their ruling, the court said Peterson's death penalty conviction was being removed because the trial judge made 'clear and significant errors' in jury selection that meant Peterson did not receive an impartial trial.

The court agreed with Peterson's argument that potential jurors were improperly dismissed from the jury pool after saying they personally disagreed with the death penalty but would be willing to follow the law and impose it.

'While a court may dismiss a prospective juror as unqualified to sit on a capital case if the juror's views on capital punishment would substantially impair his or her ability to follow the law, a juror may not be dismissed merely because he or she has expressed opposition to the death penalty as a general matter,' the justices said in a unanimous decision.

Laci was reported missing on Christmas Eve in 2002 when she was eight months pregnant

Peterson contended on appeal that he could not get a fair trial because of the massive publicity that followed, although the proceedings were moved nearly 90 miles away from his Central Valley home of Modesto to San Mateo County, south of San Francisco.

He also had contended on appeal that the trial court erred in deciding whether jurors and the defense were properly allowed to test whether Peterson's new boat would likely have capsized if he dumped the weighted bodies over the side.
New York City is coming back to life after more than a year of lockdown restrictions as food delivery orders fall because people are heading back out to eat, rents are rising as demand picks up - but Wall Street still isn't back to work in the office.

Noticeably, bumper to bumper traffic has been plaguing the city.

Data also shows that by the end of March, foot traffic was at 34 per cent of pre-pandemic activity, according to Bloomberg.

And another sign of things getting back to normal: The number of searches for food delivery orders is falling - likely meaning New Yorkers are heading back out to eat as more of the population gets vaccinated and previously strict regulations about in-person dining are loosened.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced last week that the Big Apple will fully reopen on July 1.

New York City is coming back to life after more than a year of lockdown restrictions as the dreaded rush hour reappears and delivery orders fall

Delivery services have also been impacted (depicted) by New York's recovery as customers opt to pick up their food or dine in

His announcement was followed by that of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo who relaxed restrictions on New York City bars and restaurants.

Cuomo said on Friday that New York City bars and restaurants can expand indoor capacity to 75 per cent, up from 50 per cent, on May 7. The new limit also applies to hair salons and barber shops.

'New York is making great and steady progress managing COVID and reopening the economy. Following the science and data works,' said Cuomo in a statement.

Coupled with the nice weather and the fact that more than 40 per cent of New Yorkers have had at least one vaccine shot, things are starting to pick up in the Big Apple.

Meanwhile, Wall Street remains quiet. Mohammad Naveed, 47, who operates a coffee cart positioned between the headquarters of Goldman Sachs Group and the Bank of New York Mellon, said pre-pandemic he was selling 500 coffees daily, but now he's down to just 30

However, the subways are far from being packed, but de Blasio said that 80,000 city employees are expected to return to their offices beginning on Monday.

With the increase in foot traffic, there have been reports of longer wait times at restaurants.

And once bars and restaurants are allowed to reach 75 per cent capacity on Friday, wait times will likely increase as the summer months near.

There's still at least one key part of New York that isn't picking up, though: Wall Street remains quiet.

Most of Wall Street's biggest banks haven't yet given the all-clear for the majority of their employees to start working from the office full-time.

Data compiled for Bloomberg by Orbital Insight shows that cell phone usage in the area still is far below normal - a key indicator that things aren't back to normal in the city's Financial District.

Mohammad Naveed, 47, who operates a coffee cart positioned between the headquarters of Goldman Sachs Group and the Bank of New York Mellon, told Bloomberg that the area is still pretty empty.

Naveed said his cart has held the permit at the corner of Murray Street and Greenwich Street for about 20 years, and cant just move it somewhere else.

Before the pandemic, Naveed says he would sell about 500 coffees a day. Now, he's lucky to sale 30.

'The place is empty,' Naveed told the news service. 'There's no people at all.'

He says he sees his regulars maybe every two weeks when they go to their offices for work.

One potentially not-so-welcome return - at least for tenants: Median asking rent is starting to pick up in Manhattan for apartments.

And in good news for landlords - and the city as a whole - newly signed leases spiked higher since the beginning of February, according to data from Urban Digs compiled by Bloomberg.

The rent across New York City also appears to be in the early stages of recovery with the number of new active listings declining and the number of monthly signed leases on the rise

Bloomberg reported the number of new active listings also has declined.

However, there are still twice as many apartments available for rent in New York City compared to the amount available pre-pandemic.

Nancy Wu, an economist for StreetEasy, told Bloomberg that the 'rise in remote work has shifted the perspective of a lot of renters'.

'Instead of strictly searching for an apartment in Manhattan with a short commute to the office, they can afford to explore a ton of other neighborhoods in boroughs they may not have considered before because of the long subway rides,' Wu said.

Wu also said that renters will be able to find great deals on apartments for the next several months.
Susan Collins called out on Sunday a group of Republicans in Utah for booing fellow centrist Senator Mitt Romney during a GOP convention in his home state Saturday.

'I was appalled,' Collins said during an interview with CNN's 'State of the Union' when recalling video of the event.

'Mitt Romney is an outstanding senator who serves his state and our country well,' she told host Jake Tapper. 'We Republicans need to remember that we are united by fundamental principles, such as a belief in personal responsibility, individual freedom, opportunity, free markets, a strong national defense.'

'We are not a party that is led by just one person,' Collins insisted, adding the GOP 'remember Ronald Reagan's admonition to Republicans that the person who agrees with you 70 or 80 per cent of the time is your friend, not your enemy.'

Republican Sen. Susan Collins says that she was appalled by the Utah GOP booing and attempting to censure Sen. Mitt Romney. We are not a party that is led by just one person. #CNNSOTU https://t.co/KE6cvsT64I pic.twitter.com/KPXkUgWhcX  State of the Union (@CNNSotu) May 2, 2021

Senator Susan Collins said she was 'appalled' when she saw video of fellow centrist Republican Mitt Romney being booed and heckled at a GOP conference in his home state of Utah

Romney was booed as he addressed the Utah Republican Party 2021 Organizing Convention on Saturday in West Valley City, Utah

Collins and Romney were two of the seven Republican senators who voted to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial earlier this year for inciting the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.

In her CNN interview, Collins also defended Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, who, as Republican Conference chairwoman, is the No. 3 Republican in the House.

Liz Cheney is a woman of strength and conscience, the Maine senator said. And she did what she felt was right. And I salute her for that.

We need to be accepting of differences in our party, Collins drove home. We don't want to become like too much of the Democratic Party, which has been taken over by the progressive left. We need to have room for a variety of views.

Cheney was the highest-ranking Republican in the House to vote in favor of impeaching Trump for the second time.

Trump has called for the Republican Party to oust both Romney and Cheney.

During a speech at a GOP convention in Utah on Saturday, more than two thousand attendees booed Romney.

The vocal backlash came after Romney, who represents Utah in the U.S. Senate, narrowly avoided censure by the state's GOP over his votes during the both impeachment trials of Trump.

'Aren't you embarrassed?' said Romney in response to the catcalling as he walked onto the stage.

'I'm a man who says what he means, and you know I was not a fan of our last president's character issues,' he said.

Shouts of 'traitor' and 'communist' could be heard from the crowd.

'You can boo all you like,' Romney continued. 'I've been a Republican all of my life. My dad was the governor of Michigan and I was the Republican nominee for president in 2012.

'So yeah, I understand that I have a few folks that don't like me terribly much and I'm sorry about that. But I express my mind as I believe is right and I follow my conscience as I believe is right,' Romney added.

Romney managed to elicit a few cheers when he asked the crowd if they were fans of Biden.

More than two thousand Utah Republicans booed Romney as he arrived to speak at a convention in Utah

'So, what do you think about President Biden's first 100 days?' Romney asked.

The motion for Romney to be censured narrowly failed, 798 to 711, in a vote by delegates to the state GOP convention.

At one stage, the Chairman of the Utah GOP, Derek Brown, interrupted Romney's speech to tell the rowdy crowd to simmer down.

Despite the negativity, Romney ended his speech on a positive note.

'We need to come together in strength and unity,' he said.

Davis County delegate Don Guymon, who authored the censure resolution, said Romney's votes to remove Trump from office 'hurt the Constitution and hurt the party.'

'This was a process driven by Democrats who hated Trump,' Guymon said. 'Romney's vote in the first impeachment emboldened Democrats who continued to harass Trump.'

The proposal, among several platform changes debated Saturday, also sought to praise the other members of Utah's congressional delegation for their support of the former president.

President-elect Donald Trump and Mitt Romney were pictured in an awkward dinner date at Jean Georges restaurant in New York City in November 2016

Trump and Romney were also pictured weeks after Trump won the election in 2016 where the two discussed the possibility of a cabinet position for Romney

Others warned supporting the censure risked defining the party around Trump instead of the conservative principles most delegates treasure.

'If the point of all this is to let Mitt Romney know we're displeased with him, trust me, he knows,' said Salt Lake County delegate Emily de Azavedo Brown. 'Lets not turn this into a Trump or no Trump thing. Are we a party of principle or a party of a person?'

Romney was one of seven GOP senators who voted to convict Trump for inciting the deadly riots at the U.S. Capitol on January 6.

The Senate ultimately voted 57-43 to acquit the former president, failing to meet the 67-vote threshold to convict.

Romney is not facing re-election in 2022.
Nelson's (above) triumph at Trafalgar gave Britain control of the seas and laid the foundation for Britain's global power for more than a century

Fought on October 21, 1805, the Battle of Trafalgar is one of history's most epic sea clashes.

Not only did it see Britain eliminate the most serious threat to security in 200 years, but it also saw the death of British naval hero Admiral Lord Nelson.

This was not before his high-risk, but acutely brave strategy won arguably the most decisive victory in the Napoleonic wars. Nelson's triumph gave Britain control of the seas and laid the foundation for Britain's global power for more than a century.

Despite signing a peace treaty in 1803, the two nations were at war and fought each other in seas around the world.

After Spain allied with France in 1804, the newly-crowned French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte had enough ships to challenge Britain.

In October 1805, French Admiral Pierre-Charles Villeneuve led a Combined French and Spanish fleet of 33 ships from the Spanish port of Cadiz to face Nelson and Vice Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood.

Fought on October 21, 1805, the Battle of Trafalgar is one of history's most epic sea clashes. Not only did it see Britain eliminate the most serious threat to security in 200 years, but it also saw the death of British naval hero Admiral Lord Nelson

Nelson, fresh from chasing Villeneuve in the Caribbean, led the 27-ship fleet charge in HMS Victory, while Vice Admiral Collingwood sailed in Royal Sovereign.

Battles at sea had until then been mainly inconclusive, as to fire upon the opposing ship, each vessel had to pull up along side one another (broadside) which often resulted in equal damage.

Nelson bucked this trend by attacking the Combined Fleet line head on - and sailed perpendicular towards the fleet, exposing the British to heavy fire.

He attacked in two columns to split the Combined Fleet's line to target the flagship of Admiral Villneuve.

11. 30am Lord Nelson famously declared that 'England expects that every man will do his duty', in reference to the command that the ships were instructed to think for themselves. The captains had been briefed on the battle plan three weeks before, and were trusted to bravely act on their own initiative and adapt to changing circumstances - unlike their opponents who stuck to their command.

Vice Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood led the first column and attacked the rear of the line, and broke through.

Nelson sailed directly for the head of the Combined Fleet to dissuade them from doubling back to defend the rear. But before he reached them, he changed course to attack the middle of the line - and Villeneuve's flagship.

Speeding toward the centre of the line, HMS Victory found no space to break through as Villeneuve's flagship was being tightly followed - forcing Nelson to ram through at close quarters.

In the heat of battle, and surrounded on three sides, Nelson was fatally shot in the chest by a well-drilled French musketeer.

The Combined Fleet's vanguard finally began to come to the aid of Admiral Villeneuve, but British ships launch a counter-attack.

Admiral Villeneuve struck his colours along with many other ships in the Combined Fleet and surrendered.

4.14pm HMS Victory Captain Thomas Masterman Hardy dropped below deck to congratulate Nelson on his victory.

4.30pm With the knowledge he has secured victory, but before the battle had officially concluded, Lord Nelson died.

5.30pm French ship Achille blew up signalling the end of the battle - in all 17 Combined Fleet ships surrendered.

... so did Nelson really say 'Kiss me, Hardy' with his dying words?

By RICHARD CREASY for the Daily Mail (in an article from 2007)

It was Britain's greatest naval victory and for more than 200 years historians have analysed every detail.

Now, amazingly, a new eye-witness account of the Battle of Trafalgar has emerged during a house clear-out.

It gives not only a first-hand view of proceedings from the lower decks but also a different interpretation of one of history's most enduring arguments - Admiral Lord Nelson's dying words.

Robert Hilton was a 21-year-old surgeon's mate on HMS Swiftsure, a 74-gun ship that played its part in the destruction of the French and Spanish fleets and of Napoleon's dream of invading England.

It was 13 days later, after Swiftsure had made it through gales to Gibraltar for repairs that Hilton took up his pen and wrote a nine-page letter home on November 3, 1805.

In it he says Nelson's last words, relayed to his ship's company from Nelson's flag captain, Captain Hardy, were: 'I have then lived long enough.'

Many people believe Nelson said: 'Kiss me Hardy.'

But historians rely on his surgeon's reports that he said: 'Thank God I have done my duty.'
A social media account operated by the Chinese Communist Party mocked the humanitarian catastrophe brought on by the surge in the number of COVID-19 cases gripping its neighbor and rival, India.

The account, which is run by the official Chinese law enforcement agency, the Communist Partys Central Political and Legal Affairs commission, posted the controversial message on Weibo, which is Chinas version of Twitter.

The post included two images juxtaposed with one another. One photo shows an image of a rocket launch in China while the other shows dead bodies being cremated in India.

Lighting a fire in China VS lighting a fire in India, the post read.

A social media account run by the official law enforcement agency of the Chinese Communist Party posted a message on Weibo, which is China's version of Twitter, on Saturday that mocked India's catastrophic COVID-19 outbreak. Lighting a fire in China VS lighting a fire in India, the post read. The image on the left shows a Chinese rocket being launched into space. The image on the right shows Indians cremating the bodies of those who died of COVID-19. In response to outrage from Chinese internet users, the post was deleted

On Sunday, India recorded a slight drop in new infections with 392,488 from a high of 401,993 in the previous 24 hours

India also reported 3,689 additional deaths, bringing the total to 215,542. Experts believe both figures are an undercount.

The image ignited a backlash among Chinese internet users who slammed it for insensitivity.

Responders on Weibo commented that the post was inappropriate and that China should express sympathy for India, according to the BBC.

Hu Xijin, the editor-in-chief of Chinas Global Times, wrote: Hold high the banner of humanitarianism at this time, show sympathy for India, and firmly place Chinese society on a moral high ground.

China on Thursday launched the main module of its first permanent space station that will host astronauts long term, the latest success for a program that has realized a number of its growing ambitions in recent years.

The image above shows the Long March-5B Y2 rocket being launched into space in Wenchang, China on Thursday. China on Thursday launched the main module of its first permanent space station that will host astronauts long term, the latest success for a program that has realized a number of its growing ambitions in recent years

The Tianhe, or 'Heavenly Harmony,' module blasted into space atop a Long March 5B rocket from the Wenchang Launch Center on the southern island province of Hainan, marking another major advance for the countrys space exploration.

The launch begins the first of 11 missions necessary to complete, supply and crew the station by the end of next year.

Chinas space program has also recently brought back the first new lunar samples in more than 40 years and expects to land a probe and rover on the surface of Mars later next month.

Meanwhile, the situation in India remains grim.

With Indian hospitals struggling to secure a steady supply of oxygen, and more COVID-19 patients dying amid the shortages, a court in New Delhi said it would start punishing government officials for failing to deliver the life-saving items.

On Sunday, India recorded a slight drop in new infections with 392,488 from a high of 401,993 in the previous 24 hours.

It also reported 3,689 additional deaths, bringing the total to 215,542. Experts believe both figures are an undercount.

The government has been using the railroad, the air force and the navy to rush oxygen tankers to worst-hit areas where overwhelmed hospitals are unable to cope with an unprecedented surge in patients gasping for air.

Twelve COVID-19 patients, including a doctor, on high-flow oxygen, died Saturday at a hospital in New Delhi after it ran out of the supply for 80 minutes, said S.C.L. Gupta, director of Batra Hospital.

The Times of India newspaper reported another 16 deaths in two hospitals in southern Andhra Pradesh state, and six in a Gurgaon hospital on the outskirts of New Delhi because of the oxygen shortage.

With the government unable to maintain a steady supply of oxygen, several hospital authorities sought a court intervention in the Indian capital where a lockdown has been extended by a week to contain the wave of infections.

'Water has gone above the head. Enough is enough,' said New Delhi High Court, adding it would start punishing government officials if supplies of oxygen allocated to hospitals were not delivered.

Relatives cremate the bodies of loved ones who died of COVID-19 at a crematorium near Bengaluru, India on Sunday

'We cant have people dying,' said Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Patil.

The court said it would start contempt proceedings.

New Delhi recorded 412 deaths in the past 24 hours, the highest since the pandemic started.

The army opened its hospitals to civilians in a desperate bid to control the massive humanitarian crisis. Prime Minister Narendra Modis government also gave emergency financial powers to the army set up new quarantine facilities and hospitals and buy equipment.

The military also called up 600 doctors who had retired in the past few years. The navy deployed 200 nursing assistants in civilian hospitals, a government statement said.

On Saturday, India said all adults 18 and over could get shots.

Since January, nearly 10 per cent of Indians have received one dose, but only around 1.5 per cent have received both, although the country is one of the worlds biggest producers of vaccines.

India has so far given more than 156 million vaccine doses. Some states have already said they dont have enough for everyone, and even the ongoing effort to inoculate people above 45 is sputtering.

The United States, Britain, Germany and several other nations are rushing therapeutics, rapid virus tests and oxygen to India, along with some materials needed for India to boost its domestic production of COVID-19 vaccines.

Chinese President Xi Jinping offered to help India fight against the coronavirus pandemic, state media reported on Friday.

Xi also expressed his condolences to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

'China is willing to enhance cooperation with India on fighting COVID-19 and provide support and assistance to India,' state television quoted Xi as saying.
Nicola Sturgeon tested her skills on an electric scooter today as she met with members of the public ahead of the crucial Scottish Parliamentary elections next week.

The SNP leader appeared in high spirits as she took a ride on a Pure Electric scooter and spoke with locals in the town of Troon, in South Ayrshire, and Glasgow while campaigning with the SNP candidate Siobhian Brown today.

The scenes came as opinion polls revealed the First Minister was on course to win another majority at the Holyrood election on Thursday.

However the latest predictions come amid warnings from Tories that the SNP leader could drive Scotland's economy 'off the edge of a cliff' after she confirmed on Sunday that she wanted to hold a new referendum on leaving the UK by 2023.

Nicola Sturgeon appears in high spirits as she tests her skills on an electric scooter in the town of Troon, in South Ayrshire, Scotland

The First Minister tests her skills on a Pure Electric scooter as she continues campaigning in the run up to the Holyrood election on Thursday

Opinion polls have shown that the Scottish leader is on course to win another majority at the Holyrood election

In a poll carried out for The Herald by BMG Research, which surveyed 1,023 Scots aged 16 or over between April 27 and 30, data showed Sturgeon's party is set to win 68 seats, with research putting the SNP on 49 per cent of the vote in constituencies.

The figures also showed that the SNP is on 37 per cent on the regional list while the Tories are on 22 per cent.

A second poll, carried out for the Sunday Times by Panelbase, revealed the SNP were on 48 per cent, the Tories 21 per cent, Labour 20 per cent, the Lib Dems 7 per cnet and Greens 3 per cent in the constituencies.

Head of polling at BMG told The Herald: 'There is no question that the SNP will be returned as the largest party in Holyrood next week, but their prospect of a majority remains on a knife-edge.

'With little movement since our last poll in mid-March, there is no real evidence that any party has gathered significant momentum ahead of voters casting their ballots next week.

'Using a uniform seat calculator  a general guide of estimating how votes might translate into seats  our numbers suggest that the SNP could win a small majority of seven, thanks to a close to clean sweep of constituencies.'

However the latest predictions come as Scottish Tories warned that the First Minister's calls for a new vote on Scottish independence amid the coronavirus crisis could lead to spending cuts or tax rises.

Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross told The Telegraph: 'If she secures a Holyrood majority, she will hold a damaging and divisive referendum while Scotland is still reeling from the impact of Covid.

'This is beyond irresponsible. When our Scottish Parliament should be entirely focused on rebuilding and recovery, Sturgeon will plunge us into chaos and uncertainty.

'She talks about being in the driving seat - the problem is she wants to drive our economy off the edge of a cliff.'

The First Minister speaks with members of the public in Troon ahead of the Scottish Parliamentary elections

The SNP leader walks with SNP candidate for Ayrshire, Prestwick and Troon, Siobhian Brown

Ms Sturgeon takes a selfie with members of the public as she campaigns in Glasgow, Scotland

It comes after the SNP leader made clear she had no intention of putting her referendum drive on hold for the coronavirus recovery during a debate on Channel 4 this week.

When questioned about why she had failed to provide an economic analysis of independence despite planning another referendum, Ms Sturgeon said she had put all preparations on hold to allow her to focus on the coronavirus pandemic.

Host Krishnan Guru-Murthy said: 'So delay the referendum. If you have put everything on hold why haven't you said we are going to put the referendum on hold?'

Ms Sturgeon said: 'I am not planning a referendum immediately. I've said... we should have the right to choose.

'Just as we did in 2014, completely different to the Brexit referendum, we put forward a prospectus saying what independence meant, what the challenges would be. We will do that again.'

Earlier today Sturgeon claimed she was the only candidate in the Scottish Parliamentary elections offering serious leadership and who had put forward a serious plan to bring about recovery amid the pandemic.

Scotland's First Minister and leader of the Scottish National Party takes a walk through the town of Troon in Scotland

She told the BBC's The Sunday Show: 'I am the only candidate for first minister that is not just talking about recovery in this election but has put forward a serious plan but to bring about that recovery.'

Ms Sturgeon went on to say that the SNP were the 'only party actually doing the work'.

She added: 'We are not saying there are not big challenges to address in this country, but we are the only party actually doing the work and putting forward the plans to actually do that - and that's the choice people have on Thursday.

'Do you want to vote for parties who are vying for second place, openly saying they've got no plan for government - or do you want a serious first minister, an experienced first minister, leading a government that is serious about tackling the challenges?'

This week sources revealed that Boris Johnson could take Nicola Sturgeon's Scottish National Party (SNP) to the Supreme Court to put a stop to a second Scottish independence referendum, The Telegraph reported.

Legal advice dating back to 2011 suggests the Scottish Parliament cannot go ahead with the referendum without approval from the UK Parliament.
A mother who played a part in the death of her six children was seen drinking a pint at a pub with a friend.

Mairead Philpott, 40, who was release from prison in November after half her 17-year sentence, was enjoying a snakebite and black.

Following the trip to the Lock, Stock and Barrel in Newbury, Berkshire, Mairead went shopping, The Sun reported.

Mairead was jailed over a 2012 fire in Allenton, Derby, that killed Duwayne Philpott, 13, his sister Jade, 10, and brothers Jack, nine, John, eight, Jesse, six, and Jayden, five.

Mairead Philpott, 40, who was release from prison in November after half her 17-year sentence after a house fire which killed her six children, enjoyed a pint at a pub in Newbury with a friend

Her husband Mick led her and their friend Mosely in a scheme to get a bigger council house by burning down the home and framing ex-lover Lisa Willis.

His intention was to rescue the sleeping children through an upstairs window of the three-bed council home but it went disastrously wrong and the youngsters all died from smoke inhalation.

She kept wearing her face covering at the venue amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, lowering it to drink and eat her lasagne, peas and potato wedges.

An onlooker told The Sun: 'She seemed nervous about being recognised. But there was no mistaking her when she pulled her mask down to eat and drink.

Mairead sported a face covering amid the ongoing pandemic, lowering it to drink and eat her lasagne, potato wedges and peas

Mairead was jailed over a 2012 fire in Allenton, Derby, that killed their children. Her husband Mick (pictured together) led her and their friend Mosely in a scheme to get a bigger council house by burning down the home and framing ex-lover Lisa Willis

'Once she had been there for a while, she started laughing and joking with her friend.

'It was pretty sickening to see her though, especially in such a lovely spot at a pub beside a river.'

Mairead was said to be 'delighted' at being given her earliest possible release date from HMP Send in Surrey in November.

She was due to stay at a bail hostel for three months before being freed under a new name. She had a 7pm to 7am curfew.

The couple's six children - Duwayne, 13, Jade, 10, John, nine, Jack, seven, Jesse, six, and Jayden, five - died from smoke inhalation as a result of the blaze

Mick's intention was to rescue the sleeping children through an upstairs window (the house, pictured) but it went disastrously wrong and the youngsters all died from smoke inhalation

Earlier this month, Mairead was seen enjoying a 5.19 McChicken sandwich and fries meal which was delivered by bicycle to the hostel where she is staying in the south of England.

She also enjoyed a pink birthday cake, as she turned 40, The Mirror reported.

At the end of last month, she was seen enjoying a shopping trip while sporting the new darker hair colour.

She covered her face with a blue mask but her new hair was on show and struck a stark change from her former red locks.

A source told The Sun: 'She is being eased back into life in the community.

Mairead was said to be 'delighted' at being given her earliest possible release date from HMP Send in Surrey in November. Pictured: The coffins of her children after the blaze

Mick, who had previously been jailed for stabbing his schoolgirl lover 27 times, wove a web of lies trying to get away with the crime. Pictured: The aftermath of the fire

'If she continues to comply with her probation requirements she will be able to slip back into life somewhere largely undetected. She's very much hoping for a fresh start.'

News of her release was slammed by the Centre For Crime Prevention think-tank, which said in November: 'This is not justice.'

The taxpayer covered the thousands of pounds worth of costs for her to stay in the hostel with a new identity.

Initially, Mairead and Mick Philpott received an outpouring of sympathy, and wept at a press conference as they appealed for help to find the culprits.

But their behaviour later aroused suspicions and the pair were subsequently charged alongside Mosely.

Duwayne Philpott, 13, died in a special burns unit in Birmingham. Family liaison officers had to persuade Mick to go visit his dying son

From left to right: Jade, ten, John, nine and Jack Philpott all died in the fire from smoke inhalation

Jess Philpott, six, left, and Jayden Philpott, five, were the two youngest of the Philpott children to die in the fire

At Mick's sentencing, the judge described the plot as 'a wicked and dangerous plan' that was 'outside the comprehension of any right-thinking person'.

She said there was 'no precedent' for the case, describing it as a 'uniquely grave set of offences'.

The Philpotts and Mosely were found guilty of manslaughter. Mick was sentenced to life in prison and Mairead and Mosely to 17 years. The couple later divorced.

The father-of-seventeen, who married Mairead in 2003, used his children to rake in an astonishing 60,000 a year in benefits.

Mairead and Mick roused the suspicions of journalists and investigators with their 'crocodile tears during a press conference about the blaze in May 2012

Mick, who had previously been jailed for stabbing his schoolgirl lover 27 times, wove a web of lies trying to get away with the crime.

He even plotted to 'get rich quick' off generous donations from the local community meant to pay for the funerals of his children.

David Spencer at the Centre for Crime Prevention said in November: 'It makes an absolute mockery of the UK's criminal justice system.

'She has served barely more than a year for each of the six innocent lives she callously took away.'
A Utah woman had the surprise of her life on a flight from Salt Lake City to Honolulu, when she suddenly went into labor and gave birth - without even knowing she was pregnant.

Lavinia Mounga was flying to Hawaii on Wednesday with her family when she began having contractions.

'Overwhelmed in the best ways,' she tweeted on Saturday.

On the morning of her flight, she tweeted: 'Hey lets getawaaaaaaaaay.'

Lavinia Mounga, pictured with baby son Raymond, gave birth on Wednesday on a plane

Mounga, from Utah, did not know she was pregnant, and gave birth at around 26 weeks

Mounga's story went viral after one passenger, Julia Hansen, announced the news on TikTok, saying in a clip: 'A baby was just born on this plane.'

Footage then captures passengers on board the Delta flight applauding and congratulating the woman for her incredible mid-air feat.

Later, a crew member can be heard over the plane's intercom asking passengers to remain seated 'to allow a passenger to seek medical assistance'.

Hansen added: 'To those wondering how she was able to fly in her third trimester, I sat next to her dad on the plane and he said they didn't even know she was pregnant.'

Several nurses and doctors who were on the flight assisted with the birth.

Lani Bamfield, a nurse from Kansas City, wrote in a Facebook post: 'If anyone would like to know how our trip to Hawaii is going here's how it started.

'We delivered a 26-27 weeker in the airplane bathroom, in the middle of the ocean, with three NICU nurses, a Physicians assistant, and a family medicine doctor we were able to make it THREE HOURS before we could finally land but the baby and mom did great.

'God was definitely with us up there'

The shocked mother and baby, who she named Raymond Kaimana Wade Kobe Lavaki Mounga, were taken to hospital on landing in Honolulu, in good health.

The baby's father, Ethan Magalei, wrote on Facebook that he was stunned by the news, and described Raymond's arrival as 'a miracle'.

He thanked those who had assisted with the birth, and said he hopes to be 'the best dad'.

Baby Raymond is seen in hospital in Honolulu, in good health, but born extremely premature

Jai Cunningham, a spokesman for the Hawaii Department of Transportation, said the pilot and crew followed protocol and alerted them of the situation prior to landing.

'It was a medical assist, it wasn't deemed a medical emergency so that sort of notifies you that mom and baby were in good shape,' Cunningham said.

'Then the crew emergency medical services group met them and were able to transport them to a nearby hospital.'

A spokesperson for Kapiolani Medical Center told KHON: 'Mom and baby were brought to Kapiolani and are doing good. Mom has been discharged already but baby is still in the NICU as he was born early.'

Cunningham says this type of thing does not happen very often.

'It's not that common for childbirth, obviously cause most of the time once women get far along in their pregnancy doctors kind of advise them against doing such things cause you're on a plane for five, six, seven hours,' he said.

A spokesperson from Delta Airlines confirmed in a statement the baby was born aboard their fight.

'The safety of our crew and customers is our top priority,' they said.

'Our crews are well trained to manage a number of on board medical scenarios. Every aircraft is equipped with medical equipment and crews have access to expert counsel during flight when an issue occurs.'

Mounga's sister has launched a GoFundMe to pay for their medical costs, until the family can return to Utah.

'Our miracle baby nephew was born with three hours left on our flight and was such a strong trooper,' she wrote.

'Our sister did not know she was pregnant so she was just as shocked as the rest of us when our nephew was born!

'Lavinia & baby will be staying in Hawaii longer while baby gets healthy enough to fly back home to Utah.'

She added: 'We love our little baby and can't wait til we are able to bring him back home to Utah.'
Nearly two out of every three Americans say they are optimistic about the direction the country is headed over the next year, according to a new survey taken after President Joe Biden finished his first 100 days in office.

The poll by ABC News/Ipsos found that public opinion was sharply divided along party lines with Democrats more likely to be optimistic while Republicans reported being pessimistic about the nations short-term future.

In the survey taken between April 30 and May 1, 64 per cent said they were optimistic about the direction of the country over the next 12 months.

Just over one-third - or 36 per cent - described themselves as pessimistic.

The survey of 513 adults also found that a majority of Americans - 52 per cent - believe that at the moment it is more important to have the federal government spend money to help the economy, even if it increases taxes.

Slightly less than half of those surveyed - 47 per cent - believe that tax rates should stay the same, even if it means not spending money to help the economy.'

President Joe Biden is seen above in Duluth, Georgia on Thursday. An ABC News/Ipsos poll finds that some two-thirds of Americans are optimistic that the country is headed in the right direction over the next 12 months

In the survey taken between April 30 and May 1, 64 per cent said they were optimistic about the direction of the country over the next 12 months. Just over one-thirds - or 36 per cent - described themselves as pessimistic

Opinion on taxes also depends on party affiliation. Nearly four in five Republicans - 78 per cent - want to keep taxes at the same rate while 80 per cent of Democrats think its more important for the government to spend money.

Among whites, there is a virtual even split, while a majority of Americans who identify as non-white say federal spending is needed to help the economy.

In March, Biden signed into law a COVID-19 relief package totaling $1.9trillion. It included stimulus checks, unemployment assistance, aid to local governments and states, nutrition assistance, and tax credits.

Biden and the Democrats are now proposing a massive infrastructure spending bill that could cost upwards of $2.3trillion.

The ABC News/Ipsos poll also shows that Biden is perceived among a majority of Americans as willing to compromise with Republicans while the GOP is viewed as not doing enough to meet the president halfway.

According to the poll, 51 per cent of Americans said Biden is doing the right amount to compromise with the opposition party. Nearly two in five - 39 per cent - say the president is doing too little to reach across the aisle.

When asked about Republican willingness to compromise with the president, 22 per cent say the GOP is doing the right amount while two-thirds - or 67 per cent - say the party is doing too little.

Last week, polling by Reuters/Ipsos found that more than half of Americans approve of Biden, a level of support that his Republican predecessor Donald Trump never achieved and one that should help Democrats push for infrastructure spending and other big-ticket items on Bidens agenda.

Last week, polling by Reuters/Ipsos found that more than half of Americans approve of Biden

The survey found that Biden received high marks from Democrats though he was viewed less favorably by independents. Republicans have an overwhelmingly negative view of Biden's job performance

Biden's base of support includes minority voters who make up the core of the Democratic Party coalition. White voters appear to be evenly split on Biden's job performance, according to polling

The national opinion poll of 4,423 adults from April 12-16 found that 55 per cent approved of Bidens performance in office, while 40 per cent disapproved and the rest were not sure.

Biden received the highest marks for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, with 65 per cent supporting his response.

In January, 38 per cent approved of Trumps handling of the health crisis.

Ninety-percent of Democrats, 61 per cent of independents and 39 per cent of Republicans said they approved of Bidens response, the poll showed.

Fifty-two percent of Americans also said they liked Bidens handling of the economy and 53 per cent said the same about his impact on US jobs, which in both cases were a few percentage points higher than Trumps marks on jobs and the economy during his final month in office.

But Biden received his strongest criticism on immigration, as his administration continues to grapple with a surge of migrants arriving at the US-Mexico border: 42 per cent approved of the presidents border policy, while 49 per cent disapproved.

More than half gave Biden strong marks for bipartisanship, though Democrats were much more likely than others to credit Biden for unifying the deeply divided electorate.

Biden received the highest marks for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, with 65 per cent supporting his response

President Biden's toughest numbers were on immigration and border situation: 42 per cent approved of the president's border policy, while 49 per cent disapproved - above asylum seeking migrants illegally cross the Rio Grande River in rafts to surrender to the United States Border Patrol in Roma, Texas

Fifty-six percent approved of Bidens efforts, including 88 per cent of Democrats, 23 per cent of Republicans and 48 per cent of independents.

Americans were also generally supportive of Bidens stance on the environment and racial inequality, with 54 per cent and 51 per cent approving of his record so far, respectively.

Biden is benefiting somewhat from circumstances that are beyond his control.

He had months to prepare his pandemic response before becoming president, and some coronavirus vaccines were already in use before his January 20 inauguration.

Bidens economy also has the advantage of being compared against the 2020 pandemic recession, when employers shed millions of jobs as COVID-19 shuttered businesses and schools.

Still, Bidens approval numbers reflect popular support for his ambitious agenda, including a $1.9trillion economic stimulus package and should help him pursue other initiatives, said Julian Zelizer, a political historian at Princeton University.

Biden is now pushing for a $2trillion infrastructure plan that many Republicans oppose, and he is expected to propose tax hikes on the wealthy to raise money for childcare and other programs for American workers.

His popularity will help Biden keep his party together, Zelizer said, blunting malcontents on both the progressive and moderate wings of the party, and possibly tempering opposition from some Republicans, especially those in politically competitive states.

Lyna Sandau, a 75-year-old Republican from New York City, said she admires how Biden has aggressively supplied the United States with vaccines.

Sandau voted for Trump last year, but if the election were held again, she would probably back Biden.

'What can I say, he seems to be trying,' she said.

Republicans largely oppose Biden, with only about 20 per cent supporting the president, but those numbers have not changed much over the past year.

Biden so far has been able to counter that with near-unanimous approval among Democrats and strong support among independents.

About 90 per cent of Democrats approve of Biden, while 8 per cent disapprove. Among independents, 51 per cent approve and 39 per cent disapprove.

Most presidents enjoy at least a brief period of elevated popularity, and Trump's favorability numbers also rose when he entered office four years ago.

But they declined a few weeks later as he pushed to ban travel from Muslim countries.

Biden's popularity, meanwhile, has grown over the past year among a broad cross-section of the American population, not only among the white college graduates who helped put him in the White House, but also among the traditionally conservative non-college whites who still dominate the electorate in many places.

According to the April poll, 61 per cent of white college graduates and 46 per cent of whites who did not get a degree said they have a favorable view of the president, which is up 7 points and 6 points, respectively, from a year ago.

Biden also has become more popular over the past year among racial minorities, with 68 per cent of Hispanics expressing a favorable view of Biden, up 12 points from last April.

The latest poll also shows more Americans  40 per cent - think the country is headed in the right direction than at any other time in the last decade.

That is about as good as a Democrat should expect in such a hyper-partisan political environment, said Robert Shrum, a Democratic strategist and political scientist at the University of Southern California.

Republicans will likely continue to oppose Biden en masse, Shrum said.

But Democrats could counter by pushing for policy initiatives that are popular among conservatives too, such as rebuilding roads and expanding internet access.

'It is very useful to have Republicans who may not give you a high job rating out in the country agree with some of or many of the steps that you want to take,' Shrum said.
Josh Duggar's sister, Jill, and her husband Derick, have broken their silence over the child pornography arrest of the former 19 Kids and Counting star.

Jill and Derick spoke to The Sun about Josh's recent arrest on two counts of child pornography with Jill saying: 'Were very sad about the whole thing, its horrible. Its all very sad. Joshs wife Anna is pregnant with their seventh child, I cannot imagine how she is feeling.'

Derick told the news outlet that 'obviously if there is anything there related to child pornography, we hope that justice is done'.

'I dont think anybody supports child pornography. Were sad for Anna, put yourself in her situation and imagine how you would feel if that happened with your family member. I imagine it would be really hard,' he added.

Josh, the 33-year-old former 19 Kids and Counting star, pleaded not guilty to federal charges on Friday during a virtual court hearing during which he was ordered to live with a third party with no children if he is granted bond.

Josh Duggar's sister, Jill, and her husband Derick (together), have broken their silence over the child pornography arrest of the former 19 Kids and Counting star

'Were very sad about the whole thing, its horrible. Its all very sad,' Jill (right with her husband) said. Josh Duggar (left) pleaded not guilty to federal child porn charges on Friday during a virtual court hearing

He is charged with receiving and possessing material depicting the sexual abuse of children.

Josh's other sister, Jinger, and her husband, Jeremy, have also reacted to Duggar's charges after they were made public Friday.

'We are disturbed to hear of the charges against Josh. While this case must go through the legal system, we want to make it clear that we absolutely condemn any form of child abuse and fully support the authorities and judicial process in their pursuit of justice,' the couple wrote in a statement shared to Instagram.

Duggar's parents and fellow 19 Kids and Counting stars Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar also issued a statement Friday.

'We appreciate your continued prayers for our family at this time. The accusations brought against Joshua today are very serious,' they said in the statement obtained by People magazine.

'It is our prayer that the truth, no matter what it is, will come to light, and that this will all be resolved in a timely manner.' They added: 'We love Josh and Anna and continue to pray for their family.'

Speaking to The Sun, Amy, 34, said: 'At the moment I have no comment to make. I'm kind of speechless, we just hope its not true.

'I spoke with several of my cousins after we heard about the arrest. We're in shock, but we don't want to think the worst of someone, you want to think the best. If it is true it would absolutely devastate a lot of people.'

Amy added: 'Everybody that knows Josh would be devastated. Just thinking about it makes me want to have a glass of wine right now.'

Josh Duggar was taken into custody in Springdale, Arkansas, on Thursday after turning himself in but the charges were not announced at the time.

Josh's other sister Jinger (center) and her husband Jeremy Vuolo (left) have also reacted to Duggar's charges after they were made public Friday. 'We are disturbed to hear of the charges against Josh,' the couple said, adding that they absolutely condemn any form of child abuse

Jinger (right) and Vuolo (left) met on a missionary trip to Central America in 2015, and were married in November the next year

According to the indictment, he is alleged to have downloaded child sexual abuse material online in May 2019. Some of the child pornography material he is accused of possessing shows children under the age of 12.

If convicted, Duggar faces up to 20 years in prison.

Josh Duggars sister and brother-in-law, Jessa and her husband Ben Seewald, also spoke out after he pleaded not guilty to receiving and possessing child pornography.

The couple took to their respective Instagram Stories on Saturday to share the same statement explaining they are "saddened" to learn of the allegations and are eager for the 'truth to be exposed.'

'We are saddened to hear of the charges against Josh,' the statement reads. "As Christians, we stand against any form of pornography or abuse and we desire for the truth to be exposed, whatever that may be. Our prayers are with their family as they walk through this difficult time.'

Prior to the charges being formally announced, a source told The Sun that his wife was 'standing by' him and accompanied him to the police station.

His arrest followed a Homeland Security raid on his now-closed car dealership, Wholesale Motorcars, in Springdale, Arkansas back in November 2019. He was not charged at the time.

Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar said they still loved Josh and were praying for him after his arrest

His parents, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, rose to fame on the TLC show 19 Kids and Counting which documented their family life in rural Arkansas and raising their kids in a devout Christian Baptist environment.

The arrest marks Duggar's latest brush with the law after his father reported him to police in 2006 for allegedly molesting five young girls over multiple occasions back when he was 14 and 15.

It took several years and a tip-off to local police that finally forced Jim Bob to report his son's behavior to authorities.

Josh's behavior was first discovered in March of 2002, when one of his youngest sisters went to Jim Bob 'very upset and crying'.

Josh admitted to touching her breasts and genitals while she was sleeping on multiple occasions.

In the report, Jim Bob said Josh was 'disciplined,' though didn't reveal what the discipline entailed.

But there were more incidents to follow after that. And it was revealed that Jim Bob decided to finally go to authorities after an anonymous tip was made to the Arkansas State Police Child Abuse Hotline about Josh's behavior.
Eleven people were rushed to the hospital and two are in critical condition after an elevated deck outside a waterfront Tennessee restaurant collapsed during a party Saturday afternoon

More than 40 people were standing on the deck overlooking Chickamauga Lake and posing for a picture outside Zoi's Restaurant at Harbor Lights Marina in Soddy-Daisey, about 17 miles miles from Chattanooga, when the wooden deck caved in.

Eleven people were injured and two are in critical condition after a wooden deck outside of a Tennessee collapsed Saturday afternoon

The deck overlooks Chickamauga Lake in Tennessee, about 17 miles from Chattanooga

One person who was injured told ABC that she heard a cracking noise before she fell about two stories

Before the disaster, people were celebrating a birthday party at Zoi's Restaurant at Harbor Lights Marina in Soddy-Daisey, Tennessee

Some of the partygoers were trapped under the deck, Amy Maxwell, spokesperson for the Hamilton County Office of Emergency Management Agency, told ABC News on Sunday.

One of those injured, Sondra Teligades, told WTVC in Chattanooga, that she heard a cracking noise before she fell about two stories.

She was treated at a hospital on Saturday for a concussion and rib contusions, and has since been released, WTVC reported.

Officials won't know caused of the collapse until the Hamilton County Building Codes inspects the deck, Hamilton County Office of Emergency Management said.

The Dallas Bay Volunteer Fire Department, the Soddy Daisy Fire Department and the Hamilton County EMS responded responded to the 911 call.

A woman posted on Facebook that she and her family were on the deck at 3pm, an hour before it collapsed.

'During our lunch where we sat on the deck that collapsed shortly after we left. My husband had taken our children down to walk the dock,' She said. 'Super scary! I hope everyone recovers.'

The restaurant is well liked based on a number of reviews. It has 4.5 out of 5 stars after 24 Google reviews, with many saying they enjoyed the food and the scenery.
A Pakistani sailor who jumped off a livestock ship and snuck into Australia has handed himself into police following a frantic overnight manhunt as the country tries to prevent exposure to the strain of Covid-19 now ravaging the subcontinent.

The Pakistani national escaped quarantine by jumping off a ship moored in North Queensland after leaving Huanghua in China on April 12 and was at sea for 17 days.

The crew member was on livestock ship Polaris 3 when he breached international quarantine rules by jumping overboard while the vessel was docked in Townsville on Saturday night.

It's understood the the border jumper made it to land and left the port in a white van.

He turned himself into Townsville Police Station overnight and was now in custody. He was expected to be handed over to Australian Border Force officers, Nine News reported.

Livestock ship Polaris 3 (pictured) remains docked at Townsville after a crew member fled the ship and made it to land on Saturday night

Another 11 crew members also left the ship (pictured) and tried to claim asylum but have been detained

The ship's remaining crew have since asked to be let off the vessel and want to apply for asylum.

Eleven other crew members walked off the boat and but because they had remained at the port, they had technically not breached quarantine.

However, they were refusing to get back on the ship and on Monday morning continued to demand asylum in Australia.

Queensland Health officers had tested the 11 men for Covid and were awaiting results.

Federal local MP Phillip Thompson said was ABF and Queensland Health were working to quarantine and detain the individuals.

Queensland Health is working to protect the local community and to 'ensure the health of officers from agencies involved'.

'Crew members are being tested however the risk to the community is low,' a spokesperson said.

The ship left Huanghua in China on April 12 with hundreds of livestock onboard and spent 17 days at sea before it arrived in Townsville on Thursday.

Around 37 crew members are still on the board the ship, which had been given clearance to leave the port.
Australians are divided on the continued closure of international borders for those vaccinated against Covid-19, new research shows.

The Lowy Institute polled more than 2200 people in March on their attitudes towards the pandemic, with 41 per cent of respondents saying only those with special exemptions should be allowed to leave Australia.

Some 40 per cent said those vaccinated against Covid-19 should be free to depart, while 18 per cent said all people should be free to jet off.

The Lowy Institute polled more than 2200 people in March on their attitudes towards the pandemic, with 41 per cent of respondents saying only those with special exemptions should be allowed to leave Australia

Poll Do you think Australians who are vaccinated against Covid-19 should be allowed to travel overseas and return? Yes No Do you think Australians who are vaccinated against Covid-19 should be allowed to travel overseas and return? Yes 219 votes

No 187 votes Now share your opinion





Outbound travel without a special exemption from the Department of Home Affairs has been banned for more than 12 months.

Meanwhile, about 95 per cent of respondents said Australia has handled the pandemic either 'fairly well' or 'very well'.

This is in stark contrast with the United States, for which only seven per cent of respondents expressed praise.

For Australia, this outcome was two percentage points higher than last year.

Meanwhile, about 95 per cent of respondents said Australia has handled the pandemic either 'fairly well' or 'very well'

Australia's Covid-19 death toll stands at 910, while more than 575,000 people have died in the US - the highest national toll in the world.

More than half of Australians also said the federal government had 'done the right amount' in helping Aussies overseas return home, with just a third declaring the government had not done enough.

'As thousands of Australians continue to seek repatriation during the Covid-19 pandemic, the majority of Australians appear to support the federal government's current approach,' the Lowy report says.

Elsewhere, the poll also found a large majority of Australians believe the country should provide vaccine aid to the Pacific and Southeast Asia.

LOWY INSTITUTE'S COVIDPOLL 2021 - KEY FINDINGS: * 59 per cent of Australians say the federal government has done the right amount in helping Australians overseas return home * 41 per cent say a special exemption should still be required to leave Australia, while 40 per cent say those with a COVID-19 jab should be free to leave * 95 per cent say Australia has handled the pandemic 'fairly' or 'very' well * 83 per cent say Australia should help Pacific Islands countries pay for COVID-19 vaccines and 60 per cent say it should also help in Southeast Asia Advertisement

Some 83 per cent of respondents said Australia should help Pacific Islands countries pay for Covid-19 vaccines, while 60 per cent said Australia should tip in for Covid-19 vaccinations in Southeast Asia.

This is in contrast with Lowy polling in 2019 that found almost half of Australians supported a reduction in the country's foreign aid activity.

'Over the course of the past six months, the Australian government has pledged over $800 million in funding for vaccines in Pacific Island and Southeast Asian countries,' the report says.
A Florida school principal faces criminal charges after she was filmed spanking a crying six-year-old girl with a paddle, while her confused mother watched.

Melissa Carter, head of Central Elementary School in Clewiston, is under investigation by the police over the spanking, WINK News reported.

The six year-old's mother, who has not been named, said she was called to her daughter's school after the officials complained she had caused damage to a school computer.

The mother, who does not speak fluent English, claims she was confused by the allegations made against her daughter as she arrived at the school on April 13 to pay a $50 fine.

She claims she was taken to the principal's office where her daughter was waiting.

Carter then brought out a wooden paddle and smacked the girl on the behind, a video recorded by the mom shows, with the little girl heard to cry during the attack.

Melissa Carter, left, is seen spanking the six-year-old child with a wooden paddle on April 13

The little girl can be heard whimpering and crying as she is beaten with the paddle at school

Central Elementary School in Clewiston, Florida, is yet to respond to the video

The mother claims she feared getting in trouble, or having her immigration status questioned if she tried to stand up for her daughter.

She said that she instead offered the youngster as a 'sacrifice' and filmed the spanking to show what was happening at the school

Florida is one of 19 states that still allows corporal punishment in schools, but the practice is banned in Hendry County school district - which includes Central Elementary School.

The tearful mother told WINK News: 'Nobody would have believed me.

'I sacrificed my daughter, so all parents can realize what's happening in this school.'

She says she had spoken on the phone with someone from the school who had mentioned paddling the girl, with a deputy present. But she says that due to a language breakdown she did not understand what that meant.

She says when she arrived at the school she was ushered into the principal's office, and no deputy was present for the punishment.

She said: 'My daughter was already in the office. The principal started to scream.

'There were no cameras. What are we doing in this place? My daughter and I, alone.'

She added: 'The hatred with which she hit my daughter, I mean it was a hatred that, really I've never hit my daughter like she hit her.

'I had never hit her.'

The mom later took her daughter to a doctor, and documented red marks and bruises made by the paddle.

She says she is now worried about what psychological harm has been caused to her child.

Melissa Carter, the principal of Central Elementary School, could face criminal charges

Cecilia Self, right, was asked to translate but the mother claims she did not do so

Bret Provinsky, the attorney for the mother, said the State Attorney's Office is reviewing the case to see whether they pursue criminal charges against Carter and Cecilia Self, the clerk of the school, who was seen in the room in the video.

Self, the clerk, was designated to translate for the mother, but the mother said she failed to do so.

Provinsky told WINK News: 'Thats aggravated battery. Theyre using a weapon that can cause severe physical harm.

'The child is terrified, she feels vulnerable. Theres nothing she can do in the hands of these adults, who treated her so brutally, savagely, sadistically.'

On the website for the school district, it states: 'The superintendent shall designate sanctions for the infractions of rules, excluding corporal punishment.'

Neither Carter nor the school has responded to requests for comment.

'I don't mind discipline with permission - but not when there's a language barrier,' said Ruby Monroe, whose grandson attends the school.

She told WINK News: 'I worked for the state of Florida for 34 years and we always had an interpreter.'

Corporal punishment is legal in 19 US states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Wyoming.

But certain school districts in those states have banned the punishment.

In 2011, New Mexico became the most recent state to outlaw the practice.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is facing a 'very difficult' first electoral test this week ahead of a historic vote that could have major implications for the future of his party.

Shadow Foreign Secretary Lisa Nandy said the party was not expecting miracles on 'Super Thursday'  the biggest-ever range of elections to take place on one day in Britain  but insisted that the mood among voters is shifting as the Conservatives become mired in sleaze allegations.

The Tories are also playing down expectations as Boris Johnson's poll lead narrows after the Mail's revelations about the redecoration of his Downing Street flat hit home with voters.

Miss Nandy told Sky News yesterday: 'I think they are really concerned about the way that this Prime Minister carries on and the way in which it seems to be one rule for them and one rule for everybody else, so I think people are starting to think again about Labour.'

Voters in England, Scotland and Wales will go to the polls on Thursday for contests in the devolved parliaments, regional mayors and local councils, with Labour expecting a 'very difficult' night

But she went on: 'Whether that translates into good results at these local elections, I'm not sure; to be honest, we've got a big mountain to climb and it's going to take time to rebuild that trust.

'Whether or not we get a good set of results in these local elections, I think they are likely to still be very difficult for us.'

Miss Nandy also told the BBC: 'We're not expecting miracles on Thursday night.'

Voters in England, Scotland and Wales will between them choose 5,000 councillors, 39 police tsars, 13 mayors, 189 members of devolved parliaments, and one MP.

It is the first time that Labour leader Sir Keir's popularity will be tested at the polls as no elections have been held since he took over from Jeremy Corbyn last April

The Tories are also playing down expectations as Boris Johnson's poll lead narrows after the Mail's revelations about the redecoration of his Downing Street flat hit home with voters

It is the first time that Labour leader Sir Keir's popularity will be tested at the polls as no elections have been held since he took over from Jeremy Corbyn last April.

The most crucial contest for Labour's leader is the parliamentary by-election in Hartlepool.

Billion-pound plan to save the union Billions more pounds will be spent on Scotland by the UK Government in an attempt to further dampen support for independence. A blueprint to save the union will see huge investment in road and rail links with England and patients waiting for treatment could be seen in NHS hospitals south of the border. The plans are set to be revealed soon after Thursday's Scottish Parliament elections to see off demands for a fresh independence referendum. But polls published at the weekend suggest the SNP is unlikely to win a large majority, denting its mandate for a referendum. One by BMG suggested the SNP would take 68 seats with Alex Salmond's Alba Party getting two and the Greens nine  a total of 79 pro-independence MSPs out of 129. Panelbase for the Sunday Times indicated the SNP may get 65 seats  a majority of one  with the Tories on 28 and Labour on 18. Advertisement

It is a seat the party has held since it was formed in 1974 but the North East town voted heavily in favour of Brexit and Labour's new candidate Dr Paul Williams is pro-EU.

If the Tories win in Hartlepool it would show that the party is continuing to become estranged from its heartlands and strengthen the Conservatives' hold over former 'Red Wall' seats in northern England.

The other two big contests are the West Midlands and Tees Valley mayoralties, which were narrowly won by Conservatives last time.

Experts believe Labour will struggle to wrestle these from two popular Conservative incumbents.

Sir Keir personally has struggled on the campaign trail.

He was thrown out of a pub by an angry landlord in Bath and his stunt of going shopping in John Lewis to mock the Prime Minister's redecoration of Downing Street backfired.

A video in which a young man posed for a photo with the Labour leader  then declared 'Vote Conservative'  went viral.

However, the Tories are expecting heavy losses in English council seats and stand no chance of winning the London mayoral contest.

A Focaldata poll of voters in northern 'Red Wall' seats put the Tories one point behind Labour, 44 to 45.

And an Opinium survey found their lead had been slashed from 11 points to five in a week, with the Tories falling two points to 42 while Labour rose four to 37.
Boris Johnson must resign if he has broken the ministerial code in the lavish makeover of his Downing Street flat, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives has said.

Douglas Ross, the most senior Tory north of the border, said the Prime Minister should of course quit if he did not abide by the standards of conduct expected of ministers.

Several probes are under way into the tangled financing of the costly refurbishment  including an investigation by Mr Johnsons new adviser on ministerial interests, Lord Geidt.

The PM is pictured together with Douglas Ross on a visit to Elgin, Scotland in the 2019 election campaign

But the PM, as head of the Government, will be the final adjudicator on any breaches of the ministerial code.

Mr Ross was asked on BBC1s The Andrew Marr Show if Mr Johnson should quit if found to be in breach of the code.

He replied: Of course, I think people expect the highest standards of those in the highest office of the land, thats why I think people are looking at the investigations that are currently ongoing and waiting for the answers.

Mr Ross is the most senior Tory to question the funding arrangements, putting him at odds with No 10.

His comments are likely to infuriate Downing Street, which has sought to play down the row. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab yesterday dismissed claims that a Tory donor was asked to pay for a nanny for Mr Johnsons one-year-old son Wilfred as tittle-tattle.

Douglas Ross, the most senior Tory north of the border, said the Prime Minister should of course quit if he did not abide by the standards of conduct expected of ministers

The Sunday Times reported that senior Conservatives said donors have been approached about funding other aspects of the PM and Carrie Symonds lifestyle.

One donor is alleged to have said: I dont mind paying for leaflets but I resent being asked to pay to literally wipe the Prime Ministers babys bottom.

Mr Raab said he had no idea if the claim was correct, adding: You dont have conversations like that with the PM.

A No 10 spokesman said the Prime Minister has covered the cost of all childcare, but did not say whether he paid for the original bill himself.

The Foreign Secretary declined to deny a claim that a second invoice for the renovations may have been settled with the supplier by a Tory donor.

Mr Raab also sidestepped questions over whether Mr Johnson should resign if he is found to have broken the law by the Electoral Commission.

The Electoral Commission last week launched an investigation into whether any donations or loans were properly declared. It is also the subject of an internal review by the Cabinet Secretary Simon Case, and there have been calls for the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Kathryn Stone to investigate.

Mr Johnson last week said he has now paid the 58,000 cost overrun and described the row as a farrago of nonsense.

Shadow Foreign Secretary Lisa Nandy said yesterday: We need to know who the Prime Minister is beholden to, we need to know what he has promised in return.

Mr Johnsons chaotic decision-making has led No 10 insiders to nickname him Trolley, according to the BBC.

One source said: You think you are pushing it along a path towards your goal then suddenly it veers off disastrously.

Downing Street has declined to comment on the name.
A husband and wife living in an assisted living facility in Tennessee managed to break out of the 'secure memory unit' by using skills he picked up in the military.

The pair broke free from the Elmcroft in Lebanon near Nashville, after the man listened in on staff using an electronic door keypad, and used his knowledge of Morse Code to determine the number he needed to get out, officials say.

The man, who has dementia, and the woman, who has Alzheimer's disease, were found wandering outside two blocks away from the facility by a stranger who picked them up and brought them back to the home.

They had been missing for half an hour.

An elderly couple used their knowledge of Morse code to escape from an assisted living facility in Tennessee

The husband revealed he had 'previously worked with Morse code in the military' and used the experience to learn the code of an electronic keypad (file photo)

Staff were unable to explain how the couple managed to escape the facility, which is secured behind a locked door with an electronic keypad.

Upon being questioned, the man explained how he had 'previously worked with Morse code in the military', according to an investigation by the Tennessee Department of Health care home licensing board.

A report explains that the resident was 'able to listen to the code when staffed punched in the numbers and was able to figure out the number for the numeric code to exit the memory care unit'.

The couple were not identified by name in the records.

As a result of the breakout, Elmcroft was fined $2,000 by state officials, The Tennessean reports.

The facility also said that it will stop similar incidents from happening by checking on residents more frequently and make the sure man who escaped will have more 'walking time outside the facility with a staff member present,' according to state records.

The man's daughter has also promised to visit more regularly to take her father outside frequently.

The pair went missing for about 30 minutes before a stranger found them about two blocks from the facility (file photo)

The Elmcroft has also changed all of the combinations on its exit doors.

'The safety of our residents is the top priority at our senior living community. We are thankful both residents were returned to the community safely,' a statement from the facility reads.

'We reported the situation to the state and their family immediately after it happened and fully cooperated with the state during its review.'
America's bans on travel from countries including the United Kingdom, India and China 'don't make sense' for blocking the spread of COVID-19 variants, according to a former head of the Food and Drug Administration.

Scott Gottlieb, who served as FDA commissioner from 2017 to 2019 and sits on the board of vaccine maker Pfizer, appeared on CBS News' Face the Nation on Sunday morning to share his view on where the US stands in the fight against coronavirus.

Asked about the Biden administration's recent restrictions on travel from India, which is experiencing a deadly second wave due to a variant called B.1.617, Gottlieb said he doesn't see them having much of an impact.

'I'm not sure what we're hoping to accomplish if the goal is to try to prevent introduction of virus into the United States,' he said.

'There's plenty of virus here already if the goal is to try to prevent introduction of that new variant, B.1.617 that's circulating in India, I assure you it's here already.'

'These travel restrictions could serve a purpose, but we need to be clear about what that purpose is right now,' he continued.

'We still have restrictions in place against travel from China and the UK. That doesn't make a lot of sense. I'm not really sure what the overall strategy is around these continued travel restrictions that we have in place.'

Gottlieb said the best way to protect Americans from virus variants - wherever they may come from - is by increasing vaccination rates here at home.

Former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb (pictured) on Sunday said America's restrictions on travel from countries including India, China and the United Kingdom 'don't make sense'

The US, to date, has not banned flights from countries amid the COVID-19 pandemic but has restricted travel for non-citizens from places where the virus, or its variants, are spreading at concerning rates.

The ban prohibits foreigners who have been in a restricted country in the 14 days prior from coming to the US. The restrictions do not apply to American citizens returning to the US.

COUNTRIES ON THE US RESTRICTED LIST UK Brazil Ireland China Austria Belgium Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Iceland India Italy Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Advertisement

India was added to the restricted list last week as it weathers a second wave where medics say 30,000 people are dying every single day, bodies are piling up in the streets and three different types of its homegrown variant are ravaging the country.

Other countries on the restricted list include the UK, Brazil, Ireland, China and 26 European countries that are part of the border-free Schengen zone.

They include: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

Gottlieb acknowledged that viral mutations are 'blooming' in all different parts of the world but argued that limiting travel won't do much to stop their spread.

'The more that this virus continues to circulate, the more it's going to continue to mutate,' he said.

'But the reality is that these variants aren't just cropping up in one market and in migrating around the world. That cropping up simultaneously in every market.

'You're getting what we call convergent evolution with the same mutations that are arising in other parts of the world are also arising here spontaneously.

'There's probably a finite number of ways that this virus is going to try to mutate to evade our immunity. And it's testing us everywhere in the world.

'The same mutations that are arising in other parts of the world are arising here as well. They just haven't gotten a foothold here, in part because we've been vaccinating our public.'

The State Department put out its Level 4 travel advisory on Wednesday, urging all Americans in India to leave as soon as possible. Passengers arriving on flights from India on Thursday and Friday told DailyMail.com that the majority of their flights were full

India is in deep crisis, with hospitals and morgues overwhelmed, medicines and oxygen in short supply and strict curbs on movement in its biggest cities. Pictured: Relatives perform the last rites for COVID-19 victims during their funeral at a cremation ground in New Delhi

Gottlieb called America's vaccination record thus far a 'monumental achievement' and predicted that coronavirus cases will continue to decline dramatically in the coming months as a result.

As of Sunday more than 146.2 million US adults have received at least one dose of a vaccine and 103.4 million are fully vaccinated, representing 44 percent and 31.2 percent of the total population, respectively.

Gottlieb pointed to San Francisco as a 'harbinger' of how effective vaccinations can be in limiting the virus.

'About 71 percent of people in San Francisco have had at least one dose of vaccine, 47 percent have been fully vaccinated [and they're] recording about 20 cases a day,' he said.

'They've dramatically reduced COVID in that city, and it's largely a result of vaccination.

'I think that right now the gains that we're seeing across the country are locked in. We're entering warm months when this is going to create a backstop against continued spread of the coronavirus. And so we're locking in these gains.'

As of Sunday more than 146.2 million US adults have received at least one dose of a vaccine and 103.4 million are fully vaccinated, representing 44 percent and 31.2 percent of the total population, respectively

Gottlieb continued: 'I think as we look out into the summer, we're going to be able to resume normal activity or something resembling normal activity is still going to be a layer of protection on top of what we do, I think people are still going to be cautious.

'But this is going to be a relatively quiescent summer when it comes to coronavirus spread.'

Asked about when vaccines will become available to younger age groups including children aged 12 to 16, Gottlieb said he is hopeful that the FDA will give approval 'in a very short time period'.

'Once that gets authorized, I think you'll pick up probably five million kids will get immediately vaccinated,' he said.

Gottlieb said plans for how the vaccine should be distributed to children are still in the works, but that he thinks providing them through pediatricians would be the best option.
Scott Morrison has asked for an urgent review into the Chinese-owned Port of Darwin agreement, as national security experts warn the deal is a 'strategic own goal'.

The Department of Defence will determine whether Chinese company Landbridge should cease ownership of the Northern Territory port on national security grounds.

The deal, which was signed six years ago and involves the 99-year-lease of the Port of Darwin, has been questioned by federal opposition and national security experts.

Pictured: The Royal Caribbean ship Legend of the Seas docked at Port of Darwin

Defence Minister Peter Dutton confirmed his department was going to 'come back with some advice' after the probe was requested by the National Security Committee of Cabinet, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Landbridge is owned by Chinese billionaire Ye Cheng.

Last week, the prime minister suggested his government would take action if he was advised to by the department.

'If there is any advice that I receive from the Department of Defence or intelligence agencies that suggest that there are national security risks there then you'd expect the government to take action on that, and that would be right,' Mr Morrison said.

Director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute's defence program Michael Shoebridge said he wondered whether operating the port is in the 'company's commercial interests' amid 'the strategic environment they find themselves'.

'I think it's obvious that if the Darwin port lease was being considered today, the result would not be to lease it to a Chinese-owned company for 99 years,' he said.

Scott Morrison has asked for an urgent review into the Chinese-owned Port of Darwin agreement

'It seems a strategic own goal for one of the best parts of Darwin harbour to be in the control of a Chinese-owned operator.'

The $506million agreement with Landbridge was signed by the NT government back in 2015.

It gives Landbridge complete operational control of the port, as well as 80 per cent of ownership of the land and facilities at East Arm wharf.

Luke Gosling, the federal Labor member for Solomon - the electorate that contains Darwin - previously told Daily Mail Australia the city's port is a strategic asset that 'should be under Australian control'.

'The Coalition were asleep at the wheel - or worse - when it waved through this century-long lease for a short-term cash injection,' he told Daily Mail Australia on Wednesday.

'From the time of the sale, I have consistently challenged the decision to lease our nationally strategic port to a foreign entity.

'The $506million was spent years ago, and the lease still has another 94 years to go.'
By summer 1942, the island of Malta  the last British bastion in the central Mediterranean  was on the brink of surrender, its starving population enduring round-the-clock bombing by the Germans and Italians.

In Saturdays Mail, best-selling historian Max Hastings told how Operation Pedestal, a convoy of 50 Royal Navy and merchant ships carrying vital food, fuel and ammunition, was launched.

Today, in a compelling account of heroism under fire, the remaining ships limp doggedly on . . .

After a night fending off attacks from enemy torpedo boats, almost every man of the convoy, young and old alike, was now sleepwalking. A rating on the escort destroyer Ashanti said: Most of us were bloody knackered, absolutely exhausted by the effort, the constant concentration.

There was to be no let-up. That morning in August 1942 the weather over the Mediterranean was good enough to favour new air attackers. Three Italian bombers were seen lingering on the horizon, beyond range of the ships guns, obviously reporting the new British position.

Then out of the sky a dozen German bombers came diving in, three of them targeting the liner Waimarama. The largest vessel in the convoy, she was also the most vulnerable: a crew member later observed that with her cargo of cased high-octane aviation spirit, alongside vast quantities of ammunition, the whole ship smelt like a refinery. The cost of bearing such a burden now became explicit. She was in effect a floating bomb.

A stupendous explosion followed as Waimaramas 11,000 tons of munitions and fuel blew up with a force that killed 83 men on the ship instantly and sent debris hundreds of feet into the air and across the sea, causing casualties on another freighter half a mile away.

Max Hastings recounts what happened after the British mission to save Malta in 1942, which seemed doomed (pictured: The tanker Ohio is hit by yet another bomb)

Within seconds, much of the vessel vanished towards the bottom of the sea, leaving a pall of smoke over the debris and flaming oil. Metal drifted down very slowly through the air like paper.

Even in that week of slaughter, the violence of Waimaramas end stunned all who witnessed it. It was one of the grimmest things I have ever seen, said Lt Denys Barton as he watched from the bridge of the merchantman Ohio.

Onlookers were astounded that any of the ships crew lived through the explosion. Among those who did was 17-year-old cadet Freddie Treves, who was blown through the door of his quarters beneath the focsle. Stunned, he thought I was going to die. There was black smoke everywhere, flames were burning aft of the bridge.

Waimaramas captain had entrusted Treves to the care of a veteran, steward Bob Bowdrey, and as the listing wreck began to sink, both men jumped 60ft into the sea. A mass of fragments were rattling down on them from the sky and on all sides hysterical voices were shouting and screaming as flames crept towards them.

Treves heard repeated cries of I cant swim! Im drowning! Himself a good swimmer, the 17-year-old took hold of wireless operator John Jackson, a non-swimmer, and towed him for five minutes to the relative safety of a drifting timber, clear of the flames.

Then Treves spotted his mentor Bowdrey. He was appalled to see him standing screaming on a raft drifting into a flaming stretch of sea. It was a picture Ill never be able to forget. Knowing he could never tow the heavy raft, I turned over and swam away. This has haunted me all my life. I was a coward.

The world thought differently, however, accepting Treves could have done nothing to save Bowdrey, while he had already saved Jackson and other struggling swimmers: the cadet was later awarded the British Empire Medal.

The destroyer Ledbury spent two hours picking up survivors, her captain Roger Hill flouting the admirals injunction against risking his own ships safety: ratings played a hose from her foredeck over the sea to force flaming oil away from swimmers. A whaler was lowered to search for survivors and a grim race began to reach men in the water before burning oil did. Some won, others lost. Most of those they picked up were suffering from burns.

By the time the destroyer had collected 42 survivors, the rest of the convoy was 30 miles ahead. In the course of catching up, Ledbury suffered another attack by seven German dive-bombers, which resulted only in the usual near-misses. The terrifying had become the commonplace.

But despite all the losses, a handful of ships were now reaching Malta. At 1630 on Thursday, August 13, under fighter plane cover, the islands minesweeper flotilla led the survivors through the defensive minefields, and two hours later, Melbourne Star, Rochester Castle and Port Chalmers, carrying between them 23,000 tons of general cargo  mostly food  and 5,500 tons of military stores, steamed into Maltas Grand Harbour.

After the months of bombardment the island had received from German and Italian planes, this once magnificent anchorage of the Mediterranean Fleet, beneath the battlements of the old castle of the Knights of Malta, was now, in the words of one captain, a heartbreaking scrapyard of bomb and mine-shattered hulks.

While Malta was on the brink of surrender, its starving population enduring round-the-clock bombing by the Germans and Italians (pictured: enemy plane, the Italian SM79)

But to the crews of the three ships on that momentous evening, it appeared an almost mystical haven.

The ships were greeted by bands and ecstatic crowds. A local woman wrote: What a glorious sight that was! The bastions around the harbour were lined with people. We waved and cheered until we could cheer no more.

An RAF pilot also watching recalled the cheering slowly subsiding until there was absolute silence. Elderly men take off their hats and the womenfolk in their black hoods and cloaks cross themselves.

After disastrous earlier experiences, when newly arrived merchant vessels succumbed to air attack inside Grand Harbour, an immediate operation began to unload the ships and transfer their cargoes into bomb-proof caves.

Merchant Navy defies Axis blockade, declared the headline in the Times of Malta. Ships that came through living hell. The accompanying editorial declared in ringing tones: Through the mercy of Providence and the courage of our seafarers, Malta has been given succour in an hour of need borne by people and garrison alike with fortitude and an abiding faith in the justice of our cause.

The next afternoon, Malta celebrated a new miracle when a fourth ship, the freighter Brisbane Star, steamed into Grand Harbour. She had sailed a lone course for the last 200 miles, remarkable even by the standards of Pedestal.

She had left the convoy after being hit by a torpedo, her speed reduced to ten knots. We would only be a lame duck, Lt George Symes, her naval liaison officer, explained. The plan was to make their way down the Tunisian coast, then strike across to Malta during the night. We hoped the enemy would be too busy to notice us.

As the ship crept along the shore-line, both captain and crew were on tenterhooks about the prospect of meeting Axis aircraft, submarines or E-boats. There were repeated sightings of periscopes, real or imagined.

Suddenly, off the Tunisian port of Sousse, a Vichy French gunboat ordered them to halt. When the ship maintained her way, the gunboat fired a shot across her bows, then sent over an armed boarding party.

Captain Fred Riley was ordered to turn the ship around and enter the port, to accept internment for himself and his crew. He offered his would-be captors a glass of whisky and, in a notable exercise of diplomacy, he appealed to the harbourmaster as a fellow seaman to show kindness; to forget his passage; to let the ship go.

There was a pause during which the Frenchman looked quizzically at his naval companion. Then he suddenly gave way, offered his meilleurs sentiments and extended his hand, saying: Goodbye Captain, a safe voyage and good luck.

Scarcely had the Frenchmen gone down the side than a delegation from the crew climbed to the bridge and demanded their ship should abandon her passage to Malta and enter Sousse after all.

The torpedo-damaged hull was unfit to brave a dash for Grand Harbour, they argued. The chances of getting to Malta were nil because a submarine was following them and would blow them sky high as soon as they left Tunisian waters.

Riley reported later: The atmosphere was against me. Close to 100 per cent were wanting the ship scuttled and to get ashore.

But then Riley received a signal from Malta which gave new life to his own dogged determination: from first light next day, the Brisbane Star was promised fighter plane cover. He ordered the prospective mutineers off the bridge and the ship embarked on the last phase of her voyage.

All through the night they zigzagged, the wireless-operators listening out intently for U-boats. At 0630 RAF Beaufighters appeared overhead, and for the last hundred miles the ship was covered by aircraft from Malta.

As they sailed into Grand Harbour, her crestfallen quartermaster noted: There was no band to greet us, like the early arrivals.

The four vessels that now lay at anchor had between them delivered 32,000 tons of general cargo to Malta  a huge success for the Pedestal convoy.

BUT WAS it enough to keep Malta going? Because if there was just one ship on whom the islands survival depended even now, it was the Ohio, the sole tanker in the convoy, carrying fuel for the islands vehicles, generators and vital defensive equipment, as well as the planes and warships.

But as a result of enemy action she was battered, blackened and half-drowned, with the wrecks of two enemy aircraft protruding from her deck piping and derricks; an expanse of her side open to the sea; bullet holes pockmarking the superstructure. She was slowly, but inexorably, sinking, and there was every expectation she must soon disappear beneath the sea.

Her tardiness in doing so owed almost everything to a few hundred officers and men of the Royal Navy and Merchant Navy, who were determined to drag the ship the last hundred miles to Malta.

Dragged she must be: there was no realistic prospect of restarting the tankers engines. This huge deadweight, with thousands of tons of seawater added to those of her cargo, was now reliant for mobility upon the energies of the little destroyers and minesweepers attending what appeared likely to prove her death throes.

As she continued to be attacked by German bombers, a towing cable was linked to the destroyer Penn, in hopes that the 1,825-ton vessel could move the 30,000-ton dead weight of the tanker.

Eventually she began to move, and, with Penn dropping behind and the minesweeper Rye forward, was making four knots, until, after three hours, Ohio sheered violently and both hawsers parted.

It is hard to overstate the difficulties endured by the desperately tired officers and ratings hauling lines, marrying cables and manoeuvring their vessels in full darkness, not daring to show lights because of the submarine menace.

As dawn broke, the tanker was still at a standstill and at 0900 the bombing resumed. A bomb near-missed her stern, carrying away her rudder and flooding the engine-room. She began to settle by the stern, and spirits sank to their lowest ebb. Malta seemed very far away.

But on the bridge of Penn, the captain brought out his portable gramophone, which to disbelieving ears began to broadcast by tannoy through the decks Glenn Millers Chattanooga Choo-Choo, and its flip side Elmers Tune, the sunniest records he could find.

Shortly afterwards, the minesweeper Speedy arrived from Malta and a column was formed, with Rye followed by Ledbury towing the tanker from ahead, while Penn was secured to the starboard side. This ramshackle procession began to creep eastwards.

On the bridge of a Royal Navy escort ship, binoculars hunt for enemy planes, such as the Italian SM79

At 1030 Dudley Mason, the Ohios master, re-boarded his ship to assess her condition. The sea was still pouring into her damaged port side, and kerosene swilled in a treacherous film across her deck.

The tanker was down by the stern and deeper in the water than ever. Hoses coupled to pumps aboard Penn were battling against the flooding in the engine-room, but they were losing the fight at the rate of six inches an hour.

Mason nonetheless reached an important conclusion. His ship was descending towards the sea bottom, but so slowly that, unless she broke in half, the hull should survive for at least a further 12 hours.

Moreover, even if the stern section was lost, most of the vessel and 75 per cent of her priceless fuel ought to retain buoyancy.

That morning, the Malta RAF at last made serious efforts to establish an air umbrella. When the next enemy air attack came on Ohio, 16 Spitfires were circling overhead. On the ships below, men like 19-year-old Fred Jewett were jubilant. When we saw the Spitfires we thought, God, wed made it.

Not quite. Several dive-bombers broke through, one of which dropped a thousand-pound bomb just behind Ohio, twisting her propeller and tearing yet another hole in the hull.

The blast of the last Stuka bomb thrust Ohio forward in the water, yet again severing her tows. The destroyer Bramham moved in to secure the tankers port side while Penn remained on the starboard, and together they assumed responsibility for hauling Ohio into Malta.

It was a boundless relief that the light began to fail without any further sign of Axis planes as the awkward cluster of ships crept to a position south of Malta.

Just after dawn, Vallettas assistant harbourmaster came alongside Penn in a steam picket boat before climbing to her bridge with a senior pilot. A tug passed a wire to the stern of Ohio to assist in straightening her passage through the narrow harbour entrance. Then they crept onwards into Grand Harbour.

It was the most wonderful moment of my life, recalled Roger Hill of the destroyer Ledbury. The battlements were black with people.

It was the most amazing sight, to see all these people cheering us.

At 0945 on Saturday, August 15  the Feast of Santa Marija, the islands patroness  the tanker berthed in Grand Harbour and within minutes began to discharge her priceless oil, disgorging on to grateful Malta 11,000 tons of fuel. Amazingly, only around 15 per cent of her contents had been lost.

Operation Pedestal was completed. Malta was saved.

Although 452 men lost their lives, and only five of the 14 merchant ships reached Malta, it had been an epic of warrior virtues displayed by a few thousand men, from the Prime Minister Winston Churchill  who ordered it  to those who sailed into Malta at the last, aboard Ohio, Penn, Bramham and Ledbury. They redeemed from the brink of disaster one of the most hazardous naval operations of World War II.

In chronicling such extraordinary tales as that of Pedestal, I have often reflected that, whatever troubles oppress us in our own times, they are less terrible than those which encompassed the men and women who participated in World War II or fell victim to it.

Only those who know no history can today be foolish enough to express nostalgia for its experiences. And few could forbear to pay homage to the men of the Royal Navy and Merchant Navy, who fought such battles as this one, and ultimately prevailed.

Adapted from Operation Pedestal: The Fleet That Battled To Malta 1942 by Max Hastings, published on May 13 by William Collins at 25.  Max Hastings 2021. To order a copy for 17.50 (offer valid to 14/5/21; free UK P&P on orders over 20), visit mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3308 9193.
The future of warfare may look like your favourite superhero film after a Royal Marine put a jetpack through its paces by flying aboard a ship.

This astonishing video echoes the Iron Man movies with marines taking off from a rig fixed on to a small boat behind HMS Tamar and flying on to its deck.

The Gravity Jet Suit, from British aeronautics firm Gravity Industries, was being tested by the Navy in the English Channel for future boarding operations  with the video highlighting how the marines could easily jump from boat to boat by gliding through the air.

The Gravity Jet Suit was being tested by the Navy in the English Channel for future boarding operations  with the video highlighting how the marines could easily jump from boat to boat by gliding through the air

The video also shows a flying marine landing on to the ship and then dropping down a ladder so that other troops can climb aboard.

But the suits, which cost more than 300,000, are only being trialled at this point.

The Royal Navy has been testing out the concept of Jet Suit assault teams since last year.

The suits, which cost more than 300,000, are only being trialled at this point

The Royal Navy has been testing out the concept of Jet Suit assault teams since last year

The suits, reminiscent of Marvel superhero Iron Man, can reach speeds of more than 85mph and can fly for more than 10 minutes.

Gravity Industries founder Richard Browning served in the British Royal Marines before becoming a jet pack mogul.

Last year, he flew his 5-engine jet pack suit around the HMS Queen Elizabeth.
A nurse who worked through the coronavirus pandemic in Melbourne hospitals is now stranded in India unable to return after flying to the country to say goodbye to her dying father.

Nausheen Khatoon moved to Australia more than 20 years ago but has now been told by the government she cannot return or risks jail time.

'I fear if I fall sick now, I won't be able to reach a doctor or get proper medical help in India now,' Ms Khatoon told Nine.

Ms Khatoon flew to India to say goodbye to her dying father (pictured)

Ms Khatoon fears if she gets sick she won't have access to the necessary medical care and will prolong her time away from her children in Australia

The mother-of-three was allowed to leave Australia on compassionate grounds to be with her passed before he died.

'I got four days to spend with him,' she told Nine. 'The last few days, I was there at his bedside holding his hand.'

But the government's snap announcement to suspend all incoming flights from India until May 15 left her stranded and unsafe in a country experiencing more than 370,000 new cases per day and nearly 4,000 deaths.

Ms Khatoon feels she's being punished despite working tireless hours through Melbourne's prolonged coronavirus crisis in Covid facilities.

'The news, the statements given by the Prime Minister, everything contradicted my statement explaining how great my country Australia is,' she said.

The mother-of-three worked through the pandemic in Melbourne's hospitals and coronavirus facilities

India is currently experiencing more than 370,000 new cases per day and nearly 4,000 deaths

The mother faces fines of up to $66,000 and even jail time if she attempts to fly back to Australia before the May 15 cut-off date, which could be extended.

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese slammed the Morrison government's handling of the situation, describing it 'extraordinary' Ms Khatoon would face jail time for trying to return home.

'Australia has obligations to our citizens, to people who are Australians, not just to abandon them overseas, but then to threaten them is quite extraordinary action,' he said.

'The government's got to justify how it is that the figures from India are similar to what they've been in the past from the UK and the US, but we haven't seen these sort of measures.'
In a major milestone, more than 15million of the most vulnerable Britons have been fully vaccinated against Covid.

The over-70s and the clinically vulnerable have had a second jab, offering maximum immunity from the virus, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said last night.

With the UK set to exceed 50million vaccinations today, ministers and health officials hailed the incredibly important step towards Britains return to normality.

As infection levels and hospital admissions continued to fall, they said it was further evidence that vaccines were the way out of the pandemic.

Boris Johnson thanked everyone who had come forward to get their jabs, tweeting: 15million people across our United Kingdom have received two doses of a Covid vaccine. Thank you to everyone who has made this possible. Please keep coming forward to get your jabs to give yourself maximum protection from the virus.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock (pictured) said that the over-70s and the clinically vulnerable have had a second jab, offering maximum immunity from Covid-19

A further 372,304 second jabs were administered on Saturday, bringing the total to 15,329,617, according to Government data.

There were also 143,175 first doses, taking the number of initial jabs to 34,505,380  or a total of 49,834,997 for first and second doses.

Mr Hancock said he was delighted by the news and thanked the thousands of people who gave up their bank holiday to administer vaccines, with more than 500,000 on Saturday alone.

He added: Thats the 15million people who are most vulnerable to Covid across the country. Reaching this milestone is incredibly important because this helps to keep all those 15million safe, but it also keeps those around them safe, their loved ones. And, of course, for all of us this is the way out of the pandemic.

Infection levels continue to fall, with 1,671 testing positive for coronavirus yesterday, down from 1,712 a week ago.

Fourteen deaths were recorded yesterday, making a weekly average of 110, down 31 per cent on a week ago.

With the UK set to exceed 50million vaccinations today, ministers and health officials hailed the incredibly important step towards Britains return to normality (pictured: stock image of man receiving the Pfizer vaccine in Derby)

On Saturday, seven Covid deaths and 1,907 new cases were reported.

There are 1,451 patients in hospital with the virus, down from a peak of 39,248 in mid January.

Now that the most vulnerable have been vaccinated, the number of cases and deaths is expected to remain low, with over-85s more than 15 times as likely to be hospitalised with Covid than those aged 18 to 64.

It comes days after a major study found that even those who have had only one dose of the vaccine account for just 1 per cent of hospital patients.

Meanwhile, random testing by the Office for National Statistics has found infections approaching zero among over-70s thanks to the vaccine drive.

Despite the easing of lockdown, only one person in 1,000 has coronavirus, down 40 per cent in a week.

Sir Simon Stevens, head of NHS England, said: The biggest vaccination programme in NHS history continues to break records thanks to careful planning and... April has seen a focus on second doses.

It is vital that when it is your time, everybody gets their second dose for stronger and longer lasting protection.

Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi said: Every vaccine is another step closer to normality. Vaccines are saving lives and having a significant effect on hospitalisations and transmission rates. I encourage everyone to secure this protection for yourself and your loved ones.
Michael B. Jordan recently addressed the possibility that he would slip back into the villainous role of Erik Killmonger for Black Panther 2.

Although Killmonger died at the end of Marvel's 2018 hit Black Panther, it wouldn't be unusual for a comic-book character, like Jordan's, to be brought back to life.

A Black Panther sequel has already been confirmed, but in the wake of the tragic death of star Chadwick Boseman last year, it remains a mystery as to how the storyline, and his heroic character King T'Challa, will move forward.

Michael B. Jordan revealed it's unlikely he will reprise his role as Erik Killmonger in Black Panther 2, but that there is still a chase he could return

Marvel has previously confirmed it will not recast Boseman's role as T'Challa, and has dismissed the possibility of using a digital double.

During an appearance on Jess Cagle's Sirius XM radio show, Jordan was asked how likely it would be for fans to see him to play Killmonger again on a scale of one to 10, with 10 being very likely, and one not at all.

'I'm gonna go with a solid two,' Jordan, 34, said as he flashed a laughing grin.

'I didn't want to go zero! Never say never. I can't predict the future. Two sounds good, I guess.'

Rating the return: 'I'm gonna go with a solid two,' Jordan said when asked to rate the chance he would play Killmonger again on a scale of one to 10, with 10 being very likely, and one not at all

Dishing: While appearing on Jess Cagle's Sirius XM radio show, the actor also shared the few details he does know about the upcoming Black Panther 2

Ryan Coogler is returning to write and direct the upcoming sequel.

It has been reported that the film will honor Chadwick Boseman and his portrayal as T'Challa as well as explore the world of Wakanda.

Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett and Letitia Wright are all expected to return for the new film, which is scheduled to hit theaters July 8, 2022.

In the interview, Jordan went on to share the little details he does know about the upcoming Black Panther 2 film, and that he's confident writer and director Ryan Coggler will do Boseman and his character justice.

Not unusual: Jordan's Killmonger died at the end of Marvel's 2018 hit Black Panther, but it wouldn't be unusual for a comic-book character to be brought back to life

Moving forward: Marvel has previously confirmed it will not recast Chadwick Boseman's role as T'Challa, and has dismissed the possibility of using a digital double

'I honestly don't know much at all,' Jordan said. 'All I know is they're developing a script that is a reflection of a lot of circumstances and tragedy that we had to deal with this past year.

'I know Ryan and Marvel are going to do the absolute best job at developing the story in a way that makes everybody happy and satisfied and honors Chad and moves forward with grace,' said the star.

Black Panther 2 is slated to begin shooting in July 2021.
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson celebrated getting his second Covid-19 vaccine dose on Saturday.

The 48-year-old pro wrestlerturnedsuperstar actor shared a selfie of himself getting jab number two with his 231million Instagram followers over the weekend.

He didn't just focus on his own good fortune, but also included a stirring salute to frontline healthcare workers risking their lives to battle the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Fully covered: Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, 48, shared a photo of himself getting his second coronavirus vaccine on Saturday while sharing his appreciation for 'front line health care workers [sic]'

Dwayne showed off his rippling muscles in a gray tank top with a bald eagle soaring on the front.

He made sure to wear a black mask to slow the spread of Covid-19, while also covering up with a camouflage trucker hat.

While he snapped the photo, a friend appeared to be giving him the shot in his upper arm.

'Round 2. Full tilt,' he began his caption. 'Mahalo to my long time ace @_amarcules and all our front line health care warriors here in the US and around the world.'

More to do: He said there was more work to be done in fighting the coronavirus. 'The more intel I come to understand the more work I realize we have in front of us'

Despite his hopeful demeanor, the Fast & Furious franchise star didn't sugarcoat how much further the world would have to go to defeat the pandemic.

'The more intel I come to understand the more work I realize we have in front of us. Step by step. Keep on keepin on,' he added, while including the hashtag, '#vaccinated.'

Although The Rock now has two doses of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, he won't be fully protected until around two weeks after Saturday's dose.

Public health officials have recommend vaccinated people act as if nothing has changed for those final two weeks in order to prevent the possibility of contracting the virus before the full immunity has kicked in.

People receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine also have to wait two weeks after their dose for the full effects to kick in, but that vaccine only requires a single dose.

Helping out: After sharing his second dose, the former wrestler promoted his Guac on the Rock program on Instagram, which reimburses guacamole purchases at local restaurants

Discounted: In order to help struggling restaurants, The Rock will reimburse guacamole purchases up to $10, as long as the customer orders his Teremana tequila as well; seen in 2019 in Hollywood

Shortly after sharing his health update, Dwayne engaged in some promotion of his Tequila label.

During a virtual interview Thursday on Today, the fitness icon opened up about his Guac on the Rock promotion, which celebrates his birthday on May 2.

From May 15, people throughout the United States can order guacamole at restaurants partnering with the program that serve his Teremana tequila and The Rock will reimburse the cost of their guacamole up to $10, though the reimbursements end after $1 million of guac is paid for.

He joked that 'those days of celebrating my birthday are long gone,' but the program is more about getting people to support their local restaurants, many of which were decimated by the pandemic and lockdowns necessary to curb its spread.

'This motivates people to get back out there and get back into their local restaurants, order their drinks, have fun, as safe as possible, and order their guacamole  it's all on me, I'll take care of everything for you guys,' he said.

Uncertain: In an interview with Willie Geist that will be released Sunday, Dwayne admitted he questioned his choice to transition to acting early on; seen with Jason Statham in Hobbs & Shaw

In the same interview, Dwayne, whose now the highest-paid actor in Hollywood, admitted he'd always had doubts about transitioning to acting.

'When I left wrestling and transitioned to Hollywood, there was a time there when I wondered if I'd made the right decision,' he admitted.

He said he was 'looked down on' when he first entered the business after making his name as a wrestling superstar.

But despite his success, he said his goal isn't to be the 'biggest this or the biggest that.'
Hailey Bieber showed off her sensational summer body in a pair of sizzling new Instagram snaps this weekend.

The 24-year-old wife of Justin Bieber modeled a barely-there bubblegum pink bikini and added a splash of dazzle to the look with jewelry.

She took the show to her Insta Stories on Saturday as well, throwing a light open cardigan over the ensemble.

When you got it: Hailey Bieber showed off her sensational summer body in a pair of sizzling new Instagram snaps this weekend

Her new bikini posts came just after her pop star husband posted an Instagram snap of her looking glamorous at dinner.

The niece of Alec Baldwin had her blonde hair swept tightly up into a bun and teamed an intricately designed red top with gleaming hoop earrings.

'Definition of a bad b**** aka strong, confident, independent loyal.. still cant believe you chose me @haileybieber,' he gushed in his caption.

Justin and Hailey tied the knot at a courthouse wedding in New York in 2018 and threw a full religious ceremony in South Carolina the following year.

Smoldering sensation: The 24-year-old wife of Justin Bieber modeled a barely-there bubblegum pink bikini and added a splash of dazzle to the look with jewelry

This March he sang his song Lonely about the turmoil of being a celebrity to a group of inmates at California State Prison.

One inmate could be seen moving his head to the beat as Justin sang: 'Cause I've had everything but no one's listening and that's just f***ing lonely.'

During his visit to the jail he was companied by his wife and fellow devout Christian Hailey who has since described the experience as a 'life changing day.'

A California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation spokesperson told TMZ that Justin visited the prison in aid of religious initiatives.

Looking fab: She took the show to her Insta Stories on Saturday as well, throwing a light open cardigan over the ensemble

Justin recently set his fans aflutter by surprise-dropping a new EP called Freedom on Easter just two weeks after the release of his album Justice.

Then last month Justin delighted staff and students at a downtown Los Angeles elementary school with an outdoor concert.

In a show of support, Hailey was also seen in the audience making sure to keep her mask on as her husband performed.

'Still can't believe you chose me': Her new bikini posts came just after her pop star husband posted an Instagram snap of her looking glamorous at dinner

The concert was part of the Welcome Back With Baby2Baby event in conjunction with Amazon hosted by Kelly Rowland.

As the month wore on Justin livestreamed a 15-minute mini concert from the rooftop and interior of the Hotel De Crillon in Paris.

Justin's French concert venue, where he performed selections from Justice, is currently owned by a Saudi prince.

'Son Of God': Justin is pictured in a recent shirtless Instagram selfie in which he showed off his famous sprawl of tattoos
She's one Australia's most accomplished and celebrated performers.

And comedian Julia Morris, 53, is the first to admit she's been guilty of letting success get to her head at times.

In an excerpt for her new tongue-in-cheek 'self help' book, titled Julia Morris Makes It EASY, the funny woman satirically describes the moment she suffered a diva meltdown in 2016 at a trendy Byron Bay cafe.

Don't you know who I am?! Julia Morris, 53, (pictured) has satirically described the moment she suffered a diva meltdown in 2016 after a chef refused to serve her fried eggs at a trendy Byron Bay cafe

In the excerpt published by News Corp on Sunday, Julia writes: 'The waitress said, 'Sorry, the chef won't do fried eggs.' My expertly Botoxed brow lifted just a smidge. I wondered if maybe she hadn't recognised me.'

'I patted her hand and said, 'Tell him it's me. I'm sure he'll fry up a couple of sunny sides,'' she continued.

The waitress informed Julia that the chef simply 'didn't emotionally connect' with the concept of serving friend eggs on toast.

Tongue-in-cheek: In an excerpt for her new tongue-in-cheek 'self help' book, Julia Morris Makes It EASY, she writes: 'The waitress said, 'Sorry, the chef won't do fried eggs.' My expertly Botoxed brow lifted just a smidge. I wondered if maybe she hadn't recognised me'

'I had been named Time Out London's Comedy Performer of the Year, and won awards at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe as well as Australia's Helpmann Award for Best Comedy Performer, but I couldn't order eggs on toast? I could have set the restaurant alight,' she said.

Enraged, Julia decided to 'break the system' by ordering two $25 burgers, as they each contained a single fried egg.

When her expensive breakfast arrived, Julia dramatically removed the fried eggs from both burgers in front of the waitress - just to prove a point.

Proving a point: Enraged, Julia decided to 'break the system' by ordering two $25 burgers, as they each contained a single fried egg

Julia has previously described her new tome as a satirical take on the genre of celebrity 'self-help books'.

'Most celebrities in the self-help genre are pretty deluded, and I just thought, you know what, no one's more deluded than me,' she joked to Mamamia.

'I had to get involved. I mean, surely there's some cash out there in the self-help area for me,' she laughed.
She's an experienced presenter and documentary maker with a plethora of TV credits under her belt.

And Stacey Dooley looks set to take on one of her most eye-opening jobs to date as she's set to move into a convent full of nuns for a brand new film project.

The broadcaster, 34, who is dating former Strictly dancer Kevin Clifton, 38, will swap the comforts of the modern world for a life of obedience and simplicity and she lifts the veil on life in a convent.

What a difference: Stacey Dooley looks set to take on one of her most eye-opening jobs to date as she's set to move into a convent full of nuns for a brand new film project (pictured last year)

Her experience is inspired by the Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over programmes on channel W, which sees the star travel around Britain meeting a variety of extraordinary folks and staying in their homes for 72 hours to experience their way of life.

Speaking to The Mirror during a virtual BAFTA Q&A, Stacey said: 'Alice [Bowden, executive producer] and I are reunited and we're doing a film in a convent. So this was borne out of [Stacey Dooley] Sleeps Over actually because I really wanted to go and live with some nuns.

'But we're thinking, 'Well, is that a family dynamic or is that a different idea?'

Experience: The broadcaster, 34, who is dating former Strictly dancer Kevin Clifton, 38, will swap the comforts of the modern world for a life of obedience and simplicity and she lifts the veil on life in a convent

'So, yeah, different idea and I really can't wait.'

It comes after Stacey admitted she won't tie the knot to thrice-married Kevin as she joked 'he'd divorce me in a heartbeat'.

The presenter, who has been in a relationship with the former Strictly star for over two years, insisted she's more interested in starting a family than walking down the aisle during a new episode of her W show, Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over.

Interesting idea: 'But we're thinking, 'Well, is that a family dynamic or is that a different idea?' So, yeah, different idea and I really can't wait' (pictured in July last year)

'I don't want to find myself totally reliant on a man', the broadcaster said as she spoke to members of a community called Tradwives - women who ditch their careers in a bid to become traditional housewives.

The media personality - who was joined by Felipe and his spouse Lillian as they marked 10 years of marriage - detailed her stance on marriage, sharing: 'Kev and I have been together for two years. I don't think I want to get married.

'I think I'd be more interested in starting a family than getting married. I can't think of anything worse than being a Tradwife.

He'd divorce me in a heartbeat!' Stacey recently admitted she won't tie the knot to thrice-married Kevin Clifton (pictured in 2019)

'I would be useless, completely and utterly useless. He'd divorce me in a heartbeat.'

According to The Sun, the host went on to highlight the differences between a Tradwife and a career-driven woman like herself.

The journalist added: 'Of course, I'm not going to become a Tradwife, I can't think of anything I would least rather do than obeying a man.

Last wife: The former Strictly star, 38, was married to fellow dancer Karen Hauer, 39, from 2015 until 2018 (pictured in 2017)

'I can do as I please!' 'I don't want to find myself totally reliant on a man', the broadcaster said as she spoke to members of a community called Tradwives (pictured in 2018)

'It makes you more vulnerable. I don't want to find myself totally reliant on a man because that means if I'm not happy and I don't feel fulfilled and complete, I might have to stick around.

'Whereas the life I've chosen, I can do as I please. I appreciate that probably sounds very selfish.'

MailOnline has contacted a representative for Stacey for further comment.

The couple went public with their romance in early 2019, just weeks after her split from her boyfriend of three years, Sam Tucknott.
New Report: Ins and outs of the lies about Xinjiang

China Daily) 08:25, May 02, 2021

Children have fun on Dove Lane in Hotan City, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, May 27, 2020. (Xinhua/Sadat)

Under the Western media's potent attack and malicious smear, Xinjiang, the beautiful Uygur autonomous region, has long been portrayed as the darkest place in the world. Lies about Xinjiang, often through dirty funding, fact-twisting stories and massive smear campaigns, are made by the anti-China forces in the United States, manipulating and encouraging some truth-bending "academic institutions", rumor-mongering "experts and scholars" and "amateur actors" with no moral scruples.

Their ultimate purpose is to defame Xinjiang, mislead international public discourse and smear China's international image.

However, truth shall not be tainted, the world should not be deceived and narrative about Xinjiang mustn't be distorted.

By completing the report Things to Know about All the Lies on Xinjiang: How Have They Come About? China Watch Institute, China Dailys communication-led think tank, with abundant facts and figures from independent US news website thegrayzone.com and Australian publication Australian Alert Service, and a series of press conferences held by the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, reveals the truth about the fraudulent Xinjiang-related "databases" and the so-called "witness testimonies", exposed the real mastermind behind them and transparentized the ins and outs of the lies about Xinjiang.

Key findings

The report listed detailed truth behind the lies about Xinjiang that anti-China forces has been spreading. Layered from their objectives, political means, and how they made up the sources, the report included nine points.

1. As early as in the last century, the United States and other Western countries started to support separatist and terrorist activities in Xinjiang out of geopolitical purposes in order to destabilize China and contain its development.

2. Adrian Zenz, by piecing together dubious information, irresponsibly claimed that millions of Uygurs in Xinjiang are under detention. He is a far-right fundamentalist Christian, who bases his research on radical media reports and speculations.

3. The so-called research findings published by Zenz and others are full of blatant data faking and fraudulent claims. They confuse speculation with hard facts, blur the lines between propaganda and academic research, and fabricate anti-China narratives based on ideology.

4. A report released by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) in March 2020 claims that more than 80,000 Uygurs were transferred out of Xinjiang to work in factories across China between 2017 and 2019. In fact, this report is full of loopholes and lacks the minimum factual basis.

5. When the slanderous claims against China were ready for use, instead of verifying their veracity, some Western media outlets rushed to hype them up. To create fake news, the BBC even went so far as to pay for evidence.

6. The Network of Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD) is the first organization to propagate that China has detained millions of ethnic Uygurs in Xinjiang. With the support of the US government, the organization used crude and clumsy research methods and the conclusions produced are seriously flawed.

7. The First Independent Report on Xinjiang which was widely reported in Western media actually came from an institution funded by a sham university.

8. The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) is an international separatist network. One of WUCs affiliate organizations, the right-wing Uyghur American Association (UAA), advocates a hardline China policy, and believes in violent activities to achieve its goals. The US government has supported and subsidized Uyghur extremist organizations through the National Endowment for Democracy (NED). In the name of promoting and protecting Uygur human rights, these organizations attempt to stoke Western hostility against China, with the aim of subverting China and establishing an East Turkistan nation-state in Xinjiang.

9. The so-called Xinjiang Victims Database poorly put together by anti-China forces is an ill-motivated and baseless project designed purely for political manipulation.

(Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Bianji)
She keeps her social media followers entertained with her tongue-in-cheek Kim Kardashian impersonations.

And Nadia Sawalha has revealed she and her husband Mark Adderley want to follow in Kim and Kanye West's footsteps and broadcast their wedding vow renewal on their 20th anniversary this June.

The Loose Women star, 56, explained: 'We were thinking of doing something quite public,' while Mark added: 'It would be like a Kim and Kanye wedding broadcast.'

Make like Kim: Nadia Sawalha, 56, has revealed she and her husband Mark Adderley want to follow in Kim and Kanye West's footsteps and broadcast their wedding vow renewal

Speaking to The Mirror about her decision to share the moment with their fans, Nadia referenced their popular podcast, Confessions of a Modern Parent, saying: 'We were thinking of doing something where our subscribers can join us. Our community is like an extension of who we are as a couple. We feel like we know them.'

The loved-up couple, who are doting parents to daughters Maddie, 18, and Kiki, 13, hope to hold the ceremony in St Ives, Cornwall.

Nadia recently chatted about her Instagram posts and revealed her daughters find her empowering posts 'embarrassing' as young people would rather their mothers 'shut up' in an exclusive interview with MailOnline.

Speaking candidly about her inspiring social media platform, Nadia also revealed that she is campaigning for her followers to call her posts 'body acceptance' rather than 'body confidence' as she is 'not healed' and has to work on herself daily.

Nadia joked that young people would rather their mothers 'sit down and shut up' but she doesn't want to be silenced.

Wedding: Kim Kardashian, 40, and Kanye West, 43, famously got married on May 24, 2014 in Florence, Italy

She said: 'Actually for a lot of the time, it's been quite difficult for them. I think it's embarrassing. Like I'll post something then very quickly their friends will send it to them and go: "Oh look what your mum's doing."

'I think to be quite honest, most young people want their mums to sit down and shut up because everything they do is embarrassing. But actually, that is part of why I'm on YouTube and Instagram, that is part of it. They were a bit like: "Oh mum!".'

Nadia noted how dads can 'be funny and outrageous' but girls tend to want their mothers to be 'very quiet'.

She continued: 'I just thought: "No, I don't actually want to be." I feel like a kid in lots of ways, so I have pushed through because at some points I've just thought: "Is it too embarrassing for them, me doing my Kim Kardashian and all these things.'''

Yet Nadia revealed that she actually received praise from her two daughters recently after she was celebrated as an influencer for helping women think positively about their bodies.

She said: 'Honest to God, I was so thrilled about that, more thrilled than anything else I've ever done or anything. I came home and told the girls, expecting them to go: "Oh mum, you're so embarrassing!" but they were so lovely.

'They were like: "Oh mum, that is so brilliant. I have to say mum, you are really brave." That is the first time they've said that to me.'

Nadia explained: 'We were thinking of doing something quite public,' while Mark added: 'It would be like a Kim and Kanye wedding broadcast'

Doting parents: Nadia and Mark share daughters Maddie, 18, and Kiki, 13 (pictured) who Nadia revealed are not always fans of her Kim K impersonations

Nadia jokingly added: 'Probably when they're in their 40s, they'll go: "Mum, that was really good what you did, it really helped me out!" I'm not going to get any direct thanks for a while, I don't think.'

Talking about her recent videos poking fun at Kim, Nadia joked: 'The thing is, what people don't know about me, I actually love the Kardashians. I watch them, the shows, everything. But I also see the hilarity of what they do.

'I get so captivated by those Kim ads for her SKIMS and you do start believing that you're going to look like Kim!'
Anna Nicole Smith's daughter Dannielynn Birkhead coordinated perfectly with her father, Larry Birkhead, on Saturday as the pair continued a long standing family tradition of attending the Kentucky Derby.

The 14-year-old daughter of the late model, who died from an accidental overdose in 2007, beamed with excitement as she and her dad, 48, geared up for a day of horse racing at Churchill Downs in Louisville.

But Larry revealed that his daughter was keen to show off her own style this year.

Larry told DailyMail.com: 'Dannielynn was determined to have a different style this year. Since she is older, its not like you can just go out and pick out a little kid dress anymore like I had done for all the Derby races in the past.

'She picked out a (Jovani) pantsuit she loved online and they rushed it to her just in time for the big race. She wanted to coordinate everything this year down to her blinged out mask'.

The horse race holds a special place in the family's heart as Larry met Anna Nicole there in 2004 where she was photographed in an iconic pink hat.

Larry and his daughter posted a trio of photos on their joint Instagram account accompanied by a lengthy caption with details on the weekend, as Larry joked that Dannielynn's striking teal pant suit 'finished first.'

Derby debut: Anna Nicole Smith's daughter Dannielynn Birkhead, 14, heads to the Kentucky Derby with dad Larry Birkhead who jokes her teal pant suit 'finished first'

Annual outing: 'It's that time of year again. The @kentuckyderby weekend is here!,' a snippet of the caption read, as they shared photos of their look for the annual race at Churchill Downs

Racing puns: 'Dannielynn 'finished first' in her pant suit and a beautiful white flowered fascinator,' he wrote, continuing to say she was certainly growing into a teenager with many opinions

Mini-me: In 2019 she continued Anna Nicole's legacy at the derby as she wore her oversized pink hat, looking a spitting image of her bombshell mom (pictured, right, in 2004)

The daddy-daughter duo posed on a stoop in one photo before sharing snaps from the race track, one of which featured the blonde teenager in a studded face mask to match her outfit.

'It's that time of year again. The @kentuckyderby weekend is here! Even though our favorite event The Barnstable-Brown Party won't be back until next year, we decided to head out on this beautiful day to Churchill Downs racetrack in preparation for The Kentucky Derby,' they wrote.

Larry explained that the trip to the racecourse was made even more special given that global pandemic had led to almost everything else being cancelled.

'We had a great time just spending the time together eating a bunch of food and enjoying the great weather. Since Covid it has been a challenge to get out of the house and do much so this was a special treat and time,' he told DailyMail.com.

Larry Birkhead and his daughter Dannielynn, pictured here at the age of three, look at a dress of Anna Nicole Smith at the Kentucky Derby Museum Wednesday, in April 2010

Photographer Larry Birkhead and daughter Dannielynn Birkhead are pictured attending the 137th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in May 2011

Another photo of the daddy-daughter duo taken in 2011

Dad Larry Birkhead and daughter, Dannielynn are seen before the 140th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in May 2014

By 2016, the pair were already starting to color coordinate their outfits. Here they are pictured at the 142nd Kentucky Derby in 2016

Larry Birkhead and daughter Dannielynn Birkhead are seen in 2019. Dannielynn's mother, Anna Nicole Smith, wore the same hat 15 years earlier in 2004

Teenager Dannielynn looked grown up in a bright Jovani pantsuit adorned with pearl buttons in the shape of flowers.

And she continued to dazzle in a pair of studded flats while additionally going all out with the derby theme as she sported a white flowered fascinator.

'She is getting so big it is scary. She will be driving in just a couple of years! I tried to mention giving her one of her Moms old cars, but she is already talking about a Tesla!' Larry joked.

'She is doing great in school and has great grades but she misses in-person school and seeing all of her friends. Im really proud of her and think big things are to come from her. I think people make natural comparisons to her mom but the truth is she is her own person and she is determined to do things on her own even at such a young age,' Larry explained.

147 years: The Derby was back in action with many celebrities coming out to watch the race take place in Kentucky for the 147th year; pictured May 1

Photographer Larry debuted a white linen suit with a blue button down and pastel checkered tie, sharing in the caption that Dannielynn spent time 'critiquing [his] outfit,' after marveling that her look 'finished first.'

'Dannielynn 'finished first' in her pant suit and a beautiful white flowered fascinator,' he wrote, continuing to say she was certainly growing into a teenager with many opinions.

'She said she wanted to wear something entirely different than she had in the past. I guess that means no more 'little girl' dresses?? She cleaned out the chocolate brownies, ice cream and nachos while at the same time critiquing my outfit,' the caption concluded.

In 2019 Dannielynn continued her legacy as she showed up to the derby in the same hat, looking reminiscent of her late mom.

Larry Birkhead and Anna Nicole Smith in a photo from the May 1, 2004 Kentucky Derby posted on Larry's Instagram page. In 2019, daughter Dannielynn wore the exact same hat to the Derby

Dannielynn and Larry had taken part in a 20/20 ABC News special in February where they reflected on the playmate's life as they visited her hometown of Mexia, Texas and spoke to friends who knew her before she was famous.

'You are your mommy you look just like her,' marveled one friend about Dannielynn, and it was said that she had always 'dreamed' of having a daughter. Sadly Smith passed away when she was just five months old.

She also had a son Daniel with ex-husband Billy Wayne Smith who tragically met the same fate Anna did, dying of an accidental overdose just one year before her death, and days after she welcomed Dannielynn.

'Anna should be remembered as this larger than life figure that was really a caring, giving person. A beautiful lady who loved her fans and loved her family,' Birkhead said in the special.

Anna Nicole Smith is seen greeting the crowd before the Kentucky Derby in May 2003
Sharon Stone is breathing a sigh of relief after she had to take her beloved French Bulldog, Joe, to an animal hospital to see the doggie doctor.

The Oscar-nominated actress didn't reveal the health issue that prompted the visit to her veterinarian in an Instagram post, but she did share that he's now back home by posting a photo of the pair snuggled up together, poolside.

'Joe is back from the vet #JoeStone,' the 63-year-old wrote alongside the sweet snap showing the longtime leading lady dressed in one-piece swimsuit.

Beaming: Sharon Stone, 63, flaunted her legs and happy glow in a one-piece swimsuit when she revealed her French Bulldog, Joe, was back home after a visit to the doggie doctor

In the image, the Pennsylvania native can be seen lounging on her side, on a stylish mattress, with her right hand and forearm resting on Joe's back.

With her long gams taking center stage, Stone has her left leg stretched out and her right leg curled up next to the black and rust-colored pooch.

The mother of three flashed a glowing smile in the photo after bringing Joe home from the animal hospital, safe and sound.

Sharing her story: Stone released her first literary effort, her memoir - The Beauty Of Living Twice - on March 30

About an hour before sharing the news about Joe, Stone posted a photo of her grey-and-white French Bulldog named Bandit.

'Bandit as Yoda,' she captioned the funny snap where she references the look on his face to the iconic Star Wars character.

The Casino star is also the proud mother of her three adopted sons: sons Roan, 20, Laird, 15, and Quinn, 14.

In recent weeks, Stone has also been using her social media platforms to promote her new memoir - The Beauty Of Living Twice - that just became available to her fans on March 30.

Instagram official: The Oscar-nominated actress gives updates on Joe on social media

Four-legged family members: Bandit, also a French Bulldog, was adopted into the Stone family back in April 2018

Having first made a splash as a fashion model in the late 1970s, Stone made her film debut as an extra in Woody Allen's comedy-drama film Stardust Memories (1980).

Her first speaking role was in Wes Craven's horror movie Deadly Blessing (1981).

It was her role in the science fiction action film Total Recall (1990), starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, that put her name into the leading lady conversation at the time.

She went on to star in a number of hit films, including Basic Instinct (1992), Sliver (1993), The Quick and the Dead (1995), Casino (1995), for which she was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar, Sphere (1998) and Broken Flowers (2005).

In more recent years, Stone has seen success in television with roles in the acclaimed series Mosaic (2017) and Ratched (2020).

Model-turned-actress: Stone had her big breakthrough with her leading role in Total Recall (1990); she is pictured flashing her gams that very same year
Luann de Lesseps has expressed her affection for her fired Real Housewives Of New York co-star Dorinda Medley.

Dorinda, 56, was booted from the show last year and Luann, 55, has confessed the program was 'a little less angry' after her departure.

'I hate to say it because there was a lot of anger and a lot of [negativity] and I love Dorinda. Its just the way it panned out,' Luann told Us Weekly.

Side by side: Luann De Lesseps (right) has expressed her affection for her fired Real Housewives Of New York co-star Dorinda Medley (left)

Luann, who is known as the Countess, also noted that Dorinda's feud with her co-star Tinsley Mortimer brought 'kind of a negative energy' to the proceedings.

One outbreak of tension between Dorinda and Tinsley came when the former made a joke about the latter's difficulties conceiving.

Dorinda made a joke that Tinsley could use a turkey baster to become pregnant - a quip that Tinsley denounced as 'vile.'

On the latest series finale episode Dorinda raged that Tinsley had 'ruined this show' and accused her of breach of contract.

Her perspective: Dorinda, 56, was booted from the show last year and Luann (pictured), 55, has confessed the program was 'a little less angry' after her departure

A source alleged to The Sun last autumn that it was this particular outburst that caused Dorinda to lose her job

'Bravo hates nothing more than when cast members break the fourth wall. The second Dorinda did that, she basically put in her resignation!' said the insider.

'Producers hate when they bring the show into the plot. Sure, Dorinda isn't the nicest drunk, but she tells it like it is.'

Tinsley herself left the show to move to Chicago and marry her fiance Scott Kluth but the engagement has since been broken.

Enmity: Luann also noted that Dorinda's (left) feud with her co-star Tinsley Mortimer (right) brought 'kind of a negative energy' to the proceedings

Meanwhile Luann recently dished to DailyMailTV that she had a 'rocky start' with her new co-star Eboni K. Williams filming the next Real Housewives Of New York season.

She also revealed that the women became closer because of the scaled-down cast amid the coronavirus lockdowns.

'It was a very bonding experience, too, because it was just the five of us,' she said. 'We got very tight. We have a lot of fun and, of course, when you throw that many women into the mix, there's always going to be conflicts.'
The one-time home of fictional Neighbours fan-favourite Jarrod 'Toadie' Rebecchi hit the market for the first time in three decades in April.

The single storey home - that served as the external shot for the house of the Ramsay Street icon, played by Ryan Moloney - was expected to fetch $1.4million.

According to The Daily Telegraphs' The Sell on Sunday, the nondescript brick house in Melbourne sold for an incredible $1.6million at Saturday's auction.

A piece of TV history! Toadie's home on Neighbours SMASHES iconic Ramsay street property record as its SOLD for a cool $1.6million. The property, located in the Melbourne suburb of Vermont South, went under the hammer on May 1

Neighbours favourite: The single storey home has served as the external shot for the house of many stars on Ramsay Street, including icon Jarrod 'Toadie' Rebecchi, played by Ryan Moloney (pictured)

The publication reported that it broke the previous street record of $1.405 million in 2019 - the home of Dr Karl and Susan Kennedy; 5 Pin Oak Court.

The property, located in the iconic cul de sac of Pin Oak Court in the Melbourne suburb of Vermont South, had three bidders vying for the home before the hammer went down on May 1.

The mystery buyer will have the thrill of seeing their home on the small screen, while also getting paid a small residual.

Through the decades it has been the on-screen home of the likes of Mrs Nell Mangel, Cameron and Beth, then 'Toadie' from 1995 and, more recently, Lou Carpenter.

Everybody needs good Neighbours! The publication reported that it broke the previous street record of $1.405 million in 2019 - the home of Dr Karl and Susan Kennedy (pictured)

How about that! The mystery buyer will have the thrill of seeing their home on the small screen, while also getting paid a small residual

The home features four bedrooms, including a master bedroom with a spacious walk-in-wardrobe and ensuite.

Upon entry, the home leads to a living room that features a brick fireplace, and formal dining room.

The combined area then flows to a spacious kitchen that is fitted with top of the range appliances, an island table and sleek cabinetry.

A little 80s flair: It features four bedrooms, including a master bedroom with a spacious walk-in-wardrobe and ensuite

Beside the kitchen is the generously-sized family room - perfect for entertaining guests.

The room also has glass sliding doors that allow for bright natural light to flow into the space, as well as lead out to the outdoor deck.

The property's outside ground level features a barbecue area and a firepit, perfect for entertaining guests outdoors.

Back inside, the home also features a wall with photos and newspaper clippings related the property's Neighbours history from the owner.

Shrine: Back inside, the home also features a wall with photos and newspaper clippings related the property's Neighbours history, from the previous owner

The current owner of the property, Lorraine Rushton - herself a fan of the soap - told realestate.com.au in April that she hoped another fan of the show would purchase the property.

Ms Rushton, who moved to Australia from the UK in 1987, said the four bedroom home was what she and her three children 'dreamt of' when the moved Down Under.
Kendall Jenner left her family speechless when she pretended that she had gotten engaged during a game of Truth or Dare with sister Kourtney Kardashian.

The 25-year-old model was talked into the prank by her older sister as part of a Truth or Dare game featured in a YouTube video for the 42-year-old Keeping Up With The Kardashian star's Poosh lifestyle website.

The joke was perfectly calibrated to show everyone, as Kendall admitted it was 'believable' that she would get engaged, as her relationship with NBA star Devin Booker continues to get more serious.

Fooled ya! Kendall Jenner, 25, pranked her family by claiming she was engaged in a Truth or Dare drinking game video she filmed with her sister Kourtney Kardashian, 42, for her Poosh channel on Saturday

Kourtney opened the video, which was for her Poosh Your Wellness festival, with a trip to the bar, where she and Kendall both poured modest glasses of Kendall's recently unveiled tequila label 818.

The catwalk star highlighted her slender figure in a cropped tank top covered in hypnotizing black-and-white tiger designs, while Kourtney wore a white tank top and white pants with cut-out slits over her thighs.

After settling the drink situation, they sat down on the sofa for a game of Truth or Dare. They were each allowed to skip up to three times, though they'd have to drink each time.

Kendall seemed to get the biggest dares, including a request to tell everyone in her family's group chat that she was engaged.

To add to the illusion, one of their assistants temporarily donated her own large engagement ring, though it was too big on Kendall's finger.

Loosening up: The Keeping Up With The Kardashians stars opened the video by pouring modest glasses of Kendall's new 818 tequila

Smooth sailing: They did easy ones to start, with both admitting their favorite weird food combinations. Kourtney also had to jump rope 90 times

Although she was hesitant about doing it, especially after Kourtney only had to admit her weirdest food combinations and jump rope 90 times, but she followed through and sent a photo of her ring finger with the new bling.

'But it's believable, so I will do it,' she said, though she felt embarrassed to be borrowing the engagement ring.

'This is amazing, I just can't wait to see,' said a smiling Kourtney. 'You know Khloe's going to write a novel.'

Kylie was the first one to call her after seeing the photo.

'You're lying,' she said without a pause.

They didn't bother keeping up the ruse with her but told Kylie to 'play into it' in the group chat.

Game for anything: Then Kendall had to text her family's group chat that she was engaged. 'But it's believable, so I will do it,' she said, though she felt embarrassed to borrow an assistant's engagement ring for a photo

Not fooled: Kylie was the first one to call her after seeing the photo. 'You're lying,' she said without a pause, though they asked her to play along

Kylie got cut off because Kendall had to take an incoming call from Kim, though the Skims founder's first words were unintelligible.

Kourtney didn't waste any time and asked her to keep the deception going as well.

'Kendall, wait what?' read a text from Khloe, who called her immediately while with some friends.

'That's so stupid. Why would you do that to us?' she said after they spilled the beans, though Kendall said it was 'so fun.'

'Well at least we know you guys will be excited when the day comes,' Kourtney added.

Not a fan: Kim was fooled, and Khloe had to call because she was so shocked. 'That's so stupid. Why would you do that to us?' she said after they revealed the ruse

Loved up: Kendall may have been able to fool some of her sisters because her relationship with Phoenix Suns Shooting Guard Devin Booker has been going so well; seen on April 24 in NYC

Kendall may have been able to fool some of her sisters because her relationship with Phoenix Suns Shooting Guard Devin Booker has been going so well.

Almost one year ago, Kendall and Devin were first linked after taking a road trip from LA to Arizona, and the relationship has reportedly grown into one of her strongest ever.

'This is the happiest Kendall has ever been in a relationship,' a source told People. 'She and Devin started out slowly, but have dated for about a year now.'

A source who spoke to E! News echoed the sentiment and explained that Devin is a better fit for Kendall than past boyfriends because he's not interested in the limelight.

'Devin is quiet and not interested in being in the spotlight or a celebrity,' they explained. 'She really appreciates that about him and is attracted to that. They are really similar and love just being low-key and staying in and laughing together.'

The insider added: 'They are a solid couple with no drama. It's been all positive and Kendall loves being with him.'

Going strong: 'This is the happiest Kendall has ever been in a relationship,' a source told People . 'She and Devin started out slowly, but have dated for about a year now.'

Trickster: Kendall also totally fooled her mother earlier in the video by pretending she was pregnant and didn't know what to do on a call

Missing from the family members who called Kendall back was her mother Kris Jenner, but that's because Kendall had already pranked her by pretending that she was pregnant.

'So I have a scenario,' she said cautiously after calling her mother. 'I have not gotten my period in a little while, and I was supposed to get it last week, so I kind of got nervous and randomly took a test. And it came back positive, so I took another test and that one also came back possible, and I'm literally, like, about to cry,' she said, perhaps a bit too deadpan.

'That's so weird you just told me this, because I dreamed about this. Really, really crazy,' Kris said, before announcing she was going to put her clothes on and 'get over there,' which got a laugh out of her daughters.

She bought it! 'That's so weird you just told me this, because I dreamed about this. Really, really crazy,' Kris said, before announcing she was going to put her clothes on and 'get over there,' which got a laugh from her daughters

Yikes: Kourtney admitted in a truth that the craziest place she made out with someone was 'in a car while the person was driving.' Kendall said, ''That sounds very unsafe'

'You know you have to do whatever you heart tells you to do. I think it's great news, but I'm your mom,' Kris continued as Kendall and Kourtney erupted in laughter.

'Oh f***,' their mother cried out after they told her she was being pranked.

Kourtney's task were simpler, though she did admit the craziest place she made out with someone was 'in a car while the person was driving.'

'That sounds very unsafe,' Kendall replied.

'It is, I don't recommend it,' Kourtney said regretfully, though she didn't care to mention who she took that risk with.

Mum's the word: 'It is, I don't recommend it,' Kourtney said regretfully, though she didn't care to mention who she took that risk with

Later on Saturday night, Kendall shared a candle-lit photo of a table overlooking the mountains that looked as if it was set for a date.

'She's so cute,' the model wrote, though she appeared to be referring to her bottle of 818 on the table.

Another snap was a mirror selfie taken on an elevator ceiling showing her crowded in with a bunch of her friends.

She was joined by her longtime friend Fai Khadra who beamed from the bottom of the frame, while she also tagged her friends Daniel Caesar, Lauren Perez and the rapper and DJ Taco from the mostly defunct rap collective Odd Future.

Date night: Later on Saturday night, Kendall posted a candle-lit photo of a table that looked as if it was set for a date. 'She's so cute,' the model wrote of her 818 tequila bottle
Rachel Brosnahan showed off some of her character Midge Maisel's signature style while filming a nighttime scene for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Saturday.

The 30-year-old actress was spotted on set in New York City as her character hailed a taxi from the sidewalk.

Also joining her was her costar Alex Borstein, 50, who came along for the ride.

Up late: Rachel Brosnahan, 30, showed off her character Midge Maisel's signature style while filming a nighttime scene for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Saturday in New York City

Rachel showed off her mid-century glamour in a cerulean dress with a flowing skirt that reached down to her knees.

The outfit was belted around her midriff to highlight her hourglass figure, and the top featured buttons and an intriguing triangular cutout above her cleavage with an attached bow tie.

The film and television star had her brunette tresses styled in thick curls, with a veiled magenta pillbox hat on top.

Her costume was rounded out with a burgundy velvet handbag and blue patterned heels.

More to do: The series, which begins in 1958, had plenty of period cars and actors in period dress, but the scene will need a digital touch-up before it's ready to go on Amazon Prime

Blue mood: Rachel showed off her mid-century glamour in a cerulean dress with a flowing skirt that reached down to her knees

Revealing: The outfit was belted around her midriff to highlight her hourglass figure, and the top featured an intriguing triangular cutout above her cleavage with an attached bow tie

The film and television star had her brunette tresses styled in thick curls, with a veiled magenta pillbox hat on top

The series, which begins in 1958, had plenty of period cars and actors in period dress, but the scene will need a digital touch-up before it's ready to go on Amazon Prime.

Rachel was standing in front of a green screen backdrop, which would allow for a more appropriate cityscape to be placed behind her.

The actress stars as a Jewish housewife living a fairly comfortable life in Manhattan in the late '50s, until everything comes crashing down when her husband leaves her for his secretary.

In a drunken fit, Midge goes to the same comedy club where her husband moonlighted to do an impromptu set of her own.

She ends up being bars after flashing her breasts to the audience, but the positive reception leads her to try her hand at stand-up comedy.

Replaced: Rachel was standing in front of a green screen backdrop, which would allow for a more appropriate cityscape to be placed behind her

Shaken up: The actress stars as a Jewish housewife living a comfortable life in Manhattan in the late '50s, until everything comes crashing down when her husband leaves her for his secretary

New talent: In a drunken fit, Midge goes to the same comedy club where her husband moonlighted to do an impromptu set of her own and finds that she has a knack for it

The show was created by writer Amy Sherman-Palladino, who took inspiration from comics such as Joan Rivers and her own father.

However, Rivers' daughter Melissa has called out the series for not being more open about her mother's influence.

Joining Rachel in the scene was Alex Borstein, otherwise best known for voice Peter Griffin's wife Lois on Family Guy and her 12-year run on MadTV.

She wore her characters usual costume, a dark suit and a button-up shirt with a black newsboy cap while carrying gift bags into the taxi.

The role, which earned her an Emmy award in 2019, is based on the real-life female talent agent Sue Mengers.

Costar: Joining Rachel in the scene was Alex Borstein, otherwise best known for voice Peter Griffin's wife Lois on Family Guy and her 12-year run on MadTV

Critically acclaimed: The role, which earned her an Emmy award in 2019, is based on the real-life female talent agent Sue Mengers

Rachel also had to finish up another night scene that was begun on Friday evening that showed her in a striking red dress.

The thick outfit had a waffle texture and double button around her waist, along with a large dropping bow under her neck.

The wind whipped a vent open to reveal the satin inner lining.

She paired it with strawberries and cremecolored heels and carried a peach handbag and a matching clutch.

She sported a splash of crimson her lips to match the cherry-colored ensemble.

Rachel was spotted taking notes on her script while sitting in the taxi between takes.

Woman in red: Rachel also had to finish up another night scene that was begun on Friday evening that showed her in a striking red dress

Stylish: The thick outfit had a waffle texture and double button around her waist, along with a large dropping bow under her neck
Big Brother viewers were left disappointed after Lillian 'Flex Mami' Ahenkan was voted out of the house on Tuesday's episode.

But the show looks to be the furthest from her mind, as she was seen filming a commercial for activewear brand STAX in Sydney's Maroubra on Sunday.

Joined on set by former Love Island star Cassidy McGill, the 26-year-old digital influencer was all smiles while clad in a neon pink ensemble.

Who needs Big Brother? Evictee Lillian 'Flex Mami' Ahenkan (pictured) cashed in on her influencer status as she filmed a commercial for activewear brand STAX in Sydney's Maroubra on Sunday

Taking on the role of a glamorous bus driver for the shoot, Flex donned a button-up shirt, cropped pants and a matching pink Hi-Vis jacket.

She kept light on her feet in a pair of black Crocs, and her locks were styled in soft waves underneath a sequinned pink cap.

Keeping with the pink theme, Flex's makeup included a smoky pink eye shadow and a slick of matte pink lipstick.

At work: The 26-year-old took on the role of a glamorous bus driver for the shoot, and was all smiles as she mingled with the crew while clad in a neon pink ensemble

Ensemble: Flex donned a button-up shirt, cropped pants and a matching Hi-Vis jacket. She kept light on her feet in a pair of black Crocs and styled her locks underneath a sequinned pink cap

Checking social media? The budding DJ and podcaster was at one stage engrossed on her iPhone

Holding onto her iPhone during the shoot, the budding DJ and podcaster appeared in her element, smiling for the cameras and engaging in conversation with the crew.

Joining Flex on set was Love Island's Cassidy, 25, who was seen riding a bike with the beach in the backdrop.

The blonde bombshell covered up her figure in a white button-up shirt, teamed with faded blue denim jeans and white sneakers.

Familiar face: Joining Flex on the shoot was former Love Island star Cassidy McGill (far left)

Attire: Cassidy, 25, donned a white button-up shirt, faded blue denim jeans and white sneakers

Cassidy's shoulder-length locks were styled out and in structured waves, and her makeup was elegant.

On Tuesday's episode of Big Brother, Flex received an astonishing seven votes and was sent packing after she was put up for elimination by co-star Melissa McGorman.

After it was announced that she'd be leaving, Flex told the cameras: 'I don't want to go home just yet.

In action: For the shoot, the blonde beauty was filmed riding a bike with the beach in the backdrop

Ready for her close-up: Her shoulder-length locks were styled out and in structured waves, and her makeup was elegant

Fame: Cassidy rose to fame after starring in the first season of Love Island Australia in 2018

'I think the nail in my coffin was that I thought I was charismatic and I didn't have as much support as I thought I did.'

Many viewers were disappointed to see her leave so early in the competition, particularly as the only POC [person of colour] on the show.

'How come my faves always go first.... and I'm not surprised they voted the only POC woman on the block out of the house. Disappointed beyond BELIEF,' one wrote on Twitter.

Another added: 'Looks like BBAU 2021 is just as quick to see the POC leave as 2020. I'm so disappointed #BBAU.'

Short-lived stint: Meanwhile, Flexi (pictured behind the wheel) was eliminated from Big Brother on Tuesday's episode
Tara Pavlovic has welcomed her first child with husband Nick Shepherdson.

The former Bachelor star shared the good news in an Instagram post on Sunday, sharing a sweet photo of her newborn son.

The 30-year-old wrote in the caption: 'Welcome to the world Paddy George Shepherdson.

Good news: Tara Pavlovic (right) has welcomed her first child with husband Nick Shepherdson (left). The former Bachelor star shared the good news in an Instagram post on Sunday, sharing a sweet photo of her newborn son

'Words can't describe how beyond in love we are with you. We are so grateful that you arrived happy and healthy and we will love and protect you forever.'

In the image, little Paddy lays alongside an ornate plaque that reveals he was born on April 30, at 2.26pm, weighing in at 3.505 kilos and at a height of 52cm long - with the tot having arrived slightly earlier than expected.

Tara revealed she was expecting her first child in October, only a month after she and Nick had married.

Tara wrote the caption: 'Welcome to the world Paddy George Shepherdson. Words can't describe how beyond in love we are with you. We are so grateful that you arrived happy and healthy and we will love and protect you forever'

Tara shared a drone clip of the happy couple sitting on a beach while spraying Champagne, with the words written in sand: 'Baby Shep due May 2021.'

'Nick and I are so excited to finally share that we are expecting a little baby BOY in May 2021,' Tara captioned the short clip.

'We are both so grateful and we just can't wait to meet the little fella,' she added.

Coming soon: Tara revealed she was expecting her first child in October, only a month after she and Nick had married. Tara shared a drone clip in which the couple are sitting on a beach with the words written in sand: 'Baby Shep due May 2021'

Baby love: Tara documented her growing bump in a series of Instagram images

She continued: 'Not going to lie, if he is anything like Nick, I am already worried about his teenage years.'

Tara and Nick tied the knot in an intimate ceremony in September 2020, after being forced to postpone their wedding in April due to the pandemic.

The former reality star gushed over Nick as she announced the news, before revealing that they fed guests McDonald's at the reception.

Delayed: Tara and Nick tied the knot in an intimate ceremony in September 2020, after being forced to postpone their wedding in April due to the pandemic

Sweet: 'I finally got to marry my best friend yesterday, I love you Nick,' Tara captioned a picture of their wedding rings

Tasty! The former reality star revealed that they fed guests McDonald's at the reception

'I finally got to marry my best friend yesterday, I love you Nick,' she captioned a picture of their wedding rings.

A picture shared to Instagram illustrated their fast food feast with a table crammed full of cheeseburgers and an array of other treats from the fast food giant.

She captioning the image: 'The food at the ceremony was beyond delicious. Such beautiful flavours.'

Love: She and Nick had known each other for 10 years before exploring a relationship together in 2018

Case of the ex: The couple went public with their romance in August 2018, just two months after reports Tara had separated from her Bachelor In Paradise fiance Sam Cochrane (right)

The couple went public with their romance in August 2018, just two months after reports Tara had separated from her Bachelor In Paradise fiance Sam Cochrane.

The pair had known each other for 10 years before exploring a relationship together in 2018.

Tara rose to fame on Matty 'J' Johnson's season of The Bachelor in 2017.
They've been happily loved-up since meeting on Love Island in 2019.

And Tommy Fury and Molly-Mae Hague looked more besotted than ever as they packed on the PDA while out to dinner in Manchester.

The boxer, 21, took to Instagram to share the cute snap of him kissing his girlfriend at the dinner table on Saturday and captioned the sweet photo 'A lucky man'.

Loved-up: Tommy Fury and Molly-Mae Hague looked more besotted than ever as they packed on the PDA while out to dinner in Manchester

The pair posed for the camera as they shared a passionate kiss with Molly's hand on the back of her boyfriend's neck.

Tommy kept things casual for the date night dinner in a black T-shirt, jeans, and a fresh hair cut.

Meanwhile, Molly-Mae look chic as ever in a white blazer and dinky diamond hoop earrings.

The reality star swept her blonde tresses away from her face in a low bun, which she slicked back in a sleek wet look style.

The loved up post comes after Tommy Fury revealed his future plans with Molly-Mae during a candid Q&A with fans last month.

Engagement pending? The loved up post comes after Tommy Fury revealed his future plans with Molly-Mae during a candid Q&A with fans last month

When asked by a follower: 'When are you going to put a ring on Molly-Mae?'

The reality star responded: 'Sooner than you think', while winking at the camera.

Another follower asked: 'What is Elly Belly's gender?' referring to a stuffed childhood toy Molly- Mae brought into the Love Island villa.

Tommy quipped it was a boy and joked: 'So my son's gender is male. Bit of a girl's name but he can thank his mother for that.'

Couple goals: The Love Island star revealed to his 3.3 million followers that he was going to put a ring on his girlfriend Molly-Mae's finger 'sooner than you think'

On the subject of children another fan asked: 'When you gonna have some little Fury's?'

Tommy went onto reveal he 'would like to have them sooner rather than later' and suggested asking Molly, 21, that question.

'Im not the person to ask that question too. I would like them sooner rather than later but maybe you should go and ask that to the Mrs.'

Mum and dad: Tommy also said he'd like to have children 'sooner rather than later' and told his fans to ask Molly when they would become parents

Tommy and Molly-Mae have been together for nearly two years, after meeting on ITV's Love Island in 2019.

The pair became official just weeks after their first villa date and moved in together a month after landing back in the UK.

The happy couple have been going from strength to strength and recently spoke about buying a house together.
Season six of Line Of Duty has left fans with more questions than answers, with viewers flocking to Twitter to question what exactly is DCI Jo Davidson is up to, whether Kate Fleming has really left AC-12 and who is H?

Here, MailOnline examines some of the most prominent fan theories

Kate Fleming HASN'T left AC-12 and is working undercover

One of the most shocking discoveries was AC-12's Kate is now working with a new team- with some fans suggesting she could even be the infamous H.

While chatting to her new gaffer DCI Davidson, Kate said: 'I got fed upon nicking coppers, I'd rather go after the psycho who murdered Gail [Vella].'

But despite seeming confident in her new role, some viewers were left wondering if all was at it seems and theorised that Kate could still be undercover for AC-12.

Even after she tipped off Davidson and incurred the wrath of Ted Hastings, fans have continued to speculate that she is so deep undercover that even Hastings is having to keep her true agenda secret.

Kate Fleming HASN'T left AC-12 and is working undercover: Is it true? The jury is still out on this one

DCI Jo Davidson is being blackmailed by an Organised Crime Group

Jo has already survived a grilling from AC-12's top team and appeared to clear her name when it was ex-girlfriend PS Farida Jatri who seemed to have taken part in corruption.

However, Jo was seen hitching a ride with known bent copper Ryan Pilkington and taken to collect a burner phone, making her look suspicious once more.

Fans, however, are convinced the DCI is being blackmailed by an OCG, following her emotional outburst when she was summoned to pick up a new burner.

DCI Jo Davidson is being blackmailed by an Organised Crime Group: Is it true? After her car park outburst it seems increasingly likely

DCI Jo Davidson's mother is Anne-Marie McGillis

Fans speculated over who Jo's mother could be after she was seen in a photograph in the first episode.

Many theorised her mother has something to do with season five character John Corbett's [Stephen Graham] mother Anne-Marie McGillis, who was killed by an Irish Republican paramilitary group sometime after 1989.

DCI Jo Davidson's mother is Anne-Marie McGillis: Is it true? There simply isn't enough evidence yet to determine on way or the other

Gail Vella is still alive

Although season six has centered around the murder of journalist Gail Vella, one obscure theory is that she is in fact still alive.

Craig Parkinson, who played Matthew 'Dot' Cottan in the show, said on BBC Sounds podcast Obsessed with Line of Duty: 'Somebody is in that flat and theres some connection with Gail Vella, the investigative journalist.

'You dont cast someone like Andi Osho and then just have her as little magazine prints and stick them up on a kitchen wall.'

Sarah Millican - who also appeared on the podcast - went on to suggest Vella may have been a former lover of DCI Davidson's.

Gail Vella is still alive: Is it true? It seems unlikely that the scale of police corruption is so huge that they could fake a murder victim

DC Chloe Bishop is Tony Gates' daughter

Bishop is one of AC-12's newest recruits, and as Gates and his wife Jools had two daughters, Natalie and Chloe, viewers have suggested their shared first name 'can't be a coincidence'.

Gates' daughter was last seen in season one in 2012, which means she'd be roughly the same age as Bishop is now.

Fans have suggested that Bishop either took her mother's maiden name or the name of a step-father, so that her true identity remains a secret - for now.

Gates died at the end of the first season when he walked into a busy road after getting a confession from gang leader Tommy Hunter, who had been blackmailing the police officer into covering up their criminal activity.

DC Chloe Bishop is Tony Gates' daughter: Is it true? The dates and facts line up, but there still isn't enough to write it off as a coincidence just yet

DCI Jo Davidson's mystery blood relative is...?

After it was revealed that Jo's DNA matched someone on the Police National Computer, fans theorized who that could be.

The overriding theories suggested that Davidson's relative was either Tommy Hunter, of series one and two, Mike Dryden of series two, John Corbett of series five, or Derek Hilton, killed off in series four.

Tommy Hunter was the leader of the OCG in earlier series of the show, and a paedophile. His character is dead.

Mike Dryden, the former Deputy Chief Constable, was last seen resigning from his post for perverting the course of justice in series two. His Scottish links also suggest he could be related to Davidson.

John Corbett was an undercover cop in series five who had his throat slit, leaving behind a wife, two daughters, and a mysterious link to a woman, Anne-Marie, whom fans claim could also be Davidson's mother.

Derek Hilton was a Chief Superintendent and later the Assistant Chief Constable of Central Police. He was also secretly affiliated with organised crime. He was shot in the mouth in a staged suicide in season four.

Other suggestions were Gill Biggeloe, Jackie Laverty, Lindsay Denton or Terry Boyle.
They were among the many celebrities who jetted off to the beach during the UK's national lockdown.

And Georgia Steel and Joanna Chimonides looked in good spirits as they went for a stroll together in Elephant & Castle on Saturday.

The Love Island stars linked arms as they caught up during the afternoon outing as the country continues to ease restrictions.

Out and about: Joanna Chimonides, 24, and Georgia Steel, 22, looked in good spirits as they went for a stroll together in Elephant & Castle on Saturday

Georgia cut a stylish figure, donning a cream jacket which she paired with a lilac top and pink trousers.

The reality star let her brunette locks fall loose down her shoulders and also sported a pair of pink and white trainers.

Joanna opted for a trendy look for the day as she donned a grey blazer with matching high-waisted trousers.

The influencer also donned a white top with a turtle neck along with dark grey trainers.

Looking good: Georgia cut a stylish figure, donning a cream jacket which she paired with a lilac top and pink trousers

Style: The reality star let her brunette locks fall loose down her shoulders and also sported a pair of pink and white trainers

Styling her blonde tresses into loose waves, Joanna completed her outfit with a red handbag.

Joanna and Georgia returned to the UK from the Maldives back in February.

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.

Fashion: Joanna opted for a trendy look for the day as she donned a grey blazer with matching high-waisted trousers

Trendy: The influencer also donned a white top with a turtle neck along with dark grey trainers

And Home Secretary Priti Patel criticised those who had been holidaying in the sun when they have been told to stay at home.

Members of the public took umbrage with influencers' tone deaf posts from warmer climates like the Maldives and Dubai - now dubbed 'Covid Cosablanca.'

Hostile messages on Instagram and Twitter pages are accused them of recklessly spreading the virus and putting the NHS under increasing strain.

Many claim they jetted off for 'unavoidable work trips' - with some even going so far as to suggest that their social media posts should make them 'key workers'.
He has been busy making a name for himself in Hollywood.

But Lincoln Younes, 29, looked like he was right at home when he stepped out for The Botanist Gin launch in Sydney on Friday.

The former Home and Away heartthrob looked stylish in a black coloured button-up shirt which he paired with olive coloured pants and white sneakers.

Looking suave! Former Home and Away star Lincoln Younes, 29, (pictured) looked stylish when he stepped out for an event in Sydney on Friday

He completed his look by wearing his hair slicked back.

Lincoln, best known for playing bad boy Casey Braxton on the long running Seven drama, was joined by former co-star, Tai Hara.

Tai opted for an all back ensemble, which consisted of a button-up shirt and black jeans.

Stylish: The former Home and Away heartthrob looked stylish in a black coloured button-up shirt which he paired with olive coloured pants and white sneakers

Company: Lincoln, best known for playing bad boy Casey Braxton on the long running Seven drama, was joined by former co-star, Tai Hara, and his wife Fely Irvine (left)

Glowing: Tai and Fely welcomed their first child together, Chi (named after their three grandmothers) in October of 2020

Meanwhile, his wife Fely opted for a floral jumpsuit and a wooden umbrella.

Tai and Fely welcomed their first child together, Chi (named after their three grandmothers) in October of 2020.

Also in attendance was his former Bachelor star Monique Morley.

Fashionable: Tai opted for an all back ensemble, which consisted of a button-up shirt and black jeans. Meanwhile, his wife Fely opted for a floral jumpsuit and a wooden umbrella

The Sydney-based beauty turned heads in a floral two piece which featured flared sleeves and pants.

Monique styled her look with an array of jewellery which included drop pearl earrings and a multiple silver necklaces.

She wore her long blonde tresses pinned back behind her ears.

Nice! Also in attendance was former Bachelor star Monique Morley. The Sydney-based beauty turned heads in a floral two piece which featured flared sleeves and pants
Tammy Hembrow balances motherhood with a burgeoning fitness empire and numerous brand endorsements.

And on Sunday, the 27-year-old treated her son Wolf, who she shares with ex-fiance Reece Hawkins, to a lavish sixth birthday party on the Gold Coast.

In photos shared to Instagram, Wolf couldn't wipe the smile off his face as he enjoyed face painting, a jumping castle and a FGTeev-themed cake with his friends.

Birthday boy: Instagram sensation Tammy Hembrow (centre), 27, treated son Wolf (left) to a lavish sixth birthday party on the Gold Coast on Sunday. Pictured on the right is Tammy's daughter Saskia, four

'Such a fun afternoon for Wolfie & all his friends. Thank you everyone for all the b'day love! He had the best day ever,' Tammy captioned her Instagram post.

The birthday boy wore an all-white ensemble and nestled in close to Tammy, who covered up her figure in an oversized black Balenciaga T-shirt and blue jeans.

Little Saskia, four, who Tammy also shares with ex-fiance Reece, looked cute as a button in a white top and blue jeans, and later had her face painted with a butterfly.

Proud mother: 'Such a fun afternoon for Wolfie & all his friends. Thank you everyone for all the b'day love! He had the best day ever,' Tammy captioned her Instagram post

Precious: The birthday boy wore an all-white ensemble and nestled in close to Tammy, who covered up her figure in an oversized black Balenciaga T-shirt and blue jeans

Too cute: Little Saskia looked cute as a button in a white top and blue jeans, and later had her face painted with a butterfly

Tables were laid out featuring boxes of treats and a gamer-themed cookie, and the decadent two-tier cake was inspired by FGTeev, the YouTube channel for gamers.

Earlier on Sunday, Tammy shared a heartfelt message for her firstborn on Instagram.

Alongside a precious photo of herself clad in a skimpy bikini at the beach and planting a kiss on Wolf's cheek, she wrote: 'Six years ago today I discovered a love I never knew possible.

Event space: Tables were laid out featuring boxes of treats and a gamer-themed cookie

What a treat! The decadent two-tier cake was inspired by FGTeev, the YouTube channel for gamers

Heartfelt: Earlier on Sunday, Tammy shared a heartfelt message for her firstborn on Instagram. Alongside a precious photo of herself clad in a skimpy bikini at the beach and planting a kiss on Wolf's cheek, she wrote: 'Six years ago today I discovered a love I never knew possible'

'A love that changed my life. Forever grateful to be able to watch you grow and to grow alongside you. Happy birthday my sweet Wolf.'

Tammy has moved on from Reece with Gold Coast-based Ironman Matt Poole, 32.

Reece and his American model fiancee London Goheen, 23, welcomed their first child together, son Stone, in March.

Ex-boyfriend: Tammy shares Wolf and Saskia with ex-fiance Reece Hawkins (pictured), 32
Kevin Bridges is 'absolutely delighted' to become a father as his wife Kerry is pregnant with their first child.

The comedian, 34, tied the knot with his partner two years ago in St Peter's Church, Glasgow and they are now starting a family together.

A source close to the couple told The Sun: 'We can confirm Kevin and Kerry are expecting a child this year.

Congratulations: Kevin Bridges is 'absolutely delighted' to become a father as his wife Kerry is pregnant with their first child

'They are absolutely delighted and are both looking forward to parenthood.'

A spokesperson for Kevin confirmed to the publication: 'We can confirm Kevin and Kerry are expecting a child this year.'

MailOnline has contacted a representative for Kevin Bridges for comment.

Kevin and Kerry used their wedding to raise money for charity, asking friends and family to donate to Glasgow's Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre in lieu of gifts.

Delighted: The comedian, 34, tied the knot with his partner two years ago in St Peter's Church, Glasgow and they are now starting a family together

The comic joked marrying his wife was down to his love of coffee as they met because he was a frequent customer in a coffee shop she managed.

They made their first appearance as a couple in 2016 when Kevin took Kerry to Tom Kitchin's restaurant in Edinburgh.

Celebrity chef Tom shared a snap of himself with the pair to social media and appeared to quote Kevin, writing: 'Roses are red, violets are blue, I phoned up Tom Kitchin and got a table for two 

'Hilarious Kevin Bridges. What a pleasure to cook for you both.'

Outing: They made their first appearance as a couple in 2016 when Kevin took Kerry to Tom Kitchin's restaurant in Edinburgh

Speaking previously about Kerry, Kevin said: 'She's a lovely person, brilliant and very supportive and she gets me.

'Tours can be very stressful and she's always been there.'

Kevin previously earned an impressive 7million from 19 sell-out gigs at the SSE Hydro in 2018, with the 13,000-seat venue presenting him with their first ever achievement award.
MasterChef viewers showed concern for contestant Kishwar Chowdhury during Sunday night's elimination challenge.

The 38-year-old stay-at-home mother drew attention to a large bandaid on the left side of her neck, while she prepared her Bangladesh-inspired beef patty dish.

'What happened to her neck?' one shocked fan asked on Twitter.

'What happened to her neck?' MasterChef fans showed concern as Kishwar Chowdhury (pictured) debuted a large bandaid on her THROAT during Sunday's elimination challenge

One supporter also posted online: 'Excuse me, why does Kishwar have a giant bandaid on her neck?!' before joking: 'WHO DO I HAVE TO KILL?'

Others suggested possible reasons for the injury, such as: 'Did she burn herself on hair straighteners or something??'

Kishwar previously hinted at just how tough the competition has become in an Instagram post on Friday.

Oh no! The 38-year-old stay-at-home mother drew attention to a large bandaid on the left side of her neck, while she prepared her Bangladesh-inspired beef patty dish

Alongside a photo taken of herself on set, sporting the large bandaid, she wrote in the caption: 'Bit of cut throat competition in the kitchen during Superstars Week!!'

Fans once again voiced concern in the comments section of her post, asking Kishwar how she received the injury.

Meanwhile during Sunday's elimination challenge, Kishwar revealed just how much Poh Ling Yeow has inspired her cooking.

Concern online: 'What happened to her neck?' shocked fans asked on Twitter

The episode saw Poh, along with fellow former MasterChef stars Callum Hann and Reynold Poernomo, return to the program.

Contestants were required to present a dish that they feel would be worthy of including on one of their respective restaurant menus.

'I love Poh. We would watch MasterChef together as a family. And Poh coming back in Back To Win was part of the reason that my son asked me to apply,' Kishwar said on camera.

Intense: Kishwar previously hinted at just how tough the competition has become in an Instagram post on Friday

Online: Alongside a photo taken of herself on set, sporting the large bandaid, she wrote in the caption: 'Bit of cut throat competition in the kitchen during Superstars Week!!'

'I'm going to put up a pastry which is beef patties, but it's Bangladeshi beef patties and we have it as street food with a tomato and tamarind chutney.'

She continued: 'Every time Poh cooks something, it's delicious and it's amazing. And it is, to me, the best food ever in that kitchen. Poh! You're my dream come true.'

MasterChef continues Monday at 7.30pm on Channel Ten

High pressure: During Sunday's episode, Kishwar hoped to impress former MasterChef star Poh Ling Yeow (pictured) with a dish worthy of being included on her market stall
Roxy Horner looked typically cool as she covered her tiny floral dress with a black padded coat while she enjoyed lunch with friends on Sunday.

Jack Whitehall's model girlfriend, 29, commanded attention in the cute spring number as she dined at Cecconi's in Mayfair, London.

She paired her black and yellow patterned dress with some fashionable Gucci tights as she giggled at the table with a group of girls.

Work it! Roxy Horner looked typically cool as she covered her tiny floral dress with a black padded coat while she enjoyed lunch with friends in London on Sunday

Keeping her look typically edgy, Roxy added a pair of pointed black heeled boots which laced up the front and draped a brown Mulberry handbag over one shoulder.

She covered her beauty with a cream face mask while walking but appeared to sport a glamorous full coverage make-up look underneath.

The blonde beauty wore her locks slicked back in a wavy ponytail and popped a pair of black sunglasses on her head.

All smiles: Jack Whitehall's model girlfriend, 29, commanded attention in the cute spring number as she dined with girls at Cecconi's in Mayfair, London

Chic: She paired her black and yellow patterned dress with some fashionable Gucci tights as she strutted and added a brown Mulberry bag to her look

Legs 11: Keeping her look typically edgy, Roxy added a pair of pointed black heeled boots which laced up the front

Finally out: Blonde beauty Roxy enjoys a sip of some prosseco as lockdown restrictions ease and outdoor eating is allowed

Roxy appeared to be in great spirits as she dined with friends, and the group laughed and joked over glasses of prosseco.

She tucked into some Italian food while braving the chilly weather and sitting on chairs outside.

The girls all appeared prepared for the cold and sported jackets while enjoying an alfresco catch up.

Since the first lockdown Roxy has been dating comedian Jack, 32, after the pair met during a trip to Australia, with the model moving into his London home after just a few weeks of dating.

Dining: The beauty tucked into some Italian food while braving the chilly weather and sitting on chairs outside

Catch up: The model appears to be in good spirits as she enjoys time with her friends in London

Friends: Roxy stepped out with a pal and linked arms as the pair sported face coverings while out and about

Safety: The model revealed her natural beauty as removed her mask while seated with friends at the table

Jack previously admitted although the decision 'accelerated' their relationship, they did miss out on doing ordinary things like restaurant and cinema dates.

Speaking on the Couples Quarantine podcast, he said: 'Weirdly that was quite nice because we spent a lot of time together and it accelerates the relationship in a way.

'Then when lockdown ended, there's a lot of things we realised. We'd never gone to see a film together. We'd never been to a restaurant in England because we met in Australia.'

Jack dated actress Gemma Chan, 38, between 2011 and 2017, and he previously said that he regretted not marrying her.

Chatting: The girls all appeared prepared for the cold and sported jackets while enjoying an alfresco catch up

Stepping out: The blonde beauty wore her locks slicked back in a wavy ponytail and popped a pair of black sunglasses on her head

Pretty: She covered her beauty with a cream face mask while making her way to the restaurant to meet friends

All eyes on her: Roxy has an animated chat with her friends and commands attention while telling a story

Speaking to his mother Hilary in an episode of his Netflix series, Travels With My Father, he said: 'I f****d up my chance of that. I did. I could have got married but I messed it up.'

In the episode, which was filmed before Jack began dating Roxy, he apologised to his mother for being the only single member of their immediate family as it meant he had to attend his sister Molly's wedding alone.

He added: 'I'm sorry I'll be attending the wedding alone and I'm sorry you have two children who have model relationships and one who is going to be there on his own trying to sh*g a bridesmaid.'
Poh Ling Yeow is one of the most beloved contestants in MasterChef Australia history.

And on Sunday night, the chef returned to the show as a guest judge - leaving the contestants star struck.

She was joined by former contestants Reynold Poernomo and Callum Hann on the judging panel.

She's back! Poh Ling Yeow (pictured) is one of the most beloved contestants in MasterChef Australia history. And on Sunday night, the chef returned to the show as a guest judge - leaving the contestants star struck

Fans at home were equally enthused, with many professing how much they missed seeing the 48-year-old on the show.

One person Tweeted: 'Man, Poh truly lights up the screen every time she's on it'.

Another viewer chimed in: 'Seeing Poh, Callum and Reynold makes me remember how good the all-star season of #MasterChefAU was'.

Love her! Fans at home were equally enthused, with many professing how much they missed seeing the 48-year-old on the show

Someone else wrote: 'I am here for wholesome Callum and delightful Poh content tonight.'

Yet another Tweeted: 'Aunty Poh is BACK everything is good in the world'.

One more added: 'Poh is such an important part of Australia's food story, so nice hearing so many contestants feel the same way'.

Star: Poh was a runner-up on the first season of MasterChef Australia in 2009 and came sixth in its all-stars season MasterChef Australia: Back To Win last year

Someone marvelled: 'We could have ditched the week of superstars on a giant screen and just got Poh to pop in each night. Contestants are star struck!'

Others lusted over the chef's sweet creations, with one fan writing: 'I would die to taste Poh's goodies right now'.

Poh was a runner-up on the first season of MasterChef Australia in 2009 and came sixth in its all-stars season MasterChef Australia: Back To Win last year.
MasterChef Australia saw a ratings decline in its first week, pulling in a paltry 527,000 metro viewers, according to Mediaweek.

While things are looking up - with the show scoring a slight uptick with 570,000 metro viewers tuning in on Thursday night, it hasn't been the ratings juggernaut it was last year with the MasterChef: Back To Win.

The all-stars special broke the 'magic million' mark in its first week last year - including nearly 1.1 million for its second episode, but has struggled in 2021.

Slide: MasterChef Australia saw a ratings decline in its first week, pulling in a paltry 527,000 metro viewers, according to Mediaweek. The reality show broke the 'magic million' mark in its first week last year. Pictured judges Andy Allen, Melissa Leong and Jock Zonfrillo

And now television critic David Knox of TV Tonight has listed a series of surefire ways the show can come back from the brink.

First, Knox suggests cutting the series down to a six week season - previous seasons have run for 14 or 15 weeks.

He insisted it's high time the kitchen set had a makeover, too, and wants to see more Mystery Box challenges.

Save it: Television critic David Knox of TV Blackbox has listed a series of ways the show can come back from the brink

Next, the critic says the 90 minute episodes are simply too long, with 70 minutes being ample time for each installment.

He also believes the show should cut the top 24 down to a top 20, with lots of double eliminations to keep the pace fast.

Knox insists MasterClass, Junior and Celebrity editions need to go, but travel episodes and outdoor challenges need to return.

New set: He suggested it's high time the kitchen set had a makeover, and wants to see more Mystery Box challenges

Shorter please: Next, the critic says the 90 minute episodes are simply too long, with 70 minutes ample time for each installment

It comes after former Channel 10 executive Rob McKnight said the network's top brass should be worried amid plunging ratings for its flagship cooking show.

Mr McKnight, who is the editor of television industry bible TV Blackbox, said the show had been 'out-niced' by the Nine Network's family-friendly Lego Masters.

'I really have sympathy for those in control at 10, because the show is up against stiff competition in Lego Masters and Big Brother,' he said.

Fast pace: He also believes the show should cut the top 24 down to a top 20, with lots of double eliminations to keep the pace fast

Let us out: Knox insists travel episodes and outdoor challenges need to return

'Lego Masters has essentially "out-niced" MasterChef and still feels fresh.'

Mr McKnight said that after 13 seasons the normal edition of the show 'doesn't cut it anymore'.

He believes that last year's impressive ratings were mainly due to the cast of returning favourites, such as Poh Ling Yeow.
Eddie Marsan took to the waters for another day of filming ITV's upcoming drama The Thief, His Wife And The Canoe in County Durham on Sunday.

The actor, 52, stars as conman John Darwin, the fraudster who faked his own death by going missing while canoeing off the coast of Seaton Carew in 2002.

And it appears Eddie may have been filming part of his character's infamous disappearance as he could be seen canoeing down a river, before his on-screen wife Monica Dolan appeared on set.

On location: Eddie Marsan took to the waters for another day of filming ITV's upcoming drama The Thief, His Wife And The Canoe in County Durham on Sunday

The TV star donned a dark grey wet suit as he was joined by members of the crew on shore ahead of the scene.

Eddie also sported a large green bag and on his back while his character's gold wedding ring was also visible.

The actor could be seen paddling down the river as the production crew caught his every move.

At one point, Eddie wrapped up in a large rain coat as he carried the canoe down to the river.

In good company: Monica Dolan, who plays Anne - the wife of Eddie's character - later appeared on set to shoot scenes

Role: The actor, 52, stars as conman John Darwin (pictured right in 2008) the fraudster who faked his own death by going missing while canoeing off the coast of Seaton Carew in 2002

Plot: The upcoming drama will focus on how Anne (left) played by Monica Dolan (right) became complicit in her husband's attempt to claim life insurance and avoid bankruptcy

The ITV drama will focus on how John's wife Anne became complicit in her husband's deception to convince the world he'd gone missing in an attempt to claim life insurance and avoid bankruptcy.

However, the crime was to take its toll on Anne who lied to their sons, Mark and Anthony, for five years whilst her husband, in the early days of the fraud, secretly lived in a bedsit next door to the home he shared with Anne.

Devastated by the loss of their father, neither son had an inkling their parents were capable of such treachery and being involved in a 679,000 insurance scam.

Filming: And it appears Eddie may have been filming part of his character's infamous disappearance as he could be seen canoeing down a river

Filming: Eddie may have been filming part of his character's infamous disappearance as he could be seen canoeing down a river

Canoe Man: Eddie also sported a large green bag and on his back while his character's gold wedding ring was also visible

Happy: He seemed to be in noticeably better spirits as he returned to the shore and wrapped up against the chilly weather

Anne and John, now 70, eventually decided to leave Seaton Carew and move to Panama City to start a new life together before their secret was exposed by the discovery of a photo of them posing in a Panama real estate office in July 2006.

John had been travelling back and forth between Panama and the UK and turned up at a London police station in 2007 claiming he'd been suffering from amnesia.

At her trial Anne pleaded not guilty, arguing that she had been coerced into the plot by her husband, but the jury didn't believe her.

John was ordered to serve six years and three months in prison while his wife, who police described as a compulsive liar, got six years and six months. She was released from prison in 2011.

Plot: The ITV drama will focus on how John's wife Anne became complicit in her husband's deception to convince the world he'd gone missing in an attempt to claim life insurance and avoid bankruptcy

Chilly: At one point, Eddie wrapped up in a large rain coat as he carried the canoe down to the river

Family: The crime was to take its toll on Anne who lied to their sons, Mark and Anthony, for five years whilst her husband, in the early days of the fraud

Scene: The actor could be seen paddling down the river as the production crew caught his every move

New start: Anne and John, now 70, eventually decided to leave Seaton Carew and move to Panama City to start a new life together

Character: Monica got into character for her day of filming, sporting a baby blue jumper and grey trousers

Since the astonishing case, the couple have divorced, with John remarrying, and Anne opting for a quiet life away from the headlines.

And in January 2021 it was reported that the former teacher has settled into a new life in the Philippines with new wife Mercy May, who at 47 is 23 years his junior.

The couple married in 2015 after striking up a romance online.

Denial: John had been travelling back and forth between Panama and the UK and turned up at a London police station in 2007 claiming he'd been suffering from amnesia

Hitting back: At her trial Anne pleaded not guilty, arguing that she had been coerced into the plot by her husband, but the jury didn't believe her

Jail time: John was ordered to serve six years and three months in prison while his wife, who police described as a compulsive liar, got six years and six months. She was released in 2011

Distancing: Since the astonishing case, the couple have divorced, with John remarrying, and Anne opting for a quiet life away from the headlines

John receives a state pension of around 134 a week, while his wife, a mother-of-three, sub-lets a clothing stall and owns another shop.

She told The Mirror: 'I have a new business. I've had it for three years now. Boom. Making money.'

While in 2016 his ex-wife Anne wrote a book about the scandal, revealing she been disowned by their two sons.

Writing in Out of my Depth, the so-called 'Canoe Wife,' wrote: 'Why did I do it? That is the question I still ask myself today. Why, when I got home, did I make that phone call to the police?

Low-key: John receives a state pension of around 134 a week, while his wife, a mother-of-three, sub-lets a clothing stall and owns another shop

Rejected: While in 2016 his ex-wife Anne wrote a book about the scandal, revealing she been disowned by their two sons

Truth: Stars Monica and Eddie will be joined in the cast by Mark Stanley (White House Farm) and Karl Pilkington (Sick of It, Derek), whose roles have not yet been revealed

'I was never motivated by money. That wasnt the reason. Incredible though it may sound, the only reason I had was my loyalty to John.'

She has since reconciled with her sons, and was last known to be working for the RSPCA in York after gaining qualifications in IT and business while in prison.

ITV's drama The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe is based upon the unpublished manuscript written by journalist David Leigh who was the first journalist to track down Anne as she was on the verge of setting up a new life in Panama.

Stars Monica and Eddie will be joined in the cast by Mark Stanley (White House Farm) and Karl Pilkington (Sick of It, Derek), whose roles have not yet been revealed.

Speaking about his new role, Eddie said: 'I'm so thrilled to be working with Chris Lang, one of our greatest writers and to get the chance to work with Monica Dolan.

'The story of how and why John Darwin faked his own death to defraud insurance companies is fascinating, and if it weren't fact, you'd think it unbelievable.

'I can't pretend to understand what was going on in his head when he made those choices, but I'm going to do my absolute best to portray him, and I can't wait to get started.'

Real life: John and Anne tried to convinced the world that John had gone missing whilst canoeing but were rumbled by a snap of them in a Panama estate agent in July 2006 (pictured)

And Monica added: 'The Thief, His Wife and The Canoe tells the story of surely the most outrageous fraud of modern times - and my favourite kind of drama is when the outrageous comes from the prosaic.

'As breath-taking as their managing to pull this deception off in the first place, is how spectacularly the couple wrecked it for themselves as soon as they had got away with it.'

The real life story is written by acclaimed screenwriter Chris Lang, who said: 'I am beyond delighted to be working with two of the finest actors of their generation.

'I have admired them both from afar for many years (not in a creepy way though) and cannot wait to see them bring Anne and John Darwin to life.'

Family: Devastated by the loss of their father, the couple's sons Mark and Anthony had no inkling that their parents were capable of lying (pictured at the trial in 2008)

Shocking: Anne lied to their sons, Mark and Anthony, for five years whilst her husband, in the early days of the fraud, secretly lived in a bedsit next door to the home he shared with Anne

The four-part drama is produced by Story Films, the company founded by three times BAFTA-winner David Nath and fellow award-winning director Peter Beard.

Susie Liggat (Giri/Haji) also executive produces, with Alison Sterling (The Windermere Children) producing.

They will be joined by the celebrated screenwriter of Unforgotten and Innocent Chris Lang who also executive produces the four part series. BAFTA winning director, Richard Laxton, (Honour, Mrs Wilson, Mum) directs each of the four episodes.

The drama has been commissioned for ITV by Head of Drama Polly Hill and will be produced in association with All3Media International.
This Morning doctor Zoe Williams has revealed she feels 'apprehensive' ahead of the arrival of her new baby.

The TV doctor, 41, announced in January that she is expecting her first child with boyfriend Stuart McKay.

Speaking to Hello! magazine, Zoe told how she 'can't wait' to meet the baby.

Honest: This Morning doctor Zoe Williams has revealed she feels 'apprehensive' ahead of the arrival of her new baby

She said: 'I'm feeling a bit apprehensive, but also there's a small side of me that's looking forward to the birth and I can't wait to meet the baby.

'I can't believe I am saying that! I've witnessed my body go through this incredible thing and have got this newfound trust and faith in what it's capable of.'

The broadcaster added that she 'came into this pregnancy with a doctor's mindset'.

She said: 'Having worked in obstetrics and gynaecology, I've been exposed to many more complicated births than straightforward ones.'

Excitement: The TV doctor, 41, announced in January that she is expecting her first child with boyfriend Stuart McKay

'But we've got a doula who's attended many births and she is helping me readdress what my ideas are around everything.

'Thinking about a home birth is a massive shift for me, although I'm still weighing up all my options.'

In a recent interview, Zoe hailed pregnancy 'magical' and admitted she was considering trying to conceive via a sperm donor before she met her partner.

The physician, who previously revealed she froze her eggs in 2018, explained: 'Having my scan was just the most amazing thing. It's so magical, the wonder of seeing this little life that's growing inside you.'

She said: 'I'm feeling a bit apprehensive, but also there's a small side of me that's looking forward to the birth and I can't wait to meet the baby'

On reaching her goals, the GP told Hello! magazine: 'I had two big ambitions, one was to be a doctor and the other was to be a mother.

'As a doctor none of this is new to me, but when you're the patient the experience is the same as for anyone else.'

Zoe went on to reflect on the early stages of her relationship with senior recruitment consultant Stuart, who she met at a bar in Portugal in September 2019.

The Amazon star recalled: 'As Stuart and I got to know each other it almost felt disingenuous and wrong not to talk about this thing that, in the months leading up to that, had been a really big part of my life.

Best known for: The media personality previously starred as Amazon in Sky One's revival of Gladiators in 2008 (pictured)

'If I could go back two years and speak to myself and say that by January 2021 you will have met the love of your life, be pregnant and you'll have spent most of the year in lockdown I would have said you are having a laugh.'

Zoe added that she made her motherhood plans clear to her partner of over a year on their 'third or fourth date'.

The healthcare professional previously confessed she wishes she would have frozen her eggs sooner.

She told the Daily Mail in August 2018: 'I chose at 35 to buy a flat but I could have chosen egg-freezing instead. In hindsight that would have been the best thing. So if it had been available on the NHS, I would certainly have done it younger.

Read the full interview in Hello! magazine out now.
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Line of Duty fans across the nation were left underwhelmed and disappointed last night as the nail-biting series finale drew to a close - and the mysterious antagonist 'H' was finally unmasked.

Loyal viewers took to social media in their droves to share their frustrations as officers from the police anti-corruption unit AC-12 discovered the identity of the elusive 'fourth man'.

But the revelation the bent copper colluding with the organised crime groups (OCGs), was actually DSI Ian Buckells infuriated many seasoned Line Of Duty fans.

It saw the words 'fuming', 'disappointing' and 'underwhelming' all trend on social media in the aftermath of the show.

And the disbelief it could be him was compounded by the way he was only caught because of his repeated mis-spelling of the word 'definitely' - hardly the blunder of a hardened criminal mastermind.

The detective - widely thought until last night to have been just a bungling stooge - was first introduced to viewers in series one as the SIO in the case of murdered businesswoman Jackie Laverty by then Chief Superintendent Derek Hilton.

He later went on to become Detective Chief Inspector in series four before being promoted once more to Detective Superintendent in this final series.

Sharing their disappointment on the revelation, one disgruntled Line of Duty fan wrote on Twitter: 'Can't believe I watched six seasons of line of Duty for Ian Buckells, the most pointless character to be the fourth man. Fuming.'

While another viewer added: 'Buckells, the most pointless character'.

And while the finale tied up many unresolved storylines, there were still some gaping plot holes and storylines left unanswered.

They included:

Why did Buckells ordered the attempted murder of DCI Jo Davidson, when she was under the mistaken belief H was actually another dirty former police chief, DCS Patrick Fairbank?

Why was Davidson was also given a luxury life in witness protection - despite the fact the intelligence she delivered was completely wrong?

Who was the real leader of the OCG, as Buckells insisted it was those groups who tasked him to carry out his corrupt crimes?

With Buckells inside prison at the time, who forged DS Lomax and DI Fleming's signatures to authorise Davidson's dodgy prison transport ?

Chief Constable Philip Osborne spent the series blindly denying corruption in the police force, yet why was it that when it was proved there were bent coppers in the force it had no consequence for him?

Now that Hastings has come clean about his accidental role in an undercover officer's death, what will this mean for his appeal against his forced retirement?

Given Buckells' closeness to many of the villains from previous series, why did AC-12 fail to investigate him further earlier in their corruption probe?

Line Of Duty's much-anticipated sixth series came to its conclusion on Sunday night with the identity of the elusive criminal 'H' finally unmasked

Fans shared their frustrations as officers of the police anti-corruption unit AC-12 discovered the identity of the elusive 'fourth man'

The sixth series of the Jed Mercurio creation also saw DI Steve Arnott, played by actor Martin Compston, finally called in for a meeting with Occupational Health, who noted that while he had not broken the law through his excessive painkiller use, he would have to surrender his firearms licence.

However, the 60-minute episode's end failed to offer any resolution on whether the fan-favourite team of DI Steve Arnott, DI Kate Fleming and Superintendent Ted Hastings would return, ending on the revelation that the team has 'never been weaker.'

The mystery surrounding the identity of 'H' has been up for speculation since his character was first mentioned at the end of series three, which aired in 2016, and detectives at the anti-corruption unit discovered there were four officers working within the force who had links to the underground criminal network.

But fans slated Buckells as the fourth man, with one complaining: 'We waited 10 years for Ian Buckells to be revealed as the OCG mastermind.'

Another commented: 'Everyone in the UK when we waited all this time for Ian Buckells to be revealed as the OCG mastermind.'

Meanwhile another fan said: 'I would have accepted Hastings as H over Ian bloody Buckells #LineOfDuty #LineofDutyFinale.'

Elsewhere another viewer added: 'I once got the entire UK invested in a TV show only to end it with bumbling Ian Buckells being H #LineofDutyFinale #LineOfDuty.'

And another wrote: 'Well I hate to say it but that's a disappointing ending. I refuse to believe it was all down to Ian Buckells of all people.'

There from the start: Buckells was in series one of the hit show, which concentrated on the story of compromised Tony Gates

A series 4 return saw him involved in the storyline starring Thandiwe Newton as Roz Huntley as main corrupt officer

Series six saw Buckells - played by actor Nigel Boyle - returned for his biggest role in this years' episodes and a starring role

Buckells-ing the trend: How Line Of Duty's controversial choice of big baddie was built up Buckells played golf with Tommy Hunter back in series one While many fans bemoaned the big reveal of Ian Buckells as the fourth man 'H', the choice was at least more grounded than some other options. As early as 2017 fans of the show had been bewildered by the incompetence of the detective as he appeared in a more prominent role in series 4. The way he was promoted throughout his career on the programme - despite his obvious shortcomings - should have also raised suspicions. Four years ago actor Nigel Boyle had even said himself 'there's definitely more to Buckells than meets the eye'. In episode 5 of series one he was even shown playing gold with criminal mastermind Tommy Hunter in what can now be seen as clear clue. When his gold clubs were seen in his office in series six most viewers dismissed it as too obvious a signal. And when he was arrested first time, his blundering interview with AC-12 made it look like he was too stupid to be involved in any grand conspiracy. The ending of the series when he was finally unmasked played into this disbelief itself when he appeared to admit it was luck rather than design he was last man standing. And Buckells' insistence that he just carried out the work of the OCGs orders, rather than directed them, fitted in with the character's evident stupidity and inability to spell the word 'definitely' Advertisement

One frustrated fan added: 'In whose universe is Ian Buckells any kind of mastermind of anything? I'm dazed and completely confused.'

Sharing their disappointment, another viewer wrote: 'Ian Buckells?! Seriously? Surely there has to be a bigger twist in the next series? The man couldnt tie his own shoelaces, let alone be a criminal mastermind#LineOfDuty #LineofDutyFinale #letdown.'

During the episode tonight, which saw around 12million viewers tune in, Superintendent Ted Hastings, played by actor Adrian Dunbar, was seen asking his colleague Chloe to run checks on the constant misspelling of the word 'definitely' as 'definately' which had become synonymous with the 'fourth man' in previous episodes.

Viewers were introduced to the misspelling when the mysterious 'H' sent a message to former undercover officer John Corbett, played by Stephen Graham, in series five.

A number of checks that looked for idiosyncrasies in grammar, punctuation and spelling traced the word back to Buckells who first used the misspelling in a report during the Lawrence Christopher investigation in 2003.

When confronted with the revelation Hastings was left astounded, asking his colleague: 'Are you sure Chloe?'

The revelation set the stage for a dramatic confrontation between Hastings' team and Buckells who eventually confessed: 'Yeah right I'm a blundering fool. I'm only the one whose made total mugs out of you lot!'.

He also revealed the police would have to offer him immunity or Witness Protection if they wanted him to co-operate, telling the AC-12 team: 'DCS Carmichael is meant to be taking over isn't she? But she ain't in here. So that makes me wonder whether she doesn't want to associated with detecting institutionalised corruption.

'Because officially institutionalised corruption doesn't exist does it?

'Officially 'H' or the 'Fourth man' or whatever you want to call him, he don't exist neither. So that makes me realise that everyone would be much happier if this all just went away. So I'll take Witness Protection and Immunity.'

Pointing out that H did not officially exist as the investigation into corruption had been quashed, he went on to say Tommy Hunter, the organised crime kingpin who was a sinister character during the drama's early series, was the leader of the OCG.

Also during the show, viewers watched as DI Arnott was left torn on whether to pursue fears that his boss Ted Hastings could be the elusive 'H' as the team raced to uncover the mystery figure's identity.

The officer also admitted to his detective friend Kate Fleming, played by Vicky McClure, that he had been involved with former undercover officer John Corbett's widow Steph.

Social media fans were left far from impressed with the identity of the elusive 'H' as the series drew to a close

Line Of Duty: An eye-watering 12.8 MILLION viewers tune in to watch 'disappointing' finale and score BBC its highest EVER overnight rating... as bosses refuse to deny seventh season An eye-watering 12.8million viewers tuned in to watch Line Of Duty's sixth season on Sunday night with a 56.2% share in the overnights - recording the network's highest ever overnight rating. Fans tuned in to watch the nail-biting series draw to a close - and the mysterious antagonist 'H' was finally unmasked as DSI Ian Buckells, played by Nigel Boyle. Loyal viewers took to social media in their droves to share their frustrations as officers from the police anti-corruption unit AC-12 discovered the identity of the elusive 'fourth man' - leading to a demand for another series of the show. Charlotte Moore, BBCs Chief Content Officer, said of a seventh season: 'Addictive event television, Line of Duty has kept the nation guessing for the last seven weeks, so its no surprise that last nights jaw dropping finale set a ratings record. Jed Mercurio is a master of his craft, and I would like to congratulate him and the entire cast and crew for delivering such an incredible drama series. 'Im looking forward to having a conversation with the team about where we go next and what the future of the series might be.' The calls for another series came due to the disappointment and confusion of some of the 12.8m viewers. Star of the show Martin Compston previously said of the possibility: 'The genuine answer is we dont know'. Advertisement

As the team from AC-12 tried to unravel the mystery surrounding journalist Gail Vella's death, who was shot dead earlier during the series as she investigated connections between the police and the OCG, they found a strong box hidden under the floor of the criminal organisation's workshop.

The box was revealed to contain an array of weapons used in murders investigated by Hastings and his team, including the gun that shot and killed Vella, and the knife that slit the throat of DS John Corbett, who was killed by the OCG in series five.

It was the breakthrough that the team had been waiting for, as the box finally proved that Carl Banks, the violent criminal who also goes by the name 'Ross Turner', was responsible for Vella's murder before being killed by the OCG himself.

After weeks of incessant emails, DI Arnott was finally called in for a meeting with Occupational Health, who noted that while he had not broken the law through his excessive painkiller use, he should take time off from his duties.

It came after the detective was seen ignoring the reminders dropping in his inbox to book an appointment for a routine drugs test.

The officer, who became addicted to painkillers after he was pushed down a flight of stairs during a police operation in series four, refused to step down from his duties but did agree to hand over his firearm.

He also came clean to his boss Ted Hastings about his drug use and to his, and the viewers' surprise, Hastings did not dismiss him, simply saying: 'I'm glad you're getting some help.'

Despite fans' theories that James Nesbitt's character Marcus Thurwell had to be alive, it was revealed that he was killed in the previous episode, and had actually been dead for several weeks when his body was found after being strangled.

It came after the penultimate episode showed the Guardia Civil police officers storm his Spanish home and find two bodies on the bed.

DC Chloe Bishop, also revealed that any communication involving Thurwell and the OCG had been re-routed through Spain from a device in the UK, meaning the fourth man was definitely still among the corruption team.

After being imprisoned for her own corrupt behaviour, police officer Jo Davidson was taken away in a police van by corrupt prison guards under the ruse that she was being interviewed at Hillside Lane.

Viewers were noticeable underwhelmed to learn the identity of the elusive criminal, as the series ended on an ambiguous note

It was at least revealed that the so-called fourth man was actually DSU Ian Buckells, who had been originally imprisoned after appearing to have been framed by Davidson

The team from AC-12 found a strong box hidden under the floor of the O CG's workshop during the nail-biting episode

DI Arnott was finally called in for a meeting with Occupational Health, who noted that while he hadn't broken the law through his excessive painkiller use, he should take time off from his duties

However after it was became clear that 'H' was involved in the officer being taken away, AC-12 retraced the van just in time to rescue Davidson, and vowed to get her into witness protection if she came clean on H's identity.

Davidson was reluctant to give up the man in charge of the Order who kept her hostage for so many years, and so AC-12 opted to return their investigation to former Chief Superintendent Patrick Fairbank- the corrupt officer who was previously jailed for his connections to abuse in the Sands View Boys Home.

However once again Fairbank, claimed he 'did not remember' anything related to Davidson or the OCG, leaving a clearly-frustrated Hastings storming out of the interview.

Proving to be the clue that would crack open this decade-long mystery, Bishop spotted the same 'definately' spelling inside a written note found in the records related to Lawrence Christopher's murder.

The case was being investigated by Vella before she was murdered, having learned that the botched work corrupt police officers meant no one was ever charged with the racially-charged crime.

As AC-12 debated whether to go public with the information, Hastings finally confessed to Fleming and Arnott about the mystery bag of money he gave to John Corbett's widow Steph, admitting he gave her the cash as a kind-hearted gesture.

Despite finally uncovering the identity of H through a long paper trail of corrupt officers, fans were surprised to learn the organisation's powers had been significantly weakened

As the final shot of the AC-12 elevator showed the trio reunited as they travelled down the lift together, viewers were less hopeful on whether they'll get to see them together again in a seventh series

She's become one of the show's most maligned characters, but viewers were left hoping that detective Carmichael had some glimmer of compassion after Hastings decided to make a confession

Line of Duty fans have previously speculated that Philip Osborne (centre) was 'H, according to a poll by YouGov

Clearly still a lawful man despite years working in corruption, Hastings admitted that he did reveal that John Corbett was working undercover in organised crime, indirectly leading to his death

He also fiercely denied revealing Corbett's identity as an Undercover Officer to the OCG, which eventually lead to his death.

Regardless, the written note finally set the stage for the most important police interview in the show's history, with the stage set at last for Hastings to confront the criminal H who had caused so much havoc in AC-12.

The episode concluded on an uncertain note, with Hastings coming clean about revealing Corbett's status as an UCO after vowing to appeal his forced retirement.

As he left with the AC-12 team, an on-screen text noted that the unit's powers to curb wrongdoing in the force had 'never been weaker'.

Elsewhere Davidson was seen entering Witness Protection, while it appeared that if Buckells gained immunity, none of the evidence for corruption would be heard in court, meaning the entire investigation would have been for nothing.

Anticipated: Given the show's record-breaking viewership, fans hoped that the finale would answer all their burning questions, including the identity of the elusive 'H

Ahead of the sixth series finale, feared by many to be the show's last hurrah, fans got a glimpse of the episode through an action-packed trailer, complete with a police standoff, the return of balaclava men and the discovery of a written note with the 'definately' misspelling.

However, despite the huge success of the BBC show, actor Martin Compston revealed the BBC drama could be coming to an end.

Compston - who previously revealed that executive decisions about the series are 'above his pay grade' - cast doubt on the show's future during an appearance on The Jonathan Ross Show.

Speaking on Saturday's show, the actor said: 'We won't come back just for the sake of it. That's for sure. We'll come back if there's a story to tell.

'If it ends well maybe sometimes it is best to leave it. But genuinely we don't know.'

The admission came after Compston teased that fans would get some 'big answers' during the finale, and admitted he believed it could be the 'perfect ending' to the police drama.

Like many shows, series six was hit by several delays due to the Covid pandemic, with filming in Belfast halted back in March 2020, just days before the UK was plunged into lockdown

The admission comes after Martin teased that fans will get some 'big answers' during the finale, and admitted he believes it could be the 'perfect ending' to the police drama

Speaking on the Shrine Of Duty podcast, the actor confessed that he thought Sunday's episode could be the best way to wrap up the 'story arch' - but he refused to rule out another series.

When quizzed on whether viewers will learn who the illusive 'H' is, Compston said: 'I wouldn't quite go the Jo Davidson no comment route - but what I will tell you is I think there's a lot of pay offs coming this Sunday.

'There's a lot of big answers and it's deserved, people have stuck with us for a long time, so there comes a point where the story arch comes to an end.'

Like many shows, series six was hit by several delays due to the Covid pandemic, with filming in Belfast halted back in March 2020, just days before the UK was plunged into lockdown.

Production was finally able to resume in September that year with strict safety guidelines, including the use of studio sets as opposed to real locations, regular testing measures.

Filming for series six finally wrapped in November, with bosses later confirming it would be seven episodes as opposed to the usual six.

Line Of Duty: The SIX mysteries that were finally explained in 'underwhelming' series finale... and the questions that have been left unanswered

The sixth series of Line Of Duty came to its long-awaited conclusion on Sunday night, with viewers finally learning the identity of the Fourth Man H.

However, despite fears this could be the show's last hurrah, millions of viewers were still left with unanswered questions, as the future of AC-12 was left hanging in the balance, and Superintendent Hastings feared for his future after confessing he revealed John Corbett was an Undercover Officer.

So, as fans wait to see whether Jed Mercurio's police drama could return for a seventh out, MailOnline examines some of the answers fans got to their burning questions, the mysteries that remain unsolved...

We want more! The sixth series of Line Of Duty came to its long-awaited conclusion on Sunday night, but its conclusion left viewers with more questions than answers

Answers! On Sunday fans finally learned that Superintendent Buckells was the famous fourth man, having liased with OCG's to bring down officers who failed to do their bidding

The mysteries that have finally been solved...

Who is H?

It's been a question posed by die-hard and casual fans alike, after years wondering about the identity of the fourth man known as H.

On Sunday fans finally learned that Superintendent Buckells was the famous fourth man, having liased with OCG's to bring down officers who failed to do their bidding.

Despite painting himself as a bumbling fool, the copper actually formed a secret operation with an array of 'bent coppers' and even blackmailed Acting Superintendent Davidson thanks to her history with the group as Tommy Hunter's daughter.

It appeared that AC-12 had caught him red-handed, especially as Steve dealt the fatal blow by revealing he had to co-operate to make him eligible for witness protection.

Hastings delivered the final line, declaring: 'No one makes mugs of AC-12,' before leaving the interview, with viewers later learning that Buckells would have to receive immunity, or none of the corruption evidence will be heard in court.

Upsetting: In a shocking bombshell last week Acting Superintendent Davidson learned that she was both the daughter and niece of OCG member Tommy Hunter, having previously been led to believe her father was little more than a bent copper

Who was the man Jo Davidson believed was her father?

In a shocking bombshell last week Acting Superintendent Davidson learned that she was both the daughter and niece of OCG member Tommy Hunter, having previously been led to believe her father was little more than a bent copper.

But, after Davidson is rescued by AC-12 from a group of OCG members who attempt to kill her, she finally admits the man she thought was her dad was former CS Patrick Fairbank, a retired officer thrown behind bars when it was revealed he both covered up and participated in abuse at a children's home.

Once again, Fairbanks claims he cannot remember Davidson or her mother, insisting he doesn't recall much of his own criminal past.

Luckily, it seems Davidson finally gets her happy ending after years under the control of the OCG, finding a new life in the countryside in Witness Protection.

Him? But, after Davidson is rescued by AC-12 from a group of OCG members who attempt to kill her, she finally admits the man she thought was her dad was former CS Patrick Fairbank

Who killed Gail Vella?

This mystery proved to be the crutch of the whole series, as fans waited to see whether they would finally learn who killed Gail Vella.

At last fans discovered that it was Carl Banks who had shot her after weapons discovered in a strong box hidden at the OCG's workshop, meaning suspect Terry Boyle could be released.

Luckily it appeared that Vella's death wasn't completely in vain, as the episode's end also revealed that Darren Hunter was now under investigation for Lawrence Christopher's murder, though an official inquiry was yet to be opened.

What a relief! Fans feared that Steve could be struck off for failing a drugs test due to his painkiller addiction, and by the episode's end it appeared that he was getting help with his superior Hastings' support

Was Steve sacked for failing his drugs test?

For several weeks viewers saw Steve attempting to ignore multiple emails from Occupational Health after submitting to a mandatory drugs test.

Arnott had been struggled with a painkiller addiction to control his searing back pain from an injury suffered back in series four when he was attacked by one of the 'Balaclava Men.'

The series six finale saw him finally sit down with the Health team who noted that while none of the drugs he'd taken were illegal, the high levels were concerning, and stated he may need a take a break from active duty.

To no surprise Steve refused, and insisted he must continue with his investigation, though he did agree to the possibility of surrendering his firearm.

Arnott then revealed his addiction to Hastings, who later implied he'd kept quiet about Steve to keep him on active duty adding he was grateful he was 'getting some help.'

Revelations: Hastings also revealed that he gave 50,000 to Steph Corbett after inadvertantly causing the death of her husband John by revealing his undercover status to OCG member Lee Banks

By the series' end, Steve hinted he may take a break from work to finally ditch the pills, but still appeared to be a fundamental part of the AC-12 team.

What happened to the 50,000 Ted gave to Steph?

After being given an envelope full of 100,000 in cash, fans had been wondering what happened to half of the money, when Steve discovered 50k in John Corbett's widow Steph's flat.

Probed by both Steve and Kate, who feared that the gaffer could be bent, Hastings insisted he only came clean about Corbett's undercover status to Lee Banks, who later told Ryan Pilkington who killed him, in the hope he'd get back in contact.

He then revealed he gave Steph half the money in the hope it would clear his conscience, adding: 'If there is one thing I could take back, it would be that. What a terrible thing I did.'

Alive or dead? Many fans were convinced that DI Marcus Thurwell could have been secretly living in Spain despite AC-12 being led to believe they've found his body last week, but it turned how he was definitely killed

Is Marcus Thurwell alive?

Many fans were convinced that DI Marcus Thurwell could have been secretly living in Spain despite AC-12 being led to believe they've found his body last week.

However, this turned out to be a huge red herring, as DC Bishop confirmed in the finale that Thurwell was definitely strangled to death, and his body had acutally been left for several weeks before being discovered by Spanish police.

It was a disappointing end to a character that had been tipped for big bombshells in the series as he was played by James Nesbitt.

Why him? Ahead of learning that Tommy Hunter was both her uncle and father, Davidson first appeared to pin the blame on Fairbank by simply confirming that her adopted dad was a 'bent copper

And the questions that have been left unanswered....

Why did Davidson point the finger at Fairbank?

Ahead of learning that Tommy Hunter was both her uncle and father, Davidson first appeared to pin the blame on Fairbank by simply confirming that her adopted dad was a 'bent copper.'

Arnott and Bishop then decided to speak to him upon learning he was part of the same team involved in Lawrence Christopher's murder, but failed to get any answers due to his deteriorating mental state.

By the series' end, viewers were still unsure why Davidson tried to blame her supposed father given she herself was being blackmailed, and how this all led to her a target for the OCG after being thrown behind bars.

Is it him? Despite the episode revealing that that Detective Superintendent Ian Buckells was actually the so-called 'Fourth Man,' some viewers were quick to note that he didn't confirm whether he was the leader of the Organised Crime Group

Really? Instead, he pinned the blame on Tommy Hunter, who was killed back in series two, leaving many viewers unconvinced by his claim

Who is the REAL leader of the OCG?

Despite the episode revealing that that Detective Superintendent Ian Buckells was actually the so-called 'Fourth Man,' some viewers were quick to note that he didn't wholly confirm whether he was the leader of the Organised Crime Group.

Instead, he pinned the blame on Tommy Hunter, who was killed back in series two, meaning Buckells' claims seemed less and less likely.

So the question still remains of whether another corrupt officer or criminal is still pulling the strings in the OCG, and Buckells' role as a middle-man means they could still be out to cause trouble for AC-12.

What will happen to AC-12?

Despite finally uncovering the identity of H through a long paper trail of corrupt officers, fans were surprised to learn the organisation's powers had been significantly weakened.

Fleming hinted she'd be open to taking her job back alongside Arnott and Hastings, who vowed to appeal his forced retirement despite confessing to DCS Patricia Carmichael he's revealed John Corbett's identity as an Undercover Officer.

Steve hinted he may take a break from active duty to overcome his addiction to painkillers, despite he and Kate appearing closer than ever as she told Occupational Health that he was 'the best.'

Despite a final shot of the AC-12 elevator showed the trio reunited as they travelled down the lift together, viewers are less hopeful on whether they'll get to see them together again, especially as bosses have been tight-lipped on whether the show could return for a seventh series

Romance? Throughout the series viewers saw Steve form a close bond with John Corbett's widow Steph, even spending the night in her bed after continuing to struggle with back pain

Will Steve get together with Steph, or Kate?

Throughout the series viewers saw Steve form a close bond with John Corbett's widow Steph, even spending the night in her bed after continuing to struggle with back pain and his painkiller addiction.

But by the end of series six, he was clearly doubting whether to pursue a relationship with her, given how she lied about a vast sum of cash given to her by Hastings.

As series six concluded, it was clear that Steve and Kate had never been closer, as she described him as being 'the best' during a meeting with Occupational Health, and hinted she could be ready to return to AC-12.

Fans have long enjoyed the pair's close friendship but perhaps series seven could lead to something more.

How was Steph involved?

Aside from the mystery 50k, fans are still in the dark about whether Steph could have any further involvement in the OCG, especially given her presence in the sixth series.

There were theories that she could have a secret Marcus Thurwell connection, but given her appearance in this finale stretched to little more than a voicemail, her appearance has left several unanswered questions.

What did she do? Aside from the mystery 50k, fans are still in the dark about whether Steph could have any further involvement in the OCG, especially given her presence in the sixth series

Who was it? Early in the finale, DC Bishop revealed that the report ordering Davidson's transfer from her prison cell to Hillside Lane police station has been forged by an OCG, with a mystery member faking the signatures of both Kate and Lomax

Unsolved: Given Buckells was still in prison at the time, it was unclear who was behind the plot to have Davidson killed, as she clearly knew too much about the OCG, and whether it could have been another officer who ordered her death

Who forged Fleming's and DS Chris Lomax's signature?

Early in the finale, DC Bishop revealed that the report ordering Davidson's transfer from her prison cell to Hillside Lane police station has been forged by an OCG, with a mystery member faking the signatures of both Kate and Lomax to gain access to her cell.

Given Buckells was still in prison at the time, it was unclear who was behind the plot to have Davidson killed, as she clearly knew too much about the OCG, and whether it could have been another officer who ordered her death.

Should we trust him? It's possible that Chief Constable Osborne could be involved in the OCG have openly dismissed any claims of corruption on the force, even after AC-12 discovered H's identity

Is Chief Constable Osborne bent?

For years CC Phillip Osborne has been a prime suspect in AC-12's investigations of corruption, and it was revealed this series that he worked on the Lawrence Christopher murder case now-deceased Marcus Thurwell, and 'H' Buckells

In a televised conference, Osborne commended the work of his officers in locating Gail Vella's murder, but once again dismissed any institutional police corruption as 'an outrageous lie.'

Given he is clearly willing to dispel any credible leads AC-12 may have, it's possible could be involved in an OCG, and may carry on doing their dirty work for years to come.

What will she do? She's become one of the show's most maligned characters, but viewers were left hoping that Carmichael had some glimmer of compassion after Hastings decided to make a confession

Will DCI Patricia Carmichael expose Hastings' wrongdoing....

She's become one of the show's most maligned characters, but viewers were left hoping that Carmichael had some glimmer of compassion after Hastings decided to make a confession.

Clearly still a lawful man despite years working in corruption, Ted admitted that he did reveal to Lee Banks that there was someone working undercover in organised crime, indirectly leading to John Corbett's death.

Carmichael simply asked: 'What do you want me to do with that information?' leading to one of Hastings' best speeches yet, declaring: 'Whatever you do, you do it because you carry the fire'

As Hastings made his exit, Carmichael's stoic expression hinted she is less keen to report him then viewers may think...

.... and will he succeed in appealing his forced retirement?

During his final meeting with Carmichal, Ted also revealed he is planning to appeal against being forced to retire from active duty, despite finally putting one of the team's longest-serving mysteries to bed.

It was clear from the start that he wasn't ready to step down, so it remains to be seen whether he'll succeed in keeping his job, and AC-12, going strong to fight corruption another day.

Coming clean: Clearly still a lawful man despite years working in corruption, Ted admitted that he did reveal that John Corbett was working undercover in organised crime, indirectly leading to his death

Will there be a series seven?

It's the question on every Line Of Duty fan's lips following the finale, with the concluding episode ending on a somewhat cliffhanger.

BBC bosses are yet to confirm whether the show will be back for another outing, and even the show's star Martin Compston stating this conclusion will be a 'perfect ending.'

Fans will have to wait and see whether Line Of Duty will be back for another run, but it seems unlikely BBC will let the show go given its record-breaking viewership.
Travis Scott was really flying in style after celebrating his 29th birthday in the Bahamas on Friday.

The rapper was spotted returning to Miami in his enormous new private jet.

Whether he was soaring the skies in a brand new jet or ringing in his 29th year on the beach, Travis has really been living it up these last few days.

So fly! Travis Scott jetted into Miami on his enormous private jet on Friday

The rapper didn't have to lift a finger as an assistant carried his belongings out of the craft for him, including a luxurious Hermes bag.

Despite being fresh from a flight, the rapper appeared in good spirits as he left the transport hub surrounded by friends.

Seems a luxurious getaway was exactly what Travis needed as he smiled from ear-to-ear while chatting with his friends.

The Sicko Mode hit-maker wore a grey T-shirt, jean shorts, yellow sneakers, and a chunky necklace.

High style: Scott returned home in his new plane following a luxurious getaway to the Bahamas

Birthday boy: Scott was in the Bahamas celebrating his 29th birthday with friends

Helping hand: An assistant carried Scott's belongings, including a swank Hermes bag

He beat the hat with a hat from his own line of merchandise.

Travis kept fans updated on his adventures on his Instagram account, where he posted a photo of himself strolling by the surf and a video of the incredible yacht he partied on.

The video started with Travis exploring the ocean in a small craft, before arriving to his massive yacht docked at sea.

'Swipe to see da Escape Plan,' he captioned the slideshow. 'The Pirates Pzz. Cactus cruise.'

Just the boys: Scott seemed in good spirits as he left the transport hub surrounded by friends

Keeping it casual: The Sicko Mode hit-maker wore a grey T-shirt, jean shorts, yellow sneakers, and a chunky necklace

Hat's off to him: Scott beat the heat with a hat from his own line of merchandise

Soaking up the sun: Scott shared photos from his picturesque birthday adventure to his Instagram account

Not pictured during his recent voyage with his ex-girlfriend Kylie Jenner, with whom he shares three-year-old daughter Stormi with.

The couple first got together shortly after Kylie split from her long-time boyfriend Tyga in 2017, and welcomed their daughter less than a year later.

The pregnancy was shrouded in secrecy until Kylie announced she had indeed welcomed a child with Travis in February 2018.

'Da escape plan': Scott explored the high seas with his friends

Though they have since split, they have remained on good terms.

Kylie gave Travis a shout-out on his birthday as she posted photos of the rapper with their daughter to her Instagram Stories.

At the time of their break-up, a source told People: 'They have split for now and are living apart. Travis moved out a couple of weeks ago and lives at his own house. Stormi will continue to live with Kylie.

Whoa: Scott shared video of himself approaching his massive yacht

'They are both great parents and will co-parent. They don't want their split to affect Stormi too much. As soon as they felt they couldn't figure out their issues, they decided to separate so their disagreements won't affect Stormi.'

Meanwhile, Travis is poised to have a busy 2021 with his Astroworld music festival returning in November.

The event will be staged in NRG Park in Houston, Texas, over two days, on November 5 and 6, and organisers have confirmed it will centre on a theme of, Open Your Eyes to a Whole New World.

Travis will be one of the headliners and although he'll be intimately involved with curating the line-up, no other artists have been confirmed so far.

Tickets for the festival are poised to go on sale on Wednesday and although the line-up remains a mystery, organisers are urging fans to buy their tickets as soon as possible, as previous instalments of Astroworld sold out before the full line-up was confirmed.

Making a splash! The giant vessel waited for Scott and his friends
She regularly flaunts her figure in sizzling outfits.

And Eve Gale turned up the heat again on Saturday, when she posed up a storm in her London home wearing a delicate lilac lingerie set.

Perching her bottom on the arm of her couch, the Love Island star, 20, left little to the imagination while flaunting her curves in matching lace underwear.

Wow: Eve Gale, 20, turned up the heat again on Saturday, when she posed up a storm in her London home wearing a delicate lilac lingerie set and shared the snap on Instagram

Eve's face was partially obscured behind her phone, with the TV personality making sure her sensational figure was front and centre.

She wore her long blonde hair loose and tousled and was sporting a fresh white manicure.

Behind the blonde bombshell, the kitchen area of her stylish London flat was visible.

In March, Eve told fans that she was pining for sunnier climes as she shared a throwback swimsuit snap, before slipping into tiny hot pants.

Stunning: Eve's face was partially obscured behind her phone, with the TV personality making sure her sensational figure was front and centre

The blonde beauty flaunted her ample cleavage and underboob in a skimpy orange swimsuit. She captioned the snap: 'Oh to be this tanned again #June2020.'

Eve and her twin sister and fellow Love Island star Jess recently returned to the UK following their 'work' trip to the UAE.

The TV twins were just two of many celebrities who jetted to Dubai throughout the pandemic.

They joined many other Love Islanders including Joanna Chimonides, Hayley Hughes and Francesca Allen.

After Dubai joined UK's travel ban list, celebrities then began flocking to Mexico's bars and beaches as it established itself as the next COVID getaway destination.

Many stars insisted their trips were for 'work purposes' after criticism from Home Secretary Priti Patel.

Gorgeous: Eve told fans that she was pining for sunnier climes as she shared a throwback swimsuit snap, before slipping into tiny hot pants

Several influencers were forced to hit back at fans after they were criticised for jetting off on holiday during the global pandemic.

Jess and Eve rose to fame on the first ever series of winter Love Island back in 2020.

While Eve was booted off after less than a week, Jess made it to the final with Ched Uzor - with the pair going their separate ways shortly afterwards.
Strictly Come Dancing bosses are 'desperately' trying to recruit Line Of Duty star Vicky McClure for the show's nineteenth season.

Wanting to piggyback off of the hit police series' success, BBC producers are reportedly keen to secure 37-year-old Vicky - whose performance as Detective Constable Kate Fleming has been critically acclaimed - for the dancing contest.

The Sun reports: 'They think Vicky would be amazing and that fans would love her so she is very high on their list of targets.'

Exciting: Strictly Come Dancing bosses are 'desperately' trying to recruit Line Of Duty star Vicky McClure, 37, for the show's nineteenth season

The paper adds: 'Line Of Duty is the biggest show on telly by miles so Strictly producers would love to secure one of its stars to take part.'

According to the outlet, Vicky's co-star Shalom Brune-Franklin is also being considered, as is 'rebel' weatherman Tomasz Schafernaker.

Shalom, 26, portrays DC Chloe Bishop on Line of Duty while Tomasz, 42, is best known for delivering BBC viewers the forecast with a post-lockdown shaggy do, after refusing to cut his grown-out hair.

MailOnline has reached out to Vicky McClure and Tomasz Schafernaker's representatives alongside the BBC for comment.

Wise: Wanting to piggyback off of the hit police series' success, Strictly producers are reportedly keen to secure Vicky

Co-star: Vicky's co-star Shalom Brune-Franklin is also being considered. Shalom, 26, portrays DC Chloe Bishop on Line of Duty

Also tipped: BBC weatherman Tomasz Schafernaker is known for delivering the forecast with a post-lockdown shaggy do (pictured: his hair before and after lockdown)

The show is believed to be returning for a 13-show run this year.

The famous dancing competition's annual trip to Blackpool is also on the schedule, after being scrapped last year in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

BBC bosses are currently in talks with Strictly staff and professional dancers ahead of its nineteenth season.

A source confirmed to The Sun: 'They're going to put on a full series this year. That means 13 episodes will and all of the themed weeks.

Finally! The famous dancing competition's annual trip to Blackpool is back on the schedule, this year after being scrapped last year in light of the coronavirus pandemic

'The pinnacle will be the trip to Blackpool and that's always been the way on Strictly.

'As things stand, the whole show will head to the North West in November. Everyone is really excited.'

The BBC declined to comment when approached by MailOnline.

Strictly's eighteenth season faced major setbacks and was forced to go ahead with strict social distancing protocols in place.

Here come the girls! Making up the female pros are Amy Dowden, Oti, Luba Mushtuk, Nadiya Bychkova, Dianne Buswell, Janette Manrara, Karen Hauer, Katya Jones and Nancy Xu (pictured L-R in 2020)

This meant the annual Blackpool trip was scrapped, and the competition only ran for nine episodes.

However, the BBC succeeded in keeping the show on air despite a handful of COVID-19 outbreaks, with the likes of Katya and her celebrity partner, world champion boxer Nicola Adams, 38, testing positive for the virus and leaving the show early.

Popstar HRVY, 22, also tested positive before the show aired, however was able to recover in time to take part.

In March, BBC confirmed the 16 dancers who will hit the dance floor this Autumn, with fan favourites such as Anton Du Beke, Johannes Radebe and Dianne Buswell all back.

Pros: Anton Du Beke, Gorka Marquez, Graziano Di Prima, Neil Jones, Aljaz Skorjanec, Giovanni Pernice and Johannes Radebe make up the male pros (pictured L-R in 2020)

Making up the female pros are Oti, Janette Manrara, Amy Dowden, Dianne Buswell, Karen Hauer, Katya Jones, Luba Mushtuk, Nadiya Bychkova and Nancy Xu.

While Aljaz Skorjanec, Anton Du Beke, Giovanni Pernice, Gorka Marquez, Graziano Di Prima, Johannes Radebe and Neil Jones make up the male pros.

Sarah James, Executive Producer of BBC Studios said of the news: 'We are so thrilled to be welcoming back our incredible line-up of professional dancers for 2021.

'Their passion and dedication for Strictly shone through more than ever last year as they all sacrificed so much to deliver an unforgettable series during unprecedented and challenging times.

'With so much talent returning to the ballroom, the 2021 series promises more show-stopping choreography, memorable performances and world class dancing.'
Jersey Shore star Deena Cortese has announced the arrival of her second child, a baby boy named Cameron Theo Buckner.

The reality star, 34, announced she had given birth to her 'angel baby' on Instagram on Sunday, where she posted photos of the infant slumbering in her arms.

'The Buckners are now officially a party of 4,' Deena gushed in the caption. 'Cameron Theo Buckner was born May 1st at 7:21pm weighing 7 pound 3 ounces and 20 inches long.'

'The Buckners are now officially a party of 4': Jersey Shore star Deena Cortese has announced the arrival of her second child, a baby boy named Cameon Theo Buckner

'He is such a little angel baby .. mommy is feeling well and we are all so beyond happy and we're bursting out with so much love .. our hearts are full! We can't wait until he meets his big brother tomorrow!!'

In the photos, Deena and her husband Christopher Buckner couldn't have looked any happier bonding with their child.

Images included one of the couple beaming with joy as they posed with the child immediately after the birth, and another of the infant slumbering in his hospital crib.

Deena and her husband already share two-year-old son Christopher John together.

Rock-a-bye-baby: Cameron slumbered in his mother's arms in the heart-warming slideshow

Aww! Cameron was already decked out in custom attire as he slept in his hospital crib

Doting dad: Christopher beamed with joy as he cradled his sleeping son

Too cute: Cameron slept soundly in his crib

The MTV vet announced her pregnancy last year with a Halloween-themed family photo shoot.

'We're so excited to announce we're expecting Baby Buckner #2,' wrote Cortese, who added that she is approximately due on May 1 of 2021.

She continued: 'Our hearts are filled with so much love and joy! CJ is going to be the best big brother ever!!! #blessed #growingfamily'

Mommy and me: The MTV vet fussed over her child as she sat in her hospital bed

Zzzz: Cameron was bundled up in a soft blanket with a custom beanie atop his head

Meet Cameron: The bundle of joy was born May 1 weighing seven pounds and three ounces

Baby #2: Cortese announced she is her second child with husband of three-years Christopher Buckner last year

Exciting: The 33-year-old Jersey Shore star revealed the exciting pregnancy news by uploading a Halloween-themed family photoshoot to her Instagram last year

Due in May: 'We're so excited to announce we're expecting Baby Buckner #2,' wrote Cortese, who added that she is approximately due on May 1 of 2021

'sooo for everyone that was asking YES YES YES ..I'm pregnant,' concluded Cortese, whose pregnancy bliss was evident in the photos shared with her 3.1million followers on Sunday.

For their family photoshoot, Deena sported a graphic tee that had 'I smell a child,' which happens to be a direct line from 1993 film Hocus Pocus, written across the front of it.

With shades of orange, black, and purple dominating the setting, the family surrounded themselves with pumpkins, haystacks, and wreaths made of fall toned leaves.

Big brother: Deena and husband Christopher welcomed their first child, one-year-old son Christopher John, in January of 2019

Attached to one of the pumpkins was Deena's ultrasound photos, while another listed the baby's May due date.

Christopher John looked ultra cute in a pair of bright orange leggings covered in bats and ghost and a Halloween inspired tee.

He posed before a sign that read: 'This little pumpkin is going to be a big brother.'

Halloween vibes: With shades of orange, black, and purple dominating the setting, the family surrounded themselves with pumpkins, haystacks, and wreaths made of fall toned leaves

After unveiling her big baby news to the world, Deena was met with a ton of congratulatory messages from friends, family, and fans in her post's comment section.

'YASSSSS MAWMA So excited for you!' commented Deena's best friend and Jersey Shore co-star Snooki excitedly.

Snooki was not the only Jersey Shore alum to send positive messages Deena's way.

Proud dad: After unveiling her big baby news to the world, Deena was met with a ton of congratulatory messages from friends, family, and fans in her post's comment section

Best news: Jenni 'JWoww' Farley described Deena's second pregnancy as the 'best news'

Mike 'The Situation' Sorrentino left a 'Congratulations,' while his wife Lauren wrote on their behalf: 'yay!!! We're so excited for you guys! another little meatball! love you!'

Jenni 'JWoww' Farley described Deena's second pregnancy as the 'best news.'

Deena first appeared on the popular MTV reality series Jersey Shore in 2010 until her departure in 2012.

She did return for the series' spin-off Jersey Shore: Family Vacation, which premiered in 2018 and has run for a total of four seasons on MTV.
Sir Anthony Hopkins was nearly cast in Only Fools and Horses, the actor John Challis has claimed.

The screen star, 83, missed out on the role in the comedy sitcom because he was busy filming Silence of the Lambs instead, John, 78, has said.

John - who played Aubrey 'Boycie' Boyce in the show - said Sir Anthony would have starred as one of the evil Driscoll brothers if he hadn't been filming for his role as Hannibal Lecter in the iconic 1991 film.

Role: Sir Anthony Hopkins was nearly cast in Only Fools and Horses but was busy filming Silence Of The Lambs, the actor John Challis has revealed (Sir Anthony pictured as Hannibal Lecter)

John told The Mirror: 'He is a big fan of the show and was really interested in doing it. He would have been fantastic.

'I can imagine those disarming blue eyes staring at Boycie or Del Boy. It would have been truly terrifying.'

Sir Anthony won the 1991 Best Actor Oscar for his performance as Hannibal Lecter and last month celebrated another Oscars win for his role in The Father.

Work: The screen star, 83, missed out on the role in the comedy sitcom because he was busy filming Silence of the Lambs instead, John, 78, (pictured) has claimed

Asked if he might have regretted not appearing in the show, John joked: 'He's probably thinking 'if only I did that, I'd have been an even bigger success', while clutching his Oscar.'

It comes after last week Sir Anthony appeared over the moon as he celebrated his Oscars win for his role in The Father with friend Salma Hayek in Wales.

The star couldn't contain his delight as he boogied in an extravagant home, before the Mexican-American actress, 54, joined him in a funny video shared to her Instagram account on Tuesday.

The director landed his second Best Actor In A Leading Role gong for his performance as a man with dementia in his latest drama film - although he was a no-show at Sunday's LA-based event and reportedly visited Greggs before his victory.

Success: Sir Anthony won the 1991 Best Actor Oscar for his performance as Hannibal Lecter

The film stars swayed to a track by the late Leonard Cohen before sharing a sweet hug.

Salma, who has been keeping busy filming scenes as jailed clairvoyant Pina Auriemma for House Of Gucci in Rome, wrote in an accompanying caption: 'Celebrating with the king @anthonyhopkins.

'His 2nd Oscar for his extraordinary performance in The Father Celebrando con el Rey #anthonyhopkins su segundo #oscar por su extraordinaria actuacion en El Padre #leonardcohen.' (sic)

It is unclear why she has travelled to the UK, but she and the Welsh thespian appear to have a close friendship - with the brunette supporting him as he received a star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame in September 2003.

Star: John (pictured in Only Fools and Horses) told The Mirror: 'He is a big fan of the show and was really interested in doing it. He would have been fantastic'

Sir Anthony plays aging Anthony, whose daughter Anne (Olivia Colman) attempts to help him with his progressing memory loss.

The producer skipped this year's show, held in Union Station, and didn't give his acceptance speech until waking up on Monday near Port Talbot.

A source told The Sun he ordered a 1.60 steak bake from Greggs during a tour of Wales last Friday.

A shop assistant from the Llantwit Major branch told the publication: 'He was outside the shop putting his face mask on before coming in, he looked straight at me and smiled. It's not every day you get to serve an Oscar winner.'

Actors: John - who played Aubrey 'Boycie' Boyce in the show - said Sir Anthony would have starred one of evil Driscoll brothers if he hadn't been filming for his role as Hannibal Lecter (pictured) in the iconic 1991 film

MailOnline has contacted a representative for Sir Anthony for further comment.

In his speech, he paid tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman, who many expected to win the gong for his performance in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.

Speaking in a short clip surrounded by sprawling Welsh countryside, Sir Anthony - who became the oldest winner in history - said: 'Good morning, here I am in my homeland of Wales and at 83-years-of-age I did not expect to get this award.

High spirits: It comes after last week Sir Anthony appeared over the moon as he celebrated his Oscars win for his role in The Father with friend Salma Hayek in Wales

'I really didn't. I am grateful to the Academy and thank you. I want to pay tribute to Chadwick Boseman who was taken from us far too early, and again, thank you all very much.

'I really did not expect this, so I feel very privileged and honoured. Thank you.'

The TV and film star missed the Hollywood ceremony weeks after also dodging the BAFTA Awards, deciding to paint in his hotel room instead.

Sir Anthony only learned he had won Best Actor at Britain's top film awards because of yelling and banging through the walls.
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The finale of Line Of Duty served to wrap up the biggest question on viewers' lips - the identity of the Fourth Man, H - but, for many watching the nail-biting final episode, there were plenty of questions that writer Jed Mercurio's script simply didn't answer.

With rumours swirling that last night's hour-long episode could be the BBC police drama's last hurrah, millions of viewers were hoping for a crescendo that tied up all the loose ends.

However, many were left scratching their heads over how some of the plot threads played out - including whether Superintendent Hastings would face prosecution over his revelation that John Corbett was an Undercover Officer, and why H tried to kill Jo Davidson after she'd apparently done him a favour by leading AC-12 to Chief Superintendent Patrick Fairbank - taking the heat off him, for a while at least.

The series, which centred Hillside Lane police station's officers solving the murder of journalist Gail Vella, saw AC-12 weakened but with the divided trio of DI Steve Arnott (Martin Compston) and DI Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure) and Superintendent Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar) back together again in the final moments, suggesting Mercurio has another series up his sleeve.

Here, MailOnline looks at some of the mysteries that remain unsolved...and the questions the show did answer:

Over and out! The sixth series of Line Of Duty came to its long-awaited conclusion on Sunday night but writer Jed Mercurio didn't tie up many of this season's loose ends - leaving viewers hanging on for a seventh series

Mother of God, it's Buckells: On Sunday fans - many of whom were left underwhelmed by the finale - learned that Superintendent Buckells was the Fourth Man - aka H - after he'd liased with OCG's to bring down officers who'd failed to do their bidding

Why did H want Jo Davidson dead after she took the heat off him?

Puzzle: Detective Superintendent Ian Buckells - revealed as the so-called 'Fourth Man' - in the season finale appeared to be behind Jo Davidson being whisked out of her prison cell, destined to be killed - but the plot line made little sense because she'd actually helped distract attention away from him

Why did Buckells try orchestrate a grisly demise for Jo Davidson, whisking her to certain death in a white prison van, when she had effectively helped his cause by identifying former Chief Superintendent Patrick Fairbank (pictured) as 'a bent copper'?

Stitched up: viewers watched as Jo Davidson was summoned for a 'post charge interview' and led to a white van - but it wasn't clear why Buckells would want the locked up former police officer dead

Ahead of the disturbing revelation in episode five (which prompted some less-than-composed 'no comments) that paedophile gangster Tommy Hunter was both her uncle and father, an under-pressure Jo Davidson first appeared to pin the blame on former Chief Superintendent Patrick Fairbank (George Costigan), who she'd grown up with.

She told AC-12 that her adopted dad - now ravaged by the early stages of dementia was a 'bent copper' - a move that temporarily took Hastings, Arnott and the rest of the corruption unit off the scent of Detective Superintendent Ian Buckells, who was dramatically revealed to be H in last night's show.

Buckells is led to his cell in the epilogue of last night's finale ...but viewers were still left wondering whether he was actually the final answer to AC-12's questions, or if there's more corruption to be found

DI Steve Arnott and hard-working DS Chloe Bishop (Shalom Brune-Franklin) then decided to haul in ex copper Fairbank - a regular face in the early series of the show - upon learning that he was part of the same team involved in the murder of Lawrence Christopher.

However, AC-12 - with Kate Fleming joining them for interrogation -failed to get any answers due to Fairbank's deteriorating mental state, leaving Ted Hastings fleeing the room in frustration as the case appeared to slip away.

By the series' end, viewers were left still confused as to why Jo Davidson had tried to blame her supposed father - given that she herself was being blackmailed, making her an easy target for the organised crime group after she ended up behind bars.

The question remains though, why did H try to orchestrate a grisly demise Jo Davidson, whisking her from her prison cell to a certain death in a fake prison van - until Steve Arnott and Kate Fleming dramatically intervened - when she'd almost certainly already taken the heat off him for a while, and could effectively be left to rot in her cell at HMP Brentiss? Was it simply because she was now deemed 'a rat' and must be picked off?

How did Arnott and Fleming intercept the van carrying Jo Davidson?

The white van used to escort Jo Davidson to Buckells' lair was driven by this police officer...but minutes later Steve Arnott was in the driving seat

What happened in that underpass? Viewers were none the wiser but the van emerged moments later with a different driver - Steve Arnott. Right: Arnott pulls out a taser gun on the OCG that's are trying to capture and kill Jo Davidson

A moment of action that viewers couldn't follow on screen left many wondering how it might actually have realistically happened.

After Jo Davidson was bustled from her HMP Brentiss cell into a fake white prison van - with bent coppers at the wheel, it seemed certain Davidson was destined for an untimely end as she was driven into the clutches of Buckells.

However, when a tracking helicopter watched the van duck under an underpass, there was an apparent off-screen interception, and AC-12 were suddenly, unfathomably, in control again.

When the van was, moments later, caught in a pincer movement by a pair of OCG Range Rovers on an unremarkable side street, it appeared that Davidson was now the subject of an intended fake hijacking - all part of Buckell's grand plan to kill her.

And Kate Fleming hadn't been in the back of the van...but somehow the crime-busting duo had managed to intercept the vehicle without viewers seeing them do it

However, from the van emerged not the officers who'd previously been seen driving it, but a taser-carrying Steve Arnott, with Kate Fleming flinging open the doors of the back of the vehicle, also with her own taser in hand.

Somewhere along the way, the anti-corruption duo had managed to get inside the vehicle...probably under that underpass - but there was never any hint as to how it happened, with viewers not invited to be privy to the one of the most dramatic scenes in the episode.

How was Jo Davidson allowed to start an idyllic new life?

After the bleakest of upbringings and a police career dedicated to helping criminals, Jo Davidson appeared to have the happiest outcome - but many viewers suggested it was unlikely she'd be able to just walk away without any punishment

Throw away that key: Jo Davidson is seen at the end of the finale walking off with her new girlfriend and their pet dog, apparently evading any further police questioning

The Witness Protection scheme certainly proved good to Jo Davidson. After AC-12 deemed that she'd spent a lifetime being coerced into helping the OCG, she was considered a bent copper against her will and her prison cell at HMP Brentiss was promptly unlocked.

In episode five, a shocked Davidson learned that her depraved paedophile uncle Tommy Hunter, was actually her father - after a DNA match indicated inbreeding in the family - and that he'd forced her into a life of crime.

Last night's episode saw her image unpinned from the notice board in the AC-12 crime bubble - suggesting her involvement with the investigation is officially over - and her character won't be back should series seven happen.

The former corrupt cop - who, at one point in the series lured DI Kate Fleming to a deserted car park to face a nerve-jangling shoot out with bent copper Ryan Pilkington (Gregory Piper), who was subsequently killed by Fleming - is seen in the programme's epilogue apparently living the rural dream.

Destined for a prison term, or worse, death at the hands of a vengeful OCG, Davidson instead emerged free as a bird, and able to start a new life. However, the final moments of the tense finale saw Jo Davidson's image removed from a pin board in the AC-12 crime bubble - suggesting her involvement with the investigation was over

Dressed in a cosy knit, and with a Golden Retriever by her side, she's seen walking off from the idyllic rural cottage she shares with her new flame-haired girlfriend.

On social media, one viewer quipped: 'Still unsure how Jo Davidson got off so lightly and ended up in Kate Winslets cottage from The Holiday.'

Some viewers suggested that it was too far-fetched that Davidson - played by 45-year-old actor Kelly Macdonald - would simply be allowed to start a seemingly blissful new life without facing some retribution for her decades spent actively helping criminals.

Will Steve finally get together with Steph Corbett, or colleague Kate?

'You don't know what you've got til it's gone': Kate Fleming may have been referencing her time in AC-12 when she gazed at Steve Arnott in the pub in the closing moments of the show...but fans were left hanging as to whether the line had more romantic connotations

Romance? Throughout the series viewers saw Steve form a close bond with John Corbett's widow Steph, even spending the night in her bed after continuing to struggle with back pain

Throughout the series viewers saw Steve form a close bond with John Corbett's widow Steph, even spending the night in her bed after continuing to struggle with back pain and his painkiller addiction.

But by the end of series six though, he was clearly doubting whether to pursue a relationship with her, given how she lied about a vast sum of cash given to her by Hastings.

As series six concluded, it was clear that Steve and Kate had never been closer, as she described him as being 'the best' during a meeting with Occupational Health, and hinted that she could be ready to return to AC-12.

Fans have long enjoyed the pair's close friendship but perhaps series seven could lead to something more.

Over a drink and some lingering looks in the pub during last night's episode, Fleming told her long-time partner in crime fighting: 'You don't know what you've got til it's gone', suggesting that it wasn't just working for AC-12 that she was hoping to come back to.

Still fans were left hanging as to whether the line had more romantic connotations and the professional couple could become lovers.

MOTHER OF GOD! WAS THAT IT? VIEWERS LEFT 'FUMING' AFTER MINOR CHARACTER BUCKELLS IS UNVEILED AS THE FOURTH MAN... Line of Duty fans across the nation were left underwhelmed and disappointed by the identity of mysterious antagonist 'H'. Loyal viewers took to social media in their droves to share their frustrations as officers from the police anti-corruption unit AC-12 discovered the identity of the elusive 'fourth man'. But the revelation the bent copper colluding with the organised crime groups (OCGs), was actually DSI Ian Buckells infuriated many seasoned Line Of Duty fans. It saw the words 'fuming', 'disappointing' and 'underwhelming' all trend on social media in the aftermath of the show. And the disbelief it could be him was compounded by the way he was only caught because of his repeated mis-spelling of the word 'definitely' - hardly the blunder of a hardened criminal mastermind. The detective - widely thought until last night to have been just a bungling stooge - was first introduced to viewers in series one as the SIO in the case of murdered businesswoman Jackie Laverty by then Chief Superintendent Derek Hilton. He later went on to become Detective Chief Inspector in series four before being promoted once more to Detective Superintendent in this final series. Sharing their disappointment on the revelation, one disgruntled Line of Duty fan wrote on Twitter: 'Can't believe I watched six seasons of line of Duty for Ian Buckells, the most pointless character to be the fourth man. Fuming.' While another viewer added: 'Buckells, the most pointless character'. Advertisement

Who is the REAL leader of the OCG?

Despite the episode revealing that that Detective Superintendent Ian Buckells was actually the so-called 'Fourth Man,' some viewers were quick to note that he didn't wholly confirm whether he was the leader of the Organised Crime Group - leaving another question hanging in the air.

Really? Instead, he pinned the blame on Tommy Hunter, who was killed back in series two, leaving many viewers unconvinced by his claim

H, yes, but head of the Organised Crime Group...it's still not clear. Detective Superintendent Ian Buckells failed to confirm whether he was the leader of the OCG, with many viewers suggesting there could still be a string-puller on the loose

Instead, he pinned the blame on Tommy Hunter, who was killed back in series two - after being ambushed while being moved into witness protection and then later murdered in hospital - meaning Buckells' claims seemed less and less likely.

The former 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 remember that Hunter had links to Ryan Pilkington, who worked for him as a juvenile delinquent, and almost undone AC-12 when he pulled a gun on Kate Fleming.

So, with Hunter long gone and Buckells not offering up a definitive answer, the question still remains whether another corrupt officer or criminal is still pulling the strings in the OCG, and Buckells' role as a middle-man means they could still be out to cause trouble for AC-12.

What will happen to AC-12?

Despite finally uncovering the identity of H through a long paper trail of corrupt officers, fans were surprised to learn the organisation's powers had been significantly weakened.

Fleming hinted she'd be open to taking her job back alongside Arnott and Hastings, who vowed to appeal his forced retirement despite confessing to DCS Patricia Carmichael he's revealed John Corbett's identity as an Undercover Officer.

Steve hinted he may take a break from active duty to overcome his addiction to painkillers, despite he and Kate appearing closer than ever as she told Occupational Health that he was 'the best.'

Despite a final shot of the AC-12 elevator showed the trio reunited as they travelled down the lift together, viewers are less hopeful on whether they'll get to see them together again, especially as bosses have been tight-lipped on whether the show could return for a seventh series.

How exactly was Steph Corbett involved?

What did she do? Aside from the mystery 50k, fans are still in the dark about whether Steph could have any further involvement in the OCG, especially given her presence in the sixth series

Who was it? Early in the finale, DC Bishop revealed that the report ordering Davidson's transfer from her prison cell to Hillside Lane police station has been forged by an OCG, with a mystery member faking the signatures of both Kate and Lomax

When Ted Hastings uttered the lines: "a young woman with two wee girls, who would've been left destitute because her husband was killed in the line of duty", it clarified that he'd handed over the cash to Steph Corbett (Amy De Bhrun), John Corbett's widow.

However, whether Steph has any further involvement in the OCG, especially given her ongoing presence in the sixth series, remains unclear.

There were theories ahead of last night's episode that she could have a secret link to Marcus Thurwell...but given her appearance in this finale stretched to little more than a voicemail, how the character of Steph was portrayed has left several unanswered questions - and suggests she may be back if Mercurio puts pen to paper again?

Who forged Fleming's and DS Chris Lomax's signature - and is Lomax dodgy?

DS Chris Lomax appeared to be Hillside Lane's straight man...but the questions left hanging over how his signature was forged...and the look he gave when receiving former crime boss Tommy Hunter's son Darren into the police station during the epilogue suggests he may not be clean as a whistle after all

Unsolved: Given Buckells was still in prison at the time, it was unclear who was behind the plot to have Davidson killed, as she clearly knew too much about the OCG, and whether it could have been another officer who ordered her death

A little sweat on Lomax' brow? DS Chris Lomaxt, an officer in the Murder Investigation Team (MIT), appeared clean as a whistle but many viewers got different vibes from him in the finale. Could he be a key character for series seven? Lomax's story felt unfinished in last night's final episode

The discrepancies over signatures begs the question - can DS Chris Lomax, an officer in the Murder Investigation Team (MIT), be trusted too?

Early in the finale, DC Bishop revealed that the report ordering Davidson's transfer from her prison cell to Hillside Lane police station has been forged by an OCG, with a mystery member faking the signatures of both Kate and Lomax to gain access to her cell.

Given Buckells was still in prison at the time, it was unclear who was behind the plot to have Davidson killed, as she clearly knew too much about the OCG, and whether it could have been another officer who ordered her death. Another unanswered question but one that seems to hint that Lomax might have something to hide?

And the fact that he was at Hillside Lane to receive former crime boss Tommy Hunter's son Darren - brought in again over the murder of Lawrence Christopher - could suggest he's not quite as spotless as he appears.

Is Chief Constable Osborne bent?

Should we trust him? It's possible that Chief Constable Osborne could be involved in the OCG have openly dismissed any claims of corruption on the force, even after AC-12 discovered H's identity

For years CC Phillip Osborne has been a prime suspect in AC-12's investigations of corruption, and it was revealed this series that he worked on the Lawrence Christopher murder case now-deceased Marcus Thurwell, and 'H' Buckells

In a televised conference, Osborne commended the work of his officers in locating Gail Vella's murder, but once again dismissed any institutional police corruption as 'an outrageous lie.'

Given he is clearly willing to dispel any credible leads AC-12 may have, it's possible could be involved in an OCG, and may carry on doing their dirty work for years to come.

Will DCI Patricia Carmichael expose Hastings' wrong doing?

What will she do? She's become one of the show's most maligned characters, but viewers were left hoping that Carmichael had some glimmer of compassion after Hastings decided to make a confession

In doubt: Despite finally uncovering the identity of H through a long paper trail of corrupt officers, fans were surprised to learn the organisation's powers had been significantly weakened

She's become one of the show's most maligned characters, but viewers were left hoping that Carmichael had some glimmer of compassion after Hastings decided to make a confession.

Clearly still a lawful man despite years working in corruption, Ted admitted that he did reveal to Lee Banks that John Corbett was working undercover in organised crime, indirectly leading to his death.

Carmichael simply asked: 'What do you want me to do with that information?' leading to one of Hastings' best speeches yet, declaring: 'Whatever you do, you do it because you carry the fire'

As Hastings made his exit, Carmichael's stoic expression hinted she is less keen to report him then viewers may think...

...and will he succeed in appealing his forced retirement?

Coming clean: Clearly still a lawful man despite years working in corruption, Ted admitted that he did reveal that John Corbett was working undercover in organised crime, indirectly leading to his death

During his final meeting with Carmichal, Ted also revealed he is planning to appeal against being forced to retire from active duty, despite finally putting one of the team's longest-serving mysteries to bed.

It was clear from the start that he wasn't ready to step down, so it remains to be seen whether he'll succeed in keeping his job, and AC-12, going strong to fight corruption another day.

Will there be a series seven?

It is over? As the final shot of the AC-12 elevator showed the trio reunited as they travelled down the lift together, viewers were less hopeful on whether they'll get to see them together again in a seventh series

It's the question on every Line Of Duty fan's lips following the finale, with the concluding episode ending on a somewhat cliffhanger. BBC bosses are yet to confirm whether the show will be back for another outing, and even the show's star Martin Compston stating this conclusion will be a 'perfect ending.'

Fans will have to wait and see whether Line Of Duty will be back for another run, but it seems unlikely BBC will let the show go given its record-breaking viewership.

The mysteries that have finally been solved...

Who is H?

It's been a question posed by die-hard and casual fans alike, after years wondering about the identity of the fourth man known as H.

On Sunday fans finally learned that Superintendent Buckells was the famous fourth man, having liased with OCG's to bring down officers who failed to do their bidding.

Despite painting himself as a bumbling fool, the copper actually formed a secret operation with an array of 'bent coppers' and even blackmailed Acting Superintendent Davidson thanks to her history with the group as Tommy Hunter's daughter.

It appeared that AC-12 had caught him red-handed, especially as Steve dealt the fatal blow by revealing he had to co-operate to make him eligible for witness protection.

Hastings delivered the final line, declaring: 'No one makes mugs of AC-12,' before leaving the interview, with viewers later learning that Buckells would have to receive immunity, or none of the corruption evidence will be heard in court.

Upsetting: In a shocking bombshell last week Acting Superintendent Davidson learned that she was both the daughter and niece of OCG member Tommy Hunter, having previously been led to believe her father was little more than a bent copper

Who was the man Jo Davidson believed was her father?

In a shocking bombshell last week Acting Superintendent Davidson learned that she was both the daughter and niece of OCG member Tommy Hunter, having previously been led to believe her father was little more than a bent copper.

But, after Davidson is rescued by AC-12 from a group of OCG members who attempt to kill her, she finally admits the man she thought was her dad was former CS Patrick Fairbank, a retired officer thrown behind bars when it was revealed he both covered up and participated in abuse at a children's home.

Once again, Fairbanks claims he cannot remember Davidson or her mother, insisting he doesn't recall much of his own criminal past.

Luckily, it seems Davidson finally gets her happy ending after years under the control of the OCG, finding a new life in the countryside in Witness Protection.

Him? But, after Davidson is rescued by AC-12 from a group of OCG members who attempt to kill her, she finally admits the man she thought was her dad was former CS Patrick Fairbank

Who killed Gail Vella?

This mystery proved to be the crutch of the whole series, as fans waited to see whether they would finally learn who killed Gail Vella.

At last fans discovered that it was Carl Banks who had shot her after weapons discovered in a strong box hidden at the OCG's workshop, meaning suspect Terry Boyle could be released.

Luckily it appeared that Vella's death wasn't completely in vain, as the episode's end also revealed that Darren Hunter was now under investiation for Lawrence Christopher's murder, though an official inquiry was yet to be opened.

What a relief! Fans feared that Steve could be struck off for failing a drugs test due to his painkiller addiction, and by the episode's end it appeared that he was getting help with his superior Hastings' support

Was Steve sacked for failing his drugs test?

For several weeks viewers saw Steve attempting to ignore multiple emails from Occupational Health after submitting to a mandatory drugs test.

Arnott had been struggled with a painkiller addiction to control his searing back pain from an injury suffered back in series four when he was attacked by one of the 'Balaclava Men.'

The series six finale saw him finally sit down with the Health team who noted that while none of the drugs he'd taken were illegal, the high levels were concerning, and stated he may need a take a break from active duty.

To no surprise Steve refused, and insisted he must continue with his investigation, though he did agree to the possibility of surrendering his firearm.

Arnott then revealed his addiction to Hastings, who later implied he'd kept quiet about Steve to keep him on active duty adding he was grateful he was 'getting some help.'

By the series' end, Steve hinted he may take a break from work to finally ditch the pills, but still appeared to be a fundamental part of the AC-12 team.

Revelations: Hastings also revealed that he gave 50,000 to Steph Corbett after inadvertantly causing the death of her husband John by revealing his undercover status to OCG member Lee Banks

What happened to the 50,000 Ted gave to Steph?

After being given an envelope full of 100,000 in cash, fans had been wondering what happened to half of the money, when Steve discovered 50k in John Corbett's widow Steph's flat.

Probed by both Steve and Kate, who feared that the gaffer could be bent, Hastings insisted he only came clean about Corbett's undercover status to Lee Banks, who later told Ryan Pilkington who killed him, in the hope he'd get back in contact.

He then revealed he gave Steph half the money in the hope it would clear his conscience, adding: 'If there is one thing I could take back, it would be that. What a terrible thing I did.'

Alive or dead? Many fans were convinced that DI Marcus Thurwell could have been secretly living in Spain despite AC-12 being led to believe they've found his body last week, but it turned how he was definitely killed

Is Marcus Thurwell alive?

Many fans were convinced that DI Marcus Thurwell could have been secretly living in Spain despite AC-12 being led to believe they've found his body last week.

However, this turned out to be a huge red herring, as DC Bishop confirmed in the finale that Thurwell was definitely strangled to death, and his body had acutally been left for several weeks before being discovered by Spanish police.

It was a disappointing end to a character that had been tipped for big bombshells in the series as he was played by James Nesbitt.

Line Of Duty's sixth series finale leaves fans underwhelmed as 12million viewers FINALLY learn the identity of the elusive criminal Fourth Man - but are convinced there has to be 'one more twist'

By Laura Fox and Bhvishya for MailOnline

Line of Duty fans across the nation were left 'fuming' as the nail-biting series finale drew to a close tonight and the mysterious antagonist 'H' was finally unmasked.

Seasoned fans took to social media in their droves to share their frustrations as officers from the police anti-corruption unit AC-12 discovered the identity of the elusive 'fourth man', who had been colluding with the organised crime group (OCG), was none other than DSU Ian Buckells.

The detective was first introduced to viewers in series one when he was appointed as SIO in the case of murdered businesswoman Jackie Laverty by then chief superintendent Derek Hilton.

The sixth series of the Jed Mercurio creation, also saw DI Steve Arnott, played by actor Martin Compston, finally called in for a meeting with Occupational Health, who noted that while he had not broken the law through his excessive painkiller use, he would have to surrender his firearms licence.

However, the episode's end failed to offer any resolution on whether the fan-favourite team of DI Steve Arnott, DI Kate Fleming and Superintendent Ted Hastings would return, ending on the revelation that the team has 'never been weaker.'

The mystery surrounding the identity of 'H' has been up for speculation since his character was first mentioned at the end of series three, which aired in 2016, and detectives at the anti-corruption unit discovered there were four officers working within the force who had links to the underground criminal network.

Sharing their disappointment on the revelation, one disgruntled Line of Duty fan wrote on Twitter: 'Can't believe I watched six seasons of line of Duty for Ian Buckells, the most pointless character to be the fourth man. Fuming.'

While another viewer added: 'I'm fuming, can't believe I waited this long for Ian Buckells to run the roost.'

At last! Line Of Duty's much-anticipated sixth series came to its conclusion on Sunday night with the identity of the elusive criminal 'H' finally unmasked

Shocking: Viewers were noticeable underwhelmed to learn the identity of the elusive criminal, as the series ended on an ambiguous note

While another wrote: 'We waited 10 years for Ian Buckells to be revealed as the OCG mastermind.'

Another commented: 'Everyone in the UK when we waited all this time for Ian Buckells to be revealed as the OCG mastermind.'

Meanwhile another fan said: 'I would have accepted Hastings as H over Ian bloody Buckells #LineOfDuty #LineofDutyFinale.'

Elsewhere another viewer added: 'I once got the entire UK invested in a TV show only to end it with bumbling Ian Buckells being H #LineofDutyFinale #LineOfDuty.'

And another wrote: 'Well I hate to say it but that's a disappointing ending. I refuse to believe it was all down to Ian Buckells of all people.'

Line of Duty's creator Jed Mercurio shares cryptic post after finale airs... as show's future hangs in the balance Line of Duty's creator Jed Mercurio shared a cryptic post after the finale on Sunday night as the show's future hangs in the balance. The writer, 55, shared a picture of the AC-12 sign to his Twitter after the episode had aired and simply captioned it: 'Carry the fire', which gave no indication if there will be a seventh series or not. BBC bosses are yet to confirm whether the show will return, despite an average of 13 millions viewers tuning in for the latest series, which faced multiple delays due to the Covid pandemic. Uncertain: Line of Duty's creator Jed Mercurio shared a cryptic post after the final on Sunday night as the show's future hangs in the balance Cryptic: The writer, 55, shared a picture of the AC-12 sign to his Twitter after the episode had aired and simply captioned it: 'Carry the fire', which gave no indication if there will be a seventh series or not Emotional: Vicky McClure, who plays DI Kate Fleming, continued to fuel fans' concerns that the series could be coming to an end in a lengthy Twitter post on Sunday However earlier on Sunday Jed, along with the show's main actors Vicky McClure and Martin Compston, all appeared to hint series six could have been the last. Hours before the hotly-anticipated final episode Vicky, 37, tweeted: 'Please excuse the slightly over emotional post but it's been quite a surreal time! Now . . . Let's wrap this up.' Jed added: 'Working with Vicky McClure, Martin Compston (and) Adrian Dunbar has been the highlight of my career. Thanks to the rest of the cast, our brilliant crews and the production team for six incredible seasons.' While Martin, 36, said: 'Been a wild few weeks and mental ten years. A job of a lifetime only made possible by the fans tuning in series after series. I can't thank you all enough. Answers coming? Definately.' Symbolic? The previously divided AC-12 members were back in the lift at the end of the final episode - suggesting there's more work to be done Millions of viewers were still left with unanswered questions after Sunday's final including who was the man Jo Davidson believed was her father and if Steve was sacked for failing his drugs test. But in March Jed admitted that he 'doesn't know' if there will be a series seven and it isn't 'guaranteed' due to the coronavirus crisis. Speaking to The Radio Times he said: 'We don't know. Since probably season four, we've been talking to the BBC about the realistic longevity of the series. 'I've experienced broadcasters pulling the plug while we were still developing a storyline Bodies and Cardiac Arrest both ended prematurely on the BBC. So it's an ongoing discussion, is all I can say.' Jed added: 'We're in a situation where it's not entirely clear that there will be a seventh series. We would hope there could be. 'But we're having to do our planning coming out of Covid, and a whole bunch of other things around the idea that these things aren't guaranteed at all now.'

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One frustrated fan added: 'In whose universe is Ian Buckells any kind of mastermind of anything? I'm dazed and completely confused.'

During the episode tonight, Superintendent Ted Hastings, played by actor Adrian Dunbar, was seen asking his colleague Chloe to run checks on the constant misspelling of the word 'definitely' as 'definately' which had become synonymous with the 'fourth man' in previous episodes.

A number of checks traced the word back to Buckells who used the misspelling when messaging former undercover officer John Corbett, played by Stephen Graham, in series five.

When confronted with the revelation Hastings was left astounded, asking his colleague: 'Are you sure Chloe?'

After being confronted by Hastings and his team Buckells declared: 'I'm only the one whose made total mugs out of you lot!'.

He also revealed that would have to offer him immunity or Witness Protection if they wanted him to co-operate.

Pointing out that H did not officially exist as the investigation into corruption had been quashed, he insisted Tommy Hunter, the organised crime kingpin who was a sinister character during the drama's early series, was the leader of the OCG.

What a let down! Fans shared their frustrations as officers of the police anti-corruption unit AC-12 discovered that the identity of the elusive 'fourth man'

Also during the show, viewers watched as DI Arnott was left torn on whether to pursue fears that his boss Ted Hastings could be 'H' as the team raced to uncover the mystery figure's identity.

The officer also admitted to his detective friend Kate Fleming that he had been involved with former officer John Corbett's widow Steph.

As the team from AC-12 tried to unravel the mystery surrounding journalist Gail Vella's death, they found a strong box hidden under the floor of the OCG's workshop.

The box was revealed to contain an array of weapons used in murders investigated by Hastings and his team, including the gun that shot and killed Vella, and the knife that slit the throat of DS John Corbett, who was killed by the OCG in series five.

It's the breakthrough that the team have been waiting for, as the box finally proves that Carl Banks was responsible for Vella's murder before being killed by the OCG himself.

After weeks of incessant emails, Steve is finally called in for a meeting with Occupational Health, who note that while he hasn't broken the law through his excessive painkiller use, he should take time off from his duties.

To no surprise, Arnott refuses, but does agree to hand over his fire-arm, and comes to clean to Hastings about his drug use. To his, and the viewers' surprise, Hastings doesn't dismiss him, simply saying: 'I'm glad you're getting some help.'

Despite fans' theories that Thurwell had to be alive, it is revealed that he was killed in the previous episode, and had actually been dead for several weeks when his body was found after being strangled.

DC Chloe Bishop, also reveals that any communication involving Thurwell and the OCG had been re-routed through Spain from a device in the UK, meaning the fourth man was definitely still amongst the corruption team.

Who is it? It was at least revealed that the so-called fourth man was actually DSU Ian Buckells, who had been originally imprisoned after appearing to have been framed by Davidson

Revelations: The team from AC-12 found a strong box hidden under the floor of the O CG's workshop during the nail-biting episode

After being imprisoned for her own corrupt behaviour, Davidson is taken away in a police van under the ruse she's being interviewed at Hillside Lane, but in reality it's the same criminal who strangled Lakewell several weeks earlier.

It's clear that H is involved in the attempt to kill Davidson, as the order for her transfer boests the same 'definately' misspelling, as well as the forced signatures of Fleming and DS Chris Lomax.

Luckily AC-12 reach the van in time to rescue Davidson, and vow to get her into witness protection if she comes clean on H's identity.

Jo is clearly reluctant to give up the man in charge of the Order who kept her hostage for so many years, and so AC-12 opt to return their investigation to former Chief Superintendent Patrick Fairbank but find nothing in his cell.

Caught out: DI Arnott was finally called in for a meeting with Occupational Health, who noted that while he hadn't broken the law through his excessive painkiller use, he should take time off from his duties

Despite AC-12 revealing Davidson was led to believe he was her father, Fairbank claims he 'doesn't remember' anything related to her or the OCG, with a clearly-frustrated Hastings storming out of the interview.

Proving to be the clue that will crack open this decade-long mystery, Bishop spots the same 'definately' spelling inside a written note found in the records related to Lawrence Christopher's murder.

The case was being investigated by Vella before she was murdered, having learned that the botched work corrupt police officers meant no one was ever charged with the racially-charged crime.

As AC-12 debate whether to go public with the information, Hastings finally confesses to Kate and Steve about the mystery bag of money he gave to John Corbett's widow Steph, admitting he gave her the cash as a kind-hearted gesture.

He also fiercely denied revealing Corbett's identity as an Undercover Officer to the OCG, which eventually lead to his death.

Admission: Despite finally uncovering the identity of H through a long paper trail of corrupt officers, fans were surprised to learn the organisation's powers had been significantly weakened

She's become one of the show's most maligned characters, but viewers were left hoping that detective Carmichael had some glimmer of compassion after Hastings decided to make a confession

Regardless, the written note finally sets the stage for the most important police interview in the show's history, with the stage set at last for Hastings to confront the criminal H who has caused so much havoc in AC-12.

The so-called Fourth Man is then revealed to be Buckells, despite perceptions hinting he was easily-manipulated and thus the perfect target for Davidson as she did the OCG's dirty work.

It seemed the copper was far smarter than first thought, as he'd been exchanging messages with Davidson about his criminal behaviour.

Despite his bumbling exterior, it all seemed to be a ruse, as he declared: 'I'm only the one whose made total mugs out of you lot!' by revealing they'd have to offer him immunity or Witness Protection if they wanted him to co-operate.

Pointing out that H doesn't officially exist as the investigation into corruption had been quashed, he insisted Tommy Hunter was still the leader of the OCG and since his death the system had simply scattered.

Despite this, it's clear Fleming and Arnott want to keep looking into the investigation, and open an enquiry to finally get a conviction for Christopher's murder, but Carmichael is less convinced.

To make matters worse, Chief Constable Phillip Osbourne makes a statement applauding the police force for finally uncovering Gail Vella's killer, but once again denies any possibility of police corruption.

The episode concludes on an uncertain note, with Hastings coming clean about revealing Corbetts status as an UCO after vowing to appeal his forced retirement, before leaving with the AC-12 team, and on-screen text noting that their powers to curb wrongdoing in the force have never been weaker.

Davidson enters Witness Protection, while it appears that if Buckells gains immunity, none of the evidence for corruption will be heard in court, meaning the entire investigation will have been for nothing.

Anticipated: Given the show's record-breaking viewership, fans hoped that the finale would answer all their burning questions, including the identity of the elusive 'H'

Mere hours before the episode was due to air, both stars Vicky and Martin paid tribute to the show's fans and their co-stars on social media, though neither post appeared to dispel fans' concerns that series six could be the last.

Given the show's record-breaking viewership, fans hoped that the finale would answer all their burning questions, including whether DCI Thurwell could still be alive after his body was supposedly found in last week's episode and whether DCS Carmichael is the elusive fourth man.

Another mystery that has stemmed from series six was the 50,000 that Steve discovered in John Corbett's wife Steph's house, after being given the vast amount by Hastings himself.

Confronting Steph about her husband's 'life insurance,' she insisted the money had been invested in a hairdressers, leaving many fans wondering whether she could be involved in an OCG after her husband worked undercover for a crime group in series five.

Having seen its ratings increase throughout its eight-year run, series six kicked off with a record-breaking 15 million viewers tune in for its opening episode in March, and since averaged between 12 and 13 million viewers.

The preview episode of the finale was shrouded in secrecy by the BBC, with TV insiders and journalists given a plethora of passwords to access the show.

A source said: 'Staff were under strict instructions to keep character and plot revelations under strict lock and key.

'Friends and families of the key actors also kept schtum on letting slip on any show details.'

An even longer wait: Like many shows, series six was hit by several delays due to the Covid pandemic, with filming in Belfast halted back in March 2020, just days before the UK was plunged into lockdown

Ahead of the sixth series finale, feared by many to be the show's last hurrah, fans got a glimpse of the episode through an action-packed trailer, complete with a police standoff, the return of balaclava men and the discovery of a written note with THAT 'definately' misspelling.

However, despite the huge success of the BBC show, Martin Compston revealed the BBC drama could be coming to an end sooner than everyone thinks.

Martin - who previously revealed that executive decisions about the series are 'above his pay grade' - cast doubt on the show's future during an appearance on The Jonathan Ross Show.

Speaking on Saturday's show, Martin, 36, said: 'We wont come back just for the sake of it. Thats for sure. Well come back if theres a story to tell.

'If it ends well maybe sometimes it is best to leave it. But genuinely we dont know.'

The admission comes after Martin teased that fans will get some 'big answers' during the finale, and admitted he believes it could be the 'perfect ending' to the police drama.

Speaking on the Shrine Of Duty podcast, Martin confessed that he thinks Sunday's episode could be the best way to wrap up the 'story arch' - but he refused to rule out another series.

When quizzed on whether viewers will learn who the illusive 'H' is, Martin said: 'I wouldn't quite go the Jo Davidson no comment route - but what I will tell you is I think there's a lot of pay offs coming this Sunday.

'There's a lot of big answers and it's deserved, people have stuck with us for a long time, so there comes a point where the story arch comes to an end.'

Like many shows, series six was hit by several delays due to the Covid pandemic, with filming in Belfast halted back in March 2020, just days before the UK was plunged into lockdown.

Production was finally able to resume in September that year with strict safety guidelines, including the use of studio sets as opposed to real locations, regular testing measures.

Filming for series six finally wrapped in November, with bosses later confirming it would be seven episodes as opposed to the usual six.
Hollywood actor Zac Efron's whirlwind romance with waitress ex-girlfriend Vanessa Valladares seemed like a fairytale.

But now a theory is circulating that the former couple knew each other three years before their reported first meeting at Byron Bay's General Store cafe last June.

A resurfaced Instagram comment discovered by Pedestrian throws their entire relationship timeline into question.

Is it true? A theory is circulating that Zac Efron and his ex-girlfriend Vanessa Valladares knew each other three years before their reported first meeting at Byron Bay's General Store cafe last June. Pictured at The Greatest Showman premiere in Sydney on December 20, 2017

The pair never spoke about their relationship to the press or on social media, leading to some ambiguity in regard to when exactly they started dating.

But a comment on one of Vanessa's Instagram posts from December 29, 2017, suggests they may have been an item for much longer than initially thought.

Vanessa's post showed her standing at the edge of a quarry in Bexhill, a small village in New South Wales about 35km (22 miles) from Byron Bay - the town where she supposedly met Zac for the first time last year.

However, a comment left on the post 163 weeks ago - in March 2018 - reads: 'Take care. God bless you and Zac. xx.'

All other comments on the post have been limited, which suggests the woman who left this comment knows Vanessa in some way.

Did Zac take this? A comment on one of Vanessa's Instagram posts from December 29, 2017, suggests they may have been an item for much longer than initially thought. The photo showed her standing at the edge of a quarry in Bexhill, a small village in New South Wales about 35km (22 miles) from Byron Bay - the town where she supposedly met Zac for the first time last year

Hmm! 'Take care. God bless you and Zac,' an Instagram user commented 163 weeks ago, leading to speculation Vanessa and Zac were secretly dating in March 2018. All other comments on the post have been limited, which suggests the woman who left this comment knows Vanessa in some way

He was in town! Interestingly, Zac was in Australia in December 2017, attending the red carpet premiere of The Greatest Showman at The Star in Sydney. Pictured on December 20, 2017

Interestingly, Zac was in Australia in December 2017, attending the red carpet premiere of The Greatest Showman at The Star in Sydney.

On December 26, just days before Vanessa uploaded her photo from Bexhill, Zac appeared to enjoy a hike at a mystery location - perhaps in rural New South Wales.

While this could suggest the pair were secretly dating at the time, there is another explanation for the 'god bless you and Zac' comment.

Vanessa may have been dating another man named Zac, as it's not exactly an uncommon name.

Did he extend his stay? On December 26, just days before Vanessa uploaded her photo from Bexhill, Zac appeared to enjoy a hike at a mystery location - perhaps in rural New South Wales

According to various reports, Zac was introduced to Vanessa by her boss at Byron Bay's General Store cafe in June last year, and the pair hit it off straight away.

Two months later, in August, Daily Mail Australia revealed Zac had cancelled his scheduled return flight to Los Angeles because he 'didn't really want to go back'.

Within weeks, the genetically blessed couple had moved in together in Byron Bay.

Zac confirmed their relationship in September when they were spotted holding hands in public.

Vanessa would accompany her famous boyfriend as he travelled around Australia for various work projects from late 2020 to early 2021.

But it was confirmed in April they had called it quits, with Zac's friend Kyle Sandilands announcing on his KIIS FM radio show: 'I can confirm [the break-up], after speaking with him yesterday.'


Big Data Infrastructure Software Development Engineer Austin , Texas , United States Software and Services Summary

Posted: Apr 28, 2021 Weekly Hours: 40 Role Number: 200243043 Imagine what you could do here. At Apple, great ideas have a way of becoming great products, services, and customer experiences very quickly. Bring passion and dedication to your job and there's no telling what you could accomplish. We are the Big Data Engineering team that manages various state of the art open source technologies in Streaming, Data Science and Big Data Analytics areas, including Kafka, Hadoop, Spark, Kubernetes, Object Storage and AI/ML. A passion and love for building highly scalable, distributed web applications that efficiently deal with mass volumes of data is what we are looking for! Do you want your work to make a difference in the lives of millions of people who are passionate about Apple's products and services? We desire to find a highly motivated, detail-oriented, energetic individual with excellent written and oral skills who will not be afraid to think outside the box and question assumptions. In this role, you will be part of a fast growing, cohesive team with many exciting responsibilities related to Big Data. Key Qualifications At least 5 years (preferably 8 years) of experience in a professional programming position

Tried understanding and experience of core Java programming, performance, multi-threading, garbage collection

Strong education in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Algorithms, Operating Systems, Networking, etc.

Experience in handling architectural and design considerations such as performance, scalability, reusability and flexibility issues

Sound knowledge of Linux, Systems/Application Design & Architecture

Experience with Python and/or Go development highly desirable

Experience with public clouds (GCP & AWS) highly desirable

Passion in working with processing large amounts of data

Sound experience in the deployment, design and architecture of Apache Kafka & Apache Zookeeper

Experience in optimization and Tuning of Kafka brokers/clusters based on performance metrics

Tried and true experience and knowledge in Big Data Technologies such as Hadoop, Spark, etc. is desirable

Experience in setting up standard methodologies, standards, automation process for onboarding, monitoring and healing of Big Data

Expertise in the lifecycle management of Kafka/Hadoop clusters including security patching, adding/removing brokers in a cluster, restarting brokers without disrupting the application Description Setup of Kafka brokers, Kafka MirrorMakers and Kafka Zookeeper on hosts including a combination of bare metal systems, VMs and Containers. Setup of Hadoop clusters with related technologies Develop scalable, robust systems that will be highly adaptable to changing business needs. Define/develop Big Data tech, platforms and applications Architect, improve, and scale diverse applications to the next level. Work with application owners, developers and project managers. Recommend and deploy tools and processes to enable rapid development, deployment and operations in data solutions. Be a guru for application teams faced with architectural decisions or sophisticated technical problems, such as scaling and tuning. Education & Experience BS Computer Science or equivalent (MS Preferred)


A biopic about the late conservationist Steve 'The Crocodile Hunter' Irwin is rumoured to be in the works.

According to Woman's Day, the as-yet-untitled project is 'gaining momentum' in Hollywood with major studios and A-list actors said to be interested.

Movie executives are apparently drawn to the biopic because of Steve's popularity in America, where he was known for his long-running Animal Planet TV series and late-night chat show appearances in the late '90s and early '00s.

Hollywood treatment: A biopic about the late conservationist Steve 'The Crocodile Hunter' Irwin is rumoured to be in the works. Pictured here on June 26, 2002, in San Francisco

Australia is also one of the few destinations where films can be shot safely during the Covid-19 pandemic, making a biopic of a famous Australian particularly appealing.

Steve's widow, Terri, and daughter, Bindi, are said to be involved in discussions about the film, which will follow Steve's life as a zookeeper's son growing up in Queensland the 1970s to achieving global fame as the larger-than-life Crocodile Hunter.

'There's no way this project can go ahead without Terri and Bindi involved every step of the way,' a source told Woman's Day.

Work in progress: The as-yet-untitled project is 'gaining momentum' in Hollywood with major studios and A-list actors said to be interested, reports Woman's Day. Steve's widow, Terri (left), and daughter, Bindi (right), are said to be involved in discussions about the film

'Steve's international appeal, particularly to Americans, can't be ignored and this isn't the first time a project like this has been presented to [the Irwin family].'

Several names have been mentioned in connection with the film, with Marvel actor Chris Hemsworth reportedly being considered for the role of Steve.

However, Terri has allegedly said she would prefer a lesser-known Australian actor like Lincoln Lewis to portray her late husband.

Appeal: Movie executives are apparently drawn to the biopic because of Steve's popularity in America, where he was known for his long-running Animal Planet TV series and late-night chat show appearances in the late '90s and early '00s. Pictured with actor Bruce Willis in 2002

Famous face: Several names have been mentioned in connection with the film, with Marvel actor Chris Hemsworth (pictured) reportedly being considered for the role of Steve

Another candidate: However, Terri has allegedly said she would prefer a lesser-known Australian actor like Lincoln Lewis (pictured) to portray her late husband

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Australia Zoo and Animal Planet for comment.

Steve, who died in September 2006 at the age of 44 after being pierced in the chest by a stingray barb while filming a wildlife documentary in Queensland, was involved in several Hollywood films during his lifetime.

He had a cameo in Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001), provided his voice for Happy Feet (2006), and starred alongside his wife in 2002's The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course.

Showbiz: Steve, who died in September 2006 at the age of 44 while filming a wildlife documentary in Queensland, was involved in several Hollywood films during his lifetime. Pictured at the premiere of The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course in Hollywood in 2002

The Irwin family has continued to have a presence in the media after Steve's death, filming various series for Animal Planet, including reality show Crikey! It's the Irwins.

They also still operate Australia Zoo on Queensland's Sunshine Coast.

Bindi, 22, won the American version of Dancing with the Stars in 2015, leading to a renewed interest in her family stateside.
Netflix's proposed series Byron Baes has already caused a huge uproar among angry locals who fear their coastal paradise will be ruined by the reality show.

And on Sunday, it was sensationally revealed that the show's own cast are furious at Netflix for painting them as 'influencers' and 'hot Instagrammers' - even before their names have been confirmed for the program.

Netflixs Director of Originals in Australia Que Minh Luu confirmed that cast 'hated' a recent PR post describing the upcoming series, and were forced to apologise over the way they were described.

Raging: On Sunday, Netflixs Director of Originals in Australia Que Minh Luu confirmed Byron Baes cast members were furious over a postcard press release (pictured) describing them as 'hot Instagrammers'

'They are artists, musicians, entrepreneurs, business owners, models, on a spiritual journey and more,' Que wrote to her 7k followers.

'They understand the power of influence. They are part of Byron. They understand the creative vision of the show that has been developed with them over several months.

'Most of them hated the press release too! Did a lot of apologising that week. Fired the PR team (lol joking about firing, we're all learning together).'

Que was responding after many mocked the press release, which read: 'It's not just Chris and Zac's backyard, it's the playground of more celebrity-adjacent-adjacent influencers than you can poke a selfie stick at'.

Response: 'Most of them hated the press release too! Did a lot of apologising that week. Fired the PR team (lol joking about firing, we're all learning together),' Que wrote on Twitter

Que continued: 'A postcard's worth of copy doesn't tell the whole story of what the show is.

'It looks at human connection, ambition, image and what lies underneath - not all glossy, often contradictory. Like the place itself. Byron is a symbol to so many Australians.

'The participants number in the double digits, a quarter born/raised in the area, most have lived there a meaningful length of time, a few newer to the area... kinda like how Byron works.

'Mayor Simon Richardson had it right when I spoke to him weeks ago and he described the show as "young people having a go," not the "wrong sort of person."'

Fuming: The arrival of Byron Baes has caused locals to protest in recent weeks. A handful paddled out into the ocean to protest the show, while others stood by with placards that read 'give Netflix the flick' and 'consult traditional owners'

It comes after a handful of so-called Byron locals recently paddled out into the ocean to protest the show, while others stood by with placards that read 'give Netflix the flick' and 'consult traditional owners'.

Ben Gordon, owner of The Byron Bay General Store, led calls to snub production - and is asking other local businesses to do the same.

'They've simply turned up unannounced and they are proposing to drag our name through the mud, and make millions of dollars without offering anything back to the community,' he told Today hosts Karl Stefanovic and Allison Langdon.

Mr Gordon said the prospective reality series is 'a complete misrepresentation of who we are as a community'.

'Today, what we've seen, is the real Byron, the community coming together for issues that we believe in,' he said.

Meet your Byron Baes! According to a new report, born and bred locals Kathy and Ralph Brauer (pictured) will star in the show. And while they do have quite the following on their social media, they're nothing like the bikini-clad Instagrammers locals believed to be in-line to star

Netflix is yet to confirm those taking part - but according to The Daily Telegraph the first two rumoured cast members are not 'vacuous, fake' influencers as predicted, but rather 'born and bred' locals Kathy and Ralph Brauer.

The husband and wife own homeware, furniture and ladies fashion retailer Bisque Traders in Bangalow.

And while they do have quite the following on their store's social media, they're nothing like the bikini-clad Instagram stars first linked to the show.

Others rumoured to be joining the line-up include Love Island hunk Elias Chigros and Zac Efron's now ex-girlfriend Vanessa Valladares.
Former New Zealand Bachelorette Dr Lesina Nakhid-Schuster has paid tribute to one of her contestants who died suddenly last week.

Tavita Karika, a personal trainer and barber, died on Thursday night at the age of 31, leaving his friends and family devastated.

After learning the sad news, Dr Nakhid-Schuster remembered Tavita for his sense of humour and bravery in speaking about mental health issues.

'Rest in peace, Tavita': Former New Zealand Bachelorette Dr Lesina Nakhid-Schuster (pictured) has paid tribute to one of her contestants who died suddenly last week

'I wanted to take some time to think about what I wanted to say,' she wrote on Instagram Stories.

'Tavita was a hilarious man with the best chuckle, and the best one-liners.

'I loved hearing how enthusiastic he was about looking after his mum, learning about his gym and food routines, and creating funny handshakes together.

'I also really admired him opening the doors on the topic of mental health and some of his hardest times.'

Tragedy: Tavita Karika (pictured), a personal trainer and barber, died in Wellington on Thursday night at the age of 31, leaving his friends and family devastated

Instagram tribute: After learning the sad news, Dr Nakhid-Schuster remembered Tavita for his sense of humour and bravery in speaking about mental health issues

Dr Nakhid-Schuster continued: 'My heart goes out to Tavita's loved ones. Having had the pleasure of meeting Tavita, I know what a truly devastating loss this is.

'Rest in peace, Tavita.'

Tavita was found dead by his best friend and Bachelorette co-star Marc Johnson in Wellington, New Zealand, late Thursday night.

'I was with him in his final moments': Tavita was found dead by his best friend and Bachelorette co-star Marc Johnson (right)

'I can confirm that Tavita did pass last night around midnight,' Marc confirmed to Stuff on Friday.

'I got there about 10 minutes into the ambulance crew being at the scene, and about 10 to 15 minutes after that they informed us that they cannot help him,' he added.

'I was with him in his final moments. There was a lot of family and friends.'

Tavita's cause of death has not been revealed.

Flashback: The late reality star first shot to fame on the Kiwi dating show Heartbreak Island in 2018 (pictured)

Tavita was born in Christchurch but later moved to Wellington after finding fame on reality television.

Friends have since started a GoFundMe to raise money to transport his body back to Christchurch and to help with funeral costs.

'With heavy hearts we announce the passing of our friend Tavita Antoni Karika,' they wrote in the GoFundMe.

Fame: Tavita was a standout contestant on last year's season of The Bachelorette NZ

'On the 29th of April 2021 Tavita took his last breath and with that our hearts. If you had the pleasure of knowing Tavita you will know just how difficult this is for his family, friends and all who loved him.

'We are wanting to raise as much as we can to help Tavita's family with funeral costs and getting our boy home.'

In addition to appearing on The Bachelorette last year, Tavita was also a contestant on the 2018 season of the Kiwi dating show Heartbreak Island.

Outside of television, he worked as a model and personal trainer and had just completed a barber's apprenticeship before his death.
While Los Angeles movie fans were delivered a blow last month when the Arclight movie chain announced its closure, they were given good news on Sunday with the re-opening of the New Beverly.

The theater, which director Quentin Tarantino has owned since 2007, has been closed since mid-March 2016 due to COVID-19 restrictions.

The official Twitter for New Beverly revealed on Saturday that the theater would re-open on June 1, 2021, with a photo of the theater's marquee, adding, 'More info coming soon...'

Open: The theater, which director Quentin Tarantino has owned since 2007, has been closed since mid-March 2016 due to COVID-19 restrictions

More info: The official Twitter for New Beverly revealed on Saturday that the theater would re-open on June 1, 2021, with a photo of the theater's marquee, adding, 'More info coming soon...'

The marquee read, 'Re-opening June 1, 2021 Because We Love Showing Movies,' which is likely a reference to something director Tarantino often says on his movie sets.

When the director asks for another take, he will say they're doing another take, and have the cast and crew say in unison, 'Because we love making movies.'

The New Beverly has not released its schedule at this time, which normally is for an entire month chocked full of expertly-curated double features.

Love: When the director asks for another take, he will say they're doing another take, and have the cast and crew say in unison, 'Because we love making movies'

While the theater typically screens double features every day, the practice is often suspended to show the filmmaker's most recent films, such as his most recent film, 2019's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

Like every other theater in Los Angeles, the New Beverly closed in mid-March 2020, after an order from Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti that all theaters be closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The theater has been closed ever since, and the news of its re-opening was met with much praise from a number of celebrities on Twitter.

Closed: Like every other theater in Los Angeles, the New Beverly closed in mid-March 2020, after an order from Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti that all theaters be closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Closed: The theater has been closed ever since, and the news of its re-opening was met with much praise from a number of celebrities on Twitter

Actor-filmmaker Joseph Gordon-Levitt replied to the New Beverly's tweet with three heart emojis on Saturday.

Seth Green added, 'The @newbeverly was one of my first regular spots when I came to LA. A regular collection of misfits and cinephiles- Ive seen incredible prints and impossible conversations with my favorite filmmakers. Love you always NewBev- June cant come fast enough.'

Elijah Wood quote-retweeted the original tweet, adding, 'Amen!'

Joe reacts: Actor-filmmaker Joseph Gordon-Levitt replied to the New Beverly's tweet with three heart emojis on Saturday

Seth reacts: Seth Green added, 'The @newbeverly was one of my first regular spots when I came to LA. A regular collection of misfits and cinephiles- Ive seen incredible prints and impossible conversations with my favorite filmmakers. Love you always NewBev- June cant come fast enough'

Amen!: Elijah Wood quote-retweeted the original tweet, adding, 'Amen!'

Actor Lewis Tan also reacted with a singular heart emoji while Patton Oswalt added five heart emojis in his response.

The New Beverly also tweeted out later that day, 'Your outpouring of support has truly warmed our hearts. We've missed you all so much.'

As COVID-19 restrictions started to loosen, some theaters from major movie chains like AMC started to open in Los Angeles in late March, but many smaller, independent theaters have remained closed since theaters can only operate at limited capacity.

Lewis likes: Actor Lewis Tan also reacted with a singular heart emoji

Patton reacts: Patton Oswalt added five heart emojis in his response

Outpouring: The New Beverly also tweeted out later that day, 'Your outpouring of support has truly warmed our hearts. We've missed you all so much'
When Rep. Matt Gaetz vacationed in the Bahamas in 2018, he was joined by a doctor who donated to his campaign and a former colleague in the Florida Legislature.

The Republican congressman, Dr. Jason Pirozzolo and Halsey Beshears were united in their enjoyment of politics, fancy travel and the company of beautiful women. They also had another mutual interest: Floridas $1.2 billion medical marijuana industry.

The Bahamas trip is a central element of a federal investigation surrounding Gaetz that has suddenly endangered his political career. What began as an inquiry into sex trafficking and whether Gaetz paid women and an underage girl in exchange for sex has grown into a larger review of public corruption, according to people familiar with the investigation.

Investigators are looking at whether Gaetz and his associates tried to secure government jobs for some of the women, the people said. They are also scrutinizing Gaetzs connections to the medical marijuana sector, including whether Pirozzolo and others sought to influence legislation Gaetz sponsored. The investigation includes legislation from 2018, when Gaetz was in Congress, and earlier work in the Legislature, according to one of the people.

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., attends a House Judiciary committee hearing at the Capitol in Washington, April 14. Before Gaetz rose to national prominence as an ardent backer of Donald Trump, he carved out an unusual reputation in Florida: a Republican lawmaker who wanted to liberalize marijuana laws. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

Pressure on the congressman could build in the coming weeks as Joel Greenberg, a Gaetz associate who has been accused of trafficking a minor for sex, faces a May 15 deadline to strike a plea deal with prosecutors. If he does, Greenberg may be pressed to cooperate with federal investigators and deliver damaging information against Gaetz.

None of the people on the trip to the Bahamas has been charged with a crime. Gaetz has vehemently denied any wrongdoing and has retained high-powered lawyers.

Dr. Jason Pirozzolo donated to Rep. Gaetz's campaign and has traveled with him. He started a consulting firm connecting marijuana businesses with medical directors

A spokesman for Gaetz said Saturday that Gaetz "is a long-time policy expert on marijuana liberalization and passed legislation on the matter as far back as 2013. Rep. Gaetz has never been influenced by outside groups to take a stance on any given position."

Beshears and a lawyer for Pirozzolo declined to comment for this story.

The Associated Press spoke with more than 10 people familiar with the dynamic among Gaetz, Pirozzolo and Beshears. Three of the people had knowledge of the investigation. They all spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to publicly discuss the ongoing investigation.

Halsey Beshears (seen at the Florida Capitol in Tallahassee in 2017) was a fellow Republican member of the Legislature who joined Rep. Gaetz to support medical marijuana legislation.

Gaetz's interest in medical marijuana dates back nearly a decade, when he was a member of the Florida House of Representatives. Well before he would gain national attention for his steadfast support of Donald Trump, Gaetz would carve out an unusual reputation in Tallahassee as a Republican who wanted to liberalize marijuana laws.

In February 2014, Gaetz co-sponsored the first state effort to allow marijuana for medical use. His proposal allowing the use of a nonhallucinogenic marijuana extract was limited to patients with cancer or a severe form of epilepsy and slowly earned the support of his father, Don Gaetz, who was then serving as president of the Florida Senate and said he was "being pummeled" by his son about supporting it.

Gaetz cast his proposal as a pared-down alternative to a statewide ballot measure that would have broadly legalized medical marijuana. Gaetz's law was approved with broad bipartisan support and signed into law by Republican Gov. Rick Scott in June 2014, while the statewide measure narrowly failed at the ballot box that November.

The day Gaetz's measure was up for a final debate and vote in the Florida House, both Pirozzolo and Beshears were on the floor.

Beshears was a fellow Republican member of the Legislature who joined Gaetz to support the legislation. Pirozzolo, an Orlando hand doctor and pilot, was there serving as the physician of the day for the lawmakers - a role he would frequently take on by flying his own plane to Tallahassee.

Once the legislation passed, it created lucrative new opportunities for Beshears' family and Pirozzolo.

The long-standing nursery owned by Beshears' family was awarded one of five highly coveted licenses to cultivate and dispense medical marijuana.

The legislation was written to specify - and restrict - who could win such a license. An amendment added by another lawmaker in the state House limited the pool of applicants to nurseries that had been in continuous business for 30 years and had an inventory of 400,000 or more plants.

The Beshears family nursery, joining with two other growers, met that standard.

The Tampa Bay Times reported in 2014 that Beshears had failed to file a conflict of interest report when he voted on the bill, and the lawmaker who sponsored the amendment wanted to "err on the side of limiting who could qualify now" when embarking on such a new industry. More licenses have since been awarded, but the industry is still tightly controlled.

Another amendment added to the 2014 legislation the day Pirozzolo watched in the state House required dispensary applicants to employ a doctor as a medical director.

Eight days later, Pirozzolo started a consulting firm connecting marijuana businesses with medical directors, the Orlando Sentinel reported. He later co-founded a group called the American Medical Marijuana Physicians Association, which advocates for doctors who recommend medical cannabis.

Gaetz has spoken at least twice at the associations annual conferences, including an appearance with longtime Trump confidant Roger Stone, according to the groups social media posts and the recollections of a member.

With recommendations from Gaetz and Beshears in 2018, Pirozzolo was appointed by the current governor, Republican Ron DeSantis, to serve on a board that runs Orlando International Airport. In 2019, he stood next to DeSantis on an airport tarmac and greeted Trump as he arrived in Orlando to kick off his reelection campaign, according to video posted online by a Sentinel reporter.

Two years after Gaetz's first medical marijuana law, he sponsored another measure in the Legislature to expand on it, allowing near-death patients to use nonsmokable marijuana of all strengths and doses.

The day it came up for a vote in the state House, Beshears voted for it, and Pirozzolo witnessed it, again serving as the doctor of the day.

By the time Gaetz was in Congress in 2018, he introduced legislation that would increase the number of entities that would conduct cannabis research. The legislation included provisions similar to what Pirozzolo's group was pushing to also expand research.

Nearly five months later, the men would meet in the Bahamas.

Former Seminole County Tax Collector, Joel Greenberg (right), seen here in this 2017 photo with longtime Trump advisor Roger Stone (left) and Rep. Gaetz (middle) is facing sex trafficking charges related to a girl between the ages of 14 and 17 and is also accused of illegally using a state database to look up information about the girl, according to an indictment.
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Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer receives her second dose of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine from Dr. Joneigh Khaldun at DeVos Place on Thursday, April 29, 2021, in Grand Rapids, Mich. (Hope Davison/The Grand Rapids Press via AP)
Stage shows and parties are integral to Reggae and Dancehall in Jamaica. So, whether you are a local or someone just visiting the island, you have probably heard about weekly sessionssome of the street danceslike Uptown Mondays, Boasy Tuesdays, and Weddy Weddy Wednesdays.

Though the long-running parties have not gone unscathed amid the pandemic, they are such trendsetting events that when the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) launched its Wanted Wednesdays social media campaign last week, people were ready to attend the dance.

One Twitter user said: JCF in association with GOJ [Government of Jamaica] presents a ting called Wanted Wednesdays. Bring yuh Queen and leff yuh Machine. No bail, just vibes. this and every Wanted Wednesdays, another user tweeted.

Inspector Shaunjaye Mitchell of the JCFs Corporate Communications Unit told DancehallMag that the Wanted Wednesdays campaign is about having a designated day on which the police upload a wanted persons information to social media. The police wouldve been searching for the individual for some time, he said.



To kick off the campaign on Twitter last week, the police tweeted: If your face and particulars appear in our Wanted Wednesdays post, visit the nearest police station to rectify the matter.

If youre a relative or close friend of wanted individuals, you may also be putting your lives and that of your loved ones at risk.



A wanted poster, which featured an image of Mashorn Sabo Samuels, who is reportedly wanted for murder, accompanied the JCFs tweet. The poster also included information about Samuels and the numbers to call if anyone has information on the alleged criminal.

If your face and particulars appear in our Wanted Wednesdays post, visit the nearest police station to rectify the matter. If youre a relative or close friend of wanted individuals, you may also be putting your lives and that of your loved ones at risk. pic.twitter.com/YZ4gORBqp3  Jamaica Constabulary Force (@JamaicaConstab) April 28, 2021

After sharing two posts related to the campaign last week, Wanted Wednesdays was trending on Twitter in Jamaica.

Inspector Mitchell told DancehallMag that the team he works with expected the Wanted Wednesdays social media posts to do well.

Wanted Wednesdays is catchy and will resonate with people, so the interaction on the post has been very, very high, meaning people are interacting [with it], he said. The comments might be playful and colorful, but the fact is that people are seeing the person we have listed as wanted and because of that, we think that the campaign, which we will continue, will be successful in terms of getting the information out there and subsequently getting hits at Crime Stop about these particular wanted individuals.

And the responses on the different social media platforms have, indeed, been colorful.

Wanted Wednesdays Remind mi a when party use to keep, said one Facebook user. Another questioned: JCF why are you promoting a party with this kind of name Wanted Wednesday that means is only wanted, man must attend di dance? Next question where is the venue?

So how JCF a keep big party and all announce pon FB.A swear Jamaica full a vibes, yet another said.

Dance ya look like it aguh festive, said another Facebook user.

While not all social media users agreed with the name being used for the campaign, the majority had high praises for the police.

One Facebook user commented: Wanted Wednesdays, sounds a bit like trying to trivialize murder or wanted men. This is a serious matter JCF not a party.

However, others welcomed the name and the apparent thrust of the police to use creative investigative tools.

Twitter users said:

Whoever came up with Wanted Wednesdays need a raise lol.

Dear @JamaicaConstab, This #WantedWednesdays have a vybe! Yes! Kindly consider one for the misbehaving persons who ignore curfew times (example: #CurfewBreakers). The PR & Social Media team a gwaan GOOD.

Dear @JamaicaConstab,

This #WantedWednesdays have a vybe! Yes! Kindly consider one for the misbehaving persons who ignore curfew times (example: #CurfewBreakers). The PR & Social Media team a gwaan GOOD.@dennisbroox @shaunjaye @Delroychuckjm pic.twitter.com/pV0R8r4eNz  Prophetic Psalmist (@Kareemcares) April 28, 2021

And on Facebook, users said:

A yah so nice me love it great job with the marketing.

I like this Wanted Wednesdays concept. Good job.

Jamaica Constabulary Force has gotten quite creative in tackling crime-fighting. I like this improved strategy.

MI nah laugh But mi like how the Jamaica Constabulary Force found creative ways to seek wanted man.

Amid the buzz Wanted Wednesdays created on social media, Inspector Mitchell told DancehallMag that the team did not expect the street dance association.

We knew it would be catchy, like some of the popular events, but no particular association was anticipated. Nonetheless, people are talking about it, the images are being shared and we managed to be trending on social media. So with that said, I think the objective of alerting people to wanted persons has been met, the Inspector of Police said. Now well await the results of the campaign to see the hits.

The concept of Wanted Wednesdays is not novel, as checks by DancehallMag revealed that worldwide, other police services have employed similar campaigns to get the word out about individuals they are trying to locate.

If the JCF is looking for other catchy phrases for future campaigns, a few social media users offered suggestions.



Talk up de Tingz Tuesdays. Where theres a private line for citizens to call in and say what they know to help alleviate the high level of crime, on Facebook user posted.

Ticket payment Thursdays.. ALL Taxi man and drivers must pay them traffic tickets tomorrow, another commented last Wednesday.

Feline Fridays For female gangsters. Dont argue they are there, another user suggested.
STAMFORD  Four city residents used stolen identities to purchase puppies from around the country and sell them out of a Glenbrook home, police said.

Assistant States Attorney Elizabeth Moran said the Stamford residents were the masterminds behind a very pervasive and long-running dog-running scheme.

Devon Sherman, 25; Ebony Ayala, 23; and Paul Joseph, 23, were each arrested on charges of racketeering, first-degree larceny, conspiracy to commit first-degree larceny, nine counts of conspiracy to illegally use a payment card, animal neglect and importing a dog without a health certificate.

Nygel Joseph, 23, was arrested on a single charge of second-degree forgery and a citation for operating a pet store without a license.

Ayala and Sherman face an additional charge of trafficking in personal identifying information, while Paul Joseph was also charged with theft of a payment card.

As part of the investigation, Stamford Animal Control seized 22 dogs from the accused.

These puppies are actually evidence, and the city of Stamford has asked the courts for temporary custody of the puppies, Mayor David Martin, two baby French bulldogs cuddled up in his arms, said Tuesday.

Christian Abraham / Hearst Connecticut Media

The dogs will likely stay with foster families until the judicial system makes its final verdict. Martin said the whole endeavor would likely take more than three months, but could span even longer, depending on how long the criminal cases take.

Until the city gets ownership of them, we cant adopt them out, Diane Holcombe of Red Lease Rescue, the agency tasked with finding the new puppies homes, said Tuesday. Were at the judges mercy.

Christian Abraham / Hearst Connecticut Media

A bulk of the dogs have birth defects  some are easily fixable through surgery  but Red Leash Rescue and Stamford Animal Control both promised that all the dogs are loving and eager to find new homes.

Investigators were first alerted to the alleged dog-running scheme on Feb. 19 when an employee at Cornell University Veterinary

Specialists in Stamford reported that a group of individuals had been bringing multiple dogs in and were using stolen credit cards to pay for the nearly $25,000 that they racked up in medical bills, investigators Michael Stempien and Vanessa Lynn wrote in Shermans arrest warrant affidavit.

The warrant states the suspects brought nine puppies to the vet in varying states of malnutrition and illness between October 2020 and March 2021.

In one trip, vets needed to remove the right eye from a 7-month-old shiba inu because of trauma, according to warrant. In another trip, they brought an 8-week-old French bulldog needed to be euthanized because it arrived comatose and severely emaciated, the warrant said.

During the ensuing investigation, police discovered a dead young looking, black female toy poodle in the garbage of the suspects Glenbrook home, according to the warrant. A later diagnostic exam revealed the dog had died of bronchopneumonia, the warrant said.

Based on this evidence, police executed a search warrant on the Belltown Road home in March. It was during this raid that police arrested and charged Nygel Joseph.

During their search of the home, police confiscated 20 dogs, all of whom had different levels of diarrhea caused by intestinal parasites, giardia, and hook worms, the warrant said. Another two dogs were later turned over by the suspects, police said.

The 22 puppies are currently being cared for and are in good health, said Lt. Nicholas Montagnese on Tuesday.

In the warrant, police describe cramped conditions where up to four dogs were kept in a single portable animal carrier. Other dogs were kept penned off in an unfinished basement that had multiple loose nails scattered along the floor along with feces, the warrant said.

Stempien and Lynn write that they found feces and urine on the floors all over the house including next to empty food and water bowls.

The warrant said the suspects kept the operation afloat by working together to steal account login credentials of DoorDash and Uber employees and the siphoning off funds into separate accounts. The suspects also illegally purchased peoples identities online, the warrant states.

Using these stolen identities, the suspects would then obtain credit cards they used to purchase more dogs from breeders around the country  oftentimes leaving the breeders at a loss when the fraudulent purchases were denied, the warrant said.

These are very serious felony allegations, Judge John Blawie said at their arraignments Tuesday afternoon.

Sherman and Ayala posted the $200,000 bond Tuesday afternoon. Neither will be allowed to possess dogs or see her co-defendants as a part of the conditions of her release. She will also be required to undergo GPS monitoring.

Paul Joseph remains in custody.

All three are scheduled to appear in court on June 14.

Nygel Joseph is next scheduled to appear in court on May 10. He is still being held on a $500,000 bond on an unrelated extradition arrest, according to the state judicial website.

Editors note: This has been updated to correctly spell Diane Holcombes name in the story and photo captions.
Some of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' top priorities this year have been labeled unconstitutional by critics.

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I am angry. Very angry. Just like millions of others in this country. Just when I need it the most, I feel abandoned by my country. Just like millions of others in this country.

And am distraught. Distraught at seeing people die from Covid. Distraught at the sight of people lining up in front of hospitals hoping that they can get a bed on which they can lie down and dream of the day when they can be back on their feet. Distraught at the sight of Covid patients, and their families, desperately searching for a cylinder full of life-giving oxygen, if not, at least a few whiffs of the gas in the desperate hope that just those few whiffs might give them an outside chance of beating the virus.

And distraught at the sheer audacity with which the countrys rulers have let down the people of India, by constantly being in a state of denial, creating hype and hoopla and trying to make people believe in mumbo jumbo, when all it needed was to have a Plan B, a Plan C, and a Plan D. That is what you do when you face an unknown enemy. Our leaders have failed us, and spectacularly at that, on this front.

For more than a year I have been reporting on all matters of Covid. I started writing about it for my employer Deccan Chronicle before it made its presence felt in India. And I have been writing ever since. On every aspect of the disease you can think of. And every day, I have been keeping a tally of the cases, the deaths, that Covid is leading to around us.

I have felt anger many times, at the sheer callousness with which the political classes did not care about the common people. I channeled my anger into a pursuit of reporting the truth. Truth about the real numbers of Covid victims. Of the faceless, nameless people packed away in plastic coveralls and carted away unceremoniously to graveyards and crematoria to get consigned to dust.

Sometimes, I get asked this question. You are a journalist. Why cant you speak the truth? Many of us in the profession are relaying the truth, to the best we can dig it out from the obfuscating bureaucratese that Covid and its impact is buried under, day after day.

And sometimes, we journalists are accused of having lost our spines. It is just that a spine cannot survive on its own. It also needs the rest of the body structure, in this case, the rest of the society, be it fellow citizens, doctors, nurses, and everyone else battling this unseen miniscule enemy that has laid us low. As journalists, we continue to do what we do, report, write stories, and share with the world what we get to know. Make no mistake about that. And at great risk to ourselves. At last count, nearly 180 of my colleagues died from Covid in India. It might just be a number for many. But as someone who has been watching the devastation Covid is causing around me, I can vouch for one thing. It might not be long before it hits everyone. I wish, from every ounce of strength I have, and from the bottom of my heart, that no one will ever have to go through what I go through, day after day as I go about my job. And what I am going through today.

Today am angry again. Very angry. Not because I lost today yet another person I know, rather knew. Who I lost today, is not the first to succumb to Covid. An I know, will not be the last either.

Saleem, was a photographer. A photojournalist. A soft-spoken man. And he worked in the Telangana Legislative Assembly as the official photographer of the state Legislature. And he was a friend. Not the kind one would picture at the mention of the word friend. Not the kind with whom I would spend an evening with. But he was a friend I knew was there, always. Did I mention he passed away today from Covid?

It does not matter what his full name is. His career history does not matter. Suffice to say that many youngsters in the profession gained from his kindness, guidance and help. It does not matter because at the end of it all, as far as the State is concerned, he is just a number in a footnote of Covid statistics. But for those who knew him, his family, and friends, he leaves behind a void

Sometimes he would send me an official picture from some event at the Legislature. And call me. It was always a simple request. Balu bhai, thoda ye photo carry karletey? Mereku thoda help hota. As a photographer, in the Legislature, Saleem was way down on the totem. It was not his job to ensure that his bosses get some publicity by having their pictures published. But that was him. He would do his best.

And every time we met, mostly during the Assembly Media Committee meetings, (I am a member of the committee), he would take a lot of pictures of the meeting, and all the attendees. At the end of meetings as we dispersed, he would whisper to me aap bhoth achcha boley. Main aapke photos bhejtun.

Today, I wish I saved every picture he sent me.

Covid is hitting everyone hard. Gone are the days of seven degrees of separation. Today, everyone knows somebody who has lost his or her life to Covid. Everyone knows half-a-dozen others who caught the disease and made it out OK. And everyone is worried what would happen to them if they catch the disease, may be the second time. I caught Covid too, back last November and made it out safely. I might catch it again, and if that happens, I do not know what the outcome might be.

I am not scared. I am just angry. Angry at being let down by the government, which did precious little to keep people safe. For being more concerned about framing of the Covid narratives and giving false hopes to people that everything is alright. Everything is not alright. I can say that with certainty as a reporter who has been covering Covid in this country. The truth is buried, day after day, because people might get scared, or so goes the official tagline on the subject.

I lost to Covid many people I cared for. And in losing them, I lost many who cared for me. I am quite certain everyone around me feels the same way.

Tragedy can lay low the best of us. But tragedy can also give us strength to carry on, to do something to prevent it further. In the meanwhile, please stay safe and take care.
The only caveat for KCRs all out war against the BJP is the latters arm twisting of opponents by bringing out corruption cases.  Twitter

Hyderabad: The May 2 results of a few State assemblies, in particular West Bengal, have set the stage for major political developments back here in Telangana.

The political atmosphere -- regional satraps Mamata Banerjee, M K Stalin and Pinarayi Vijayan emerging victorious against the Modi-Shah offensive at full throttle  is ripe for another regional satrap and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao to pursue his dream of cobbling up the anti-Bharatiya Janata Party forces with himself as nucleus. And, KCR moving to national politics would automatically mean anointment of his son and Minister K T Rama Rao.

Besides the poll results, the growing public resentment against the Centre over the inept handling of Covid second wave and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for the first time, being forced to play backfoot in his otherwise strong turf of social media also led to revival of the slogan of alternative political force to BJP at the national level. The political analysts have no second thoughts about the regional parties coalition, not the Congress, having better chances of becoming alternative to the BJP in the next general elections.

KCR had earlier made some efforts to bring regional parties together holding meetings with Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, former UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, father-son duo of Deve Gowda and Kamaraswamy Gowda of Janata Dal, DMK chief M K Stalin. But his counterparts did not give much credence to his efforts as he coincided these efforts everytime with polls, be it 2018 TS assembly, 2019 Lok Sabha or even last years Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, and turned mute after. The blow hot blow cold approach as was evident in KCR rushing to meet the Prime Minister post GHMC debacle and dropping hints of a truce also led to confusion in political circles.

By moving to national politics, he can pursue his suspended dream and make a graceful exit from the State politics paving way for his son, said a senior TRS minister. The TRS circles also view the Chief Minister suddenly cutting strong anti-KTR leader and Minister Eatala Rajender to size as part of ground preparation for KTRs elevation as Chief Minister.

The only caveat for KCRs all out war against the BJP is the latters arm twisting of opponents by bringing out corruption cases. The BJP leaders, with tongue in cheek, question KCR rushing to the Prime Minister within days of fighting bitterly with their party in GHMC polls and leave hints about such arm-twisting acts.

Highly placed sources in BJP told this newspaper that their central leadership refraining KCR from interfering in WB polls, though indirectly, and making the YSR Congress fund the AIADMK-BJP combine in Tamil Nadu merely reflect the compulsions of the regional parties.

But when we have to face a do or die situation with the BJP in 2023 assembly elections, it will be suicidal if we dont launch an all out offensive against Modi from now itself, said a senior TRS leader. Indeed the regional parties should take inspiration from Mamata Banerjee in fighting back the arm twisting approach of the BJP central leadership.
The Minister even dared the government to get a probe done by a sitting judge or any investigating agency. (Photo: Facebook @Eatala Rajendar)

HYDERABAD: A comprehensive day-long survey by the Medak district revenue authorities on Saturday revealed that a few structures came up in assigned lands, which are in possession of Jamuna Hatcheries, owned by minister Etala Rajendar in Achampet and Hakimpet villages.

This is in sharp contrast to the ministers claims that the assigned lands were not put to use by his hatchery and that the original assignees are in possession of the land. The Minister even dared the government to get a probe done by a sitting judge or any investigating agency.

Meanwhile, questions are being raised against the ministers hatchery raising Rs 100 crore from Canara Bank mortgaging the Achampet lands.

Rajendar himself revealed about the bank loan given to Jamuna Hatcheries, which has paid-up capital of just Rs 10 crore. The investigation against him is likely to focus on whether assigned lands were also shown as surety.

"Of the 116 acres owned by the ministers hatchery, 66 acres are of patta lands and the remaining 50 acres were assigned to poor in different spells," Medak collector Dr S. Harish told Deccan Chronicle. Though there were certain discrepancies in patta lands also, we will initially focus on assigned lands as their occupation by the third parties is illegal,'' he said. The collector has submitted an interim report to Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar.

Another major discrepancy found by the officials pertains to the change of land use. All the lands were classified as agriculture and it is mandatory for the hatchery to obtain change of land use from agriculture to non-agriculture by paying the requisite fees. There is no record to establish that the change of land use was done and doubts were raised over the Canara Bank processing the loan without change of land use.

Meanwhile, sources said that of the total 116 acres in possession of the hatchery, a few sheds and roads were constructed in about 20 acres, which included assigned lands. Even constructing a compound wall encompassing assigned lands attracts the provisions of Prohibition of Transfer Act 1977, a senior official pointed out.

Sources also said the minister's family members do not own much patta land in their name. There was a dispute over about 12-acre land between brothers of a family and one of them registered the land in the name of the ministers wife and son despite prohibitory orders.

The minister's camp, however, maintained that no fault can be made out of if a person with proper documents and pattadar passbook sells land the same gets mutated in the minister's family members following due process.
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Marple man who sent in vote from dead mother for Donald Trump gets probation after guilty plea
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Receiver says Chester has to 'walk before it can run'
Unsolved Murder

Seven years later, family is still asking, 'Who killed Dino?'
What was left of the MOVE compound and its West Philadelphia neighborhood after the bombing and fire on May 13, 1985.
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Charter school plans in Chester should be rejected
Aamir Khan Prepping To Resume Laal Singh Chaddha Shoot With Naga Chaitanya In Ladakh?

Aamir Khans much anticipated next Laal Singh Chadha has once again been slowed down by the pandemic. The Advait Chandan film which is the Hindi adaptation of Tom Hanks Hollywood drama Forrest Gump will see Aamir returning to the big screen after the Thugs of Hindostan debacle in 2018.

The latest update we hear on the project is that Aamir and team are ready to resume work on the film again and are this time headed for Ladakh. According to a Times of India report, the Laal Singh Chadha team has had photographers doing some recce in Kargil where many action scenes will be picturised.

While it is still unknown when this particular schedule will go on floors but the team is certainly prepared. The report further claims that it will be a 45 days heavy schedule where actor Naga Chaitanya will join Aamir during shoot for the action and war sequences.

Laal Singh Chaddha missed its Christmas 2020 deadline owing to the delay in shoot last year, with the second wave of Covid-19 sweeping the nation we wonder if the film will finally get to see a theatrical release this year.

The film also stars Kareena Kapoor and Mona Singh. It will also star Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan in key cameos.
Abhinav Shukla Cancels Plans To Meet Rubina Dilaik In Shimla After She Contracts COVID-19

Many celebrities have become victims of the second wave of coronavirus in the past two months. The latest to join the long dreaded list is Bigg Boss 14 winner Rubina Dilaik. The actress, who has been busy shooting for her show Shakti  Astitva Ke Ehsaas Ki, took to her official social media handle yesterday to announce that she has tested positive for COVID-19 and has been home quarantined for 17 days. However, she is focusing on the positive-- she will be able to donate plasma when she recovers.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rubina Dilaik (@rubinadilaik)

According to latest reports, Rubina is in home quarantine in Shimla with her family. Her husband Abhinav Shukla, on the other hand, returned to Mumbai from Punjab and was planning a trip to Shimla to meet Rubina. However, he has now cancelled the trip. In a chat with TOI, he was quoted saying, I will be staying here because Rubina is in isolation at her home in Shimla. So theres no point in me going there. No one will be able to meet her right now.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rubina Dilaik (@rubinadilaik)

Talking about how hes handling the news, Abhinav shared, Panicking doesnt help anyone, we have to be well informed about how to handle it. If we panic, then people around too will do the same. We are following all the SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) and thats important. Im hoping she gets well soon.

Well, we wish Rubina a speedy recovery!
After Lack Of Opportunities In Bollywood, Rhea Chakraborty Is Most Welcome In Telugu Cinema?

Last year was incredibly tough for our country, not only because of the coronavirus pandemic but also because we lost many gems. One such personality who bid a final adieu to the world all too soon was actor Sushant Singh Rajput. After his death, the Narcotics Control Bureau began an investigation on the film industrys alleged links with drug peddlers and cartels. Sushants girlfriend and actress Rhea Chakraborty was one of the many accused in the drug angle related to the actors death.

As a result, Rheas personal as well as professional life was left upside down and many predicted that her career in Bollywood will be over soon. A recent report also suggested that she is looking for work in Hyderabad due to the lack of opportunities in Bollywood. It stated that she wants to start over and is looking for work. Well, a report shared by Spotboye now claims that Telugu cinema has opened its arms for Rhea and she is most welcome to work there.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rhea Chakraborty (@rhea_chakraborty)

One of the A-lister actors in Andhra was quoted saying, She is most welcome here. She is pretty and talented. What have we got to do with her personal life? In the Telugu film industry we dont judge actors according to what they do with their lives. Hopefully she wont ask for as much money as some of the other Bollywood actresses.
Hina Khan Feels 'Helpless' In Isolation As She's Unable To Comfort Her Mother, Asks Fans To Send In Prayers For Them

Hina Khan who recently tested positive for Covid-19 is going through a rough time in her personal life these days. The actress took to social media to express how shes feeling not being able to be at her mothers side after her fathers sudden demise.

Sharing a picture of herself with her mask on and looking out a window, Hina in a note wrote how she was feeling helpless in isolation while her family battles the grief of her fathers death, which happened days before she was tested positive. Hina is, however, hopeful that they will get through these tough times and asked fans to pray for her.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by HK (@realhinakhan)

A Helpless Daughter

Who cant even be with her mother to comfort her, when she needs her the most..

Dear people times are tough very tough for not just us, but everyone around..

But thrs a saying,

Tough times dont last, Tough people do.. And I am, was and will always be my Daddys Strong Girl..

Send in your prayers plz

Let thr be light..

Dua  (sic)

Hina, who was in Kashmir shooting for a music video arrived in Mumbai on learning about her fathers death. She tested positive, a week later, for Covid-19 and has been in home isolation since.
Facebook has just come out with their Q1 2021 earnings report and looking at the results, we are very sure that the company may just move to invest heavily in the VR and AR devices in times to come.Going by the predictions made by developers and analysts as they estimated Facebook selling 2 to 3 million units of Oculus Quest 2 last year, the company has also sold another 2 million units already in the first quarter of 2021. If all of these estimates are true then Quest 2 now enjoys 5 million users - a milestone that no other device has been able to enjoy as of now.Even if we look at the most successful VR headset of all time - which is the PlayStation VR - Sony has only been able to sell 5 million units ever since it first came out in 2016. This overall means that Facebook has managed to sell as many units of second-generation VR headset altogether what Sony could manage within the span of 5 years. There are predictions that PSVR 2 will be a groundbreaking invention but for now, Facebook is the dominant player, (quite unexpectedly!) Facebooks CEO Mark Zuckerberg has explained the reason behind Quests immense success as he believes that the wireless form factor was exactly what the device needed. And his reason indeed makes sense considering how having wires wrapped around your head will always break the sense of being in the scene and also immersion. Moreover, not a lot of companies will be able to deliver such an advanced wireless experience but for Facebook, it still is the bare minimum so one can expect more amazing features coming in to beat the competition in the future.Facebook has also been fortunate in facing no real competition in the VR market . The world saw HTC, Google, and Lenovo launching similar products to compete but nothing has been able to come close to the Quest 2.Quest 2 has also beaten the original Quests figures in a matter of 7 weeks post-launch. Although Facebook doesnt reveal the actual sales numbers related to its hardware, but the estimates made on the basis of revenue are usually pretty close. Many of the best Quest 2 games have also been sold a million times as well.In terms of competition present in the broader market, Quest 2 is also keeping up well with Microsoft's Xbox Series X|S and the Sony PlayStation 5. So, while market analysts have estimated Sony to have already sold 7.8 million PS5s along with making it the fastest-selling console in U.S. history, its good to see the Quest 2's sales numbers being close to the PS5.Furthermore, UploadVR has reported in the GDC 2021 survey that most of the VR developers are now interested to make games for the Quest platform which also means that a bigger shift is coming soon.Image Credit: Facebook
There is no doubt that Apple Company is one of the most powerful companies the world with its iPhone which was ranked as the best-selling smartphone in the world in the last quarter of the year 2020. According to a report, it was the first company to touch the trillion-dollar figure in worth and now its total worth is around $2.3 trillion. It is not hidden that App Store is a huge source of revenue and profit for Apple, but still, Apple has not revealed the exact figures that break out how profitable the App Store is for the company. Apple told the Senators that this company does no calculate the profit based on a single product or service.According to the evidence from Epic Games expert witness Ned Barnes based on the documents acquired from the iPhone maker that App Store had an operating profit margin of 78% in the year 2019, the researcher told that he had acquired these documents from the files of Apple CEO Tim Cook and these were organized by Apples Corporate Financial Planning and Analysis Group. However, Apple Company is debating the precision of Barnes calculations and requested the court to limit the public discussion of App Store profit as the head of the company into a high-stakes trial Monday in Oakland, California. Barnes further disclosed that the profit margin of the App Store increased from 75% in the year 2018 to 78% in the year 2019.Epic is also trying its best to expose Apple about its monopoly over iPhones and iPads and therefore, it is forcing the court to put pressure on Apple to lower the fees and permit other payment systems and other app stores to operate on iOS. Epic has hired a witness that is going to support its urgings and Apple will surely hold the witness in its defense. Apple will definitely argue in its defense that these figures are not correct, but Barnes told that the employees said to him that the internal documents do not show the complete details so he made extra calculations which resulted in higher-margin percentage of 79.6% for both year 2018 and 2019. Apple takes the 15% to 30% profit of all in-app purchases in the 70% to 80% sort does not appear that unavailable. Billions of dollars go to the account of Apple Company but the cost of managing the apps on the App Store does not look big including the service cost and labor for App review and App Store editorial team.As a witness on the behalf of Apple, Richard Schmalensee, a Massachusetts Institute of technology expert said that the calculation of Barnes is not credible because it is in separation in one section of the iOS ecosystem in a way that artificially increases the apparent operating profit margin of that segment, he further said that any accounting portion of App Stores stand-alone profitability is also illogical and therefore, incredible as a pointer of anything.H/T: Bloomberg Read next: Apple has issued a warning to every app developer out there if they try to bribe their users to allow them to track their activities


Silicon Validation Engineering Program Manager Austin , Texas , United States Hardware Summary

Posted: Apr 30, 2021 Role Number: 200243942 Imagine what you could do here. At Apple, new ideas have a way of becoming extraordinary products, services, and customer experiences very quickly. Bring passion and dedication to your job and there's no telling what you could accomplish. Dynamic, intelligent people and inspiring, innovative technologies are the norm here. The people who work here have reinvented entire industries with all Apple Hardware products. The same passion for innovation that goes into our products also applies to our practices strengthening our dedication to leave the world better than we found it. Do you want join us in these pursuits? Join us to help deliver the next groundbreaking Apple product! Come to Apple and work within a team to deliver a broad range of silicon technologies. This is an extraordinary opportunity to engage with the latest technologies and deliver groundbreaking Apple products year after year. You will go beyond the industry norm and demonstrate creativity in problem solving, ability to think dynamically and outside of standard convention, and adapt quickly to new technical areas. As a Program Manager within the HW Technology Program Management organization, you will be responsible for leading Apple's silicon validation programs - from board design, through factory builds, deployment and support in the hands of silicon validation engineers. This is an individual contributor role, working on a Senior Program Management team that drives silicon program schedules and resolving technical issues that enable delivering silicon on-time. This position will collaborate with multi-functional teams that enable validation teams to resolve silicon issues blocking product development starting with initial silicon bring-up through production release and beyond. Key Qualifications Requires at least 2+ years of experience in silicon design, verification, validation

5+ Years Program or Project Management, Systems Support

Experience managing, organizing and maintaining multiple projects simultaneously.

Phenomenal leadership skills and ability to encourage team members with an innate ability to see the bigger picture.

Flexible and able to find workable solutions when unforeseen issues arise.

Dedicated to own/drive project development using well-defined metrics.

Proven experience running silicon projects from concept to production is considered a plus. Description Work on a PM team responsible for driving technical issue resolution to enable timely silicon to meet daring product schedules Craft and run silicon validation hardware programs and processes, including board design, specification and schematic approvals, factory builds. Define allocation requirements for multiple silicon validation teams and work with system teams to acquire the hardware necessary to execute silicon validation plans within tightly defined schedules. Focused issue reporting and communication of program risks and status. Attend and drive technical sessions with multi-functional teams to track and follow-up issues/escalations Technical understanding of system design and silicon validation planning. Education & Experience MS / BS Degree in technical subject area.


The following is a Q&A session between Daily Journal community voices reporter Danny McA

More Information

Q: Why did we write this article?

A: At the beginning of April, MSDH announced that they were seeking organizations statewide to host vaccination efforts in their community. While vaccinations are available from MSDH drive-through sites, local hospitals, clinics and pharmacies, access remains an issue. The Office of Health Equity recognized the role vaccination plays in reducing COVID-19s impact for vulnerable groups and invited organizations, groups, businesses, municipalities and cities to partner with them to address reduced access issues.

Q: Why does it matter?

A: Vaccinations play a key role in preventing future COVID-19 hospitalizations and death. Since the beginning of the pandemic, COVID-19 has amplified existing health disparities among vulnerable populations. Ensuring vulnerable populations have equitable access to the vaccine is a strategy to prevent future negative outcomes for vulnerable communities.

Q: What do we mean in referring to disparities or vaccine equity?

A: According to the CDC, health equity means everyone has the opportunity to be as healthy as possible. Disparities refer to differences in health outcomes. In the context of this article, "disparities" refers to factors that cause minorities and rural populations to have worse health outcomes with COVID-19, while "vaccine equity" refers to ways to ensure these disparities are accounted for when creating a vaccine response.

Q: Where to look for more information?

A: The full Q&A with Victor D. Sutton, director of the Office of Preventive Health and Health Equity at the Mississippi State Department of Health, can be found online at djournal.com.
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Louth Fianna Fail Senator Erin McGreehan has said she is concerned for the funding of local newspapers as she welcomed support funding announced for radio station.

I would have a concern for the funding of our local newspapers. Advertising revenue has decreased dramatically over the past year and while many newspapers have gone digital, this in itself is expensive, Senator McGreehan said.

Our local newspapers deserve and require grant funding. So much of our news locally is recorded in our newspapers, they are a valuable archive, and they are so important to keep us all connected and up to date on what's happening locally, she added.

McGreehan also welcomed the BAI announcement of the allocation of 2.58m to the independent commercial radio sector.

The Government provided 2.5m to the BAI in December for this purpose. A total of 97,500 from the fund has been allocated to LMFM.

Senator McGreehan commented: This is great news for radio stations locally and nationally. They provide a great service to us all, keeping us informed on local and national issues.

They are an integral part of our local democracy reporting on council and municipal meetings, giving voice to local campaigners, local artists and events.
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Suspect jailed, charged with murder

Clovis police investigate the scene of a shooting Wednesday morning at Fifth and Ross streets.

CLOVIS  The Clovis man charged with killing two men on Wednesday morning ran from police and tried to hide from them in a water-heater closet before he was arrested, records show.

Danny Price, 54, was booked into the Curry County Adult Detention Center on Wednesday afternoon. Charges include murder, aggravated battery and firearm possession by a felon in connection with the deaths.

Ricky Johnson, 58, died in a Lubbock hospital and Kennedy Hodge, 53, died at Plains Regional Medical Center in Clovis.

Motive for the shootings was not immediately clear.

Clovis Police Lt. Trevor Thron told The News that officers first saw Price running in the area of Seventh and Ross streets as they were responding to multiple reports of shots fired.

Officers pursued Price and lost sight of him in the 700 block of Ross, but Thron said Price was ultimately found hiding in the water closet behind a residence in the 700 block of Ross.

Price was detained and patted down, but officers initially found no weapon on him.

Thron said Price was seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt as he fled police, but he was no longer wearing it when police located him. A search of the area over the next few hours, Thron said, resulted in discovery of the hooded sweatshirt with a firearm underneath.

Price made his first appearance Friday afternoon in Curry County Magistrate Court. No attorney is listed for Price in court records.

According to a criminal complaint filed Wednesday afternoon in the magistrate court:

 Clovis police responded to numerous calls, beginning at 8:22 a.m. Wednesday, about shots fired near the intersection of Fifth and Ross streets. While en route to the scene, an officer recognized Price and heard over the radio about a suspect matching his description.

 A witness near the shooting scene told police a man matching Prices description shot one man twice, once while he was on the ground, and also shot a second man before fleeing on foot. The witness, also contacted by The News, said he did not know any of the three men.

 Hodge succumbed to his injuries soon after arriving at Plains Regional Medical Center.

 Johnson, who suffered a gunshot wound to his abdominal area, was helped by another man to a nearby store. From there he was taken to PRMC by ambulance, and later flown to Lubbock where he died.

This is Prices third time in the Curry County jail this year. He was booked Feb. 22 as an out-of-state fugitive, and released March 10 following a fax from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice that the warrant was no longer in effect.

Price was booked again March 27 on a charge of battery against a household member. Jail Administrator Mark Gallegos told The News he was released March 29 on an appearance bond.

At the time of release, Gallegos said, we conducted (a) local and national search for warrants and holds, and at this time there was not an out of state fugitive warrant by the state of Texas.

Gallegos said holds are dropped for various reasons, and he did not know specifics for Prices case.

Messages sent Thursday to Texas parole and probation offices regarding Price were not returned.
Magnolia, AR (71754)

Today

Showers in the morning with some clearing in the afternoon. High 89F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy in the evening with scattered thunderstorms developing after midnight. Low 73F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.
In 2020, 15 pedestrians were hit by vehicles and killed in Mesa  with pedestrian deaths per capita here projected to be far higher than the national average. Intoxicated pedestrians jaywalking often was a fatal combination.
Effingham, IL (62401)

Today

A few showers early with scattered thunderstorms arriving for the afternoon. High 83F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 68F. Winds light and variable.
A new highway project in the Amazon could cut through the heart of one of Brazil's most biodiverse parks, cut in half the territories of 10 indigenous communities in Peru and become a bridge for the illegal activities of loggers and drug traffickers. The highway that aims to link Cruzeiro Do Sul (Brazil) with Pucallpa (Peru) - promoted by the government of Jair Bolsonaro and the Regional Government of Ucayali - inevitably evokes the ghost of the Interoceanic Highway, a costly road built by the Brazilian company Odebrecht, which was supposed to stimulate commerce between the two countries, and which ended up being investigated for mismanagement in its execution, not to mention that it only promoted the loss of 177,000 hectares of primary forests.

To tell the full story behind this new connection attempt, two journalistic teams traveled part of the proposed route for the road on both sides of the border. In Brazil, we sailed for more than 16 hours along the Moa River to reach the Serra do Divisor National Park and talked with the indigenous and traditional populations living in and around the park. On the Peruvian side, we traveled along the Abujao River to visit four indigenous communities that live in fear due to the presence of drug traffickers who claim to have taken control of the territory. In the midst of this scenario, a highway project is being imposed under the pretext of economic development. Why build a highway in the middle of the Amazon if everything indicates that it will only bring deforestation, drug trafficking, loss of biodiversity and illegal mining?

Stories Without Borders narrates the story of what is happening on the border between Peru and Brazil.
Two arrested in connection with Ramsey assault

Two people have been arrested in connection with an assault in Ramsey.

Emergency services were called to Bowring Road at 11:40am on Saturday.

The victim, a 29-year-old man, suffered serious injuries and was taken to Noble's Hospital.

Officers cordoned off the area in and around Bowring Road for just over 2 hours in order to allow for necessary investigations to be undertaken.

Two local males have been arrested in connection with the incident and remain in custody.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Police Headquarters on 631212, or alternatively via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, where information can be provided anonymously.
Athens, AL (35611)

Today

Rain showers in the morning with thunderstorms developing in the afternoon. High 81F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Locally heavy rainfall possible..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms during the evening followed by occasional showers overnight. Potential for heavy rainfall. Low near 70F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
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Report: China charges ahead in research fields

China Daily) 09:06, May 02, 2021

Scientists check the condition of the Tianhe-3 supercomputer at the National Supercomputer Center in Tianjin. [Photo/Xinhua]

China saw rapid growth in key scientific and technological research areas between 2012 and 2017, boasting an edge in fields including nanotechnology, computer science and engineering, telecommunications, artificial intelligence and environmental governance, according to a report published on Friday.

However, a large gap remained between China and the United States, the leading scientific powerhouse. China would need to expand its list of competitive scientific fields, publish higher quality papers, and collaborate with more countries, especially in Europe, on research projects and co-authored papers.

The report, titled "Mapping Science Structure 2021" and published by the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institutes of Science and Development, examined highly cited papers from over 10,220 research fronts from 2012 to 2017. It presented a detailed visual representation of the layout and dynamics of academic knowledge.

Zhang Feng, vice-president of the institutes, said the report aims to show how science and technology are developing around the world, which will yield valuable insights for researchers and policymakers when prioritizing and planning science projects.

From 2010 to 2015, a total of 44,495 core papers were published around the world. According to the report, 5,107 of these were published by China, making it the world's second-largest publisher of the highly influential papers, behind the United States at 16,483.

From 2012 to 2017, some 46,405 core papers were published and China contributed to 6,550 of them, a 23 percent increase over the 2010 to 2015 period. The country accounted for 14 percent of all core papers in the later period, an increase from 11.5 percent.

Wang Xiaomei, a researcher at the institute and the author of the report, said the data suggest that China witnessed tremendous growth in key research areas, but the gap with the United States remained substantial.

One notable finding of the report is that the scientific structures of China and the US are highly complementary, meaning the two countries may have more research areas to cooperate in than previously thought, Wang said.

"We excel in fields that the US is also pretty good at, like nanotechnologies, system and control engineering, and telecommunications and artificial intelligence," she said. "But the US is exceptional in fields such as medicine, social sciences, economics and business, and biosciences, all of which are topics in which China needs significant improvements."

The US also led the world by a large margin in the number of papers cited by patents, contributing 58 percent of these from 2012 to 2017. China, with 17 percent, and the United Kingdom, with 16 percent, held second and third place, and Germany followed with 15 percent.

"This shows that the US still holds an absolute advantage in research fields that would have a great effect on technological innovations, particularly in medicine and biosciences," Wang said.

(Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Bianji)
Malibu, CA (90265)

Today

Some clouds in the morning will give way to mainly sunny skies for the afternoon. High 69F. Winds W at 15 to 25 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph..

Tonight

A mostly clear sky. Low 53F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.
The Memorial Services celebrating and honoring the life of Susan Shorter, 72, of Enid, are pending under the direction of Brown-Cummings Funeral Home. Condolences may be shared with the family online at www.Brown-Cummings.com.
Boston, MA (May 2, 2021) - A new study, presented today at the AATS 101st Annual Meeting, finds that AATS Foundation fellowships support success in academic surgery career tracks. The AATS Foundation has two primary grant funding mechanisms: the AATS Foundation Scholarship and the Surgical Investigator Award. The study looked at publications, citations, NIH funding, and leadership position of awardees, among other factors.

Results show that recipients of both the AATS Surgical Investigator award and the Foundation Scholarship demonstrate sustained scholarship with peer reviewed publications and a high rate of receiving one or more NIH grants. The AATS grants place individuals on a career path for academic surgery with impressive scholastic contributions and ascending to leadership positions.

The AATS Foundation Grant has been awarded to 42 individuals. Awardees have a median of 4,733 citations. During the four-year window following the award, awardees published a median of 23 manuscripts, with a median of 364 citations. Subsequent NIH grant funding was attained by 44 percent of awardees, who al; secured 2-3 additional NIH grants. The majority of awardees - 89 percent - have been promoted, with most holding either a clinical directorship or a division chief position.

The Surgical Investigator award has been awarded to 24 surgeons. In the four-year window since the grant was awarded, recipients generated a media of 37 publications with a media of 632 citations. 26 percent secured NIH funding, of which all attained second and third NIH grants. Half of the awardees obtained an academic promotion.

"There's a narrative within academic medicine that surgery is too time consuming to allow for research, and the data here shows that there are real opportunities for surgical researchers that yield results," said Edgar Aranga-Michel, MD/PhD candidate at University of Pittsburgh - CMU. "The AATS fellowships are a success factor that support a career in academic surgery.

###
Boston, MA (May 1, 2021) - Preliminary results of a clinical trial, presented today at the AATS 101st Annual Meeting, showed that a new, low-profile thoracic aortic endograft is safe and effective in the treatment of descending thoracic aortic aneurysm or penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer (PAU) diseases. A multi-disciplinary team, led by both cardiac and vascular surgeons as co-investigators, conducted the study in 36 centers in the United States and Japan, enrolling patients between 2016 and 2019.

The trial aimed to measure safety and efficacy of the RELAYPro endovascular device, a second-generation product featuring a dramatically reduced profile and a non-bare stent (NBS) configuration.

The prospective, international, non-blinded, non-randomized pivotal trial analyzed a primary safety endpoint of major adverse events (MAE) at 30 days (death, myocardial infarction, stroke, renal/respiratory failure, paralysis, bowel ischemia, procedural blood loss) and a primary effectiveness endpoint of treatment success at one year (technical success, patency, absence of aneurysm rupture, type I/III endoleaks, stent fractures, secondary interventions, aneurysm expansion, and migration). Treatment success at one year was 89.2 percent.

"With a 3 to 4 French profile reduction, this second generation thoracic endograft device met the one year safety and effectiveness endpoints in a pivotal study for the treatment of patients with aneurysms of the descending thoracic aorta or PAUs," explained Dr. Wilson Szeto, Professor of Surgery at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. "It is particularly positive to note that the reduction in profile and the availability of a non bare stents configuration will expand the population of patients who can be treated with the device and reduces complications."

In this study, the vast majority of patients in the United States were treated with a percutaneous approach, which can dramatically reduce surgical complications associated with higher profile devices requiring surgical cutdown for deployment. At one year follow up, patients demonstrated a low risk of mortality, endoleak or structural integrity concerns. Follow-up continues to five years and the device is currently being evaluated for approval by the FDA.

###

Notes for Editors:

"One Year Results of a Pivotal Study of a Second Generation Low-Profile Endograft in Subjects with Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm and Ulcer Pathologies," Wilson Y Szeto, Prashanth Vallabhajosyula, Hitoshi Matsuda, Sina Moainie, Mel Sharafuddin, Joel Corvera, Christopher Smolock, Shinji Miyamoto, Thomas Naslund, Venkatesh Ramaiah. University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA; Yale University, New Haven, CT; National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan; St Vincent Heart Center, Indianapolis, IN University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA; Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN; Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH; Oita University Hospital, Yufu, Oita, Japan; Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN; Arizona Heart Institute, Phoenix, AZ

Presented by Wilson Y. Szeto, MD, May 1, 2021, at the AATS 101st Annual Meeting.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THORACIC SURGERY (AATS)
The Pound to New Zealand dollar (GBP/NZD) exchange rate opened sharply lower at 1.9220 before a recovery to 1.9275.

In a speech overnight, Prime Minister Ardern stated that it was becoming harder to reconcile differences between New Zealand and China and that there were no guarantees surrounding the relationship.

Market activity was stifled by holidays in China and Japan on Monday, but gains in US futures supported the kiwi and offset reservations over potential damage to Chinese trade.

On economic grounds, there was an element of caution ahead of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) financial stability report due for release on Wednesday.

Pound-to-New Zealand Dollar Exchange Rate Capitalises on Rising UK House Price Growth

The British Pound to New Zealand Dollar (GBP/NZD) exchange rate rallied ahead of the weekend thanks to a better-than-expected Nationwide housing price index.

While forecasts had pointed towards a rebound in house price growth on the month investors were surprised by the extent of the 2.1% uptick.

This suggests that the UK housing market recovered its lost momentum at the start of the second quarter, something which could help to shore up the wider economic performance.

Demand for the New Zealand Dollar, meanwhile, proved limited in the face of the latest bout of US Dollar buying on Friday.

As US personal income saw a sharp increase in March this helped to buoy the appeal of the US Dollar, leaving the risk-sensitive New Zealand Dollar on the back foot against the rest of its rivals.

First Quarter Labour Market Data Looks to Offer Boost to New Zealand Dollar (NZD) Exchange Rates

The New Zealand Dollar could find a rallying point in the coming week, however, if the first quarter labour market data proves encouraging.

While forecasts suggest that the unemployment rate held steady at 4.9% in the first three months of the year the accompanying data may help to boost NZD exchange rates.

As long as the labour market shows signs of resilience, even in the face of the ongoing pandemic, the appeal of the New Zealand Dollar could improve in the short term.

A higher participation rate could offer particular encouragement to NZD exchange rates, pointing towards an increased degree of engagement with the labour market.

However, another negative month for the ANZ business confidence index could see the GBP/NZD exchange rate gaining ground.

As long as sentiment within the New Zealand economy continues to show signs of souring the appeal of the New Zealand Dollar is likely to weaken.

Pound (GBP) Exchange Rates Forecast to Benefit from Rising UK Mortgage Approvals

On the other hand, the Pound may strengthen on Tuesday with the release of Marchs mortgage approvals data.

As markets expect to see a fresh uptick in mortgage approvals on the month, offering further evidence of housing market resilience, GBP exchange rates look set to benefit.

Any fresh signs of increased optimism within the economy are likely to keep a floor under the Pound in the near term.

Confirmation that the manufacturing PMI continued to push higher in April may also help to shore up the GBP/NZD exchange rate this week.

As long as investors have reason to bet on the prospect of a stronger second quarter UK growth performance the Pound could push higher against its rivals.
The British Pound to Canadian Dollar (GBP/CAD) exchange rate is seen trading 0.32% higher on Monday, May 3, quoted at 1.70257.

After a corrective retreat on Friday, the Canadian dollar was unable to regain ground on Monday despite a recovery in US equity futures with pressure for a correction after sharp gains since the BoC meeting.

Oil prices opened higher on Monday, but WTI hit resistance close to $64.0 p/b and gradually retreated amid near-term reservations over the Indian coronavirus crisis.

The Pound to Canadian dollar (GBP/CAD) exchange rate opened just above 1.6950 and still close to 2021 lows posted late on Friday.

The pair edged higher during the Asian session and traded just above 1.7000 at the European open as the Pound stabilised.

GBP/CAD Exchange Rate Extends Slump as Canadian Budget Deficit Narrows

The British Pound to Canadian Dollar (GBP/CAD) exchange rate extended its downtrend on Friday thanks to the narrowing of the Canadian budget balance.

As the deficit narrowed from C$-20.01 billion to C$-14.37 billion this encouraged greater confidence in the outlook of the Canadian economy.

This helped to limit the impact of Februarys Canadian gross domestic product data, even though the monthly growth rate fell short of forecast to dip from 0.7% to 0.4%.

Although this points towards the Canadian economy having lost some of its momentum in February investors remained optimistic on the prospect of a positive first quarter growth rate.

Coupled together, this helped the Canadian Dollar to push sharply higher across the board heading into the weekend.

Softer Canadian Manufacturing PMI Forecast to Weigh on Canadian Dollar (CAD) Exchange Rates

However, the mood towards the Canadian Dollar could sour on Monday as forecasts point towards a softening of Aprils manufacturing PMI.

If the index dips from 58.5 to 56 as anticipated this may leave CAD exchange rates vulnerable to selling pressure, even though it would still represent solid growth.

Any evidence of the manufacturing sector losing momentum at the start of the second quarter could weigh heavily on CAD exchange rates.

The Canadian Dollar may also face selling pressure on Tuesday with the release of Marchs balance of trade.

Investors expect to see the trade balance fall into a state of deficit at the end of the first quarter, reflecting the general decline in global market activity.

Weakening trade conditions could put a significant dampener on the Canadian Dollar, especially if the wider sense of market risk appetite falters further.

Pound (GBP) Exchange Rates Look for Support on Finalised UK PMIs

Support for the Pound could strengthen, meanwhile, with the release of Aprils finalised UK manufacturing and services PMIs.

Confirmation that both sectors delivered solid growth last month may help to push the Pound higher across the board this week.

Markets are likely to pay particular attention to the service sector data, given that it remains the primary growth engine of the UK economy.

As long as both PMIs remain firmly in growth territory the odds of a positive second-quarter growth rate are likely to rise, to the benefit of GBP exchange rates.

On the other hand, any negative revisions to the final PMI readings could help to keep the Pound to Canadian Dollar exchange rate on a weaker footing.
Liberals and conservatives alike are starting to call President Joe Biden a new Franklin Delano Roosevelta president proposing programs that are so big and bold that, if enacted, they will transform the American way of life.

"Well, not quite," said historian William S. Bike, author of the book Winning Political Campaigns, a how-to guide on all aspects of political campaigning. "If liberals want such a transformation, they shouldn't rest and think that Biden's plans are going to do it for them. And if conservatives don't want such a transformation, they can relax."

Biden's progressive plans "are bigger and bolder than anything America has seen since the 1960s," Bike said. "But they are not the New Deal, which fundamentally transformed America from a country in which people were on their own to a country with a well-functioning social safety net. They only look like plans for a new New Deal because the American way of life has been dominated by Reaganism for the last 40 years, which was less about the social safety net and more about self-reliance."

The 20% of Gross Domestic Product America spends on public investment and the social safety net "is a conservative amount for which Ronald Reagan would approve," Bike asserted.

Europe invests about 50% of its GDP in public goods: education, healthcare, infrastructure, public housing, retirement, transportation, and utilities. "America does not," Bike said. "Biden is proposing upping the 20% that America invests, but not to European proportions."

America has a $20 trillion economy, so 50% of that would be $10 trillion. Biden's American Jobs Plan is for about $2.3 trillion, "an appalling figure to Reaganite conservatives, but nothing compared to what Europe spends," Bike said. "And Europe spends it every year. Biden's plan would cost $2.3 trillion over eight years."

The New Deal created public investments that constituted about 40% of the nation's GDP, coming close to modern Europe's figure. "Biden isn't proposing anything close to that," Bike noted.

Biden's liberal plans are bigger than anything proposed by Democratic Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, whose policies "essentially were about as liberal as those of Republican President Dwight Eisenhower's in the 1950s," Bike explained. "The political center moved sharply right since the days of Ronald Reagan as President, and policies that used to be considered moderate are now considered liberal. That's where Joe Biden fits in."

In Barack Obama's book The Promised Land, Bike said the former President noted that during his administration, Biden was always the voice of caution and advocated going slow on liberal policies. "He has gone bigger than expected, but his Eisenhower-like plans are not exactly the New Deal," Bike noted.

"Don't get me wrong," Bike said. "Liberals should be excited about Biden initiatives such as the American Families Plan, which would include universal preschool, free community college, child care support, paid family leave, expansion of the Child Tax Credit, the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit, and health care premium tax credits. But is this plan, with its $1.8 trillion investment in the public sector over ten years, a new New Deal? Not hardly.

"So put away the cigarette holder and the pince-nez glasses," Bike said. "Joe Biden is not FDR. He gets credit for policies bolder than anything America has seen since the 1960s, but since the 1980s America has defined policies though a Reaganite prism that does not let the light of the New Deal shine through."

In his book Winning Political Campaigns, Bike notes how FDR's and Reagan's superior communications abilities enabled them to sell policies to America that radically transformed it.

"It remains to be seen whether Biden can do the same," Bike concluded.
Two of the three San Antonio Independent School District trustees seeking re-election handily defeated their challengers Saturday, and newcomers Leticia Ozuna and Sarah Sorensen will join the seven-member board.

Sorensen, 43, a former PTA president at Bonham Academy in SAISD, was the sole successful candidate of the four who ran as the Schools Our Students Deserve coalition, a slate backed by the districts largest employee union that had pushed for change in San Antonios third-largest school district.

She bested incumbent Steve Lecholop, with 55 percent of the vote in final returns.

Im feeling optimistic and excited about the opportunity and really bringing the voice of the community to the board, which I know is something that has been missing for a long time, Sorensen said.

Her victory in District 1 marks the end of Lecholops two-term tenure on the board. Lecholop, 39, a lawyer and former elementary school teacher in Baltimore, was part of a core group of board members who hired Superintendent Pedro Martinez in 2015 and have backed his ambitious program of magnet school expansion, partnerships with charter networks and insistence on academic improvement.

Required Reading: Get San Antonio education news sent directly to your inbox

Also part of that group was Debra Guerrero, 54, who is stepping down from the District 3 seat after nine years. Taking her place will be Ozuna, 54, an engineer and San Antonio Water System trustee, who defeated coalition candidate Judit Vega, 43, a food and housing justice advocate, with 55 percent of the vote.

Courtesy Leticia Ozuna /

With 55 percent of the vote in District 4, trustee Arthur V. Valdez, 73, won a third term over union activist and SAISD history teacher Luke Amphlett, 37. A retired aircraft engineer and owner of an engineering consulting company for airlines, Valdez was first elected in 2013.

Valdez said the current board has worked well as a team and that his victory Saturday could help prolong that chemistry, which he said has contributed to the districts recent success, including raising SAISD students college-going rates.

It feels real good because we can continue where we left off, Valdez said. Im looking forward to working with all my colleagues to keep working as hard as we can to make sure that our kids and our community succeed.

In District 7, Ed Garza, 52, defeated challenger Yasmin Parra Codina, 37, to win a fourth term. Garza won 60 percent of the vote, the widest margin of victory among the candidates.

Garza, a former San Antonio mayor and city councilman, is SAISDs longest-serving trustee, having been first elected in 2009. He handles business development for a consulting firm in Hays County. Parra Codina is an administrative assistant at the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Courtesy Yasmin Parra Codina /

Garza said that while the win feels great, he knows that SAISDs board has its work cut out for it.

It must help lead the district through the rest of the COVID-19 pandemic, the financial and academic challenges that arose from that disruption and an array of infrastructure and technology upgrades funded by a $1.3 billion bond that voters approved in November, he said.

We certainly feel relieved the election is behind us, Garza said. But we have to continue with our commitment, and thats that we want to return students and teachers and staff back to school safely and with the focus of getting our students caught up.

andy.picon@hearst.com | Twitter: @andpicon
Two incumbents, Carol Harle and Karen Freeman, won re-election to their Northside Independent School District board seats in Saturdays election, with Corinne Saldana taking a close race for a vacant seat.

Harle, the board president who represents District 6, had an insurmountable lead in early returns and won with 76.5 percent in the final count over challenger Thomas Leger. Freeman had 52.1 percent against three challengers, the closest being Kevin Escobar, a banker, who had 36.3 percent.

The two other candidates in that race, Kevin McEachirn and Blake Rawitt, had 7.3 and 4.3 percent, respectively.

In District 5, first-time candidates Saldana and Irma Iris Duran de Rodriguez dominated a four-way race for the seat held by trustee Katie Reed, who is stepping down after 31 years on the board.

Saldana, who worked as an educator at Northside ISD for 33 years before retiring in 2007, won a plurality of the votes, 32.9 percent, followed by Duran de Rodriguez, a senior housing policy coordinator for the City of San Antonio, who had 30.6 percent.

Its a little stomach churning, Saldana said Saturday evening as she watched vote counts consistently showing her only a percentage point or two ahead of her closest competitor. But today there were many people who came and spoke to me.  They asked a lot of questions and they were very positive with my responses and I was feeling much better when I left at 7 o'clock.

Duran de Rodriguez had also been talking to voters at different sites all day. Regardless of the rain, they were steadily showing up, and wanted to know about her accessibility and how to close digital and learning gaps, she said.

The two other candidates for District 5 were Sharon Chumley and Jakub Kosiba, who had 25 percent and 11.7 percent in early returns.

Harle, cruising to a third term on the board, is a professor of education at the University of Texas at San Antonio and the wife of Judge Sid Harle.

One of her goals for the next term, she said, is to focus on helping students catch up on their learning after the displacement caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, while also focusing resources on its social and emotional toll.

I want to get through this and move on, Harle said of the work that has been done so far to get some normalcy back in schools. Im excited about the future for our kids. Theres even opportunities now that we didnt think of before COVID.

Freeman, heading into a sixth term as the boards District 7 trustee, said she was happy to continue to have the trust of the community.

I really enjoyed talking to people and listening to them on their concerns, Freeman said. I look forward to being able to continue to serve the students, the staff and the community at Northside. It is truly an honor.

The Northside ISD board of trustees will meet this month to accept the election results and swear in the new trustee.

danya.perez@express-news.net
2 1 of 2 RICK HUNTER /EXPRESS-NEWS FILE PHOTO Show More Show Less 2 of 2 Kin Man Hui /San Antonio Express-News Show More Show Less



San Antonio will have its second Ozone Action Day of the calendar year Monday, as ozone levels in the atmosphere are expected to be higher than normal, officials said.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is encouraging San Antonians to be mindful of the possibility of high ozone levels, which can cause problems for children, the elderly, people who work outdoors and people with respiratory issues like asthma and emphysema.
Proposition B, a charter amendment that would have stripped the police union of its right to collectively bargain with the city, was defeated by a narrow margin Saturday.

About 51 percent of voters opposed Prop. B, with 49 percent supporting it, according to the final tally.

Voters rejection of Prop. B notched a significant victory for the San Antonio Police Officers Association, which first gained collective bargaining in 1974. It and the city are in midst of negotiating a new contract.

First and foremost, its a victory for the citizens of San Antonio, said Danny Diaz, union president. It was hard fought. This citizens have spoken. Now its time to get back to work.

Fix SAPD Interview

Im willing to talk to anyone and everyone  on how we can fix things, said Diaz, as dozens of police union supporters stood behind him celebrating. We have to have an open dialogue.

Besides the loss of bargaining power had Prop B passed, the union opposed it as a misguided attempt at police accountability that could have hindered recruitment of new officers, motivated more officers to retire, and handed Chief William McManus too much leeway in disciplinary actions.

At the Friendly Spot, where supporters of Prop. B, including U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro and his brother, former San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, gathered for an election watch party, the mood was upbeat even as the ballot initiative was losing.

Ojiyoma Martin, co-founder of Fix SAPD, which led the drive for Prop B, said she was overjoyed by the number of people who voted in favor of it. She said the outcome was still a win because it showed city officials the need to implement police reforms.

Im in awe, she said. San Antonio residents came out to show the city and the San Antonio Police Officers Association that police accountability matters.

The vote Saturday culminated a nearly year-long campaign by local activists that began after George Floyd was killed while being arrested by Minneapolis police. Prop. B has drawn attention from activists, city officials and union leaders throughout the U.S. curious if such a measure could pass.

Supporters of Prop. B believe the way to more accountability is through the police contract, which establishes the framework for officer discipline. Opponents argue the disciplinary rules could be altered through the current contract negotiations.

Mayor Ron Nirenberg said the close vote on Prop. B underscores the need for change.

Thats what Ive been devoted to for the last six years since we saw the previous contract, Nirenberg said. And thats whats going to continue to be my priority moving forward in the next contract, whether Proposition B passes or fails.

In an otherwise low-key election, the charter amendment arguably generated more debate and heated campaign activity than even the mayoral race. .

Floyds death, and the subsequent conviction of former police officer Derek Chauvin 11 days ago, cast an intense spotlight on police misconduct.

On ExpressNews.com: Would Prop B hold San Antonio police accountable or defund them?

Fix SAPD contends that too many San Antonio officers who were fired for misconduct have won reinstatement to their jobs through the appeal process outlined in the contract.

They said Prop. B would have given the city greater latitude in labor negotiations  specifically, they want to put more teeth in the disciplinary process for suspending or firing officers for misconduct.

By various estimates, about two-thirds of police officers who were fired returned to the force: They were either reinstated by the police chief or by independent arbitrators who hear and rule on officers appeals.

The union said the fallout from Prop B would have damaged the department, leading to slower response times to the publics calls for help.

Without the requirement of collective bargaining, the union and city could have switched to a meet-and-confer method of reaching a contract. Negotiations would essentially function unchanged except for one major difference.

Under collective bargaining, city management is required to bargain with the union; with meet and confer, its optional.

On ExpressNews.com: In San Antonio municipal races, police reform is a touchy topic

City officials indicated they would have continued to negotiate with the union regardless of Prop. B, but the police union warned that could have changed under different city leaders.

Police unions in Dallas, Houston and Austin negotiate with their respective cities using meet and confer. The same is true for the San Antonio Airport Police and the San Antonio Park Police, whose unions  separate from the San Antonio Police Officers Association  do not have the right to collectively bargain with the city.

Another key difference under the meet-and-confer system: the public would have had a say in the police contract if enough signatures are gathered to place the contract on the ballot.

Martin  a 34-year-old mother of two who is a communications coordinator for a pediatric speech clinic said she never would have guessed when she first formed Fix SAPD last summer with her brother, Ejiro, that the vote would be so close.

We had never done something like this before, Martin said. My brother and I had never run for office. I think we did pretty good, regardless of the outcome.

She said the vote shows city leaders they need to prioritize police reforms.

Now City Council knows the public wants police accountability, she said. They are no longer beholden to the police union. They know the public will hold them accountable.
The best way to show teachers appreciation? Better pay and incentives, and help paying for school supplies. They also deserve class sizes that dont wreck their work-life balance, affordable health care, mental health support and meaningful professional development.

This is Teacher Appreciation Week, and while we cant immediately fix these larger issues, we can show teachers  and support staff  respect, care, empathy and kindness.

Gifts arent necessary or expected, but sincere gratitude is welcomed. It helps fill teachers cups and fuel their days; and they need it now more than ever. It has never been more difficult to be a teacher. The needs of students are complex, and school infrastructure, funding and support are inadequate.

Every federal, state and local leader, every school administrator, parent and community member must strive to better understand the role of teacher and create and implement policies that support them.

During the pandemic, teachers stepped up and innovated, built the airplane as they flew it, and any number of other metaphors that show how they risked their lives and have endured challenges to teach and to love. Day after day, teachers show up with a smile and a mission to empower students. Even if they cried in their cars before walking in the school building.

Teachers have this superpower, this natural knack of knowing when to push and challenge, and when to encourage and comfort. They know its important to give students space to make mistakes and fix them without judgment; they realize its how students feel that makes the most difference.

My kindergarten teacher, Omelia Salinas, would groom our hair  even inconspicuously check for head lice  as we sat on a huge braided rug. She would compliment our outfits or weird hairstyles or not-so-great art to make us feel valued.

An elementary teacher would let us choose saltwater taffy from a large jar bought during her visits to Guam. It was my first time trying authentic taffy. To think that she thought of us during her vacation to an island many of us would never visit was the sweetest part of her gesture.

A junior high teacher once told me he thought I could be an author. He overlooked my flaws and encouraged me to keep writing a fiction story, just for fun. He made the impossible seem possible.

Yolanda Dominguez, my sixth grade teacher, encouraged me to interact with my classmates (I was so shy that I seldom talked). She made me feel safe.

My positive experiences with teachers didnt end when I left high school. At Del Mar College in Corpus Christi, professor Manuel Flores taught me the basics of journalism, but more importantly, he made me believe I could be a journalist. Along my career, he has been just a phone call or Facebook message away.

At Texas A&M University-Kingsville, adjunct professors Larry Rose and Lauraine Miller taught me the need to always learn and practice the craft of journalism. They also made me feel capable.

Van Lac, a graduate professor of education at the University of Texas at San Antonio, challenged me, believed in me and sang my praises in recommendation letters. She helped me learn about the importance of my life experiences, and in seeing education leadership through the lenses of equity and social justice. She helped me feel valued.

Each teacher made some kind of difference in my life. In many ways, they taught me who I am. Thats what teachers do.

I was a teacher up until January. In my experience as a teacher, I have never known a more dedicated group of people. Teachers make daily sacrifices for students in a job that seems to never end. There are always papers to grade, parents and students to email, lessons to develop, paperwork to complete.

Speaking of filling teachers cups  teachers truly do amass an abundance of cups. Every gift is appreciated, and I treasure, and still use, many gifts from students over the years, including a few cups. But you cant go wrong with gestures of gift cards, school supplies, snacks, plants, flowers, and sweet-smelling hand sanitizers, lotions and candles.

All the fun treats aside, teachers most of all cherish thoughtful art or notes from parents, and especially students, that remind them of the difference they make.

Nancy.Preyor-Johnson@express-news.net.
Following Government decision to declare the regions of Tyack, Riviere des Anguilles, St Aubin, Batimarais and Benares as red zones, the Ministry of Land Transport and Light Rail wishes to inform the public that no bus will operate within these localities.

However, buses will be available in the red zones for the conveyance of students sitting for the SC and HSC examinations only.

Buses of the National Transport Corporation (NTC) bearing the sticker Examination Bus will operate during the examination period in order for students residing in the red zones to attend their Examination Centres at Riviere des Anguilles SSS and St Aubin SSS.

Invigilators, supervisors and staff involved for the SC and HSC examination purposes residing in the red zones will also be allowed to travel in those buses.

Bus transport will also be available for students residing in the green zone and who have now been redirected to the Sookdeo Bissoondoyal SSS, M. Sungeelee SSS, France Boyer de la Giroday SSS and Swami Vivekananda SSS Examination Centres.

The public is also informed that buses operating along Route 10 (Riviere des Galets to Mahebourg) and buses operated by the NTC on Routes 6 (Riviere des Galets to Curepipe), 6A (Chamouny to Curepipe), 7 (Riviere des Galets to Rose Belle), 61 (Chateau Benares to Curepipe), 61A (Camp Diable to Curepipe), 133 (Choisy to Curepipe) and 197 (Riviere des Galets to Port Louis), will be allowed to circulate through the red zone

localities along their normal route. However, these buses will not be authorised to collect or alight passengers within regions found in the red zones.

Thus, students residing outside the red zones will be able to travel by these buses on a non-stop approach. Therefore, all buses will operate between the Curepipe Bus Station and Riviere des Galets Bus Station.

The Ministry makes an appeal to senior citizens to avoid travelling in public transport vehicles during peak hours unless they need to avail medical treatment or in case they have to attend work. Likewise, persons under the age of 18 are advised not to use public transport during peak hours unless they are sitting for the SC/HSC examinations.

The Ministry relies on the usual collaboration of the public.

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San Antonio voters have resoundingly supported Mayor Ron Nirenbergs vision, returning him to City Hall for a third term.

Nirenbergs rematch with former City Councilman Greg Brockhouse, who pushed the mayor to a runoff two years ago, lacked any buzz. This never felt like a true race, and that was reflected in the final vote: Nearly 62 percent of voters opted for Nirenberg, with 31.5 percent going for Brockhouse.

Nirenberg had a remarkable second term. Throughout the pandemic, he has been a steady, consistent and compassionate leader. One who has delivered on a broad and dynamic vision for the city. Consider how voters in the fall overwhelmingly approved his workforce development program, while also increasing future funding for public transit. He was able to sell this sales tax plan to voters while continuing to fund Edwards Aquifer protection, a key campaign promise. Work remains on the plan to re-imagine the Alamo and overhauling San Antonio International Airport.

Nirenbergs broad appeal stands in high relief to the sharp divide voters showed on Proposition B, which sought to end collective bargaining for San Antonio police in an effort to spur much-needed disciplinary reform. Voters rejected Proposition B by the narrowest of margins: 51 percent voted against it. This should serve as a wake-up call for the San Antonio Police Officers Association.

The focus for reform now shifts from the ballot to ongoing contract negotiations. City Council must stand firm on making disciplinary changes in the next contract, and SAPOAs leadership should support changes to hold bad cops accountable for their actions.

Voters backed Proposition A, which should help build more affordable housing; and they largely embraced the direction of San Antonio Independent School District, with only one challenger, Sarah Sorensen, prevailing.

Not all is settled. District 9 City Councilman John Courage is in a runoff with Patrick Von Dohlen, who rails against equity budgeting and the removal of Confederate statues. A change in District 9 would be a monumental step backward. District 1 Councilman Roberto Trevino is in a tough spot with challenger Mario Bravo, and District 2 Councilwoman Jada Andrews-Sullivan now faces Jalen McKee-Rodriguez, a former staffer. Runoffs are also set in districts 3 and 5, which are open seats.

Well have more to say about these city races in future editorials, as well as how to improve voter turnout, as 17 percent, high by San Antonio standards, is nothing to celebrate.
Heavy clouds rolled over San Antonio election day Saturday. Despite intermittent showers and downpour, voters were determined to cast their ballots.

Polls closed with 50,414 in-person votes cast Saturday  the largest election day participation in a May election in the past 10 years, according to Bexar County Elections Administrator Jacque Callanen and historic data.

Even the rain didnt stop us, Callanen said.

On ExpressNews.com: Spring election breaks early voting records in San Antonio

Two years ago, voters cast 37,261 ballots on election day.

Callanen estimated about 4,000 votes were cast per hour Saturday.

After the rainfall, canvassers were still out in force at polling sites as voters trickled in. Residents reported the actual voting process was going by quickly.

Gloria Lopez and her husband, Chris Lopez, drove past Mission Library earlier Saturday morning and noticed a line. The two then got lunch and returned to a very quiet voting site.

Gloria Lopez, 34, says she always votes in local elections because municipal policies affect her business.

They deal mainly with our day-to-day lives, she said.

With three kids, the couple also want to see progress in the neighborhoods they themselves grew up in. We just want them to have a good childhood, she said.

On ExpressNews.com: Heavy thunderstorms in San Antonio bring flash flooding, road closures

At Brook Hollow Library, Alexis Ballard took her lunch break to cast her ballot. Though she was worried about the pouring rain, the District 8 resident was determined to have her voice heard on some divisive propositions on the ballot.

Gloria Lopez usually votes early to avoid crowds. This was her first time voting on election day.

This election brought out the largest turnout for early voting Bexar County has seen in the spring, with 101,367 votes over the eight-day voting period. Additionally, 14,291 mail-in ballots had been returned as of 5:40 p.m. Saturday, Callanen said.

Voter turnout was at 17.26 percent this election. In total, 166,072 people cast their ballots either early, by mail or in person on election day. About 225 ballots were blank.

Even with the rain still pouring Saturday morning, every poll worker showed up at each of the 243 voting sites, Callanen said.

Not every Bexar County resident is eligible to vote in this election. This spring election supports 17 tax entities, including school districts, small cities like Leon Valley and Alamo Heights, as well as San Antonio.

A runoff election will be held Saturday, June 5, if necessary.

The last day to register to vote for the runoff election is Thursday, May 6. Early voting will run from Monday, May 24, to Tuesday, June 1. The deadline for Bexar County to receive an application for a mail-in ballot for the runoff election is Tuesday, May 25.

liz.hardaway@hearst.com | Twitter: @liz_hardaway
Fourteen suburban communities held elections across Bexar County on Saturday, and 11 elected members to their councils, including. Kirby, Converse, and Leon Valley.

Voters soundly rejected this Northeast Side citys efforts to annex nearly 900 acres of land encompassing five primary subdivisions along its border, with more than 80 percent of the vote against annexation.

Residents in the Bexar County subdivisions of Dover, Fields of Dover and Meadowbrook struck down attempts to annex their neighborhoods into the city, 83 percent to 17 percent.

Similarly, an effort to bring The Parc at Escondido and Weichold subdivisions under city control failed, 83 percent to 17 percent.

I personally feel there was no improvement in quality of life issues that Converse could bring to us, said Brian Jeffries, president of the Fields of Dover subdivision homeowners association. For what we would have paid in taxes, we were gaining nothing in return.

In Converse, the effort to extend council terms to three years failed, with 618 votes against the measure and 415 in support, a 60 percent to 40 percent margin.

But, with 56 percent of the vote for Prop B, Converse voters did get behind a proposition that requires candidates to resign from elected city seats if they choose to run for another position.

Similarly, a proposal to make elected officials who have been removed or forced from office wait three years before filing for another election saw support, with 56 percent of the vote in support of the measure.

Kirby

Former Kirby Mayor Pro Tem Kimberly McGehee-Aldrich outlasted challenger Chris Garza, winning election by a 54 percent to 46 percent margin.

McGehee-Aldrich resigned from a seat on City Council to run for the head job after Mayor Lisa Pierce chose not to seek re-election. She took the lead when the early voting results came in and maintained it on election day.

I would like to thank the citizens of Kirby for showing up to support me in this election, McGehee-Aldrich said in a statement late Saturday. I am looking forward to representing our small city to the best of my ability. We have many challenges ahead of us, but as a city, working together is essential. I am excited about the opportunity to follow in my grandfathers footsteps as mayor of the city where my family legacy lies. Moving forward, I will serve the community I grew up in, in order to secure a future for generations to come.

Garza, 37, was tasked with overcoming news of a 2013 sexual assault allegation. Prosecutors in Larimer County, Colorado, where the alleged assault took place, saw their case crumble when the victim could not be contacted for further prosecution.

In Kirbys council races, the first two of three open positions were locked up by challenger Susan Street, who garnered the most votes with 327, accounting for 21.3 percent of the vote, followed by incumbent Councilwoman Janeshia Grider, who came in second with 317 votes, at 20.6 percent.

The third seat on council was narrowly won by Councilman Mike Grant, who received 260 votes, over incumbent Thomas Hernandez, who came in fourth with 248 votes. Challenger Sid Sanders Sr. was right behind, with 230 votes, and challenger Donahue Gibson received 155 votes.

Leon Valley

Leon Valley voters were on course to re-elect a formerly ousted council member and two incumbents for three council place seats last Saturday.

In the race for place 1, Benny Martinez took the lead with 47 percent of the votes. Elaine Valdez followed with 37 percent, and Evan Bohl trailed with 16 percent. In 2019, Martinez was removed from the council after he was accused of violating the city charter by undermining the city manager and issuing orders to city staff not in his chain of command.

For the place 3 seat, incumbent Jed Hefner was the clear winner with 59 percent of the 998 votes cast in the race over challenger Danielle Carriere Bolton, who had 41 percent.

In place 5, incumbent Will D. Bradshaw retained his place on the council with more than 68 percent of the 1,044 votes cast in his race. Catherine Rodriguez drew 32 percent. Rodriguez, who served one term on the council, lost her original seat in November; last years May elections were postponed to the fall because of the coronavirus pandemic.

For complete vote tallies on these and other suburban races, go to https://www.bexar.org/1568/Elections-Department.
Bolstered by his calm, cool-headed response to the COVID-19 pandemic, San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg sailed to a third term Saturday.

Nirenberg fended off a field of 13 other candidates led by former City Councilman Greg Brockhouse, who nearly ousted the mayor two years ago, and avoided a runoff for only the second time in his career.

What could have been a dramatic rematch between Nirenberg and Brockhouse never materialized. The mayor struck a commanding lead of 30 percentage points early on and held it for the rest of the night  showing Nirenbergs broad support among residents across the city.

With the final tally in before 11:30 p.m., Nirenberg had 62 percent of the nearly 150,000 votes cast in the race to Brockhouses 31 percent.

To a packed crowd at The Backyard on Broadway restaurant near downtown, Nirenberg expressed gratitude and relief  and acknowledged the human and economic toll wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Weve been through a lot this year, Nirenberg said. Im not going to belabor the point but it has been an incredibly challenging time in this entire city. And were not through with it.

Brockhouse recognized reality early  sending congratulations to Nirenberg and wife Erika Prosper barely an hour after the polls closed Saturday.

My family wishes them the best of luck, Brockhouse said in a statement to the media. Their success is all of our success.

Denise Gutierrez-Homer, a conservative East Side businesswoman who came in a distant third, grabbed less than 2 percent of the vote. Most of the other candidates scored less than 1 percent.

The mayors race lacked the bitter, contentious nature of the 2019 election when Nirenberg and Brockhouse first faced one another.

This time, Nirenberg refused to debate Brockhouse one-on-one  part of a broader strategy to deprive the former councilmans campaign of oxygen.

Nirenberg barely, if ever, mentioned Brockhouses name  instead opting to campaign on a sunny message about the citys recovery both from the pandemic and its resulting economic downturn.

The mayor touted the number of residents who have received COVID-19 vaccinations. He pointed to the millions of dollars the city has plugged into economic relief for ailing businesses and residents struggling during the pandemic. And he hyped the more than $1 billion in major manufacturing investments the San Antonio region has secured during the last two years.

Nirenberg spared no expense on his re-election, outspending Brockhouse five-to-one.

In the absence of opportunities to directly confront Nirenberg, Brockhouse sought to portray the mayor as insular, evasive on the issues of the day and not aggressive enough when it came to pushing for the citys economic recovery and re-opening after months of coronavirus restrictions.

Brockhouse tried to position himself as the ideas candidate  releasing lengthy sets of bullet points on how to kickstart the citys economy, reform public safety and overhaul CPS Energy, the citys public-owned power provider, in the wake of the winter freeze in February  when electricity, heat and water service was knocked out for hundreds of thousands of households.

The former councilman seized on the apparent failure of the city and CPS Energy to prepare for the freeze. Brockhouse tried to tar Nirenberg with those failings.

But voters didnt seem to agree.

Brockhouse  a steadfast ally of and one-time consultant for the police officers and firefighters unions  languished without the support of both unions, who threw their weight behind him two years ago and spent more than $530,000 in his attempt to oust the mayor back then.

Both unions sat out the mayors race this year. The San Antonio Police Officers Association focused instead on shooting down Proposition B, the ballot measure to take away the police unions right to collectively bargain their contract with the city. The measure was narrowly defeated Saturday night, 51 percent to 49 percent.

The Nirenberg campaign wasnt without its own hiccups. The week before early voting began, the mayor parted ways with campaign director Ryan Garcia, who had helped Nirenberg in the runoff two years ago.

Nirenberg became familiar to San Antonians over the course of the pandemic as he and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff appeared in almost-nightly television briefings giving residents the lowdown on the local state of the virus and later on local efforts to get people vaccinated. The mayor enjoyed high marks for what was interpreted as his serene, steady handling of the coronavirus crisis.

Two years ago after Nirenberg barely emerged from a bruising runoff battle with Brockhouse, he has grown more confident. His handling of the pandemic emboldened him to take stronger stances on other issues in his second term, allies have said.

When an ambitious $450 million overhaul of Alamo Plaza looked dead in the water, Nirenberg ousted Councilman Roberto Trevino from key leadership positions overseeing the project, announced a reset and helped shepherd a modified version of the planned makeover through City Council. Trevino is now in a runoff with environmentalist Mario Bravo in his bid for a fourth and final term.

The mayor translated political capital gained during the crisis to convince voters in November to pass a four-year, $154 million plan to help 40,000 residents seek job training and degrees to help them get higher-paying jobs, known as the Ready to Work program. The measure prevailed with nearly 77 percent of the vote  his biggest electoral victory to date.

But Nirenberg also grew more comfortable with upsetting natural allies and key constituencies in order to execute his agenda. In order to pay for Ready to Work, he had to find a new way to fund the popular Edwards Aquifer Protection Program, paid for with the same sales tax revenue he earmarked for the workforce program.

The aquifer program pays to buy land above the aquifer, the citys primary source of drinking water, to leave it in its natural state.

To the ire of some environmentalists, Nirenberg won the backing of all but two City Council members to continue the program with other city dollars  rather than have voters decided the programs future as they had in four previous elections.

Those were all victories for the city as a whole in Nirenbergs book.

We got all this done during the middle of a global pandemic, Nirenberg told supporters Saturday evening. So imagine what we can do when we put this pandemic behind us.

On Saturday, Nirenbergs vision for a third term began to take shape. The mayor welcomed the easy passage of Proposition A, which will allow the city to use bonds for affordable housing  a key part of the mayors housing agenda.

Nirenberg also will work on the implementation of his Ready to Work program and to shape the citys infrastructure priorities in anticipation of federal dollars from the $2 trillion infrastructure package championed by President Joe Biden.

The mayor doesnt see a big course adjustment in his future.

The pandemic revealed a lot of the challenges and inequities in our city and across the country, Nirenberg told reporters. We have been devoted to addressing those from the very start.

Unclear is how the debate over local police reform will take shape over Nirenbergs third term.

Nirenberg frustrated police reform advocates by not backing Prop B. Proponents of the measure argued it was needed so officers fired for misconduct arent returned to the force, while police union allies charged it would defund the police and make it difficult for the police department to hire and retain quality officers.

Instead, Nirenberg told the police union he supports collective bargaining and avoided taking a side on the proposition.

Prop B ended up losing 51 percent to 49 percent. Nirenberg took that narrow margin as a sign that San Antonians want police reform  but that changes to officer discipline should be made at the bargaining table.

I think it underscores what weve been saying from the start, which is that we have to build a community that respects the police because the police respect the community, Nirenberg said.
Rogelio Ernesto La O Munoz spent eight months in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody suffering what he described as psychological and environmental abuse.

The Cuban epidemiologist arrived in Texas in December 2019, seeking asylum amid the Trump administrations immigration crackdown, when ICE officers targeted anyone in the country illegally, not just those guilty of serious crimes.

It was also the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, much of which he would spend in the Joe Corley Detention Facility in Conroe. He described it as a grim place where detainees with respiratory symptoms were forced to go without medical assistance and where more than 30 people were crammed in dorms, making social distancing impossible.

We were seeing people next to us taken out of the units in wheelchairs, some of them looking unresponsive, but they wouldnt follow up with testing or isolating the rest of us, said La O Munoz, who was granted asylum and released from custody at the end of July.

Those are the sort of conditions that advocates say were common under the Trump administration  and which President Joe Biden has vowed to end as he pushes for what he calls a more humane immigration system.

Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez could soon be a key player in that effort.

Gonzalez has been tapped to lead ICE, the agency that was in many ways the face of former President Donald Trumps hard-line approach to immigration. Hell be instrumental in setting its course under Biden, a difficult task as ICE has become one of the most politicized agencies in the federal government.

IN-DEPTH: White House nominates Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez to lead ICE

Reaction to his nomination last week illustrated that.

While many said he was a solid pick with the law enforcement background needed to run the agency, immigration activists said they feared he wouldnt do enough to rein it in. Conservatives, meanwhile, see the nomination of Gonzalez  who has been a vocal critic of ICE  as the beginning of the end of the agency.

He might be  if they have their way  the last ICE director, said Mike Howell, senior adviser for executive branch relations at The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank in Washington. This guys going in there to turn off the lights, board up the windows and send everyone home. The only people hes going to deport are the ICE agents.

While Biden resisted calls to abolish ICE throughout the 2020 campaign, the agency Gonzalez will be leading  if confirmed by the Senate  is already far from what it was under Trump.

In Bidens first month in office, the number of ICE arrests dropped more than 60 percent.

The balancing act at ICE

Though arrests and deportations under Trump never reached the peaks they hit during the Obama administration, Trump expanded the agencys targets to virtually anyone in the country illegally. In a series of high-profile cases, ICE agents arrested people in their front yards, at their kids schools and in courtrooms. In 2017, an acting director of the agency warned: You should look over your shoulder, and you need to be worried.

Since then, ICE arrests have plummeted  dropping from an average of 6,800 monthly arrests in the last three months of the Trump administration to 2,500 in February, according to the Migration Policy Institute. Detention of noncitizens has plummeted by two-thirds, as well, from an average of nearly 6,300 monthly book-ins from October to December to an average of 2,000 in February and March, according to MPI.

The declines have put ICE in a place it hasnt been in years  since well before former President Barack Obamas aggressive enforcement policies led critics to label him deporter-in-chief, and perhaps back to even the George W. Bush administration when ICE was created, said Randy Capps, director of research for U.S. Programs at MPI.

The system is just much smaller now, and its much more focused, and there are more restrictions on ICE activities than there ever have been, Capps said.

TEXAS TAKE: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox

But Gonzalez will be under pressure to do much more to tame ICE as advocates push the Biden administration to completely rethink the agency. Advocates said there is little trust between immigrant communities and ICE after the last four years. There are calls to shut down detention facilities, further narrow the agencys targets and remove its agents from jails  including the one Gonzalez now oversees.

It needs to be a total shift in framing, said Anita Gupta, an attorney with the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, a nonprofit group focused on expanding immigrants rights.

Gonzalez will likely face an uphill battle winning over many Republicans, as the GOP has slammed the Biden administration for moving to end some of Trumps strictest immigration policies and Republican states like Texas have sued to prevent its efforts to narrow ICEs mission.

The reality is he has to maintain the rule of law, as he has in Houston, said Ken Oliver, senior director of engagement at the conservative Texas Public Policy Foundation, noting theres a tremendous amount of cooperation between local law enforcement agencies like the Harris County Sheriffs Office and ICE  something many Democrats want to see changed.

Harris County leads nation in ICE arrests

Immigration experts and advocates are divided on whether Gonzalez is the right man for the job.

Some say hes a smart and creative pick to lead the agency  a lawman who could potentially win over ICEs workforce while making some of the bigger changes advocates have sought. Gonzalez was a vocal critic of Trumps approach to immigration enforcement and will likely fit the direction Biden has taken the agency, they said.

His appointment is a very important opportunity for change, said Jorge Loweree, policy director at the American Immigration Council.

The agency was at the forefront of many of the worst of Trumps abuses on immigration, so Mr. Gonzalez will be very well positioned to not only reverse the trends at ICE under Trump, but also to hopefully build a system that is more fair, to reduce ICE detention levels, to close ICE detention facilities, and also to adopt and implement generous prosecutorial discretion guidelines to help protect people as well, he said.

But others worry picking a law enforcement officer to lead the agency is a signal the president doesnt plan to reform ICE as much as many had hoped. They note that Harris County still leads the nation in ICE arrests, most of which are a result of transfers from the jail Gonzalez oversees to the agency, an indication of deep seated entanglement between the sheriffs office and ICE.

There is confusion in the community about what role Gonzalez is going to play, said Maria Hernandez, co-director of Unidad 11, a community protection network that, among other things, provides notice of local ICE raids and provides assistance to those who may be targeted.

Im glad that they nominated a Latino, Hernandez said. But in reality, our community is equally affected whether or not it is a Latino because what is needed is to change the laws, to have an immigration reform that provides some relief to our communities.

Gonzalez was not available to comment for this story.

A test for local-federal partnerships

Among Gonzalezs first tests could be what to do with a controversial ICE partnership with local communities that he ended when he took office in Harris County, drawing national attention. The partnerships, commonly referred to as Section 287(g), had Harris County deputies screening jailed suspects to find those in the country without legal permission.

Gonzalez called it illegal racial profiling that was also dangerous and expensive. Counties across the country have ended similar partnerships in recent months, as well. Biden on the campaign trail vowed to end the program altogether. But his administration has yet to do so.

Gonzalezs approach to 287(g) partnerships could signal how ICE under his leadership will work with local communities and law enforcement agencies. With states and cities passing sanctuary laws limiting immigration enforcement, while others  such as Texas  take the opposite approach, Gonzalez could set a new course at ICE by essentially telling cities and states he will send agents to their communities if they want them, but stay out if not.

Such an approach might be a good political way to do what is otherwise an impossible job, said Leon Fresco, an immigration attorney in Washington, D.C.

Gonzalez would also take over as the Biden administrations plan to narrow enforcement targets  to only those convicted of violent felonies or seen as threats to national security  are being challenged in court by Texas state officials.

Gonzalez would likely play an important role in setting the administrations targets for the long term  and defending those goals against lawsuits from his own state.

But first Gonzalez has to clear the Senate, where hes likely to face stiff opposition from Republicans, including Texas Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz. Neither has said whether he will support Gonzalezs nomination.

I have some concerns, Cornyn said. Law enforcement officers are not supposed to be policymakers or pick and choose which policies they want to enforce.

Cornyn specifically pointed to Gonzalezs move to end the 287(g) partnership in Harris County as cause for concern.

I know he has been very critical of immigration enforcement in the past, so Ill have a lot of questions, he said. Right now Im going to proceed with an open mind.

Wermund reported from Washington; Tallet reported from Houston.

ben.wermund@chron.com
Alex Oh resigned from her role as enforcement director at the SEC only days after taking the job due to criticism over her work as a corporate defense lawyer.

The SEC didnt mention reasons for Ohs resignation in a statement released on Wednesday.

However, Oh reportedly resigned after District Judge Royce Lamberth issued an order on Monday, questioning her practice in a deposition in a lawsuit filed against ExxonMobil, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Related: SEC Expands Accredited Investor Rule

Attorney Melissa Hodgman will return to the role of acting director of the SEC's Division of Enforcement, the agency said.

"In light of the time and attention it will take from me, I have reached the conclusion that I cannot address this development without it becoming an unwelcome distraction to the important work of the division," Ohs resignation letter read.

Oh is part of a legal team from Paul Weiss, the law firm defending ExxonMobil in a class action lawsuit filed by lawyers representing 11 Indonesian citizens in 1999, according to Politico.

The Indonesian citizens alleged that ExxonMobils security personnel conducted human rights violations in Indonesia, claiming that the oil company should be held accountable for the murder and torture committed by the Indonesian military during civil unrest between 1999 and 2001. The plaintiffs specifically alleged that the company should be held liable for hiring soldiers to guard natural gas facilities in Indonesia.

Additionally, the lawsuit alleged that an ExxonMobil lawyer based in Asia used a script to answer questions in an unresponsive manner that discouraged the plaintiffs lawyers from getting information.

On Monday, Judge Lamberth ordered ExxonMobil to obtain a witness who would answer every one of those questions again and ordered Oh to explain why she shouldnt face sanctions for her involvement in the deposition. An individual familiar with the matter told the Wall Street Journal that SEC officials spoke with Oh after the judge issued the order.

SEC Chair Gary Gensler was subsequently criticized for hiring Oh, a corporate lawyer, to head one of the countrys most powerful agencies, according to Politico.

Advocacy groups, including Demand Progress and the Revolving Door Project, sent a letter to Gensler on Tuesday, saying that they were "surprised and disappointed" by his decision to hire her. In the letter, the groups questioned Ohs ability to enforce the very laws and regulations whose enforcement she has built a career of defending against." They urged Gensler to reconsider his hiring decision and instead appoint an attorney with a proven track record of public-oriented service, of which there is no shortage."

Still, in the wake of the backlash, Paul Weiss Chairman Brad Karp defended Oh, claiming Alex is a person of the utmost integrity and a consummate professional, with a strong ethical code.

Oh has worked as a corporate lawyer at Paul Weiss for 20 years, during which she has represented Fortune 100 companies facing government allegations, including Bank of America and Pfizer.

Oh and the SEC didnt immediately respond to Enterpreneur.coms request for comment.

Copyright 2021 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
HELENA, Mont.  Montana will regain its second congressional seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, according to the 2020 Census state population count released today by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The count reveals that Montanas population grew from 989,415 people in 2010 to 1,085,407 people in 2020  an increase of 95,992 residents over 2010, or nearly 10 percent.

Thanks to the efforts of Montanans across the state, the 2020 Census shows what weve known to be true  Montana is a great place to live, work, and raise a family, Gov. Greg Gianforte said.

This is a great day for Montana. With a second congressional seat, Montanans will have another voice in Congress to work on their behalf, Gov. Gianforte continued. Its critical we avoid the traps of partisanship and gerrymandering as our new district lines are drawn. Our new districts should be compact, keep our communities together, and make common sense.

Montana had two congressional districts until 1993, when reapportionment based on the 1990 population count resulted in Montana losing its second seat.

The U.S. Census Bureau is expected to release sub-state level data later this year. That information will be used by the independent Montana Districting and Apportionment Commission to determine the boundaries for Montanas two congressional districts and to redraw local legislative districts.

The federal government conducts the constitutionally mandated population count of all residents in the United States every 10 years. States help promote the importance of responding to the count.

As the lead agency for the states census efforts, the Department of Commerce worked with partners across Montana to encourage Montanans to self-respond to the 2020 Census, said Scott Osterman, director of the Montana Department of Commerce. The updated state population count is the result of months of all-hands-on-deck statewide work to let Montanans know about the importance of being counted.

Last year, the U.S. Census Bureau suspended field operations from March to early May in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition to forming the basis for congressional, legislative and school districts, census data are used to appropriate federal funding. This appropriation helps fund more than 300 programs for things like highway planning, health care, educational programs, and community infrastructure.

For more information about the 2020 Census, visit the Census and Economic Information Center at the Montana Department of Commerce at CEIC.MT.GOV.
A conditional use hearing for the project is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 13 in the old Township Municipal Building at 306 Butztown Road. According to the conditional use application, the Hanoverville Road complex can only be used for warehousing/distribution. But in addition to warehousing and distribution, PAC Worldwide also converts manufactured material into packaging for its customers.
Northern Irish farmers will finally see compensation funds worth 3.5 million after the region was hit by extreme flooding in August 2017.

Farmers in the Glenelly area of County Tyrone are set to receive support for losses incurred and to help restore land for agriculture use.

The flooding caused devastating landslides in the Glenelly Valley during the summer of 2017.

For years, those impacted had highlighted the extent of their financial losses and the challenges faced in restoring their land back to productivity.

Farming businesses affected had also raised the negative impact this unique severe weather event had on them both emotionally and mentally.

It is believed more than 200 farms could be eligible for some of the Northern Irish government's support.

Farms that made a force majeure application following the flooding are eligible to apply for the scheme, which is capped at 106,000 per farm business.

Support payments to farmers will be based on income forgone in the areas impacted by erosion and income forgone in the areas impacted by deposition.

The funds will also be based on the cost of restoring land to productive use (clearing land and reseeding).

The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) Minister Edwin Poots announced the support scheme this week.

Mr Poots said: "Seeing ones business washed away in the blink of an eye has caused immense distress to this community.

In March, I visited the Glenelly area and heard directly from some of the farmers who experienced the flooding in 2017.

The sustainability of their farm businesses, already operating in challenging environmental and market conditions, was clearly and severely impacted.

" I am pleased to announce a one off payment of almost 3.5million in assistance to these farmers, as a contribution towards the losses experienced in 2017.

The Ulster Farmers' Union said it was 'pleased' that farmers would 'finally get the financial support they need.'

The union had lobbied continuously to get support secured for those who completed majeure forms.

President Victor Chestnutt said: We witnessed first-hand the ongoing devastation to their farm businesses because of the severe weather event almost four years ago.

"While the emotional distress of the past number of years cannot be undone, we hope that the funding provides relief after experiencing such financial loss for so long and that the farming families affected can now move forward.

"We now ask that the funding gets rolled out as soon as possible so they can benefit.

DAERA said it would publish more information about the scheme on its website prior to it opening.
Wikipedia

Image:Born in 1865, Abala Bose dedicated her whole life to elevate the state of women in society, especially the widows of India. Also known as Lady Bose, she is considered one of the earliest feminists of our nation. She was the daughter of Brahmo reformer Durga Mohan Das and wife of Indian scientist Sir Jagdish Chandra Bose.Belonging to one of the renowned families, she and her sisters had the privilege to attain higher education. Later, when she got married, she used to travel with her husband to different parts of the world, and thats when she noticed the difference in the upbringing and attitudes of women in these places as compared to the women of India. This made her write more about why women needed to get educated and stress on womens minds being as important as mens.She popularised the Montessori education system in India and started Brahmo Girls School in 1919. She established Nari Shakti Samiti in the same year, which gathered funds for womens education and welfare of widows. During her lifetime, she was able to establish 88 primary schools and 14 adult education centres in the British province of Bengal. Besides that, she set up rehabilitation and skill training centres for underprivileged women and widows. Moreover, she founded Vidyasagar Bani Bhawan, Mahila Shilpa and Bani Bhawan training schools.
The New Services Will Help Homeowners to Be As Comfortable as Possible All Year Long While Also Improving the Air Quality in Their Home

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / May 1, 2021 / Brian Leech, Owner and Founder of Service Legends, a heating and cooling company in Des Moines, Iowa, is pleased to announce the launch of a new insulation and healthy home performance division.

To learn more about Service Legends and the services that they offer, please visit https://www.servicelegends.com/.

As Leech noted, he was inspired to launch the new service by the success that Service Legends has ultimately experienced during the COVID-19 global pandemic.

"While at the beginning we freaked out just like everyone else, our freak out and fears quickly converted to grit," Leech said, adding that he and his team all reached down deep and told themselves "Service Legends was made for this; we have what it takes to succeed, no matter what the world throws at us."

"All in all, it was a true test of our leadership and they passed the test with flying colors."

As people who were quarantining at home quickly realized, companies like Service Legends are essential providers who were working to help make sure everyone was comfortable in their homes.

This commitment to their customers resulted in 2020 being a record year for Service Legends, both in terms of sales and profits.

"Like so many businesses, we had to pivot into full on PPE gear to protect our team and our clients. Our internal motto in 2020 was Survive to Thrive," Leech said, adding that this growth allowed him to offer new services like the insulation and healthy home performance division.

This service will help homeowners to achieve higher levels of comfort, healthier air in their home and reduce their carbon footprint by making their home more efficient, Leech explained.

In addition, the company will soon launch a residential plumbing division.

"We are on target to grow the business 20 percent this year and we are experiencing improved profitability because of a well-oiled leadership team that is passionate about improving every day," Leech said.

As Leech noted, he is very proud of his hard working team at Service Legends, and the success of his company. As an Iowa native who grew up on a farm outside of Des Moines, Leech learned the value of hard work at a very early age.

"As for myself, I am always pushing for replacing myself in this business. My long-term plan is to build a legacy company that is a national brand," he said.

"Currently I serve the leadership team about 20 hours a week and spend the rest of my time is divided into three parts: focusing on the future vision of Service Legends, volunteering my time in the community, enjoying the sweetness of my family."

About Service Legends:

At Service Legends, they are proud to be a leader in heating and cooling in the Des Moines metro area. They specialize in furnace installations, air conditioner installations, furnace repair, air conditioner repair and tune-ups for air conditioners, furnaces and more. Having served the Des Moines area for decades with legendary customer service, it's safe to say they have earned a Ph.D. in keeping their customers comfy. For more information, please visit https://www.servicelegends.com/.

Contact:

Brian Leech

info@servicelegends.com

515-657-6634

SOURCE: Service Legends

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/643717/Service-Legends-a-Heating-and-Cooling-Company-in-Iowa-Launches-New-Insulation-and-Healthy-Home-Performance-Division
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have said they are enormously grateful for public support as they mark their 10th wedding anniversary.
Goldfield & Banks Goes Deep with Silky Woods

Fragrance Reviews

Goldfield & Banks, one of the most successful and admired contemporary Australian perfume brands, has released a new fragrance for 2021, Silky Woods. It is part of a new collection called the Botanical Series, owing to its significant concentration on natural or botanical components. It's also a perfume concentrate, clocking in at about 20% perfume strength. Hitherto, the offerings from the company have been presented in beautiful transparent shades of cooling colors that reflected natural colors of the Australian landscape (shimmering greens and pale blue, translucent yellow and succulent pink.) Silky Woods comes to the wearer in an iconic, opaque, mirrored gold bottle. It's strikingly new for the house, and yet completely on brand, retaining the same shape and label. But what about the scent?

Silky Woods promises a lot, so expectations are high. The profile, when looking at the notes and ingredients, would seem to be a vanilla-amber perfume with woody facets. It contains an amber-lover's treasure house of key ingredients: saffron, vanilla, olibanum, agarwood, cinnamon. These elements alone would carry a worthy fragrance to some impressive heights. Silky Woods does something more interesting though by the use of some curious pairings and unusual combinations.

You're first drawn in decidedly and firmly by the taught pull of Tahitian Vanilla. As some of you may know, the Tahitian vanilla profile is markedly different from the Madagascan or Bourbon vanilla that is more prevalent in the market (although all vanilla is quite precious these days.) Tahitian vanilla, as described in an article by Elena Knezevic (when writing about Perris Monte Carlo's Vanille de Tahiti) is much lighter, less animalic, and more floral. When you first apply Silky Woods, you smell bold and blissful vanilla, the kind that is milky and floral, with the rough speckles of spices mixed in. Saffron, and to a lesser extent cinnamon, are zesty and add some grist to this otherwise soft and supple smell.



What compels so much about this opening phase is the undulating richness, like a pliable leather, which somehow does not fall over into a well of honey or brown sugar. Saffron has that uncanny ability to straddle the worlds of sweet and savory in a way unlike any other spice. The fragrance's spiced-vanilla opening breaks open to a white- and yellow-floral center with faintly perceptible jasmine, somewhat louder ylang-ylang from Madagascar, a very clean but rich Australian oud and a note of suede. Here I have to make mention of the particular part of the palette that is activated by Tahitian vanilla because it's still churning out a steady stream of dry but potent, natural resin. The scent, at this stage, is very complex and textured: smooth edges with flecks of sawdust, wilted flower petals and the faint steam of an overly warm afternoon.



"Showcasing the precious wood species harvested sustainably for the first time in perfume history in the Daintree Rainforest in Tropical Queensland, Silky Woods is a delightful and delicate yet very sensual blend that captures Australia's sensorial experience. To a modern oriental sillage of suede, exotic vanilla and smoky tobacco leaves, Goldfield & Banks has added refined essences of saffron, incense, ylang ylang and native sandalwood." - a note from the brand.

Over an hour into the fragrance you detect one of the other vital components that creates this particular profile, which is tobacco. It's put to great effect in Silky Woods, merging in a brocade dance with musk and some salty, sweaty olibanum. Much like a savory stew, where a predominant scent is actually the merging of many aromatics, the fragrance is simmering now and many elements swirl around each other to form a mysterious "other" - is it leather, Eastern, sandalwood, amber? It won't fit easily into any of these categorizations because it's a bit of all of them.



But then this is where I think Goldfield & Banks is breaking some new ground: Are we smelling something that isn't quite charted out yet? The Australian perfume map is still a very new one, and doesn't have a "profile" as we have come to expect from other regions of the world. When you smell something like Silky Woods, your nose and brain can't help but envision the various terroir from this corner of the world, the predominance of native Australian ingredients in the bottle, and think, "We're smelling the map from this particular continent on the globe."

Silky Woods is full of dark mystery, but with a floral sensibility built upon heavy woods that conjures a house built in the jungle - one that's solid, but also masted high on stilts, so that air circulates underneath and around it. It appeals on a level that vanilla fragrance lovers would enjoy, but then also extends a hand to those who want something deeper, more complex - layers of tobacco, ylang-ylang, musk and saffron spin around each other in a kind of persistent chanting that beats a hypnotic drum for the senses. It's very hard to resist its pull.









SILKY WOODS: BOTANICAL SERIES



Top Notes: Ceylon Cinnamon, Saffron

Middle Notes: Suede, Australian Agarwood (oud), Madagascar Ylang-ylang, Jasmine

Base Notes: Tahitian Vanilla, Australian Sandalwood, Musk, Tobacco Leaf, Olibanum

Silky Woods is available in a 100 ml bottle of Perfume Concentrate for USD $235 from the Goldfield & Banks website, at LuckyScent, and other retailers worldwide.
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The race is less contested this year, but no less tense. Part of the reason its less competitive is because former Commissioner Matthew Mobilio, who was among the candidates inspired in 2019 by Ridge Farm, resigned in early April, citing infighting and obstruction on the board. Though there are still only two open seats on the primary ballots, there will be three in the general.




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William Weber West, 93 of Gainesville, Texas passed away on June 2, 2021. He was born on April 7, 1928 in Atchison, Kansas to Lee West and Elizabeth (Weber) West. He married Mary Ellen Peyrot on May 17, 1951 in Gainesville, Texas. William enlisted in the U.S. Army on January 5, 1951 in Gaine
Jack Cross served five years on the Galveston Central Appraisal Districts appraisal review board. He lives in Texas City.
The only common element of all mass killings in this country is a gun.

Some studies suggest that there are more guns in the country than people, and according to available data, most are the possession of 5 million people.

The US Department of Justice defines a mass killing as one in which there are four or more victims. The most common of these usually dont get much press since they are domestic violence instances. These typically involve a man killing his female partner and their/her children before shooting himself. In almost all cases, the murderer owned the gun legally, usually purchased for self-protection.

The solution to reducing gun violence in this country is to reduce the number of guns here. Congress could, if it had the courage to do so, create a program to buy back all guns except those appropriate for hunting.

No one uses a .50-caliber snipe rifle or a semiautomatic assault rifle to hunt game. These were developed for the military and should remain limited to use by the military. The same is true of semiautomatic handguns. Law enforcement demanded larger and more lethal weapons to counter the massive influx of illegal guns in the streets. Reduce the total number of guns available and this issue becomes moot.
An activist since high school who has begun working with the racial advocacy nonprofit Lehigh Valley Stands Up, Amatul hoped to demonstrate that  and the next chapter of the moment  during a Say Their Names: A Police Violence Memorial rally that attracted more than 70 people. Attendees stood in silence in remembrance of those killed by police, and heard from organization leaders about what they should focus on next: policy and politics.
Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2021.
We have a number of election stories still in progress, but you can see that things have amped up over the last week or so. Our semiannual Voters Guide, done in conjunction with the League of Women Voters, published in print on Thursday and is available online so you can get even more of an idea on what the candidates stand for. View our complete coverage at mcall.com/election.
Its not his first such effort. He founded the Gay and Lesbian Catholic Ministry at his former parish in Manhattan, St. Paul the Apostle, in the early 1990s, when he and other activists were fighting the exclusion of gay Catholics from the citys St. Patricks Day parade. Through Mahers efforts, St. Pauls held what may have been the first Pride Mass in 1993, one that devolved into chaos when shouting protesters injured the priest as they tried to tear off his lapel microphone.
Note: We've recently updated our online systems. If you can't login please try resetting your password. You must login with an email address. If you don't have an email associated with your account email circulation@skagitpublishing.com for help creating one.


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David Kidd

There are signs of development seemingly everywhere on Johns Island, at the edge of Charleston, S.C. Traffic on and off the island routinely backs up. Balloons and arrows posted on utility poles direct motorists to open houses. Signs advertise single-family homes from the low $200s, a bargain compared to those a short drive away in central Charleston.At 84 square miles, its one of the 10 largest islands in the contiguous United States. But until recently, it has been sparsely populated. Now crews are clearing land to make way for sprawling subdivisions. The islands population has doubled in the past two decades to nearly 20,000, with much more growth expected as thousands of new homes go on the market.Some of the residents of Johns Island are encouraged by the development; others are unhappy with the prospect of substantial change. But all of them are aware of what has happened nearby, in the West Ashley area of the city, just across the Stono River. West Ashley offers a cautionary tale of floodplain development. Decades ago, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) misjudged how a certain creek basin functioned, so homes were built where officials now say they shouldnt have been. Floods devastated West Ashley subdivisions in each of the past three years, most recently during Hurricane Irma in 2017. Its a dire scenario that local officials are trying to avoid on low-lying Johns Island as development accelerates.What is happening in South Carolina is not an isolated case. Many vulnerable areas of the country are seeing significant residential and commercial development despite the long-term flood risks. analyzed the latest U.S. Census Bureau survey data using a methodology from the New York University Furman Center to estimate the population living in FEMA-designated 100-year floodplains. Nationally, the number of Americans living in these high-risk areas in 2016 climbed 14 percent compared to those living in the same neighborhoods in 2000. Thats actually faster than in areas outside of flood zones, where the population increased 13 percent. The nation is spending billions every year to move people into flood-prone areas and keep people living in flood-prone areas, says Rob Moore of the Natural Resources Defense Council. Weve gotten exactly what we paid for.Indeed, construction is permitted in Charleston and other floodplains across the country, provided it meets regulations mostly set by state and local governments. For its part, the federal government certainly doesnt discourage development. Rules under the National Flood Insurance Program are limited and dont account for sea-level rise. Additionally, the Trump administration has proposed rolling back some rules, which could pave the way for more development. Its happening despite a slew of recent studies warning of greater risks than previously estimated resulting from sea-level rise in areas like those off the South Carolina coast.This is a crucial time for the future of Johns Island, as nearly 4,300 new housing units have been approved for development. The Charleston City Council has passed a temporary building moratorium for the area around the creek basin in West Ashley and is considering doing the same for Johns Island. A petition from island residents calls for the city to cease residential permitting for two years. Its leading to a healthy discussion and [there are] some tough decisions on the horizon as to whether development is allowed in a 100-year floodplain or not, says Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg. Or, if its going to be allowed, will it have extra special requirements that other areas wouldnt have?Historically, Johns Island was an unincorporated part of Charleston County, much of it farmland. Today, although some of the island has been brought into the city, most of it remains rural and ripe for development, offering large parcels unavailable elsewhere in Charleston. Much of the housing has been concentrated along the islands higher ridges; low-lying forests act as a sort of sponge, absorbing water during floods. But increased development is threatening those forests, as trees are being cut down and more of the land is being covered with impermeable surfaces.Charleston Councilman Marvin Wagner hears concerns from residents that all the new development will make parts of the island more vulnerable to flooding. Once skeptical of climate change, Wagner says his views evolved after seeing flooding firsthand on residents properties in his district. Theyre making an awful lot of noise, Wagner says of these residents. But I dont mind, because their worst dreams can come true.Much of the islands zoning was approved in the 1990s, before the region started getting hit with frequent flooding events. The city could modify zoning for previously approved parcels, but doing so would likely open it up to costly legal challenges. The Charleston Home Builders Association opposes development moratoriums and new zoning restrictions that effectively devalue properties, warning that broader zoning changes could yield unintended consequences.But its not flooding that Johns Island residents complain about most these days. Its the inability of the islands limited infrastructure to handle the increasingly heavy traffic on and off of it. Wagner has fought for the extension of an interstate highway onto Johns Island for years, and Gov. Henry McMaster has backed funding for the project. Some worry, however, that this construction could exacerbate flooding risks, and city officials acknowledge it could lead to even more new development on the island.Nationally, much of the development thats taken place in floodplains is a consequence of federal regulations that do little to discourage construction in flood-prone areas. Larry Larson, director emeritus of the Association of State Floodplain Managers, sees it as a system of perverse incentives. Regardless of whether states take any steps to discourage risky developments, they still receive generous disaster relief assistance when devastation occurs. The federal government typically pays for about three-quarters of disaster assistance and over 90 percent after the most destructive storms. They need to create some incentives for states and locals to do the right thing, Larson says. Right now, its going in the other direction.Just 10 days before Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas last year, President Trump signed an executive order nullifying an Obama-era rule that required federal agencies to build public infrastructure at higher elevations and factor in climate science when constructing in floodplains. More recently, the Environmental Protection Agency finalized a proposal to replace the Waters of the United States rule, scaling back the definition of federally protected waterways and effectively weakening the mitigation banking system. The move is expected to increase development of wetland areas.But FEMA does encourage localities to adopt tighter regulatory standards by providing flood insurance discounts through the Community Rating System. To receive the discounts, several local governments have adopted more stringent requirements. Nashville, for example, which suffered a devastating flood in 2010, now requires structures to be built an additional four feet above designated flood levels. In this and other ways, while flood insurance is a federal program, much of the authority lies with local governments. A handful of localities elsewhere have put a stop to development in flood-prone areas altogether. In Milwaukee County, Wis., only a third as many homes and businesses sit in the 100-year floodplain as was the case two decades ago. The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District has acquired many of these properties over the years and invested in green infrastructure projects, with a goa l of eliminating all homes from the floodplain by 2035.Thats hardly the norm, however. In fact, nearly all states recorded net population gains across their FEMA-designated floodplains in recent years. Much of this was a result of more Americans moving South, with Florida and Texas collectively accounting for over half the national population growth in floodplains since 2000.s calculations also identified many floodplain neighborhoods where growth far outpaced that of less flood-prone areas within the same county. In Hudson County, N.J., the population living in the current flood zone rose about 55 percent over the past two decades, while the rest of the county experienced only a slight increase.GoverningMounting evidence further suggests that the overall breadth and severity of flooding risks have been understated. One study published in the journalearlier this year estimated that three times as many Americans lived in 100-year floodplains as those identified using FEMA maps, which guide local land use regulations and flood insurance premiums. The maps are widely considered to be inadequate. Most notably, they dont account for future sea-level rise. Some communities maps were last updated over a decade ago. And while the standard 100-year floodplain designation is supposed to identify areas with a 1 percent chance of flooding in any given year, many regions are experiencing far more frequent flooding. A study published infound that in some places, more than half of the properties sustaining flood damage were actually located outside designated FEMA flood zones.Local economic development and tax revenue concerns are major considerations whenever a city rebuilds following a flood, or whenever its maps are revised. Localities often resist any attempts to cede additional ground to FEMAs flood zones, sometimes holding up the process for years. New York City challenged a FEMA proposal that dramatically increased the area of the city in flood zones following Hurricane Sandy in 2012. The two sides reached an agreement in 2016 to create two sets of maps. Almost every place where a developing urban area intersects a floodplain, there are local pressures, typically economic and political, to find a way to add additional development to the floodplain, says Nicholas Pinter, a professor at the University of California, Davis. Its a steady drumbeat.Part of the reason is the influence of developers who lobby to get projects approved or to obtain a variance from flood ordinances. Sometimes elected officials buck the technical advice of agency staff. The Charleston County Council, for example, has approved requests to rezone several Johns Island properties to allow for higher density development against recommendations of county staff.When a disaster hits, homeowners often secure assistance to rebuild, but their chances of finding money to instead relocate are slim. An analysis by the Natural Resources Defense Council found that for every $100 FEMA has spent to rebuild homes since 2000, it has allocated only $1.72 to move people and buy out their properties. We need to start making it easier for people to move out of these vulnerable areas, says Moore, who wrote the report. They will eventually become less desirable to live in, with lower property values and lower taxes for cities.One area that Charleston officials hope to get residents out of is Shadowmoss, a subdivision in West Ashley. Drainage problems have been apparent there since shortly after development accelerated in the 1980s and 1990s. Nearly a year after Hurricane Irma, the waterline is still visible on some of the vacant homes. This is ground zero for what has gone wrong, says Stephen Julka, Charlestons floodplain manager. Its an example of development happening with not enough information.The city of Charleston has started closing on its first round of property buyouts in Shadowmoss with the intention of eventually converting the space into a floodplain park. A FEMA grant program can fund up to 75 percent of costs for homes to be demolished or moved, but is used sparingly: It has covered about 6,000 buyouts nationally since fiscal year 2010.A temporary moratorium has halted development in the neighborhood and other flood-prone West Ashley communities. Its given the city time to conduct a series of studies and formulate a new strategy. Staffers are, for instance, running draft stormwater regulations through simulated models to see how theyd affect future developments and surrounding housing. Eventually, Julka says, they can begin applying the new approach in other parts of the city, tweaking it as needed.On Johns Island, one of the most vocal opponents of additional development is Phil Dustan, a College of Charleston ecologist who has studied the islands topography. He says some houses on the island are already sinking, septic systems are failing and foundations are cracking as a result of all the new construction. Further developments could potentially alter longstanding drainage patterns. Retention ponds designed to limit runoff are common throughout the island and other parts of the low country. They dont, however, hold as much water as large forested areas or wetlands cleared to make way for new neighborhoods. The natural plumbing of the land is being destroyed, says Dustan, an island resident. So, come the flood or rains, theres going to be a man-made problem thats going to be far greater than it would be if it was just natural.Longtime island resident Barbara Busey watched for months as crews cleared 30 acres of land behind her home and brought in truckloads of dirt. She says shes now noticing four to five inches of standing water in her driveway and pools of water in an adjacent property following routine rains, despite being in one of the higher elevation areas of the island. This never happened before these developments came in, Busey says. Ive got the McNeighborhood on one side and the mansions going in back of me.Buseys home was unscathed by Hurricane Hugo in 1989, and shes lived through other major storms over her 35 years on the island. But now she fears shes vulnerable after the loss of the thick forests surrounding her home. Its just a little old cement block island house, but its all I have, she says. Im scared Im going to lose it.On a large map, members of the Johns Island Community Association have circled developments they consider problematic. This is a big issue now and its only going to get worse, says Lisa Vandiver, an ecologist who resides on the island. Moving forward, we have to look at the system as a whole and do zoning accordingly.Officials in the region are starting to embrace the idea that theyll need to collaborate more closely. Watersheds dont know jurisdictional boundaries; however, regulatory framework does, says Kinsey Holton, Charlestons stormwater program manager. Many properties on the island annexed into the city surround unincorporated county parcels. A study reviewing South Carolinas flooding identified uncoordinated planning decisions by multiple jurisdictions as a factor hindering the overall integrity of watersheds.Both the Charleston Home Builders Association and the islands community association agree the best solution would be a unified, interconnected drainage plan for the entire island rather than one that has developers accounting only for their individual properties. Such a comprehensive drainage system has worked well on nearby Daniel Island, which hasnt flooded. Pulling off the same approach on Johns Island could prove difficult, though, as at least six major developers would need to agree to a plan covering a larger island thats already partially developed. Its not going to be easy, says Patrick Arnold, who heads the Home Builders Association. But for the long term, they would have a draining system that neither burdens the municipality nor the developers responsible for it. For its part, the citys Public Service Department says it would support a master planning effort.As in other places, the local ordinances that are in effect right now typically cant prevent adverse effects on surrounding homes. Charleston County is considering new rules that would require projects to handle not only current waterflow from upstream, but additional future runoff expected to result as upstream areas are developed. Still, they dont want to overburden developers. The reality of regulatory programs is that if you protect 100 percent of probabilities, youre overregulating, says Carl Simmons, Charleston Countys building inspections director.The next few years of development on Johns Island and the decisions made to regulate it will carry ramifications for decades to come. But the underlying geographical reality is not going to change. Most of Charleston lies in a floodplain. Mayor Tecklenburg says theres a realization that the city is not going to build or pump its way out of the situation. Youve got to correct some of the sins of the past, prepare for the future and have this culture that were ready to deal with water when we encounter it, he says.Julka, the floodplain manager, puts it more bluntly. It really is a land use issue, he says. If you continue to allow development in a floodplain, you can have the strongest stormwater standards, but even with the strictest standards, youre still putting people in a floodplain.
Given the recent coronavirus crisis and economic fallout, the City of Philadelphia is doubling down on its commitment to help businesses owned by people of color weather the storm  in part by using its power as a large institutional buyer.The City is committed to advancing inclusive economic growth and equitable procurement as a policy, practice, and culture. Even with the Kenney Administrations commitment to inclusive growth, businesses owned by people of color have told us they are frustrated by barriers they encountered when trying to raise capital to grow their businesses, lenders lack cultural competency, and City-funded technical assistance trainings are not targeted to their needs.The City of Philadelphia acknowledges it faces challenges in leveraging its procurement power to achieve equitable contracting outcomes. In Philadelphia, people of color comprise 65 percent of the population. Yet, we know that businesses owned by people of color are underrepresented as prime contractors with the City. Furthermore, the number of businesses in Philadelphia owned by women and people of color are not proportional to their representation in the Citys population.The factors leading to this lack of representation among business owners are complex and rooted in systemic and institutional racial discrimination which has resulted in, among other things, lack of access to capital, lower per capita personal wealth, historic denial of access to trades unions, and diminished educational opportunities. As a participant in the Living Cities City Accelerator, supported by Citi Foundation , we have focused on improving the inclusivity of our procurement practices and policies. Over the past year, we conducted an assessment of our policies, processes and procedures to address institutional barriers to inclusive procurement outcomes, engaged Minority-Owned Business Entities (MBEs) in a roundtable discussion and conducted focus groups, and took action to decrease the barriers and complexity the City imposes on them. Here are three things we learned and how we addressed it:During our roundtable discussion, we heard that delayed payments to both prime and subcontractors are a burden on smaller businesses and discourage many from wanting to work with the City.To address the payment issue, the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) is currently implementing a vendor payment program to standardize invoice payment times to 30-60 days (from complete invoice submission to payment). The CAO mapped payment processes, identified gaps and breakdowns, and implemented a newer, less manual process. During the coronavirus outbreak, the City has expanded this process across all departments to continue payments while we work remotely and improve time-to-pay for vendors.The vendor community also pointed out difficulty in learning about contracting opportunities. The City currently has at least four separate websites where different types of opportunities can be posted, making it challenging for new vendors to know where to start.In response, the City worked to develop a more streamlined Contracts Hub website , which provides a modern, accessible, user-friendly front page for businesses to learn about contract opportunities. The contracts hub brings together listings for nearly all contract opportunities in an easy-to-search format, provides additional information to vendors in one place, and will be used to forecast certain upcoming opportunities. Accessibility to contract forecasts increases vendor awareness, can drive competition and sourcing, and enables businesses to prepare for potential opportunities.We know we cant do this work alone. As such, our Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) is working to leverage external partnerships to increase inclusive outcomes.OEO is partnering with the Eastern Minority Supplier Development Council (EMSDC) to ensure diverse firms within EMSDCs registry also register with the City, and the Office will be working with other certifying agencies to establish similar relationships. OEO, in conjunction with The Enterprise Center, is implementing a Mentor-Protege Program for minority-, women-, and disabled-owned (M/W/DSBE) firms as a part of its continuous effort to directly promote diversity and inclusion in Philadelphias private sector.The protege firms enter into a two-year mentorship with well-established, successful for-profit construction management companies and/or prime contractors in their respective industries. This relationship provides proteges with expert guidance in areas they determine most critical to their success  and mentors with diverse and inclusive subcontracting participants for upcoming projects.Through these strategies, and other efforts, the City will leverage its significant buying power to reinvest in our MBEs and grow Philadelphias economy equitably. Beyond reaching procurement participation goals, the ultimate ambition is wealth creation by and for communities of color and women. All of this is part of the Kenney Administrations inclusive growth strategy The economic crisis we currently face only increases the importance of intentional commitment to equitable growth. The Philadelphia COVID-19 Small Business Relief Fund approached its approvals with an equity lens, and ultimately 60 percent of businesses who received funds and reported their race were businesses owned by people of color. We continue to take this approach to operating our programs and procurement policies because supporting the Citys businesses owned by people of color will lead to a more just and stronger economy for everyone.
Alpine showed itself in a positive light during the free practice sessions in Portugal, but the team was only able to partially translate this into qualifying. While Esteban Ocon set an excellent lap and finished in sixth place, Fernando Alonso had to settle for thirteenth on the grid.

The Spanish driver noticed that his car had undergone some major improvements this weekend. Nevertheless, he did not manage to drive a good qualifying. "I think from FP3 to Q1 we lost quite a lot of the feeling of the car and the performance of the car, so that was a bad thing," Alonso told Motorsport. "We are still investigating what could be the reasons to lose one second on the pace, but there is nothing we can do now."

It doesn't make Alonso any less satisfied with the weekend, however. "The car feels much better and much more alive and really competitive in all the sessions, so it has been a big step forward for us. Maybe we are not in the position that we should be, but at the same time we have the free choice of tyre," said the two-time world champion.

First point in Imola

Alonso had a disappointing return to Formula 1 in Bahrain, being forced to retire early. Three weeks later in Imola he scored his first point for Alpine with a tenth place.
As the duel between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton intensifies, the details will become increasingly important in the coming season. The staff in the strategy department of both teams is working overtime every weekend to calculate the fastest strategy. Pirelli has done the same and has come up with a surprising result.

Because the Portimao circuit has little grip, tyre wear is not high. Despite this, the Italian tyre supplier has brought the hardest combination, which makes a one-stop stop on Sunday inevitable. The fastest strategy is from the red softest tyre to the yellow mediums, followed by a strategy of starting on the mediums and finishing the race on the red tyre.

More Tyre Options for Red Bull

The strategic options are therefore in favour of Mercedes, who start with both drivers on the yellow mediums and also have a set of the red tyre left. It will be more difficult for Red Bull Racing as they do not have a new set of the red tyre. They do have a new set of the yellow and white tyre, something Mercedes does not have.

Whether that is an advantage for the team of Verstappen and Sergio Perez is yet to be seen. If it is up to Pirelli it will be Valtteri Bottas and Hamilton who will fight for victory in Portugal.
McLaren's team boss has hit back at Dr Helmut Marko after the Red Bull official sarcastically criticised "very sporting" behaviour to benefit Mercedes at Portimao.

During qualifying, Lando Norris' engineer was heard to tell the British driver on the radio not to do Max Verstappen "any favours" as the Red Bull driver closed in behind him.

"Very sporting on the part of the Mercedes management," Marko told the Austrian broadcaster Servus TV afterwards, hinting at a link between the radio call and McLaren's relationship with its new engine supplier.

Afterwards, Norris was asked about what 'favours' his engineer had been talking about, and the 21-year-old replied: "Just to keep him out of the slipstream, I guess.

"I don't know what I did wrong," Norris added. "I let him pass on the far right of the other side of the track. I did my best to get away from him."

However, Marko repeated his concerns about the McLaren radio call in conversation with Germany's Sport1.

"The radio message to Norris could well be understood as an invitation to destroy Max's lap," said the Austrian.

"In any case, I find it difficult to believe that McLaren would have said something similar to Norris if it was Lewis Hamilton behind him."

When asked if he wanted to comment on Marko's remarks, McLaren boss Andreas Seidl insisted: "No."

However, he did want to "make it clear that we drive for ourselves. Not for anyone else".

"Our goal is to get as far ahead as possible - that's all," Seidl added. "I think it's normal to not want to give someone a slipstream. Qualifying is about your own laptime, without help."

Anyway, Marko said he has bigger concerns after Verstappen was easily outqualified by both Mercedes cars on Saturday.

"What worries me more is our speed on the medium tyres. We are not competitive on them," he said.

"We hope this changes with full tanks, because the tyres will warm up in a different way."

(GMM)
Materials supply chain intelligence company Roskill expects Indonesia to become the worlds largest producer of refined nickel this year, pushing China to second place. As recently as 2014, Indonesia produced only 24kt of refined nickel. In 2020, Indonesia produced 636kt of refined nickel, most of which was nickel pig iron (NPI) for the domestic and Chinese stainless steel industry. This level of production made the country the worlds second-largest nickel producer behind China.

Roskill attributes the growth to date to the Indonesian governments imposition of restrictions on exports of unprocessed nickel ores; industry had little choice but to invest in refining capacity within Indonesia.

Now, the government is encouraging investment into nickel for electric vehicle batteries. This type of nickel requires a more complex and costly leaching process, rather than the relatively straightforward pyrometallurgical process needed to produce NPI.

Chinas Ningbo Lygend has now started trial production at its high-pressure acid leach (HPAL) plant in Indonesias Obi island. (Original start of production, scheduled for Q3 2020, was delayed due to the pandemic.) The Lygend plant will be the first HPAL plant in Indonesia.

In a paper presented at the 2019 International Conference on Mining and Environmental Technology in Indonesia, T Gultom and A Sianipar, both from Harita Nickel Group, Lygends Indonesian partner, noted that HPAL is a proven technology but not utilized in Indonesia due to the high investment, and the requirement for a large media for waste disposal.

Indonesia is one of world largest nickel laterite resources; currently only nickel ore saprolite has been exploited while nickel limonite is abandoned as waste due to the lack of technology. However, nickel limonite ore with grade 1.1  1.4% can be processed using HPAL technology to produce more than 37% nickel and cobalt. Lygend will process nickel ore by HPAL technology at temperatures of 240C~270C and pressures of 3,400kPa~5,600kPa.

The Lygend plant, which has a design capacity of 35kt Ni-in-mixed hydroxide product (MHP) in its first phase, will initially supply the third-party market before becoming fully integrated to produce nickel sulfate, supplying the EV battery market, Roskill said.

Once the second phase is operational, the plant will have a total design capacity of 52ktpy Ni-in-nickel sulfate, as well as 6ktpy of Co-in-sulfate. First MHP is expected to be produced in May.

While Lygends HPAL plant is the first of its type to start producing in Indonesia, Roskill expects more to be commissioned, notably in Morowali and in Weda Bay, which are already major nickel-producing areas in the country.

Roskill estimates total possible capacity of nickel in MHP in Indonesia to be 360ktpy Ni across all the announced projects in the country representing a key feedstock for integrated nickel sulfate in the country as well as third-party processors elsewhere.

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For Gwinnett leaders, President Joe Biden's visit a chance for county to shine, celebrate its diversity

Staff Photo: Curt Yeomans Gwinnett County Commission Chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson, center, chats with other elected officials before President Joe Bidens drive-in rally at the Infinite Energy Center in Duluth on Thursday. Staff Photo: Curt Yeomans Snellville resident Antonio Molina wears a President Joe Biden  Vice President Kamala Harris face mask to the presidents drive-in rally. Molina led attendees in reciting the pledge of allegiance at the rally. Staff Photo: Curt Yeomans Gwinnett County Commission Chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson, center, chats with state Reps. William Boddie, D-East Point, and Donna McLeod, D-Lawrenceville, before President Joe Bidens drive-in rally at the Infinite Energy Center in Duluth on Thursday. Staff Photo: Curt Yeomans State Sen. Sheikh Rahman, D-Lawrenceville, attends President Joe Bidens drive-in rally at the Infinite Energy Center in Duluth on Thursday.

For Gwinnett County Commission Chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson, President Joe Bidens visit to Duluth Thursday was a testament to the countys role in helping him win Georgia and, by extension, the White House.

Biden and his wife, First Lady Jill Biden, came to the Infinite Energy Center for a celebration of the presidents first 100 days in office. It came less than a day after Biden delivered his first address to a joint session of Congress, where he outlined his plans for the coming year.

The county was originally set to host a rally for Biden last month, but the shootings at spas in Atlanta and Cherokee caused changes to the plans for that visit.

Gwinnetts commission chairwoman said the county is excited that the president has noticed its diversity and potential role in future Georgia and national politics, however.

I think he recognizes the influence and the progressive change weve shifted to, Hendrickson said. So, its very meaningful to have him speaking to our constituents and our community, because this is a reflection of the nation looks like.

And, this is the best place to be. If he was going to chose any place in the world, this was the best place for him to choose.

Getting Back on Track was the theme of the drive-in rally in front of the Infinite Energy Centers arena, but it was more than that for local leaders.

They saw the event as a chance for Gwinnett to shine and celebrate what they saw as the countys role in Bidens election.

Once again, we find ourselves the center of the political universe, said U.S. Rep. Carolyn Bourdeaux, whose district includes Duluth, told the crowd before the president arrived.

PHOTOS: President Joe Biden addresses supporters during rally at Infinite Energy Center

State Sen. Sheikh Rahman, D-Lawrenceville, said, Gwinnett delivered for President Biden, Gwinnett delivered for Jon Ossoff and (Raphael) Warnock, and I think it shows that he appreciates that. He values that, so I think thats one of the reasons hes come here. I think its not a coincidence and hes depending on us for the next step and for the future.

Gwinnett was once a solidly Republican area, but it has been gradually shifting from red to purple and eventually blue on the political map over the course of recent election cycles.

It is also home to nearly 600,000 registered voters.

After the 2020 election, there are only two Republicans left who hold an office at the county level and several local offices are now held for the first time by African-Americans.

President Joe Biden to Georgia voters: 'Your vote changed the world' President Joe Biden highlighted higher than expected COVID-19 vaccination levels, as well as legislation successes, but also laid out some of the things left to do, such as passing a new voting rights act named for late U.S. Rep. John Lewis.

There had been speculation before the Nov. 3, 2020, election that, if Biden could do well enough in Gwinnett, it could potentially help him win Georgias 16 electoral college votes.

Biden received about 58% of the votes cast in Gwinnett in November. Statewide, he defeated then-President Donald Trump by 11,779 votes.

Weve always said as Gwinnett went, so would the state and this last election definitely proved it, said Snellville resident Anthony Molina, who lead attendees in reciting the pledge of allegiance at the rally. Gwinnettians came out.

Gwinnett County has changed a lot, and continues to change and, for the first time, were going to have representative leadership in the county.

Gwinnett County, whose population is approaching 1 million residents, has long been touted by local officials as a window in the nations future. It is a majority minority community where about one-quarter of the population was born outside the United States, and within the next couple of decades, it is expected to become Georgias most populous county.

Sections of the Duluth and Suwanee area are referred to within the Korean community as K-Town because of the large number of Korean residents and businesses located there. The county also has a large enough Spanish-speaking community that it is required under Section 203 of the federal Voting Rights Act to provide all elections materials in both English and Spanish.

Actually, being the most diverse county in the state of Georgia, I think America is going to look like what Gwinnett already looks like, Hendrickson said. So, not only have we shifted demographically, weve shifted culturally, ethnically, politically.

I mean the whole landscape has changed since 2018 and we continue to see a lot of change and growth, and I think Gwinnett has been responsible for leading a lot of the change efforts across the state ... I think Gwinnett has been leading the way and I think President Biden recognizes that and I think hes showing us some love.

Some of those changes are not limited to the ballot box, however. Hendrickson said the county, which has in past strived to be a leader in areas such as water, has been stepping forward to lead the way on addressing issues such as immigration, police reform and housing.

Of course, Biden was not the first member of his administration to hold a rally at the Infinite Energy Center in the last six months. On Nov. 1, Vice President Kamala Harris  then still only a candidate for the office  headlined a pre-election day drive-in rally in the same parking lot.

That attention from the administration has put Gwinnett on at least the political map, according to Hendrickson.

If people didnt know Gwinnett County before, they know Gwinnett County now, she said. We are truly on the map right now and everyone should be paying attention to Gwinnett because we are going to be a model county of how to address progressive issues at the local level ...

We are the preferred destination where everyone thrives.
I know for sure two, because it happened right next to us, literally right next to us, Yatim said. But he was shooting pretty aggressively in the building, so I wouldnt doubt him hitting other people.




Haiti - Politic : Official inauguration of the Marion Dam





Saturday May 1, 2021, Labor and Agriculture Day, President Jovenel Moise, accompanied by his wife Martine, in the presence of Prime Minister ai Claude Joseph, members of the Government, Directors General of ministries and autonomous and decentralized bodies of the State, of Limber Cruz Dominican Minister of Agriculture and members of the Diplomatic Corps, inaugurated the Marion Dam, erected in Grand-Bassin (a locality in the North-East), recently elevated to the rank of commune (presidential decree of December 10, 2020)



After the unveiling of the inaugural plaque of the dam and the opening of the sluices by the Head of State, the latter declared "Irrefutable proof that together, we can achieve wonders in our country" before boasting during more than an hour the efforts made under his presidency to drill, renovate and/or build roads, build hydraulic dams, irrigation canals, water pumping stations and power plants.



Launched on May 1, 2018 hhttps://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-24264-haiti-politic-official-inauguration-of-dam-works-on-the-marion-river.html the dam site financed entirely by the Public Treasury, to the tune of nearly 10 million US dollars, includes a reservoir of 10 million m3 of water, with a transit capacity of 20 million m3 of water per year.







In his speech, President Moise explained that this dam will in particular irrigate 10,000 hectares of arable land and "boost" the development of the fish farmer and offer another source of income to local populations. https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-33221-icihaiti-agriculturetowards-the-development-of-land-downstream-of-the-marion-dam.html



He stressed that this dam was also part of a strategy to protect populations living downstream, frequently the victim of the devastating and fatal flooding of the Marion River, particularly the locality of Malfety.



In addition, the Head of State announced that the National Directorate of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DINEPA) would establish on the dam site a water treatment center to supply drinking water, in a first time, the families of Grand-Bassin, then those of Perches and Terrier-Rouge. Finally, this dam is also intended to produce electric current. "The construction of the Marion Dam conveys immense hope for the future of the North-East department where the per capita income is the lowest in the country, due, in particular, to scarcity of water resources," said Moise



In their speeches, the ministers Nader Joaseus (Public works), Patrix Severe (Agriculture) and the Mayor of Grand-Bassin spoke highly of this infrastructure, the work of which was entrusted to a team of Cuban technicians from the firm "Dinvai". https://www.haitilibre.com/article-26713-haiti-technologie-vers-un-transfert-de-connaissances-hydrauliques-avec-cuba.html to which were added Haitian professionals.



Note that the inaugural ceremony of the Marion Dam was marked by impressive performances by the troupes of the National Theater and the Bureau of Ethnology.

In addition, President Moise announced for the second half of 2021 the official commissioning of the dams thrown on the Grande-Riviere du Nord and on the Riviere Massacre. The first will be used to irrigate 4,000 hectares of land; the second of 2,000 hectares.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-31269-haiti-politic-towards-the-end-of-the-works-of-the-dam-on-the-marion-river.html

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-33221-icihaiti-agriculturetowards-the-development-of-land-downstream-of-the-marion-dam.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-27615-haiti-politic-jovenel-moise-celebrates-may-1st-on-the-dam-site-of-the-marion-river.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-26713-haiti-technology-towards-a-transfer-of-hydraulic-knowledge-with-cuba.html

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-25959-icihaiti-terrier-rouge-follow-up-of-the-works-of-the-dam-and-the-reservoir-of-10-million-m3.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-24264-haiti-politic-official-inauguration-of-dam-works-on-the-marion-river.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-22357-haiti-politics-towards-a-cooperation-with-cuba-in-the-construction-of-dams.html



SL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Insecurity : Bloody Friday evening in Petit-Goave





Friday, April 30, around 8:00 p.m. on street Benoit, 3 armed men wearing balaclavas burglarized Pasteur Aimable Mathieu's shop, leaving with 50,000 Gourdes. A woman standing in front of Pasteur's shop was ransomed by the bandits before they robbed Lefils' shop where they stole large sums of money and other valuables.



On their way, the bandits shot and killed a Taxi moto driver Raymond Bertin (30) and shot in the back a young 18-year-old boy, Mario Noncirel who was in front of his house and who was transferred urgently to Port au Prince.



It is the consternation on the side of the population.



Pasteur Mathieu condemned this act and pointed the finger at certain young people in the area who would be part of a gang. He also denounced a woman from Rue Benoit "Manman Baz" who would host the bandits at her home, saying "It was not men from other parts of the country who carried out the coup but a local gang" demanding a police presence at the level of this urban peripheral district.



HL/ HaitiLibre / Guyto Mathieu (Correspondent Petit-Goave)


















International

5 soldiers, 8 militants killed in Afghan clashes

KABUL, MAY 2 (IANS) | Publish Date: 5/2/2021 1:15:29 PM IST

Five soldiers and eight militants were killed when fighting erupted in Afghanistans northern Badakhshan province on Saturday night, a local source confirmed on Sunday. The clashes broke out when armed militants stormed an Afghan Regional Armys checkpoint in surrounding areas of restive Wardoj district at midnight, Abdul Raziq from the Afghan national armys 217 Pamir Corps told the Xinhua news agency. There were also 10 soldiers and eight militants wounded in the fighting, he said. The violence lingers in war-torn Afghanistan as the US and NATO troops have been leaving the country.

About 3,500 US forces and 7,000 NATO troops will be withdrawn before September 11, the day which is the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that drew the US into war in Afghanistan.




Haiti - Spain : More than 20 scholarships awarded to Haitian students





Haiti is positioned among the privileged partners of the Kingdom of Spain in terms of cooperation. No less than ten memoranda of understanding for academic collaboration have been negotiated with several Universities of the Iberian Peninsula, five of which have already been initialed, so that Haiti can make the most of the various programs offered by Spanish institutions.



Ambassador Louis Marie Saintil welcomed the impact of the efforts to strengthen academic and scientific cooperation between Haiti and Spain



With the aim of developing strong and lasting international partnerships, several Spanish universities and institutions have decided to grant scholarships to more than twenty Haitian students in the various training programs, in particular the ERASMUS + KA 107 Program, in the objective of contributing to the strengthening of Haitian human capital.



Among others :

Rey Juan Carlos University (URJC) (x9);

San Antonio de Murcla Catholic University (UCAM) (x6);

Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV) (x5),

The University of Seville (US) (x1);

The University of Granada (x2);

Diplomatic School of Madrid and the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation for Development (AECID)



The Spanish institutions have not only prioritized programs in the areas of water and sanitation, public health, education, engineering, restoration of cultural heritage, etc., but have also shown their willingness to support the creation of a doctoral school in Haiti, making it possible to increase the number of scientific researchers in the country.



Other Spanish universities are also planning to collaborate with higher education institutions in Haiti in areas of common interest.



"The signing, on Wednesday April 21, of the memorandum of understanding for collaboration between the Conference of Rectors, Presidents and Directors of Haitian Universities and Higher Education Institutions (CORPUHA) and the Conference of Rectors of Spanish Universities (CRUE) https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33534-haiti-cooperation-signature-of-a-mou-between-haitian-and-spanish-universities.html enhances the brilliance of this initiative which, without a doubt, will be beneficial for our Haitian students and teachers," underlined Ambassador Louis Marie Saintil



HL/ HaitiLibre


















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Roman Garcia was elected to Place 1 on the Kerrville City Council and Kim Clarkson, Place 2 incumbent, was re-elected to a second term in Saturday's Municipal Election.
Huntington, WV (25701)

Today

Rain showers this morning with numerous thunderstorms developing during the afternoon hours. High near 75F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 100%..

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Thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. Low 67F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%.
China accelerating production and delivery of 40,000 more oxygen generators ordered by India: Ambassador

Global Times) 09:12, May 02, 2021

China will make its utmost efforts to provide help to India in accordance with the demands of the Indian side, and the production of at least 40,000 oxygen generators as the orders placed by India is underway. Chinese companies will soon deliver necessary medical supplies to India, Chinese Ambassador to India Sun Weidong told the Global Times in an exclusive interview.

Sun said China hopes and believes that under the leadership of the Indian government, local people can conquer the pandemic soon. In fact, China was one of the countries proposing help and support at the earliest stage, and quickly took action, he said.

Since this April, China has supplied more than 5,000 ventilators, 21,569 oxygen generators, over 21 million masks and around 3,800 tons of medicine to India, Sun said in a tweet on Thursday, citing the statistics of the General Administration of Customs of China.

As far as I know, Chinese companies have been accelerating production of at least 40,000 oxygen generators  orders placed by the Indian side, and they are working around the clock to deliver them as soon as possible. Many Chinese firms and private organizations are also using their own channels to provide various [forms of] help to India, Sun said,

China will continue encourage and support Chinese companies accelerating the production of medical supplies and facilitating customs clearance and transport for India purchasing the supplies. And it will also encourage public health experts of the two countries to communicate on sharing anti-epidemic experiences, according to the ambassador.

We will continue providing all the available support to India for saving lives, underscoring the responsibility and good manner as a major power, Sun said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday sent a message of condolences to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi over India's COVID-19 situation. Xi said China is willing to enhance cooperation with India in the fight against COVID-19 and provide help to the country.

Xi said that he is concerned about India's COVID-19 situation; and he sends condolences to the Indian government and people, in the name of the Chinese government, people and himself.

For two days in a row, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi sent messages of sympathy to Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar over the grave coronavirus situation in India. On Friday, Wang reiterated Chinas firm support for the Indian government and people in fighting the pandemic during a phone call with his Indian counterpart, saying that medical supplies produced in China have been advancing to enter India, according to the ambassador.

The Red Cross Society of China, local governments and private friendship organizations as well as companies have already offered the help to India, Sun said, noting that Wang also suggested that China will take further measures in supporting Indias anti-epidemic fight in accordance to the demands of the Indian side.

Currently, the embassy has offered about 70,000 masks and around 7,000 boxes of Chinese medicine over the past year to all the Chinese people in India. It is keeping a close contact with them and the overall situation is stable, the ambassador said.

India has been engulfed in a new wave of infections. According to the latest official data reported on Friday, the country recorded 386,452 new cases, with an overnight death toll of 3,498.

On Wednesday, the embassy organized an online anti-pandemic conference with Chinese nationals in India, inviting Gao Fu, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and head of the Chinese CDC, to talk about the pandemic situation and personal protection issues. About 300 people participated in the online event.

With the guidance of the experts, in addition to the supplies offered by the embassy, Chinese people could protect themselves to a large extent, Ambassador Sun said, noting that no matter how the epidemic situation changes, as long as Chinese people are there, the embassy will be there providing firm support for them.

(Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Bianji)
International

State TV: Iran reaches deals to release prisoners; US denies

Tehran, May 2 (AP) | Publish Date: 5/2/2021 1:15:13 PM IST

Iran will free prisoners with Western ties in Iran in exchange for billions of dollars from the United States and the United Kingdom, state television reported Sunday. The US immediately denied the report, while the UK did not respond.

The state TV report quoted an anonymous official just as Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei began giving what authorities earlier described as an important speech. However, Khamenei did not immediately discuss any proposed swap amid negotiations in Vienna over Tehrans tattered nuclear deal with world powers.

The official quoted by Iranian state TV said a deal made between the U.S. and Tehran involved a prisoner swap in exchange for the release of $7 billion in frozen Iranian funds.

The Americans accepted to pay $7 billion and swap four Iranians who were active in bypassing sanctions for four American spies who have served part of their sentences, state TV said, quoting the official in an on-screen crawl.

U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price immediately denied the Iranian state TV report.

Reports that a prisoner swap deal has been reached are not true, Price said. As we have said, we always raise the cases of Americans detained or missing in Iran. We will not stop until we are able to reunite them with their families. Price did not elaborate.

Tehran holds four known Americans now in prison. They include Baquer and Siamak Namazi, environmentalist Morad Tahbaz and Iranian-American businessman Emad Shargi. The state TV report did not immediately name the Iranians that Tehran hoped to get the in swap.

State TV also quoted the official as saying a deal had been reached for the United Kingdom to pay 400 million pounds to see the release of British-Iranian woman Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe. The office of Prime Minister Boris Johnson referred calls to the Foreign Office, which could not be immediately reached.

Last week, Zaghari-Ratcliffe was sentenced to an additional year in prison, her lawyer said, on charges of spreading propaganda against the system for participating in a protest in front of the Iranian Embassy in London in 2009.

That came after she completed a five-year prison sentence in the Islamic Republic after being convicted of plotting the overthrow of Irans government, a charge that she, her supporters and rights groups deny.

While employed at the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of the news agency, she was taken into custody at the Tehran airport in April 2016 as she was returning home to Britain after visiting family.

Richard Ratcliffe, the husband of Zaghari-Ratcliffe, told The Associated Press he was not aware of any swap in the works.

We havent heard anything, he said. Of course we probably wouldnt, but my instinct is to be skeptical at present.

Earlier Sunday, U.K. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told the BBC that he believed Zaghari-Ratcliffe was being held unlawfully by Iran.

I think shes been treated in the most abusive, tortuous way, Raab said. I think it amounts to torture the way shes been treated and there is a very clear, unequivocal obligation on the Iranians to release her and all of those who are being held as leverage immediately and without condition.
Anderson, IN (46016)

Today

Rain showers early with scattered thunderstorms arriving for the afternoon. High near 80F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy early with increasing clouds overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 68F. Winds light and variable.
International

US and Nato start withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan

The withdrawal will be completed by September 11.

London, May 1 (Agencies) | Publish Date: 5/1/2021 1:17:19 PM IST

The US has started formally withdrawing troops from Afghanistan, beginning the end of what President Joe Biden called the forever war.

The US and Nato have had a presence in Afghanistan for almost 20 years.

But the withdrawal, which runs until 11 September, comes amid escalating violence, with Afghan security forces on high alert for reprisal attacks.

The Taliban have warned they are no longer bound by an agreement not to target international troops.

Under a deal signed last year between the militants and then-President Donald Trump, foreign forces were to have left by 1 May while the Taliban held off attacking international troops.

Officials told Reuters during this time the Taliban has been protecting western military bases from rival Islamist groups. That has not stopped Taliban attacks on Afghan forces and civilians. But US President Joe Biden last month some troops would stay on until 11 September this year, the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, citing the security situation.

A Taliban spokesman said this violation in principle has opened the way for [Taliban fighters] to take every counter-action it deems appropriate against the occupying forces.

But he also said Taliban fighters would await instructions from leaders before mounting attacks. Some analysts suggested with a US deadline for withdrawal in place large-scale attacks could be averted.

Meanwhile the US faces the logistical challenge of packing up and leaving. The AP report the military has been taking inventory, deciding what will be shipped back and what will be sold as junk on Afghanistans markets.

On September 11, 2001, attacks in America killed nearly 3,000 people. Osama Bin Laden, the head of Islamist terror group al-Qaeda, was quickly identified as the man responsible.

The Taliban, radical Islamists who ran Afghanistan and protected Bin Laden, refused to hand him over. So, a month after 9/11, the US launched air strikes against Afghanistan. As other countries joined the war, the Taliban were quickly removed from power. But they didnt just disappear - their influence grew back and they dug in. Since then, the US and its allies have struggled to stop Afghanistans government collapsing, and to end deadly attacks by the Taliban. The withdrawal of US troops begins against a backdrop of fierce clashes between the Taliban and government forces, in the absence of a peace deal.

A flare up of violence in Ghazni province overnight left an unknown number of people dead.

And on Friday, a car bombing in Pul-e-Alam, Logar province, killed up to 30 people and wounded 110 - mostly school pupils.

US President Joe Biden says the US pull-out is justified as US forces have made sure the country cannot again become a base for foreign jihadists to plot against the West.

And Afghan President Ashraf Ghani says government forces are fully capable of keeping insurgents at bay.

He has argued that withdrawing US and Nato forces will remove the Talibans reason for fighting, saying to the Taliban: Who are you killing? What are you destroying? Your pretext of fighting the foreigners is now over.

But many do not share the optimism.

Everyone is scared that we might go back to the dark days of the Taliban era, Mena Nowrozi, who works at a private radio station in Kabul told news agency AFP.

The Taliban are still the same; they have not changed. The US should have extended their presence by at least a year or two.

BBC Pakistan and Afghanistan correspondent Secunder Kermani says that with peace talks between the militants and Afghan government stalled, despite the drawing down of international involvement, it seems inevitable the conflict will continue.
Hagerstown, MD (21740)

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St. Joseph, MI (49085)

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Mostly sunny early then increasing clouds with some scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. High 82F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

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Partly cloudy skies. Low 66F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.
AS THE national strike by teachers continues, some schools have agreed to have parents pay educators incentives as part of efforts to ensure they return to work.

However, authorities have warned against such practices, which they say are illegal.

This comes as teachers have been on strike, demanding improved salaries and better working conditions  amid growing fears of a further decline in education standards in the country.

It also comes as some schools have agreed with parents to have them chip in with United States dollar payments, to help end the teachers strike and ensure their return to work.

In Matabeleland South, the School Development Committee (SDC) at Minda High School in Maphisa, recently agreed to having parents pay US$20 per term to motivate teachers to attend classes on a daily basis, instead of two days per week.

Following an agreement by parents to donate a termly US$20 towards teachers welfare, an account was opened.

The teachers are actually expecting the donation in the month of April, so that children can be attended to daily as opposed to the current situation where their unions have instructed them to teach for only two days a week.

For those with cash, you can either pay at the school or indicate your willingness so that arrangements can be made to collect the money at some convenient venue, the SDC said in a circular to parents.

In Mutoko, Mashonaland East, All Souls Mission has also entered into a similar arrangement with parents.

The SDC is pleased to inform you that All Souls  teachers are teaching irrespective of the fact that teachers trade unions have asked their respective members to work no more than three days a week.

Teachers have made it clear that teaching is subject to urgent initiative from parents. Parents need to appreciate it.

If parents fail to appreciate the donations, teachers will not attend lessons and they will come two days a week as suggested by the teachers unions, the schools SDC said.

Furthermore, teachers will absent themselves from evening studies and learners will have no one to take good care of them.

So parents, let us all work together, all hands on deck and assist teachers to continue attending lessons, the SDC said further  while asking parents to pay $1 950 by the end of last month.

In Harare, Selbourne Primary has also written to parents asking them to pay money towards cushioning teachers at the institution.

Our teachers are saying incapacitation has hit them hard and are likely to follow their unions recommendation of coming to school twice a week, which means our children will only be attended once a week.

However, they wanted to find out if we are prepared to help them cushion their transport so that they are able to report to work.

They indicated that  if there is no positive feedback they will heed their trade unions call to come to school twice a week, the schools SDC said in its communication to parents.

Chindunduma 1 High in Mashonaland Central has also similarly asked parents to pay allowances to teachers for both exam and non-exam classes.

Fellow parents, after a meeting with Zimbabwe Foundation for Education with Production (Zimfep) officials, made it clear that parents should cushion teachers. It (Zimfep) directed that we collect US$25 from exam classes and U$15 from non-exam classes.

For those non-exam classes who have paid US$25, the balance will be used for next term, the schools SDC said.

However, the director of communications for the ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Taungana Ndoro, said it was not the governments policy to have parents incentivising teachers.

It is illegal for parents to pay teachers allowances and all those doing this are doing it at their own peril. The long arm of the law is going to catch up with those teachers in schools demanding incentives from parents.

Already, the government has a shortage of teachers and so the SDCs should employ its own teachers and pay them as it wishes not to pay government teachers.

All those SDC members forcing parents to pay incentives are being warned to stop such practices or risk facing the wrath of the law, Ndoro told the Daily News On Sunday. Daily News
Uniontown, PA (15401)

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Thunderstorms likely, especially this morning. High 76F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%..

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Occasional showers with a thunderstorm possible. Low 67F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.
The shooting incident of Ma'Khia Bryant, 16, by a Colombus Ohio Policeman last April 20, remains a debate whether the police's action was wrong or right. One of these viewpoints is firing shots to save the other girl from Bryant's violence was warranted.

Ma'Khia Bryant shooting by the police was needed to save her victim's life

According to those who saw the video involving police officer Nicolas Reardon, he was right in shooting down the aggressor, reported the Vox.

Last week, viewers of racial backgrounds and political leanings decided after seeing the 15-second police body camera footage. They made specific observations about the attacker Ma'Khia.

Bryant held a butcher knife seconds from harming a girl wearing a pink jumpsuit. Others argue that she was a teenager and should not have stopped by any means, even if she stabs her victim.

This argument puts officer Reardon in trouble due to different interpretations, so the supporters of Ma'Khia has a narrative for their justifications to defunding the police.

Instead of using her name, other terms used to describe her are knife-wielding attacker, fat, huge, and maniac. Though some would argue, even CNN's Don Lemon and Chris Cuomo agree with the choice of saving a life, which is what a cop does.

Read also: Josh Duggar Controversy Timeline: From "19 Kids and Counting" Scandal to 2021 Arrest

On the day that Reardon's shooting of Ma'Khia Bryant, about 20 minutes earlier, the Derek Chauvin trial ended in a guilty verdict on all counts. The Chauvin case's decision will impact cops like Reardon, who risk their lives in doing their jobs.

The cries for justice for George Floyd did not cause ripples as much as Bryant. After it was revealed that Bryant was in foster care, she was in the middle of a dispute with older women when cops came, and that she was allegedly the one who summoned the police for help, people genuinely believed she was the one who called for help.

In contrast to what happened to George, Floyd, it was far more intensely felt compared to the incident with the teenager.

Some complain what the Ohio police department said about Bryant, that the office had no option but to fire his service pistol. But others say that shooting the girl was a big mistake.

Several crisis experts said Reardon did not use enough de-escalation tactics like telling the already crazed Bryant to drop the knife, getting in between her and the other woman or talking to her. One argument is that Bryant was black. If she were white, the policeman would have desisted from shooting her.

For many, this is another inception of race or politics into another domestic incident that needs immediate action to save a person's life. Officer Reardon acted fast enough and saved a victim, not allowing Bryant's violence to take a life.

Ma'Khia Bryant's funeral took place yesterday at the First Church of God where her family remembered her as a smart girl.



Related article: Maricopa County Judge Allows 2020 Election Audit Despite Democrat Attempts to Block It

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Military sources and analysts said that China's new nuclear submarine missiles are capable of hitting the U.S. mainland.

China's Newly Comisioned Nuclear-Powered Submarine

In a recently published article from the South China Morning Post, a military source and analyst said that China has upgraded its Type 094 submarine and equipped it with nuclear missiles that can hit the U.S. mainland.

The newly-equipped submarine was presented on Friday as part of China's 72nd anniversary of the PLA Navy. A source from the navy who chose not to be named said that the submarine carries a more powerful JL-3 that can reach over 10,000 kilometers or 6,200 miles.

He said, "the Type 094A is an upgraded version of Type 094 that overcame one of the key problems - noise - by improving hydrokinetic and turbulent systems, allowing it to carry the more powerful JL-3."

JL-3 Missiles Capable of Hitting the U.S. Mainland

According to a published report by Korea Times, the submarine was already equipped with JL-2 missiles, but it can only hit the Northeastern part of the United States. The JL-3 missiles can now hit the entire American continent.

According to state media, Chinese submarines have been plagued by being too loud and quick to spot, but this has been increasingly remedied in recent years by Chinese naval engineer Rear Admiral Ma Weiming, who is now leading the way in cutting-edge propulsion technology.

Read Also: US Warns China Its Obligation To Defend Philippines Taiwan

Other Military Plans of China

The PLA decided to outfit the Type 096 submarine with JL-3 missiles last year, a phase that could take years. A Pentagon study on China's military capability revealed that each Type 094 submarine can carry 16 JL-3 missiles, but the upgraded Type 096 could carry as many as 24.

The Type 094A is one of three new warships commissioned on the same day. The Type 075 amphibious helicopter attack ship and the Type 055 Renhai-class guided-missile cruiser were the others.

Song Zhongping, a former PLA instructor, did not specify what kind of SLBM the Type 094A was armed with but said that it would improve China's second-strike capabilityits ability to retaliate after a nuclear strike.

However, he said, "The new SLBM with MIRVs with a firing range over 10,000km is the basic technical requirement for an upgraded Type 094 SSBN to cause nuclear deterrence. China promises not to use a nuke first, but a powerful SSBN fleet will help the PLA strengthen their second-strike power against rivals."

Meanwhile, Macau-based military specialist Antony Wong Tong, suggested that China had made several technological breakthroughs to make the JL-2 match the Type 094A silos. Wong said, "The original design and size of the JL-3 should be adjusted, but those changes do not reduce its firepower and range - a significant breakthrough."

On the other hand, Song Zhongping, a former PLA nstrutori, did not specify what kind of SLBM the Type 094A was armed with, but said that it would improve China's second-strike capability - its ability to retaliate after a nuclear strike.

Related Article: China Increasing Nuclear Submarine Shipyards as the Chinese Navy Expands

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The Houston Police got a tip about a possible kidnapping at a Houston Suburb. On Friday, they found 90 people who are part of a human smuggling case inside a two-story house.

Human smuggling case discovered in a suburb home

Based on a tip received last Thursday, law enforcement in Houston acted fast and began an all-night investigation that could involve kidnapping. The result was a raid by Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) on Friday. They got a warrant to search a suspected house located at Houston's southwest side, reported the Blaze.

When Assistant Chief D.B. Edwards told reporters about the raid's aftermath, he said that when they entered the house, what they found was surprising - there were 90 people crammed in the house.

He added it was just a preparation for the criminals involved to start human trafficking. As of this writing, the police will need to investigate this case of trafficking people.

The officer added it was disturbing how the five women and eighty-five men but no kids were all locked and starving in the house on Chessington Drive.

According to KHOU, the individuals were not tied up. One statement said," They were found in basic clothing and were all huddled together in two sections of the two-story home."

Edwards remarked the home was barely furnished aside from the mattresses against the wall where the illegals slept.

Sadly, the police observed that whoever placed the dozens of people inside the house did not bother to feed them. Food had to be provided for those involved in human smuggling cases.

Read also: House GOP Say If They Win Midterms, US-Mexico Border Wall Will Be Restarted

Many human smuggling victims may be diagnosed with COVID-19, as some have reported high coronavirus fever and loss of taste and smell. The health department evaluated the victims, and police were considering quarantining everyone while they received medical care inside the house.

Fox News reported that the 2,319-square-foot home with five bedrooms and two baths is rented to a single man who is not yet identified.

Most of the neighbors were not aware of that there were 90 individuals inside the home when asked by the authorities.

The assistant chief mentioned in a statement, "We always ask the community if you see something say something ... we all need to work together."

More information reveals that the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) will be collaborating with the Houston Police Department (HPD) to solve the immigrant smuggling case.

A statement from HIS was released to officialy declare an investigation of the smuggling of immigrants.

"HSI is collaborating with the Houston Police Department to probe the alleged stash house located at 12210 Chessington Drive in Houston, Texas."

This case has yet to be confirmed as a case of migrant smuggling. In the meantime, President Joe Biden has come under criticism for rescinding several Trump-era executive actions and also his messaging, given the fact that the president has defended his immigrant response, saying it is more humane than Trump's.

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas pledged earlier this week to disrupt human smuggling operations carried out by "coyotes" based in Mexico and Central America, who cause human smuggling cases.

Related article: Democrat Senators Urge Biden to Pay Back Arizona for Expenses Incurred at US Border

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President Joe Biden's bold budget policies will significantly boost federal funding for healthcare and education while still spending trillions more on infrastructure, but this will come from the biggest tax in decades.

Biden Increases the Tax to Fund His Proposed Bills

The New York Times broke the news of the proposed infrastructure plan last week. According to the article, sources familiar with the proposal estimated that it could cost up to $3 trillion based on the measures unveiled by the President.

Insider was informed of the proposal, and according to documents acquired by The New York Times, the program would be divided into two policy pieces. The first one will focus on repairing buildings like highways and bridges. And the second will be another on the care economy, including support for universal pre-K and free community college.

However, three sources familiar with the situation told The Washington Post on Monday that the White House was expected to press for up to $4 trillion in capital investment and up to $3.5 trillion in tax increases.

Different Ways Biden Wants the Wealthiest To Pay $3.5 Trillion

Increasing the Tax of the Wealthy

Mr. Biden suggests increasing the highest tax limit on wages above $400,000 to 39.6%. That was the case before Trump's 2017 tax cut, which reduced the highest rate to 37%. It is perhaps the most talked-about tax increase on the rich that President Biden has suggested, but it generates the least revenue of all of his tax proposals.

However, as with all income taxes, it reflects the so-called marginal limit, which only applies to income above $453,000. Biden's tax increase could save a couple earning $800,000 a year an extra $5,200 in taxes. A couple with a $2 million household income will spend an additional $36,500 per year.

Read also: Joe Biden's $2 Trillion Infrastructure Bill Disguises Socialism

Increasing Corporate Tax

The corporate income tax rate was reduced from a peak rate of 35 percent to a flat 21 percent under Donald Trump's signature tax bill. Biden proposes to increase the corporation tax rate to 28%. He also wants to eliminate some of the tax breaks that U.S. businesses get by paying taxes in other countries and transferring activities there.

The most innovative aspect of Mr. Biden's scheme is that all companies must pay at least 21 percent of their profits in taxes, regardless of their exemptions. Companies may push any of their tax increases on consumers by raising premiums and to employees by lowering salaries or limiting promotions.

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business believe Mr. Biden's planned corporate tax hikes would stifle salary growth.

Targeting Wealthy for Tax Evasion

A recent analysis by economist Gabriel Zucman and others, including IRS analysts, discovered that tax evasion, especially by the top 1%, is a major driver of missed revenue for the United States.

According to the survey, the top 1% of earners underreport their profits to the IRS by up to 20%. According to the White House, this amounts to $175 billion in missed tax taxes per year.

Biden plans to inject $80 billion into the IRS over ten years so that the department can recruit additional employees to perform investigations and apprehend cheats. His administration still requires banks to have more information on the influx of money into and out of the accounts of their wealthiest customers.

The data could help to reduce tax avoidance, but banks are likely to oppose a clause that would force them to spy on their customers effectively.

Related Article: Joe Biden First Address: Critical Issues That Are Not Discussed







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Opposition political parties are rallying supporters to register to vote for the upcoming delimitation exercise for the 2023 general elections. The parties have also upped voter registration awareness campaigns ahead of the exercise.

The delimitation exercise creation of new electoral boundaries will be conducted using census data.

The last delimitation exercise conducted in terms of the old constitution ahead of the 2008 elections and based on the Registrar-Generals voters roll saw the opposition crying foul that their strongholds had been halved.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has warned that Bulawayo, an opposition stronghold, will lose constituencies since the voter registered population for the city falls far short of the minimum threshold.

The issue (of voter registration) is an emergency because the sadistic central government will not hesitate to reduce parliamentary seats for Bulawayo.

It is, therefore, imperative that there be a convergence by stakeholders, in particular residents and prospective voters, around this important issue, MDC Alliance provincial spokesperson Swithern Chirowodza said.

We are targeting 500 000 new registrants and we encourage political parties, activists and society organisations to converge with us to produce the required synergies.

ZEC has lifted the suspension on voter registration, but a ban on by-elections as a Covid-19 preventive measure remains in place.

Zapu and MDC spokespersons Iphithule Maphosa and Witness Dube respectively echoed the same sentiments as they pleaded with Zimbabweans, who are eligible to vote to register for the upcoming elections.

The party is alive and well, and is already moving a gear up in ensuring that as many people as possible register to vote in the next general elections to avoid losing constituencies because of low voter registration, Dube said.

On Friday, MDC president Douglas Mwonzora launched a voter registration campaign in Matabeleland South.

Maphosa weighed in saying financial challenges besetting the opposition party had not affected its voter registration awareness drive.

While we as a party are financially constrained to physically assist at a larger scale, we have managed to help a few with logistics to do the actual registration after our information sessions within communities, Maphosa noted.

We also have highlighted the negative implications of non-response to calls for heightened registration in potential risk areas of Bulawayo and Matabeleland as well as lobbying for the abandoning of the law that resulted in constituency delimitation being regulated based on voter density.

We advocate for this to be influenced by population density, needs assessments and the desire to achieve inclusive and equal representation.

Finance minister Mthuli Ncube allocated $2.3 billion to ZEC in his 2021 budget, of which $1.744 billion is meant to fund the delimitation exercise.

According to independent election watchdog, the Zimbabwe Election Support Network (Zesn), there has been little progress in implementing recommendations of observer missions on improving the quality of voter registration processes.

Observer missions in their recommendations after the 2018 harmonised elections emphasised the need for the establishment of more permanent registration centres and ease of registration in urban areas, particularly in Bulawayo and Harare, among others.

Zesn has been tracking progress on the implementation of the 2023 election observer mission recommendations that call for the review of the legislative and electoral framework against the countrys constitution, regional and international principles governing the holding of democratic elections. Standard
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Two months after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, Dr. Jacqueline Parchem gave birth to a healthy baby boy.

Her arm was sore after her first and second doses, but she suffered no other side effects. The shot felt like any other vaccine she received as a pregnant woman, including TDaP  tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis.

As a maternal-fetal medicine specialist with McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, Parchem had waited almost a year for a COVID vaccine, both for her pregnant patients and herself.

My internal dialogue was that Im a high-risk pregnancy specialist, scientist and researcher. I understand how the vaccine works on a molecular level, Parchem said. Ive also seen patients who became really sick from COVID. It was kind of a no-brainer.

On HoustonChronicle.com: UTMB receives 3-year grant to research breast milk's COVID-19 antibodies

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said pregnant women can receive the shots, ever since the vaccines launch in December. Though Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson clinical trials did not include pregnant women, the CDC said vaccines could be administered to the population.

But the overall messaging from the world medical community has been inconsistent, Parchem said. And in a vacuum of safety data for pregnant women, misinformation spread.

On social media, I have all these strangers messaging me for advice on getting vaccinated. But why would you ask a person you dont know when you have doctors you do know? Parchem said. Theres some gap between what the doctor is saying and what people see online, and they are super polarized.

Pregnant people talking with their health care provider before deciding to take the shot is typical messaging from the CDC and professional organizations, like the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine.

But other Western countries initially told pregnant people to forgo the vaccine because there was no safety data available. In January, the World Health Organization acknowledged pregnancy puts women at a higher risk of severe complications. But it said the vaccine is not recommended for pregnant women unless they are at a risk of high exposure as frontline workers often are.

This mixed messaging created turmoil in the medical community, and confusion among pregnant people, Parchem said.

Anecdotally, at the provider level, people are telling patients different things, Parchem said. Its very confusing, and the misinformation is another challenge in the making.

Current recommendations

In April, CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said all pregnant women should be vaccinated after a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine did not show adverse effects among pregnant participants who received an mRNA vaccine.

A few days later, the CDC walked back Walenskys verbal recommendation. The agencys messaging remains the same as it was in December: Pregnant patients should talk with their health care provider about the benefits and risks of vaccination before making the decision. But they can get the shot if they want it.

Parchem said because there was no data about the vaccines effect on pregnant people in the beginning, misinformation and fear spread among patients and some health care providers.

When she received the vaccine, a few of her own family members expressed shock at her choice. But she knows how dangerous COVID-19 can be for a pregnant person, and that knowledge made the decision for her.

On RenewHouston.com: Houston specialists see increase in egg freezing during COVID

No one can say there is zero risk with any activity a pregnant person does, she said.

People just want to know that the baby will be OK, but we cant say it with 100 percent certainty, Parchem said. No one can guarantee anything, and its hard for people to wrap their minds around. Its a lot of nuance to make a very personal decision.

Researchers looked at data derived from nearly 36,000 pregnant participants in the recent study cited by the CDC director.

Between Dec. 14, 2020 to Feb. 28, pregnant participants reported sore arms more frequently than nonpregnant ones, but other side effects  headache, chills, fever  were less frequent among those who were pregnant. Further, the rate of poor pregnancy or neonatal outcomes  like miscarriages or low birth weight  did not seem to be affected.

There is also data showing a maternal immunoresponse, where moms make high levels of antibodies and pass them to the baby through placenta and breastfeeding, Parchem said.

Need for more studies

A new Houston clinical trial will study the safety and efficacy of Pfizer vaccines in pregnant women, said Dr. Sandra Hurtado, an OBGYN with McGovern Medical School at UTHealth.

Researchers across the country will enroll 4,000 healthy women over the age of 18 who are between 27 and 34 weeks pregnant for the first and second phase of the trial. The study will look at the vaccines safety, tolerability and immune response in pregnant women.

Enrollment is now open at the UTHealth Womens Research Program in Memorial City. The trial will use a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled strategy. Participants will be selected randomly to receive the placebo, and only the administering nurses will know who received what.

One reason our research site was chosen is because Houston has diversity in race and ethnicity of its pregnant women; we want to include this diversity into the study population, Hurtado said. Women of color, pregnant and nonpregnant, have had more severe hospitalizations and ICU rates, so we want to make sure everyone has access to care and vaccine regardless of race and ethnicity.

On HoustonChronicle.com: WHO releases new COVID vaccine details, including warning for pregnant women

Women who participate in the UTHealth site trial will be required to deliver their baby at Memorial Hermann Memorial City so researchers can collect and test the cord blood for COVID antibodies. After delivery, participants will be told whether they received the vaccine, and if they didnt, they will be able to receive it at that time.

Patients will be followed during the remaining weeks before delivery to check antibody tethers at different points  first dose, two weeks after the second dose, one month after the second dose. The women and their babies will be checked again at delivery and six months post-partum.

The presence of COVID antibodies from these different points will show researchers how long they stay in the babys body through the passage in placenta, and then, breast milk.

Being an OBGYN, Im very interested in my patients staying healthy, so I am very adamant about this trial, Hurtado said. I speak to all my pregnant patients about the benefits vs the risk of vaccines and make sure they understand the data and information we have to help them make their choice.

julie.garcia@chron.com

Twitter.com/reporterjulie
With every new visit to the Hill Country, the states wines get more impressive. Winemakers are serious and invested, crafting delicious wines with a sense of place. The tasting-room experiences strike a careful balance between informative and just plain fun. Texas wine has arrived  and its right here in our backyard.

With vaccination rates going up and that glimmer of light at the end of the pandemic tunnel becoming brighter, those looking for an adventure close to home this summer should consider the Hill Country. The wine region is large, but the 55-mile stretch of U.S. 290 between Dripping Springs and Fredericksburg is where the action is at.

Fredericksburg is often considered the anchor of the Hill Country. Its Main Street is lined with tasting rooms and souvenir shops  its touristy, its bustling, its good fun. But dont sleep on other towns, especially Johnson City, which has added a new coffee shop and a wine bar. It also offers plenty of antiques and gallery-hopping opportunities, as well as the kid-friendly Science Mill museum. To the west, Hye is more rural and has a high concentration of wineries. Stonewalls Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park  where you can visit the presidents boyhood home, the Texas White House and his final resting place  provides a nice break from wine tasting.

Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, many wineries are stricter about reservations, which were always recommended anyway during peak times. Make sure to look up the winerys policy before your visit, as some are still not accepting walk-ins.

Ab Astris Winery

Ab Astris Winery is one of the newest tasting rooms on the scene. The family started making wine in 2015 but didnt open to the public until August 2018, clearing a small patch for the property in the middle of expansive land that looks untouched for miles. Ab Astris idyllic ambiance and striking tasting room make it somewhat of an influencers playground, yet the wines also happen to be very good.

The 12-acre vineyard was recently planted and wont produce fruit for another couple years, with the exception of the Clairette that goes into an estate white and sparkling wine. In the meantime, Ab Astris sources grapes from the High Plains, allying French, Italian and Spanish varieties. The whites and rose are bright and refreshing, the reds robust and fruit-forward.

A flight of five wines is $20, and the tasting fee is waived with the purchase of three bottles. Wines by the glass are $13 for whites and roses, and $15 for reds. Walk-ins are welcome; reservations are recommended on Saturdays and required for groups of six or more. 320 Klein, Stonewall, 830-644-8369; abastriswinery.com

Becker Vineyards

Richard and the late Bunny Becker made strides to further the quality of Texas wines before the region was a big tourist destination.

The winery, founded in 1992, still has its charm, located on 300 acres near Stonewall; the large property allows for leisurely walks among the 50 acres of vines. Ample outside seating to soak up the view is also a draw. Tastings progress at a nice pace and servers are ready with anecdotes about each wine. Becker has a couple of spaces on-site for private tastings and a library of wines that go back 20 years, as well as a tasting room on Main Street in Fredericksburg.

At the winery, reservations are required for tastings, which cost $30. Theres a choice between a white wine flight, red wine flight, or mixed flight. Otherwise, wines are $15 by the glass, walk-ins accepted. 464 Becker Farms Road, Fredericksburg (estate winery), 830-644-2681; beckervineyards.com

Lewis Wines

Lewis Wines added a new tasting room and pavilion to its property in 2018, bringing a hospitality component to its winemaking operation, which was founded in 2010 by Doug Lewis and Duncan McNabb.

Lewis has 8 acres planted at its Johnson City vineyard and uses fruit from the Hill Country and the High Plains. The wines are elegant and terroir-driven, and delight in various ways. A recent flight included two different roses to compare side by side, an older vintage blending Spanish and Portuguese varieties, and a Mourvedre  typically a burly red  made in a light, refreshing Beaujolais style.

Tastings are by reservation only and cost $25 for four wines, plus a bonus wine of whatever the staff may have open (the tasting is free with the purchase of two bottles). You can also choose to reserve a picnic table for $10, sans tasting, and order by the glass or by the bottle  outside food welcome. Lewis offers simple snacks alongside the wine tastings: potato chips ($2), sourdough bread from JoJu Bakery ($6-$10) and a side of Texas olive oil ($3). 3209 U.S. 290, 512-987-0660; lewiswines.com

Lost Draw Cellars

Lost Draw Cellars tasting room is located just off the main drag in downtown Fredericksburg. It opened in 2014, but the team has been making wine in Texas since 2005 and now manages a total of 300 acres of vineyards. Owner Andy Timmons lives in the High Plains, where Lost Draws grapes are from, and the winemaking is done at the Fredericksburg facility.

The tasting room has a medium-size patio thats just as much of a hangout for local regulars as it is for tourists. Servers are armed with useful information for each wine, with plenty more in reserve when asked extra questions. Lost Draws wines are bold, aromatic and spicy  and a good mix, from Albarino and Roussanne to Zinfandel and Syrah.

Tastings are $20 via reservation only (or $25 to be seated) and include five wines, with some offbeat bonus pours, like a fun Counoise rose or Pinot Meunier sparkling rose. A wine and cheese tasting costs $35. There are some food items on the menu, such as a generous charcuterie board for $30. A small adjoining shop sells wine bottles, gourmet foods and merchandise. 113 E. Park St., Fredericksburg, 830-992-3251; lostdrawcellars.com

Southold Farm + Cellar

Southold Farm + Cellar, on a hill 18 miles east of Fredericksburg, has undeniably the best panoramic view of any winery in the Hill Country. The stunning landscape  and the porch swings to admire it from  are just a cherry on top of Southolds fantastic wines.

Owners Regan and Carey Meador started the winery on New Yorks Long Island but moved it to Texas in 2017. While they wait on their young estate plantings, they source grapes mostly from Robert Clays vineyard in the Hill Country, making bright, juicy wines from more than a dozen different varieties.

Reservations are required at the winery. A tasting with four wines is $25; $40 with a snack spread. The new on-site restaurant, The Kitchen, is open Fridays and Saturdays by reservation only. 30 Minor Threat Lane, Fredericksburg, 512-829-1650; southoldfarmandcellar.com

Westcave Cellars Winery & Brewery

Hidden away on a road off U.S. 290, Westcave Cellars has a quiet, serene atmosphere. Theres ample outside space nestled between the trees, with patio tables and a requisite swing.

Owners Allan and Margaret Fetty started Westcave in 2011 but later sold their 9-acre vineyard in Dripping Springs. They opened the current location in Johnson City in December 2019. The white wines, such as Viognier and Chenin Blanc, and the Cabernet Franc-based rose are particularly successful. Westcave also makes beer on-site from Cascade hops grown by Patrick Vandewilt at his nearby Adelsverein Brewings hop farm in Sisterdale.

Walk-ins are accepted at Westcave and visitors can choose between three tasting options: $20 for a red and white variety tasting, $25 for reds only (six wines each), and a four-beer tasting for $20. 683 Ranch Road 1320, Johnson City, 512-431-1403; westcavecellars.com

William Chris Vineyards

William Chris Vineyards was founded in 2008 by Chris Brundrett and Bill Blackmon, a pioneer of Texas wine whos been growing grapes in the state since the 1970s. Perhaps the most vocal proponents of Texas wine produced with 100 percent Texas grapes, the duo has pushed quality forward and crafted their own unique style, with wines that are vibrant and elegant, structured yet crushable at the same time.

Brundrett and Blackmon bought and renovated an old 1900s farmhouse as the original Hye tasting room and have since expanded, with a large pavilion, a striking member-only tasting room and a five-bedroom guesthouse, Hye-way Haus ($500 a night).

Reservations are required for tastings ($20), food and wine pairings ($40), library wine experiences ($75) and picnic lunches ($20). Walk-ins are accepted for consumption by the glass and by the bottle, for seating in the pavilion or on the grass, surrounded by the estate vines. 10352 U.S. 290, Hye, 830-998-7654; williamchriswines.com

Emma + Ollie

Emma + Ollie brings Southern hospitality and locally sourced food to a charming old bungalow in Fredericksburg. Customers entering the restaurant and bakery are greeted by a pastry case filled with treats from Rebecca Rather, former head pastry chef at Houston staples Tonys, Grotto and La Griglia. Sit outside on the back patio or small front porch, or inside the small dining room. The burger with pimento cheese melted onto a 44 Farms patty, candied bacon, and sweet and spicy pickles is a decadent must-order. You can buy the pimento and other goodies from the small shop by the entrance. 607 S. Washington St., Fredericksburg, 830-383-1013; emmaolliefbg.com

Hye Market

Located on one side of an old-timey but still functioning post office, the sandwiches are the draw at this deli  specifically the whatever sandwich, which stuffs soft focaccia bread with sopressata, mortadella, Dutchmans ham, asiago cheese, sundried tomato aioli and Vogel Orchards peach butter chipotle sauce (which you can and should buy a bottle of to-go). Hye Market was originally established in 1886 as a general store and post office, and despite the flashy new tasting rooms popping up in the area, its a piece of history that has endured. 10261 U.S. 290 W., Hye, 830-868-2300; hyemarket.com

Johnson City Coffee Co.

A great cup of coffee to start your morning or between wine tastings is now in reach in the Hill Country. Johnson City Coffee Co. opened its industrial barnlike space in May 2020; for now, the team is operating on the patio, to-go and via drive-thru only because of the pandemic. The coffee shop makes its brews from Austins Greater Good beans and also sells a variety of sweet and savory pastries, such as a fiery jalapeno-ham-cheddar roll, and other food items, including sandwiches and quiche. 108 W. Main, Johnson City, 830-256-8360; johnsoncitycoffeeco.com

Ottos

Ottos in Fredericksburg is a wonderful dining room meshing refined German cuisine and a merry wine-country atmosphere. The duck schnitzel with spaetzle and the flammkuchen, a thin-crust pie with creme fraiche, gravlax, braised onions and horseradish, are must-try dishes celebrating the Hill Countrys Germanic roots. The wine list leads with local Texas producers and also features a solid selection of German, Austrian and Alsatian wines. 316 E. Austin St., Fredericksburg, 830-307-3336; ottosfbg.com

The Parlour

Southold Farm + Cellar opened The Parlour in an old barbershop in October 2019. The tiny Johnson City wine bar is another outpost for the winery to pour its juice, serving a rotating selection of six different Southold current releases and three guest wines from other regions, from California to France. The team also offers an impressive array of food options, considering how little space they have. The cheese and charcuterie plate includes three cheeses (like goat from the local Pure Luck), two cured meats, dried fruit and nuts. The chicken liver pate is a highlight, served with JoJu Bakery sourdough bread, which is also used to spread the burrata with black pepper honey and sumac pecans. 109 N. Nugent Ave., Johnson City; theparlourjctx.com

Hoffman Haus

Hoffman Haus is so cozy and charming, between-tasting naps will seem even more appealing than they already are. The 5-acre Fredericksburg property has nine rooms, eight suites and four guesthouses that sleep two to seven people. The vibe straddles elegance with country chic  some rooms have delicate features and pastel colors, while others boast heavy wood and distressed leather upholstery. Hoffman Haus feels luxurious and relaxing while only a block away from Main Street. 608 E. Creek St., Fredericksburg, 830-997-6739; hoffmanhaus.com

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Emma Baltergrew up in Paris, France, where she got an early taste for good food and wine. She studied English Literature at Newcastle University in the U.K. and got her start in journalism as the lifestyle editor of the student newspaper. She moved to the U.S. in 2012, and spent six years on staff at Wine Spectator magazine, first as a tasting coordinator, then as an editor. She has also contributed to Conde Nast Traveler, Food & Wine, Eater, PureWow, Chowhound and VinePair, among others. Balter joined the Houston Chronicle in March 2020 as a reporter for Preview, where she covers entertainment, food and drink. She lives in Montrose with her cat, Chenin. She can be reached by email at Emma.Balter@chron.com or by Twitter: @EmmaBalter

Design by Julie Takahashi. She is the features digital manager at the Houston Chronicle. She can be reached by email at julie.takahashi@chron.com or by Twitter: @Julie_Takahashi


ZIMBABWE is facing a shortage of motor vehicle number plates, with motorists expressing outrage over the development, which has seen some being arrested for driving unregistered cars.

This comes as Transport minister Felix Mhona recently told the National Assembly that the shortage was due to the fact that the number plates are imported into the country.

A visit by the Daily News on Sunday to the Central Vehicle Registry (CVR) in Harare last week showed that the government had suspended the issuance of number plates.

You are kindly advised that CVR has run out of all sizes of yellow number plates for motor vehicles. However, commercial plates, yellow trailer and motorcycle plates are still available.

Meanwhile, we are not accepting new applications for yellow motor vehicle plates or authorising such applications. Those who had already paid user fees at CBZ bank should keep their applications at home until further notice, a notice at CVR reads.

Contacted for comment, Mhona said he was not aware of the situation at the CVR. For now I cannot comment, I will notify you, Mhona said.

Motorists, who spoke to the Daily News on Sunday yesterday lamented the governments failure to address the shortage of number plates.

The government is being reckless and is creating an opportunity for arbitrage. If it is true what the minister of Transport said a few months back that plates have a landing price of about US$20 there is no reason for the shortage of number plates.

I think it is now bordering on the criminal and I believe that someone is deliberately creating a shortage of these plates so that people will desperately pay for bribes so as to get those plates, Ruwa resident, Josiphat Gwezhira, said.

With the backlog hovering above 60 000, unscrupulous middlemen have been taking advantage of the shortage to charge higher prices of between US$150 and US$190 for a registration plate which goes for US$80.

Last year, Cabinet approved the localisation of plate making, with the government indicating that it had set aside a US$1 million investment to start the process, but to date nothing has been done.

Everything in this country is now in short supply which shows that authorities are being incompetent. How can they say there is a shortage of number plates when we are paying for them? I think it is high time the government admitted that it is failing  They must start delivering plastic plates which are readily available and cheaper, Rumbidzai Mufandayedza from Chitungwiza said.

A Waterfalls resident Lisa Chiwade said the shortage of number plates was inconveniencing motorists.

Sometimes we even spend our precious time in queues for number plates, foregoing other productive duties, waiting for number plates that are not available. To make things worse, the plates are being sold in US dollars while we earn in RTGS, she said.

Arthur Chagonda from Mabvuku, told the Daily News on Sunday that the situation was getting out of hand.

That is why now we are having more and more hit and run crimes because some of the motorists are taking advantage of the fact that their vehicles cannot be easily identified as they are not even registered.

Year after year we keep on hearing the same thing of shortage of number plates; it is now even difficult for us motorists to get insurance because we are not registered, he said. Daily News
The immigration crisis at the border of the United States and Mexico has intensified recently, with an all-time high surge in unaccompanied minor refugees. The Border Patrol reported more than 172,000 migrant encounters last month  a 70 percent increase mostly attributable to single adults being repeatedly caught crossing the border.

U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, the representative for District 10, visited the border to see the diaspora first hand.

McCaul detailed what he saw at the border and what border patrol agents had to say about it.

You recently traveled to the U.S./Mexican border. What were your first thoughts when you arrived?

After being a federal prosecutor that oversaw much of the southwest border and then served as chairman of the Homeland Security Committee for three terms, I can honestly say this is the worst I have seen the U.S. southern border.

Last month I visited the border with a group of my colleagues and saw first-hand the waves of migrants crossing the borders under the veil of night and the overcrowded facilities.

What is so upsetting is that this whole crisis could have been avoided. On Inauguration Day, President Joe Biden rescinded effective immigration policies like Remain in Mexico and the Asylum Cooperative Agreements with Central America.

Related: Republican U.S. Rep. Nehls offers to help Biden's criminal justice reform

The detention centers are one of the biggest issues going on at the border. Tell us about what you saw at the detention center.

Migrants were packed into the holding cells in the Donna Detention facility - it was absolutely upsetting to see. While I was there, I saw a little girl who was crying - she was completely alone. As a parent this broke my heart knowing she was not the only migrant child who came here without her family. That perhaps smugglers brought her to the border. And these smugglers are taking advantage of families - charging them thousands of dollars and separating their children from them.

I have heard that migrants are now paying smugglers an average of $4,000 to reach our southwest border. Their services put young children in serious danger and dire circumstances.

You spoke with Customs Border Patrol agents- what were some of the things they had to say about the situation?

The border patrol agents say there is a direct cause and effect to President Bidens decision to rescind Remain in Mexico and the Asylum Cooperative Agreements with Central America. Forty percent of their mission to protect our borders is being redirected to take care of the current crisis.

What we are witnessing at the border isnt just seasonal migration - it was created by relaxed immigration laws. According to CBP estimates, traffickers raked in a total of $411.5 million in February taking people from Mexico and Central America to the U.S. southern border. The people who are winning in the situation are the traffickers and smugglers and the losers are the children. I fear this situation could open the U.S. to a major human trafficking crisis.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Mexican official: Biden administration needs to clamp down on Texas' gun trafficking problem

Humanitarian efforts- especially as they pertain to children- are a big issue for you. How is this similar or different to the other issues youve tackled, like the global AIDS crisis?

I think there is always an opportunity for our government to help the global community and work with them to improve circumstances on the ground. What the Biden administration fails to see is that you cant tackle immigration unless you fix the root cause.

I spoke with the Guatemalan ambassador when we began to see a surge at the border, and he told me that he did not want to lose a generation of their children who are moving away. That is why I am supportive of private investments to Central American countries to improve economic conditions down there and in doing so you remove some of the pull factors to illegally immigrate.

claire.goodman@chron.com
High school math teacher Crystal Davila has defeated longtime Pasadena ISD trustee Mariselle Quijano, according to unofficial results from the May 1 election, which featured races for four district board posts.

Davila, who will have to resign her Pasadena High School teaching position with her win to Position 2, said she ran, in part, to enhance the districts trade-based training curriculum and to represent educators.

Davila's received 3,628 votes to 3,403 for Quijano, who has served on the board for 12 years.

In another race, veteran trustee Nelda Sullivan will retain her seat after defeating former Pasadena High School teacher Yen Rabe and Sunil Nepal for Position 3.

Sullivan, a retired banker who has served on the board since 1993, earned 5,047 votes to Rabe's 1,643 and Nepal's 442.

In a race for Position 1, Paola Gonzalez Fusilier, a licensed professional counselor, mental health provider and registered play therapist, defeated Texas Citizens Bank official Noble Alix Jr., receiving 3,991 votes to 3,172 for Alix. The incumbent, Fred Roberts, did not seek re-election.

In the contest for Position 4, Casey Phelan, an investigator with the Pasadena Police Department for its Family Violence Unit, defeated former Pasadena High School special education teacher Al Bledsoe and Areef Bhuyan. Phelan received 3,729 votes, Bledsoe 2,691 and Bhuyan 491.

Incumbent Jack Bailey did not seek re-election.

During her campaign, Fusilier said shes interested in increasing access to mental health services and improving programs aimed at special education students.

Phelan said during the campaign that he would focus if elected on closing learning gaps some students have experienced during the pandemic. He said he he looked forward to the district moving past virtual learning with few exceptions.

The district elections featured alliances between some candidates.

Sullivan, Quijano and Phelan on the Continue the Success platform..

Rabe, who now works in Houston ISD, teamed with Davila and Bedsoe on the Educators for Pasadena ISD School Board slate.

An issue in the campaign was candidates disagreement about district plans to build a new administration building for $27 million.

The proposed 119,320-square-foot, three-story building would relocate administrative staff, currently housed at a facility at 1515 Cherrybrook Lane, to a location on Fairmont.

Rabe, who ran unsuccessfully for Position 7 against Vickie Morgan in 2019, argued that the money would be better spent providing students and teachers with classroom resources like updated laptops and personal protective equipment, water fountains that accommodate water bottles and better and less-expensive health insurance plans for employees. She argued that the current building should be refurbished.

But Sullivan said the money was set aside years ago and that the new building will be constructed on donated land. The district says it wouldnt have to pay interest since the funds would not be from bonds.

Sullivan said the current facility, which was originally a shopping mall, has an uneven foundation, an aging roof and plumbing system and is plagued with mold, mildew and cracks in wallboard.
SAN ANTONIO - Its a mess, Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna was telling me on a drizzly weekday afternoon.

It wasnt the wet streets the Mexican general was referring to as we stood in the door of Davy Crocketts Cabin, a new gift shop he runs just off the lobby of the historic Menger Hotel. (The masked general standing beside me, wearing on this day jeans and a Crockett T-shirt, was actually San Antonio native Martin Vasquez, a weekend Alamo and San Jacinto battle reenactor who also plays Texians and Tejanos when the other side runs short.)

The mess Vasquez had in mind was the scene before us: canvas construction barricades blocking off the live oak-shaded portion of Alamo Plaza, traffic cones channeling a lane toward the Menger, a torn-up street between the hotel and the Alamo, a red ticket booth that looks glaringly out of place, the controversial Cenotaph towering over the plaza and, of course, the same tawdry tourist attractions facing the iconic chapel that attracts 3 million visitors annually (including a sizable number on a drizzly day).

I was a bit surprised, not having visited the shrine since before the pandemic. It was partly the gray day, I suppose, but the whole cluttered scene felt tired and small.

Vasquez also was referring to what we couldnt see: the years-long bickering about what to do with the Alamo, a cacophony of voices coming from the Texas General Land Office, the city of San Antonio, elected officials and the self-appointed gatekeepers of Texas history (to borrow Parkers words). They seem to be reenactors themselves, recreating the so-called Second Battle of the Alamo, the turn-of-the-20th-century feud between two powerful Texas women, Clara Driscoll and Adina Emilia De Zavala, about how the Alamo should be restored and remembered.

We really dont know what theyre doing, Vasquez said, referring to the city and the GLO, and even when were told what theyre doing, it could change.

A barricaded Alamo Plaza was horrible for business when his shop first opened, he said. Now that one lane can get through, its a bit better. Since March 1, its been decent, he said.

If only George P. Bush, the state land commissioner since 2014, saw similar hopeful signs. As El Paso writer Richard Parker tells the tale in a smart piece in last weeks Politico, Bush envisioned himself the savior of the shrine that his office oversees. Despite his personal political heritage, he did not foresee a Third Battle of the Alamo with an uber-ambitious lieutenant governor who probably envisions dropping the adjectival qualifier in the not-too-distant future. Dan Patrick speaks for the traditionalists who suspect Bush is seeking to deemphasize the Alamo martyrs story in favor of Spaniards, Mexicans and Native Americans.

Shortly after the young land commissioner took office, he proposed a $450 million makeover that would expand the Alamo story beyond the brief but consequential battle. The plaza would be closed to traffic. A 130,000-square-foot museum would tell the story from the construction in about 1718 of Mission San Antonio de Valero (the Alamo) through the Spains decades-long efforts to Christianize and civilize Native Americans. It would explore the significance of Mexicos war for independence from Spain and the arrival of American colonists, including slaveholders, who would serve as a military buffer, so to speak, between interior Mexico and the Comanches.

Under the GLO plan, the 60-foot-high Cenotaph, erected in 1936 during the Texas Cenetennial, would be shifted to a less conspicuous site. Also, believe it or not, Ripleys Haunted Adventure and its tawdry tourist neighbors would disappear.

Bush got into an all-but-inevitable fight with the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, the group that had managed the Alamo for more than a century. He maintained that the Daughters werent up to overseeing a historic site and had allowed what was left of the three-centuries-old structure to deteriorate. When he relieved the group of its day-to-day management responsibilities, the Daughters sued. The Land Office settled, allowing the Daughters to keep the archives and paying the organization $200,000 in legal fees, but the management change remained in effect.

Bush also contracted with a Philadelphia-based design firm to come up with a comprehensive plan. To give visitors a better sense of the original boundaries of the compound, the Philly architects proposed erecting a plexiglass wall encompassing the whole plaza.

An out-of-state design firm, no more Daughters - the self-appointed gatekeepers already were grumbling when Bush proposed moving the Cenotaph. To the gatekeepers, moving the monument was tantamount to disrespecting the Alamo martyrs, whose names are inscribed beneath graven images of the most prominent. The Texas Historical Commission subsequently ruled that the Cenotaph will stay where it is.

One of the louder gatekeepers posted on Facebook that Bush, whose mother was born in Mexico, was planning to erect a statue of Santa Anna on the plaza. He had no such plan and labeled the claim flat-out racist. That retort prompted the lieutenant governor, as loud and combative as a Texian cannoneer, to contend that by calling the man a racist, Bush himself was being racist.

Patrick thus assumed the post of chief Alamo defender. Its not a bad place to be for an opportunistic would-be governor, even as Bushs political career seems to be in a holding pattern for the moment. Maybe hell run for attorney general, maybe for a third term as land commissioner.

Bushs hazy political future reminds me of the Alamo itself. With the bicentennial celebration of Texas independence not far off, were still not sure how to tell the Alamo story. The plaza, and our plans, may be as cluttered in 2036 as they are today.

Or maybe it was just the weather last week. Jerry Patterson, Bushs predecessor as land commissioner (and an ardent opponent of his fellow Republican), says Im being too dour. In an email, he mentioned signs of hope: the end of the Cenotaph fight, no matter which side you were on; new personnel with the Alamo Trust and with the city; the newly installed 18-pound. cannon replica emplacement that serves as a useful marker for the original southwestern boundary of the Alamo fortress. Id also note that much of the progress is unseen research and remediation of the chapel and long barrack, he wrote.

During his tenure as land commissioner, Patterson was instrumental in persuading British rocker Phil Collins to donate his massive Alamo collection to the state on condition that Texas would either build or find a place to house it. Patterson has been told that construction of an interim museum will begin very soon. Thats another hopeful sign, he notes, since Collins imposed a deadline when he donated his collection.

Well see. Genesis fans will recall Collins lyrics that may be Alamo-apt today: If you hang in long enough, youll do it/Just hang in long enough.

djholley10@gmail.com

Twitter: holleynews
Searchers from Houston are combing a Matagorda County river for a missing Huntsville man who disappeared in the water when his boat capsized while night fishing with a friend.

Members of Texas EquuSearch  many of whom knew the missing man  descended on the Colorado River, near where it meets Matagorda Bay, at day break to find 24-year-old Jacob Langley. Langley was thrown from the fishing vessel when it hit a submerged log while heading back to shore, relatives said.
Two Harris County Sheriffs Office deputies were fired in April, including one accused of using force against a juvenile.

Separate internal investigations found that the deputies committed serious policy violations, according to the Harris County Sheriffs Office.

Deputy Bert Dillow was fired April 28 after an investigation into a video on social media, which showed a use-of-force incident with a juvenile male.

Deputy Eric D. Sanchez was fired April 8 after another video on social media showed an encounter with a motorist. The Sheriffs Office Administrative Discipline Committee found that he violated several policies involving use and discharge of firearms and body-worn cameras.

Both men had been placed on administrative duty until the committee finished the investigations, according to the sheriffs office.

Dillow worked for the agency since September 2018, most recently on patrol, and Sanchez worked for the agency since August 2016. He most recently worked in patrol support services.

The sheriffs office will share evidence with the Harris County District Attorneys Office to determine whether charges are appropriate, authorities said in a news release.

The deputies can both appeal their terminations to the Sheriffs Civil Service Commission.
A woman on Houston police radar for the past year in the death of a 5-year-old boy  killed by a stray bullet  has been charged with murder after court records show she planned to be gone on the first train to Austin if the authorities closed in on her.

The little boy, identified in medical examiner records as Jordan Allen Jr., was last year making TikTok videos with his family  including two other children  when gunfire erupted in a parking lot in the 8900 block of Richmond. The March 31 shooting sent the boys father and kids inside an apartment for safety.

The father looked back and saw Jordan slumped over with a gunshot wound to the head. Another witness saw a vehicle speeding away.

Jordan died three days later at a hospital.

Investigators now believe 30-year-old Shapree Stoneham  identified in April 2020 as a person of interest, had a role in the fatal shooting, with court records showing she was at the apartment complex with her cousin when a fight broke out earlier that day.

A recorded conversation between Stoneham and a tipster indicates the cousin  whom police identified as person of interest Khalisah Smith  was feuding with a friend of Jordans uncle. The clash escalated to violence and someone beat up Smith, court records show.

The women left, but phone records and witness statements show Stoneham and Smith, 20, returned to the apartment complex around 9:30 p.m., when the shooting was reported, according to police.

Charging papers quote a woman in the recording, made after the shooting, as saying, Im the best getaway driver. The tipster identified the voice as Stoneham, and the same woman in the audio said Smith was in a passenger seat.

The woman in the recording then said the boys uncle called Smith in tears to accuse her of the shooting.

That was you. I know it was you. You went back and shot up my people, the uncle said, according to court records.

The woman in the recording then allegedly encouraged her cousin to cover their tracks.

Shapree also stated that if the police came after her then she would be gone on the first train to Austin, investigators wrote in charging papers.

Investigators reached Stoneham by phone a week after the shooting. She denied having a role in the shooting during their conversation but pinned the shooting on Smith.

She also told investigators she was in Austin and without a ride to Houston to be interviewed further. Police, as of mid-April, do not know where Stoneham is, and a warrant has been issued for her arrest. She stopped taking their calls, according to court records.

At the time of the shooting, Stonehams cousin was out on a combined $30,000 bond following an arrest on multiple felony prostitution charges. Her lawyer, Blanca Lopez, withdrew from the case after Smith could not be found.

Payment paperwork show Lopez fielded multiple calls from investigators as early as last August about wanting to interview Smith in the childs death.

Multiple bond forfeiture warrants for Smiths arrest have since been issued in connection to the prostitution cases, court records show. She has not been charged in connection to the shooting.

A third person of interest whom police identified last year appears to have been cooperative.

Stoneham was initially charged April 22 with capital murder in the boys death, but the case was dropped, with prosecutors expressing plans to refile.

nicole.hensley@chron.com
Houston, MO (65483)

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AN investigator with the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) and a junior police officer have slapped top cop, Senior Assistant Commissioner Erasmus Makodza with a $15 million defamation lawsuit after he alleged that the pair was corrupt and received bribes from a prominent land developer.

Zacc investigator Eric Chacha and his wife Fortunate Dube, who is a police officer based in Marondera through their lawyers from J Mambara & Partners alleged that Makodza defamed them by making claims in a letter addressed to police Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga.

The letter dated March 4, 2021 alleged that the two were engaged in suspicious relations with land developer Felix Munyaradzi who is embroiled in court battles with Makodza, the ZRP officer commanding Matabeleland North.

Makodza also alleged in the letter to Matanga that Dube was involved in financial transactions with Munyaradzi, who is an accused person in a case of fraud relating to land in the Sandton area of Mt Hampden in which Makodza is a complainant.

The top cop also alleged that there was a sexual relationship between Dube and Munyaradzi and that the land developer had bought the junior cop a vehicle and assisted in building a house.

The said words in the context of the letter and the published articles stemming therefrom are wrongful and defamatory of the plaintiffs in that they were intended and were understood by the recipients of the letter and readers of the newspapers to mean that Chacha is a dishonest and corrupt person while Dube is a promiscuous, corrupt and shady character, the declaration by the two now before the High Court read in part.

The lawyers said the publication of the false and vexatious article caused harm to the pair. As a result of the defamation, plaintiffs have been damaged in their reputation and have suffered damages in the sum of $15 million, the lawyers said.

Recently, lawyers representing Makodza wrote to Zacc alleging that Chacha should recuse himself as he is allegedly obstructing the course of justice and criminally abusing his office.

The top cop also wrote to the Special Anti-Corruption Unit (Sacu) asking it to investigate Chacha for alleged abuse of office. Makodza was recently arrested for criminal abuse of office as a public officer for illegally crafting a deal for his alleged girlfriend, Mawonei Chapfudza, which enabled her to enter into a farming joint venture with the police at Lendy Farm in Marondera in 2019. He was remanded on $10 000 bail. Newsday
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The Selectmen close the town meeting warrant Wednesday. Voters will decide 27 articles.

Lanesborough to Vote on Gun Law Sanctuary Proposal

LANESBOROUGH, Mass.  A citizen petition to make Lanesborough a "sanctuary town" from any federal gun laws seen as violating the 2nd Amendment will come before voters in June, following approval of the warrant for town meeting by the Board of Selectmen last week.

The petition, submitted by resident Donald Dermyer, calls on Lanesborough to "designate Lanesborough, MA as a 'Designated Town' to keep the Federal government from enforcing any laws and regulations to limit the Second Amendment."

"All federal acts, laws, orders, rules, and regulations by the Federal Government and specifically Presidential Administration whether past, present, or future," Dermyer's petition reads in its primary summary, "which infringe on the peoples right to keep and bear arms as guaranteed by the Second Amendment of the Constitution of the United States and/or Article XX of the Constitution of the State of Massachusetts shall be invalid in the Town, shall not be recognized in the Town, and of no effect in this Town, specifically rejected by this Town, and shall be considered null and void and of no effect in this Town."

The petition lists five categories of circumstances it considers 2nd Amendment violations, including new taxes and fees on firearms, registration or tracking of firearms, tracking of firearms owners, confiscation of firearms or ammunition, and an open-ended clause that includes "any act past, present, or future" passed by Congress that is seen as infringing on the 2nd Amendment.

Dermyer is asking that the town disregard the enforcement of any such laws by local police, and furthermore stipulates that if passed, any federal law enforcement personnel attempting to enforce such laws would be subject to arrest by Lanesborough Police.

The petition has been signed by a total of 10 voters, the minimum number needed to place a petition on the town warrant for a vote under Lanesborough's voters. At a previous meeting, Selectmen clarified that their approval of the petition to go to town meeting does not represent an endorsement of its contents.

"The voters have the right to decide for themselves," Selectmen Michael Murphy stated.

The petition is one of 27 articles advanced on the warrant by Selectmen on Wednesday, to be put before Lanesborough voters on June 15, 2021. The town meeting will be held at 6 p.m. at Lanesborough Elementary School.

Voting for the town election will be held at Town Hall the following day, June 16, from noon to 8 p.m.
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During the pandemic, it's been noticeable how United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has stood apart from some of his competitors, by striking a tone of "realism" about the future, as opposed to "optimism."

As he said during an earnings call in January, for example:

From the beginning of the crisis, our approach has been to be clear-eyed about the challenges and likely course of the recovery. That's often made us appear more pessimistic and that's perhaps still true today. But being realistic instead of either optimistic or pessimistic has given us a clear advantage.

But, hold that thought. Kirby did a live video interview last week with David Ignatius, columnist at The Washington Post. And I think Kirby might just have become an optimist.

His outlook can be summarized by three short (may I say beautiful?) words that any business leader would like to hear: "huge pent-up demand."

The context:

[A]fter all we've been through as a society in the last 14 months, you can clearly see huge pent-up demand and desire for people to get back out and experience the world ...

Now, I'm going to share two reasons to be skeptical about this take, then a third reason that will restore hope, and finally the reason why it matters no matter what business you're in.

First, the reasons for skepticism. I'm a recovering lawyer turned writer, so you'll have to excuse my proclivities:

So far, it's largely an anecdotal prognosis, and it's subject to change. Yes, people want to travel, but the pandemic isn't over, and there are still entire countries Americans aren't supposed to visit. To this point in his conversation with the Post, Kirby was talking primarily about the rebound of tourist and other non-business travel. That's nice to have. But an airline like United Airlines makes its real money in business travel.

I hate to pour so much cold water. So let's quickly go to the reason that will restore hope.

Because when Kirby was asked specifically about business travel, he related a three-part anecdote. It went like this:

April 2020: The CEO of a company whose employees do a lot of travel on United told Kirby that he thought his company was simply going to reduce travel by 50 percent going forward.

Fall 2020: The same CEO, Kirby said, told him now that he predicted business travel would decline less -- maybe 25 percent from 2019 levels.

January 2021: Same CEO, new conversation. As Kirby recalled: "We realize ... it's really hard to keep our culture together if we're not together. [A]t least for the first year or two, once we're allowed to travel, we're going to have to travel more than we did in 2019."

One big customer, over the course of a year, had gone from predicting a 50 percent reduction to an increase, Kirby said. That's the kind of thing that's sparked his optimism.

"Our bet is that business travel is going to come back," he said, "and that is because business travel is about human relationships and human interactions. And as tough as this pandemic has been, it has not changed human desire to be together."

As regular readers might know, I think business leaders in every industry should watch and learn from the airlines.

It's not that they do everything right. But they're in a commodity industry, trying to differentiate themselves from one another, and doing everything under the highest levels of public scrutiny.

It's like getting a new business school case study to learn from, almost every week, so you can step back, extrapolate, and figure out how the steps they take would work in your business. Here, at least two things spring to mind.

The first has to do with that beautiful phrase: "huge pent-up demand."

I'm sure you're already anticipating or hoping for this. But to what degree can you plan for a recovery that doesn't just get you back to where you were, assuming you've lost something, but also makes up for lost time?

The second has to do with listening deeply to what your customers tell you -- maybe even more deeply than they listen to themselves.

Because Kirby says he's confident that CEO he quoted wouldn't actually remember having predicted his air travel would go down 50 percent, then down 25 percent, and then actually up 20 percent or so.

That means that Kirby would have more insight about at least one aspect of his customer's business than the customer has himself.

Have you ever been in that situation? I'm going to guess the answer is yes. And if so, can you take customers at face value -- but also assess the trends they articulate, even when they don't realize the value of the information they're sharing?

It's a pretty useful trick if you can pull it off. And that makes it something to be very optimistic about.
Extinction Rebellion protesters have blocked traffic across the UK to urge the government to take tougher action on climate change.

More than 200 activists, including nurses, teachers and students, sat alone in front of traffic in towns and cities ranging from Bangor in Northern Ireland to Canterbury in Kent.

The group described the Rebellion of One demonstrations - held at 11am on Saturday to mark two years since parliament's declaration of a climate emergency - as "multiple courageous acts of nonviolent civil disobedience".

Several protesters were arrested, including GP Sarah Benn, who said she obstructed a local road in Birmingham to protest "the woeful inertia of our elected leaders in taking the action needed to protect us and future generations from its effects."

Ten of the 40 protesters in London were arrested, according to Extinction Rebellion (XR). One man glued himself to Westminster Bridge, while Morgan Trowland, a 68-year-old civil engineer from Hackney, east London, glued himself to Tower Bridge.

Mr Trowland said: "I'm terrified that billions will die because of the climate crisis, humans and non-humans. I'm freaking out that many people are accepting this, or feel powerless to change the course. I want to show onlookers that we each have phenomenal power."

Each of the protesters wore signs bearing messages such as: I am terrified for my grandsons future because of the climate crisis.

Andrea Muntiu, a 36-year-old nurse who blocked traffic in her home town of Ipswich, said: "People may wonder what a nurse is doing sitting in the road with a placard. They may wonder what impact this will have on my career or whether I'll get in trouble with the police.

A protester blocks traffic in Nottingham as part of the Rebellion of One day of action (PA)

"I am aware of the risks but I feel I have a moral duty to warn people about the catastrophic consequences of the climate crisis. Floods, hunger, drought, pandemics, species extinction and social collapse will all be a reality if we dont act, and the children of this country and of this world will be the first and most affected.

We cannot let this happen. We can still change things, we can demand the government acts now and safeguards what we have."

And Fiona Prior, a 58 year-old retired primary school teacher who blocked traffic in Carlisle, said: I am terrified for the future of my 6-year old grandson. What should I tell him? That I stood back and did nothing or that nana Fi did everything she possibly could to make the changes happen?

Police speak to a protester kneeling in a road in Cambridge (PA)

XR claimed that the government was more concerned about creating positive headlines by announcing tougher targets instead of taking real action.

"We are seeing today that people are scared and frustrated at the refusal of this government to accept the severity of the crisis," said XR spokesperson Gully Bujak.

"The government needs to commission a national citizens assembly on climate and ecological justice, because even if politicians are scared to face the truth, ordinary people are ready for action."

May Day also saw several Kill The Bill demonstrations against proposed legislation which would give police more powers to restrict protests and make it an offence to intentionally or recklessly cause public nuisance. The government says the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill is necessary to prevent widespread disruption caused by the XR protests of 2019 and last summers Black Lives Matter demonstrations.
When Emilie Faucheron and her husband took over her father's vineyard in southern France in 2014, she knew that the climate crisis in this sun-soaked region could one day upend their business.

But she didn't expect that day to come so soon  or to be so cold.

Last month, France saw record temperatures for March. Faucheron sensed spring was just around the corner, and so did her grapevines, which began to grow early.

But on the night of 7 April, a freeze with temperatures as low as -27C descended on the region, piercing the vulnerable buds that had only just emerged and destroying 80 per cent of them in Faucheron's vineyard.

It's terrible to have spent months working for nothing, she said the following day, walking the rows of her vineyard and wiping away tears. We put all our passion into it.

Read More:

Winemakers across France faced similar devastation, despite desperate last-minute efforts to protect their vines. Some had rented helicopters to hover above their estates and push warmer air toward the ground. Many lit candles or fires, making the country's vineyards appear like glittering cities in the night.

What is most surprising over the last five years is the suddenness and magnitude of the problem

But as climate change progresses, solutions that once worked are no longer as effective. By the end of France's big freeze, at least one-third of this year's wine harvest and many other crops were lost, in what by some estimates was the country's worst agricultural disaster of the century. It may take years for some vineyards to recover.

Drastic temperature fluctuations and erratic weather patterns may have a lasting impact on French wines and the way they are made. Increasingly, producers are experimenting with a range of options to mitigate climate change, including the cultivation of more robust grape varieties and a focus on emerging technology such as solar panels that could help protect buds and grapes.

This has become a particularly pressing issue in and around the Languedoc-Roussillon wine region, near the Mediterranean coast, where the recent cold snap followed a cascade of other crises linked to climate change.

What is most surprising over the last five years is the suddenness and magnitude of the problem, said Jean Natoli, a winemaker and oenology consultant.

The vineyard catastrophe is linked to the climate crisis (The Washington Post)

In 2019, many grapes in the region were grilled by a summer heat wave, as drought emptied water reserves. In other years, warm winters have lulled grapevines into a misleading biological sense of security  known as false spring  that encourages the plants to grow and makes them more vulnerable to frost later in spring. Had temperatures in March been lower this year, the cold snap this month would have caused less damage, experts say.

The overall rise in temperatures has already advanced grape harvests by several weeks and is changing the wines' sensitive equilibrium of aromas. Warmer temperatures are making them more alcoholic and less acidic, which is changing their taste.

Faucheron said she had believed her vineyard  surrounded by lush Mediterranean trees and embedded in smooth hills - to be relatively protected. Even with the sound of a helicopter hovering over her neighbor's estate and cold air seeping into her house early on 8 April, she was optimistic that she had been spared the worst. So she rushed to help her neighbours. It wasn't until later that morning that she noticed the lifeless leaves and buds hanging from most of her own vines.

If temperatures in March been lower, the April cold snap would have caused less damage (The Washington Post)

In shock, she took out her phone and went live on YouTube.

In a country where wine is part of the national identity, the video struck a nerve. In the following days, her phone kept ringing, as experts offered their advice.

Last week, President Emmanuel Macron met with regional representatives in nearby Montpellier and promised quick financial support. But few local winegrowers expect government help to be a lasting solution.

One cannot only live off state aid, Natoli said.

Solar panels could limit the effects of global warming on wine producing (The Washington Post)

Overlooking the devastated vineyard of one of his longtime consulting clients, Natoli said the wine region in France's south is on the brink of a revolution that will fundamentally change the industry. Grape varieties that flourished here for hundreds of years may soon become unviable. Instead, winemakers will need to experiment with new varieties or techniques. Irrigation projects will need to be expanded to fend off drought.

Natoli's client, Thierry Guibal, had already begun to try out more robust grape varieties. This year's frost added a new sense of urgency.

But switching to different grapes takes at least three years, and success is not guaranteed, Natoli said.

A different sort of adaptation is on display on a plain outside the town of Piolenc, a two-hour drive from Faucheron's vineyard, where researchers are hoping to turn southern France's vineyards into solar power hubs.

Grape varieties that flourished in the south of France for hundreds of years may soon become unviable (The Washington Post)

Above a small vineyard owned by the local chamber of agriculture, French solar power company Sun'R Group has installed photovoltaic panels that can follow the path of the sun  and may at the same time protect vines from some of the most dire consequences of climate change.

In summer, the panels provide shade, reduce water consumption and cool the ground. During frost periods, the panels have the opposite effect and keep warmer air near the vulnerable buds.

For each grape variety and vineyard, the company calculates the optimal ratio between shade and sunlight to determine the solar panels' movements. From a control room in Lyon, technicians can monitor the smallest changes to the vineyard's microclimate, from humidity to temperatures, measured by tubes and sensors around the plants. Every few minutes, a buzzing sound indicates the panels above are recalibrating their position.

The company's pitch is that the panels can help winemakers minimise the risk of climate change-related losses, while giving solar energy investors access to land that is increasingly scarce in the country.

Thierry Guibals wine harvests may dry out soon (The Washington Post)

Only up to about 130,000 acres of non-agricultural suitable land are still unused in France, said Jean-Edouard de Salins, director of global development at the company. The researchers say there is up to four times as much space still available on southern French vineyards and suitable farms that could be covered with solar panels.

The company says it has more than 60 projects in development and a number of competitors are vying for a share of the market, too. But whether they can succeed will also depend on how far vineyard owners are willing to go to counter climate change.

Temperatures during the recent cold snap got down to -4C (The Washington Post)

If we do nothing, there will be no more vineyards, said Silvere Deveze, an employee with the local agriculture chamber. To make the solar panel installations less visually disruptive, Sun'R offers to plant trees around them.

But Faucheron, the wine producer in Montady, cautioned that it is a solution that is not going to be accepted everywhere. She would be willing to consider such an installation in parts of her estate where few visitors ever go, but not in the vineyard's picturesque centre that can be rented out for receptions.

Faucheron and Guibal hope their prior harvests will carry them through this year, but they are afraid of what's next. Some vines may still produce secondary buds in the coming weeks, though they often do not produce many grapes, offering only a slight relief.

Inside Guibal's wine cellar, each container is marked with the year of production. For now, some tanks are still filled with wines from prior harvests.

It's a lifeline that may soon dry out.

The disaster will strike next year, Guibal said.

 The Washington Post
Boris Johnsons view of women has been forever impacted by not mixing with girls until he was much older than the average child due to his all-male education, a senior Conservative MP has said.

Caroline Nokes, chair of the Women and Equalities Select Committee in parliament, told The Independent the prime ministers ministerial appointments are based on finding the right chap rather than the best candidate for the role as she said women are overlooked repeatedly.

Ms Nokes argued that Mr Johnson, who has frequently been criticised for making sexist and racist remarks, is less sexist than he was, but noted he had a long way to go.

The MP for Romsey and Southampton North said she is convinced the Etonian prime ministers blokey mentality partly stems from his education and the type of upbringing he had.

Ms Nokes added: What we see is somebody who wasnt educated with girls... who didnt mix with them until he was significantly older than your average child. I think it has forever impacted his perceptions.

Often when it comes to making ministerial appointments, its all about who is the best chap for the job, not necessarily who would be the best candidate for the job.

Ms Nokes claimed that the fact that childcare was shut and forgotten in the first lockdown was absolute evidence that there need to be more women sat around the decision-making table to make rounded choices.

It is really sad; even in recent months, weve seen the proportion of women in cabinet go down, Ms Nokes added. You wouldnt have thought that was really possible.

Johnson was originally educated at Eton College and went on to study Classics at Balliol College, Oxford.

Women account for about a third of MPs and local councillors, while only five out of 23 cabinet ministers are women. For more than six months at the height of the pandemic, there was not a single Downing Street press conference that was not led by a man.

If Boris Johnson truly was a feminist ... he would be the sort of person who pulled himself up when he was making decisions. You dont become a feminist by calling yourself one. Caroline Nokes MP

Ms Nokes, a former Home Office minister, said Mr Johnson recognises he should have more women in his cabinet yet fails to appoint another woman at every opportunity he has.

I dont think he is a feminist, Ms Nokes said of her partys leader. If he truly was a feminist then he would have far more of a commitment. He would be the sort of person who pulled himself up when he was making decisions. You dont become a feminist by calling yourself one.

Ms Nokes went on to say that, while she was not shocked by the outpouring of womens stories about being sexually harassed, assaulted, or abused by men in public spaces after Sarah Everards killing, she was appalled that they were forced to endure such behaviour.

The politician warned that even in 2021 women are subjected to hideous everyday incidents of harassment and abuse  noting that they are often reluctant to report it to the police and have fears that their allegations will not be taken seriously or investigated if they do come forward.

In a wide-ranging interview, Ms Nokes argued that the backlash from some men over women sharing stories stemmed from an oversensitivity and a fragile male ego as well as a lack of willingness to be an ally to women.

The politician, who said she fears for her own 22-year-old daughter's safety, added: The good guys want to be an ally.

Ms Nokes voiced scepticism at controversial plans for plainclothes police officers to patrol bars and nightclubs to safeguard women from predatory men.

Ministers announced the fiercely criticised plans in response to mounting anger that the government was not doing enough to tackle violence against women in the wake of Ms Everards death.

Recommended Thousands gather around London to mourn Sarah Everard and condemn police handling of vigil

Ms Nokes said she was sceptical that such plans would be successful, and when pressed about whether it would be difficult to enforce the measures due to members of the public pretending to be police officers, she warned it could lead to all sorts of strange situations.

The politician said there is a lot more to be done to tackle violence against women and girls as she argued that the criminal justice system needed to work better for female victims of crime  adding that the stats speak for themselves.

Campaigners have long warned that rape has been effectively decriminalised, with prosecutions and convictions for sexual assault and rape reaching record lows last year. Government data shows that, in the year to March 2020, just 1.4 per cent of 55,130 rape cases recorded by police had resulted in prosecution.

More CCTV, more street lights  these are physical deterrents but theyre not addressing the root cause, Ms Nokes added, in reference to plans unveiled by the government in April.

A few street lights are not going to prevent a perpetrator who is determined to harass, assault, or stalk a woman from doing so.

A woman is killed by a current or previous partner every four days in England and Wales, while a recent survey by UN Women found that 97 per cent of young women in the UK said they had been sexually harassed and 80 per cent reported experiencing sexual harassment in public spaces.

We have to address the culture around why some men think it is acceptable to abuse and harass women, Ms Nokes added.

A government spokesperson said: This government continues to deliver policies to improve the support, protection and opportunities available for women.

This includes funding during the pandemic for sectors women are more likely to be employed in, specific protections for female-led start-ups, flexible furlough arrangements for those unable to work due to the closure of schools, nurseries, and childcare services, and enhanced childcare support.

Alongside supporting jobs, action is also being taken to protect women and girls and support victims and survivors. The new Domestic Abuse Act will ensure that victims have the protection they need, and later this year we will publish our new Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls strategy to tackle all forms of this crime and bring perpetrators to justice.
Boris Johnson is facing intense pressure to allow a second Scottish independence referendum if the SNP win a majority at Holyrood on Thursday, after a new poll for The Independent showed British voters think he would be wrong to deny a fresh ballot.

The UK government argues that now is not the time for another vote and that politicians should focus on rebuilding the economy in the wake of the Covid pandemic.

But Nicola Sturgeons SNP has said outright victory in this weeks Holyrood elections would be a mandate for a second referendum.

And a new BMG poll for The Independent suggests Britons agree.

The survey found that 41 per cent of those asked said Mr Johnson should allow another vote within four years if pro-independence parties win a majority in the Scottish Parliament this week, compared to just 33 per cent who opposed and 26 per cent who said they did not know.

The poll also suggested that Mr Johnson would be heavily expected to win another referendum.

Just 19 per cent said Scottish independence would be positive for the UK, while 41 per cent believe it would be negative.

The only part of the UK where voters were more likely to back Mr Johnsons position on holding a second referendum than oppose it was Scotland.

There, 41 per cent thought the prime minister should grant another referendum, while 44 per cent thought he should not.

In response, Ms Sturgeon said: What this poll shows is that Boris Johnson and the Tories cant deny democracy forever.

When the Scottish parliament decides it is the right time for the people of Scotland to choose their future, it would be foolish for a Westminster Tory government to stand in the way of the democratic will of the people of Scotland.

But a UK government spokesperson said the SNPs push for a divisive referendum was irresponsible.

The poll also shows that across Britain as a whole, only the over-65s believe Mr Johnsons government has taken the right approach.

They back his position by 45 per cent to 35 per cent.

But no other age group agreed.

And young people were especially likely to believe the outcome of Thursdays vote could lead to another independence poll.

Among 18-24 year olds, 48 per cent thought the government should allow another referendum, while just 15 per cent thought they should withhold permission.

As well as the SNP, the Scottish Greens also support independence, as do Alba, the new party formed by Ms Sturgeons rival and former ally Alex Salmond.

He is hoping that voters will deliver a super majority among pro-independence parties on Thursday.

UK ministers were spooked by a series of polls earlier this year which suggested support for independence had risen in Scotland.

However, polls in recent days suggest that backing for independence may have waned during the course of this election campaign.

Some UK government insiders believe the chances of a pro-independence majority on Thursday are currently touch-and-go.

A UK government spokesperson said: Now more than ever, people in Scotland want to see the UK government and the devolved administrations working together to protect lives and livelihoods.

The United Kingdom is the most successful political and economic union the world has ever seen, and this pandemic and our collective response, from the furlough scheme to vaccine procurement and the backing of our military personnel, has shown that we are at our strongest when we work together towards a common goal.

The push for a divisive referendum is simply irresponsible. It is a distraction, when we need to focus on continuing to tackle the pandemic and rebuilding our economy.
Iran will free prisoners with Western ties in Iran in exchange for billions of dollars from the United States and the United Kingdom, state television reported Sunday. The U.S. immediately denied the report.

The state TV report quoted an anonymous official just as Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei began giving what authorities earlier described as an important speech. However, Khamenei did not immediately discuss any proposed swap amid negotiations in Vienna over Tehran s tattered nuclear deal with world powers.

The official quoted by Iranian state TV said a deal made between the U.S. and Tehran involved a prisoner swap in exchange for the release of $7 billion in frozen Iranian funds.

The Americans accepted to pay $7 billion and swap four Iranians who were active in bypassing sanctions for four American spies who have served part of their sentences, state TV said, quoting the official in an on-screen crawl.

U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price immediately denied the Iranian state TV report.

Reports that a prisoner swap deal has been reached are not true," Price said. "As we have said, we always raise the cases of Americans detained or missing in Iran. We will not stop until we are able to reunite them with their families.

Price did not elaborate.

Tehran holds four known Americans now in prison. They include Baquer and Siamak Namazi, environmentalist Morad Tahbaz and Iranian-American businessman Emad Shargi. The state TV report did not immediately name the Iranians that Tehran hoped to get the in swap.

Officials in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

State TV also quoted the official as saying a deal had been reached for the United Kingdom to pay 400 million pounds to see the release of British-Iranian woman Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe The office of Prime Minister Boris Johnson referred calls to the Foreign Office, which could not be immediately reached.

Last week, Zaghari-Ratcliffe was sentenced to an additional year in prison, her lawyer said, on charges of spreading propaganda against the system for participating in a protest in front of the Iranian Embassy in London in 2009.

That came after she completed a five-year prison sentence in the Islamic Republic after being convicted of plotting the overthrow of Irans government, a charge that she, her supporters and rights groups deny.

While employed at the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of the news agency, she was taken into custody at the Tehran airport in April 2016 as she was returning home to Britain after visiting family.

Richard Ratcliffe, the husband of Zaghari-Ratcliffe, told The Associated Press he was not aware of any swap in the works.

"We havent heard anything," he said. Of course we probably wouldnt, but my instinct is to be skeptical at present.

___

Gambrell and DeBre reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writers Danika Kirka in London and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.
 Close White House vows to ignore Trump if Facebook reinstates him

The Facebook Oversight Board has upheld the platforms decision to ban Donald Trump for posts related to the attack on the US Capitol in January by his supporters.

An independent group that reviews the companys most complex issues, the oversight panel also found that the platform was wrong to ban Mr Trump indefinitely, and insists that the company apply and justify a defined penalty  giving it six months to review its initial decision.

Mr Trump has reacted to the news with fury, demanding that these corrupt social media companies must pay a political price.

For its part, the White House says that social media companies have a responsibility to combat the spread of misinformation.

The presidents view is that the major platforms have a responsibility related to the health and safety of all Americans to stop amplifying untrustworthy content, misinformation, disinformation  especially related to Covid-19, vaccines and elections, press secretary Jen Psaki said on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Liz Cheneys days in the House GOP leadership look to be numbered, with her immediate senior Steve Scalise officially coming out against her.

Mr Trump released another statement attacking Ms Cheney as throwing his support behind Elise Stefanik as the new party conference chair.
El Salvadors new Legislative Assembly, controlled by President Nayib Bukeles New Ideas party, held its first session Saturday with lawmakers voting to remove the magistrates of the constitutional chamber of the Supreme Court

The assembly voted 64 to 19 with one abstention to oust the five magistrates on the chamber, which had angered Bukele by ruling against some of his tougher measures during the pandemic.

Ruling party lawmakers defended the decision, saying the court had put private interests above the health and welfare of the people, while the opposition called it a power grab by a populist president seeking total control.

This is an outrage against the Republic and democracy, the conservative opposition National Republican Alliance, or ARENA, said on its Twitter account.

ARENA party president Erick Salguero called the initiative a violation of the constitution and part of Bukeles search for complete power.

Bukele defended the process, saying the Legislative Assemblys ability to dismiss the courts judges is an INCONTROVERTIBLE power clearly expressed in article 186 of the Constitution of the Republic.

El Salvadors constitution states that the magistrates of the Supreme Court of Justice  the Constitutional Court is a branch of the Supreme Court -- may be removed by the Legislative Assembly for specific causes established by law. Both the election and dismissal of the courts members must have the support of two thirds of the lawmakers.

We note with concern the proposal by some members of the National Assembly to remove five magistrates of El Salvadors Constitutional Chamber, tweeted Julie Chung, acting assistant secretary for the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs. An independent judiciary is the foundation of any democracy; no democracy can live without it.

Jose Miguel Vivanco, director of Human Rights Watchs Americas division, wrote on Twitter that Bukele is breaking with the rule of law and seeks to concentrate all power in his hands.

The 39-year-old Bukele, a populist who has been criticized for having autocratic tendencies, is by far the most popular politician in Central America.

His New Ideas party swept Feb. 28 legislative elections by a landslide last month devastating the two traditional parties who had long ruled the Central American nation.
Former Donald Trump strategist and architect of the widely-maligned migrant child separation policy Stephen Miller is behind a group suing the Biden administration for providing aid to Black farmers, arguing it gave them an unfair advantage over white farmers.

Mr Miller appeared on Fox News to discuss his lawsuit, arguing that Covid-19 relief intended to allocate $5bn to help Black farmers was discriminatory and that it was unfair to white farmers.

The $5bn is intended to help socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers with loan forgiveness. Qualifying recipients include Black, Hispanic, Native American, Alaskan native, Asian-American and Pacific Islander farmers and ranchers, but not white farmers and ranchers.

White farmers and ranchers have long been the recipients of substantial federal subsidies that make it possible for farms to operate and keep food prices relatively inexpensive.

"We filed two lawsuits. One lawsuit to ensure that farm aid is delivered irrespective of one's race and ethnicity," Mr Miller said. "The Biden administration has specifically excluded people solely based on skin colour. That's outrageous."

He then discussed his second lawsuit, a return to form for Mr Miller in that it aims to curb immigration into the country.

"Imagine you were living in an apartment building and a new landlord came in and he ripped off all the doors, he ripped out all the windows and he said that any lawbreaker, any trespasser, any vandal, anyone  even criminal  who wants to come into your building and your unit is free to do so," Mr Miller said, likening immigrants to criminals. "That is what President Biden has done to the country."

The US Department of Agriculture issued a statement to NBC News saying they were aware of and reviewing the lawsuit.

"We are reviewing the complaint and working with the Department of Justice. During this review, we will continue to implement the debt relief to qualified socially disadvantaged borrowers under the American Rescue Plan Act," the statement said.

Tom Vilsack, the US Agriculture Secretary, said the money was intended to address longstanding inequalities faced by non-white farmers.

For generations, socially disadvantaged farmers have struggled to fully succeed due to systemic discrimination and a cycle of debt, Mr Vilsack said. On top of the economic pain caused by the pandemic, farmers from socially disadvantaged communities are dealing with a disproportionate share of Covid-19 infection rates, hospitalisations, death and economic hurt.

Mr Miller's group, America First Legal, is aimed at stopping the "radical activist left."

He founded the group alongside Mr Trump's former chief of staff Mark Meadows.

Mr Miller has been linked to white nationalist writings by a former Brietbart reporter. The reporter said Mr Miller sent her emails suggesting she read articles from sites VDARE and American Renaissance, both of which are repositories for white supremacist writings.

She also said Mr Miller suggest she read "The Camp of the Saints," a French novel from the 1970's that portrays the end of Western civilization at the hands of migrant mobs from non-Western countries.

When confronted about the emails, Mr Miller said they were not white supremacist but rather pro-American.

Theres nothing wrong in any of my emails, theres nothing wrong in anything I said, unless being proud to be American and standing up for American citizens is a crime, Mr Miller said during a Fox Business interview after the messages were made public.
Susan Wright, who received Donald Trumps endorsement to fill an open congressional seat previously held by her husband before his death from Covid-19, will enter an all-Republican runoff election in Texas after her Democrat contender left the race.

GOP candidates Wright and Jake Ellzey will advance to the runoff for the states 6th congressional district following a primary election battle among 23 candidates.

Susan Wright received 19 per cent of the vote in Saturdays election, followed by Mr Ellzey, with nearly 14 per cent. Democratic candidate Jana Lynne Sanchez received 13 per cent of the vote, shy of roughly 400 votes to qualify in the runoff.

Democrats have come a long way toward competing in Texas, but we still have a way to go, she announced on Sunday. Unfortunately, tonight we came up short.

Ron Wright  a member of the far-right Freedom Caucus who supported efforts to reject 2020s presidential election results  was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2019. He and his wife were hospitalised for Covid-19 for two weeks after testing positive for the disease in January. He died on 7 February, becoming the first sitting member of Congress to die from the coronavirus.

Louisiana congressman-elect Luke Letlow, who was set to be sworn into office in January, died on 29 December from Covid-19. In March, his widow Julie Letlow won a special election to fill his seat.

The Texas race was among the first hotly contested special elections under Joe Bidens presidency ahead of 2022 midterm elections.

Republicans have held the district  spanning a sprawling suburban enclave in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area  for more than 30 years, but the area has seen a decline in Republican dominance within the last two decades, with a Democratic candidate poised to enter a runoff race in future congressional elections.

Although a Democrat is not advancing to the runoff, yesterdays incredibly close margins showed that voters are invested in electing Democrats, and are fighting for the representation their communities deserve, Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa said in a statement on Sunday.

In the 2012 presidential race, then-Republican candidate Mitt Romney won the district by 17 per cent, compared to Mr Trump taking it by only 3 percentage points in 2020.

The district includes three Texas counties, from pro-Trump rural areas to one of the largest metro areas in the nation, which has seen growing Hispanic and African American political power.

Texas will gain two congressional seats in 2022 following the once-in-a-decade Census results, revealing that the state saw its population spike by nearly 4 million people over the last decade to roughly 29.2 million residents.

The state currently has 36 seats, currently held by 22 Republicans and13 Democrats, with one vacant seat in the 6th district.

Elections for those seats and several other new seats in Colorado, Florida, Montana, North Carolina and Oregon will likely kick off a flurry of campaigns as candidates and Republicans look to shift the balance of power in Congress.
For months, the United States was humming and hawing about how and on what terms it would return to the nuclear deal with Iran, as doubts were percolating in world capitals about whether the administration of Joe Biden even wanted to revive the deal.

But during indirect talks between Iran and the US over the last couple weeks in Vienna, Washington startled just about everyone involved when it suddenly presented plans detailing how it would remove sanctions on Iran if it were to roll back its nuclear programme for both countries to back come into compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

What they have put to the Iranians is a very serious economic proposal, said one official involved in the talks. I think its more than the Iranians were expecting. What the Americans put on the table was a complete return to the JCPOA. The Iranians were quite surprised.

Diplomats and observers, describe a dramatic sea change in the tone of the talks in Vienna, where the delegations of negotiators are camped out in various upscale hotels, shuttling back and forth with offers and counteroffers. Negotiators last week were hammering a joint text that would spell out a potential return to compliance by both the US and Iran.

"It is not clear when the final deal will be reached," Irans chief negotiator Abbas Araqchi told state television on Sunday.

Talks during the first weeks of May will be crucial, underlining the need for an agreement before two imminent dates. Under an agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran would destroy footage of nuclear facilities under international inspection if a deal is not reached by 21 May, potentially obscuring crucial information about the countrys atomic programme. Iran is also about to enter a politically divisive season ahead of 18 June presidential elections that could elevate more hardline leaders in Tehran.

US officials have been cautious in assessing the potential for success. It is fair to say that some progress has been made, US State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters on Thursday. We have a better understanding of what we might need to do were Iran to go back into compliance, and it is our assessment that the Iranians have a better sense of what they would need to do to resume their compliance with the JCPOA.

He warned though that we are not on the cusp of any breakthrough, and described a potentially long road ahead.

Iranian Deputy at Ministry of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi (REUTERS)

The stakes for the success of the ongoing talks are high. The Biden administration wants not only a return to the JCPOA, but follow-on agreements that would further tighten restraints on Irans nuclear programme and potentially address its support for armed groups in the region.

Biden understands that if the sanctions relief is not effective there would be no incentive for Iran to negotiate a follow-on deal, said Ali Vaez, Iran researcher at the Crisis Group. For the Biden administration the JCPOA is a way station to a longer and stronger nuclear deal.

A return to the nuclear deal would fulfill one of Mr Bidens campaign promises and possibly reduce tensions in the Middle East, which has taxed the attention of every American president since Richard Nixon, who left office almost half a century ago.

But any deal could also trigger a backlash in Washington by hawks wary of any diplomacy with Iran, as well as upset regional security partners such as Saudi Arabia and Israel, which is actively seeking to scuttle the talks.

For now, Mr Bidens team of negotiators  led by veteran diplomat Robert Malley  appear set on moving toward a deal after weeks in which the US explored the possibility of a much more limited engagement.

In February and March they were focused on one step from each side, said Mr Vaez. At the time the US proposal was not at all generous and it backfired on the entire process. They wasted a few weeks.

President Donald Trump, pursuing a policy of maximum pressure against Iran, imposed hundreds of sanctions on the country in an attempt to complicate any future return to the JCPOA.

Under the US proposals, Washington would not only remove sanctions that directly undermine the JCPOA, but those on Irans shipping, banking, energy, and automotive and other industries that were designed to make a return to the JCPOA more difficult, said two people briefed on the talks.

What will remain in place are sanctions imposed on Iran over its human rights violations, its cyberattacks on US infrastructure and its alleged interference in US elections. One of the biggest sticking points is foreign terrorist designation of Irans powerful Revolutionary Guards, which is a branch of the Iranian armed forces, and is an increasingly powerful political force hostile to the pragmatist faction of Iranian president Hassan Rouhani.

Domestically, thats an extremely costly sanctions to remove for the Biden administration, said Mr Vaez. But its also costly for the Rouhani administration to go back to Tehran and say theyve lifted all sanctions except for the ones on their rivals.

With Irans nuclear programme steadily advancing, the US could face a major crisis if it doesnt secure a deal. Iran has amassed 10 times the enriched uranium it was permitted under the JCPOA and is using centrifuges barred under the deal. Its breakout time to amass enough fissile material to quickly assemble a bomb has dropped from a year to a few months.

It is fair to say that this is a crisis that we inherited, said Mr Price. This was a crisis that was precipitated by both sides distancing themselves from the Iran deal.

On the other hand, the prospect of a potential easing of tensions between Iran and the US has already prompted a revival of regional diplomacy that had all but died under Mr Trump. Saudi and Iranian officials have reportedly been meeting in Baghdad to discuss the ongoing war in Yemen, and Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, recently spoke out in favour of better relations with Tehran.

Mr Vaez said the US officials had no role in encouraging diplomacy but merely declined to discourage it as the Trump administration used to do.

Russias Governor to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Mikhail Ulyanov addresses the media as he leaves after a JCPOA Joint Commission Iran talks meeting in Vienna on Saturday (EPA)

The Iranians are interested in a slightly different relationship with their region, and the Saudis are the key to that, said a western diplomat. The American repositioning has made the Saudis feel they need to make this sort of approach. They want to make progress on Yemen, and Iran is a way of accelerating that.

Businesses, too, are warily considering potentially resuming commercial ties with Iran, including in noncontroversial sales of food and medicine that have been curtailed because of banking sanctions. Experts say companies fearful of billion-dollar US fines will need some coaxing and reassurance before they wade into Iran again.

Its happening in certain sectors, said Leigh Hansson, a partner at international law firm Reed Smith. Theres interest in shipping and natural resources as long as its clear there will not be any problems from a sanctions perspective. Everyone is also nervous that a new administration could come in four years and tear it all up again.
The rescue ship received three different distress calls from migrants and refugees in sinking dinghies off the Libyan coast at the same time.

All of them were at least 10 hours from their position.

What do you do when you cant be in three places at the same time, and every precious second counts?

This was the nightmare that Sos Mediterranee, a European maritime and humanitarian organisation, faced two weeks ago. It is one of a handful of NGOs that are patrolling international waters off the coast of Libya.

Over a 48-hour period, they received information that hundreds of vulnerable men, women and children who were trying to take the sea route to Europe needed rescuing.

When SOS Mediterranee got to the coordinates of one of the dinghies in distress, they found the remains of the boat deflated on the water and sadly a number of dead bodies  including one hunched over a life jacket. All 130 of those on board are believed to have drowned.

According to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), it was the single largest shipwreck in the central Mediterranean Sea this year. The deadly incident meant 500 migrants and refugees have drowned in total in 2021 which is three times the total death toll of the same period last year.

Aid group Alarm Phone, a hotline for boats in distress at sea, said in a tweet that it had been in contact with the dinghy for about 10 hours just before the horrific incident and repeatedly relayed its GPS position and the dire situation on board to European and Libyan authorities. Despite this, the group said, only non-state actors like SOS Mediterranee actively searched for the boat in distress at sea.

Thousands of migrants and refugees each year make the dangerous trip through Libya to board rickety boats and dinghies in the hope of seeking asylum in Europe. But since the EU-led search and rescue operations off the coast of Libya were terminated in 2018, there has been no proper state-led response to the crisis in the central Mediterranean.

There is now Operation Themis, which replaced what came previously. However, while the programme says that search and rescue is a crucial component  the operation makes clear that Operation Themis has an enhanced law enforcement focus.

And so, right now, the burden of care is on NGO boats, merchant ships who happen to be passing and the Libyan coastguard, who have been accused by rights groups of being abusive towards vulnerable migrants and refugees.

The Libyan coastguard, that receives funds from the EU, also intercepts boats and takes them back to war-ravaged Libya, where migrants and refugees are held in appallingly squalid detention centres, or  if they are free  are at risk of kidnap, enslavement, torture for ransom, and death.

The horrific conditions in Libya, a country long in the grips of fiefdoms of militias, jihadists and smugglers, are well known. Like many reporters I have spent seven years documenting the appalling violence migrants and refugees face both inside and outside of detention centres in Libya  as well as the terrifying rescues at sea. And so it feels like banging your head against a wall, when Europe only doubles down on closing its borders.

Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), which also runs rescue ships in the Mediterranean, claimed in October that European governments were even preventing NGO rescue ships from saving lives by detaining their boats.

In September Sea-Watch 4, the search and rescue vessel operated by MSF and Sea-Watch, was detained by Italian authorities in the port of Palermo, Sicily. At the time MSF said it was the fifth NGO search and rescue ship to have been held in five months.

Since 2018, Europes response has been  in my view  to turn a blind eye to the crisis. It has focused on empowering the Libyan coast to intercept dinghies and take them back to Libya which, for anyone who has spent any time in the country, will know is inhumane madness.

The conditions in Libya only get worse every year. In 2020, there was a full-blown conflict over the capital Tripoli. Although that has ended and there is a recognised unity government, it has little power to stop the powerful and violent traffickers.

The last few years have shown that no matter how many people are sent back to Libya, in many cases to die, or who are left to drown at sea, the worlds most desperate still try to seek a better life in Europe.

And so these inhuman deterrents have only seen more men, women and children die.

Until Libyan authorities are able to guarantee the safety of migrants and refugees in Libya, until they can end arbitrary detention and improve conditions in the jails where migrants are held, Europe should resume the search and rescue duties in international waters off the coast of Libya.

European countries should also establish a proper functioning regional disembarkation programme to take people to safe ports and rather than just automatically detaining rescued people, arrange for their swift relocation to another European country so they can be safely legally processed.

The world has become too numb to the graveyard that is the Mediterranean.

This must end now before more people needlessly lose their lives.
Madhukar Rainbow Children's Hospital in South Delhi's Malviya Nagar sent out an SOS tweet on their oxygen running low. It was a desperate cry for help as the medical oxygen was running out. This comes a day after 12 people, including a doctor, died due to an oxygen shortage at Batra Hospital.

PTI

The continuous surge in COVID cases in the Capital has made hospitals struggle to keep up with the rising count of patients.

But for this children's hospital, hope came in the form of AAP's Raghav Chadha, who said five cylinders had been arranged.

This happened just after he spoke to NDTV.

We have arranged five D Type oxygen cylinders for Rainbow Children's Hospital, from our Rajghat Response Point. The Govt's oxygen reserves are extremely limited due to reduced oxygen supply to Delhi, but we are doing everything possible to avert any untoward incident. https://t.co/lxlnd2o697  Raghav Chadha (@raghav_chadha) May 2, 2021

"This news is very painful. Their lives could have been saved... by giving oxygen, Delhi should be given its quota (of oxygen, so) such deaths are not seen anymore. Delhi required 976 tonnes and yesterday only 312 was given. How can Delhi breathe?" said CM Arvind Kejriwal as e consoled the deaths of the 12 people who died at Batra Hospital.

Delhi's lockdown has been extended by one week. This is the 2nd extension and the capital is facing a shortage of oxygen in an uphill battle against the pandemic.


Gyaraspur is a small town in the district of Vidisha in MP. The people are right now gripped with fear. The administration announced that of the 83 people who returned after attending the Kumbh Mela, 22 are missing, as per India Today.

Of the remaining 61, 60 have tested positive.

ANI

All Kumbh returnees are being traced and tested as there is a fear that if not isolated, they could spread the virus even more.

The district administration said that 83 pilgrims had left for Haridwar between April 11 and 15 on 3 separate buses.

PTI

All those who had gone for the Kumbh are being traced and tested. We found 83 had gone but so far we have only been able to trace 60 of them. 22 have so far not been traced, and we are trying to do everything possible to trace them, said block medical officer Gyaraspur JD Abbas.

Efforts are on to locate the missing persons as they are a potential risk to others.


1. Delhi HC Directs All Hospitals To Submit Data On COVID Patients Occupying Beds

PTI

While hearing a batch of petitions of different hospitals and individuals facing a shortage of oxygen supply, beds, and essential medicines, the Delhi high court on Saturday directed all Delhi hospitals to submit complete data on Covid patients occupying beds in their facility from April 1 onwards, as per TNN.

2. Insurance For Frontline Health Workers Extended By 6 Months

AP

The government has extended the insurance scheme for frontline health workers by six more months. The decision was taken on Friday at a meeting chaired by PM Narendra Modi, as per TNN.

3. WHO Approves Moderna Vaccine For Emergency Use

AFP

The World Health Organisation has given the go-ahead for emergency use of Moderna's Covid-19 vaccine, as per AP.

4. North Korea Warns US Of 'Very Grave Situation' Over Biden Speech

Reuters

North Korea on Sunday warned the United States will face "a very grave situation" because President Joe Biden "made a big blunder" in his recent speech by calling the North a security threat and revealing his intent to maintain a hostile policy toward it, as per AP.
This #InternationalDanceDay as we continue our fight with COVID-19, calling upon the global dance communities to lift each other up. #UnitedByDance is a humble initiative to help everyone stay healthy, positive & motivated from the safety of their homes. Join us for a series of FREE clas
An Indian woman wearing an oxygen mask breathes after she arrived to receive free oxygen distributed by a Gurdwara as a service for COVID-19-positive and other patients in need along a road on May 1, 2021 in New Delhi, India. (Anindito Mukherjee/Getty Images)
Burma At Least Five Protesters Killed as Myanmar Forces Crack Down on Protests in Several Cities

Regime forces make arrests in Mandalay on Sunday. / CJ

Myanmar regime forces launched their most extensive crackdowns in two weeks on anti-regime protests on Sunday, killing at least five protesters, and wounding and arresting several people across the country.

Since early morning on Sunday, soldiers, police officers and also plainclothes men were out in force at protest sites in various cities, chasing protesters as they marched in support of the Global Myanmar Spring Revolution, a movement joined by democracy supporters in overseas countries to show support for Myanmars National Unity Government and to honor fallen heroes who were killed by Myanmar junta forces.

Locals in Yangons Thaketa and Sanchaung townships posted videos and pictures of plainclothes men with private vehicles dragging young protesters away violently and, in some places, chasing after them at high speed in private vehicles. Video footage showed that detained youths were beaten and forced to kneel down on the ground before being dragged away. Dozens were reportedly arrested in both townships and elsewhere, yet the exact number of detainees was not available by the time of publication.

Peaceful protesters faced early lethal crackdowns just as they were gathering to take to the streets in several cities.

In Mandalay, at least four protesters were arrested while they were gathering to take to the streets as armed plainclothes officers chased them. The regime forces continued to conduct searches and make arrests throughout the day.

At least five were arrested in Mandalays Mogoke on Sunday.

In Nawnghkio (Naung Cho) in Shan State, U Win Naing, 40, was shot dead by regime forces as they opened fire with live rounds on anti-regime protesters who were gathering to stage demonstrations. An anti-regime protester who had to run away from the crackdown said that since 8:30 a.m., troops who took up positions in several streets of the town had been shooting randomly. Locals also reported that an injured 60-year-old man died from gunshot wounds.

At least 14 youths were arrested and an unconfirmed number of people were injured.

In Shan States Hsipaw, Muslim protester Ko Phoe Lone was killed after being shot in the head by regime forces and two were injured in their legs during a violent crackdown on a demonstration. News outlets in the state also reported that junta forces threatened to shoot any civilians who left their homes in Hsipaw, after the protest was cracked down on.

Two people were also reportedly killed and seven were injured in Wetlet, a town in Shwebo District, Sagaing Region, as troops fired live ammunition at anti-regime protesters who were gathering for a demonstration at around 10 am. The two who were killed were Ko Zaw Oo, 42, and Ko Min Zin, 22.

Anti-regime protesters In Hpakant Township of Kachin State said regime forces also launched brutal crackdowns against them by shooting with live rounds and using hand grenades on Sunday morning. During the crackdown, Ko Wai Phyo, 33, was killed after being shot in the head and more than 20 people were injured.

A protester said that among those injured, some were in critical condition but were forced to remain in hiding to evade arrest.

Despite the arrests and lethal crackdowns, pro-democracy protesters nationwide continued to stage peaceful demonstrations against military rule.

As of Sunday evening, at least 764 people had been killed by the regime since the Feb. 1 coup and more than 3,500 were being held under detention.

You may also like these stories:

Two Mandalay Journalists Seized by Myanmar Junta Forces

Flashbacks: Three Months of Protest Against Myanmars Military Regime

Myanmars Economic Woes May Help Japan Persuade Junta to End Crisis
On Friday, officials with the Walker County Hospital District board announced that they have finalized a $7.8 million purchase of Huntsville Memorial Hospital. Do you feel like this is a good use of tax dollars, and is this the right direction for the struggling health care facility?

You voted:
It was always expected after Microsoft acquired the software code repository GitHub that corporate interests would come first, not the interests of security researchers.

Last week, the software giant called for "feedback on our policy around security research, malware, and exploits on the platform so that the security community can collaborate on GitHub under a clearer set of terms. We want to be more clear about our expectations for keeping GitHub, and the various package registries that call GitHub home, a safe community".

Until it was bought by Microsoft, and even after that, GitHub has always been a place where researchers sometimes store code that is used in exploits. But given that Microsoft software, especially Windows, is the most exploited in the world, such acts often pose danger to the owner itself.

A month or so ago, Microsoft removed a proof-of-concept exploit which could be used to take advantage of a vulnerability in its Exchange Server product known as the ProxyLogOn vulnerability. But not long after, the same PoC code was posted back to GitHub by people other than the original poster.

Some security researchers expressed their anger over Microsoft's action., the chief executive and founder of security firm TrustedSec,in a tweet: "Wow, I am completely speechless here. Microsoft really did remove the PoC code from GitHub. This is huge, removing a security researchers code from GitHub against their own product and which has already been patched. This is not good."

But then this was always going to happen. Anyone who thought that Microsoft would allow the use of one of its own properties to host vulnerabilities that could attack its own software was probably smoking some very strong stuff.

There have been other instances of this kind of censorship. In November last year, the source code for the youtube-dl script, which can be used to download YouTube videos from the command-line, was taken down by GitHub after a complaint from the Recording Industry Association of America, a group of which Microsoft is a member.

Back in June last year, a researcher released exploit code for taking advantage of a vulnerability in Microsoft's implementation of the server message block protocol in Windows, a flaw that was described as SMBGhost at the time it became known.

It's not like researchers have not anticipated that there would be a clash of interests with the new owner. Soon after the purchase of GitHub, 97 open-source developers threatened to move their projects away unless Microsoft ended its contract with the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

In 2019, there were protests over this contract at the annual GitHub conference, with a number of employees resigning.

But in the end, only profits matter to Microsoft. And the sole question was how long it would take before it tried to shore up its own turf. That time has now come. Users had best vote with their own feet.
Above, we saw the results for Australia's 5G networks, but what about Australia's mobile network experience in general, which sees much more 4G coverage than 5G?

Vodafone wins the Video Experience award outright

For the first time since Opensignal added Video Experience to our Australian mobile network experience reports back in April 2019, there is an outright winner for this award. Vodafone is the sole winner with a score of 75.6 out of 100  1.4 points higher than Telstras score of 74.2 points.

Telstra statistically tied with Vodafone for this award in its previous two reports, but this time Vodafone was able to break the deadlock thanks to a 1.2 point rise in its score. In addition to winning the Video Experience award, Vodafone is the only Australian operator to place in the Excellent (75 or above) category  both its rivals had to content themselves with a Very Good (65-75) rating instead.

Vodafone pulls level with Optus on 4G Availability

Optus won Opensignal's 4G Availability outright in its previous two reports, but this time Vodafone has forced a statistical tie and as a result both operators are joint winners for this award. This change came about due to a drop of 0.8 percentage points in the proportion of time that Opensignal's Optus users spent connected to 4G  which caused Optus score to fall below the 95% mark and a 0.4 percentage point increase in Vodafones score.

However, Telstra comfortably wins the 4G Coverage Experience award with a score of 9.7 on our ten point scale, indicating that Opensignal's Telstra users enjoy 4G service in many more locations than its users connecting with either Optus (9.2) or Vodafone (8.0).

Telstra wins Download Speed Experience by a staggering 23.2%

With an average download speed of 48 Mbps, Opensignal's users experience much faster speeds using Telstra than on either Vodafone or Optus. Telstras lead is 9.1 Mbps (23.2%) over second-placed Vodafones score of 39 Mbps and 11.1 Mbps (30%) higher than Optus score of 37 Mbps. Also, Telstra wins every Opensignal regional Download Speed award as well as the national award.

Telstra and Vodafone accelerate away from Optus on download speeds

Opensignal's Telstra and Vodafone users have seen their average download speeds increase since its last report, rising by 2.8 Mbps (6.1%) and 1.4 Mbps (3.7%). In contrast, the speeds seen by their counterparts on Optus network have barely budged. In addition, while last time Optus and Vodafone were statistically tied for second-place, now Vodafone solely claims second place.

The full report is available here.
Today

Wind increasing. A few clouds from time to time. High 97F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph, becoming WNW and increasing to 20 to 30 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.

Tonight

Clear skies. Low near 65F. Winds WNW at 15 to 25 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.

Tomorrow

Mostly sunny skies. High 99F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.
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Chinas railway passenger flow to surge by 6.1% from 2019 level on 1st day of May Day holidays



Global Times) 09:16, May 02, 2021

China's railway passenger flow is expected to surge by 6.1 percent on Saturday, the first day of the 2021 May Day holidays, compared to the same day in 2019, as the country's tourism and consumption spiraled up to exceed pre-COVID-19 levels as the mass vaccination program is proceeding forward, data from the China Railway showed.

The country's railway systems are estimated to make 18.3 million passenger journeys on Saturday, up 6.1 percent compared with the same period in 2019, according to data China Railway sent to the Global Times.

Most of the passengers either take a tourism trip or visit their relatives during the holidays, data showed.

This also exceeded the system's earlier estimation of 17 million passenger trips by railway on Saturday. In total, the company expected about 106 million trips to be made from Thursday to May 6 by railway in China, up about 0.8 percent compared to the same period in 2019.

The data pointed to a steady rally in China's tourism sector, with Chinese people rushing to travel after being locked at home for the past few holidays from early 2020 onwards as a result of the coronavirus.

At around 11 am, China's Badaling Great Wall released an early warning saying that its online ticket reservations from Saturday to Monday reached 48.75 thousand people, reaching its upper limit for tourists under pandemic-control requirements. A video was also circulating on China's twitter-like Weibo showing a sea of people squeezing their way up the Great Wall.

The rebound of China's travel market coincided with the country's steady promotion of COVID-19 vaccination. As of Friday, more than 200 million COVID-19 vaccine shots have been administered in the Chinese mainland. Vaccine services won't grind to a halt during the May Day holidays.

(Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Bianji)
Joplin, MO (64801)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 88F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 69F. Winds light and variable.
Brian Halbert and Wylie McDade, center, cut the ribbon at the opening of Devils Due Distillery. The duo was joined by members of the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce and other local officials.
Today

Scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 82F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.

Tonight

Mostly cloudy with showers and a few thunderstorms. Low 66F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.

Tomorrow

Scattered thunderstorms in the morning becoming more widespread in the afternoon. High 83F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.
Authorities in suburban Kansas City say a sheriff's deputy has fatally shot a woman after being called to a home to check on the welfare of a resident there. The Cass County Sheriff's Office says in a news release that the shooting happened after deputies were called to a Garden City home ar
A Kansas City mother is recovering after investigators say a woman intentionally drove an SUV to hit her and her baby as they walked in their neighborhood.
The world is in the midst of its worst Covid crisis so far. It didn't have to be this way
After almost three months of spoiling us with intriguing cliffhangers, our favorite weekend drama, "Vincenzo," finally closed its curtains with its 20th episode.

Here's how the characters served us the grandest "Vincenzo" finale.

Jang Han Seo Sacrificed His Life to Save Vincenzo and Hong Cha Young

Even though he has been shot by his evil brother, Jang Han Seo stood firm to protect Vincenzo until his very last breath. The Babel Group CEO ended the evilness of Jang Han Seok and did well to make a change.

Vincenzo Gave Choi Myung Hee and Jang Han Seok a Torturous Death

There was no other way for Choi Myung Hee and Jang Han Seok to live. Hell was the only place for them after taking lives.

Vincenzo Cassano used his mafioso ways to kill the two in separate methods, and seeing his enemies begging for their lives made the mafia consigliere happy.

this is giving me the chills bc instead of continuously begging vincenzo to spare their lives, they're asking him to shoot them instead.



they're desperate to die comfortably but they had a miserable death,, fckkk these actors are really good  #Vincenzo #VincenzoEp20 pic.twitter.com/d2V3oAtoxf  jam (@VINCENZ0CASSAN0) May 2, 2021

Cassano Geumga Family was the Real Gold that Vincenzo Cassano Found

The Geumga Plaza tenants were the unexpected heroes that Vincenzo Cassano met during his stay in South Korea. Through ups and downs, Vincenzo's newfound family was the real treasure after all.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 'Vincenzo' Episode 19: Song Joong Ki to Use His Last Card against Ok Taecyeon

Slow-Burn Romance No More: Vincenzo and Hong Cha Young Endgame

Living up to his promise, Vincenzo Cassano came back for Hong Cha Young after a year. The lady lawyer was admiring a painting, but she did not expect to hear the Vincenzo's voice next to her, at the Korea-Italy diplomacy event.

Hong Cha Young confessed she missed Vincenzo, while her former partner - who's now a mafia boss - said she was on his mind ever since he left.

Hong Cha Young, however, didn't believe him and walked ahead. Then, the Italian lawyer pulled her close to a kiss.

And just like that, darling and sweety shared another passionate kiss.

AAHHHH they really gave us another kiss before it actually ends!!  #Vincenzo #VincenzoEp20 pic.twitter.com/tdnT9aJSvi  kdrama's diary (@kdramasdiary) May 2, 2021

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Confirmed: Song Joong Ki to Have His Online Fan Meeting on May 7

Far from the ordinary, "Vincenzo" has been one of the epic K-dramas we had in the first half of 2021.



The unexpected journey of the mafia consigliere made every bit of the drama entertaining.

"Vincenzo" may bid farewell to its avid viewers, but the lessons, stories, and the importance of the characters (small or big) and the reality society faces as we speak will leave lasting impressions on us, changing our worldview.

Indeed, this drama will be missed!

What can you say about "Vincenzo" finale? Did you love it? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!

For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news and updates, keep your tabs open here at Kdramastars.

Kdramastars owns this article.

Written by Shai Collins
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)  The FBI says its helping the Portland Police Bureau in an investigation into a video posted on social media that includes a threat of violence against Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler if he does not resign.

Oregon Public Broadcasting reports an anonymous account posted the video on Twitter Wednesday.

In it, an unidentified masked narrator says they are speaking on behalf of a small collective from within the anarchist and anti-fascist community. The person alleges that the mayor has blood on his hands and next time it might be his own.

In a statement, the FBI encouraged anyone with information about the video's creators to contact either the FBI or police.
A tarp covers the windshield of a vehicle that crashed after a shooting near a busy shopping centre, in Delta, B.C., on Saturday, May 1, 2021. Police say the victim of a "brazen" daylight shooting outside a shopping centre in Delta, B.C., has died. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
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During this pandemic, do we blame people for acquiring COVID or do we empathize?

I wonder this as I read a message from my senior, who mentions that people are suffering or in isolation due to COVID because of their own negligence.

My mind reflects back on all the dying doctors who caught the infection while treating the virus. And then, there was the ophthalmologist in Wuhan who diagnosed the virus, the dermatologist who wrote his will before being put on a ventilator, and the nurse who died after taking care of ICU patients. One of those patients was my aunt, a housewife who died despite all precautions.

Did these people want to leave their loved ones behind and die of COVID? Or do we just need someone to pin the blame on every time?

I do what writers do: I think and try to solve the myriad of questions my mind throws at me. I write down my thoughts as my mind tries to answer absurdities.

If the concept of heaven and hell is concrete, will these people be rewarded highly for dying in helping others live? Or is it that if I die tomorrow due to COVID, I will be responsible for my own death?

Even though practicing medicine during a pandemic  and always being at the brink of COVID exposure  should be looked upon as an honor, it is looked down upon as negligence in our society. How illiterate and self-absorbed are we?

As a doctor walking in a patients shoes for the first time, I ponder how responsible I am for being a symptomatic COVID patient? Does anyone want that for themselves? Do I want it for myself?

I had a long weekend after two months of working Saturdays, and my social plans were laid in concrete. I had to attend a birthday party and then meet up with an old friend. I had to sleep in late and watch a movie to unwind and relax, but Gods plans were otherwise. Now I wonder: Was my mask not good enough? Or was the data that states that you still stand a 20 percent chance of acquiring COVID despite wearing PPE correctly?

When my bones ache, and I cant call for help  did I ask for this?

When my cough doesnt let me complete my sentences, I think of all the times I counseled families, and they confided in me. Some of those words I still carry with me in times of stress and hopelessness. When I spike a fever  I wish someone was around to get me a Panadol instead of having to do it myself.

Then the constant fear that my family might get COVID from me  a fear we doctors live with as we work to save lives while risking ours. The medical profession puts patients well-being at the forefront, but a doctors needs require attention too. We see patients at their worst as they hand over their life to us. While we may not always be able to turn around their ailments magically, what we can do is utter words of generosity.

Empathy entails the ability to be attentive to the difference between our own and others feelings. The empathetic and self-aware physician can remain emotionally stable, at the same time, engage with their patients situation. It has a positive effect on in-patient care. The medical profession requires doctors to be clinically competent and empathetic towards patients and colleagues.

Sometimes, our words are all that people remember, and our prompt diagnosis is of no significance. All emotions, including our most cherished ones (love, empathy, devotion), are ultimately chemical reactions in the brain that can be manipulated, enhanced, and extinguished. Stimulating electrodes planted in the right areas in the brain can make a person feel anger, fear, hunger, or lust chemicals ingested into the body, like antidepressants, can do the same.

The entire field of psychopharmacology is based on this simple fact. There is now plenty of evidence that words can induce the same chemical changes in the brain through slightly different mechanisms. Words can make us feel happy or sad, angry or relieved, hopeful or depressed, despairing or ecstatic.

The right choice of words, at the right time, can lift a person out of despair and literally save a persons life, while an ill-chosen word, or worse, a purposely harsh one, can scar a person. The entire field of narrative medicine is formed around the principle of reviving empathy in doctors towards patients and their colleagues so that we keep the inner human alive in us as we treat the obstacles we are faced with daily.

If you are a physician seeing a multitude of patients daily, try spending time with the patient and offer them a word or two to heal.

Natasha Khalid is a physician in Pakistan.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
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Deputy Kathleen Funchion has expressed concern over confirmation that Diageo is permanently closing the Smithwicks Experience in Kilkenny resulting in the loss of jobs and the knock-on impact on Kilkenny's tourist.

I am deeply concerned that Diageo has taken the decision to close this award-winning tourist attraction, that was favourite for visitors to our medieval city and also much loved by locals at this time.

The announcement came as a huge shock for those working at the attraction, considering the Taoiseachs announcement of the phased reopening of the tourism sector.

I think its disappointing that a large international company like Diageo could not ride out the pandemic as so many other tourist attractions in the city have done.

I have written to the Minister for Tourism Catherine Martin TD to ask that she intervene on this matter, and what steps her Department will take to address this devastating blow for the city of Kilkenny," she added.
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.

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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

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You may notice a fluorescent color in the Missouri River next week. Don't panic, it's not toxic. Scientists will release a reddish dye into the Missouri River on Monday in an effort to study pallid sturgeon larvae. Researchers are trying to map their travel.
Law enforcement are responding to an active shooter situation at a casino in Wisconsin
Kendallville, IN (46755)

Today

Light rain this morning. Scattered thunderstorms for the afternoon. High 78F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Isolated thunderstorms this evening with a few showers possible overnight. Low around 65F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%.
Angola, IN (46703)

Today

Showers this morning then scattered thunderstorms developing during the afternoon hours. High 77F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 65F. Winds light and variable.
Its clear that this is based on politics, said Sabrina Bazile, 28, of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, who works for the Department of Housing Preservation and Development. They are trying to say, New York City is open.
Every single day, New York State is moving forward in the footrace between the infection rate and the vaccination rate. More New Yorkers are getting vaccinated and hospitalizations are declining, which is good news, but we need New Yorkers to stay vigilant, Cuomo said.
PHILADELPHIA  Fact and fiction become partners in "The Devil May Dance," a new novel by Philly's Jake Tapper that the CNN anchor set in the Rat Pack world of early 1960s Hollywood. In the sequel to Tapper's 2018 bestseller, "The Hellfire Club," the fictional New York congressman Charlie Marder and his zoologist wife, Margaret, find themselves on the West Coast, mixing it up with Frank ...
CALEDONIA  April showers have not been enough to protect Mays flowers.

Fire danger across the state remains very high, according to a press release by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources on Sunday.

In early April, the cause was the dryness in the air and on the ground, with high winds. Spring greens  referring to the grass turning green and trees sprouting leaves thanks to rain promoting growth  had yet to come, making the potential for wildfires high.

This time around, the dryness is still an issue, the DNR said  despite things looking sunny and green outside. There is another phenomenon thats contributing to the high rates of fire danger.

Its called the spring dip. According to the DNR, during this time, moisture content in pine trees is low, while the starch content is high. This combination isnt visible to the naked eye, the DNR said, which means pine trees are more likely to catch fire during a wildfire. Crown fires, or fires in the tree tops, also are possible.
To survive, business owners know they need to be prepared for whats next. Its safe to say most werent prepared for the cataclysm of the las
Shes the main sort of crux, and you realize whats at stake, Dawson told the Daily News. Shes dying, but with her could be the entire family if they dont figure it out. It was just something I was personally going through. My dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at the same time around Alex Trebek, when he first came out with it. It was one of the things where I was like, Im reading this story and seeing it through this challenge of a young boy having to deal with mortality, but it doesnt get any easier even as you get older.
California's top Democrats and activities have expressed their support towards Governor Gavin Newsom as he faces recall in the state. The Democrats expressed their support for California's governor on their annual convention on Saturday, Associated Press reported.

The convention was held virtually which made it more muted than the previous conventions held by the Democrats. Democratic high officials also addressed the event through pre-recorded videos. Usually, the said convention would bring democratic activists together for days to discuss different agendas such as policy discussions.

READ NEXT: Los Angeles to Spend Nearly $1 Billion to Address Homelessness

Gavin Newsom Receives Support from Democrats Amid Recall

During the convention, Vice President Kamala Harris, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Representative Barbara Lee gave their speeches in the convention, Cal Matters reported.

Meanwhile, Jaime Harrison, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee also expressed support to Newsom, saying that he is aware that the party is "ready" to make sure that the governor will continue to fight for Californians, which is "what he does best."

"Gavin's proactive measure and leadership save lives," said Representative Barbara Lee adding that Gavin Newsom has her support. Lee also emphasized that the "right-wing" driven recall must be defeated.

Lee also added that a recall for Newsom will be bad for all Californians, emphasizing that the movement will be an obstacle in resolving the housing crisis in California. It can be remembered that mayors from the 13 largest cities of the golden state asked for a $20 billion budget for five years.

The large sum of money will be used by the mayors in addressing the homeless crisis in the state, another pandemic that California is facing apart from the coronavirus. As of January 2020, 161,548 homeless population were estimated by federal reports. Fresno mayor noted that long-term flexible funding will be needed to address the issue.

Gavin Newsom will compete against former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, businessman John Cox, and former Congressman Doug Ose against the post. Reality TV star Caitlyn Jenner will also be joining the gubernatorial race. The four candidates are among the Republicans who are running to take the office.

Associated Press noted that Gavin Newsom's recall election will be one of the state's highest-profile races since no other major contests will happen on the state ballot this year.

California Recall Election

The recall petition for Gavin Newsom was introduced in February 2020 in California, ABC 7 reported. Among the reasons there are petitioners for the recall are laws that favor foreign nationals, a surge in homeless rates, and even his alleged failure to enforce immigration laws in the state.

However, the California Association of Clerks and Elections Officials estimated that the upcoming recall election would cost around $400 million, or about $18 per person.

State Controller Betty Yee labeled the special election "a waste of taxpayer money," in Associated Press, emphasizing that the money could be better spent elsewhere.

The Democrats' convention theme where support for Gavin Newsom was expressed as "California Strong." Moreover, Newsom is the second governor in California history to face a recall election, next to Gray Davis who lost his post in 2003.

READ MORE: Newsom To Face Recall Election After Signature Threshold Reached

WATCH: Recall election likely for California's governor - from Reuters
A migrant died while another sustained injuries after a border patrol vehicle struck them at the Texas border, U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported.

The migrants were ran over at around one in the afternoon on April 29 in King Ranch near Kingsville, Texas.

READ NEXT: Illegal Migrants Deported Back to Mexico Say Biden Fails to Keep His Promise

Migrants Struck by Border Patrol vehicle on Texas Border

The said migrants who were struck by the vehicle were burrowed in the tall grasses in the area. CBP noted that the migrant who died was a male Honduran.

Meanwhile, details regarding the identity of the other injured migrant were not yet released by the authorities.

The injured migrant directed the authorities to the Honduran, Fox News reported. The emergency medical team from the BPA immediately reported to the scene and attended to the needs of the migrants.

CBP mentioned that the Honduran died on the scene due to the injuries his body has taken from the incident. Details on the injuries were not furthered by the agency. Meanwhile, the other migrant that has sustained injuries was transported to a hospital in Harlingen, Texas, Caller Times reported.

The said migrant was transported through an air ambulance and was soon discharged by the hospital later in the same day. Medical personnel determined that the migrant did not suffer any serious injuries from the tragic incident.

Initial investigation revealed that the border patrol agents on the vehicle were not aware that the vehicle ran over individuals until they were notified by a group of migrants.

Discovery of Migrants Struck by Vehicle on Texas Border

The tragic incident sparked when border patrol agents were patrolling an area that is already known for smuggling activities. The agents were tailing fresh footprints whom they believed belonged to the migrants that are passing through the area.

As the border patrol agents on foot and the vehicle continued to search and tail the tracks they have discovered, two groups of migrants emerged from different groves and were taken under the authority's custody.

The third group of migrants that were burrowed in the tall grasses in the area soon emerged and notified the agents that there were individuals who were ran over by a border patrol vehicle. The injured man was discovered by the agents and directed them to the Honduras national who died on the scene.

CBP has encountered a total of 550,410 migrants as of March 2021. Among these numbers, 261,114 are from Mexico and 98,554 are from Honduras.

Fox News noted that immigrants who wish to cross the border illegally are still required to remain in Mexico or their homeland as they wait for the asylum court proceedings under Title 42 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, the tragic incident on the Texas border was reported to the Department and Homeland Security Office of Inspector General. CBP's Office of Professional Responsibility and Kennedy County Sherriff Office are both reviewing the incident.

READ MORE: Smugglers Drop Mom, 2 Kids From Atop 30-Foot Border Wall by Rope: Border Patrol

WATCH: Exploring how and why so many migrants are crossing the southern border - PBS NewsHour
Downtown development, housing reform, schools, and safety were some of the topics discussed Thursday in a taping of the Allentown Democratic mayoral primary election debate.

The debate was held at the PPL Center, 701 Hamilton St., for broadcast on WFMZ Channel 69s Business Matters airing at 7 p.m. Monday. It was moderated by Tony Iannelli, president and CEO of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, and taped before an audience.

Allentown mayoral incumbent Ray OConnell faced off against challengers Matt Tuerk, a longtime city and regional economic development official; Julio Guridy, a city councilman for the past two decades; and Ce-Ce Gerlach, a city councilwoman.

OConnell, a former city councilman, was appointed interim mayor in March 2018 and elected in November 2019 to serve two more years.

OConnell replaced predecessor, Ed Pawlowski, who was convicted on nearly 50 corruption charges. Pawlowski currently is serving a 15-year prison sentence at a low-security prison camp in Danbury, Connecticut, since he was sentenced in October 2018.

Iannelli asked each candidate why they want to be mayor.

OConnell noted his five decades in public service, including 38 years serving the school district and several years on city council. He took over a city that was bankrupt when cash reserves were depleted by Pawlowski, OConnell said.

Im the mayor, OConnell said. Ive always done right for Allentown ... I will continue to do right for the city of Allentown because we have only started the job. We need four more years of Ray OConnell to continue the job and then I will turn over the torch.

Citing a recent Muhlenberg College poll, Tuerk said the majority of those surveyed were unsatisfied in the direction the city is headed. Tuerk credited his background in economic development in helping to lead transformational change.

We need change now, he said. Weve seen what four years of Mayor OConnell has delivered.

Guridy pointed to his two decades of experience in City Hall. He wants to make sure the Latino population, which makes up 53% of the citys population, is equally represented and all voices are heard, he said.

The community wants change, Guridy said. I have the experience, I can do the job, Ive been doing it for 20 years.

Gerlach also brings a decade of governing experience to the table. As soon as she joined city council, Gerlach worked to form the Commission on Homelessness, which is committed to preventing homelessness, ending chronic homelessness, and decreasing situational homelessness. The commission is moving forward in implementing a strategic plan.

I think coming out of a pandemic, we definitely need someone who has translated the concerns from the community into actual policy. Ive done that, Gerlach said. I did that in one year and three months on city council.

The winner of the May 18 Democratic primary will face Republican Tim Ramos, who did not face a primary challenger.

Shaking the status quo

All three challengers were quick to attack OConnell and said its time to shake up the status quo.

Asked by the moderator how each would lead a diverse city with many folks compromised in the current economic climate, Tuerk said the next mayor needs to be one for the entire city.

The next mayor of Allentown needs to work to build an inclusive economy, said Tuerk, who speaks Spanish. I worked for years in economic development but many of those years were spent in equitable economic development, making sure the resources in our region go to the people who need it most ... The next mayor of Allentown needs to be a mayor for everyone, geographically, demographically, working to give opportunities to our residents.

Tuerk blasted OConnell for not being in the streets, engaging with residents and making sure people were informed during the coronavirus pandemic, a summer of civil unrest and during repeated winter snowstorms.

We need to make sure that the residents of Allentown know whats happening in our cities, he said. Respectively, I can say that Mayor OConnell was not a presence in the city of Allentown during 2020. It was one of the most significant historic years on record and we didnt see him out there and I think thats what we need to show.

Tuerk said he recommended the citys administration invest in a text notification and Robocall services to keep residents better informed in times of crisis or uncertainty.

This is simple, he said. Facebook Live is an incredibly effective communications method but it leaves out a lot of our residents so we need to be broader than that. It needs to be some old and some new in terms of traditional means of communication and new forms of communications to keep our residents informed.

Guridy, an immigrant from the Dominican Republic, said he could culturally connect with the Latino population, as well as all residents. Hes represented the city already in meetings with the Greater Lehigh Chamber of Commerce, Hispanic Business Council, Latin Alliance, American Red Cross, Boys & Girls Clubs and scouting organizations.

Guridy also cited OConnells lack of presence, saying city residents dont even know who the mayor is.

The mayor was MIA (Missing In Action) during the pandemic. He was MIA during the worst, biggest storm we had in our city, the streets were full of snow, Guridy said. People were complaining, calling me. I was actually out there during both times.

Its not being behind a desk all the time. And when I become mayor, Im going to have an open door policy, Im going to talk to everybody every single day, he added.

OConnell disagreed with the claims, saying the pandemic led to people being forced to stay indoors and wasnt the time to be glad-handing. He held daily meetings with city officials about the issues facing the city.

We faced COVID, head-on, very strong. We went through the COVID, we said, Mask up, get PPE equipment, the whole bit, OConnell said, noting 1,100 to 1,200 people later began receiving vaccinations daily at a city clinic.

You dont have to be out saying, Hey, Im the mayor of Allentown, we are going to take care of COVID. No, you work, you do your actions to take care of it. And you can do your actions behind the scenes. You dont have to be out front, shaking hands with everybody. I was there every day, fighting COVID, fighting COVID for the residents of Allentown.

Gerlach said she only knew those meetings were happening because she sits on council.

Its about having a communications plan to let people know that those meetings are happening, she said. To let people know that theres confident leadership and that theres an awesome team of people that are tackling an incredible crisis. Not just with COVID but the last year of racial reckoning that we had, the year before that in 2019, the number of murders that we had, so its always about communication. Its not glad-handing. Its just getting out there and telling people what the narrative is before they create their own.

A taping of the debate was held Thursday, April 29, 2021 at the PPL Center, 701 Hamilton St., for broadcast on WFMZs Business Matters. It will air at 7 p.m. Monday, May 3, 2021.

Economic growth

New York and Philadelphia developers are attracted to Allentown due to its close proximity, OConnell said when asked about economic development in the downtown.

OConnell said city officials hold discussions with about five to six developers monthly about projects. The developments, he said, helped to revitalize the downtown and now hed like to see that same type of revitalization in other city areas, such as with The Waterfront project.

The core of economic development is: assisting entrepreneurs to help them get started and create new jobs for residents and helping existing city businesses expand and create jobs, Tuerk said.

Thats what we need to focus on, he said. The other things, making sure new buildings are constructed to accommodate for and attract new businesses, are important but we need to focus our time and energy on assisting the businesses here in Allentown because theyre the fabric that holds our communities and neighborhoods together and creates good paying jobs for Allentown residents.

Gerlach argued community development must precede economic development. She also spoke out against trickle-down development, referring to tax breaks for downtown projects.

We must actually invest in the community, she said. When I talk about investing in the community, thats what developers, thats what companies want. They want a trained workforce, they want a good quality of life. Those are the two areas we need to focus on. Quality of life -- were talking schools, were talking infrastructure, were talking parks, recreational opportunities, parks and arts and cultural opportunities. Thats what will attract businesses. That makes a thriving business community.

Development is creating thousands of jobs, Guridy said, noting a pair of recent successful projects at Ninth and Hamilton streets. But he said schools performing poorly do not attract new businesses.

Guridy later took aim at both OConnell, a former Allentown School District administrator, and Gerlach, a former school board member, saying they share some of the blame for the districts financial woes. Poor schools also lead students to other districts, such as the Parkland School District, or a charter school, he said.

The school has gone down, the grades have gone down, he said We need to bring the school back up.

OConnell denied the claims, saying many city schools have received the National Blue Ribbon Schools award.

Hes in another world, OConnell said of Guridys claims.

Police reform

Most of the candidates agreed reform was needed -- not defunding -- of the citys police department.

However, Gerlach said shed support reallocating some of the police departments budget to reimagine public safety.

We cannot continue to expect our police officers to be counselors, mental health workers, social workers and law enforcement officers, she said. We need to allow them to do their jobs, which is to fight violent crime, and to build those community relations.

Public safety needs to be re-thought because until the city gets at the structural issues on why crime happens, itll continue to have it. Public safety is housing, economic opportunities and recreational opportunities, Gerlach said.

I dont think anyone here on this stage would argue -- It is better to house a homeless person than to arrest them, she added.

OConnell said the city needs to take another look at 911 calls, some of which do not have any criminal activity associated with the dispatch. Instead, there could be a mental health or drug and alcohol issue. He said the city already has a community intervention specialist, theres another in the citys budget, and hed like Lehigh County to support a third specialist.

Tuerk said every department in the city knows it can do better and the police department tops that list.

They absolutely understand how to do better, he said. They need support in doing that. We should not be defunding our departments ... we need to find ways to support those departments.

The candidates also touched on improved housing and fiscal policy during the second half of the debate.

Tuerk said better inspections need to be performed on blighted homes.

You have to be tough on landlords but you also have to establish an inspection policy that makes sure landlords are not going 10 years without being inspected, he said.

OConnell said federal stimulus relief funds can help with renovations.

Were going to go in and renovate those homes and get those homes back on the tax rolls, he said. And get those homes that are blighted into the hands of home ownership of the residents of Allentown.

OConnell also defended his reported 27% tax hike in 2018, saying he needed to restore the depleted cash reserves. There will be no tax increase this year, he said.

I led the city when morale was at the total lowest it could ever be, I brought the morale back, he said.

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Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com.
Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland auctioneers and valuers say land prices remained resilient last year despite the threat posed by Covid and are predicted to rise by 4% on average this year, underpinned by a rise in farm incomes as well as strong demand and reduced supply.

According to the SCSI/Teagasc Agricultural Land Market Review and Outlook Report 2021, which was released last week, the price in Leinster for an acre of non-residential land under 50 acres last year ranged from an average of 7,400 for poor land to 11,200 for good quality.

The report found that Leinster had the highest prices in 2020 because of the higher quality of land in the province and the high demand for it. For good land, less than 50 acres, average prices in the province ranged from a high of 13,600 in Kildare  the highest in the country  to 7,900 in Longford, while the prices for poor quality ranged from a high of 8,300 per acre in Kildare to 5,500, again in Longford.

The survey of 156 auctioneers and valuers from all over the country  which was conducted last February  found that demand for rented ground also remains strong with rents this year expected to rise by 8% in Leinster, 6% in Connacht/Ulster and 5% in Munster.

Philip Byrne of Coonan Property, a member of the SCSIs Rural Agency Group said that lockdowns due to Covid had led to a reduction in the volume of sales.

The inability to view holdings or physical auctions led to a significant increase in the number of sellers postponing plans to sell land. In our survey, over a third of agents (35%) reported a decrease in the volume of land sold in 2020 compared with 19% in 2019. Virtual viewing options have been available to sellers, but clearly many have a preference for more traditional auction sales, he said.

Green Cert boost

Agents in Leinster say younger farmers with a Green Certificate, which is a level 5 qualification, are helping to drive the market. However, they caution that land price expectations from some vendors are simply unrealistic at this present time. While Covid has affected sales activity, it hasnt affected output or prices and as a result farmer confidence about the future has been unaffected. The land market has shown strong resilience throughout the pandemic and agents believe prices will rise on average by 4% this year.

The low level of supply is again an issue in the rental market, but its not Covid related. Here the issue is leases with 24% of agents reporting a decline in the volume of land leases in 2020 compared to just 8% in 2019 as more land is locked up in long-term leases, Mr Coonan added.

In Munster, where dairy farmers are driving the market, prices ranged from an average of 11,900 per acre for good quality land under 50 acres in Tipperary to 9,000 in Clare while prices for poor quality ranged from an average of 6,500 in Waterford to 4,700 in Clare.

In Connacht/Ulster prices for good land under 50 acres ranged from an average of 9,500 per acre in Donegal to 6,500 in Monaghan and for poor land from 5,750 in Monaghan to 3,250 in Leitrim, the lowest price in the country.

Teagasc economist Dr. Jason Loughrey said that while Covid may have impacted the volume of sales, it had little impact on agricultural commodity prices last year and this helped to support farm incomes and land values at a time of great uncertainty.

The closure of hotels and restaurants and the contraction in the tourist business led to a sharp fall in sales of food and drink through these channels. However, this was largely offset by increased food and drink consumption within the home. Overall it is estimated that the average farm income in Ireland increased by 6% in 2020 and this year we forecast an increase of a further 3%.

Sheep farmers

Looking at the various farm sectors, last year was a good one for sheep farmers in particular, as they benefitted from higher prices as did pig producers.

Dairy farm incomes were stable while incomes on cattle rearing farms increased. There was no change on other cattle farms. Tillage farmers did have a disappointing year due to adverse weather conditions which led to low yields and a drop in income.

While farmers benefitted from lower input costs last year, they are facing some cost pressures this year, with feed, fertiliser and fuel prices all on the increase.

Lamb prices are expected to be significantly higher in 2021 relative to 2020 and farmers with a sheep enterprise will therefore benefit. A slight improvement in cattle farm income is expected with dairy incomes remaining stable. The outlook for tillage farm income this year is contingent on cereal yield developments.

Normal weather through to the harvest period would see a significant improvement in tillage farm income in 2021, Dr Loughrey concluded.
The Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA) are calling on Government to support and engage with the EU and implement Digital Green Certificates as soon as possible, which could allow travel to resume within the EU later this year. The ITAA believe that these certificates could help to repair some of the damage caused to the Irish travel sector as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is estimated that under EU guidelines, it could take up to six weeks to put this system in place. The Association believe that further delaying the implementation of the Digital Green Certificates would mean that Ireland will fall behind other EU member states in terms of reopening inbound and outbound travel, which would cause further problems for the Irish travel industry.

ITAA CEO Pat Dawson said, We are calling on Government to ensure that there is no delay in the rollout of the Digital Green Certificates, to avoid being left behind as the other 26 EU countries begin to reopen their borders for travel. This initiative will not work unless all member states are prepared and willing to implement the certificates in a timely manner and follow the same structure across all EU countries.

He continued, The ITAA have continually been calling for the implementation of some kind of digital certification since last year, and believe that this would drastically improve the prospects of resuming travel between EU countries. There is undoubtedly a pent-up demand for travel as consumers have been unable to travel for over a year now; many people would like to get overseas to see family, resume business travel and take a well-deserved break after this difficult period. We want to work with Government to implement this initiative as soon as possible in order to begin avoid falling behind other EU member states, so that we are well prepared in order to safely resume international travel.
Retail Ireland, the Ibec group that represents the retail sector, thas welcomed clarity that the sector will reopen fully on Monday, May 17, with click and collect resuming a week earlier, on Monday, May 10.

The group said retail businesses were looking forward to reopening and staying open, and would be reviewing and updating their public health protocols to ensure a safe experience for customers and staff.

Retail Ireland Director Arnold Dillon said: Today has been a long time coming. The last few months have been incredibly stressful for retail businesses and their staff. We now have a clear roadmap and can plan ahead with confidence. It is crucial that consumers support those businesses that have been badly hit by Covid restrictions. Unfortunately, some businesses will not reopen, many more will be relying on strong summer sales to ensure a viable business into the future.

Government supports have been a lifeline for many businesses, but debt levels have increased significantly, and many rent disputes remain unresolved. Unless further measures are taken, more business failures and redundancies are inevitable.

"Supporting the experience economy and breathing life back into our towns and cities must be a top priority over the coming weeks and months," he concluded.
The reaction to the Government announcement this week from the Restaurant sector is one of disbelief, confusion and frustration with regarding the Governments decision to permit Hotel & Guesthouse Restaurants to operate as normal for residents by offering Indoor Dining options from the proposed date of Thursday 2nd June whilst restricting Independent Restaurants, Coffee shops and Gastro pubs to outdoor dining only from the 7th June.

Adrian Cummins, Chief Executive of the Restaurants Association of Ireland said, We are calling on the Government to publish the Medical and Scientific evidence deeming a Hotel or Guesthouse Restaurant safer than an independent restaurant, coffee shop or gastro pub. Restaurants, hotels, cafes and gastropubs have all followed and implemented the exact same safety protocols for diners since June of last year. I want to be clear, if the medical advisors have decided it is now safe for indoor dining then Hotels should reopen  what we are asking for is Indoor Dining Equality and to reopen at the same time!

The decision to divide Hotel restaurants and independent restaurants into two categories is an anti-competitive, inequitable decision and without medical, scientific or public health rationale. This also prohibits independent restaurant owners from functioning viably over the summertime and in fact prohibits the re-employment of approx. 110,000 workers.

Over the last year independent restaurants, coffee shops or gastro pubs have introduced extensive Failte Ireland Guidelines and health and safety measures, relating to the training of staff, operation and layout of their facilities including social distancing and sanitisation.

Finally, the Restaurants Association of Ireland is calling for a fair and equitable solution by allowing all independent restaurants, coffee shops or gastro pubs to reopen alongside Hotel and Guesthouse Restaurants.



#IndoorDiningEquality

Also read: 'Hope' for small businesses as Covid-19 reopening plan announced
WHEN we reconnected last week, it was nearly 12 months to the day since we helped him open that account.

Im referring to a young gentleman who reached out for investment advice in late March 2020. He had 8,000 to invest and wanted to know what he should be doing with it.

He didnt have the knowledge, or perhaps confidence is a better word, to do it himself. He had registered with some online investment platforms because his friends had, but they didnt make sense to him. And he didnt really have the time or interest to track his investments and he wouldnt know when to buy or sell or make switches. It felt like hard work and it just wasnt for him.

Anyway, long story short, once we carried out our due diligence, out of all the many providers and funds available, I thought Zurich Lifes, 5 Star Global fund, suited him best, and he agreed. So, within a couple of days the account was open, money lodged, job done.

Fast forward 1 year, and as planned we had a date locked into our diaries to have a catchup. And it was a really good conversation because we both knew how his fund had performed.

His 8,000 now stood at 11,783.

Which was an increase of 47% in just 1 year.

He was obviously delighted with the return and as happy as he was, there was a tinge of regret that he hadnt opened the account sooner, but better late than never as they say.

I remember when he made contact, there were others who reached out too, and the trigger for everyone was an article, I wrote called buy the dip, but watch out for the dead cat.

It turned out that those, who followed through with the advice, did in fact buy the dip and have enjoyed incredibly good returns.

And just in case you were wondering, what would have happened if their timing was really poor and they set up their accounts at the worst possible time i.e. just before the onslaught of Covid, yes, their investment would have initially dropped in value, but it would have recovered, and theyd have still, ended up with an increase of 18.4% on their investment 12 months later.

Anyway, following our meeting, I began to wonder about those who contacted me at the same time last year but never followed through with the account.

So, I decided to reach out to some of them and find out whether they opened a different account or what happened? They seemed enthusiastic at the time, but nothing ever arrived back.

And of the four that I did speak to, three of them told me they did nothing. They didnt open any account and the funds were still sitting in either their deposit or Credit Union account, earning nothing.

The other person I spoke with, decided to go solo and set up an on-line trading account with Degiro.

When I asked him, how his investments had performed, overall he said some were good, and some very bad. It was a lot of work, which he didnt mind but the returns werent what hed hoped for.

The scores on the doors showed the return on his investments over the past 12 months amounted to about 7% which was actually really good.

And you know for me it didnt matter, that someone else was able to achieve a return nearly 7 times greater without any involvement or sleepless nights.

What was important, was that both followed through and set up their accounts.

There were three people I knew of, and there are probably many more like them, who didnt do anything, and thats a shame, but its not uncommon either.

And in fairness, the biggest problem for most people is that good investment advice will always sound great and makes more sense when looking back at the past or planning ahead for the future. It may not sound so great in the moment when you have to use it.

Which creates a problem because for whatever reasons, inaction when it comes to our finances is widespread, and unfortunately it can have serious implications. There have been many studies which have shown people are slow to take effective action with their money, and the term used to describe this phenomenon is called financial inertia.

Its when people put off financial planning or setting up investment accounts or paying off debt or monthly budgeting etc. even though they know they need to. They are in a state of doing nothing, and always procrastinate when it comes to making decisions about anything related to money.

And the reasons they dont follow through and take action isnt down to laziness, although for some it probably is, the bigger and more common reasons that hold people back, are a fear of making a mistake, fear of losing money, confusion over how and where to get started, being faced with too many choices, being too busy, or the hassle and stress of setting up new accounts and completing paperwork.

Unfortunately this hesitation leads to many lost opportunities that compound over time.

And some try to convince themselves otherwise and tell themselves that small amounts wont matter in the overall scheme of things but think again. I read one study recently which suggested the annual opportunity cost for not putting your money to work was up to 1,820 for every 10,000 saved.

So, be in no doubt, that inertia is an enemy to making progress with your finances. Being in that state of flux means your finances remain stuck in the doldrums, while those around you are making progress, not because they make any more money than you do, but because they took action and did something.

The good news is that this financial inertia can be overcome, and the strongest and best intervention usually comes from that internal force which drives you towards achieving a particular goal. Having that pull rather than push towards achieving something that has meaning for you, makes sense.

Regardless of whatever your triggers are, you need to recognise that the longer you wait to take action, the harder your money (and you) will have to work in order to catch up and you also may have to take more risks than youre comfortable with.

Look, nothing I or anyone else says, can motivate you better than you can. You know what your reasons for inaction are, and you also know what your strengths and weaknesses and shortcomings are.

And theres no way to know or guarantee that any new account opened now will deliver 47% again in the year ahead, but theres one way youll never find out and thats by doing nothing.

So, Id encourage you to do something, and that might be opening up a new account, or increasing your pension contributions, or saving into equity purchase schemes, or monitoring your monthly outgoings, or paying down debt and so on.

And if youre still having difficulty, Id recommend you reach out and consult a financial adviser, because if theyre any good, theyll get to understand your situation, theyll keep things simple and guide you at a pace youre comfortable with.

Liam Croke is MD of Harmonics Financial Ltd, based in Plassey. He can be contacted at liam@harmonics.ie or www.harmonics.ie
Five heritage projects in Sligo and Leitrim are set to benefit from funding under the 2021 Historic Structures Fund.

Under the funding 20,000 has been allocated to the Lough Rynn Estate Former Dispensary, Farnaught, 20,000 for Kinlough (Rossinver) Parish Church, 32,000 for the former Bachelor factory, Deepwater Quay, Sligo, 15,000 for the Red Barn, Carrowgarry, Beltra and 50,000 for Cemetery Gate Lodge, Commons, Sligo.

Announcing the funding Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan, TD, said: "This years Historic Structures Fund will assist 85 owners and custodians of historic and protected structures across the country as they carry out a range of conservation projects to repair and safeguard our built heritage and supporting local employment of skilled conservation workers and tradespeople.

"I can also announce that I am reopening the applications for funding for Irish Language shopfronts and will publish further details in the coming days."

In addition to supporting owners and custodians of historic and protected structures to safeguard and maintain their properties, this funding will also provide a welcome boost to local construction and heritage trades by facilitating works with a total value of almost 9m and leveraging an estimated 13,000 days labour.

The announcement follows that of 3m in funding under the Departments other built heritage grant scheme, the Built Heritage Investment Scheme, by Minister Noonan earlier this month and comes as the phased return of construction works gets underway. All funded works under both schemes must, of course, be carried out in full compliance with Government/HSE guidance on Covid-19.

Blaithin Gallagher  constituency spokesperson and National Co-ordinator of the Green Party/An Comhaontas Glas warmly welcomed this announcement of funding saying: This investment in our built heritage provides the opportunity to bring disused buildings and structures in the region back to life. We are investing in our people, in jobs, in improvements to peoples quality of life, their health, jobs etc. It is wonderful to see this funding for rural Ireland, which will enhance our built heritage over the next number of years."
Waterways Ireland wishes to notify masters of vessels and waterways users that emergency repair works to the lock gates at Tarmonbarry are ongoing and due to increased work scope identified when the lock was dewatered will not be completed until 28th May 2021.

Passage through Tarmonbarry lock, Co Roscommon will not be possible during this period.

An alternative route via the Camlin River is available. Masters of vessels are advised to check their airdraft prior to undertaking the passage on the Camlin River due to the low bridge on the N5 road.

Waterways Ireland apologies for any inconvenience caused and wishes to thank its customers for their cooperation.

Also read: Two historic Leitrim projects receive funding
The [local UPS] storeowner gave me my money back out of his own pocket, and will have to chase them [corporate] down to get that money, said Dizenhuz who wonders if Charles can get safely to the U.S. where she, as a U.S. citizen, can get her vaccine and respiratory care.
Niall OLeary, Senior Vice President & Site Head, Industrial Operations & Product Supply speaks about the Regeneron success story

When Regeneron hired our first Irish employee in 2014, we set out to build a very different kind of company, one driven by science and an unwavering commitment to our patients, our people and the broader Mid-West region.

At the time, Limerick was just starting to emerge from some bleak years, and we were honoured to bring high-end specialist jobs to the region.

Today, Regeneron is a leading biotechnology employer in Ireland and a Great Place to Work  weve been named a Best Workplace in Ireland since 2017 and a Best Workplace for Women in Ireland since 2019.

With the support of the IDA, local universities and community leaders, weve created more than 1,400 direct jobs in Limerick and even more indirect jobs in industries from construction to hospitality to housing and beyond. Even when unemployment was rising throughout Ireland, we continued to expand our operations and have grown close to 50% since January 2020.

We attribute our success in Limerick to our exceptional people and the unique culture we work hard to sustain - one rooted in a shared vision, innovation, teamwork and a deep commitment to taking care of each other. As an example, at the onset of the pandemic we developed bespoke programmes to ensure all of our employees  at home and onsite  felt safe, supported, informed and connected.

This included more frequent all-hands meetings, remote team-building opportunities, virtual employee events, contests, new perks, physical and emotional wellbeing programs and more.

We live by The Regeneron Way values that define who we are, what we do and how we do our extraordinary work on behalf of patients. Our mission to bring life-changing medicines to people in need has never been more critical and we have been at the forefront of the battle to fight Covid-19 with our investigational two-antibody combination for the potential treatment and prevention of Covid-19.

Despite the challenges of the last year, our Limerick team hasnt missed a beat in our operations nor in our social impact. Im humbled by our talented team and their commitment to patients around the world. Our conviction that we are part of something truly special is stronger than ever before.

The important work we do extends beyond our campus to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths) initiatives, volunteerism and other meaningful causes through our Regeneron in the Community programme. While there were fewer opportunities to get out on foot this year, our team stepped up in new ways.

From sourcing and donating personal protective equipment to local hospitals and donating to local charities, to supporting hard-hit local businesses and continuing to advance STEM education virtually, our employees bring a passion to doing whats right in our community  especially when its needed the most.

Regeneron is committed to helping the Mid-West region grow and thrive. We will continue to leverage our mission, our people and our unique culture to strengthen an increasingly vibrant Limerick today, tomorrow and for many years to come.
THE clash between different political loyalties and class interests at local level comes across in the controversy involving the Limerick City Night Watch between 1915 and 1923.

The night watch was a body established in 1843 and authorised by Limerick Corporation to deter criminal activity, provide law enforcement, and ensure public safety, from 8pm in winter and at 9pm in summer, complimenting the Royal Irish Constabulary when they were not available.

The controversy centred on one Night Watch Constable, thirty-nine year old John O'Brien, who on July 23 1915 re-joined the British army, having previously served prior to the Second Boer War (1899-1902).

Ensuring that his next-of-kin was a recipient of the separation allowance payment, O'Brien, now a corporal in the Royal Irish Regiment, endeavoured to supplement this, as did others, by applying for half pay from his employer, Limerick Corporation.

Other employers including the Great Southern and Western Railway Company had facilitated their employees with such a payment. The application was referred to a sub-committee of the Whole House Committee (representing the Corporation and the Watch and Fire Brigade Committees) which, at a meeting on August 4 1915 rejected it unanimously.

They did however, in compliance with Local Government Board instructions, give OBrien that which he had not sought, i.e. a guarantee of reinstatement in his job back on his return home. The Corporation accepted this recommendation and informed O'Brien accordingly.

Not content with being refused half pay, OBrien wrote on November 30 1915 to the Under Secretary at Dublin Castle and outlined his situation.

But the small man was out of his depth when dealing with the political nuances in local authority structures: in his letter he stated that Alderman John O'Brien (no relation), a member of the Watch Committee, was handling his case there, unaware that Alderman O'Brien was on the committee that had refused him half-pay.

Furthermore OBrien argued that he had a family of four children depending on him and that with the Lord Lieutenants intervention, he would be allowed this payment in addition to the separation allowance, which would certainly have assisted in supplementing the family's finances.

But the precedence of local over central authority worked against O'Brien. Again as with that of the Corporation, the answer received from the Lord Lieutenant was not what he expected: 'His Excellency regrets the matter is not one in which he can interfere'.

This was an issue that had to be dealt with locally, leaving OBriens family completely reliant on the separation allowance of twenty-five shillings along with the three shillings and sixpence compulsorily deducted from his weekly pay for the care of his family.

Meanwhile, O'Brien's position was filled by John Hayes, senior temporary employee of the night watch, on the understanding that when O'Brien arrived home, he would return to the position that he previously held.

On John O'Briens demobilization in 1919 he returned to Limerick, expecting, in accordance with the guarantee that he had received, to resume his duties as a permanent night watch constable.

His application to be re-installed in his job was supported by the Ministry of Labour, which had submitted a letter on his behalf.

Ironically, the first block to O'Briens application was the growing trade union movement. During O'Brien's absence, his temporary replacement, Hayes, had joined the Irish Transport and General Workers Union which had commenced organising the general body of workers in Limerick city in 1917, while by the end of 1919 there were forty-two branches throughout the city and county with a membership of 7,478 which was getting stronger over time.

It was therefore from a position of strength that the ITGWU made representations on Hayes behalf, stating that they would object to O'Brien being taken back if their member was dismissed.

What followed protracted infighting in the local authority, this very contentious issue oscillating for seven months between the Whole House committee of the Corporation and the Night Watch Sub-Committee.

There were hints of personal scores being settled, one of the inspectors who regularly attended these sub-committee meetings casting John O'Brien in a bad light by claiming that he had previously been fined ten shillings and dismissed from the Night Watch for theft from a licensed premises, only getting his job back through influence  an allegation contradicted by the Limerick Night Watch Committee minutes for 1912 which show O'Brien being commended by several members of the public for his dedication to duty.

The Night Watch Committee actually dismissed the allegation against OBrien as irrelevant, and tried to solve the dilemma by passing a motion to appoint an extra night constable.

This decision was conveyed to the trade union, which expressed satisfaction, but the decision proved premature because when it came before the Corporations Whole House Committee, it was rejected and referred back to the Watch Committee.

Now legal arguments were tried: the opinion of the Corporation's law agent, John Dundon, was that as the Night Watch budget only provided for a specific number, it would be illegal to create a position for the purpose of finding a place for O'Brien.

Dundon argued that the Corporation was not liable to pay compensation if O'Brien took legal action since he had been an army reservist before 1915 and subject to recall, though OBrien strenuously denied this, stating that he had left the army in 1899 when his time had expired.

On the other hand, Dundon concluded that there was no legal basis to the ITGWUs objection to O'Brien's resumption of duty and that the obvious course of action was to honour the guarantee, reinstate OBrien, and return John Hayes to the position of senior temporary employee.

At this stage, stalemate had been reached and John O'Brien, extremely frustrated at the indecisiveness of the Corporation, decided to take matters further. OBrien, too, now had recourse to the law.

Solicitors acting on his behalf (whether or how he paid them is unclear) unsuccessfully calling on the Watch Committee to make a definite decision on the issue, and taking the Corporation to the County Court, where OBrien was awarded 25 in damages, plus legal costs of 2.2s and expenses. Despite an appeal by the Corporation, the payment was upheld by the County Court Judge on the grounds that 'the action of the Corporation, a public body, was extraordinary.

They had treated their own resolution as a scrap of paper' and were bound to honour the guarantee of re-employment made to John O'Brien.

However, this proved a pyrrhic victory for O'Brien, and his reinstatement as a permanent Night Watch Constable was as elusive as ever. The winds of political change now further complicated the issue.

Around the time that John O'Brien returned from the army, members of Limericks Corporation were adopting a more aggressively nationalist outlook, partly due to the rebellion of 1916, but more so to opposition to conscription in 1918.

One Sinn Fein member, grocer Matthew Griffin, was particularly Anglophobic: with great influence over the Corporations committees, he thwarted every effort to facilitate O'Brien, and this opposition continued after 1920 following the election of a new Corporation in which Sinn Fein had twenty-six out of the forty seats.

The new Night Watch Committee decided that as John O'Brien was badly treated by the old Corporation, some concession should be made to his demands. It was unanimously agreed that he should be taken on as a temporary night watchman, but it was specifically stated that this employment was only to cover for any watchman who was ill.

More mystery surrounds O'Briens next move: he did not take up the Corporations offer but instead became a prison warder in Mountjoy Jail, Dublin. However, he did not remain in that position for long, resigning in protest at the treatment of hunger-striking political prisoners.

Following the establishment of the Irish Free State and the foundation of the Civic Guards (later An Garda Siochana), the Limerick night watch was abolished and Dail Eireanns 'Limerick Night Watchmen Superannuation Act' decreed that 'the Corporation of Limerick may at its discretion... grant to any night watchman whose whole time shall have been devoted to such employment, who had not less than ten years service, and whose appointment the Corporation, may at its discretion consider it necessary to determine a weekly pension...'

But nothing had changed for John O'Brien who applied to the Night Watch Committee for such a payment, arguing that he had been employed by Limerick Corporation for fourteen years as a Night Watch Constable from November 1901 to 1915 when he received permission to enlist in the British army, being denied reinstatement on his return in 1919.

Despite support for his application from five of the former Mountjoy hunger-strikers whose treatment had prompted his resignation as warder in 1920, the Night Watch Committee with Matthew Griffin foremost as heretofore in opposing all of O'Brien's efforts, rejected his request on the grounds that he had been satisfactorily remunerated with the Corporations 25 compensation payment to him for breach of agreement.

This left John O'Brien in a precarious position financially and he and his family became dependant on charity to subsist.

However, the cliche that hope springs eternal was ever so true and O'Brien's persistence again came to the fore. The establishment of the Irish Grants Commission (IGC) in 1923 to consider claims from southern Irish loyalists who had experienced hardship and loss during the revolutionary years as a result of the loyalty to the crown.

The resourceful O'Brien saw the possibility of getting compensation from this body as a result of what he argued, fitting in with the IGC criteria, was the conspiracy of Limerick Corporation to defeat the British government and the subsequent vendetta against him due to his loyalty to the crown. This he stated led to his inability to find employment and resulted in the deterioration of his health, including chronic rheumatism and heart problems.

Furthermore, he argued that due to his being deprived of the pension attaching to his service on the Night Watch, he had nothing else to subsist on. He therefore claimed 1,000 from the IGC, but they deemed this to be excessive and did not see a direct link between his anxiety over local hostility against him and his medical troubles. They did however have sympathy for the man, more than likely due to the hardship he had to endure, and awarded him 400.

There is an indication in the 1923 Limerick Register of Electors that O'Brien was still living at his old address in Gaol Lane, but it is not known with certainty what happened to him after this, as he disappears from the record, and the inaccessibility of the 1926 census totally prevents our following him any further.

Despite this unsatisfactory end to the story, John O'Brien's unsuccessful endeavours to either regain his employment or win compensation throw some light on a number of realities at local level during the revolutionary period: the complicated controversies within local politics; the growing power of the trade union movement; the difficulty of a humble individual in dealing with established bodies; and that individuals pragmatic approach to the system, shaping their argument to bolster their case.
A NEW report from researchers at Mary Immaculate College has examined the true scale of human trafficking on the island of Ireland, illustrating that there are substantially more victims of human trafficking in Ireland than are officially recorded with the authorities.

Data collated for the Human Trafficking and Exploitation Project on the Island of Ireland (HTEPII), led by MIC, has shown that the number of adults and children trafficked onto the island of Ireland between 2014 and 2019 is at least 38% higher in the Republic of Ireland and 20% higher in Northern Ireland than has been officially recorded by authorities north and south.

This new data represents an increase of 132 victims on top of an official count of 346 victims in the Republic of Ireland and an increase of 54 victims on top of an official count of 268 victims in Northern Ireland over a six-year period.

Of these, 89 minors were officially recorded. New data from the HTEPII report has also uncovered an additional 12 minors which have not been recorded by authorities in either jurisdiction.

The HTEPII project led by a team of MIC researchers, including principal investigators Professor Michael Breen and Professor Michael Healy and principal researcher Dr Amy Healy. It supported by a Project Executive Board with input from senior personnel in An Garda Siochana, the Police Service of Northern Ireland, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Justice in Northern Ireland, as well as other experts in the field.

Commenting following the publication of the report, Professor Breen, Dean of Arts at MIC, said. Victims of human trafficking are hidden in plain sight. They may be working in various industries, in retail shops, in service provision. But they are not free: they are forced through threats, intimidation, fear or lack of choice to remain in their situation. This report serves to underline the reality of human trafficking in Ireland, a problem somewhat larger than the official figures would indicate. It represents a call to all concerned to respond more effectively to the plight of trafficking victims here in Ireland and to do all that is possible to identify and support them, while relentlessly pursuing those who exploit them.

Outlining some of the findings, he added: Trafficking victims are highly vulnerable, frequently fearful, lacking resources, and generally traumatised by their experience.

The report found that some of those who have been trafficked for criminal activity, such as cannabis cultivation or shoplifting, may fear prison and therefore are unlikely to report to authorities. Others who may have travelled to Ireland for work or education only to end up exploited because of a lack of resources, language limitations and inability to find work of a legal nature may not see themselves as victims and do not self-identify as such.

According to the reports authors, trauma has a significant impact on individuals, and victims may require substantial support before they feel ready to declare themselves to the authorities.

"Many victims are unaware of what trafficking is and do not consider themselves as trafficking victims, said Dr Amy Healy, principal researcher on the HTEPII report. All of the participating organisations in this research believe that awareness of trafficking and trafficking indicators is lacking at all levels, from the victims themselves to broader society, and even to the service providers who work with victims, she added.

The comprehensive report demonstrates the work of victim support organisations and NGOs, many of whom contributed to the HTEPII report, can help significantly in tackling the issue of underreporting to statutory authorities.

The report authors recommend improvements in the manner in which the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) operates in both jurisdictions, while stressing the provision of appropriate health, legal, protective and welfare services for victims as an essential first response in identifying and recording victims of human trafficking.

The report also recommends consideration of a dynamic all-Ireland database to be developed to record cases of human trafficking on the island of Ireland, as well as specialised education and awareness training for all individuals likely to come into direct contact with human trafficking victims.

It is vital that a strategy be developed for the creation and roll-out of expert, bespoke education and training for all individuals and organisations involved in the identification, management and support of victims and potential victims of trafficking," commented Dr Healy.

In addition, the report recommends the roll out of a communication and information campaign in both jurisdictions to raise awareness among the public who can often play a critical role in identifying victims of human trafficking.

The HTEPII project is located within the Santa Marta North Atlantic Maritime Project, an inclusive partnership of the police, clergy, state and civil society in Ireland, England, Scotland, Spain and Portugal.

Professor Eugene Wall, President of MIC, commented: I am delighted that MIC has an association with the Santa Marta Group. Together, we are engaged in a quest for social justice, responding to the call of Pope Francis to the world to confront the causes of the scourge of human trafficking so that victims are protected, and an end put to this appalling form of exploitation.

The report was officially launched by Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster and President of the Santa Marta Group.

The HTEPII project was co-funded by MIC, An Garda Siochana, the Police Service of Northern Ireland, the Department of Justice in the Republic of Ireland and Department of Justice in Northern Ireland.
LIMERICK City and County Council has confirmed its intention to compulsorily acquire four derelict buildings and associated lands in two Limerick towns.

The local authority has published public notices, under the Derelict Sites Act 1990, relating to the properties which are located in Bruff and Rathkeale.

The latest CPOs are in addition to the council's plans to acquire a 24 buildings across the city and county - as announced last month.

The proposed acquisitions, details of which have now been published, include a derelict property at Inglenook, Bruff; a former retail premises and surrounding lands at Main Street, Bruff; a former two-storey commercial premises at The Square, Rathkeale and a single-storey house at Ballywilliam, Rathkeale.

Further details are available at limerick.ie and maps can be viewed at the Property and Community Facilities Department at City Hall, Merchant's Quay.

Any objections or submissions relating to the proposed CPOs must be lodged in writing by June 2, 2021.
Offtake from Coal India Ltd (CIL) fell more than a fifth in April as the second wave of the pandemic left several contract workers battling the deadly infection.

The fuel offtake from Indias largest coal miner fell to 54.13 million tonnes (mt) last month as against a target of 68.89 mt.

This dip in offtake has led the coal ministry to closely monitor the situation to ensure availability of the fossil fuel at thermal plants across the country given coal is the mainstay of Indias power generation mix.

It is true that some of the contractual workers involved in offtake were covid affected," a Coal India official said in an emailed response. Supplies in April 21 could have been higher but for the resurgence of second wave of Covid pandemic. But, despite that April 21 supplies were 3.3% more compared with a covid-free April 19. In fact, this years April offtake is 6.1% higher compared with April of FY18-19, the year when CIL recorded its highest-ever coal offtake," the official added.

Coal India has a total of 259,000 employees and 83,000 contract workers. The official said 5,470 employees, and their families, have been affected by the pandemic in addition to 122 contract workers.

On the back of a 99.33 MTs coal stock, at the beginning of the fiscal, CIL is geared up to meet any demand spurt from power sector," he further said.

Meanwhile, the companys coal stocks have also declined by 12.21 mt in one month to 87.12 mt by April-end as curbs in several states to contain the spread of covid impacted coal offtake. Coal supplies to thermal power projects have not been impacted. We are regularly monitoring the situation," said one of the two officials cited above, requesting anonymity. Queries emailed to spokespersons for ministries of coal and power late on Friday were not answered till press time.

Indias peak electricity demand fell in the first wave of covid-19 last year. However, demand had since recovered in line with the revival of economic activity.

Indias power generation capacity has also been rising. Of the installed power generation capacity of 382.15 gigawatts (GW), coal-fuelled projects make up 53% or 202.67 GW.

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New Delhi: Delhi received its second Oxygen Express carrying 120 MT of liquid medical oxygen (LMO) on Sunday, while third Oxygen express has already begun its journey from Angul to Delhi carrying 30.86 MT LMO, Indian Railways said.

Telangana also received its first oxygen from Angul carrying 63.6 MT LMO and more Oxygen Expresses to Haryana and Delhi carrying 61.46 MT LMO are on their way.

As various states faces shortage of oxygen amid the second wave of COVID-19, Railways on Sunday delivered 1,094 metric tonnes (MT) of LMO in 74 tankers to various states across the country.

19 Oxygen Expresses have already completed their journey and two more loaded Oxygen Express are on the run carrying 61.46 MT (approx) of LMO in 4 tankers.

So far, Indian Railways has delivered more than 1094 metric tonnes liquid medical oxygen (LMO) to Maharashtra (174 MT), Uttar Pradesh (430.51 MT), Madhya Pradesh (156.96 MT), Delhi (190 MT), Haryana (79 MT) & Telangana (63.6 MT), the release added.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.

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Indias Covid-19 crisis has pummeled demand for transport fuels to the lowest in several months, highlighting the risks for energy consumption amid an uneven global recovery from the pandemic.

April sales of gasoline -- used in cars and motorcycles -- fell to 2.14 million tons to the lowest since August, according to preliminary data from officials with direct knowledge of the matter. Sales of diesel, a bellwether for economic activity, was a tad higher than February, which had two fewer days. If thats factored in, then monthly sales of the countrys most-used fuel last month would have been the lowest since October.

Leading oil producers, including members of the OPEC+ cartel, as well as traders have been tracking the devastation across the country, which has been assailed by a record wave of coronavirus infections. Lockdowns and curfews in states and cities such as New Delhi and Mumbai have curbed mobility and stoked speculation that the nations refiners will cut back on crude purchases.

Despite Indias predicament, Brent gained in April as investors bet recoveries elsewhere, principally the U.S., China and Europe, would lift overall demand. Against that backdrop, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies agreed to relax supply curbs from this month, while warning the virus wave in India and other nations may derail the recovery.

Fuels sales in India could have been worse in April but for the elections in some states that helped spur demand as thousands of people attended rallies and staff of political parties used vehicles for campaigning. But with those elections over and the virus still spreading, there could be a deeper impact in May.

India is a vital energy market. The country is the third-largest oil importer, and in 2019 -- the last full year before the pandemic erupted -- daily demand averaged 5.3 million barrels, according to BP Plcs statistical review. Leading refiners typically source most cargoes from the Middle East and Nigeria.

Spokespeople for Indian Oil Corp., Bharat Petroleum Corp., and Hindustan Petroleum Corp., declined to comment. The three retailers account for more than 90% of the nations fuel sales.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.

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DUBAI: Iranian state television said on Sunday that Tehran would free four Americans accused of spying in exchange for four Iranians held in the United States and the release of $7 billion in frozen Iranian funds.

However the U.S. government denied that an exchange was in the works.

The state TV, quoting an Iranian official, also said British-Iranian national Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe would be released once Britain had paid off a debt on military equipment owed to Tehran.

A British Foreign Office official played down that report.

Iran and world powers are holding talks to revive the 2015 nuclear accord that Washington abandoned three years ago.

Iranian officials told Reuters last month that an interim deal could be a way to gain time for a lasting settlement that involved unfreezing Iranian funds blocked under U.S. sanctions.

"Informed source says Biden administration has agreed to release four Iranian prisoners jailed for bypassing U.S. sanctions in exchange for four American 'spies'," the Iranian state TV report said on Sunday.

"Release of Nazanin Zaghari in exchange for UK's payment of its 400 million pound debt to Iran has also been finalized. The source also said the Biden administration has agreed to pay Iran $7 billion," it said.

In Washington, State Department spokesman Ned Price told Reuters: "Reports that a prisoner swap deal has been reached are not true".

"As we have said, we always raise the cases of Americans detained or missing in Iran. We will not stop until we are able to reunite them with their families."

Ron Klain, White House chief of staff, also denied the report. "Unfortunately, that report is untrue. There is no agreement to release these four Americans," Klain said on CBS "Face the Nation".

Tehran and the powers have been meeting in Vienna since early April to work on steps that must be taken, touching on U.S. sanctions and Iran's alleged breaches of the 2015 deal, to bring Tehran and Washington back into full compliance with the accord.

Iran says $20 billion of its oil revenue has been frozen in countries like South Korea, Iraq and China under the U.S. sanctions since 2018.

U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan, speaking on ABC's "This Week" on Sunday, said no deal had been reached with Iran in Vienna.

"There is still a fair distance to travel to close the remaining gaps," he said. "And those gaps are over what sanctions the United States and other countries will roll back. They are over what nuclear restrictions Iran will accept on its program to ensure that they can never get a nuclear weapon."

ZAGHARI-RATCLIFFE

On the Zaghari-Ratcliffe case, British foreign minister Dominic Raab told Times Radio earlier on Sunday : "We recognise the IMS debt should be repaid and we're looking at arrangements for securing that".

A Foreign Office official later played down the speculation on her release.

Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a project manager with the Thomson Reuters Foundation charity, was freed from house arrest in March at the end of a sentence for seeking to overthrow Iran's government.

An Iranian court sentenced her last month to another year in jail, weeks after she finished the prior five-year sentence, a decision Britain called "inhumane".

She was arrested at Tehran airport in April 2016 and later convicted of plotting to overthrow the clerical establishment.

Her family and the foundation, a charity that operates independently of media firm Thomson Reuters and its news subsidiary Reuters, deny all charges against her and say she was only visiting relatives in Iran.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.

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RIP to the room where it happens  the Grammys blue-ribbon committees, which are officially being laid to rest this year after being an essential part of the nominating process in most categories since the 1990s. Never again will non-insiders have to play the role of Aaron Burr, wondering if there was actually smoke filling those rooms, and if so, what kind. That murky haze is being replaced by the clear air of transparency, and not a moment or voting year too soon.

Its fair to say that the community of musicians, the general public and most Recording Academy members will take a dont let the door hit you on the way out attitude to the nominating committees seeing themselves out. Letting the popular vote prevail is a notion thats very popular in 2021 across the board, unless youre in an empty but still federally well-represented state like North Dakota, or unless youre one of the more obscure artists who benefitted from having a very persuasive advocate on a Grammy committee. What was recently seen as not working for the Weeknd was really a long-simmering issue that had seen the Recording Academy taking fire for a long time. What happened this week simply had to happen, even if its still kind of shocking that the trustees gave up the committee system without it having to be pried out of their cold, dead hands.

But with that being said, some things will inevitably be lost when the next set of Grammy nominations is winnowed down by the entire 11,000-plus membership rather than a small group of imagined or real experts in each category. The curatorial approach that took over in the 90s was instituted for a reason: to make sure that, with such a vast membership, the Grammys would not become a pure popularity contest. We already had an American Music Awards, the reasoning went  there didnt need to be two of them, one of them bearing the music industrys imprimatur instead of the hoi pollois. With the onset of committees, the lineup of nominees in each category typically worked out to about half popularity contest, half WTF. But, theres no denying it  there were a lot of good WTF choices mixed in with the more unadulterated WTF-iness.

In the end, some of the Academys (or their committees) best oddball nominees may be worth sacrificing if it means no longer having musics most prestigious kudos come off as at least half-arbitrary. Sometimes throwing out a baby with the bathwater is a risk worth taking.

When I first reported on the committee system for Billboard in 2017, trying to demystify what was then a far less publicized process, I talked to committee members and trustees as well as official reps about why the Recording Academy would stick by something so easily seen as elitist. Could the foremost awards for popular music really be OK with something so non-populist? Those who were supportive of it (at that point, still a majority) made a collectively good case for why leaving the final nominating in the hands of a select few was the lesser of all possible evils.

I get very tired of reading in some publications about our secret committees and that sort of thing, Bill Freimuth, the Recording Academys senior VP of awards, told me then. Theyre not secret. We try to be pretty transparent about this.  Elitist is a very charged word, these days in particular. You have to look at the antonym, which is populist. And there are other awards for music that are based on popularity. Ultimately (nominations) come down to a group of people sitting in a room, but that group of people has gone through a rather rigorous vetting processthrough our chapter system, through our national board of trustees, through other members of that genre community, all in the service of being able to elevate the less likely choice that sometimes has maybe not done quite so well in the marketplace.

A trustee told me, Ultimately, I dont know if theres any other way to do it [besides the blue-ribbon committees]. When I sit in those meetings, I come back to thinking this really is the best way to do it. Its an imperfect system trying to be as perfect as it can.

But when you looked at the slate of nominees from year to year, you could see the committees whipsawing from not being cool enough to being too cool. Originally, especially when it came to the top all-genre categories, the committees were seen as a corrective to, say, Tony Bennetts MTV Unplugged winning for album of the year  with the general feeling being that at least he won over the Three Tenors album that was also up at the time. Bennett was out, and Beck was in huzzah! (Apologies to hearts, San Francisco, etc.)

And yet the Grammys were still seen as a bastion of old-guard sentiment, at least into the mid-2000s. In that same album of the year category, Santana beat TLC; Steely Dan bested Eminem; Ray Charles conquered Kanye West; Herbie Hancock beat Amy Winehouse (and also Kanye that was a running theme for quite a while). And so then entered the age of committee overcorrection.

The blue-ribbon panel that decided the nominations for record and album of the year has seemed for many years to be operating under this assumption: If you nominate either an established veteran or an uber-popular mainstream smash, the general membership will go for either of those Therefore, neither Ed Sheeran having one of the undeniable mainstream pop songs of the century nor Bob Dylan having his most acclaimed album in a quarter-century could dare be allowed a nomination, because either would be obvious Grammy bait for rank-and-file members and a win for a pop superstar without much critical cred, or an oldster whose cred dated back to the 60s, would be bad for the image of an Academy that wants to be seen as honoring the vanguard.

Now, maybe those kind of exclusions  or the Weeknds tipping-point shutout  didnt come down to deliberate choices on the part of committee members. Maybe Sheerans Shape of You or Abel Tesfayes Blinding Lights or, on the other end of things, Dylans critically gushed over Rough and Rowdy Ways didnt even make the top 20 choices the general membership handed over to the committee to hack down to a final field of eight. Or maybe those choices were handed to them, and the committee didnt take the optics of the organization into account, but just really did think Jacob Collier made a better album than Dylan, or that Black Pumas moderately successful Colors was clearly a superior record to the monster that was Blinding Lights. But the fact was that, barring a leak of the discussions between those two dozen or so deciders, we would never know whether Ed or Bob or anyone else even came up in the room.

And with this frustrating a lack of translucence about how seriously or cavalierly these matters were undertaken behind closed doors, we were all Aaron Burr sir.

But what will be lost in the service of transparency? Fun and/or deserving quirks. How great was it that an album as terrific as Haims Women in Music Pt. III got nominated for album of the year in this latest round? Or that Brandi Carliles By the Way, I Forgive You snuck in two years before  setting up a performance on the telecast that effectively made her a household name? What are the odds that either of these would have made it onto the final ballot without the curatorial power of the committee? Slim.

And the committees have been prescient in their time. When I was reporting that story about the process at the beginning of 2017, part of the whispering against the system at the time was that it allowed a no-name like Anderson .Paak to pick up an inordinate amount of nominations. No ones carping about that as an abuse of committee power now.

At the end of 2019, I wrote a Variety column titled Why the Grammys Committee Voting System Needs an Overhaul, arguing that then-new Academy CEO Deborah Dugan ought to look at eliminating the secret rooms, after some unexpectedly weird shutouts of front-running candidates ranging from Taylor Swift to Tyler, the Creator. Maybe its time to advocate for majority decision-making in the Grammys, I wrote. At least wed be spared wondering if somebody with the loudest voice in a conference room owed a gambling debt. Yet looking back at some of the things that were raising eyebrows at that particular time, I note that among them were the huge Grammy looks, year after year, for commercial also-rans like Bon Iver and H.E.R. While those repeat choices were undoubtedly the choices of a committee that wasnt experiencing a lot of turnover from year to year, its hard to argue that those were un-prescient picks, given that every Taylor Swift fan is now a Bon Iver fan, and that H.E.R. just won an Oscar, still without having released a full album or having a major hit yet.

But we come here to bury the committee system, not to praise it. Some of the committees what were they thinking choices have turned out to be far more defensible than others, but the fact that every single amateur or professional Grammys observer asks it every single year was evidence of a long-overdue change. It shouldnt have taken Dugan raising it in her legal actions against the Academy (at which point everyone was shocked, shocked, to learn that there was gambling going on in this establishment) or the Weeknd being a publicly and probably justifiably sore loser to put this on the front burner of the trustees. Kudos to interim chief Harvey Mason, Jr. for apparently helping push it over the finish line.

Most significantly, the Recording Academys vote to abolish the committees is a vote in favor of believing in the reform its already undertaken. The org has been on a mission for years to broaden and diversify its membership and weed out those who dont have an active and ongoing participation in the music business. To hold onto the blue-ribbon process was effectively saying: Yes, weve made great strides in representation but we still cant trust those people.

Maybe we shouldnt trust the general membership to get the Grammy nominations right. Maybe itll get a little harder to tell the Grammys from the AMAs, without as many seemingly pulled-out-of-nowhere nominations and bold advocacy picks. But at least if the whole process goes to hell as a result of leaving it to the entire bloc of voters, at least well know which 11,000 people to blame.

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To pay for its proposals, which include universal pre-K, tuition-free community college and expanded family and medical leave, the administration wants to raise the corporate tax rate above its current 21% level but below its former 35%, she said.
Is it possible well be getting a new Star Wars or Marvel series every month on Disney+? That seems to be the services ambition. This month sees the debut of the hotly anticipated Star Wars: The Bad Batch, but it would be a typically bustling month for Disney+ even without it, thanks to choices that include some vintage selections and a new theatrical feature (for a small extra fee). Here are some of the most promising offerings.

Buy: Disney Bundle Ad-Free Deal at $13.99

Watch (almost) everything for free with a subscription to Disney+. A Disney+ subscription costs $7.99/month. Your best deal is to grab the Disney Bundle, which gets you access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for just $13 (with ads). The ad-free Disney Bundle is just $18.99 here.

Star Wars: The Bad Batch (May 4)

Before his work on The Mandalorian, writer and executive producer Dave Filoni served as the driving force behind Star Wars: The Clone Wars and other animated series. That helps explain why so many Clone Wars characters have shown up in The Mandalorian, which proved they could work just as well in liver-action as animation. With Star Wars: The Bad Batch, Filoni crosses back into animation for a series about a band of mutant clone warriors who run afoul of the Empire after the Clone Wars draw to a close.

Wander Over Yonder (May 7)

Craig McCrackens tenure at Cartoon Network, especially his work as the creator of The Powerpuff Girls, helped to push childrens animated shows in witty, stylish new directions. In the early-2010s, McCracken brought a similar spirit to this space-trotting Disney Channel series starring the voice of Jack McBrayer as the exuberant Wander, whose journey through the stars often puts him in conflict with Lord Hater. The series two seasons are now making their Disney+ debut.

Wild Hearts Cant Be Broken (May 7)

When Disney+ debuted it seemed as if the service had scraped clean the Disney Vaults (apart from a few infamous exceptions). But apparently not: this 1991 film loosely adapts the story of Sonora Webster Carver, a rider who continued to participate in horse diving even after she went blind. Horse diving isnt exactly smiled upon these days. Even Donald Trump backed down from a Nineties attempt to revive it in Atlantic City when protestors shouted him down. But viewers who can look past that  which might not be easy  might draw some inspiration from the film, which stars Gabriel Anwar and Cliff Robertson.

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (May 7) and X-Men: The Last Stand (May 14)

Disneys purchase of Fox means the company also inherited Foxs superhero films, a mixed bag that includes its X-Men titles and its Fantastic Four adaptations. X-Men: The Last Stand is one of the most disappointing of the former and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer arguably the worst of the latter, but both are worth a look for the curious (even if kids hungry for all things Marvel might not find that much to like).

High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (Season two premiere, May 14)

How do you follow a season that offered a rockumentary look at a high school theater groups production of High School Musical: The Series? If youre High School Musical: The Musical: The Series you pick up where you left off and focus on the high school production of another Disney-branded musical, Beauty and the Beast. Complicating matters, season two finds the kids of East High squaring off against their hated enemies at North High, home to a theater club run by their leader Miss Jenns (Kate Reinders) ex-boyfriend.

Inside Pixar: Unpacked (May 21)

W. Kamau Bell narrates a series offering a behind-the-scenes look at Pixar. Each episode focuses on different aspects, including character design and the challenge of creating immersive backgrounds for the studios animated characters.

Cruella (May 28)

Everyone clamoring for an origin story of Cruella de Vil, the fur-coveting villain of 101 Dalmatians, can relax: Youve been heard. Emma Stone plays Cruella as a young fashion designer with a rebellious streak that, since the films rated PG-13, presumably does not extend to dog slaughter. Craig Gillespie (I, Tonya) directs. Like Mulan and Raya and the Last Dragon, Cruella will premiere simultaneously in theaters. To stream it online, youll need to be a Disney+ subscriber and pay an additional $29.99 premiere access fee (for unlimited viewings with your Disney+ account).

Launchpad (May 28)

Providing a sandbox in which up-and-coming animators can experiment, Pixars SparkShorts have been a Disney+ highlight since day one. Launchpad looks like an attempt to extend that initiative to the live-action realm via short films directed by a diverse array of creators. This first batch is built around the theme of Discover and includes contributions from emerging filmmakers like Aqsa Altaf, Moxie Peng, and Jessica Mendez Siqueiros

The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers (Season finale, May 28)

The first season of Disney+s Emilio Estevez-starring revival of the Nineties underdog franchise draws to a close with a big game. (Were guessing, but that seems like a safe bet.)
The inclement weather and the rise in cases caused by the COVID-19 pandemic was announced as the cause for the postponement of Saturdays planned event to hold an outdoor concert gathering to announce a proposed project by a San Antonio-based organization that wants to bring tiny homes for the homeless to the Laredo area.

As the city has recently featured an increase in cases  with the past two weeks both more than any of the other previous seven weeks combined  the increase caused some concern for several organizations to hold large events just yet. The announcement was made by both Bethany House and the leader of the San Antonio-based organization Bridging the Gap.

Active cases in the city dropped Friday to 169 after flirting with 200 earlier in the week. In the middle of March, actives dropped all the way down to as low as 82.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this event has been postponed until June or July, Bethany House Communications Director Cindy Leyendecker said. It is important to maintain a healthy environment to reduce the risk of the coronavirus when large gatherings are held even if it's an outside event.

Leyendecker further added that potential bad weather also contributed to the events postponement.

The leader of Bridging the Gap  Pastor Jimmy Robles of Last Chance Ministries from San Antonio  stated that he was ready to conduct the event either way, even though it was already raining hard in his location in San Antonio, but he understands that the virus growth is something that must be taken seriously. Nevertheless, he continues to propose for there to be an outdoor event to ensure the infection rate is decreased.

They told me that they were not ready to have a lot of people meet in person, so I said okay, Robles said. I know that I told them that we could do an outside event, the people could be in their cars if they want, but I guess it's more of a precaution on their side.

According to Robles, instead of a concert, he has been told to hold a Jamaica-style event, which would be more of a small carnival featuring various amenities to do in one place and offer many more people to come instead of just going to a concert. The event would hold live music, activities for the family, food and other amenities to hold the event.

Robles states that he was told by people from the city that the new event is planned to be bigger than the postponed one and that it would also require to get permission from the city and county to see if such a large gathering can be held.

Even though the event had not yet been as publicized locally, Robles stated that some were excited for it to be held. However, he hopes that people understand that they are working on an even bigger and safer event to be held soon, and they plan to announce it once the time and location is provided and the city or county formally accepts the permission to do so.

We are going to make it up to them, and at the same time, we are going to do a big city-wide Jamaica where there will be Tejano music and food, Robles said. Its going to come back stronger, just give us some time to get everything back to how we wanted it to. But dont be discouraged as we are coming, and we are coming with full force, but at this time, we are just waiting and making sure that Laredo is taken care of.

Robles states that he believes that with the current rate that people are getting vaccinated in the city of Laredo, he believes that things will be much better in the coming summer months.

Robles also stated that as the event comes to fruition, he hopes that any local individuals that would like to sell or donate some piece of land for their project can do so by contacting Bridging the Gap and partnering with them in efforts to find a stable solution for the homeless population of the city.

Bridging the Gap is coming to Laredo, as we are looking for about 10-20 acres to be able to bring our tiny homes to Laredo to help the homeless, Robles said. There has to be someone out there that has to have some property that would like to partner up with Bridging the Gap.

Robles states that he can be contacted by calling him at (210) 584-0885.

jorge.vela@lmtonline.com
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP)  A SpaceX capsule carrying four astronauts departed the International Space Station late Saturday, aiming for a rare nighttime splashdown to end the companys second crew flight.

It would be the first U.S. splashdown in darkness since Apollo 8s crew returned from the moon in 1968.

MORE SPACEX: NASA picks SpaceX to land first woman on Moon in 2024

NASAs Mike Hopkins, Victor Glover and Shannon Walker, and Japans Soichi Noguchi, headed home in the same Dragon capsule that delivered them to the space station last November. The ride back was expected to take just 6 1/2 hours.

Thanks for your hospitality, Hopkins radioed as the capsule undocked 260 miles (420 kilometers) above Mali.

SpaceX targeted a splashdown around 3 a.m. Sunday in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Panama City, Florida. Despite the early hour, the Coast Guard deployed extra patrols  and spotlights  to keep any night-owl sightseers away. The capsule of the first SpaceX crew was surrounded by pleasure boaters last summer, posing a safety risk.

Hopkins, the spacecraft commander, rocketed into orbit with his crew on Nov. 15 from NASAs Kennedy Space Center. Their replacements arrived a week ago aboard their own Dragon capsule  the same one that launched SpaceXs first crew last spring.

The four should have been back by now, but high offshore wind kept them at the space station a few extra days. SpaceX and NASA determined the best weather would be before dawn.

MORE SPACE: China will be first country after America to leave solar system

The delays allowed Glover to celebrate his 45th birthday in space Friday.

Gratitude, wonder, connection. Im full of and motivated by these feelings on my birthday, as my first mission to space comes to an end, Glover tweeted.

Saturday nights undocking left seven astronauts at the space station: three Americans, two Russians, one Japanese and one French.

___

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Three heritage projects in Longford are set to benefit from 70,000 funding under the 2021 Historic Structures Fund.

Longford Lodge, Carriglas is set to receive 20,000, with Creevaghmore House, Ballymahon and St Mels College, Longford both being allocated 25,000 each.

Announcing the funding Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan, TD, said: "This years Historic Structures Fund will assist 85 owners and custodians of historic and protected structures across the country as they carry out a range of conservation projects to repair and safeguard our built heritage and supporting local employment of skilled conservation workers and tradespeople.

"I can also announce that I am reopening the applications for funding for Irish Language shopfronts and will publish further details in the coming days."

In addition to supporting owners and custodians of historic and protected structures to safeguard and maintain their properties, this funding will also provide a welcome boost to local construction and heritage trades by facilitating works with a total value of almost 9m and leveraging an estimated 13,000 days labour.

The announcement follows that of 3m in funding under the Departments other built heritage grant scheme, the Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS), by Minister Noonan earlier this month and comes as the phased return of construction works gets underway. All funded works under both schemes must, of course, be carried out in full compliance with Government/HSE guidance on Covid-19.

Nearly 87,000 in grants were allocated to county Longford property owners and community groups under the Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS).

The successful County Longford applicants were:

6 Earl Street, Longford town 8,200

Co:Worx Edgeworthstown (former Ulster Bank), 8,200

Derreen House, Clondra, 3,700

Former Ulster Bank, Market Street, Granard, 10,550

J. Burns' 28-28A Main Street, Edgeworthstown, 7,500

Kilglass House, Legan, 10,600

Ledwithstown House, Ledwithstown, Ballymahon, 7,500

St John's National School, Battery Road, Longford, 2,500

Temperance Hall, Dublin Street, Longford, 5,750

Workers Cottage, Mullingar Road, Ardagh, 10,000

Halls, Battery Road, Longford 2,500
THE Health Protection Surveillance Centre has today been notified of 1 additional death related to Covid-19.

As of midnight, Saturday, the HPSC has been notified of a further 402 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Ireland.

There has now been a total of 249,838 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Ireland.

Of the cases notified today:

220 are men / 182 are women

79% are under 45 years of age

The median age is 31.5 years old



As of 8am today, 127 Covid-19 patients are hospitalised, of which 41 are in ICU. 6 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours.

As of April 30th, 2021, 1,572,779 doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been administered in Ireland:

1,130,958 people have received their first dose

441,821 people have received their second dose

Longford Tidy Towns seek painting contractors in clean up bid Many of us in Longford Town were excited to hear that the National Tidy Towns competition has resumed again this year despite Covid and we have entered the competition and were hoping to be ready for the arrival of the judges in June, which is only a few weeks away.

Longford woman on death threat charge to stand trial A Longford woman is to stand trial accused of threatening to kill an unidentified person almost two years ago.




(Corrects to show delays due to internal controls, not

regulatory delays)

MEXICO CITY, April 30 (Reuters) - AstraZeneca has

confirmed setbacks to production of its COVID-19 vaccines in

Latin America, excluding Brazil, but said it will still meet a

commitment to deliver 150 million doses to the region this year.

The Anglo-Swedish drugmaker said in a statement shared with

Reuters on Friday that lower-than-expected production, shortages

of critical supplies and longer periods to meet internal

controls had slowed the process.

(Reporting by Adriana Barrera; Writing by Stefanie

Eschenbacher; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel)
(Alliance News) - UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is seeking to focus attention on tackling crime and the coronavirus recovery amid signs a string of allegations may be damaging the Tories' ahead of the elections.

Johnson said on Sunday he had "no doubt" the economy "will bounce back strongly" from the pandemic in a pitch to voters before polls open across Britain on Thursday.

He made the pitch as two new surveys suggested the Conservatives' lead over Labour has been cut ahead of local elections in England and votes for the parliaments in Scotland and Wales.

The polls will raise concerns among Conservatives that recent "sleaze" allegations battering the prime minister are beginning to turn some voters off.

The Electoral Commission this week launched an investigation into whether any donations or loans to pay for the lavish refurbishment of his Downing Street flat were properly declared.

And Johnson has been forced to deny saying he would rather see "bodies pile high" than impose a third coronavirus lockdown, on top of a lobbying row and allegations of cronyism.

The prime minister appealed to voters in an article for The Mail on Sunday by saying he would "bring the hammer down hard on the gangs" and set up a "pet theft task force".

He said the roll-out of vaccines, one popular element of his handling of the pandemic, was helping to ease restrictions ahead of the expected relaxations on May 17 and June 21.

"This country is moving forwards cautiously but I hope irreversibly through the steps of the roadmap," Johnson wrote.

"Week after week we are seeing how the vaccine rollout is helping to restore our freedoms a and with those freedoms I have absolutely no doubt that our economy will bounce back strongly."

However, a fresh controversy emerged with The Sunday Times reporting an MP has received a complaint from a Tory donor that they were asked to pay for a nanny for Johnson's one-year-old son Wilfred.

The donor was alleged to have said: "I don't mind paying for leaflets but I resent being asked to pay to literally wipe the prime minister's baby's bottom."

A No 10 spokeswoman said: "The prime minister has covered the cost of all childcare."

But she did not respond when asked if Johnson paid for the original bill himself or had reimbursed somebody else.

Although earlier polls suggested the "sleaze" allegations were not significantly denting public support for the Tories, fresh surveys gave evidence to the contrary.

The Conservatives fell to a five-point lead over Labour, with 42% compared to 37%, according to the Opinium poll of more than 2,000 adults between Wednesday and Friday.

That put the Tories down two points and Labour up four compared to a week earlier, halving the Conservatives' lead ahead of the elections, in which some 48 million people are eligible to vote.

And in separate polling, Focaldata put Labour on 39%, one point behind the Tories, who previously had a healthy lead, according to The Sunday Times.

Johnson has denied breaking any laws over the refurbishment of his official residence in No 11 and insisted he had paid "personally" for the works.

But he has refused to say whether he received an initial loan from the Tory party, as Downing Street launched two separate reviews into the controversy.

Questions intensified when former aide Dominic Cummings accused Johnson of wanting donors to "secretly pay" for the works in a "possibly illegal" move.

The elections on Thursday will be the first major electoral test for the Conservatives and Keir Starmer's Labour Party since the 2019 general election.

By Sam Blewett, PA Deputy Political Editor

source: PA

Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Take a few minutes and scroll through some of the local news from the past week:
China estimates over 56 million May 1 trips

Xinhua) 10:32, May 02, 2021

BEIJING, May 1 (Xinhua) -- It is estimated that Chinese travelers made 56.37 million domestic trips on May 1, the start of the five-day May Day holiday, official data showed Saturday.

Compared with the same period last year, this holiday figure surged by 111.5 percent, the Ministry of Transport said.

The ministry estimated that airlines handled nearly 1.89 million passenger trips on the same day. The flow of highway traffic amounted to 36 million trips.

Railway trips will likely rise by 6.1 percent from the 2019 level to reach 18.3 million on May 1, which might set a single-day record, said the China State Railway Group Co., Ltd.

May Day, also known as International Workers' Day, is observed on May 1 in China. As the holiday lasts from Saturday to next Wednesday this year, many choose to spend the holiday traveling.

(Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Bianji)
Trained interviewers are eager to speak with New Yorkers, with the department providing a physical or digital copy of your recollections as a keepsake once finished. And its important to note all 8.5 million New Yorkers are eligible to participate, whether you were born here in 1958 or immigrated here in 2019.
Guests walk down Main Street USA at Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., Friday, April 30, 2021. The iconic theme park in Southern California that was closed under the state's strict virus rules swung open its gates Friday and some visitors came in cheering and screaming with happiness. (AP Photo/Jae Hong)
Vaccination booths are seen at Ford Field in Detroit with FEMA staff surrounding them.
Arbor Day

The idea for Arbor Day originally came from the state of Nebraska. A visit to Nebraska today wouldnt disclose that the state was once a treeless plain. Yet it was the lack of trees there that led to the founding of Arbor Day in the 1800s.

J. Sterling Morton, from Detroit, Mich., was among the pioneers moving into the Nebraska Territory in 1854. He and his wife were lovers of nature, and the home they established in Nebraska was quickly planted with trees, shrubs and flowers.

Morton was a journalist and soon became the editor of Nebraskas first newspaper. Given that forum, he spread agricultural information and his enthusiasm for trees to an equally enthusiastic audience. His fellow pioneers missed their trees. More importantly, Nebraska needed trees for windbreaks to keep soil from blowing away, for fuel, building materials, as well as shade from the hot sun.

Morton not only advocated tree planting by individuals in his articles and editorials, but he also encouraged civic organization and groups of every kind to join in. His prominence in the area increased, and when he became secretary of the Nebraska Territory, that provided him another opportunity to stress the value of trees.

On January 4, 1872, Morton first proposed a tree-planting holiday to be called Arbor Day at a meeting of the State Board of Agriculture. The date was set for April 10, 1872. Prizes were offered to counties and individuals for planting properly the largest number of trees on that day. It is estimated that more than 1 million trees were planted in Nebraska on the first Arbor Day.

Arbor Day was officially proclaimed by the young states Gov. Robert W. Furnas on March 12, 1874, and the day itself was observed April 8, 1874. Arbor Day was named a legal holiday in Nebraska, and April 22, Mortons birthday, was selected as the date for its permanent observance. Arbor Day is now observed in every state across the nation and in many foreign countries as well.

J. Sterling Morton was proud of the success of Arbor Day and noted, Other holidays repose upon the past. Arbor Day proposed for the future. He thought trees much superior to cold marble as a memorial to persons or events. How much more enduring are the animate trees of our own planting, he said.

In 1978, Maine first celebrated Arbor Week during the third full week of May. Previously, Arbor Day in Maine had been observed in late April, a time of the year when much of our state experiences cold, winter weather. Thwarted by snow and frozen ground in their efforts to observe Arbor Day, a group of students and their teacher from Dover-Foxcroft requested that the Maine Legislature to establish Arbor week in May. The Legislature was impressed by the arguments of the sixth graders who came to Augusta as a class to speak for their bill and agreed to make the change.

Arbor Week in Maine continues to be celebrated during the third full week in May.
Exton, PA (19341)

Today

Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. High 86F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low 68F. Winds light and variable.
There were more people captured and held on American soil [during the Revolutionary War] than in any other time, said Loorya, noting that POW estimates range between 18,000 and 30,000. The British would try to offer [them] various enticements so they would sign loyalty to the king.  And even though many took the offer, the overwhelming majority chose to stick by this ideal of a new nation and pay a very heavy price for American freedom.
Dani Alves has advised Lionel Messi not to follow his footsteps and leave Barcelona, with the Argentine's contract expiring in June.

One of the clubs linked with Messi is Paris Saint-Germain, where Alves left the Camp Nou for after several years with the Blaugrana.

El inolvidable calentamiento entre Messi y Alves en el Camp Nou

"I have said to Messi several times that he was born to be a Barcelona player and Barcelona were born to be his club," Alves told the Guardian.

"He has given me advice before so I can do the same to him. Once he told me to stay in Barcelona because there wasn't any place that was better. 'Where will you be happier?' he asked me. So I stayed.

"Now I have reminded him of that conversation and that a good friend [him] advised me that Barcelona is the best place ever.

"I haven't had an answer from him yet, but when you leave Barcelona you realise how good it is.

"All the players, and I mean everyone, who has left Barcelona have been sorry. All of them regret leaving, irrespective of the reason.

"When I left the club, I just wanted to show my value to get back. But, unfortunately, the same people, who were against me when I was at the club, stayed there. I showed that I was able to play for Barcelona for another 10 years.

"I tried to go back to Barcelona. I wanted to go back to Barcelona. I played to go back to Barcelona, but they didn't want me anymore,

"Can I be sincere? I regret it. Not that I choose PSG, not at all. I am not sorry for playing for PSG, of course I am not. My time in France was incredible.

"But it was my fault it didn't work out with Manchester City. The deal was all okay, but I had some personal problems and had to change my plans.

"It would have been wonderful to work with the man who changed my life again. There is a bad taste to have failed to do that, to have failed him.

"I don't like to fail people and especially not those who believed me, trusted in me and helped me become who I am today. I have already said sorry to him [Pep Guardiola]. I failed. But I am a human being and I make mistakes."
After a round of discussions on Saturday, officials said negotiations are slated to continue between Tenet Healthcare and nurses at Saint Vincent Hospital, who have been striking since early March.

Dallas-based Tenet, which owns Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester, made a proposal on Saturday that opens the door to a substantive discussion regarding staffing levels, the main issue cited by nurses, according to the Massachusetts Nurses Association.

Nurses have been striking since March 8, calling for staffing improvements they said are needed to ensure the safe care of patients. Saturday marks day 55 of striking, the longest nurses strike in Massachusetts in two decades, the MNA said.

Now, the nurses negotiating committee plans to take a few days to meet and evaluate the hospitals proposal, the MNA said in a statement. Nurses expect to be back at the table at 10 a.m. Wednesday with a comprehensive response on what the nurses need to settle the contract and end the strike.

The MNA said nurses at this time will not discuss the specifics of what the hospital has proposed, but called it a positive step in the process.

Saint Vincent Hospital in a statement said its offer to the nurses was a strong staffing proposal that contains UMass Memorial Medical Centers staffing language. That language has been publicly praised by the MNA on at least a dozen occasions in the last two months, the hospital said.

Saturday was the second round of negotiations. On Monday, a round of negotiations ended without agreement after Tenet offered to create an audit committee to hold the hospital accountable to the staffing ratios. The offer didnt directly increase staffing, a main demand from nurses, the union said. The offer did include wage increases.

In the spirit of its willingness to negotiate, the hospital also left its last proposal on the table that includes an audit committee with expedited arbitration language. With this alternative proposal, the hospital has clearly given the MNA two very strong but very different options to choose from to work together to find a path forward, read the statement from Saint Vincent Hospital.

The new proposal with the UMass Memorial staffing language also maintains the same prospective wage increases from the offer presented on April 26. That includes a retroactive pay increase for full-time and part-time nurses of 2% effective January 1, as well as enhanced wage increases for per diem nurses, the hospital said.

The hospital has replaced the staffing language in this offer to match that of the UMasss collective bargaining agreement. In doing so, the hospital removed previous language in its proposal around staffing, floating and flexing as well as staffing grids. This aligns with the staffing and flexing portions of the UMass contract that the MNA has continuously said they want at SVH. Todays proposal does not include the staffing audit committee that was offered in the April 26 proposal, and the two should be considered as separate and distinct proposals, the hospitals statement continued.

While the MNA said nurses plan to head back to the negotiating table on Wednesday, the hospital said it has asked a mediator to urge the union to meet Monday afternoon.

By giving the MNA two alternate proposals to consider, Saint Vincent Hospital has shown that it is serious about reaching an agreement while also reinforcing that it will not agree to across the board 4:1 staffing on medical surgical units. We remain hopeful that the MNA will place the interests of its members and our community above its own agenda, and will work with us to reach an agreement, the hospital said.

The MNA represents 800 nurses at Saint Vincent Hospital. According to the hospital, about 15% of those nurses opted not to participate in the strike.

In the last year, nurses have filed more than 600 official unsafe staffing reports to inform management of patient care conditions that jeopardized the safety of their patients, according to the MNA.

Related Content:
Massachusetts is seeing decreasing numbers of active COVID-19 cases as the state on Saturday reported 1,115 new infections and seven more deaths.

As of Saturday, there are 24,631 active coronavirus cases in Massachusetts, down from 25,474 on Friday. So far through the pandemic, the state has seen at least 646,982 residents test positive for the virus and 17,266 have died, according to Department of Public Health data.

More than 2.5 million residents have been vaccinated. As of Friday, Massachusetts has used 85% of the vaccine doses shipped to the state.

The seven-day average percent of positive tests is 1.56%, a figure that has been decreasing in recent weeks. Saturdays new cases are based on 99,287 new molecular tests.

The seven-day average death count has taken a steep decline in April, data indicates, and reached a low of 9.3 on April 17. Hospitalizations and new case counts are also showing downward trends.

There are 541 people currently hospitalized with the virus, including 146 patients in intensive care units and 78 who are intubated.

With COVID-19 health metrics improving and vaccinations ramping up, the state on Friday lifted its outdoor mask mandate in places where social distancing is possible. Masks are still required at all times in indoor public places, except for when eating or drinking, and at outdoor events when distancing is not possible.

In Massachusetts, very few people are contracting COVID after being vaccinated. On Friday, DPH said that as of April 27, there were 1,798 cases of residents testing positive after being fully vaccinated. That figure represents 0.1% of all fully vaccinated people in the state.

As of Thursday, 26 cities and towns in Massachusetts have been labeled by DPH as high risk for spreading the virus, down from 48 last week.

Here are the total COVID cases by county:

Barnstable County: 13,547

Berkshire County: 6,324

Bristol County: 64,891

Dukes County: 1,275

Essex County: 95,601

Franklin County: 2,474

Hampden County: 50,743

Hampshire County: 8,960

Middlesex County: 132,458

Nantucket County: 1,493

Norfolk County: 53,783

Plymouth County: 47,903

Suffolk County: 90,988

Worcester County: 75,417

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A recent lawsuit alleging clergy sexual abuse and a cover-up by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield  which the diocese is seeking to have dismissed  recalls a similar case the church faced and settled in 2009.

The earlier suit claimed that former diocesan Bishops Joseph F. Maguire and Thomas L. Dupre knew the Rev. Alfred Graves, who had the time of the suit had been removed from ministry, had a history of child molestation when he was assigned to a Berkshire County parish. Andrew Nicastro, the 38-year-old plaintiff in the case, alleged Graves sexually molested him between 1982 and 1984 while a priest at St. Patricks Parish in Williamstown.

Lawyers for the two bishops sought unsuccessfully to get the suit dismissed on statute of limitation grounds. The 2012 jury trial ended shortly after it began when the parties agreed to a $500,000 settlement.

They did not want to make a reasonable offer in the Nicastro case so we took it to trial, said John Stobierski, who represented the plaintiff. We got an out-of-court settlement when we were in trial on the fourth or fifth day. After a multitude of witnesses, it was resolved.

He said the case remains to his knowledge only one of two clergy sexual abuse civil suits to go to public trial in the state. He said most such cases seeking financial damages for harmed caused to the plaintiff are settled through a private voluntary arbitration process.

In this May 31, 1990 file photo from right, the Most Rev. Joseph F. Maguire, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield, is shown with the Most Rev. Thomas L. Dupre, who was ordained that day as auxiliary bishop, and Cardinal Bernard Law. A 2009 civil suit against Maguire and Dupre alleged they knowingly allowed a priest with a history of child molestation to remain in the ministry. Law resigned in 2002 amid allegations of covering up sexual abuse in the archdiocese. Two years later, Dupre was indicted on child rape charges and removed from the ministry.

The current suit filed in Hampden Superior Court in January involves allegations of sexual abuse of a minor against the late Bishop Christopher J. Weldon dating to the 1960s. A year-long investigative report requested by the diocese and released last year found the allegations to be unequivocally credible. The suit claims that the diocese covered up those allegations from the time they were reported seven years ago and draws on details in that report for evidentiary support.

The suit is filed against the diocese as well as eight individuals: former Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski, now archbishop of St. Louis; attorney John Egan, who also represented Maguire in the Nicastro case; Monsignor Christopher Connelly; Patricia McManamy, director of Counseling, Prevention and Victim Services; Jeffrey Trant, director of the office of Safe Environment and Victim Assistance; John Hale, Review Board chairman; Kevin Murphy, diocesan investigator; and Mark Dupont, diocesan communications director.

Separated by a period of more than a decade, the suits highlight the fact that individuals continue to seek both compensation and accountability, as well as validation for the physical and psychological trauma they say they have suffered, in most cases several decades prior, by the dioceses failure to safeguard them as children from being sexually assaulted by clergy.

Stobierski, a Greenfield-based lawyer who no longer handles cases of clergy sexual abuse, represented 22 of some 46 alleged victims of such abuse who settled claims through arbitration with the Springfield Diocese for around $7 million in 2004.

Approximately half of Stobierskis clients in that settlement said they were abused in the late 1960s and 1970s by a priest, Richard Lavigne, whom the Vatican removed from the clerical state in 2004. Lavigne remains the only publicly identified suspect in the 1972 murder of a Chicopee altar boy.

Stobierski also represented 28 of the 59 survivors in the $4.5 million settlement reached in 2008 on claims against clergy and one woman religious that date to 1948. The settlement was paid for by a $5 million insurance fund that took four years of negotiation between the diocese and its carriers at the time to establish.

He called the settlements products of intensive long mediation with allegations ranging from fondling to rape and some reported to have occurred over prolonged periods of time.

Those two settlements were products of intensive long mediation to arrive at a global figure that would be split up among the survivors based on what happened to them and the degree of harm they suffered, Stobierski said.

A survivor would tell their story to a neutral third-party which was usually Paul Finn (of Commonwealth Mediation and Conciliation) and that person would value the case.

The Most Rev. Christopher J. Weldon, seen here in a January 7, 1976 file photo, was bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield from 1950 until 1977. An independent investigation determined allegations that Weldon sexually abused a Chicopee youth were credible.

The current suit is filed at a time when the diocese says reforms it has been engaging in over the last year-and-a-half are designed to be more transparent and accommodating to individuals coming forth with allegations of clergy sexual abuse.

An online diocesan survey showed support for diocesan efforts in its outreach to survivors, but faulted it for not responding to allegations in a more timely and compassionate manner.

Some survivors come forward with allegations to receive counseling from the diocese for the trauma they say they have suffered and some seek to have their allegations go before the Diocesan Review Board to be deemed credible and some then seek financial compensation that does not in being awarded involve any admission of guilt by the diocese or parties accused.

Lawyers for the diocese have requested the current suit, in which the plaintiff is only identified in the suit under a John Doe pseudonym to protect his privacy, be dismissed on defense strategies that they had said they were prepared to use in the future when they settled with the 59 claimants in the 2008 settlement and did not use them.

The strategies include arguing the First Amendment guarantee of freedom of religion gives church officials immunity from civil suits, as does a concept in state law that limits the financial liability of certain charitable organizations.

Stobierski called such strategies shameful arguments to make against those plaintiffs seeking compensation for negligent supervision by church officials that resulted in harm to them as children.

It is hypocritical for a religious institution to be making those kinds of arguments against people who are abused as children, said Stobierski, adding the diocese has used them in other abuse cases he has handled. They are shameful arguments to make. Religious institutions should not be using legal technicalities to escape a responsibility they owe to the children of their flock.

He added, Most dioceses show enough compassion not to put victims or survivors through a trial because they are victimized a second time.

There are constructs within which to resolve these cases, said Stobierski of the arbitration process. When Boston started to resolve them (in 2003 under Cardinal Sean OMalley), Springfield followed their lead in doing mass resolution of these cases, but when it comes to single cases, it is very hard.

He called such cases long hauls that are not easy.

The diocese has been extremely difficult in settling with survivors of clergy sexual abuse from early on, Stobierski said. It has been as bad as anywhere in the country in terms of having looking at survivors as folks who should have some modicum of compensation for what they have gone through.

The Springfield diocese declined to comment on the pending suit, though it noted it has in the past settled other cases outside of the courts.

In February 2019, the diocese released a report that showed that to that date it had paid out $15 million in settling 147 clergy sexual abuse claims since 1992 with some $8.5 million paid for by insurance carriers. It said it spent an additional $2.25 million to meet requested therapy needs of those coming forth with allegations of such abuse.

Lawyers for the John Doe plaintiff in the current law suit have asked for Worcester Superior Court Janet Kenton-Walker, a graduate of Mount Holyoke College and Suffolk University Law School who has served in that capacity since 2009, to preside over the case so it does not take place within the Springfield Diocese that covers the four counties of Western Massachusetts and to ease any trauma on the plaintiff.

I feel very badly for the man who is going through this, said Stobierski whose knowledge is from what he has discerned or read about the suit. He is taking it on the chin now for a third time. Once when he was allegedly abused by Weldon, two when his allegations were not handled very well and now with the case going forward as a suit. He is still being tortured.

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HOLYOKE  MiraVista Behavioral Health Center admitted its first eight psychiatric patients this past week in the facility previously known as Providence Hospital, which had ended such services nearly a year ago.

After months of preparation, we are excited to bring our high-quality, patient-centered approach to mental health care to Western Massachusetts, said Michael Krupa, founder and chief executive officer of Health Partners New England that announced in February that it bought the Main Street property for $4 million with GFI Realty.

Krupa, who is also founder and CEO of TaraVista Behavioral Health Center, a 108-bed inpatient hospital for adults and children in Devens, added, The opening of MiraVista comes at a pivotal time and we are looking forward to helping meet the demand for behavioral health care across the state.

The inpatient adult psychiatric facility opened Wednesday with plans to have 36 inpatient beds operational by the end of this weekend, Miravista officials said. Depending on state licensing and staffing, it hopes to add an additional 10 beds to the existing 74 at the facility and eventually open all as well as a 12-bed pediatric unit.

Former owner Mercy Medical Center, part of Trinity Health Of New England, cited staffing issues and low admissions in its closure of inpatient psychiatric services there in June 2020. The closure generated much controversy over its impact in the region around a chronic shortage of such beds and left Western Massachusetts without any inpatient psychiatric services for children and adolescents.

It continued to offer substance use disorder treatment at Providence Behavioral Health Hospital until MiraVista assumed operation on April 21.

MiraVista has hired approximately 100 employees and is continuing to hire for nursing, social work and other support positions.

Those in senior positions not already announced include chief medical officer Dr. Negar Beheshti and chief financial officer John Bujack, who both also hold those respective positions at TaraVista, director of nursing Leslie Goncalves and Human Resources director Elizabeth Betty Lang-Holmes.

The fiscal 2021 state budget signed by Gov. Charlie Baker in December included $10 million to fund creation of inpatient mental health acute care beds, with priority given to beds for children and adolescents in underserved areas of the state. Payments upon completion could be up to $150,000 per new bed, particularly if finished early this year.

Holyoke Medical Center has said it is on course to add 34 new inpatient psychiatric beds to its existing 20 beds by May.

Baystate Medical Center is in the process of opening a temporary 12-bed unit for adolescents and children as its parent company continues future plans for 150-bed, $53 million psychiatric hospital for children and adults, possibly in Holyoke, with partner Kindred Behavioral Health.

The Baystate Health network now has 98 inpatient psychiatric beds: 28 at Baystate Wing in Palmer, 28 at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, 22 at Baystate Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield and 20 at Baystate Noble Hospital in Westfield.

If all of the plans proceed, it could result in more than 250 psychiatric beds within a two-mile radius in the years ahead.

From left, the senior administration of MiraVista Behavioral Health Hospital in Holyoke includes Chief Financial Officer John Bujack, who also holds that position at its sister hospital, TaraVista in Devens; Michael Krupa, chief executive officer and founder of both hospitals; Director of Nursing Leslie Goncalves, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Negar Beheshti, who also holds that position at TaraVista; and Chief Operating Officer Mark Paglia, The photo was taken Wednesday April 28, 2021. (Hoang 'Leon' Nguyen / The Republican)

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SPRINGFIELD  Their new book is called the History of the Springfield Cemetery, but editors Wayne E. Phaneuf and Joseph Carvalho III say it is about much more than that.

Its more than just about the cemetery, because its really about the history of the city, says Phaneuf. Its the history of the country.

Phaneuf, retired executive editor of The Republican, and Carvalho, retired executive director of the Springfield Museums, have paired up for their 23rd book as part of The Republican Heritage Book Series on the history of Springfield and Western Massachusetts.

The focus is ostensibly on Springfield Cemetery and Crematory, the 40-acre historic cemetery off Maple Street. But each says the book documents much more than the title implies.

Even though the cemetery was founded in 1848, weve got graves that go back to the 17th century, Carvalho explains. So it really is the story of Springfield.

Youre talking about 300 years, adds Phaneuf.

The earliest cemetery in Springfield was closer to what is now downtown, along the Connecticut River. But in the 1840s, as the path of a new railroad was drawn along the waterfront, the original cemetery was relocated to the newly created Springfield Cemetery site.

It basically meant they had to take everyone that was buried there and bring them up to Springfield Cemetery, Phaneuf says.

Thousands of graves were moved. Not all the people were wealthy enough to have stone headstones, but the ones that survived were brought to Springfield Cemetery, Carvalho says. So, the earliest graves in the city are in that cemetery, including the founders of Springfield.

One of the citys founders, Samuel Chapin, is buried there. Chapin was the inspiration for Augustus Saint-Gaudens sculpture of the Puritan at State and Chestnut streets.

The cemetery is more than just a collection of graves and headstones. It is a lasting testament to all the people, the famous as well as those not well-known, who made contributions, both large and small, to Springfield, to Massachusetts and even to the United States.

Seventeen mayors and seven congressmen are buried there. There are judges, generals, captains of industry, authors and poets. And there are graves that memorialize people who were a part of history but who would otherwise be forgotten.

Cornelius Searle Hurlbut, the dentist who first used gas to knock out a patient for a tooth extraction, is buried there. So, too, is Milton Long, the son of a mayor, who drowned in 1912 in the sinking of the Titanic.

The wife of the slaveholder who owned Dred Scott is buried there. Scott was the center of one of the U.S. Supreme Courts most controversial decisions when in 1847 it ruled that Scott was still a slave, even though his master had brought him to live in a free state.

Soldiers who served at Bull Run during the Civil War, who died at Little Big Horn in Gen. George A. Custers last stand and who rode with the famed Light Brigade in the Crimean War, immortalized in Lord Alfred Tennysons poem, are buried there.

Joshua Gilbert Holland, the first biographer of Abraham Lincoln, is buried there, as is Henry S. Safford. Safford lived across the street from Fords Theatre in Washington, D.C., and on the night of Lincolns assassination on April 15, 1865, he saw men carrying the dying president outside. He opened the front door of his rooming house and offered them a bed.

More than 600 veterans of the Civil War are buried in the cemetery, and the book has a chapter that lists their names, their units and where their graves may be found.

There are generals and high-ranking members of the Lincoln administration who served during the war, but there are also graves for scores of ordinary soldiers and sailors, including several from the famed 54th Massachusetts, one of the first volunteer regiments of Black soldiers.

Phaneuf points out that one of those Civil War graves is that of Col. Everett Peabody, the son of the Rev. William B.O. Peabody, who helped select the location of the cemetery.

Col. Peabody was killed during the two-day battle of Shiloh in 1862, one of the bloodiest fights of the war. Peabody was in command of a regiment that discovered and engaged Confederate troops, preventing an early morning surprise attack. The action alerted Union forces under Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, who narrowly held on for the first day, and then rebounded the next day to gain a victory. Carvalho says Peabody essentially saved Grants butt.

Springfield, as home of a federal armory, is entwined with the history of the Civil War. Carvalho says he could see Civil War enthusiasts coming to Springfield to see the Springfield Armory National Historic Site and then stopping at Springfield Cemetery. The book is a valuable resource for finding graves, he says.

Carvalho started working on the cemetery project 10 years ago, but placed it on the back burner. He and Phaneuf picked it up again and spent 18 months researching and writing the book.

They were aided by staffs at both the Lyman & Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History and the Springfield Cemetery, where exacting burial records have been kept. Because much of the history of the cemetery overlaps with the history of The Republican  formed as a weekly publication in 1824 and expanded to a daily in 1844  they were able to tap into the newspapers archives, too.

Walking the cemetery grounds and looking at the individual headstones proved to be most revealing during their research, the authors say.

There are thousands of stones in there, and sometimes wed go through records and know where people were buried or who they were, Carvalho explains. But then wed go to the grave and see things on the stone youd never expect to see.

As an example, he cites Capt. Joshua Day, lauded for capturing five French ships in the Bay of Biscay in 1760 during the French and Indian War. Carved into Days headstone is a recreation of his capturing the five ships. We didnt expect to see that, Carvalho says.

Another is the headstone for Susan Freedom, one of the oldest graves of a Black person in the cemetery. Freedom, who died at age 19 in 1803, was a servant for Col. Thomas Dwight. Although she was born into slavery, she was later freed and became employed by the Dwight family. Her stone is inscribed: Tho short her life and humble her station, she faithfully performed all the duties of it. The wise and great could do no more.

Carvalho says the stone itself and the level of craftsmanship tell the story. Grave markers then, just as they do now, cost money, and an elaborate stone can reflect the wealth and station of the person at the time of their death.

Thats why during the Revolutionary War we have headstones of officers, but not too many of the common soldiers, he says.

Freedom was a domestic servant, but the Dwight family must have thought very highly of her. When she died, they gave her a big, fancy stone, Carvalho says.

There are so many similar stories in the cemetery, says Phaneuf, and to walk through the different sections is fascinating. A lot of people just go there because its a beautiful place to walk, he says.

The more we spent time there, the more we were amazed, Carvalho adds. I think if we could spend another five years there, wed find even more.

The book is available at the cemetery office and on Amazon.com for a listed price of $29.95.

Related content:
To the critics, its political correctness and self-absorption gone absolutely haywire. To the advocates, its a committed effort toward a more inclusive society that respects the individuality of each person and their right to determine who they are.

There are a few layers to it, says Sonya Epstein, a member of the University of Massachusetts Class of 2022 and an advocate of gender pronouns, which have gained widespread popularity on college campuses in particular.

Gender identity has often been based on appearance or name, explains Epstein. Gender as a whole has been a social construct (shared perceptions that exist only because people in a group or society accept they do). But not all of us conform to that.

The more one delves into it, the more the issue of social pronouns becomes less about a trendy college thing, and the more it challenges some of Western societys most fundamental concepts. To the majority, there are men and there are women and yes, for the progressive among us, there are variations that not just explain but validate the LGBTQ movement.

At the 2019 Iowa State Fair, a student asked then-presidential candidate Joseph R. Biden Jr. how many genders existed. At least three, Biden responded. Provoked by the follow-up question of What are they? he snapped, Dont play games with me, kid.

Bidens first answer produced applause from some, and mockery or horror from others. To many in the progressive movement, though, it represented the elusive nature of defining gender - which is why many want the right to choose their own definition of who they are.

Enter gender pronouns. They have been around for a few years, even if they remain unknown to vast numbers of Americans who are either over 25 or unaffiliated with high school or college life.

For the unfamiliar, it goes like this: Im Janet Smith, and my pronouns are she and her (or whatever choices, possibly including they or them, the individual prefers).

I have to admit that until fairly recently, I would have considered the entire concept rather pointless. Even now, including gender pronouns in personal introductions strikes me as ... well, if nothing else, odd to the ear.

When someone says, Im Tom, and my pronouns are he and him, my instinct is to respond that I could have figured as much. But young people see society differently than my generation does. And frankly, after watching our societys corrupt descent into the intensified, unrestrained spewing of anger, resentment, bigotry and hate over the past several years - Im willing to listen.

I came out as non-binary four years ago, as a junior (at Belmont High School), says Epstein, who has been involved with UMass student government and other activism. It needs to be pushed, no matter how much pushback there is. When I first started, some awful comments were said at me.

In the past year, Epsteins sensed a greater willingness by the university administration to accept gender pronouns. That doesnt mean theyre all entirely comfortable with it, let alone be willing to use their own.

This issue relates directly to transgender individuals, but pronoun practice extends far beyond them. My own brief experience is that women find it more meaningful than men, but I have no data to support that and my daughter, who is in college, says many young men follow its practice, too.

So why, as long as acceptance is extended to those who use pronouns, should it matter to the advocates if other people - in fact, I think, most people - do not?

If everybody does it, then no one is singled out, Epstein said. Thats one of two major arguments for pronoun use, to avoid socially isolating (and often ostracizing) those who do not identify with traditional male-female characterizations.

The other reason is advocates conviction that every individual has the right to be viewed as they view and identify themselves, and not by judgments or stereotypes dictated by others.

Perhaps youve noticed that I keep referring to Epstein as Epstein. Here is current Associated Press style guidance on the use of gender pronouns in news stories:

In stories about people who identify as neither male nor female or ask not to be referred to as he/she/him/her, use the persons name in place of a pronoun, or otherwise reword the sentence, whenever possible. If they/them/their use is essential, explain in the text that the person prefers a gender-neutral pronoun.

Epsteins choice to describe, well, Epstein, is they and them. I know what many of you are thinking: those are plural pronouns.

Thats what I always thought, too, but the dictionary says their use in certain singular references is proper. Dictionaries change, and so do other policies. Last year, for instance, the AP formally altered its racial designation from black to Black.

Colleges are taking pronouns seriously - very seriously. Springfield College is not requiring faculty members to use gender pronouns, but is encouraging they do.

Springfield College has an entire web page dedicated to the subject, with guidelines ranging from What if I mistakenly use the wrong pronouns for someone?, to Pronouns dos and donts.

At least one website, MyPronouns.org, is dedicated to the topic. It says, when we refer to personal pronouns ... we mean that they are pronouns referring to a unique and individual person.

Sometimes, of course, pronouns can answer questions before they need to be asked, as with unisex names. When youre called upon to speak with Sam, Bailey, Dana or Jamie, youre left to wonder - or to guess. Thats part of this, but its not what is driving a movement where a generational divide looks inevitable.

Why do we have to go along with this? a fellow Baby Boomer asked me.

Why not? I responded. It hurts no one. It gives identity to people who want respect and ownership of their own identity. I dont usually embrace change, either, but if the only case against it that its never been that way before, thats not good enough as a stand-alone argument to me.

That said, I dont intend to ever do it, and I hope the Sonya Epsteins of the world understand. Whether others do or dont, it doesnt offend or bother me. It doesnt cause to me to lament where America has gone wrong.

In a nation whose strength is its diversity, we havent exactly been treating each other with respect, decency and kindness through time-honored techniques lately. Maybe this will help.

Ron Chimelis is a staff writer for The Republican. He may be reached by email to rchimelis@repub.com.
The Patriots are certainly getting a willing combatant in Cameron McGrone.

The fifth-round pick had an introductory conference call on Saturday afternoon and was excited to have Foxborough, Massachusetts as his new zip code.

I feel like I bring a winning attitude. Just that Patriot Way, McGrone said. Im excited to get to work. Just do everything that Im needed to do at any point in time.

A 6-foot-1, 236-pound linebacker, McGrone was asked how hed describe himself as a player.

I feel like Im the player that will do whats asked whenever its needed, he repeated. Wherever I have to be for the team, Ill be there. Just an overall team player.

Im willing to sacrifice anything for the Patriots.

But as a player specifically?

I feel like overall just as a linebacker I feel like I have the tools to be a pretty good linebacker, like speed and all that, McGrone said. But like I said, whatever Im needed to do, I can do it.

Its easy to see how the Michigan product made his way onto Bill Belichicks draft board.

McGrone fell to the fifth round because hes coming off a torn ACL, but reported that hes feeling great and excited to get to work in New England.

Related content:

Who is Cameron McGrone? What to know about Patriots Round 5 pick (NFL Draft 2021)

Patriots draft Cameron McGrone, LB, Michigan in Round 5 (NFL Draft 2021)

Patriots draft William Sherman, offensive lineman from Colorado, in Round 6 (NFL Draft 2021)
Schumers demand came almost exactly a year after Gov. Cuomo ordered the subways to close overnight for cleaning and to kick homeless people out of the system. The closures began May 6, 2020, and ran from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. each night until February, when Cuomo scaled it back to 2 a.m. to 4 a.m.
A 65-year-old woman who crashed into a stone wall in Cohasset was pulled out of her car by people after it burst into flames, police said.

Firefighters and police officers in Cohasset responded to a serious, single-vehicle crash on Saturday around 4:20 p.m after numerous 911 calls were made reporting what had happened.

The crash was at the intersection of Hull Street and Jerusalem Road.

The callers reported that a Mercedes Benz car took the intersection, known as West Corner, at a high rate of speed, struck a stone wall and burst into flames, police said. The driver was removed from the burning car by witnesses and neighbors. She was treated by paramedics and transported by ambulance to a Boston hospital with serious, life-threatening injuries.

The woman is a resident of Cohasset woman. Her name was not released by police.

The car fire was extinguished by members of the Cohasset and Hingham Fire Departments.

An initial on-scene investigation determined that speed and alcohol use were likely contributing factors in the crash, police said.

The crash remains under investigation.
After 100 days in office, President Joe Biden and his team havent produced any genuine surprises, according to NPR White House correspondent Tamara Keith.

And thats their goal, the veteran journalist told MassLive in an interview. He wants to be somebody you dont have to think about in the morning. Theres no covfefe.

Almost four years ago, then-President Donald Trump sparked confusion and mockery by tweeting, Despite the constant negative press covfefe. Keith said the tweet marked just one of many chaotic episodes that frequently made headlines during the Trump administration. Trumps first 100 days, she said, sparked outcry and legal challenges over haphazard actions and unvetted executive orders, such as the ban on travel from predominantly Muslim nations.

Keith  who will join a virtual discussion on Bidens first 100 days as part of the Springfield Public Forums spring speaker series this Thursday, May 6  says the new White House team has taken a starkly different approach.

If I never read a tweet from President Biden, I wouldnt be missing any major announcements, Keith said. This administration really came in with the entire 100 days mapped out, sequenced, planned, with fully-vetted executive actions ready to go, and theyve been executing that plan.

Keith, who co-hosts the NPR Politics Podcast, has been a White House correspondent since 2014, covering the final years of the Obama administration before covering Hillary Clintons presidential campaign. She previously covered Congress and business for NPR.

The Springfield Public Forum conversation will be moderated by UMass Amherst political science professor Ray La Raja, who serves as associate dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. The free event, which is presented in partnership with New England Public Media, begins at 7 p.m. Thursday. Those interested in joining can pre-register here.

Keith said the biggest challenge of her job  running from one thing to the next in a near-constant treadmill of news whiplash  also gives her a chance to learn something new every day. There is little predictability to the job, other than consistently using a take-home COVID-19 test before she visits the White House.

If shes appearing on NPRs Up First, Keith wakes to a 4 a.m. alarm. On other days she may work on a feature well into a pretty chill afternoon  before a string of potential interviewees become available just when she needs to put her 3- and 8-year-old boys to bed.

The typical day is atypical, she said. Its really just quite varied and you never know.

One of her favorite parts of the gig?

Getting to travel on Air Force One, she said, noting she enjoyed when Trump called reporters to the presidents office near the front of the aircraft. Its just a cool airplane and a cool experience.

Keith said some of the most rewarding work shes done includes a series of stories about long-term unemployed Americans after the last recession.

She added that she was proud of NPRs pandemic coverage and the questions she asked Trump early on in the pandemic. His answers really illuminated the lack of seriousness in his approach at that time, she said.

Bidens top priority of addressing the pandemic has extended to White House protocols around safety, Keith said. While Trump was in office, the press corps self-policed by trying to keep the number of correspondents in the White House down, said Keith, whos on the board of the White House Correspondents Association.

We didnt really have a White House that was as concerned as the press corps about keeping the press corps safe, she said. Then came Jan. 20 and the new administration, and they are not just concerned about keeping the press corps and White House staff safe, but also about sending a message to the American public about what safety looks like.

The Biden White House also goes out of their way to be pro-journalism, pro-First Amendment, Keith said. Comprehensive daily briefings with press secretary Jen Psaki, as well as frequent briefings led by scientists on the COVID-19 response team, have kept the temperature relatively cool, Keith said.

Its part of their message, she added, just as attacks on the press were part of the plan for President Trump and his administration. He needed a foil. He needed an enemy and Hillary Clinton wasnt there for him to kick around anymore. He focused in on fighting with the press and it serviced him in many ways. It gave him a foil and allowed him to degrade faith in an institution that shed light on his problems.

Even though Biden has only held one solo news conference, Keith said he takes questions fairly regularly. Left to his own devices, hed take them longer and more often, she added. But instead, the White Houses communications strategy has relied heavily on top public health and economic officials, leaving the president to make major policy announcements and speeches.

Asked about critics who argue that legacy media outlets too often take a both sides approach in reporting  even when one group or politician spouts falsehoods  Keith said NPR journalists are trying to do the best job that we can do, and constantly trying to make sure our stories reflect reality.

Theres not a simple, easy guidebook on this, she added. Which is why were constantly calibrating and adjusting, and there will be stories that make people unhappy, she said.

Keith noted that just like previous administrations and politicians shes covered, the Biden team has their complaints with our coverage.

But youll never hear a Biden official blast the press as the enemy of the people, because, Keith said, the new administration wants to set an example for the world.

A functioning, independent press corps is a critical part of democracy, she said. When the press ... is controlled by the government, that is a sure sign of a sham democracy.

Related Content:
Fans might get the urge to sing along during this weeks American Idol as contestants perform Disney songs.

John Stamos is also joining the cast for an episode to help mentor contestants.

Those without cable dont have to miss out on the episode though.

What time does American Idol air?

The next episode of American Idol airs at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 2. The next episode with be aired Sunday, May 9.

How to watch American Idol without cable

Live stream American Idol on fuboTV or Hulu Live TV.

How can I catch up on previous episodes of American Idol?

Episodes of Season 19 of American Idol are available on Hulu. Episodes, however, expire after 5 weeks.

Related Content:
Sherry Hassler, 55, of Lindsay, died Sunday, June 6, in Oklahoma City. The family will welcome friends at Brumley-Mills Funeral Home in Hartshorne for viewing and visitation on Thursday from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. Memorial services will be held on Friday, June 11, at 10:00 a.m. at Brumley-Mills F
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Marietta, GA (30060)

Today

Showers this morning then scattered thunderstorms developing during the afternoon hours. High near 85F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Variable clouds with showers at times, and perhaps a rumble or two of thunder, especially this evening. Low 69F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
Atlanta, GA (30303)

Today

Partly cloudy early followed by scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. High 87F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 70F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.
And for over a year as the COVID-19 pandemic raged, the 84-year-old former cardiologist from Long Island  who lamented he cant open the blinds without getting cancer  hasnt been able to have a skin check, and waited to be fully vaccinated before scheduling one.
At the time this event occurred, this area of New York City was in the midst of two days of looting, fires and violence and a curfew was in place. Numerous arrests were made to restore order. Allegations made in a lawsuit are not evidence of wrongdoing, they are simply a way to bring claims before a court. Neither the edited video nor the civil complaint tell the complete story, she said.
Captain charged: A city Correction Department captain was charged Monday with criminally negligent homicide over the death of an inmate who hanged himself in his Lower Manhattan cell last year as she assured an officer and other detainees he was just faking his suicide, authorities said. Capt. Rebecca Hillman, who saw a lifeless 29-year-old Ryan Wilson hanging in his cell at the Manhattan Detention Complex on Nov. 22 , ordered the correction officer to stay out of the room and keep the door locked. As alleged in the indictment, the death of Ryan Wilson wasnt just a tragedy  it was a crime, said District Attorney Cy Vance Jr. Our investigation shows that Capt. Hillman ordered her subordinates not to take potentially life-saving measures to help Mr. Wilson, and failed to call for medical assistance expediently. This callous disregard for Mr. Wilsons safety resulted in an irreversible loss to his family and friends, and must be held criminally accountable.
Meadville, PA (16335)

Today

Rain showers in the morning with thunderstorms developing for the afternoon. High near 80F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with more showers at times. Low around 65F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.
Page Content

Disaster assistance has been made available to help communities in the Shire of Wiluna recover from damage caused by thunderstorms and severe flooding earlier this year.

Assistance is now being provided through the jointly funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).

Minister for Emergency Management David Littleproud said that the impacts from the slow moving trough caused widespread flooding in the northern Goldfields are still being felt by the community.

"The severe thunderstorms and floods that occurred back in February had a significant impact on the local community, cutting off access for many residents in the Shire of Wiluna," Minister Littleproud said.

"The rapidly rising floodwaters, which forced the closure of Goldfields Highway and disrupted local road networks, are still fresh in the minds of those people living in the area.

"Financial assistance, through the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements, is now available for the local community to help with clean-up operations and to restore damaged roads and infrastructure."

Western Australian Minister for Emergency Services Reece Whitby said the heavy rainfall and floodwaters had also impacted several pastoral properties in the region and providing assistance through the DRFA would be an important mechanism to help the industry get back on its feet.

"A number of pastoral stations in the local area requested assistance and access to a local business was restricted due to the widespread flooding in the area," Minister Whitby said.

"This funding will enable the local government to restore local road networks, which will be critical for affected communities as they recover from the effects of this extreme weather event.

"I would like to thank the local community and the Shire of Wiluna for their considered actions and for their patience as local conditions return to normal."

Information on disaster assistance is available on the Australian Government's Disaster Assist website at http://www.disasterassist.gov.au

Emergency Services Minister's office - 6552 6300
We have celebrated male characters of Hindi cinema way too often but theres a shift in the paradigm as we also have been finally noticing female characters whove outshone their male counterparts in a movie or a web series. Yes, MensXP celebrates manhood but as a part of an equal society, we need to celebrate women who have challenged the harsh notions of patriarchal society.

Interestingly, directors and writers have now started to make women characters stronger than ever and they are not damsels in distress anymore that a hero has to always safeguard. Things are slowly changing and we should appreciate the positive outlook of seeing women in cinema.

Today, we will talk about female characters in Hindi cinema who have proved to be strong in the mans world and have challenged all sets of notions that patriarchy has shoved on our faces.

1. Aarya

Sushmita Sen is an inspiration for many and has always been vocal about women empowerment. Her character Aarya needs to be celebrated as you see a transformation in her character from a dutiful mother to giving it back to the patriarchal society headed by her own father. Aarya also proved that you dont have to let go of your femininity if you want to be a part of the mans world.

2. Vartika Chaturvedi

If you have seen Delhi Crime, you would agree with that Vartika Chaturvedi played by Shefali Shah fits the role. She is in charge of investigating the gruesome gang rape that shook the country and the world. She challenged the patriarchal notions in a way that she is married and can also take care of brutal outside her house. She also shows that women arent the weaker gender as they also can keep their emotions under control and not get derived by them.

3. Beena Tripathi

She is a crook and knows how to survive well in a world dominated by men with inflated egos. She keeps her sexuality on her sleeve and knows how to play politics. She is practical and is no damsel in distress as she knows her way out of troubles around her. Now, Beena Tripathi is a brand and it will be interesting to see her shape up in the next season. You never know she is the one wholl rule Mirzapur as she surely has it in her.

4. Bulbbul

Bulbbuls plot is haunted by how women were forced to accept the social injustices and be okay with men oppressing them. Well, there is a twist here and Bulbbul played by Tripti Dimri is a symbol of power who doesnt wait for a Prince Charming to save her from her ordeal. She has in her to fight back and she does slap right in the face of male dominance.

5. Roohi

Many didnt like Janhvi Kapoors Roohi but it had so many layers that people might not even have considered. Its said that women dont have any existence without a man and here we have Roohi whos first shown to be powerless but its the climax of the movie when she claims back her power in the film. She chose to accept her own flaws and didnt need a man to fix her. It shows that women empowerment is the ideal way forward.

Do you agree with us? Let us know in the comments section below.
No matter how stringently the government and local police forces impose a curfew of lockdown to get the pandemic under control, some people just cant stay at home. They just have to step out, for some reason or the other.



 BCCL

Well, on the occasion of World Laughter Day, the Mumbai Police put up some of the excuses that they have had to listen to when dealing with people who broke the curfew. And boy oh boy, are they hilarious.



The first excuse reads as follows: -

 Instagram/mumbaipolice

We just have one question. What sort of an emergency needs just one band-aid. More to that, what medical emergency needs band-aids?



 Instagram/mumbaipolice

Well, this guy needed remotes for a match featuring Mumbai.



 Instagram/mumbaipolice

This one seems legit, right?



And this man has got his priorities on point.

 Instagram/mumbaipolice

I mean, nothing, and we mean absolutely nothing compared to a good ol paan, right? And how can one even think of putting on a mask, while chewing a pan?



And finally, what better excuse than food. That too a delish vada pav.

 Instagram/mumbaipolice

The funniest bit, though, was how the post revealed that these are in fact what people have actually said. The caption for the post reads -



All the characters and events depicted are real. Any resemblance to a person living or dead is purely intentional.

Seriously, the people in charge of the Mumbai Polices Social Media handles deserve recognition, and if possible, a solid raise. Just recently, on 20th April (read it 4:20), they put up a rather dope post.

People had some hilarious reactions to this post as well.

Always bang on @MumbaiPolice

Thanks for making me smile  Charmi Modi Mehta (@Charmimehta12) May 2, 2021

 Instagram/mumbaipolice

Why can't we keep such people in police custody for at least 24 hours? Merely penalising with fine is not going to blow some sense in the mind of such people.  Mandeep Verma (@maddyclicks) May 2, 2021

 Instagram/mumbaipolice

Well, this one turned the other way rather quickly...

 Instagram/mumbaipolice

In all seriousness though, do stay at home if you're healthy, and only step outside only if it is absolutely necessary.


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The reasons are quite clear, police are paralyzed and prosecutors give excuses. Its a gold era if you want to pick up a gun in New York City, said ODonnell, who believes many police officers are afraid to make arrests and prosecutors want to keep people out of jail. The system wont put blame on people. The word is out that the risk of carrying a gun are really negligible at this point.
Best of the Mess from May 1, 1991 - strike one, strike two ... a home run!
It was about 8 a.m. A Black guy came into the lobby of the hotel and started shouting, Ahluwalia recounted. The front desk lady asked him, Sir, do you need help?
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Private Residential Well Construction & Maintenance

Taking care of your water is important; your family's health depends on it. Understanding how your private residential well works will help you take care of your water.

Private Residential Well Construction

The Michigan Water Well Construction and Pump Installation Code helps protect the health of Michigan well owners. Understanding well construction helps determine any required well maintenance.

Most wells in Michigan are drilled wells. Drilled wells are constructed using plastic or steel casing to keep soil and contaminants out. These wells are drilled deep enough to prevent surface water contamination.

Planning on installing a new private residential well?

Work with your local health department to learn about well construction applications, permits, and inspections.

Private residential well parts

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a private residential well diagram showing the parts of a well system. There are a few basic parts:

Well Casings are pipes that stretch from the surface down to the groundwater. This prevents some contaminants from getting into the drinking water. Well casing in Michigan must comply with the well construction code.

are pipes that stretch from the surface down to the groundwater. This prevents some contaminants from getting into the drinking water. Well casing in Michigan must comply with the well construction code. Well Caps are on the top of the well casing to prevent insects, dirt, or vegetation from entering the top of the well. Well caps in Michigan must be on the approved list of components.

are on the top of the well casing to prevent insects, dirt, or vegetation from entering the top of the well. Well caps in Michigan must be on the approved list of components. Well Screens are installed at the bottom of certain well casings to help prevent sediment like sand and gravel from getting into the well.

Private Residential Well Maintenance

Want to learn more about private residential wells? Select one of the options below:
STAMFORD  On a Monday night in April, dozens of little boxes clustered together on a Zoom screen with one thing in mind: zoning.

There was no public hearing on the schedule for that evening. But city Land Use Bureau Head Ralph Blessing was still on duty to explain the ins and outs of city zoning rules. His virtual audience teemed with anticipation.

This is a first for the Stamford Land Use Bureau, Blessing said.

Residents raised concerns about zoning and new construction often, but this time, the wave of opposition felt different. Blessing and the Land Use Bureau had organized the Zoning 101 session at the request of residents  a coalition of West Side neighbors united under their fears about a potential zoning change and construction project.

The problems in the city are based on this citys failure to fairly deal with all of its citizens on the equal plane, Cynthia Bowser, one lifelong West Side resident, said at the meeting. And thats all were asking  to be respected.

Bowser started sounding the alarm on the proposed construction in her neighborhood last fall. She knows the West Side like the back of her hand. Shes lived in the community for so long that she attended the now-closed Stevens School, long before it became the Yerwood Center. And in the last several months, shes jumped in feet first to the world of land use.

Her opposition to the project started where many neighborhood concerns do: parking.

And shes not the only one.

Theres no parking spaces, Neqwaunia Perry, who lives in across the street from the proposed construction, told The Stamford Advocate. Its just really congested. It takes 30 to 40 minutes just to get up and down the road.

More apartments mean more people mean more cars, in their minds. And thats something Bowser and her neighbors think the West Side cant handle. Bowser worries about overcrowding, about gentrification, about what new apartments could mean for poorer residents in the West Side. Her concerns about the zoning change reflect the realities of her community.

The developer, however, thinks his proposed construction could solve some of their problems.

Every building has a useful life, property owner and developer Frank Steinegger told The Advocate, and some of the buildings have reached the end of their useful lifespan, either physically or economically.

Were really the first guys to start tackling West Main Street on this end, he continued. His familys estate owns all the commercial properties that line West Main from Rose Park Avenue to Ann Street. Theres also 54 Rose Park Ave.  a stout apartment building behind the main storefronts. Steinegger would raze all the buildings for the proposed new structure.

With all the other changes happening in Stamford, Steinegger thinks that the time to act is now.

On one end of West Main Street, near the Greenwich border, new construction has popped up. The mouth of West Main, on the other end, feeds into a bustling downtown abounding with new construction. The Stamford Transportation Center is only a few blocks away, a hotspot for commuters both coming to and leaving the city.

Steinegger and his lawyers at Stamford law firm Carmody Torrance Sandak & Hennessey want to rebuild the block in a more modern image. Namely, the process involves rezoning the entire parcel, which is dedicated mainly to commercial business uses. Under the current design standards, the Steinegger estate could build retail space along the street, with up to 40 units of apartments stacked on top.

Instead, the developer and his team are angling for a denser building on West Main by rezoning the land, making it a village commercial district, a designation that has long frustrated some residents. While the village commercial title gives the zoning board acute control over a proposals final design, it also means more apartments, like it would on the West Side.

At a maximum, the Steinegger estate could build about 80 units on the West Main parcel if board members approve the rezoning. Both the developer and one of his lawyers, attorney William Hennessey, say that scale of a project is improbable because of the projects economic constraints.

Steinegger declined to provide a final apartment count for his proposed project, mainly because the number is still in flux, he said. The property owner must submit a general development plan to the zoning board before any public discussions on the proposal.

Giving the buildings a new lifespan involves fixing the parking problem, something the developer says hes gone to great pains to accomplish. The West Side largely lacks parking because many of the properties were built before modern parking requirements. (Old buildings and their parking infrastructure are grandfathered in when a zoning change happens.) To erect a new building, Steinegger must build a parking garage to accommodate potential tenants and their vehicles.

While cars and their impacts in the West Side come up almost every time the neighbors discuss the potential development, it has also spurred dozens of other discussions about the West Side and how it has been treated by city administrations past and present.

Bowser, for example, wants to see more homeownership opportunities, something she thinks would foster more pride from residents. And while it is unlikely that the properties along West Main would ever fit that mold, the proposed construction embodies the opposite of what Bowser wants to see in her neighborhood.

We need affordable homeownership, Bowser said. Thats one of the issues  we have been a community in transition based on the neglect of city government. We need the opportunity to have people to have a real true sense of ownership by owning where they live, so that they can control the time that they will be in this community until they want to move, versus being pushed out.

Though more apartments make some of the neighbors uneasy, Steinegger views them as exactly what the community needs. A new streetscape with parking neatly tucked behind the building, improved construction, upgraded amenities  these are all additions Steinegger believes he can accomplish by redeveloping the parcel. And the neighbors agree  to an extent.

Bowser wants to see the Steinegger estate demolish and redevelop its property to the aesthetic and functional standards required by the Village Commercial district, all without upping the number of units.

Debbie Joyner, another West Side resident, agrees that the neighborhood needs upgrades, but she wants to see the city undertake them without a developer saying what should be done.

Joyner views building less at a higher standard as the olive branch her neighborhood deserves. And if Steinegger declines? Well, then that means your heart wasnt in the right place right to our community after all, she said.

Donald Corbo  a Stamford commercial real estate broker familiar with Steinegger and his work  believes the exact opposite to be true.

Hes making a significant, significant investment in their neighborhood to make people have pride in their neighborhood, Corbo said.

To some of the neighbors, the significant investments feel like a double-edged sword.

Developers are not developing their property necessarily for social good. But they should be intentional about being good to humanity, said Bonnie Kim Campbell, another West Sider who lives in the Martin Luther King Apartments just around the corner from the Steinegger property. Campbell adores Stamford, even though she feels like everything is changing around her.

Like some of her neighbors, Campbell feels skeptical about the proposed property. Shes watched apartment buildings grow in other parts of the city and wonders what it all means for her. By no means does she believe that Stamford or the West Side are perfect places, but Campbell is nervous about what newer properties could mean in the long term.

Im not against people making a profit, Campbell said. Im not against my city doing well. Im not against change. Im not against green. Im not against that at all. What I am against is people thinking that we are stupid.

veronica.delvalle@hearstmediact.com
Alan Tan has heard the misinformation from members of his own family. That getting vaccinated against COVID-19 will lead you to get the virus, among other myths percolating on the internet.

The problem is affecting people of all backgrounds in Connecticut and Tan is part of a sweeping, statewide effort to reach ethnic and racial communities rife with hesitancy. He sees challenges unique to the Asian American Community.

Culturally, they put their heads down and work hard, theres distrust in the government that comes from the places they originated from, said Tan, co-chairman of the Connecticut Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity.

On top of that, they speak many different languages: the more common Chinese, Korean, Japanese and the less frequent Thai and Laotian. So Tan, who is ethnically Chinese, is working with the state to translate public health literature that can then be shared on Facebook groups, in WhatsApp chats and via other social media platforms to counter the misinformation.

When you have the Asian American community without a trusted connection, the misinformation spreads like wildfire, Tan said. How do you counter that?

By now, with a COVID-19 shot available to anyone 16 and older who wants one, a picture has emerged of those in Connecticut whove yet to get vaccinated: younger adults, urban populations, communities of color, and even those who supported the reelection of President Donald Trump.

Behind-the-scenes, the state has hired consultants to find and train trusted messengers, people living in the communities where vaccination rates lag or theres reticence  and arm them with the tools needed to convince their peers to roll up their sleeves.

Personal appeals

In the last several months, more than 145 organizations and 500-plus participants have taken the training, targeting a wide range of populations from the deaf community to native Spanish speakers.

The trusted messengers go door-to door in their neighborhoods, organize pop-up vaccine clinics in shopping plazas, and put up flyers with vaccine information in areas where people are known to congregate, all to help push the state toward its goal of herd immunity.

Theyre told to keep it personal. Share their story of why they chose to get vaccinated. Maybe they had concerns, too. Then follow the personal with the data - how effective the vaccines are, the makeup of the clinical trial participants, the potential side effects and what they mean.

Above all, the message is this: The vaccine will protect you from getting COVID-19 and it will help keep those you know and love safe, too.

Tan is working with other community leaders and the West Hartford-Bloomfield Health District to organize a pop-up vaccine clinic in Shield Street Plaza Shopping Center in West Harford, which houses A Dong Supermarket, a popular spot for local Asian Americans to get their groceries.

Translators will be on hand as trusted messengers and medical professionals provide vaccine information, and address any concerns or questions, as people come and go from the supermarket. The hope is that they will convince some to get vaccinated on the spot.

Tan says efforts are also underway to put flyers with vaccine info in differing Asian languages in Asian supermarkets around the state.

The pop-up in front of A Dong will be the pilot for what Tan and others hope will be a successful model they can bring to other parts of the state. The next target is eastern Connecticut where a large portion of Chinese residents live. Chinese restaurants in the Norwich area with big parking lots have expressed interest in hosting a clinic, Tan said.

Vax-a-ton in a Black community

Two days after Josie Wright, president of the Epsilon Omicron Omega chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., attended a trusted messenger training put on for members of historically black fraternities and sororities, she volunteered at a 24-hour vax-a-thon on Albany Avenue in Hartford.

Two people there asked how scientists were able to develop the vaccines so quickly  a question she could answer after a briefing by Dr. Reginald Eadie, the president of Trinity Health of New England, during the trusted messenger forum.

We have been equipped with enough knowledge to break down some of the complex information that has been delivered that not everyone understands, Wright said.

The historically black fraternities and sororities in Connecticut are planning a series of upcoming forums and conversations, with Black physicians on hand as experts, and to go door-to-door this summer.

Wright said her chapter tucked COVID-19 fact sheets inside 150 childrens books donated to the Womens League Child Development Center in Hartford, for the childrens parents to read, and has put out social media blasts about the vaccine to its networks.

Nyema Pinkney Cranford, vice president of the Epsilon Omicron Omega chapter, who also went through the trusted messenger training, said its crucial to get people to be transparent about what their obstacles are to getting vaccinated, whether it be lack of access to internet or transportation, fear or misinformation.

In her conversations, Cranford reminds them that contracting COVID-19 would be much worse than any potential side effects from the vaccine as Black residents died at a much higher rate than their peers.

I know families where both the wives and husbands are gone, she said.

You cant convince everyone

Unidad Latina en Accion in New Haven was among the first community organizations to take part in the trusted messenger program, which was conducted in both Spanish and English and included members of the Latino community.

Volunteers have knocked on thousands of doors in the Fair Haven neighborhood, among the hardest hit by the pandemic, as part of an effort started by ULA and other community organizations there. The goal was to get the word out that its free and easy to get the vaccine, you dont have to be a U.S. citizen, and to sign people up for an appointment.

The Vaccinate Fair Haven effort, which has spanned several weeks, resulted in 660 appointments and 292 people vaccinated at same-day walk-up clinics.

Of all ULAs efforts, which also included virtual forums with Latina medical professionals, the door knocking has been the most successful, said Megan Fountain, coordinator of advocacy and partnerships. ULA has also helped get people rides to their vaccine appointments and get shots to the homebound.

Sixty-six percent of Fair Haven residents are Latino and 17 percent are Black. Both groups have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic and lag in vaccinations.

While 61 percent of the states eligible non-Hispanic white population have received at least one dose, 36 percent of people identified as Black have received at least one shot, state data released Thursday shows.

Among Hispanic people, the number is a little over 42 percent, while about 58 percent of people identified as Asian and Pacific Islanders have received at least their first dose. Twelve percent of those with one dose are of unknown race, so the figures by race and ethnicity are somewhat skewed but the pattern is clear.

Youre not going to be able to convince everyone, Dr. Sosena Kebede, chief medical officer at Hartford-based Community Health Services Inc. told attendees at a trusted messenger forum earlier this month.

Where should our energy be? I can tell you from having this conversation multiple times a day with my patients, there are some people, who youre not going to change their minds because they have very set goals as to why they wont do it, she said.

Instead, they should focus their attention on those who are on the fence and might have questions or just want to wait a little while longer.

Sometimes you dont know what questions somebody might have inside of them, that if you would just answer that question then they would change their mind, she said.

julia.bergman@hearstmediact.com
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I love you more than my luggage, Olympia Dukakis Clairee Belcher says to Shirley MacLaines Ouiser Boudreaux in the beloved 1989 movie Steel Magnolias.

With the news of Dukakis death, Hollywood flocked to social media to express similar sentiments and pay their respects to the character actors illustrious legacy. Dukakis died on Saturday at age 89 in New York City. After many months of failing health she is finally at peace and with her Louis, brother Apollo Dukakis wrote in Facebook post.

Cher, who starred in Moonstruck, the film for which Dukakis won her Academy Award, paid tribute on Twitter. Olympia Dukakis Was an Amazing,Academy Award Winning Actress. Olympia Played My Mom In Moonstruck,& Even Though Her Part was That Of a Suffering Wife, We
I was getting into the passenger seat of (my brothers) Jeep when a driver high on PCP slammed on the accelerator  in reverse, Shaer explained. He was parked and then went from zero to really gunning it. He hit two cars and then ran into me. He crushed me into a cinder block wall so hard that it shattered.
MADISON  The message of the rally on Saturday was shared in words and signs: Hartford, keep your hands off local zoning.

Some 60 people, including local and state Republican officials, gathered in front of Memorial Town Hall to express opposition to proposed state legislation that organizers said would take away local zoning.

With microphone in hand, Madison Selectman Bruce Wilson, a Republican, implored residents to learn about these bills and hold elected officials accountable.

This is nothing short of Hartford saying to Madison, You dont know whats right for your town, you dont know how to do it. Were going to take this away from you and tell you whats best for you, Wilson told those gathered at the rally .

The attendees carried printed placards that said, Keep P&Z decisions local. The rally was organized by CT 169 Strong, a coalition that has held similar rallies in West Haven, East Haven and Fairfield, to date.

One homemade sign said: Keep zoning local  hands off Hartford.

The proposed bills in the state House and Senate call for changes to local zoning, some would override local zoning laws and mandate the construction of multi-family and affordable housing.

The proposals include mandating where and what type of multi-family housing and accessory apartments are built, and mandating what towns take into account when determining whether to approve a housing project. In some cases, public hearings would be eliminated.

Former Republican state lawmaker Noreen Kokoruda of Madison, who attended the rally, noted her concerns about bills that she said would enable mobile homes to be treated as single family residences; another suggesting adding a 1 percent state property tax to communities that do not meet certain criteria for affordable housing; and one that would allow an individual without standing to sue over the issue of affordable housing and diversity in any town.

While Hartford is only 40 miles away  sometimes I think theyre 500 miles away, Wilson told those assembled.

We need to be educated, we need to be engaged and stand up and have a voice,  he said. To wait till this goes through and then protest it and say its wrong  is too late.

Local officials said that increasing affordable housing and diversifying communities is an important goal, but state zoning control isnt the answer.

Wilson said, I know this community and I know all of you, and I know that together we can do the right thing to increase the diversity of our housing.

West Haven Planning and Zoning Commissioner Steven Mullins at one point joked with the group who gatheredsaying, I bet you didnt get up this morning, and think about zoning.

But Mullin had a message, which he imparted in West Haven at a similar rally two weeks ago.

We are 169 strong, self-governing municipalities that know our community better than anyone, Mullin said, and urged attendees to stand up and be heard. Continue to rally by calling, texting, emailing, Facebook messaging, Facebook walling  your state representatives and your state senators and tell them, No.

Before the rally, local Republicans talked about what they objected to in the bills.

Amy Stefanowski, chairman of the Republican Town Committee, said she is worried that Madison officials and town residents would lose their voices in zoning decisions.

We will not be able to have the spirited conversations that we love to have around what happens in our town, she said.

Stefanowski noted the local work being done, such as the affordable housing commission and allowing accessory apartments.

Wilson said Madison residents are engaged in their local zoning issues, citing the new flood plain ordinance, The Ledges proposed development and Generals Residence project and ongoing discussions about what to do with Academy School and Island Avenue School.

People get involved on important community issues, he said. We are not disengaged from whats going on as a community and I think, together as a community, we have the capacity and the resources to come up with good, thoughtful plans for the future of Madison.

Stefanowski and Wilson both noted housing is an important discussion, but said they believe it is one that should remain on the local level.

No ones saying we dont want to have this conversation, I think the issue is we want to have this conversation in town and we want everyone to have their voice heard in town, Stefanowski said.

Kokoruda, the 10-year former GOP state representative for the 101st district, who lost her seat to Democrat John Michael Parker in 2020,

said she wanted to campaign on this issue but was told that it would be resorting to scare tactics.

Well, here we are with 13 bills, she said.

Some of these bills are so over the top, Kokoruda said.

Some of bills have good things, she said. Can we do more? Yes. She added, We do want more affordable housing.

ShoreLine Times freelance reporter Sarah Page Kyrcz and New Haven Register reporter Pam McLoughlin contributed to this story.
In a hidden corner of Hamid Karzai International Airport, half a dozen military officers sat at their desks, staring glassily at monitors showing high-resolution video feeds and surveillance footage beamed from drones, warplanes and helicopters across the country.

It was a tableau often seen in years past, but on this recent afternoon there was a crucial difference: The Afghans were alone, without the American forces that have backed them in a 20-year war.

That absence, amid a shift that puts Al Qaeda  rather than the Taliban  in the U.S. and NATO's crosshairs, has forced an evolution in how Afghan forces operate. After years focused on roving combat with the Taliban on the battlefield, the Afghan military now must take full charge of the air support it relied on the U.S. to provide, integrating surveillance and airpower into its own Operations Intelligence Center.

"We created this capacity to defend our soldiers and bases moving from one area to another. We put all the elements, all the players together to do this concept: 'Find, fix, finish,'" said Gen. Yasin Zia, the Afghan army's chief of staff and acting defense minister, using the American terminology as he spoke of locating militant groups and Al Qaeda operatives in Afghanistan's vast deserts and mountain ranges.

But the future of that counter-terrorism effort is in flux.

For the first time in two decades, the United States says it will have no troops and contractors in Afghanistan, and the CIA and special forces teams that have led the search for Al Qaeda's remaining operatives will no longer work from bases in the eastern part of the country.

In recent days, the Pentagon began a "retrograde" of its forces in the country, which include what it says are some 2,500 service members, a few hundred special operations troops and some 18,000 contractors. NATO is conducting its own drawdown. The withdrawal could be complete as early as July. President Biden placed a Sept. 11 deadline for the pullout, 20 years after the Al Qaeda terrorist attacks in the U.S.

Biden administration officials say that the threat from Al Qaeda has been sharply reduced since the U.S. invasion in 2001 and that it will be possible to keep tabs on the militant groups in Afghanistan from outside the country. Even before Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden's killing in 2011 in Pakistan, the group's ranks were decimated and much of its leadership killed or captured.

If a threat of a terrorist attack on the United States or its interests is detected, the Biden administration officials insist, the Pentagon or CIA could strike inside landlocked Afghanistan  with air attacks from faraway bases or special forces teams inserted on so-called "capture or kill missions."

"We will maintain an over-the-horizon capability to suppress future threats to the homeland," Biden said Wednesday in an address to Congress. He added that Afghanistan is no longer the only location from which militants threaten the U.S and its allies, naming Yemen, Syria, Somalia and "other places."

Fighter planes flying from aircraft carriers and longer-range bombers from air bases in the Persian Gulf, Indian Ocean and even the United States could strike insurgent fighters whose locations are fixed by surveillance drones, communications intercepts and informant networks.

But many uncertainties remain about that strategy, including whether any of Afghanistan's neighbors will agree to let the U.S. base forces or surveillance drones on their territory. If not, the U.S. will have to rely on forces operating from American bases in the Persian Gulf.

The Pentagon and CIA may be forced back to a position similar to the one they had before the 2001 U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, when they relied on networks of local informants, satellite reconnaissance and intercepted communications to keep tabs on Al Qaeda and other militants in the country.

In those years, a small team of CIA officers working out of an office near the agency's headquarters in Virginia were focused on tracking Bin Laden's location in Afghanistan. But they failed, despite broad warnings about Al Qaeda's desire to attack the U.S. homeland, to uncover his plans to attack on Sept. 11.

The agency also prepared detailed plans multiple times for killing or capturing him before 2001, according to a 2004 report by the 9/11 Commission. But officials either halted the operations or saw them vetoed by the White House over concerns about civilian casualties, inaccurate intelligence or diplomatic fallout from a unilateral U.S. attack in Afghanistan.

Many of the same problems could hamper U.S. efforts decades later.

The U.S. exit also means the shuttering of CIA-backed paramilitary groups responsible for "capture and kill" operations the U.S. has relied on to bag high-value Al Qaeda and Islamic State targets. (Human rights groups contend the paramilitary groups have committed abuses against civilians.)

But the Al Qaeda of 2021 is a far smaller organization with less reach, while the United States has built a counter-terrorism capability and familiarity with Afghanistan far exceeding anything it had before 2001.

"There will be some degradation in terms of our ability to know exactly what's going on," Zalmay Khalilzad, the administration's negotiator on Afghanistan, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday. "But we believe, given the nature of the threat right now that we would get adequate warning."

Al Qaeda has fewer than 200 members in south Asia, most of them in Afghanistan, Lt. Gen. Scott Berrier, the head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, said Thursday. The group's second-ranking leader, Ayman Zawahiri, though suffering severe health problems, is still believed to be alive, hiding possibly in Afghanistan, while other leaders are said to be in Iran, according to the agency.

"There was little discernible activity out of the group" last year and "throughout 2021, [Al Qaeda] very likely will be unable to conduct terrorist attacks," Berrier added, in written testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee. Instead, the group will "bolster its relationship with the Taliban."

That relationship is the core U.S. concern.

Under the terms of a 2020 withdrawal agreement with the Trump administration, the Taliban vowed to prevent Afghan territory under its control from being used by terrorist groups to launch attacks on the U.S. and its allies. U.S. officials insist that the deal requires the Taliban to sever its ties with Al Qaeda, but U.S. intelligence officials do not expect that to occur. What happens to that deal after Biden delayed Trump's May 1 withdrawal date is unclear.

Despite publicly distancing themselves from Al Qaeda in private talks with U.S. officials, the Taliban "very likely maintains close ties with the militants at the local level, often through family ties due to years of intermarriage" in Afghanistan and Pakistan, said a senior U.S. official familiar with intelligence assessments about the relationship.

A statement posted on the "Voice of Jihad" Taliban website in October said the group had no obligation to sever ties with Al Qaeda under the U.S.-Taliban deal, the official noted.

Taliban representatives, however, insist they can contain any extremists on Afghan soil.

"Al Qaeda was in Afghanistan before Taliban. All those countries now complaining about them supported them at the time of the Soviet invasion, and we now inherited them," said Suhail Shaheen, a Taliban representative in Qatar, in a phone interview on Thursday.

"We are committed to not allowing any entity or individual to use Afghanistan against the U.S., its allies or any other country. We have this capacity to deal with all of our security issues."

Some Afghan officials, meanwhile, see an opportunity in the Taliban's integration into the Afghan state. That remains an unlikely prospect in the face of the Taliban's dismissal of the government as an American puppet regime even as it views its leaders as traitors to the country. Still, if there were to be peace it would deny extremist groups the local protection they have so far enjoyed.

"If the Red Force and Afghan special forces operate together, Al Qaeda and Islamic State will be nothing," said one former official with the country's National Directorate of Security, its intelligence service, who refused to be named because he was not allowed to speak to the media. The Red Force is the name of the Taliban's special units.

But U.S. officials say that unless the Afghan government and the Taliban reach a power-sharing deal, Al Qaeda is likely to reconstitute its ability to threaten U.S. targets outside Afghanistan in two to three years, according to the senior U.S official, citing classified intelligence assessments.

That timetable could give the Biden administration time to build up U.S. capabilities in the region, officials said.

The White House is promising to continue aid critical to the Afghan military's survival, and the Pentagon is making plans to continue to share intelligence and to train Afghan forces as long as the government in Kabul survives.

Biden has been clear that troops and contractors will leave Afghanistan, except for a small contingent to guard a scaled-down U.S. Embassy. If the U.S.-Taliban withdrawal agreement is violated by both sides, nothing would prevent the White House from sending back covert CIA personnel in case the threat from Al Qaeda reemerged, some officials note.

But Pentagon and intelligence officials are also worried that Afghan government forces could quickly face military reverses without help from U.S. troops and thousands of contractors. Afghans will no longer have U.S. assistance on airstrikes, aircraft maintenance and supplying ground troops around the country.

"Some things the Afghans are going to have to do when we leave if they expect to survive," said Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., the top commander in the region, in remarks to the American Enterprise Institute Tuesday. "We'll see if they're able to do that. I don't want to make it sound easier than it is."

If the Afghan military can prevent a Taliban takeover, it could help contain the risk of a resurgence by Al Qaeda and Islamic State, which also has a small presence.

It could enable Afghan commandos, who have provided much of the human intelligence on insurgent threats, to continue to funnel reports to U.S. analysts outside the country. It could also enable the Afghan government to bring in its own contractors, using aid dollars from the U.S., to replace those now departing.

Back in the operations center, Gen. Zia said the distance will have little effect on information-gathering on the ground, even though Afghan officials have acknowledged that the withdrawal will reduce their capacity for forensic and signal analysis.

"We have the best human intelligence because we're from this region, we're from this culture, we have the same skin color; we have no issue collecting intelligence," Zia said.

"But operationalizing that intelligence to these rooms will be a challenge," he said, gesturing to one of the monitors in the center.

Afghan officials continue to highlight the ties between Taliban fighters and Al Qaeda operatives, reminding U.S. officials of the continuing relationship between the two groups and emphasizing Afghan forces' continued usefulness.

Last month, the National Directorate of Security, the country's domestic intelligence and paramilitary agency, announced it had killed Dawlat Beg, an Indian member of Al Qaeda and Hazrat Ali, a Taliban terrorist group, in Paktika province, near the border with Pakistan.

But still, Zia said, the U.S. battle against Al Qaeda isn't his country's top priority.

"That's not my fight; it's that of the international community," said Zia. "If they need help, they need to sit and find a way. And they are doing so."

This article is written by Nabih Bulos, David S. Cloud from The Los Angeles Times and was legally licensed via the Tribune Content Agency through the Industry Dive publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@industrydive.com.
DURRES, Albania (AP)  Albanias main port of Durres has welcomed a huge influx of containers and big trucks this week ahead of NATO exercises, a concentration of military vehicles that U.S. officials said has not been seen in the Adriatic nation since World War II.

Some 700 pieces of equipment from the Florida National Guards 53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team were being discharged from the USNS Bob Hope at Durres, 20 miles west of the capital, Tirana. They will be used for two weeks of training involving up to 6,000 U.S. troops at six Albanian military bases.

It's part of the U.S. Army-led Defender-Europe 21 multinational military exercises, which are focused on deterring aggression and building operational readiness with NATO and a greater number of allies and partners. They run from May 17 to June 2.

Albania is a valued partner. Our militaries benefit by training together, enhancing interoperability, building operation readiness and strengthening relationships  all of which enable our ability to respond to any crisis, anytime, together with our allies and partners, Tammy Muckenfuss of the U.S. Army for Europe and Africa, based in Germany, said Saturday.

To Maj. Randall Moran, bringing all these groups together is something very unique.

Divers were still checking the ports 23-foot deep draft. But the two logistic support vessels transporting the vehicles can operate in shallow water and were working nonstop to bring in the military equipment.

A British military vessel will also arrive in the next few days.

Defender-Europe this year has involved around 28,000 U.S., allied and partner forces from 27 nations to conduct simultaneous operations across more than 30 training areas in more than a dozen nations, from the Baltics and Africa to the Black Sea and the Balkans.

Besides offering six naval, land and air bases, Albania, a NATO member since 2009, will commit 1,000 troops to what Defense Minister Niko Peleshi called a historic event because it is the biggest exercise in Albania and the region.

U.S. military officials praised Albanias welcome, good food and natural beauty.

Muckenfuss said Albania has been an amazing host and have greeted all of our soldiers with warmth.

Its a great choice for the exercise, Moran said. I think you guys are coming up more or less like a hidden gem. So that the people are great, the foods wonderful and the views are magnificent."

This article was written by LLAZAR SEMINI from The Associated Press and was legally licensed through the Industry Dive publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@industrydive.com.
FLINT, MI -- Flint residents, public officials and law enforcement gathered at Ballenger Park Saturday, May 1, to pray and call for an end to gun violence in the city.

There were nine homicides in Flint in the month of April and there have been 21 homicides so far in 2021, according to police. There have been 73 non-fatal shootings reported in the city. This compares to 31 non-fatal shootings through the same date in 2020.

The weekend gathering was organized after a week of multiple shootings, many of which were fatal.

In the wake of the recent shootings, event organizer Tonya Burns said residents need to do everything in their power to stop senseless violence.

This is about all of us making sure we protect our families, our community, because one thing I dont want to see anymore is us having to grieve and bury a child, Burns said.

A 16-year-old and 17-year-old were among the recent homicides. Burns said gun violence needs to end for the citys children to be safe. She thanked local law enforcement, public officials and health workers who joined the gathering and called on the entire community to do their part to make the city a safer place to live.

Flint police Chief Terence Green, who also attended the event, has called for help from the community in combating recent violence. Burns said she supports the officers working in the city and agrees residents need to step up.

Related: Flint police chief calls for community help combating crime after 9 homicides in one month

Saturday marked three years since Joe Pettigrews father Sidney was shot and killed at the Rock Fitness Center on Flints south side.

The gunman has never been apprehended.

Pettigrew said he attended the event to celebrate his fathers legacy.

Were here in support of the police, in support of those who have lost their lives within the city, Pettigrew said. Its basically, to me, its a pandemic within a pandemic.

People are losing their lives to senseless violence, Pettigrew said.

(Sidney Pettigrew) doesnt have a voice now, Joe Pettigrew said. But I want to be his voice so I am speaking on behalf of him to ensure we receive justice for our families.

Burns said she didnt know what to do after the week of shootings, so she organized the peace and unity event to ask God for help.

Rev. Freelon Threlkeld, pastor of Faith Baptist Temple, prayed for the community.

We need healing, Lord, Threlkeld said in his prayer. We need healing from the outhouse to the White House. We need it right now. We need to learn. Teach us how to live and love one another.

Threlkeld said Flint needs God. With faith, he said the city can rally and stand against violence.

When we see injustice, we need to get involved, Threlkeld said. We need to be Christians in action. We need to love one another. We need to protect our neighborhood. We need to sweep around our own front door and when you sweep around your own front door, eventually, every door will be swept. Lord, we need you right now.

Minister Shearese Stapleton prayed that families be restored and protected. She asked for guidance and unity.

In the name of Jesus, those who do not know they are strong, God, give them the will and desire to know that they are better than what they were, Stapleton prayed.

Tarnesa Martin, a patient recourse and community advocate at Hurley Medical Center, also prayed for the community. She called for everyone to rise up in unity.

Father God, we declare right now that we should start walking together in unity, that we should start walking together in our families, that we should start walking together in our marriages, that we should start walking together in our homes, that we should start walking together in jail, that we should start walking together in prison, that we should start walking together in the hospital, that we should start walking together in the church, Martin prayed.

Flint resident and local social worker Chia Morgan said the recent violence hits close to her heart because she has lost two cousins and a close friend to gun violence. She also has worked at Hurley Medical Centers trauma recovery center and has spoken with the loved ones of victims who enter the hospital.

I am pleading with the community to come together and fight this violence together, she said. Its something that you dont deal with. My friend, who passed away Feb. 18 2007, his birthday was just this past Monday. Its something that 13 years later I still shed tears wishing I could see him on his birthday. I couldnt imagine being his mother.

Families dont heal after losing loved ones to violence, Morgan said.

I just want our people to be able to live, our people to survive, Morgan said. Imagine surviving a pandemic and then being taken by gun violence. That has to be the most devastating thing possible. I hope our families will use the resources they need if they know their children have anger issues or trauma because no one just goes and kills somebody because theyre happy. Get them into counseling, get them into therapy.

Flint resident Lee Bell thanked Burns for organizing the event.

(Burns) said she didnt know what to do but she did something, Bell said.

He asked that people pray harder for elected officials, youth, first responders and themselves.

We are not here by mistake today, Bell said. This is on purpose and a people with purpose are powerful. So as we leave this place this afternoon lets leave with a mission to make our city better than we have found it.

Bell asked the crowd to echo his words: I am because we are. We are because I am.

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GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Touting the need for strong unions to protect American workers, supporters of several Grand Rapids-area labor groups rallied Saturday to celebrate International Workers Day.

The rally happened next to the Spirit of Solidarity monument at Pearl Street NW and Front Avenue, near the Gerald R. Ford Museum.

The monument is a tribute to the The Great Furniture Strike of 1911 in Grand Rapids, which generally led to better wages and shift hours for workers.

Leaders with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 26, Amalgamated Transit Union Local 836 and the Kent-Ionia Labor Council were among the representatives to speak at Saturdays event.

Related: Effort to unionize Amazon workers in Alabama spurs support rally in Grand Rapids

Tom Burke, a member of IATSE, said one goal of the rally was to promote the Protecting the Right to Organize Act -- a national bill that would give new strength to unions.

The bill has passed the U.S. House, but is likely to have a much more difficult path in the Senate.

In the United States, were struggling to keep unions functioning and organized, he said. There is a lot of labor laws we need reformed that are set against us.

Richard Jackson, president of ATU Local 836, said he recently wrote a letter to organizers of an effort to unionize an Amazon facility in Bessemer, Alabama. The effort failed in a worker vote that was more than two-to-one against it.

I remember what it was like to be locked into a fight that, in all likelihood, was not winnable, but necessary nonetheless, he said.

He described the failure to unionize in Alabama as a loss with lessons.

No organizing effort is ever wasted, he said. The bosses will never back down, and neither should we.

Related: Stagehands rally for $600 federal unemployment benefit extension in Grand Rapids

Ryan Letts, chair of the Kent-Ionia Labor Council, said 107 counties around the world celebrate International Workers Day, also known as May Day.

This day is to remember our struggles, the struggles of the brave individuals that came before us and to kind of revitalize ourselves in that fight, to push that needle forward, he said.

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WYOMING, MI - A shooting broke out at the Spring Carnival late Saturday in Wyoming, police said.

Officers responded to a shots fired report around 7:35 p.m., May 1 to the carnival held at Lamar Park, said the Wyoming Department of Public Safety in a release.

Witnesses told police that a white four-door car stopped near a red pickup, and an occupant of the white car fired several rounds at the truck before fleeing the scene westbound on Porter Street.

The red pickup left the scene prior to officers arriving at the scene, police said. Stray bullets from the shooting struck two vehicles in the parking lot, but not the pickup, police said.

No victims or suspects have been identified at this time, police said. Anyone with information on this incident may contact the Wyoming Department of Public Safety by phone at 616-530-7300 or Silent Observer by phone at 616-774-2345.

The shooting closed the Spring Carnival for Sunday, May 2. The event lasts until May 7, according to its Facebook page.

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KENT COUNTY, MI - State Rep. Bryan Posthumus was arrested Friday for suspicion of operating while intoxicated, according to a news release issued by a representative for the lawmaker.

Posthumus, R-Cannon Township, crashed his Jeep while leaving his farm in Oakfield Township Friday evening, according to the Saturday, May 1 release, going off the road, hitting a mailbox and then rolling over in Ada Township.

He was arrested and taken to a nearby hospital to evaluate potential injuries, then released that night pending an investigation, according to the release.

Jail records show Posthumus was booked Friday into the Kent County Correctional Facility and faces one charge of operating while intoxicated.

A blood alcohol test taken at the Kent County Correctional Facility showed Posthumus blood alcohol level was .13%, according to the release. The threshold for drunken driving in Michigan is .08%.

I am deeply disappointed in myself for putting other people in jeopardy by driving while intoxicated, Posthumus said in the release. There is no excuse for what happened, and I take full and complete responsibility for my actions. I should never have tried to drive after drinking alcohol. To my family, friends, colleagues, and constituents who I serve, I sincerely apologize and ask forgiveness.

In the release, Posthumus said its clear he has a drinking problem and needs help. He stated he will immediately begin attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.

I am grateful that no one else was injured because of my mistake, Posthumus said in the release. I will work very hard to regain the trust, respect, and support of my loved ones, my fellow state representatives, and the wonderful citizens in my district. I never again want to embarrass myself or others through my actions.

The Kent County Prosecutors Office could not immediately be reached for comment. A spokesman with the Kent County Sheriffs Department could not immediately be reached. The phone number for the spokesman listed in the release was either disconnected or no longer in service.

Posthumus is serving his first term in the state House of Representatives, winning election to the 73rd District seat in November 2020. He is the son of former Michigan Lt. Gov. Dick Posthumus and the brother of Kent County Clerk Lisa Posthumus Lyons.

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BATTLE CREEK, MI - Battle Creek Police are investigating the shooting death of a 61-year-old man as a homicide, police said.

A family member of 61-year-old Daniel Murray, unable to reach him, called the department around 11 a.m. Saturday, May 1 to perform a welfare check on him at his home on North Broad Street.

Officers found Murray dead of apparent gunshot wounds while searching the home, according to a Battle Creek Police Department news release.

The department continues to process the crime scene and investigate the incident, per the release. Police dont believe the community is in danger.

Additional information about the incident is expected to be shared early this week.

Battle Creek police have asked anyone with information about the fatal shooting to contact the department at 269-781-0911 or Silent Observer at 269-964-3888.

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Kathy and I were devastated to hear about the shooting at the Oneida Casino complex tonight, he tweeted, referring to himself and his wife. Our hearts, thoughts, and support go out to the Oneida Nation, the Ashwaubenon and Green Bay communities, and all those affected by this tragedy.
When COVID-19 vaccines first came out in December, Erin Alexander-Bell was uncertain about getting the shots.

A Kalamazoo mother of three, Alexander-Bell didnt want to be first in line. She wanted to hear about the experience of people she knew. She had some questions that she wanted answered.

But then her parents got the vaccine with minimal side effects. She talked with her family doctor, who urged her to get vaccinated. She did some reading. Did some praying.

On Thursday, Alexander-Bell got her first dose of the vaccine at an immunization clinic at King-Westwood Elementary and she also brought along her 16-year-old niece, who lives with her and the only child in the household old enough to qualify for a shot.

Its exciting and its scary, Alexander-Bell said. Were nervous.

One person who wasnt there: Alexander-Bells husband, a 38-year-old warehouse manager.

Hes still on the fence about getting vaccinated, Alexander-Bell said. Hes going to need a little more convincing. Hes not someone who will take the flu vaccine. He believes you just keep your space from other people and keep yourself clean.

The Alexander-Bell household is an example of Michigans current challenge. The state has vaccinated half its population age 16 and older. Getting shots in arms of the second half is likely to much more difficult.

Gone are the days of mass vaccination clinics in which people were competing for appointments or willing to drive across the state for a COVID-19 shot.

Weve already gotten to the ones who were very eager to get vaccinated, said Dr. Wael Khouli, interim chief medical officer at the Kalamazoo Family Health Center, who was co-sponsoring the clinic at King-Westwood. Now were hitting up the ones who are hesitant or completely against it or the ones who are on the cusp or the ones who arent against but not that eager.

The pace of administering shots has definitely slowed down, Khouli said. The large events that we were filling up, the large drive-though events, those arent filling up anymore. We need to be more targeted now, go out into the population, make it extremely available and convenient.

Its a pattern evident across the state. The week of April 4-10, Michigan health-care providers administered 393,179 first doses of vaccine, a record number. By April 18-24, it dropped to 226,138, down 42% from two weeks earlier. Although data is incomplete for this week, it appears it will be down even more.

Meanwhile, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer raised the stakes this past week by tying vaccination rates to the easing coronavirus restrictions.

Two weeks after 55% of Michiganders over 16 get one dose, in-person work will be allowed in all business sectors, Whitmer said. At 60%, most indoor capacity limits would be eased. At 65%, capacity limits would be lifted. At 70%, the state would lift all coronavirus mitigation orders, including the mask mandate, unless unanticipated circumstances arise, such as the spread of vaccine-resistant variants.

When will Michigan ditch its mask mandate? Whitmer officially ties reopening measures to vaccination rates

As of Wednesday, April 28, 4,014,359 or 49.6% of eligible Michiganders had received their first dose. Getting to 55% requires administration of 4,453,304 first doses. That benchmark could be met in a little over a week if the state could match the April 4-10 pace. At the current rate, it could take several weeks.

Whitmers targets could help boost the vaccination rate more quickly, Khouli said.

Shes incentivizing it as much as possible, he said. Its going to be a driver to people because everybody wants to get out of pandemic mode and go back to normal life.

About 15% vaccine hesitant

About 15% of Michigan residents are reluctant to get a COVID-19 vaccine, according to a U.S. Census survey conducted March 17-29.

The three biggest reasons of individuals: Concerns about side effects; dont trust COVID-19 vaccines and dont trust the government.

Nationwide, a fifth of those under age 55 were hesitant. Blacks were a little more hesitant than Whites and Hispanics, and those who hadnt gone to college were more than twice as likely as college graduates to be skeptical of vaccines.

A Monmouth University survey released April 14 also looked at vaccine hesitancy by political identity and found a strong divide there.

Partisanship remains the main distinguishing factor among those who want to avoid the vaccine altogether, with 43% of Republicans versus just 5% of Democrats saying this, the Monmouth report said.

Michigans Republican strongholds have lower vaccination rates, higher COVID-19 case rates on average

Its important to recognize there is a wide range of reasons that half of Michiganders havent been vaccinated yet, said Brian Zikmund-Fisher, associate director of the University of Michigan Center for Bioethics and Social Sciences in Medicine.

Its key to acknowledge there is not one type of people who are still unvaccinated, he said. There are many types.

For some people, its been an access issue -- getting a ride to a vaccination site or lacking the Internet skills or computer access to make an appointment online. That may explain why those 80 and older are slightly less likely that people in their 70s to be vaccinated.

I know someone who basically said, Look, I want a vaccine but Im not willing to drive on the highway  to get it, Zikmund-Fisher said. And yeah, that could make it really hard.

Others arent necessarily against the vaccine, but feel they need more information before they make a decision or simply dont want to spend the time it would take.

And the mistrust of the vaccine and of government includes both a slice of the Black community as well as conservative White Republicans.

That could help explain why Detroit as well as the states most conservative counties have among the lowest vaccination rates in the state.

For Blacks, theres a history of discrimination or manipulation by the medical profession, and some justifiable skepticism, Zikmund-Fisher said. That doesnt mean that they cant be convinced. It just means they werent willing to be first in line.

Overcoming vaccine skepticism in shadow of Tuskegee Experiment a tall task in Michigans Black communities

A similar mistrust can be seen in Republican strongholds, where many already are chafing at coronavirus mitigation strategies such as mask mandates and see the push for vaccinations as another unwelcome intrusion by big government. And while Michigans Democrat lawmakers have been pushing vaccinations, GOP leaders have been advocating for the rights of those who dont to be immunized.

There clearly is a segment of the population who has been skeptical of the disease and felt more upset about the restrictions put in place, Zikmund-Fisher said.

Now theyre faced with a dilemma, which is the more they accept the vaccine, the more that can put they in conflict with those around them, he said. So if all the people you care about are skeptical or explicitly anti-vaccine, its hard to go against that grain.

How to improve rates

The issue of vaccine hesitancy is hardly unique to Michigan, as places across the country attempt various strategies to up COVID-19 vaccination rates.

West Virginia is offering a $100 savings bond to people under 35 who get vaccinated. Milwaukee will have a vaccination clinic Sunday at the stadium where the Milwaukee Bucks play the New Jersey Nets. Krispy Kreme is offering a free doughnut to anyone who can produce their COVID-19 vaccination card.

In Michigan, Detroit just announced theyll give $50 pre-paid debit card to anyone who drives a Detroiter to a vaccine appointment. The offer is good for each shot, if the person is getting a two-shot dose.

Experts agree that such incentives, as well as making the vaccination process as convenient as possible, could sway people who arent opposed to vaccination but dont see it as a high priority or were frustrated by the process during the initial months of the rollout.

We basically have a walk-in clinic now, said Dr. Paul Entler, a vice president at Sparrow Health System in Lansing. I think some people got fatigued by the process when we had limited doses of vaccine. We have a significant amount of vaccine now, and so nows the time to really aggressively go after those who may have felt frustrated by the system and let them know its much easier to get in and get the vaccine.

Mobile clinics and sending visiting nurses door-to-door are other strategies that health officials are using to ease the convenience and remove barriers such as transportation.

Were going right into the individual communities so they dont have to figure out how to come to us, said JD Williams, with the Family Health Center in Kalamazoo.

Persuading skeptics

Persuading skeptics is an even bigger hurdle, and Zikmund-Fisher and others stress the importance of using trusted voices who can advocate for the importance of vaccines and talk to people one on one.

That can range from faith leaders, to health-care providers, to politicians, to friends and family.

Probably the best way to get people who are hesitant to get vaccinated is to have their friends and family members who are vaccinated talk to them about it -- talk about why its important and their own experience with the vaccine, said Dr. Liam Sullivan, a Grand Rapids infectious disease specialist with Spectrum Health. I think theyre probably in the best position to convince the fence sitters.

The problem with that, others say, is that many people skeptical of the vaccine are surrounded by friends and family who feel the same way.

However, one group that may be able to penetrate that bubble are family doctors, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation report, which says its surveys and focus groups show individual health care providers are the most trusted messengers when it comes to information about the COVID-19 vaccines.

Doctors say they recognize that their relationship with patients could make the difference.

I ask every patient at every visit whether theyve been vaccinated, said Dr. David Colombo, a Grand Rapids obstetrician/gynecologist. I dont think we should just leave it up to the patient. We need to be more proactive and actually say that we recommend it.

Evidence growing on COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy: Virus is dangerous; the shots are not

Raising the issue also allows physicians to dispel myths, such as the idea that the vaccine impacts fertility or that people who have had COVID-19 dont need to be vaccinated, he said.

Dr. LaKeeya Tucker, a Lansing ob-gyn and the incoming medical chief of staff at Sparrow Hospital, said she also makes a point of asking patients about whether theyve been vaccinated.

Every contact that I have with a patient, I try to make sure that I ask and find out if they have any questions, any hesitancies, Tucker said. I dont want to miss that opportunity to counsel them. People need to hear from someone they trust that this is important.

And as a Black doctor, Tucker said she also tries to advocate for the vaccine among family, friends and acquaintances -- from the members of her church, to people in her sorority and professional groups, to extended family members.

One frustration, she said, is that most doctors dont have a supply of COVID-19 vaccines in their offices yet. Thats because of the special storage and handling requirements for the Pfizer and Moderna shots, and the fact they are now packaged in groups of 10 shots -- once the package is opened, they need to be used up that day.

Those issues are being worked on, and doctors are hopeful that they soon can have the shots readily available so that when a patient agrees to be vaccinated, it can be done during a regular office visit.

The ability for doctors office to administer the shots, I think thats going to be key Tucker said. I had several patients the other day who said, OK. Youve convinced. Im going to go ahead and get it. I told them where to go but Im thinking, I hope they do it. I really wish that I had it so I could have just given it to them.

Alexander-Bell said the conversation with her doctor made the difference for her.

You have trust in your primary-care provider. Theyre the experts, she said. They know your body. They know your history. They know your family history. And youre hoping theyre making decisions based on whats best for you.

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Listen to article

Renowned Insurance Brokers, OLEA M&G Insurance Brokers Limited on Friday, April 30, 2021, launched a ground-breaking digital platform that will place them ahead of the rest.

The platform MYBESTQUOTE.COM has been launched in partnership with Best Quote Ghana Limited at the Alisa Hotel in Accra.

The platform is not just a price aggregator platform but a marketplace where prospective buyers of retail insurance lines could compare products of most of the insurance companies and decide where to buy from.

The unique Broking software has been introduced with extranet features in the market which give clients easy access to their policies via the platforms VEOS software and online motor fleet IT tools.

According to OLEA M&G Insurance Brokers, it is making insurance available to Ghanaians not only from Monday to Friday 8am-4.30pm but 24/7 wherever internet is available.

The idea was born four years ago but is finally seeing the light of day due to the fast pace of technology and demands necessitated by the Coronavirus pandemic in an era where less contact is encouraged.

Speaking at the official launch of MYBESTQUOTE.COM, the Managing Director of OLEA M&G Insurance Brokers Ltd, Stephen Kwarteng Yeboah said the move was necessary to stay relevant in the emerging world.

Stephen Kwarteng Yeboah speaking at the launch

As players in the Insurance industry, we cannot survive in this technology-driven world if we fail to innovate by catching up with the times we are in. We at OLEA M&G have never ceased to look for new ways to evolve, he said while adding that it is the reason for the innovation.

Stepping in for the Commissioner of Insurance at the launch, Mr. Michael Andoh who is the Deputy Commissioner of Insurance assured the public that Best Quote Ghana Limited has been given the clearance to operate MYBESTQUOTE.COM.

According to him, the services provided by OLEA M&G Insurance Brokers on the platform can be trusted.

Emphasizing the need for players in the insurance industry to adjust and resort to innovation, Mr. Andoh applauded the management of Olea M&G Insurance Brokers for coming up with MYBESTQUOTE.COM.

I would also like to thank the management of OLEA M&G for this great initiative. Please have no doubts in your mind as far as having the support of the Commission in this regard.

Our doors are always open, and we would continue to support such significant initiatives, from all stakeholders in the industry, the Deputy Insurance Commissioner remarked.

Products currently offered on MYBESTQUOTE.COM include:

Motor Insurance

Travel Insurance

Property Insurance

Meanwhile, there is a USSD platform that can be accessed via the shortcode *920*97#. The platform only offers motor insurance but there are plans to introduce more services.
The Tamale North Member of Parliament (MP), Alhassan Suhuyini wants the Akufo-Addo government to commit financial resources to a new technology developed by the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) to clean galamsey-polluted water bodies in the country.

Mr. Suhuyini, who doubles as the Deputy Ranking Member of the Lands and Forestry Committee in Parliament, believes the technology has the capacity of saving the countrys water bodies and hence, must be immediately adopted with state support.

UMaT has developed an environmentally friendly particle-settling technology that will, in the shortest possible time, clear pollutants from illegal mining activities that have dirtied water bodies.

Speaking on Eyewitness News, the MP, who has already said the governments renewed fight against galamsey is structured to fail, insists that the government must consider deploying UMaTs technology if it wants to see some positive results in its quest to end the galamsey menace.

UMaT has actually developed a technology that can clean water bodies. They are willing to deploy that technology if they get support from the government.

I will call on the government to begin to look at that option of deploying that technology if its available, and if it can be funded; to begin to clean the water bodies even as we devise means and ways to clear miners off our water bodies and forest reserves, Suhuyini said.

The government recently deployed 200 military personnel t o flush out illegal miners destroying water bodies in the country.

To ensure that mining within water bodies is immediately stopped; the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo authorized the Ghana Armed Forces to commence an operation to remove all persons and logistics involved in mining from Ghana's water bodies.

But the sceptical legislator says the government's renewed commitment to tackling the menace is structured to fail.

Suhuyini makes a point that the government should have supported the regional and district security services to deal with the menace, rather than deploying military men to the mining sites.

I think this new approach to fighting galamsey, with the deployment of the military, is structured to fail. I think the approach should use the regional security councils, the district security councils, and then when they require backup you give them the backup.

Let them deal with their operational needs, and then you [government] support from the centre [to help them] carry out these activities. This approach will give better results than repeating what we have always done in the past. I think that the president should have learnt some very good useful lessons from the first fight since he himself has admitted that the last four years has been a failure, given the amount of money that we have thrown at this fight, he stated.

---citinewsroom
The Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) Dr Anthony Yaw Baah says 800,000 workers in Ghana suffered from pay cut as a result of the coronavirus pandemic on the local economy.

Recounting the impact of the virus on workers during the May Day celebration on Saturday May 1 in Accra, Dr Baah said workers have had to endure hardship induced by the pandemic.

800,000 workers were affected by pay reduction, he stated at the event which was attended by President Akufo-Addo and Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia .

He further revealed that poor housing for workers and delay in the negotiation of a national minimum wage are among some of the concerns the president must deal with.

Dr Baah assured the president that organized labour is willing and ready to assist government tackle the scorch of the virus on the economy.

---3news.com
Thousands of workers took part in May Day rallies across France on Saturday, their anger fuelled by the poverty gap which has increased during the Covid pandemic. Peaceful for the most part, violent clashes between police and some protestors broke out in Paris and Lyon, both before and during the marches.

Like last year, French unions celebrated their traditional International Workers' Day under the shadow of Covid-19, but today they were at least allowed to take to the streets.

French authorities were expecting some 100,000 people to march in major cities across France.

After a locked down May Day in 2020 we are picking up our good old habits, said Philippe Martinez, secretary general of the communist-backed CGT union.

Along with France's other main trade unions, the CGT called for a day of mobilisation and protest in favour of jobs, salaries, public services, social protection, freedom and peace in the world. They are particularly worried about unemployment reforms which are due to come into force in July.

Only the CFDT union - which has closer ties to the government and management - chose not to take part, preferring an online demonstration on Facebook.

The anger is there

In Paris, the procession was headed up by militants holding banners in tribute to the revolutionary Paris Commune which marks its 150th anniversary this year.

For Martinez, today's march was an opportunity to express the anger of workers after a particularly difficult year.

The anger is there and has to express itself whether in companies, services and here in the streets, he said.

He acknowledged the government had given companies a lot of financial aid to help them through the Covid crisis and that this benefited employees "but what I see is that a lot of aid is being use in redundancy plans and restructuring, for example in foundries.

Citing big firms like Renault in which the French state is a major stakeholder, he said they were profiting from public money, profiting from the pandemic in order to restructure and relocate abroad.

Violent clashes

Anger turned into violence on several occasions both before and during marches, notably in the capital and the southern town of Lyon.

In Paris, police fired tear gas after far-left 'Black Blocs anarchists reportedly tried to block the march. 34 people were detained.

Some protestors smashed the windows of banks, set fire to dustbins and threw projectiles at police. An injured policeman had to be evacuated.

3,000 people marched in the southern city of Lyon. Local media Lyon Mag reported that clashes in the city broke out between police and black blocs shouting anti-police slogans. Tear gas was fired and at least five people were arrested.

There were also several "scuffles" on the union march in Nantes attended by close to 4,000 people.

In Toulouse in the south west, more than a thousand took part, many from the Yellow Vest movement whose year-long weekly protests against the government and in favour of social justice were brought to an abrupt halt when lockdown was first introduced in March 2020.

4,500 are reported to have marched in Bordeaux, 3,500 in Marseille, 2,000 in Rennes.

Getting social issues back on the agenda

Carole, demonstrating with friends and their three teenage children, said she was "against the health dictatorship"."It's a bit different this year, we are here to show opposition to laws that are threatening our freedom, dictatorship, the curfew", she said.

"There are so many reasons for a revolt building up: the way Covid is handled, the so-called reforms that are going to take away people's ability to live, job-seekers who are going to lose their benefits," said Patricia, a pensioner.

For Benoit Teste of the FSU union "this May Day should, ideally, bring social issues back on the agenda". He said he was "shocked by the public debate which is focused on instrumentalising laicite (secularism) and questions of security.

(with wires)
The Trade Union Congress (TUC) is asking government to stop using COVID-19 as an excuse and review the salaries of workers upwards to help them deal with the recent economic hardships in the country.

Organized labour says recent fuel increments, coupled with the skyrocketing prices of goods and services, are taking a toll on the Ghanaian worker.

The call was made in Koforidua on May 1, during the Eastern Regional May Day Celebration under the theme Economic recovery in an era of COVID-19: The role of social partners.

The Eastern Regional Chairman of TUC, Augustine Micheal Owusu, demanded an increase in the salaries of workers to match the high cost of living.

The TUC Secretary, Madam Phyllis Agyemang, who touched on some general concerns of the labour unions, however, expressed the Congress resolve to collaborate with the government to pay more attention to grievances on the labour front.

In Tema, unions at this years Greater Accra Regional May Day celebration also pleaded with the government to review workers salaries, as well as taxes, to reduce the financial burden on the ordinary Ghanaian worker.

They argue that the pandemic has brought a lot of hardships that have worsened the living standards of the average employee.

The celebration saw several workers from different companies across the region converge at the GHACEM clubhouse in Tema to commemorate the day.

The May Day celebration, which is usually marked with a march by the workers of various public institutions, took a different turn this year due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

This years celebration in the Greater Accra Region saw some outstanding workers, who have excelled in their line of duty, being rewarded.

The Greater Accra TUC Regional Secretary, Freda Stephanie Frempong, who delivered a speech on behalf of the leadership of the unionized workers, hammered on the adverse effects of the current abnormal period and appealed to the government to take another look at workers salaries.

She appealed to the government to look at workers conditions of service, taking into consideration the consumer price index.

The Mayor of the Tema, Felix Nii Annag-La, who read a speech on behalf of the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Henry Quartey, assured workers of the governments commitment to cushioning businesses in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic. We'll give workers their due remuneration if elected  NDC

The COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in a lockdown of some parts of the country in 2020, led to a number of job losses.

However, the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has promised to offer better conditions of service to workers if voted into power.

The party gave the assurance in a statement issued to workers, to mark May Day.

We in the NDC are proud of our relationship with workers, and we do hereby encourage them to stand tall in their unflinching loyalty to the cause of Ghana. The NDC further assures all workers that a future NDC government will commit to much better handling of the economy and award them their due remuneration in recognition of their sterling role in lifting high the flag of Ghana, the statement said.

This is a non-negotiable assurance that we owe to workers in order to maintain their faith in the choice they have made to serve this nation for both the present and future generations.

The party thus urged workers to give off their best in the wake of the challenges caused by the pandemic .

In the face of the abject hopelessness generated by the appalling incompetence of the Akufo-Addo government, and compounded by the devastating onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic, the NDC urges workers to continue to commit themselves to their work and the nation in order to lubricate the wheels of progress and development.

citinewsroom
The Democratic Republic of Congo's move to impose a "state of siege" on two violence-wracked eastern provinces brought praise on Saturday from local leaders but also sparked concern in a country where the army faces allegations of rights abuses.

President Felix Tshisekedi had said Thursday he was preparing "radical measures" for the mineral-rich east, where an estimated 122 armed groups operate as a legacy of a spate of 1990s conflicts.

Friday saw him follow up with the siege announcement for North-Kivu and Ituri provinces, haunted by violence by armed groups and civilian massacres.

North-Kivu governor Carly Kasivita thanked the president for a decision which he said "responds to our expectations", stressing he had repeatedly urged a "national mobilisation" to deal with attacks in the Beni region of the province near the Ugandan border which has borne the brunt of local unrest.

The Congolese Association for Access to Justice also said it welcomed the move but called on parliament urgently to pass legislation to "prevent abuses" which might stem from the imposition of a siege.

The country's prime minister had Monday suggested declaring a state of emergency involving "replacing the civil administration with a military administration".

Some observers have expressed concern over recourse to such a move which would involve invoking article 85 of the country's constitution.

Army must be 'without reproach'

"If the army must have more power then it must be without reproach," warned citizen movement Lucha.

Visiting Paris on Tuesday, Tshisekedi had asked France for help "eradicating" the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), Ugandan Islamist fighters based in eastern DRC since 1995.

Branded a jihadist organisation by Tshisekedi and the United States, the ADF has killed more than 1,200 civilians in the Beni area alone since 2017, according to a monitor called the Kivu Security Tracker (KST).

The army has conducted operations against the group -- which Washington brands a "terrorist" organisation" affiliated to Islamic State -- since October 2019, but has not been able to put a stop to the massacres.

That failure prompted protests by high school students which police and soldiers Friday used teargas and whips to put down.

A UN human rights report in March estimated that the country had seen a 32 percent rise in human rights abuses since February, citing a sharp rise in abuses by the military in the province of North and South Kivu as well as Tanganyika.

Lucha member and academic Bienvenu Matumo told AFP: "One must set aside military who commit rights violations and who participate in economic wheeling and dealing."

Alongside such fears that a state of siege could have a negative effect on human rights, one local Twitter observer, Simon Lukombo, asked rhetorically "what additional means will be forthcoming to protect the population" for its duration?

After taking office in January 2019, Tshisekedi lost no time in indicating he planned large-scale interventions by a 150,000-strong military which contains former rebels in its ranks from two recent civil wars to tackle the unrest in North Kivu and Ituri.

In Beni, an army offensive duly followed but heralded bloody reprisals by the ADF.

Lucha has notably demanded that military interventions do not include troops formerly integrated into Rwandan-backed CNDP and M23 rebel groups, amid thinly veiled suggestions that some troops retain links to various armed groups.

Overall, however, Tshisekedi, who enjoys US support, is in a strong position having gained majority support in a parliament previously loyal to predecessor Joseph Kabila, something which had restricted his hand during his first two years in office.
Vice President Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia has lauded the Charismatic Evangelistic Ministry for planning to build a residential and livelihoods empowerment centre for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).

The project falls under the Church's Village Project to economically empower PWDs to realise their potentials.

In a tweet, Dr Bawumia wrote, "I am already excited to learn about this laudable project and want to be associated with it by assisting in whatever way I can to make it a reality".

In a related development, the Anglican Diocese of Accra told the Vice President about the Church's plans to establish a 1,000-acre rubber plantation to improve livelihoods.

Vice President Bawumia expressed the government's commitment to continuously collaborate with faith-based organizations to set up development-oriented projects to boost economic development.

GNA
Da Costa Aboagye, the Chairman of Risk Communication and Community Engagement for Ghana's COVID-19 response, has described the testing regime at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) as robust.

He said Ghanaians must not bastardize the testing regime.

According to him, the KIA testing was one of the best physical protocol mechanisms in reducing the importation of cases into the country.

Dr Aboagye who said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency explained that positive test at the airport would normally be subjected to genomic sequencing to determine the type of strain.

The Food and Drugs Authority validated the equipment and processes of testing at the KIA often to give assurance of the testing regime, he stated.

Once the public health system in Ghana detected a positive case, no other independent result was accepted until the affected person had completed mandatory isolation including associated treatment, a further test and was discharged by the Ghana Health Service.

Dr Aboagye said no exemptions were made to anyone regardless of status, adding that persons who tested positive were likely to expose people around them and should desist from conducting independent test afterwards.

The Chairman said persons who tested positive at the airport were under the control of the Ghana Health Service and assessments were normally conducted to determine whether a positive patient should be offered the home, hospital, or hotel management.

He explained that these assessments were done by clinicians and the case management team of the country.

It will be recalled that AfCFTA Secretariat issued a statement following the positive test result at KIA of the Secretary-General, Mr Wamkele Mene disputing the results as a false positive. Mr Mene went into quarantine whilst receiving guidance and advice from his medical team, who advised he took another test.

The independent tests had turned out negative raising concerns about the efficacy of the KIA COVID-19 tests.

They stated that before the KIA Covid-19 test, he (Wamkele Mene) received the Johnson & Johnson (J & J) vaccine, which should provide him with an additional measure of protection. His Excellency continues to adhere to all prescribed COVID-19 protocols, he said.

However, Dr Aboagye said the GHS did not recognise the results of the independent tests carried out on Mr Mene since it was not sanctioned by the public health system of Ghana.

As a result, the Secretary-General of AfCFTA 'is to remain in isolation until the completion of the statutory seven-day isolation period, and is discharged, as per Ghana's COVID-19 protocols.

On several other travellers in a similar situation as Mr Mene at the Ghana Health Service isolation facilities, he said, had raised concerns about the quality of test at the airport and appealed to the service to allow for independent testing to validate the test at the airport.

Dr Aboagye said in the quest to reduce further importation of COVID-19 into the country, additional measures had been instituted at the airport such as uploading a negative PCR test of COVID-19, which was not more than 72 hours old before departure to a system or software for validation.

This would ensure that only test certificates bearing trusted travel or BIOMARS code were considered valid for travel out of Ghana.

He explained that arriving passengers would have to use a tool made available through the Global haven partnership to validate certificates, help curtail fake certificates and reduce the number of positive tests at the airport.

GNA
Ex-president, John Dramani Mahama has chastised government for introducing new taxes in the country.

According to him, the taxes will worsen the plight of the citizenry.

The government has introduced some new taxes to help it generate additional revenue.

The taxes include the COVID-19 Health Recovery Levy Act, 2021 (Act 1068) which imposes a one percent levy on the supply of goods and services made in the country other than exempt goods or services, the Financial Sector Recovery Levy Act, 2021 (Act 1067) which imposes a five per cent levy on the profit before tax of banks and the Energy Sector Levy (Amendment) Act, 2021 (Act 1064) which imposes an Energy Sector Recovery Levy of GH20 pesewas per litre of petrol/diesel and 18 pesewas per kg on Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and a Sanitation and Pollution Levy of GH10 pesewas per litre of petrol and diesel respectively.

Mr. Mahama in a statement on workers day urged the government to ensure a stable supply of power and water.

Incidentally, an increase in existing taxes & introduction of new ones, and which take effect from today, May Day, is leading to steep rises in the prices of fuel, food & every basic item.

This will worsen the plight of citizens even further. This is in addition to power outages and shortage of water in many homes, cities and municipalities.

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has promised to offer better conditions of service to workers if voted into power.

We in the NDC are proud of our relationship with workers and we do hereby encourage them to stand tall in their unflinching loyalty to the cause of Ghana. The NDC further assures all workers that a future NDC government will commit to a much better handling of the economy and award them their due remuneration in recognition of their sterling role in lifting high the flag of Ghana, the party said in a statement.

This is a non-negotiable assurance that we owe to workers in order to maintain their faith in the choice they have made to serve this nation for both the present and future generations.

citinewsroom
Body of S. African sportsman shot dead by U.S. police arrives in homeland

Xinhua) 10:44, May 02, 2021

JOHANNESBURG, May 1 (Xinhua) -- The body of South African rugby player Lindani Myeni who was shot dead by police in the United States arrived at the OR Tambo International Airport here on Saturday.

A brief prayer service was held at the airport before his remains were handed over to his family who will take the body back to his birthplace in the eastern province of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).

His friends and family have described Myeni as a loving, kind and gentle person.

"It is a sad indictment on Americans that their country continues to be associated with the senseless murder of black people by their police. The careless murder of our son has, if anything, diminished the little hope that there will be a sudden change in police attitudes," said Nonhlanhla Khoza, member of the Executive Council of the Department of Social Development of KZN, at the prayer service.

Reports said Myeni was killed during a confrontation with Hawaii police, who said they took action in response to a burglary call. However, Myeni's wife told the press that the burglary accusation was nonsense as her husband had indicated he was on his way home.

(Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Bianji)
A high school student who was driving another car involved in the crash was not injured, the sheriffs office said. No preliminary cause for the crash was released but police said it did not look like alcohol or drugs were involved.
The Ghana Education Service (GES) has directed authorities of Wesley Girls' High School in the Central Region and other Senior High Schools nationwide to allow Muslim students to partake in the Ramadan fast.

The Ghana Education Service, therefore, directs Wesley Girls' High School as well as any other school to allow any such student who wishes to fast for any religious reason to do so.

The directive was issued on Saturday, May 1, 2021, in a press statement signed by the head of the Public Relations Unit of GES, Madam Cassandra Twum Ampofo.

Wesley Girls' High School had prevented a Muslim student from fasting during the ongoing Ramadan period. The school has been lambasted by some Ghanaians and human rights advocates in the country.

Meanwhile, GES explained that the school took the decision based on health grounds.

The net effect [of fasting] was that students developed various health conditions. The school, therefore, took the decision, then, that irrespective of ones religious background, fasting was not permitted. It was therefore imperative that to ensure that the health of students was not compromised vis-a-vis their organised school schedules, this long-standing practice had to be maintained. This was the basis for the refusal by the school authorities of the girls request to fast during Ramadan, GES explained in the statement.

The statement further noted that the Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, after a meeting with the board of Wesley Girls advised GES to put measures in place to address the concern of such students.

The Minister advised the Ghana Education Service to put in place measures to address the matter bearing in mind the rights of students and the concerns of schools on the health risk associated with the fasting.

GES thus directed schools to allow such students to fast but also urged parents of such students to write to the school indicating that the school shall not be held liable for any health condition of the student as a result of the fast.

Below is the full statement from GES

citinewsroom
The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Hon. Henry Quartey, has stated that the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) is not there to judge the work others do but to "coordinate, monitor, and evaluate works that go on in the Region".

The Hon. Minister said this after his visit to the Ga East Municipality.

Hon. Henry Quartey is fast becoming a household name in the Greater Accra Region for his mantral, 'Make Greater Accra Work' just within two (2) months in office.

The former two-time legislator, envisions to see Accra live up to expectation by making the field his office and ensuring that all agencies, institutions, and personnel who work within his jurisdiction deliver on their mandate.

On Friday, 30th April, 2021, as part of his regular field activities, toured some parts of the Region, including the Ga East Municipality.

The Minister, accompanied by the Regional Coordinating Director (RCD), Madam Felicia Dapaah, was met and welcomed by the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Hon Janet Tulasi Mensah, together with the Secretary of the Dome-Kwabenya Constituency NPP, Mr. Theophilus Larbi, and his Deputy, Otu Michael, the Women's Organizer, Madam Afriyie, Presiding Member (PM) of the Ga East Municipal Assembly, Hon. Jesse Nii Noi Anum, and the Municipal Coordinating Director (MCD), Mrs. Vera Akuffo Mante.

The Municipal Urban Roads Engineer (MURE), Aboagye Foster, led the Hon. Minister to inspect, monitor, and evaluate the progress of the 4km-road project at Atomic Hills, Presby Church area.

He stressed the need for constant monitoring and evaluation of works in the Region in order to ensure prudent use of the taxpayers money.

"We want the Contractors to construct roads that will last long and not develop potholes within a short period and make taxpayers complain. All we expect is value for money and quality of work. Our core mandate as RCC is to coordinate, monitor, and evaluate their work and not to terminate contracts. We can do by recommending but that's the last resort. If we see something is not being done right, then we point out to them to correct it, as I just did", Hon. Quartey said.

Hon. Quartey was impressed with the pace of work, given that the Contractor, Mid West Construction Works, started barely three (3) months ago.

"They have shown us the work they're doing, about 6.7km road project (4km at Ashongman Estate, 2.7km at Musuko, Montessori School area) and as of now they have done over 4km within just about four months so it's very encouraging. I've to see the job the Contractors have done before I can endorse their certificates for payment otherwise you would come later and realize the work has not been done to expectation", the Hon. Regional Minister stated.

"We want to protect the Government and the taxpayers money so we're here to ensure the right thing is done. We have to ensure that the 'Year of Roads' promised by President materializes and it behoves us to make it happen and that's why we're here", he added.

The Hon. Greater Accra Regional Minister earlier visited the Okai-Kwei North and Adentan Municipalities.
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I have learnt in these few years of my life to never fear anything but time: for time has a very strange way of dealing with each one fairly. When it was the time of his own, the man he loves and adores, the man who blessed his wedding, the man whose church he attends, and the man who is his demigod, he chose silence over his usual loud voice he calls VOICE OF CONSCIENCE.

When the public outcry became unbearable and the onslaught of criticisms from the public visited upon him like a pogrom, he still chose silence. Social media was awash with a concurrent unanimous statement Manasseh Should speak. Very many people exhaustively used the word hypocrite on my born in Bongo, raised in Keta Krachi brother that, when I typed who is the biggest hypocrite in Ghana on google, Manasseh Azure Awunis name popped up lol.

The backlash on his decision to remain numbly silent came with so much pressure and vawulence like a dangerous volcanic eruption, splashing and emitting ashes of molten with the unbearable heat capacity of approximately 1 million joules/Kg degrees Celsius. It was this unbearable heat that coerced my brother to speak eventually. And when he finally did on the 26th of June 2018, to give a veneer of respect and reverence to his very own, the title of the article that would later find its way into his famously celebrated folder, Manassehs folder would be christened THE TRIAL OF OTABIL.

In the trial of Otabil Manasseh said and I quote..Great men and women, they say, are like eagles. They dont flock. They are spotted one at a time. Once in a while. It is even rarer to witness their trial. Only a few centenarians see such events once in their lifetime. I witnessed one in my youthful days and wish to tell this rare tale in detail.

He proceeded with some thesis and antithesis referring metaphorically to the almost 30 million Ghanaians as a jury and the state itself as the court. But today, I add him(Mr Azure) into his infamous metaphorical innuendo then as the Lawyer of the accused since there can never be a trial without a court(Ghana) and the judges(The people of Ghana) and Lawyer of the accused(Azure Manasseh).

This was what he said in defense of his godfather and again I quote ...The year was two thousand and eighteen. The court was a state called Ghana. The potential jury was about 30 million men, women and children. And one hapless man was helpless in the merciless court of public opinion. Now my lords!! I put it to my learned colleague Mr Azure to never fear anything but time.

He also called the genuine concerns and constructive criticisms of the Ghanaian people volleys of gunfire from a formidable force determined to crush an unyielding enemy. He said what came after Otabil were more than mere criticisms but that they were tongues sharper than circumcision knifes just to chop his pastor to bits. What a competent lawyer like Tsatsu Tsikata Manasseh was. Fear time!!

Today, another great man of God called Bishop Dag-Heward Mills of Light House Chapel fame is standing trial. My brother is out without any form of pressure whatsoever to viciously destroy and finish him instead of crowning him like the royal diadem he did for otabil. Today his own volleys of criticisms are even sharper than the sharpest circumcision razor.

Today, THE FOURTH REPUBLIC is leaving no stone unturned, researching every moral and immoral fibre of the lighthouse and its founder by Azure Manasseh. THE FOURTH REPUBLIC is engaged in serious fact-finding and doing justice to the injustices supposedly meted out to some embattled pastors of Light House by its founder. Is it the Case that all animals are equal but some are more equal than others? What has changed?

If for nothing at all Bishop Dag should not have been subjected to this viciousness at least not when the entire Ghanaian people are involved. How many people lost their jobs and committed suicide because of the current impasse that characterized Light House? Can you imagine the number of people that would have lost it for good to never recover in the case of Pastor Mensah Otabils clear involvement in financial malfeasance? What has changed?

Well, the prophet Elijah said in 1 Kings 18:21 that If the Lord is God, follow Him. But if Baal is God, then follow Him. Like Baal, Bishop Dag has no one to follow him except himself! And Azure must learn to be impartial else time will expose him over and again. But what do I even know?

PS. I am not a member of Light House chapel neither do I support extortion of pastors of same. I am against partiality in similar circumstances by certain people who hold the monopoly of wisdom and speak truth to power or if you like, speak power to truth lol.

Fear time!!!
Somali lawmakers have voted unanimously to nullify a law they approved last month to extend the presidential mandate by two years. The decision comes after intense fighting in Mogadishu between Somali security forces divided over the issue.

Following Saturday's vote in the lower house of parliament, Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble ordered the army to return to barracks and urged politicians to avoid inciting violence.

Roble said in a Twitter post late on Saturday that the government would soon prepare the plan for elections and thanked President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed (also referred to as Farmajo) for agreeing not to extend his mandate by two years in order to remain in his position.

The United Nations welcomed the news while the US embassy, ambassador for the European Union Turkish foreign ministry said they were satisfied with Saturday's vote.

Mohamed's attempt to extend his term had angered foreign donors, who have backed his government in an attempt to bring stability to Somalia after more than two decades as a failed state following a civil war that began in 1991.

More reassurance

It remains unclear when an election could take place.

Some leaders of the opposition had hoped Mohamed would resign and now needed reassurances he would keep his word;

Opposition lawmaker Abdirahman Odowaa told Reuters "much remains to be done", adding that he wanted Mohamed to formalise what had been agreed.

"The handing over of security and election process to the prime minister should be documented and signed ... (He) has to go to the conference tent and sign ... before all," Odowaa said.

Political crisis

Violence erupted last weekend after the lower house of parliament approved President Mohamed's extension, but it was rejected by the Senate, provoking the crisis that has intensified in the past week.

The political crisis raised fears that al-Qaeda-linked al Shabaab insurgents could exploit a security vacuum if state forces split along clan lines.

The group has already taken over at least one Somali town in the past week as heavily armed fighters moved from the countryside into the capital city.

Between 60,000 and 100,000 people were forced to flee their homes.

It was not immediately clear whether security forces loyal to the opposition would withdraw from fortified positions in the capital following Saturday's vote and Roble's order, having refused to do so earlier this week.

Somalia's armed forces include members of clan militias who have often battled each other for power and resources.

Mohamed is Darod, one of Somalia's major clans. Most of the opposition leaders and Somali military in the capital are Hawiye, another large clan.

(with newswires)
A 17-year-old boy has died after fire swept through over 30 makeshift structures at Asafo in the Kumasi metropolis.

Over 70 persons within a slum near COCOBOD have been displaced.

Firefighters say the cause of the outbreak is still unknown.

The victims of the fire incident say they are trying to come to terms with the reality of what has happened.

Some victims who have been displaced told Citi News that they have lost thousands of Ghana cedis and want government to come to their aid.

I secured a loan facility to furnish this place but all my belongings have been completely destroyed. We need the governments intervention. One of my siblings was staying in my structure. He had his mattress and luggage inside. I secured a loan facility, and Ive spent around four thousand five hundred on it. I am being evicted, so I was planning to move in tomorrow so my three children and I dont know what to do, Nyamekye Ayine, one of the victims lamented.

The fire started around 2:30 pm. I was almost here when I heard of the incident. I was told someone was using a gas cylinder at the time. What is very sad about this is that, a 17-year-old boy and a small child with him were together locked inside a room and got burnt. We were unable to save them. The 17-year-old was a drivers mate. I am also a drivers mate. This is indeed a sad situation for us. The foam company located here has been here for a very long time, Nana Yaw, another victim lamented.

The KMA divisional fire officer, DO1, Rashid Nisawu indicated that the fire started around 2 pm on Sunday.

He said from their initial investigations, one person has died while over 30 makeshift structures have been destroyed.

Meanwhile, the body of the deceased has been conveyed to the Komfo Anokye Teaching hospital morgue.

citinewsroom
VAUGHN, Mont. - Crews are on the scene of a two-car accident on I-15 at mile marker 290.

Montana Highway Patrol tells Montana Right Now an SUV was trying to enter the interstate driving southbound side swiped another car towing a trailer while merging.

The driver of the SUV reportedly did not break because they were worried they would be rear-ended as a result.

There are no reported injuries related to the accident.

At this time Montana Highway Patrol is asking people heading southbound on I-15 to slow down and give crews room to work.
FORT BENTON, Mont. - First responders were called out to a car fully engulfed in flames in the middle of the night Sunday.

At 3:10 am, the Montana Department of Transportation reported a crash blocking the road on S-386 near Fort Benton.

Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Johnson tells Montana Right Now the crash involved a man who was speeding and drifted off the right side of the road and hit an elevated railway.

The man was able to escape the vehicle which became fully engulfed in flames.

According to Trooper Johnson, the man was taken to the hospital with minor injuries before he was released and taken into custody.

Alcohol and speed are suspected factors in the crash.

The teamwork of great dispatchers at the sheriff's office, EMTs and fire department, as well as our officers and MHP made this scene safe and allowed the patient to be transported to the hospital. It was a wet and cold night for all involved.
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Lansdale, PA (19446)

Today

Foggy this morning followed by scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. High 87F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy this evening with showers developing after midnight. Low 68F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.
Hernandez had planned to kill two classmates in the bathroom but the day before one refused to go with Hernandez to the restroom. The next day, Gough was attacked.
OPINION: If you want a functional Congress, you should welcome the return of earmarks
May 02, 2021

The MoA Week In Review - OT 2021-033

Last week's posts at Moon of Alabama:

> Correction: An earlier version of this story, published Thursday, incorrectly reported that One America News was warned by the FBI that it was the target of a Russian influence operation. That version also said the FBI had provided a similar warning to Rudolph W. Giuliani, which he has since disputed. This version has been corrected to remove assertions that OAN and Giuliani received the warnings. <

> The research also shows that poverty is highest among the least educated: people with a high school education, at most, had a poverty rate of 22.2% in March. During the same month, Black Americans saw a poverty rate of 21.2% and child poverty reached a pandemic high of 17.4%. <

---

Other issues:

Civil War:

Syria:

Afghanistan:

Must see:

Use as open thread ...

Posted by b on May 2, 2021 at 13:13 UTC | Permalink

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A resource fair on April 24 hit the grounds of Lorain County Community College as Connecting for Kids brought together businesses and material
Muskogee, OK (74401)

Today

Thunderstorms likely this morning. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. High near 90F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Partly cloudy skies after midnight. Low 71F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.
Later, officers learned that two other gunshot victims from this incident arrived at the hospital by private conveyance, the New Orleans Police Department said in a statement.
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With millions of Americans vaccinated against COVID-19, many who have worked from home over the past year will be heading back into the office. Adjusting to new routines is challenging and can affect our health and fitness. Weve been more sedentary or more active, gained weight or dropped pounds.

As part of my work as a biomedical engineer, I study how physical factors influence human metabolism. This includes height and weight, gravity  and air temperature. My research colleagues and I have found that living or working in a cool environment for extended periods can lower core body temperature. That decreases metabolic rate  how fast we burn calories  and commonly causes weight gain.

Humans are homeotherms  that is, we maintain a relatively constant core body temperature. Specifically, we keep our body temperature in the range of 97 Fahrenheit to 101 Fahrenheit, even in cool environments. Three different types of metabolic activity keep our body warm.

The first is basal metabolism. About two-thirds of the calories we burn each day fuel basic bodily functions, all of which generate heat: breathing, blood circulation, cell growth, brain function and food digestion. Any kind of physical movement also generates heat through chemical reactions that make muscles contract.

A third heat-generating process happens within specialized tissue called brown fat. Its a leftover evolutionary adaptation that kept us from freezing during the ice ages. It kicks in when our core temperature drops to very low levels, but most people lose their brown fat as they age.

With increasing body temperature, our metabolic rate rises and we burn more calories. This generates more heat and further raises our body temperature, creating a positive feedback process which usually keeps our body temperature in the healthy range.

But this process is remarkably sensitive to temperature. For every 1-degree drop in body temperature, our metabolic rate can decrease by more than 7%. This means that the resting metabolic rate for someone at a body temperature of 101 F (the high end of normal) is up to 30% higher than if their temperature were 97 F (the low end). Increasing body temperature by four degrees can burn more calories during the course of the day than the average person burns as a result of all of their daily physical activity.

This is why changing your physical environment can substantially alter the way your body works  and impacts both health and fitness. If youre gaining weight and arent sure why, check the thermostat where you live or work.

Most offices tend to be kept near 70 degrees. Thats why so many of your co-workers are complaining of being cold, wearing sweaters or jackets, or using a space heater. This tends to be too cold for most women  and many men  who sit at a desk all day. But its more than uncomfortable; its not healthy.

The correct room temperature is where you are comfortable: not too hot, not too cold. Thats generally between 72 and 81 degrees at moderate humidity, but may range as low as 65 or up to 85 degrees.

Working in a cold office slows your metabolism. In addition to making weight management challenging, sluggish metabolic rates are linked to lowered immune response, heart damage and increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

If you dont have control over the thermostat, you still have a few options besides wearing a coat all day. New technologies include a wearable personal device which changes your perception of warmth and cold; a passive exercise device that increases your metabolic rate by increasing cardiac output; and a smart version of the traditional space heater.

However you achieve it, do your best to stay comfortably warm in your future workplace.
Shortly after the initial events in December occurred, Nearman said in his own statement that he doesnt condone the violence nor participate it. I do think that when ... the Oregon Constitution says that the legislative proceedings shall be open, it means open, and as anyone who has spent the last nine months staring at a screen doing virtual meetings will tell you, its not the same thing as being open.
Austin voters appear poised to reinstate a ban on public homeless encampments, according to unofficial early voting results. Proposition B on that citys ballot would also criminalize panhandling at certain places and during certain times.

Austins City Council decided to lift the ban on public encampments in certain areas in 2019, arguing that the policy had led to citations for people experiencing homelessness that hurt their ability to find housing. The move was quickly criticized by Gov. Greg Abbott, who promised to take action against Austin.

Although the visibility of homeless encampments has increased in Austin in recent years, both the Dallas and Houston areas have more people living in the streets, according to 2020 data. Some Austin residents have complained that allowing the encampments on public property  many are beneath overpasses or next to major roads  has created health and safety problems.

Other residents and most advocates for people experiencing homelessness say lifting the ban on encampments has made it easier to offer services to people experiencing homelessness and helped them avoid fines that they frequently cant pay.

Meanwhile, the Texas Legislature is considering bills that would ban homeless encampments statewide. House Bill 1925 and Senate Bill 987 would make camping in an unapproved public place a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $500.

The House bill was debated on the floor Monday, and Democrats attempted to amend the bill to decrease the penalties. After state Rep. Joe Deshotel, D-Beaumont, raised a point of order claiming a discrepancy in the bill's witness list while in committee, it was sent back to the Urban Affairs Committee; it's expected to receive a new hearing soon.

Austin Mayor Steve Adler has criticized both the city proposition and the Senate and House bills. Advocates for the homeless agreed that the bill wont help efforts to house people experiencing homelessness.

Homeless service providers in other Texas cities say they also are worried about how a potential state law banning encampments could play out. Regulations and enforcement related to camping in public places vary greatly among cities. Some, like Austin, dont have a universal ban, but camping is not allowed in places like public parks. Others, like Dallas, dont have a ban but will remove encampments if there are safety concerns.

Disclosure: Steve Adler is a former Texas Tribune board chairman and has been a financial supporter of the 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.
By Andrea Germanos, staff writer at Common Dreams. Originally published at Common Dreams

The U.S. is facing sustained calls to end its opposition of a proposal to temporarily lift intellectual property rules for Covid-19 vaccines and related technology as soaring coronavirus cases ravage India and new reporting spotlights a debate within the Biden administration over whether to support the patent suspension effort to help tackle the global pandemic or prioritize Big Pharmas interests.

At issue, as the Washington Post reported Friday, is a proposal India and South Africa submitted to the World Trade Organization (WTO) last October to suspend Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) rules on Covid-19 vaccines and treatments to boost manufacturing capacity. Its now cosponsored by 60 nations and backed by over 100 countries as well as hundreds of U.S. and international civil society organizations, former world world leaders and Nobel laureates, and some U.S. lawmakers.

In addition to the U.S., other wealthy nations including the U.K. and Canada are blocking the proposalwhich needs consensus to pass.

The WTOs TRIPS panel met Friday to discuss the proposal, and its now being revisedby its cosponsors.

Asked Friday whether the U.S. would continue its opposition, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the administration has not yet confirmed its stance and said the White Houses overall objective is to provide as much supply to the global community and do that in a cost-effective manner.

With  Fiji joining as a co-sponsorof the #TRIPSWaiver, there are now 60 countries supporting the #NoCovidMonopolies movement . Today, as governments meet at the @WTO, we have to ask, why are  STILL blocking the waiver proposal? https://t.co/ZVU6skCoFl pic.twitter.com/KEe2YyUZIa  MSF Access Campaign (@MSF_access) April 30, 2021

According to the Post: The debate has reignited decades-old tensions in global health, pitting such influential figures as Pope Francis, who backs the patent-waiver proposal, against philanthropist Bill Gates, whos opposed. It has also challenged U.S. officials who have prioritized this nations coronavirus response but know that the viruss continued spread and mutation overseas will eventually pose risks to Americans.

White House chief medial adviser Anthony S. Fauci and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai discussed the proposal last week, the Post reported, with Fauci indicating support for it and Tai considering it. She indicated an openness last month when she told a virtual WTO conference that we have to consider what modifications and reforms to our trade rules might be necessary.

She also got input on the matter from powerful philanthropist Bill Gates, the Postreported. Gates made clear Sunday that hes opposed to lifting such patent protections.

In addition, the Post reported, other officials in the Commerce Department and the coronavirus task force warn that waiving the patents could backfire, including by handing intellectual property to international rivals. They also say that allowing new manufacturers to compete for scarce vaccine ingredients and expertise could hinder existing production, and that donating doses to countries in need would be more efficient.

But the chorus of outside voices urging wealthier nations to drop their opposition to the waiver is strong and swelling. It includes Fatima Hassan, who leads South Africas Health Justice Initiative and told the Post, Its really amazing to me that you have one of the most powerful countries in the world, and it cant take on four CEOs.

Other prominent voices calling on President Joe Biden to back the TRIPS waiver proposal include former Irish President and former U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson.

We have to be on the side of humanity and life saving in a crisis, she told BBC News.

Oxfam Great Britain CEO Danny Sriskandarajah made the case for the patent waiver this week and put the need in the context of Indias current surge in Covid-19 caseswhat he called a tsumani.

Were putting the interests of a few big pharmaceuticals above the interests of people around the world, Sriskandarajah said on the BBCs Question Time. No one is safe until everyone is safe and the best way to do that is to loosen the rules on who owns the rights to produce the vaccines.

Were putting the interests of a few big pharmaceuticals above the interests of people around the world No one is safe until everyone is safe and the best way to do that is to losen the rules on who owns the rights to produce the vaccines@dhnnjyn on #PeoplesVaccine is  https://t.co/PwDLoT8Nky  Christian Hallum (@ChrHallum) April 30, 2021

India reported over 400,000 Covid-19 cases in a single day Fridaya global record. The case surge prompted the Biden administration to ban entry to the U.S. any non-U.S. citizens or permanent residents traveling from India.

Doctors Without Borders, which supports the TRIPS waiver, warned Friday that the second wave of Covid-19 is reaching extremely alarming levels in India, and has devastated the healthcare system and overwhelmed frontline workers.

Sharing the Posts report, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) also addressed the current outbreak in India.

Warren tweeted that the Covid-19 outbreak in India is a humanitarian crisis that threatens its 1.4 billion citizens, and billions more around the world. Im urging President Bidenand our vaccine manufacturersto use every tool possible to help with this crisis.

As of Thursday, according to the New York Times, India had vaccinated just 1.8% of its population, and the countrys major vaccine companies are struggling to increase production.

In the U.S., by contrast, 39% of adults have been fully vaccinated.

Such a divide, say humanitarian aid and social justice organizations, must not be allowed to continue.

Policymakers have to make a choice: do they support a #PeoplesVaccine to end vaccine apartheid, or do they work for big pharma? Health GAP tweeted Friday. The whole world is watching.
By Jerri-Lynn Scofield, who has worked as a securities lawyer and a derivatives trader. She is currently writing a book about textile artisans.

India currently faces numerous grim challenges, but the prospect of voting in the first-ever state government in West Bengal to be led by Prime Minister Narendra Modis Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is no longer one of them.

Today, sitting Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Trinamool Congress Party (TMC) is as of the time of posting projected by the Times of India to cruise to a repeat victory, despite the personal appearance by Modi and several other BJP luminaries at numerous massive election rallies. In spite of the raging coronavirus crisis, Indias Election Commission only last week called a halt to the rallies  one of two crowd-convening measures the BJP promoted to shore up Hindu support. As economist Jayati Ghosh wrote in Why Covid-19 is Running Amok in India in Consortium News:

The unfolding pandemic horror in India has many causes. These include the complacency, inaction and irresponsibility of government leaders, even when it was evident for several months that a fresh wave of infections of new mutant variants threatened the population. Continued massive election rallies, many addressed by the prime minister, Narendra Modi, brought large numbers to congested gatherings and lulled many into underplaying the threat of infection. The incomprehensible decision to allow a major Hindu religious festival  the Mahakumbh Mela, held every 12 years  to be brought forward by a full year, on the advice of some astrologers, brought millions from across India to one small area along the Ganges River and contributed to super-spreading the disease.

In fact, what Ill call the BJPs carpetbagging strategy  a term that wont be familiar to Indian readers, so Ill define it here  to bring in numerous national political leaders, including Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, none of whom spoke Bengali  appears to have backfired. Dr. Sunandan Roy Chowdhury, editor of Eastern Review and head of the Kolkata publishing house, Sampark, told me today:

While Modi and Shah attracted crowds, leaders like the UP Chief Minister Jogi Adityanath, BJP president J P Nadda and many others could not attract attention of the voters.

One reason for the decision to import outsiders to campaign in West Bengal is the BJP apparently fields a very weak bench there. This weakness further suggests the party might continue to struggle in future contests in the state. Over to Chowdhury again:

This also shows that BJP possibly does not have enough skilful leaders who are from Bengal and who the party can trust to run a campaign in Bengal. The BJP does need to build a slew of Bengali leaders who can attract voters attention in future elections in West Bengal.

Instead, West Bengal voters opted to return the home-grown Banerjee, whom everyone calls Didi  the Bengali word for elder sister. Even Modi employs the term, according to the NYT, Modis Party Loses a Key Election, Held Under the Cloud of Covid:

Mr. Modi sent out a Twitter message on Sunday night that said, Congratulations to Mamata Didi, which means sister Mamata. The Centre will continue to extend all possible support to the West Bengal Government to fulfill peoples aspirations and also to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr. Modi wrote.

Banerjee has served as the states chief minister since 2011, when the TMC overturned decades of leftist dominance of politics in the state. Earlier in the year, some pundits predicted that voters might have tired of the incumbent, as well as repeated allegations of TMC corruption and TMC authoritarianism. Nonetheless, Banerjee was able to put together a package of populist measures that resonated with voters. She also deployed her considerable personal charisma, and spoke to the voters of West Bengal in their native tongue.

Implications for Modi: Immediate

In terms of national implications, theres both more and and less than meets the eye for Modi and the BJP following from the announcement of projected results in the states of Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal, and the union territory of Puducherry. In Assam, the BJP retained power, as it was expected to do. The BJP has not captured a single seat in Kerala, and the Left Democratic Alliance, led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) looks set to retain power in the state. In Tamil Nadu, current projections show the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) alliance projected for a substantial win, and Modi has already congratulated DMK leader MK Stalin according to News 18, Tamil Nadu Election Results 2021 Live Updates: DMK Set for Big Win, PM Modi Congratulates MK Stalin.

Even in West Bengal, the significance of a BJP loss is less than that a win might have held. Reason: although the BJP has regularly contested elections in West Bengal, it has never attained a majority in any state-wide contest, either for seats in the national parliament  the Lok Sabha  or for the state Legislative Assembly. So, whereas a BJP win today in West Bengal would have been unprecedented, a loss merely reaffirms the status quo.

Along with West Bengal, Kerala is the only other large Indian state that has never seen a BJP-majority government. Both West Bengal and Kerala have Muslim minorities comprising about 1/3 of each states respective population  higher than the national average  and each has a long history of rule by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and other left parties and alliances.

Implications for Modi and the BJP: Longer-Term

The NYTs take is that the West Bengal election represents a major setback for Modi:

By Sunday night, with nearly all the votes counted, Mr. Modis Bharatiya Janata Party was badly trailing despite its heavy investment in West Bengal, a prize it desperately wanted to win. The party won more seats in the state assembly than it took in the last election  a sign of how dominant it has become nationwide. Nevertheless, the All India Trinamool Congress party, which holds power in the state, was safely ahead.

The horrific COVID situation now unfolding in India would seem to augur poorly for the future political prospects of Modi and that of the party he heads. Alas, a closer look suggests its still far too early to call time on the prime minister.

Modi has retained considerable popularity and won elections despite considerable policy missteps. Two in particular come to mind: the ill-conceived November 2016 demonetisation exercise and the botched rollout of a Goods and Services Tax, beginning in July 2017. Neither threatened Modis popularity, despite damaging the operating environment for smaller businesses  a core constituency for BJPs support  and which was reflected in a slowdown in Indian economic growth. Modi won a comfortable majority in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, in part due to the BJPs dominance in campaign financing and its adroit use of social media.

More recent policies that have led to widespread demonstrations  Im thinking of the protests in major metros in 2019 and early 2020 over the governments Citizenship Act and the more recent farmer protests  have likewise not necessarily foretold Modis political doom.

The other reason not to count the the BJP out is that at the moment its the party in India with an effective national presence. The Congress limps along, hobbled by the unwillingness of the Gandhi family to step aside and allow other leaders to take a turn; for their part, those other potential Congress leaders have thus far lacked the courage to challenge the Gandhi dominance.

Will Banerjee be able to build on her decisive win today to spearhead a national anti-Modi coalition? Her party showed once again how formidable it remains in West Bengal, after a brief wobble in the 2019 elections, but it remains a regional power only. The Modi governments recent spectacular mismanagement of the COID situation might seem to offer an opening to challengers. But as the old aphorism goes, its hard to beat something with nothing. Moreover, the BJP enjoys considerable advantages in raising campaign finance from Indian business, especially due to changes in Indian law that first showed an impact in the 2019 elections. The BJP was able to devote those funds to building effective social media campaigns (and the latter were effective in causing that 2019 TMC wobble, which is beyond the scope of this post to address).

2022 Uttar Pradesh State Elections

The next test for Modi and the BJP will be the 2022 UttarPradesh state elections. Until then, Id read the West Bengal result as more an affirmation of the TMCs continued regional strength, rather than as necessarily signalling any new BJP vulnerability. Whether the depth and severity of the COVID crisis will cause Modis supporters to turn on him and his party remains to be seen.

So, the big question in Indian politics is whether the still-fragmented opposition can seize this opportunity to come together and do what theyve not managed to do since 2014: present an electable alternative to the BJP and Modi.
(Natural News) An Air Force base in Florida has deployed a pack of robot dogs to enhance security at the base.

For years, the Air Force has used a fleet of drones to conduct military operations. But the new Quad-legged Unmanned Ground Vehicles (Q-UGVs) deployed at Tyndall Air Force Base differ in that they move on four legs instead of wings.

According to the Air Force, the 325th Security Forces Squadron uses semi-autonomous robot dogs, alongside flesh-and-blood dogs, as an added layer of protection on base. The robot dogs, one of many innovation-based initiatives at Tyndall AFB, are the first of their kind to be integrated onto a military installation.

As a mobile sensor platform, the Q-UGVs will significantly increase situational awareness for defenders, says Mark Shackley, Tyndall AFB Program Management Office security forces program manager. They can patrol the remote areas of a base while defenders can continue to patrol and monitor other critical areas of an installation.

Q-UGV robot dogs well-suited to guarding Tyndall

Designed by Ghost Robotics and Immersive Wisdom, the robot dogs have 14 sensors that give them a 360-degree field of view. These, alongside their legs, allow them to navigate on difficult terrain, crouching to lower their center of gravity and stepping high to climb over obstacles.

According to Master Sgt. Krystoffer Miller, an ops superintendent with the 325th, this ability makes them particularly well-suited to Tyndall, which is currently undergoing a long-term reconstruction project.

One huge attraction piece of the robot [dog] is that its highly mobile, says Miller. And with the amount of construction we will face over the next few years, it helps us maintain and increase our security posture.

Others in the 325th are eager to exercise the technologys full potential. When Tyndall announced plans to bring in the robot dogs last year, Maj. Jordan Criss, the commander of the 325th, said he and his unit were excited to be first within the Department of Department to deploy the technology for enhanced security patrolling operations.

These dogs will be an extra set of eyes and ears while computing large amounts of data at strategic locations throughout Tyndall Air Force Base, said Criss back in November. They will be a huge enhancement for our defenders and allow flexibility in the posting and response of our personnel.

Robot dogs also being used elsewhere

Ghost Robotics Q-UGV is just one of several four-legged robots starting to see use in security-related jobs. In New York City, the New York Police Department (NYPD) has also been testing a robot dog made by Boston Dynamics for several months. (Related: French Army testing Boston Dynamics robot dog in combat scenarios.)

But while the reaction to the robot dogs at Tyndall AFB has been mostly optimistic, the same cant be said for the NYPDs use of robot dogs. The latter has come under criticism from both citizens and lawmakers after it was deployed during a domestic dispute call at a Manhattan public housing complex in February.

The use of the $74,000 Digidog caused a stir among residents of the housing complex.

I cant believe what Im seeing, said Melanie Aucello, whose video of the robot dog went viral on the internet. It felt surreal.

Aucello, the president of the 344 E. 28th St. Tenant Association, compared the scene she witnessed to something out of a dystopian movie.

It scared me, she stated.

The use of the robot drew criticism from state Sen. Brad Hoylman. The lawmaker, who represents the district where the incident took place, thought that deploying the robot dog anywhere undermined police-community relations. He felt that this was especially true in a public housing complex where residents might already mistrust the police.

I think it really speaks to the skewed priorities of their leadership, said Hoylman, who questioned the departments need and values for using what he called an expensive surveillance toy.

In response, the NYPD stated that it has used robots in hostage and hazmat situations for over four decades now. This recent deployment was also the third time the department has used one of these robot dogs  a device that the NYPD says is still in its test phase.

Follow Robotics.news for more on these robot dogs that are beginning to see use by military and police forces around the world.

Sources include:

Fox5NY.com 1

AF.mil

Tyndall.AF.mil

Fox5NY.com 2
(Natural News) Australia has agreed to reduce the number of flights coming from India after the south Asian country recorded a single-day peak in COVID-19 cases. Prime Minister Scott Morrison, alongside state and territory executives, agreed on more stringent restrictions. The Australian leaders seconded a number of measures aimed at Indian travelers  including a 30 percent reduction of flights bound for the Land Down Under.

Morrison spoke to reporters in Canberra after an April 22 national cabinet meeting. The prime minister said: As time goes on, and the pandemic continues to rage, there are countries that are frankly of greater risk than others. [Weve] seen in particular, most recently, an increase in the rate of cases in our quarantine system at a state and territory level for arrivals from India.

Under the new measures agreed upon by Morrison and other Australian heads of state, all chartered flights from India would be reduced by 30 percent in the next 24 hours. Flights to Sydney  the only city receiving direct flights from India  would also be reduced by one-third.

Travelers also ought to be prepared, as those flying to and from India will face tougher restrictions. Those wishing to travel to either India or Australia ought to anticipate increased difficulty when obtaining exemptions. Furthermore, COVID-19 tests will also be required from those coming from high-risk countries such as India 72 hours before they board.

Morrison remarked that there would still be chances for Australians to fly back home from high-risk countries, but in controlled circumstances. Only Australian citizens, residents and their families are currently allowed to fly home. Those falling outside those categories can only step foot on Australian soil with a travel exemption. More than 34,000 Aussies in different countries  including India, where many are dual citizens  want to return home.

Things arent going well for Indias battle with the Wuhan coronavirus

Australias ban on flights coming from India followed a wave of Wuhan coronavirus infections in the south Asian country. People returning from India comprise 40 percent of cases in hospital quarantine in some states and territories. The prime minister remarked that the figures were not something we could ignore.

The Land Down Under is currently working on a list of high-risk nations, similar to the one the U.K. uses. Aside from India, other countries could also be included in the restrictions once the list is finished.

India recorded on April 22 an all-time high in its daily COVID-19 caseload  with 314,835 new cases. It surpassed the previous record of 297,430 held by the U.S. Based on figures from Johns Hopkins University, India currently has 16.6 million cumulative COVID-19 cases with 13.9 million recoveries and 189,544 fatalities.

Meanwhile, India is also dealing with a new triple mutant strain. This new variant dubbed as B1618 or the Bengali strain appears to be responsible for the current spike in infections. Indian scientists have surmised that the triple mutant strain evolved from an earlier double mutant variant, first discovered in the western Indian state of Maharashtra. (Related: Post-vaccine variants: India discovers new double mutant Wuhan coronavirus strain.)

Experts remarked that there is no conclusive evidence on the B1618 strains overall impact on current efforts to fight COVID-19 as of writing. However, the fact that the Bengali strain possesses the E484K mutation is enough to raise alarm bells. This mutation, also found in the Brazilian P3 and South African B1351 variants, allows the Wuhan coronavirus to bypass vaccine-induced immunity.

Variants such as the B1618, B1351 and P3 strains can evade the neutralizing antibodies in the immune systems of people who already received COVID-19 vaccines  potentially undermining the effectivity of the shots. Moreover, an expert has warned that the Bengali strain appears to be far more infectious than its predecessors. McGill University epidemiology professor Dr. Madhukar Pai told NDTV: This is a more transmissible variant. It is making lots of people sick very quickly.

The Bengali B1618 strain can indeed cause a lot of trouble for Australia  if in case it manages to enter the country. According to Morrison, around 1.8 million Australians have now been immunized against COVID-19 in the entire country. The Land Down Unders sluggish vaccination effort is now being aided by general practitioners who are now administering COVID-19 vaccines. (Related: Australian doctor shocked by adverse effects of Pfizer coronavirus vaccines second jab.)

Visit Pandemic.news to find out more about flight reductions and other steps nations are taking to fight the Wuhan coronavirus.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

Coronavirus.JHU.edu

IndiaToday.in
(Natural News) More than a year into the coronavirus pandemic, some three in 10 healthcare workers say they have considered leaving the profession due to burnout and stress, a nationally representative survey out Thursday indicates.

The survey, conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) and the Washington Post, revealed that roughly half of all healthcare workers are burned out, while about six in 10 say stress brought on by the coronavirus pandemic has harmed their mental health.

The poll was based on interviews with over 1,300 healthcare workers from Feb. 11 through March 7. Non-profit organization KFF helped develop, analyze and finance the survey.

Nearly half of all respondents said the pandemic has had a negative impact on their relationships with their family members. When asked what was the hardest part of working given the pandemic, the most prevalent responses involved being worried about becoming infected or infecting others.

Still, 76 percent said they felt hopeful about going to work while 67 percent said they felt optimistic. But while the majority of healthcare workers felt that the general public and patients they encountered showed them respect, six in 10 said Americans were not taking enough precautions to curb the spread of the virus.

In addition, the majority of the respondents were not satisfied with the United States pandemic response. Seven in 10 said the U.S. did a poor or only fair job of handling the pandemic.

Healthcare workers are burned out

When the coronavirus pandemic hit the U.S. last summer, exponentially increasing infections and surging hospitalizations put an immense strain on the healthcare system. Healthcare workers were suddenly scrambling to care for tens of thousands of patients, with some even landing in intensive care units (ICUs).

Hospitals were also forced to scale back their services to ensure enough staff to handle severely ill patients. Medical administrators also turned to short-term travel nurses and called for volunteers to fill gaps.

As cases continued to rise, healthcare workers began to experience burnout. Burnout is the state of mental, physical and emotional exhaustion caused by work-related stressors, such as long hours and the burden of caring for patients who may have poor outcomes.

The longer a healthcare worker faces these compounding factors, he or she may start to feel detached from their work. If the situation isnt addressed, burnout can lead to hopelessness, cynicism and depression. (Related: Reducing burnout and stress symptoms with rhodiola.)

Most of us got into this to save lives, said Megan Brunson, a Dallas nurse. But when death is blowing around you like a tornado and you cant make a dent in any of it, it makes you question whether youre making any difference.

And those feelings of doubt have already led some workers to leave. Kevin Fitzpatrick, an emergency room nurse at Hurley Medical Center in Flint, Michigan, said several experienced nurses have quit last March to work in hospice or home care or at outpatient clinics. And replacing them isnt easy.

But the KFF survey didnt show anything new. Healthcare workers have shared similar sentiments over the last couple of months. Last December, a survey from Mental Health America (MHA) showed that 93 percent of healthcare workers reported experiencing stress. Another 86 percent reported experiencing anxiety, 77 percent reported frustration, 76 percent reported exhaustion and burnout and 75 percent said they were overwhelmed.

More than three-quarters of healthcare workers with children said they were worried about exposing their child or children to COVID-19. Nearly half were worried about exposing their spouse or partner and 47 percent were worried about exposing their older adult family members.

When asked to identify their top three work-related stressors, 61 percent reported uncertainty about when things will return to normal, 54 percent reported burnout and 49 percent reported heavy workload.

Follow Pandemic.news for more stories with updates on the coronavirus pandemic.

Sources include:

StamfordAdvocate.com

USA.edu

Axios.com

HealthcareFinanceNews.com
(Natural News) A hospital fire that occurred in western India on April 23 killed at least 15 patients infected with the Wuhan coronavirus. The blaze at a hospital in Maharashtra state followed an earlier mishap two days earlier, in which an oxygen leak killed more than 20 COVID-19 patients. Both incidents occurred amid an ongoing second wave of coronavirus infections in India, which saw shortages of much-needed medical supplies and record highs in the number of daily case counts.

According to a report by India Today, the fire began on April 23 at around 3:15 a.m. Vivekanand Kadam, chief of the Disaster Control Cell for Palghar district, said an explosion of an air-conditioning unit on the second floor of the Vijay Vallabh Hospital in Maharashtras Virar city preceded the blaze. Firefighters managed to extinguish the fire by 5:30 a.m.

Maharashtrian authorities reported that there were 90 patients confined in the facility, with 18 in intensive care. Authorities initially reported that 13 perished in the fire, but later increased it to 15 after two victims confined in different hospitals eventually succumbed to their injuries. The incident is now under investigation, according to local media reports.

In relation to the incident, law enforcement took two hospital officials into custody. Officers from the Mira Bhayandar-Vasai-Virar Police Commissionerate arrested Vijay Vallabh Hospital CEO Dr. Dilip Shah and Chief Administrative Officer Dr. Shailesh Pathak on April 25. The Times of India reported that police would present the two hospital officials before the Vasai court later that day.

The April 23 fire happened two days after an oxygen leak on April 21 left more than 20 COVID-19 patients dead. An oxygen tank leak at the Dr. Zakir Hussain Hospital in Mumbais Nashik district, also in Maharashtra, instantly killed 24 patients due to the subsequent deprivation of oxygen supply. Nashik Divisional Commissioner Radhakrishna Game said that the socket of the [main] oxygen tank broke, which led to leakage  and diminished oxygen supply to patients.

The Indian Express reported that Game confirmed the initial 22 fatalities in the April 21 incident at Nashik. Two more patients died later that day, bringing the total fatalities to 24.

Officials offer assistance, promise investigations on the incidents

Maharashtra State Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray described the incident at Nashik as shocking and painful. He promised a thorough investigation into the matter, assembling a seven-member panel to probe the Nashik tragedy. Those responsible will not be spared, Thackeray said.

The states Minister of Health Rajesh Tope commented that the Nashik divisional commissioner will helm the seven-member panel. He also added that a standard operating procedure for the management of oxygen plants and storage tankers would be drawn up. If anyone is responsible for the deaths [at Nashik], they will face legal action, Tope warned.

Thackeray also announced that the families of those who died at Nashik will receive 500,000 Indian rupees ($6,681). The states Minister of Food and Civil Supply Chhagan Bhujbal also said the Nashik Municipal Corporation will give an additional 500,000 Indian rupees ($6,681) to the victims families as compensation. Nashik Municipal Corporation operates the Dr. Zakir Hussain Hospital.

Thackeray also ordered an investigation into the Virar fire. He directed officials to ensure that other patients treatments would not be interrupted. Furthermore, Thackeray also directed an inquiry as to whether the Vijay Vallabh Hospital was adequately equipped in terms of fire safety. According to the Maharashtra state government, relatives of those who died at the Virar blaze will receive 500,000 Indian rupees ($6,681). Meanwhile, those injured will receive 100,000 Indian rupees ($1,336) as compensation.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences toward the relatives of those who died at the Virar blaze. An April 23 tweet from Modis office said: The fire at a COVID-19 hospital in Virar is tragic. Condolences to those who lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon. The prime ministers office also approved compensation of 200,000 Indian rupees ($2,627) each for the victims next of kin, and 50,000 Indian rupees ($668) for those seriously injured. Modi also expressed his condolences toward the families of those who died at Nashik, alongside other officials.

The incidents at Virar and Nashik happened amid a second wave of COVID-19 infections in India which brought the countrys healthcare system to its knees. On April 24, the Hindu-majority country recorded a new high of 346,786 daily COVID-19 cases. It surpassed the highest single-day record previously held by the U.S. at 297,430 new infections.

The countrys health authorities also reported almost 2,100 fatalities on April 22. However, this number appears to be inconsistent with actual numbers from mass cremation sites. Due to the overwhelming number of fatalities, mass burning sites were already established in response to overcrowded crematoriums.

Visit Pandemic.news to read more articles about Indias fight against the Wuhan coronavirus.

Sources include:

GreenwichTime.com

IndiaToday.in

TimesOfIndia.IndiaTimes.com

IndianExpress.com

Twitter.com

CNBC.com
(Natural News) Sarah Beuckmann of Glasgow, Scotland, felt a tingling sensation in her legs and noticed a rash flaring up around her ankles a week after getting her first dose of AstraZenecas coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine on March 18.

She also had flu-like symptoms right after the vaccination.

Beuckmann called her doctor to arrange an appointment the morning she noticed the rash, but by the afternoon her skin was already breaking out into blood-filled blisters. Blisters also appeared on her legs, hands, face, arms and bottom.

I ended up asking my husband to take me to A&E, said Beuckmann, referring to accident and emergency, the equivalent of an emergency room (ER). When I got there, my heart rate was sitting at 160bpm, which they were very concerned about. I got put on an ECG machine.

Doctors determine AstraZenecas COVID-19 vaccine triggers the rash

Medics carried out tests for HIV, herpes and other skin conditions to work out what triggered the rash, but all results came back negative. Doctors finally determined that the vaccine caused her rare reaction after carrying out two biopsies.

Once they found that it was a reaction to the vaccine, they put me on steroids and that really seems to be helping my progress, said Beuckmann. She had been advised by her doctor not to get the second dose of AstraZenecas COVID-19 vaccine because of her reaction. (Related: Researchers confirm antibodies from the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine cause blood clots.)

Beuckmann spent 16 days at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital. She was discharged to recover at home. The 34-year-old mother of one is currently wheelchair-bound due to the bandages on her legs and blisters on the soles of her feet. She may need physiotherapy to help strengthen her leg muscles.

They are starting to heal and theyre looking a lot better than they were but as the blisters started to get worse, they all sort of merged together, she said. I didnt know what was going on.

With the blisters merging, her legs have looked like a pair of giant blisters. Beuckmann admitted that at one point she feared her legs might have to be amputated.

Dermatologist agrees COVID-19 vaccine causes the blisters

Dr. Emma Wedgeworth, a consultant dermatologist and spokeswoman at the British Skin Foundation, agreed that Beuckmann had likely suffered a reaction to the vaccine.

Vaccines are designed to activate the immune system. Occasionally people will have quite dramatic activation of their immune systems which, as happened in this case, can manifest in their skin Wedgeworth told MailOnline. This poor lady had a very severe reaction, which thankfully is extremely rare.

It is not clear why Beuckmann, who works in retail, was invited for a vaccine. Scotlands vaccine rollout was focused on people over the age of 50 when she got vaccinated, although vaccines are available to those who are considered at risk from the virus, or live with someone considered vulnerable.

At least 20 million Briton have had AstraZenecas COVID-19 vaccine, which drug regulators say causes a rash in one percent of cases. They say rashes caused by the jab tend to go away within a week.

Woman suffers from severe rash after first dose of AstraZeneca vaccine

Unfortunately, some rashes stick around a little longer. Leigh King of Wishaw in North Lanarkshire got her first dose of AstraZenecas COVID-19 vaccine on March 12. She began to feel the alarming reaction almost immediately after receiving the shot.

As the calendar turned to April, she was still suffering from the severe rash that has covered her face, chest and arms.

My skin was so sore and constantly hot. I have never felt pain like this  it has been a horrible experience, King told Scottish newspaper Wishaw Press. I am a very healthy person and am not on any medication or anything like that. I am not even in a vulnerable category.

She had been invited to get the vaccine because shes an unpaid carer for his 13-year-old son Aidan, who has autism and mobility issues.

King said she received a letter the day of her inoculation instructing her to seek medical help if side effects persisted after 48 hours.

I went to Wishaw A&E but was turned away, she said. I went back twice more and the last time I was in such pain I could barely walk out the hospital.

She said the condition has seriously affected her ability to care for her child. Aidan has also found this whole thing difficult. He is scared to come near me because of how my skin looks and he struggles to understand what is going on, King said.

King thought there has been a lack of follow-up care in her case and that there are many unanswered questions about potential side effects. I feel so let down on every level. I wish there was more support for people if this happens to them, she said. (Related: AstraZenecas COVID-19 vaccine will never be licensed in the US, says analyst.)

Follow Immunization.news for more news and information related to coronavirus vaccines.

Sources include:

DailyRecord.co.uk

DailyMail.co.uk

NYPost.com
NASA astronauts Shannon Walker, left, Victor Glover, Mike Hopkins, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Soichi Noguchi, right are seen inside the SpaceX Crew Dragon Resilience spacecraft onboard the SpaceX GO Navigator recovery ship shortly after having landed in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Panama City, Florida, Sunday, May 2, 2021. NASA's SpaceX Crew-1 mission was the first crew rotation flight of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket with astronauts to the International Space Station as part of the agency's Commercial Crew Program. (Bill Ingalls/NASA via AP) (NASA/Bill Ingalls/AP)
(Natural News) The melting of Earths crust beneath a vast expanse of western North America is baffling researchers due to its unusual location inland.

Crustal melting, which plays an important role in the formation of igneous rocks, typically occurs near plate boundaries. But a 2,000-mile belt of igneous rocks that sits far from the edge of the North American Plate is throwing the researchers for a loop.

Known as the North American Cordilleran Anatectic Belt, the long strip of rock stretches from British Columbia in Canada to Sonora in Mexico. It runs through Idaho, Montana, Nevada, southeast California and Arizona.

James Chapman, an assistant professor of geology and geophysics at the University of Wyoming (UW), who led the study, explained that long belts of igneous rocks are commonly associated with subduction zones, which are regions between two tectonic plates moving toward each other.

Moreover, molten rock originates from deep within the Earth, typically near active plate boundaries or hot spots, then rises toward the surface where it cools and turns into igneous rocks.

What makes this so interesting and mysterious is that this belt of igneous rocks is located much farther inland, away from the edge of the continent, and doesnt contain any evidence for producing volcanoes, he said. In fact, all of the melting to generate the igneous rocks originally took place deep underground, five to 10 miles beneath the surface.

How the belt of igneous rocks possibly formed

The researchers were able to piece together a theory for how the belt of rock formed after looking into its history. After analyzing data on the belt, they found that the rocks formed roughly 80 to 50 million years ago, around the same time as the mountain-building event known as the Laramide orogeny.

Named after the Laramie Range in Wyoming, this event created most of the major mountain ranges in the state, as well as in Montana and Colorado. It occurred around 70 to 40 million years ago during a period when the ancient Farallon Plate was rapidly sinking beneath the North American Plate.

The Laramide orogeny was highly unusual in that the mountain ranges created during this period were so far inland from the subduction zone that marked the boundary between the two plates. In fact, they were much farther than was usually the case for mountains built inland from subduction zones. (Related: Mantle mystery: Geologists dont know what to make of two continent-sized mountains found beneath the Earths crust.)

Though the Laramie Range did not contain the same igneous rocks found in the belt, the overlap in time led Chapman and his colleagues to suspect that the tectonic processes that created the mountain ranges also contributed to the melting of Earths crust beneath the belt.

With this in mind, the researchers formulated several working hypothesis about what caused the rocks to melt. One they came up with was that water had seeped into the inner crust.

Jesse Shields, a doctoral student at UW and one of the studys researchers, explained that the igneous rocks geochemistry indicated that the rocks melted at relatively low temperatures of below 1,472 degrees.

That is still very hot, but not hot enough to produce very large volumes of magma, he said. Water lowers the melting point of rocks, similar to how salt lowers the melting point of ice, and could increase the amount of magma generated.

Overall, the study has implications for what causes rocks to melt and where specific types of magmas are found. The study, in turn, could be valuable for mining because many of the so-called igneous provinces in the study area are rich in ore deposits, said co-author Simone Runyon, an assistant professor of geology at UW.

Understanding the large-scale igneous processes that form these provinces helps us to better understand how ore deposits form and to better explore for natural resources, Runyon said.

The researchers detailed their findings in a paper published online in the journal Earth-Science Reviews.

For more studies about Earth and the fascinating processes that led to its current shape, visit Science.news.

Sources include:

StrangeSounds.org

ScienceDirect.com

USGS.gov

Geoscience.WISC.edu
Because you can now go outside and mix it up in the greenery  vaccinated, unmasked and hugging  do not forget what lurks in the dry leaves and unmown grass nearby.

It is already tick season, as anyone with a romping dog or an unkempt field can attest.

The weather is warm, said Neeta Connally, as associate professor of biology at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury and director of its Tickborne Disease Prevention Laboratory. People are out.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, people are escaping to the great outdoors, just to get out of the house.

Eric Hammerling, executive director of the Connecticut Forest and Park Association said the associations surveys and those conducted by the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection show a 40 to 50 percent increase in the number of people walking trails in 2020.

We loved it, Hammerling said.

But people tromping around outside can walk where ticks abound.

What were seeing now are adult ticks  big enough to see crawling across our sleeve or pants leg. In another two weeks, tiny nymphal black-legged ticks will emerge from the ground looking for a blood meal.

Theyre easily missed. But their bites can deliver a package of bacteria that can cause Lyme disease. You do not want this to happen.

It will, unless you are careful.

According to the state Department of Public Health statistics, about 2,000 Connecticut residents have gotten Lyme disease each year from 2014 to 2018  the most up-to-date records the state has published.

This varies from year to year. In 2015, there were 2,553 recorded cases; in 2016, there were 1,752. But by most accounts, these figures are low by a factor of 10. So figure there are about 20,000 cases a year, with the southern tier of the state getting more cases than the northern half.

Tick populations can rise and fall each year, depending on a variety of factors. Connally said her team is seeing average to low tick numbers so far this spring. People are noticing them more, she said, because theyre outside more.

But Kirby Stafford, state entomologist at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in New Haven said his monitoring program is showing a significant increase  about 40 percent  over the tick numbers it saw in the spring of 2020.

Part of this may be due to the relatively mild winter we had, with warmer temperatures in January, and thick snow cover to insulate them in February.

Now, its perfect tick weather, said Karen Gaudian, chairwoman of the Ridgefield-based Tick Connection.

Planet Earth has about 900 tick species. You cant escape these eight-legged, parasitic little arachnids. Although they favor humid climates, they can be found in deserts and high mountains. On the Antarctic shores, they feast on penguin blood.

In Connecticut, the tick thats been the bane to humans is the black-legged tick.

It carries and spreads Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria that causes Lyme disease and all the woes that come with it  high fever, headaches, swollen knees and a host of other severe symptoms that linger in a small number of patients not cured by an initial round of antibiotics.

But it also spreads babesiosis, a parasitic disease, and anaplasmosis, another bacterial disease.

In recent years, another tick  the lone star tick  has been spreading slowly northward from the coast of the Long Island Sound.

It can cause yet another bacterial disease, ehrlichiosis as well as red-meat allergy. Unlike the black-legged tick, the lone star tick is aggressive, tracking its prey rather than waiting for a passing ride.

Stafford, of the Agricultural Experiment Station, said two other ticks are emerging in the state  the Asian long-horned tick and the Gulf Coast tick. Luckily, these two seem to be livestock, rather than human, pests.

As those with COVID-19 shots can testify, vaccines are wonderful. But a vaccine to protect humans against Lyme disease may be years away.

Which is why people have to be on the tick lookout.

Gaudian, of Ridgfield, said Lyme Connections BLAST message  to shower after outdoor activities; to vigilantly look for ticks; to use insect repellents; to spray busy portions of your yard; and to make sure pets get treated for ticks with veterinarian-approved methods  still pertains.

But with people worried about COVID-19, they may forget or dismiss misery caused by ticks.

People dont understand the depth of the problem, Gaudian said.

Contact Robert Miller at earthmattersrgm@gmail.com
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit last year, having another baby was not at the forefront of Julianna Diazs mind.

Diaz, 35, is a nurse and was concerned about this new illness that was ripping through the community and taking so many lives. Her anxiety peaked on March 28, 2020 when she was diagnosed with COVID.

That was at the beginning stages of the virus, Diaz said. We were having patients coming in sick and just didnt know what to do to stay safe.

Soon after she was diagnosed, her husband also contracted the virus. Her 5-year-old son was sent to live with relatives while she and her husband quarantined and recovered. She said it was an anxious and terrifying time.

But then, things changed. Diaz and her husband recovered and some of their anxiety abated. They were happy to be healthy and alive.

In August, the couple conceived a child, and a daughter named Olivia Rose who was born April 26 at St. Vincents Medical Center in Bridgeport.

Olivia Rose is part of what Dr. Ronika Choudhary, an obstetrician gynecologist, sees as a delayed baby boom in Connecticut. Choudhary, who has offices in Trumbull and Fairfield, said there had been a prolonged dip before about a 10 percent rise in births among her patients in the past two months.

Our delivery rooms and nurseries are so full right now, said Choudhary, who is Diazs doctor.

According to the state Department of Public Health, there were 2,963 births in March  the most for that month since 2016. The number of monthly Connecticut births had been below average in late 2020 and January this year before picking up in February and March, the data shows.

In the early days of the pandemic when much of Connecticut was locked down, some experts predicted there would be a baby boom in nine months, because so many couples were stuck at home together. But experts quickly realized the sudden prolonged closeness wasnt leading to a spike in pregnancies.

The Brookings Institute published a report in June 2020, predicting there would be 300,000 to 500,000 fewer births in 2021, due to factors such as the pandemics effect on the economy. Choudhary said the expectation of a baby bust didnt surprise her.

First, she said, despite popular belief, situations that require people to be locked in together  such as quarantine or even a snowstorm  dont typically lead to a jump in babies. Second, job losses and business closures during the pandemic likely meant a lot of people werent in a good financial position to have a baby, Choudhary said.

Many doctors offices closed to routine visits in the early days of the pandemic as well, she said, meaning couples who might have been considering a pregnancy likely werent doing the typical preconception visits to discuss their options.

With everything going on, Choudhary pointed out, people likely just werent in the mood for intimacy.

The psychological shock of pandemic doesnt really make people want to have sex, Choudhary said. People are stressed. Also, there are kids at home. Youre homeschooling your kids, and that doesnt leave time for a sex life.

But, she said, as the pandemic became part of everyones life, the mood started to change last summer. Connecticuts COVID cases started to decline. Some people began receiving financial support from the government. Day care centers began to open, as did some schools.

People started easing back into a routine and started having sex again, Choudhary said.

At Stamford Health, there has been about a 25 percent increase in births during the past two months, according to Dr. Scott Chudnoff, chairman of the department of obstetrics and gynecology.

Like Choudhary, Chudnoff said he initially saw a slowdown in births, which he attributed to a variety of factors, including stress.

But thats changed, he said.

Over the summer, when COVID numbers in Connecticut decreased significantly, people were still at home, but were feeling more hopeful and confident, so that has translated to a significant increase in births in the last two months, Chudnoff said. Anecdotally, I think were seeing young couples, newlyweds, decide to have kids sooner. Stuff that wouldve delayed them from having kids previously  such as travel  is not really an option, so theyre deciding to grow their family.

Diaz said she and her husband werent trying to have a baby when their daughter was conceived, but we werent not trying to have a baby, either.

The Stratford resident said she definitely felt more relaxed in the summer than she did at the start of the pandemic, which she feels was likely a factor to her pregnancy.

There was a huge difference (in anxiety) from the beginning of the pandemic to when we conceived, Diaz said.

However, Diaz said shes surprised the state is only now seeing a bump in babies.

I did think there would be more of a boom, Diaz said.
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By PTI

NEW DELHI: India's exports in April jumped nearly three-folds to USD 30.21 billion from USD 10.17 billion in the same month last year, according to commerce ministry's preliminary data released on Sunday.

Imports too rose to USD 45.45 billion last month as against USD 17.09 billion in April 2020. "India is thus a net importer in April with a trade deficit of USD 15.24 billion, which increased by 120.34 per cent over the trade deficit of USD 6.92 billion in April 2020," the ministry said in a statement.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic induced lockdown last year, exports shrank by a record 60.28 per cent in April 2020. In March this year, exports grew by 60.29 per cent to USD 34.45 billion. In April 2021, oil imports stood at USD 10.8 billion as compared to USD 4.65 billion in the corresponding month last year.

Major export commodities which have recorded positive growth in April include gems and jewellery, jute, carpet, handicrafts, leather, electronic goods, oil meals, cashew, engineering, petroleum products, marine products and chemicals.
India is home to more than a third of the worlds new COVID cases, according to U.S. officials, and that grim tally soared to a new peak Saturday, with 401,993 cases recorded after a 10-day stretch of more than 300,000 daily cases.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The Centre on Saturday released the first instalment of the central share of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) of Rs 8873.6 crore for the year 2021-22 ahead of the normal schedule. The move comes at a time when cash-strapped states have cited that they would need more funds to tackle the surge in Covid- 19 cases.

Up to 50 per cent of this fund has been allowed to be used for Covid-19 containment measures that may include setting up of quarantine centres, buying of medical equipment and providing for ambulances and expenditure towards testing.

Typically, the first instalment of SDRF is released in June, according to the recommendations of the Finance Commission. In relaxation of normal procedure, not only has the release of SDRF been advanced, the amount has also been released without waiting for the utilisation certificate of the amount provided to the states in the last financial year. Up to 50 per cent of the amount released i.e. Rs.4436.8 crore can be used by the states for Covid- 19 containment measure, the Union Ministry of Finance said in a statement issued on Saturday.

The decision to release the funds was made based on the recommendations made by the Union ministry of home affairs (MHA). The Centre also advised the states to use the funds to meet the cost of oxygen generation and storage plants in hospitals, testing laboratories and testing kits. On Friday, the Finance Ministry has also decided to provide an additional amount of up to Rs 15,000 crore to states as an interest-free loan for 50-year, which they can spend on capital projects.
Gurbir Singh By

Express News Service

On May 12, 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, announced his fivepoint Atmanirbharta Mission, and defined it thus: The state of the world today teaches us that (AtmaNirbhar Bharat) Self-reliant India is the only path. It is said in our scriptures  EshahPanthah. That is, selfsufficient India. Since then, self-reliance and self-sufficiency have been the underlying theme of the economic stimulus packages of October and November, last year, and of this years Union Budget. But, driven to its knees in the last 2-3 weeks as Covid infections register over 3.5 lakh a day, the governments Atmanirbharta campaign is in tatters. Swallowing its pride the Indian government is lobbying and accepting aid from everywhere.

The US is sending immediate supplies worth over $100 million. This will include 1,000 oxygen cylinders, 15 million N-95 masks and 1 million rapid diagnostic tests. On the way too are 20-30 million Astra- Zeneca Covid-19 vaccines from a 60-million stockpile that the US has no use for. Even China, whose goods faced a boycott call post the border clashes, has lined up much-needed medical equipment.

amit bandre

Disasters and national pride

So where is our national pride? Something has obviously gone wrong. Disasters are not new to India, and it has been our humiliating record that we have had to repeatedly turn to international aid to meet a crisis whether it was the Latur Earthquake in 1993 or the Bengal cyclone in 2003. It was finally in 2004 that the policy changed and then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh stood up and proclaimed India would do its own disaster management without outside aid. His atmanirbharta policy continued through nearly two decades.

As recently as 2018, during the Kerala floods, we turned down Rs 700 crore in aid promised by the UAE. Now there is a reversal, with even the PM-Cares Fund accepting donations from abroad. A policy of self-reliance is not a simple matter of choice. It is the path of foreseeing the needs of the future and then building the necessary infrastructure, and a cache of resources. Tackling Covid, after the peak of mid-September, the curve flattened and complacency set in. It was felt the nation was past the worst. People went back to normal life. The countrys medical infrastructure, geared to combat Covid-19, began to be dismantled ignoring the experience of other countries like France and Spain that saw a spurt of infections in a second and even a third wave.

The sentiment was only worsened by the Modi government declaring victory prematurely, and celebrating publicly. When the battle against Covid-19 just started, concern was raised that such a vast country like India will get devastated due to the dearth of resources. But, India has shown that if you have resolved to do something with resilience, it takes little time for readying the resources, Modi said on January, 22 addressing a convocation at Tezpur University. But the second wave since 15 April has proved our health infrastructure has crumbled and people are dying not so much of the infection as much as from lack of medical intervention, and shortage of oxygen and hospital beds. The legend of people searching for oxygen cylinders as their loved ones gasped their last in hospitals will remain long after this crisis.

Preparing for the worst

While the government should have been ramping up infrastructure to face a worse second wave from March 2021, it worked the other way. IndiaSpend. org disclosed between December 2020 and April 2021, the number of dedicated Covid hospitals fell by six per cent. Again there were 2,55,168 oxygen-supported beds in the country on April 9, 2021. Though this is more than double the 115,134 million beds in May 2020, hospitals began to be dismantled from D e c e m b e r onwards, and the number of beds were six per cent fewer since December 2020.

Ma n y o x y g e n plants in the pipeline were never set up, lulled by the belief that the pandemic was over. Disaster management is based on planning for theworst- is-yet-to-come. Indias daily production capacity for oxygen is around 7,127 metric tonnes (MT) while the consumption of medical oxygen on April 12 was 3,842 MT. Our oxygen capacity and stock was comfortably more than daily consumption, the government said on April 15, 2021, little realizing the tsunami was yet to come. By April 21, appearing before the Delhi High Court in a petition by a hospital that had 400 patients facing death due to oxygen running out, the Union government admitted that in a week the demand had skyrocketed to 8,000 MT a day! On vaccinations, which is our long term cover, it is the story of failing to understand demand and supply.

Between Bharat Biotech (Covaxin) and Serum Institute of India (Covishield) the country has the capacity to produce 83 million doses a month. After 3 months since February, we have administered one dose to only 118 million, or less than 10 per cent of the population. At this rate, to reach 60 per cent coverage, which is the minimum threshold level that will give us herd immunity, will take another 15 months. This too looks unachievable as the supply is short of paper claims.

As many as 10 states have suspended their inoculation programmes. So the fallback is again on imports. Or, grants? Dr Devi Prasad Shetty, noted cardiac surgeon and chairman of Narayana Health, Bangalore, has projected India will need an additional five lakh ICU beds to the current stock of 90,000; as well as two lakh nurses and 1.5 lakh doctors, to handle the current wave. U n f o r t u - nately, these c a n t b e imported!
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: The Chennai seaport customs on Saturday seized 7.4 metric tonnes of prohibited red sanders consignment worth Rs 5.60 crore, destined to Taiwan under the guise of pavement stones, according to a release. Working on specific intelligence about smuggling of red sanders to South East Asian countries from where ultimately it lands to China, having largest international market for this endangered species, Customs officers under Special Intelligence and Investigation Branch (SIIB) gathered intelligence across the seaport area, Container Freight Stations (CFSs) and around the places for over a week.

It was learnt that few containers destined to South East Asian countries, including Taiwan from Chennai port, were targeted for detailed inspection. SIIB officials zeroed in on a specific suspicious container having export cargo to Taiwan. It was found with unusual goods and detained at the port. Meanwhile, another team zeroed down on few export packages meant for stuffing in one of the Container Freight Station (CFS). The container was found to have been meticulously filled with small pavement granite stones so as to camouflage the contraband red sanders .

The goods declared for export in the Customs document i.e., pavement stones which were used as cover cargo and beneath this Red Sanders were concealed. Both the Red sanders and cover cargo were seized. The officials also tracked one of the export cargo, kept ready for loading in a container destined to Taiwan. Detailed exam revealed that it was stuffed with 103 logs weighing 1 MT of Red Sanders valued at Rs 60 lakh. The total quantity seized was about 7.4 MTs valued at Rs 5.60 crore, the release stated, adding that further investigation is on and officials are on the search for suspects involved.

Acting on tip off

Working on specific intelligence about smuggling of Red Sanders to South East Asian countries, Customs officers gathered intelligence for over a week

Gold worth Rs 57.75 Lakh seized at Chennai Airport

Chennai: The Chennai Air Customs have seized 1.2 kg of gold worth `57.75 lakh and arrested one person at Chennai Airport, according to a release. Working on a tip off, Mohamed Badurudeen (23) of Nagapattinam who arrived from Dubai by Emirates flight EK-544 was intercepted at the exit.

He became nervous while his bags and a 55 LED TV he was carrying were taken up for examination. Two heavy black rectangular bars were found ingeniously concealed inside the TV speakers. The bars contained gold totaly weighing 1.2 kg and valuing Rs 57.75 lakh. The gold was seized and Badurudeen arrested, the release added
By PTI

NEW DELHI: Delhi University has decided to defer final year examinations amid rising COVID-19 cases in the city, officials said on Sunday.

The final year and final semester exams were supposed to begin on May 15 but will now begin from June 1.

They will be in online mode and held in the open-book format.

"We held a meeting on Saturday with all the heads of the departments and deans. The meeting was chaired by the vice-chancellor. It was decided that the exams be postponed to June 1," D S Rawat, Dean of Examinations, DU, said.

Rawat said that the decision on exams for intermediate semesters will be taken later.

Teachers and students have been demanding the deferment of exams and even cancellation.

The Delhi University Teachers' Association had written to acting vice-chancellor Professor PC Joshi over the issue.

"The University must take a sensitive view of the situation that students and teachers find themselves in - no one is in a position to write or conduct examinations at this moment."

"Hence, we request you to consider cancelling examinations for all students and decide upon alternative means to evaluate students. Deadlines for submission of internal assessment must be extended,'' they had said in a letter dated April 30.
By Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Cyberpolice in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday registered a case based on a complaint lodged by Mayor Arya Rajendran in connection with the social media attack on her. The cyber-bullying was pertaining to the mayors post on Facebook on the inauguration of new gas furnaces at Shanthikavadam crematorium at Thycaud and the corporations decision to close the drug bank at SAT hospital at medical college here on Friday. Arya filed the complaint and demanded strong action against the culprits. In the complaint, Arya stated that she was verbally abused with obscene comments.

The Cyberpolice have registered an FIR under Information Technology (IT ) Act. The police said efforts are on to identify and nab the culprits. On Friday, she faced cyberbullying for her Facebook post saying that the gas furnaces in the crematorium was opened on war-footing. In the wake of the worsening situation of Covid- 19, her post drew flak and later she had to delete the post.

Many people commented saying that it was inappropriate for a responsible representative to say that the corporation has set up modern cemeteries at a time when the country was reeling under the pandemic. Many of them also raised allegations against her on closing the drug bank at the hospital when there are emergency cases owing to a stronger second Covid wave. CPM councillor D R Anil also filed a complaint against the social media abuse on the mayor.
Aathira Haridas By

Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In February, techie Renjith Rajagopal and his whole family - comprising his mother, father, wife and child -- tested positive for Covid-19. With his father being a heart patient and his wife seven months pregnant, it was a taxing time for the whole family. We were admitted to hospital. But once we came home, all of us were mentally and physically drained to even consider preparing our own food, says Renjith. And thats when he sought the help of Krishna, a home chef. We could customise our food and they served us protein-rich food. For Covid positive patients, at a time of stigma, such a service is very helpful, says Renjith. Yoga trainer Jyothish Madhavan echoes the sentiment.

My whole family tested positive and we were in quarantine at home. Many restaurants were unwilling to deliver food as we were Covid positive. The home chef service helped us a great deal, says Jyothish. A group of home chefs is making it a point to ensure that no Covid patient has to face any kind of discrimination. They are delivering fresh, homely meals to the patients. Krishna Renjith, of Ruchikoot by Krishna Renjith, started giving food to Covid patients after the onset of the second wave. It started when my customers tested Covid positive, says Krishna.

They asked if I could deliver them food. In these times, they are the ones deeply affected as they are left with no option. They also have to face a lot of stigma. In most cases, the whole family is affected and they get stranded at home with no supplies, when they should be getting nutritious food. The elderly are the most affected as they are often left with no contact, she says.

I try my best to cater to all queries. And in regions that I am unable to cater to, I share the contact of home chefs there, says Krishna who prepares food alongside her sister Reshmi Babu. Along with delivering the orders, a bevy of home chefs are making it a priority to focus on Covid patients as well. For instance, 20-yearold Zahiba Sameer, probably the youngest home chef in the city, ensures that she sends little notes with her packed meals, to keep the spirit of the patients up.

I send handwritten notes to everyone to make their day and make them feel optimistic. Covid patients feel very anxious most of the time. So we send handwritten notes with a drawings too, says Zahiba who returned from Australia last year. Having got stuck in Kerala because of the pandemic, she resorted to cooking and launched her own food label Soul Foods Trivandrum. Its important that patients get fresh, nutritious and homecooked food.

All Covid norms are followed and I ensure that patients are served quality food. We are all simply doing our bit and helping people in a small way, adds Zahiba. In times of pandemic, all that home chefs can aspire to do is help those in need, says Helen, of Helens Kitchen. This is one way of helping people. We had started it last year when a family living nearby tested positive. Then others started asking if we could deliver food to them too. And thats how it all began, she says.
Swaroop Swaminathan By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: When you X-ray your lungs, the colour you are most likely to see is black. In end-stage pneumonia, one of the most common COVID-19 related complications, the X-ray looks white. Why? When the Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) is severe, almost the entire lung becomes white as its full of fluid.

For one doctor who has been doing non-stop COVID shifts since the pandemic began last January, seeing that particular image is an all too familiar foreboding, an indication of the virus claiming another victim. The doctor, who spoke to the paper on condition of anonymity, has become numb. "Used to it now, unfortunately," he says.

Death is the major tune in hospitals across India right now and this doctor, who works at one in Mysore, has seen his fair share in the last year. "Quite a lot. Can't really put a number on them," he says. But thats just one side of the story. That India's health infrastructure is close to breaking point is known. What's not been published in detail is the toll its taking on the healthcare workers.

While some can afford to stay at home, doctors have had to move their home to work to meet the excess demands unfairly placed on them. The burden is so much that once their shift is over, they just have relief on their faces.

"Its a mixed feeling. On the one hand, you are exhausted because of all the dehydration (because of the huge PPEs) and fatigue. On the other hand, you are so relieved that the shift is over and you can rest a bit," he says.

That in itself is not a given. He corroborates stories of doctors being asked to do double shifts. "When we had COVID spikes, we refused to do any more than six hours in the ICU, because you work with huge PPEs which are quite suffocating to work with in long hours. So there were four shifts a day. Sometimes, if we were short on personnel, we would combine two night shifts (for example 9.00 pm to 3.00am and 3.00am to 9.00am into a 9.00 - 9.00 am)."

That's before you throw in the task of fighting with the management to ensure minimum standards of human rights are met. "We actually fought with the higher-ups to ensure we dont have too much exposure by having fixed shifts and only managing one ward/ ICU at a time, involving all departments (because no non- Covid admissions)," the doctor, who is in his final year of MD, reveals.

However, limiting exposure is a bit like sticking plaster to stop a knife wound. For one, this doctor, who works in a government set-up, himself caught it during the first wave. He is well aware of that danger but says all he can do is carry on 'with my job'.

"Initially, we were scared. I think around half of all the residents caught it, couple of us required oxygen but all of us recovered. We know that theres a chance of us catching the disease at any time but almost all of us have been vaccinated and we take full precautions. We dont think about the chance of being infected and just carry on with our jobs the best we can."

And he, like many others, makes the observation that more young people are ill. "One major difference we have seen during this wave is how theres suddenly a larger proportion of younger patients being affected compared to last year. We have seen people in their 20s and 30s with no co-morbid conditions die due to severe pneumonia which is a little scary."

Even if it looks like the hospital is being gripped by the killer virus, there is one high point. "When I inform relatives that their fathers or mothers or sisters or brothers or wives are recovering, you can see the relief on their faces. Honestly, thats the most satisfying aspect of this job at least in my opinion. The next two days, he will be on night shift. He will either see more images of lungs looking white like sheet or inform relatives that their family is making progress.
Express News Service By

Actor Varun Dhawan has contributed to Mission Oxygen India to help procure and donate oxygen concentrators to hospitals. Dhawan revealed that the initiative started by entrepreneurs in Delhi-NCR, raised Rs 21 crore for the procurement of 3900 OCs in a week.

"The first shipment of concentrators have arrived into the country and have already been allocated across 14 hospitals," Dhawan shared on Instagram with pictures. In a prior post, Dhawan reflected on what we should remember once the crisis abates.

"If we all survive this, as I hope we shall, remember that when it came down to it, we didnt fight for land or weapons or house or jewellery. We didn't fight for concert tickets or fancy designations or religions or politics. We didnt fight for shares in a company or a seat at the table. We didn't fight for business class tickets or the keys to a house by the beach. When all this is over, remember, that we fought for air," he wrote.
Prasanta Mazumdar By

Express News Service

ASSAM: As an eight-year-old, Sanjay Kumar Agarwalla would walk barefoot from his shabby home in Assam's Mariani town to his school. He has since walked his way from being a potato shop employee to being one of the top potato merchants of Upper Assam all of it with a touch of the surreal.

In 2015, Sanjay was trying to find an old contact Prasanta Bagui, a potato merchant from Champadanga in West Bengal. He found Prasanta in a pitiable condition. Huge losses in business had virtually reduced him to a pauper.

His plight took him back to 1996: Sanjay worked at a potato shop in Dibrugarh earning a meagre Rs 1,000 a month. He quit the job and thought of reviving his father's petty business at Mariani. That was when Prasanta had come to his rescue.

"He sent me a truckload of potatoes along with a weighing scale after I had borrowed money from a relative and repaired my father's rented shop to begin life anew. Knowing my condition, he even paid the truck fare. I paid him back in due course," Sanjay recalls.

Later, Sanjay started dealing with another Guwahati dealer and lost contact with Prasanta. By 2015, Sanjay had become a big trader with his business spread across Upper Assam, Nagaland and West Bengal. When he learnt about Prasanta's losses, he decided to see him. "I received a call from him in 2014. He said he was in debts after suffering losses and asked for a loan of Rs 25,000 which I gave," he says.

"In 2015, I went to his village and found him after a search. He had lost everything. I took him to a salon to get his long beard shaved, fed him and got clothes for him. I was sending 84 wagons of potatoes to two traders in Assam's Jorhat and Tinsukia from Kolkata by two goods trains. I gave the entire amount of profit to him so that he could recover. Today, he is successful again," Sanjay says.

Sanjay's great grandfather, Ganpat Rai Agarwalla had migrated to adjoining Dissoi Tea Estate from Rajasthan. Sanjay says the family did brisk business during the times of his grandfather and great grandfather.

He says in 1982, his father opened a shop at Nijorapar on the outskirts of Mariani with Rs 1,300 taken from Sanjay's maternal uncle. "Those were the most difficult days for our five-member family. My parents, two brothers and I used to sleep on empty sacks of rice laid on the floor. By 1988, my father made a small fortune of Rs 35,000. He would save Rs 10 a day and keep it in the bank. However, the entire amount had to be spent on the treatment of my mother who fell seriously ill. We were back to square one," he says.

From 1996 to 2008, Sanjay had a steady growth in his potato and onion business. He purchased a plot of land by a highway, near Mariani. The turnaround came in 2008 when two Guwahati businessmen approached him to set up a cold storage on his land. "They invested and I gave my labour. After the cold storage was set up, there was tremendous growth in my business," Sanjay says.

He is also the local distributor of ITC Ltd and Ruchi Soya Industries Limited. He has given employment to some 250 poor people. "I have helped small traders. When someone comes to me seeking a job, I try to find out his financial position, not his academic degree," he added. Sometime back, on the instruction of State Bank of India authorities, bank officials from Jorhat visited him to document his success history.
P Thiruselvam By

Express News Service

PERAMBALUR: K Bairavi is known for her philanthropy. During last year's lockdown, the government school teacher from Elambalur, a village just off Perambalur, purchased and distributed 16 smartphones to her students so that they didn't miss online classes.

It set her back Rs 1 lakh but it helped her students. This year, the maths teacher handed over a demand draft worth Rs 50000 as 'COVID-19 fund' to the district collector to help people who have been affected by the second wave.

On Thursday, Bairavi presented Rs 50,000 to Perambalur collector P Sri Venkata Priya. She said she had taken up the initiative to help people after her children came up with the idea.

"I offered the mobile phones to the students as their education was getting affected last year. I have been recharging their sim cards even up to this month. I communicate daily with students through smartphones regarding their studies," she said.

"I was very happy when this district became a coronavirus- free district. But this happiness did not last. This made me very sad. Then my children told me we should help this year as well. But I did not know how to help COVID-19 patients. So I took a demand draft for Rs 50,000 in the name of the collector and gave it to her," he added.

The generosity of this teacher could many inspire many more to step up and help in the time of crisis.
We are still in a pandemic where we need proven leadership that I think can broadly work with the various communities and the diverse needs of this borough, Fields told the Daily News on Sunday. When I discuss [health] with him ... and knowing the needs still in the Black and Latinx community in this city, that to me was encouraging.
Mukesh Ranjan By

Express News Service

JHARKHAND: Malti Kumari, a housewife from Maheshlitti village under Patthargama block in Godda, was like any other women in her village. The difference lay in her rejection of the poverty they were condemned to.

In the last two years, she has proved a point: she is trained enough to earn Rs 12,000-15000 every month. Malti is grateful to the Phulo Jhano Saksham Ajivika Sakhi Mandal (PJSASM) which helped her learn to stitch school uniforms. It changed her life making her self-reliant and skilled.

The initiative, started by the district administration in early 2017, aims to train rural women with industrial sewing machines so that they could work at an assembly-line pace. Currently, more than 1,500 Self Help Group (SHG) women are engaged in stitching uniforms, catering to 1,470 government schools under nine blocks in Godda.

The PJSASM, in association with Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society (JSLPS) under the State Rural Development Department, has been providing three-month training to the SHG women. After giving training, the women are free to choose any associated work such as cutting, stitching, buttoning, ironing or packaging of uniforms.

After joining hands with PJSASM, earnings of the SHG women have increased manifold. "Before I started this work, I hardly earned Rs 3,000-4,000 in a month, but now, I am earning around Rs 12,000-15,000. This is extra money which I earn after doing the daily household work and agricultural activities at home. As my income has increased, both my children now study in a private school at Pathargama," says Malti.

Malti stitches around 25 uniforms a day earning around Rs 500. The PJSASM secretary says more than 1,500 SHG women at three big production centres located at Pathargama, Sunderpahari and Siktia ITI are functional along with 13 small units scattered in different panchayats of Godda.

"SHG women are paid on the basis of the work every day. Some women who work at our centres while others work from home," says Shanta Davi. All machines are electric-powered and the stitching is done at the pace of an assembly line. "Each woman working with us has her bank accounts with ATM facility," says Shanta Devi.

All sewing centres have an online portal with a profile of each woman, she said. "Attendance is registered on this portal and the women are paid through it," she adds.

JSLPS officials say they have fulfilled orders of more than 2 lakh sets of uniforms placed by the local district administration while a fresh order of 48,500 uniforms has been placed by the district administration of Simdega. "They have also completed an order for stitching 1.5 lakh face-masks successfully," says JSLPS District Programme Manager Sushil Kumar Das.

The programme is a brainchild of the then Deputy Commissioner Kiran Kumari Pasi. "The programme was started by Adani Foundation at a very small scale, but looking at its potential, the then Deputy Commissioner Kiran Kumari Pasi expanded it to engage more than 1,500 SHG women belonging to 118 SHGs," says Das.

A matter of pride

After joining hands with PJSASM, earnings of these women have increased manifold. Anjul Devi of Mahavir Nagar under Pathargama is working with a self-help group as an ironing assistant for 11 months and earns around Rs 12,000 a month. "I feel proud to see my children in a dress stitched and ironed by us," she says
Ayesha Singh By

Arushi Chaddha's father was dying. The oxygen supply of the hospital, like in hospitals across Delhi, was running on fumes. Most people knew, or knew of someone who had died. Her only hope was the kindness of strangers.

On April 23, at 11.30 am, Chaddha posted on Instagram: "Lungs damaged. Oxygen level dropped to 70. Hospital is refusing to keep my father for more than a couple of hours due to the shortage of medical oxygen. My father will die."

In a short while, her DM was inundated with messages offering leads. One such message was from Suhail Shetty, who took down Chaddha's details and made several phone calls to his friends and relatives to get an oxygen concentrator. On April 25, at 2.20 am, he managed to arrange one.

He drove at breakneck speed in the middle of the night to the hospital where Chaddhas father was admitted. "When I shared my number with him on Instagram, I thought I had made a blunder. I worried about being stalked or harassed, but when I saw Shetty bhai at the hospital, I trembled with relief. I couldnt believe he had done this for us," Chaddha confesses.

Her father came home recovered, thanks to people like Shetty. "A perfect stranger saved his life," she marvels. Scenes like this are playing across the country where sobbing doctors and bone-tired nurses are trying to save lives, and hospital managements are desperately sending out SOS after SOS for the life-saving gas.

When Twitter cowered before government anger and shut down handles that exposed the horror of medical services' paucity and mass funerals, ordinary citizens from all walks of life used social media to rescue their fellow men gasping for oxygen cylinders, hospital beds and rare medicines that had gone off the shelves overnight, in addition to arranging ambulances and plasma. Instagram, particularly, has become the unofficial disaster management agency of India.

Facebook, WhatsApp and even Twitter now offer information that could and does save lives. Many Shettys have emerged in Indias battle with the second wave of the pandemic. Take the case of Mumbais Sachin Singhal.

He was on the phone, desperately trying to arrange a plasma donor for his 61-year-old mother, who had developed pneumonia and was feeling excessively breathless. "The plasma bank turned us down due to shortage. I broadcast a message on WhatsApp, but wasnt sure it would help. I received messages from three people within two hours offering assistance. Such is the power of humanity in these appalling times," says Singhal.

At the forefront of the COVID-19 fight is Indias youth students, professionals and entrepreneurs. The girls of Miranda House, Delhi, have formed a 24/7 COVID-19 help desk operated by 300 students. They acquaint callers on testing, treatment, hospitalisation, oxygen support facilities, mental health, counselling and food services.

Volunteers across the country have come together as governments and the bureaucracy drown in the sheer complexity of catching up too little, too late. The Instagram group COVID Aid Resources India comprises student-volunteers working round the clock to post and update accurate information. They also upload videos of protocol violations, and insist on verification.

Three engineering graduates from IIT-Delhi have launched 'CovRelief', a free mobile app that has live-tracking of vacant hospital beds across 15 cities in India. It shares data on oxygen and plasma availability.

On the Instagram page of Nadora Initiative, hashtags such as #hospitalbedsindelhi and #hospitalbedsinpunjab circulate the status of available beds in private, public and volunteer healthcare centres.

Phone numbers of centres with oxygen beds are available online. For example, Lakshmibai College in Ashok Vihar, Delhi, has #oxygenbedsleads to inform searchers. The phone numbers of verified oxygen providers in Delhi are posted on Instagram, including this one: 9999869483. Cov.id911 shows graphics of a date-wise list of functional COVID-19 Vaccine Centres.

Thiruvananthapuram-resident Sweta Harimohanan, a BA student of Performing Arts in Carnatic music, heard about the appalling oxygen shortage in the country. She began to call up a number of private hospitals at random inquiry about the status of their oxygen supplies. One of them happened to be in Mumbai.

"This hospital had non-ICU oxygen beds, which was big news since most of the others I had called had none. I posted this information on my Instagram page. Later that day, I got to know that a friends father, who was struggling to get a bed, saw my message and contacted the hospital," Sweta says.

This friend was her follower on Instagram. Harimohanan has also been posting SOS messages regarding the availability of emergency supplies on her social handles. The challenges this time are very different from last year.

"Then, our work was straightforward. We were supplying food and medicines. Now it is oxygen and ICU beds. It's a horrifying scenario," says TMK Karthik, actor and volunteer in Chennai.

K Yashini, an IT employee in Madurai, is working with a group of friends to regularly share information on hospitals treating COVID-19 patients so that people dont panic for beds. On their own, Nupur and Rahul Agarwal contacted hospitals and doctors in Mumbai and found there was a shortage of 3,000 oxygen concentrators.

Their 'Mission Oxygen' started with the aim of procuring 500 oxygen concentrators with public contributions but received enough for 865 in 48 hours. The number had gone up to 1,500 by April 26. Telephone numbers of the BMC department in Mumbai dealing with beds and ambulances are posted online by private individuals.

Instagram posts from altruists like Sameena Talwar of Moolchand Hospital, Delhi, urge people with the means and resources to come forward. A post with pan-India number on Instagram (7829980066) asks you to give a missed call for instructions by SMS to procure Remdesivir.

"Then youll be contacted. Works 100 percent. Just be patient," it reads. COVID Lifeline India gives relevant information on the drug, which is not life-saving and should not be used unnecessarily.

The instagram page belongs to a group of doctors and medical students offering counselling, information and advice to patients to know the best practices and face mental health issues, anyone can DM them.

The page has information about a free oxygen cylinder service available on 9818936934 and 9971265674. The Hemkunt Foundation in Gurugram organises free oxygen cylinder drive-throughs where desperate patients mask up to breathe the gas while sitting in their vehicles the link to Google Maps gives the location.

The Foundation, which is seeking donations and other medical resources, has been distributing truckloads of free oxygen cylinders in Gurugram to critical patients.

They have opened their second free oxygen cylinder collection centre in Versova, Mumbai. After Delhi and Mumbai ran out of cylinders, oxygen was procured from other cities. They do not extend free resources without verifying the patients condition and documents.

The Foundation has posted directions for patients seeking free treatment to contact a 1,000-bed Covid-19 care hospital in Delhi manned by Army doctors and nurses; call Major General Bhatia on 9654895961.

A civilian oxygen army in the National Capital has emerged offering help. Some are providing oxygen refills for free, while others are charging a nominal fee. Mohit Arora from Sewa Satkar Trust is providing free oxygen cylinders to the critically ill but his stocks will also soon run out.

Similarly, Faisal Khaliq from the Masjid and Madrasa Amania Trust has been distributing oxygen cylinders in the city. The American India Foundation is raising money to import oxygen cylinders, concentrators, ventilators, portable hospitals and other life-saving infrastructure and supplies to India.

Covid Care Exchange requests people to write to covidcareexchange@gmail.com to share unused or partially used medical supplies such as oxygen cylinders and concentrators, oximeters and drugs like Medrol, Remdesivir and Fabiflu.

Citizens are fighting the shortage of ambulances with selfies showing their visiting cards with contact numbers. The Simply Blood community, which has data on 1,30,000 blood donors who saved more than 27,000 potential lives, invites you to register as a donor. Doctors are posting ITV recommendations for Covid patients.

More voluntary organisations have stepped up. Seventeen NGOs in Hyderabad banded together as 'Telangana NGO Founders Covid Group' to coordinate help to affected families and individuals. Born in June 2020, it is the inspiration of Jasper Paul, who runs the Second Chance Foundation in Yapral, a suburb of Hyderabad.

Paul has enrolled all active NGOs in the city such as Robin Hood Army Hyderabad, Youngistaan Foundation, Bring A Smile Foundation and Telangana Surge Impact Group. They arrange remote home-care packages to help with vaccination.

Shaik Nayeem of Kriya Sangh, an NGO based in Rasoolpura, the largest slum in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad, is spreading the word online regarding items in short supply in the settlements.

After Nayeem started a free COVID ambulance service in Hyderabad, he did a 'shoutout' on Facebook seeking free safety gear for volunteers operating the service. In less than two days, he got 200 N95 masks, two boxes of surgical gloves, 10 litres of Sodium Hypochlorite, 20 PPE kits and 40 face shields from friends and followers.

"I've received requests and donations via social media and WhatsApp. Im glad that we dont have to spend money on getting the word through," he says.

Mohammed Shujatullah, the founder of Hyderabads Humanity First Foundation, is helping especially those from low-income groups get oxygen cylinders. He has been requesting donations, even small contributions, to aid those battling the virus.

Meme pages such as @TheTeluguDude @Chaibisket with more than 25k followers on Instagram share appeals and urgent posts from others. Chintu Nagarjuna Yadav, who runs the Blood Donors Life Savers network for blood and plasma donation in Hyderabad, avers that Instagram is the best place to communicate because the youngsters on social media share posts online, thereby connecting the dots to the final conclusion.

While most good Samaritans in Hyderabad are focusing on medicine distribution, oxygen cylinders and other medical aid, online platform IndiaCares, launched by senior Odisha-cadre IPS officer Arun Bothra, has 3,500 boots on the ground working overnight.

Many of them are on their feet 18 hours a day to arrange beds, oxygen and medicines for patients. Their services are free and they connect vendors and patients for medicines and oxygen cylinders. Sometimes they even arrange for doorstep delivery to patients, who cannot get hospital admission. Once the beds are organised, the patients or their relatives are informed immediately. NRIs are chipping in too.

The target of the Punjabi Chamber of Commerce, a meeting point for the global Indian Punjabi diaspora for commerce and cooperation, is to help India breathe. Through 'Oxygen for All', it is raising funds for oxygen concentrators and other issues. The first terminal will be at Bangla Sahib Hospital in Delhi. Other facilities and locations will be added after vetting.

"We spread the word through the Chambers social media platforms, database and my own network in New Jersey. Weve raised over USD 20,000 in less than 24 hours," says Gurpreet Singh Pasricha, Founder and Trustee.

Bureaucrats have launched COVID assistance services. Tech-savvy officers such as Tirunelveli District collector V Vishnu have leveraged technology to put out accurate information on coronavirus facilities. One of these is a one-stop site bringing users up-to-date information on vaccine status, Covid care infrastructure and preventive strategies.

Twitter has decided to walk the line with a dedicated page on pandemic information and strengthened its profile verification process. Facebook collaborates with regional partners for fact-checks before information is disseminated. It has urged users to bring dubious posts to its notice.

Facebook's newsfeed is prioritising information from WHO and other credible sources. WhatsApp has partnered with WHO, UNICEF, and UNDP to introduce the Coronavirus Information Hub. In its search window, type 'WHO health alert' and scroll down to its WhatsApp website. Open, click 'WHO Health Alert' and type 'Hi' in your chat window to go active.

Unprincipled players are being blocked. YouTube has demonetised all COVID-19-related videos to discourage individuals who make commercial videos that give unconfirmed advice. Snapchat has launched the mental health resource 'Here for You' with information on issues such as anxiety, depression and suicide.

'Coronavirus: The Latest' posts up-to-date and factually verified pandemic information. Pinterest left its pretty comfort zone and introduced the 'Today' tab, bringing the latest Covid-19 news from WHO and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Dance is the new message on social media with Malayali Boney M fans shaking a merry leg. Following the success of the #RasputinChallenge, inspired by the dance video of medical students Janaki Omkumar and Naveen Razak, Kerala's health department is taking its own steps.

To promote its 'Crush the curve' mission, the department has posted an animated video of Covaxin and Covishield vials dancing to 'Ra Ra Rasputin'. State Health Minister KK Shailaja shared the video on her social media pages.

The hashtag #VaccineChallenge is trending on social media. It invites contributions to top up the state's free vaccination drive - not surprisingly, Rs 2.28 crore flowed into the fund in 45 hours. There are other online corona warriors addressing a vital need - hunger.

Many singles in Bengaluru were testing positive. Patients in hospitals were worried about their children at home. The elderly in hospitals, which did not have a pantry, needed nutritious meals; so did the staff. On April 19, Sneha Vachhaney used Instagram to say that she was happy to cook and deliver free home meals to COVID-19 patients in Bengaluru.

The 36-year-old's phone did not stop ringing. There were people who wanted food and there were people - students, mums, bakers, night-shift employees and restaurateurs who wanted to cook and help out.

In two days, the former product manager, who had launched a similar but smaller initiative in the first phase, had built a web interface to list the contacts of volunteers. It now has 110 'chefs' who send out an average of 400 meals a day to 90 areas in the city, which is under lockdown till May 9.

The meals range from rice and sambhar to pasta, brownies and coconut water. These are mostly given free or for a maximum price of Rs 100 but delivery charges apply. "At least 10 people called me to say that they were feeling better, and I should pass on the meals to those who need them. People have paid for groceries, given their kitchen space and offered tech support. Many brands are helping out with deliveries," she talks of the generosity that has come her way.

Vachhaney has compiled a list of home meal resources in Chennai and Delhi. Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee has fed more than 4,000 meals to patients quarantined at home during the second COVID wave.

Relax Restaurant in Delhi is disbursing free meals in South Delhi. The Sharanam Foundation has opened a free tiffin service for COVID-19 patients in Ahmedabad. Rahul Nayak in Mumbai is not only preparing free meals but also running errands for elderly patients and the sick. An eager-to-help neighbour, Ajaz Lone, is doing the same in South Delhi.

The Instagram page thing2eatinmumbai advises followers to log in to Covidmealsforindia.com, for a long list of restaurants providing free food to patients. Tasty-affairs gives free meals to patients (dal, rice, roti, soup and salad). Just call 8169779261.

Chef Aparna Garg in Jaipur was laid off during the lockdown; to avoid moping at home, she cooked and distributed hundreds of meal boxes, and food to street animals, including the monkeys at Galta Temple, during the first COVID-19 phase. She is now back in her kitchen with more ideas.

Kata Food is giving free meals to Guwahati residents in need. However, many services have stopped taking further requests unable to cope with a high volume of demand. Both politicians and people on the streets are endangering the lives of millions without following protocols like wearing masks and keeping social distance.

If the second wave of the pandemic has taught us something at all, it is that the youth of India can rise above politics and save lives and families on their own. For a change, the humanists have prevailed over trolls by harnessing the full power of social media.

THEY CARE

K Sai Teja Kukatpally, Hyderabad

He is known as Activist Sai on Twitter, and was particularly concerned about the spike in calls asking for cremation help between April 11-17. "We received about 40 calls which meant the situation had hit a new level of rock bottom," he says, adding, "When we are not handling funeral rites, we provide free food for COVID-positive breadwinners who need help."

People's Democracy Foundation: Mission Oxygen Delhi-NCR

Moved by the unprecedented loss of human life, a bunch of start-up founders based in Delhi-NCR mobilised on April 23 under the banner People's Democracy Foundation: Mission Oxygen. They got in touch with hospitals and doctors around the country and confirmed there was a requirement of more than 3,000 oxygen concentrators in Delhi-NCR and Mumbai alone.

The volunteers pooled their resources to gather the first Rs 50 lakh themselves, followed by the massive crowdfunding campaign called Mission Oxygen. By April 28, they had collected Rs 10+ crore and managed to procure around 1,500 oxygen concentrators from China, Hong Kong and European countries to deliver to hospitals.

Also, the humanitarian effort is starting an oxygen generation plant in Delhi's Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital, due to open on May 5. They are at present accepting donations from across the world.

1947 Partition Archive

This NGO based in Berkeley, California (with presence in Delhi), that works to preserve survivor stories of Partition, has currently diverted all efforts to COVID relief in India. It has temporarily paused all usual programming to amplify efforts by organisations working on procuring oxygen, and will soon begin airing live educational web sessions with medical experts. They will begin this week by hosting experts who can systematically address the many public fears on vaccinations.

Danish Siddiqui and Saddam Qurashi Bhopal

They performed the last rites of patients who died from COVID-19. They have also cremated over 60 Hindu bodies abandoned by their family members who feared contracting the disease.

Vishnu Prasad Ekkal Kasargod, Kerala

Ekkal raised funds for the treatment of a 15-year-old COVID-19 positive girl admitted to Thrissur "'Pachilakkoottam', our social media group, shared details of her condition online, and it also posts the needs of coronavirus patients seeking plasma treatment. Such information is shared through individual social media accounts, too," he says

Vensy Krishna Hyderabad

Krishna frantically looked for a hospital bed for her COVID-positive mother. Her mother survived but the experience persuaded Vensy to use her tech industry expertise to collect all COVID-19 resources available in the city through an app, which took just two hours to create. It had two lakh users in five days and was growing. hydcovidresources.com

A good Samaritan Tiruchi

Tiruchi resident Ajit's father, who had tested positive for COVID needed plasma. Ajit posted appeals on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. Sure enough, he found a recently recovered 34-year-old man whose blood type matched with his father's. The patient was saved.

Arpit Verma, Additional District Collector, Shahdol (Madhya Pradesh)

The IAS officer in Shahdol division, Madhya Pradesh, who is also in charge of the Government Medical College, found that his parents, brother and wife tested Covid positive. His mother was in the ICU with only around 40 percent lung capacity. Nevertheless he has remained at his desk, supervising pandemic efforts in the district .

Vaishali Sagar and Jignesh Visakhapatnam

The husband and wife have partnered with NGOs, such as Surge Impact Foundation, Rubaroo and Global Shapers, to start 'Vizag COVID Leads' whose WhatsApp group (8367374231, no calls, only messages) provides vital resources both online and offline, to Visakhapatnam residents. It gives the public information, ranging from Remdesivir availability to vacant hospital beds.

Volunteers across the country have come together as governments and the bureaucracy drown in the sheer complexity of catching up too little, too late

(With inputs from Manju Latha Kalanidhi, Noor Anand Chawla, Barkha Kumari, Sushmitha Ramakrishnan, Sowmya Mani, Vinodh Arulappan, Hemant Kumar Rout and Anuja Susan Varghese)
Ravi Shankar By

Democracy has three vectors. We the People, You the People, and They the People. The crossover of power from 'We' to 'They' is usually smooth after an election, since in the order of things, there is an alpha dog and the underdogs. Once that is sorted, is left You the People a small section of the educated elite with a sceptical bent of mind.

'You' refuses to stop questioning and accept what 'They' says as the word of God. 'You' seeks accountability and possesses an independent, questioning mind. Usually, 'You' leads We when They fails to do their job.

India saw this happen after the Emergency, when We the People brought in and later threw out the Janata Party, elected and ejected Rajiv Gandhi, chose Vajpayee and rejected Advani, and gave the green light to Manmohan Singhs coalition twice.

'We' is fickle and merciless. Seven years ago, a new mutation happened. Modern Indian history is now divided into the pre-Modi era and the Modi epoch. For the first time, 'They' and 'We' are joined at the hip and become I the People.

Despite the government's abysmal ineptitude in handling Corona 2.0 leading to tragic consequences, the relationship between Narendra Modi and 'We' cannot be shattered. That leaves 'You' holding the can.

Why does the unforgiving 'We' see no wrong in Mr Modi? Why has 'We' elevated Mr Modi to the divine plane his political rallies comprise thousands of mask-less people? Why did 'We' shrug at the inconvenience and dehydration of demonetisation, and cheer Mr Modi with a bigger vote in 2019?

The answer goes beyond Hindutva and nationalism. India had been looking for a living god. 'They' has got one in Mr Modi. Doesnt God test us with trials? Doesnt He punish us so that we may be a better version of ourselves?

Doesnt God promise and fail to deliver so that we can learn about Maya? God is not action, He is reaction - to prayers and karma. It is the job of astrologers and priests to decode His message and be ambassadors of grace.

When God is busy elsewhere, it is 'You' who comes to aid 'We'. 'You' sells their cars to buy oxygen cylinders, crowdsources funds to help patients gasping for air, forms groups on Instagram and Twitter to share information on hospital beds, cemeteries and ambulances, hospitals with and without oxygen, which ICUs are not full and which cemeteries are, the contact numbers of doctors willing to help free of charge, and cooks food for the poor who have been cooked down or have lost their livelihoods.

It is the same 'You' which fed, clothed and sheltered the migrants walking home during the first wave. It is also the same 'You' who is now calling out 'They' for not having anticipated the crisis, prescribing quackery and thumping their chests for having whacked the virus the first time.

'They' is not happy. 'They' has leaned on social media outfits to censor 'You' and files FIRs against 'We' who tweets for oxygen. But 'We' is cool with it. Sum total: 'They' and 'You' will always be at odds. 'They' is afraid of 'You', because in a crisis 'You' gives 'They' direction. 

Make no mistake, 'We' is angry with 'They' but not at 'Him'. The current crisis has given Mr Modi a chance to redeem the national image which now resembles a Third World nation in dire straits as the entire Western world, and spitefully Pakistan, is ready with oxygen cylinders and vaccines for India.

Whos that talking in the back of the class? You?

(The writer can be contacted at ravi@newindianexpress.com)
Amar Bhushan By

A crisis brings out the worst and best out of individuals and institutions. COVID-19 is one such crisis. It has exposed recklessness in our personal behaviour and miserable state of our public health infrastructure. Despite repeated warnings from experts, we neither maintained physical distance, wore masks nor cut on our social, religious, economic and political activities.

And, when the vaccination drive was launched, we rumour-mongered against the vaccines efficacy, creating doubts in peoples mind whether to take the jab. Unbelievably, 50 per cent doctors and healthcare workers are yet to take a vaccine.

The hesitancy persists across all ages and professions. As a result, 46 lakh doses of precious vaccines were wasted. Now, when the second wave of virus has struck with vengeance, there is a national stampede for vaccines.

Our health sector has remained a victim of neglect, corruption and mismanagement by successive governments since Independence. Its share of the GDP is abysmally low at 1.28 percent. The states' annual budgetary allocation varies from 0.2 to 2 percent.

We have just about 70,000 government and private hospitals catering to 1.3 billion people. The doctor-population ratio is pathetic 1:11,000, minimum need being five lakh doctors. For every 10,000 patients, we have only five to nine beds. A year ago, hospitals had only 37,000 ventilators against the minimum requirement of 1,65,000.

The daily production capacity of liquid medical oxygen is 3,842 metric tonnes which is sufficient to meet the requirement in normal times. However, it falls woefully short of 8,000 metric tonnes, which is the current demand.

This has been compounded further by non-availability of required number of cylinders and cryogenic tanks and their transportation from surplus to deficient states. Still, patients could be taken care of but that was before COVID-19 began attacking our lives indiscriminately and, in waves. Under the present circumstances, there is no way every patient can be treated properly.

The need of the hour is to avoid nit-picking, creating scare, spreading all kinds of fake information and settling political scores. Finding fault and writing stories of miseries, deaths and callousness of the system are easy.

What is difficult, is to join hands with all stakeholders in combating the pandemic. It is also no time for courts and professional whiners in black coats to distract governments' efforts by seeking a host of information which serve no useful purpose. It is only action on ground that matters.

The government is already working on war footing to ensure adequate and timely availability of vaccines, oxygen, medicines and medical equipment by tapping indigenous and foreign resources, and giving every possible financial incentive. Let there be no doubt. The light at the end of the tunnel is not very far.

(The writer is former special secretary, Research & Analysis Wing and can be reached at amarbhushan@hotmail.com)
Mata Amritanandamayi By

Our lives should be filled with compassion. We should be ready to help the poor. No one is above fault. Whenever you see any faults in others, you should be ready to look within yourself. Then you will understand that all those faults can be found within yourself too.

If someone loses his temper, you should think of it as his samskara (the totality of impressions and deep-rooted tendencies that we have acquired during countless lives). Then you will be able to forgive him -you will have the strength to forgive.

Our attitude of forgiveness will make our thoughts, words and actions good. Our good deeds will bring us Gods grace. Just as good deeds are followed by good results, bad actions are followed by bad results. Our bad actions are the cause of suffering. So we should always take care that our actions are good; then Gods grace will flow towards us. And having received that grace, we will have no reason to complain that life is sorrowful.

Life is like the pendulum of a clock, constantly moving back and forth in opposite directions, from sorrow to happiness, and back again. To be able to accept both joy and sorrow, and to move forward, you need to understand spirituality.

Then you will be able to overcome the swinging back and forth from happiness to sorrow; you will understand the nature of everything and move ahead on the path. If you know that firecrackers are about to go off, you wont be startled when they suddenly explode. In the same way, if you understand the nature of the world, you wont go to pieces over mere trifles.

In every evil person there is an inherent possibility of becoming good. There is no human being who doesnt possess at least one divine quality. If we can forgive the mistakes of others, the divinity in them will be awakened. So we should try to cultivate this attitude.

When we perceive the good in everything, we are filled with Gods grace. That grace is the source of all success in life.

If we all turn our backs on a person, thinking only of the bad that he has done, what future does he have? On the other hand, if we perceive the little good in him that is still there and allow him to cultivate that quality, he will be uplifted, and this may have such an effect on him that he may even become a great person.

Sri Rama was willing to prostrate before Queen Kaikeyi, who was responsible for his banishment to the forest; Christ washed the feet of Judas who betrayed him; and the Prophet Muhammad readily looked after the atheist woman who once had poured refuse on him. Such are the examples shown to us by the great souls. The easiest way to attain peace and happiness in our lives is to follow the path which they have shown us.

Divinity lies dormant also within those who are evil. By trying to awaken the divinity in them, we are, in fact, awakening the divinity in ourselves. To withdraw from people saying that one sees only evil everywhere, is the way of the lazy.

Instead of talking about the evil of others, if we do all we can to awaken the goodness within ourselves, we can give some light to others. Dont feel daunted at the thought of dispelling the darkness of the world with the small light within you. If you simply light it and move forward, it will shine its light at every step of your way, and it will benefit others as well.

So, my children, light the lamp of love within you and move forward. When we take each step with good thoughts and a smiling face, all the goodness will come to us and fill our being. Then God cannot possibly stay away from us. He will embrace us. There wont be a moment in our life without peace and happiness.

(The writer is a world-renowned spiritual leader and humanitarian)
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The COVID-19 vaccination drive for people in the age group of 18- 44 began on Saturday at select centres in a few cities, with limited access amid a huge crisis of vaccines in the country.

Beginning this month, those between 18 and 44 are entitled to jabs against COVID-19, in addition to the priority populations, who had become eligible for the shots from earlier. States like Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Telangana have announced Phase-III of the COVID-19 inoculation drive at limited centres.

In the national capital, vaccination for this group was carried out only at one centre and the Aam Admi Party government said that the drive will be expanded for this age group from Monday. Delhi has received 4.5 lakh vaccine doses, which is being distributed in all districts, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said.

From Saturday on the CoWin portal, the types of vaccines and their prices have neem displayed, for locations where vaccination has opened for the 18-44 age group. This, the government said, will help citizens make an informed choice at the time of booking appointments at private facilities.

The Centre also underscored that it has so far provided nearly 16.37 crore vaccine doses to states free of cost, of which, the total consumption including wastages is 15,58,48,782 doses till Saturday morning.

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare also said that more than 79 lakh doses - 79,13,518 - are still available with the states to be administered, while a little over 17 lakh doses will be dispatched in addition within the next three days.

This stock, supplied under the Central quota, can be used only to inoculate those above 45. For the younger lot, states and private hospitals can only use vaccines procured directly by them.
Anuraag Singh By

Express News Service

BHOPAL: Anger of an assembly by-election being thrust upon them despite the spike in COVID-19 cases seems to have taken a toll on the political prospects of the ruling BJP in at least one seat in Madhya Pradesh.

The ruling party was set to lose the assembly by-poll to the Damoh seat of Damoh district, with the old warhorse of the opposition Congress party Ajay Tandon set to defeat BJP candidate Rahul Singh Lodhi by a handsome margin on Sunday.

After 21 rounds of counting, the Congress veteran was leading by 14,552 votes. With just five rounds of counting remaining, the Congress candidate was set to emerge victorious from the seat by a significant margin.

Importantly, the Damoh seat has always been prestigious for the BJP as its veteran politician and ex-finance minister Jayant Malaiya has won it six times, before losing in 2018 to Congress rookie Rahul Singh Lodhi by just around 800 votes.

However, just two years later the giant-killer, first-time Congress MLA changed sides, switching over to the ruling BJP, after quitting from the Vidhan Sabha. Since then the Congress has been canvassing public support for its candidate Ajay Tandon, by targeting Rahul Singh Lodhi on the Dal-Badlu (turncoat) plank.



According to political watchers, there was public angst against Lodhi for forcing the by-poll on Damoh, which is among those MP districts, witnessing fresh COVID-19 cases in three-digit figures.

Importantly, owing to the groundswell against Lodhi, the BJP never went ahead in any of the rounds. The party even trailed perhaps for the first time in decades in the urban ward housing BJP's all-powerful Malaiya family. The BJP candidate even polled fewer votes than his Congress rival in his own village booth.

Enthused by the outcome, the state Congress spokesperson Narendra Singh Saluja demanded CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan's resignation in the wake of the Damoh by-poll result.

"Damoh by-poll was actually fought by the CM himself, leaving behind the entire state to be swept by the COVID pandemic. He should take moral responsibility of the party's loss and also pushing the lives of the state's people in danger and quit from his post," Saluja tweeted.

A senior BJP leader from the Bundelkhand region, however, said the Damoh debacle was a fallout of a Lodhi caste candidate being fielded by the party.

"The entire by-election ended up becoming a Lodhi caste vs all others battle, owing to which it was the candidate and not the party, which lost," the state BJP leader said.
By PTI

BHOPAL: Crematoriums here claim that the last rites of as many as 2557 coronavirus victims from Bhopal district were performed in April, sharply contradicting the BJP-led state government's data which puts the COVID-19 deaths in the district last month at 104.

The mammoth mismatch has given credence to claims of massive under-reporting of COVID-19 fatalities in the city.

Managers of two crematoriums and a cemetery in Bhopal told PTI that the last rites of 3811 people, including 2557 coronavirus patients from Bhopal district, were performed in the city last month.

Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra recently rubbished allegations about the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led government underreporting COVID-19 deaths in the state.

"Altogether 2052 people were cremated at our facility last month. As many as 1654 of them had died of coronavirus," Bhadbhada Vishram Ghat crematorium secretary Mamtesh Sharma said.

Those 1654 bodies had reached the crematorium from COVID-19 designated centres in air-tight plastic bags as per coronavirus protocol to prevent the spread of the disease, Sharma said, adding they were consigned to flames.

The Bhadbhada crematorium and the Zada cemetery in Bhopal were initially authorised to perform the last rites of COVID-19 patients in the district, an official said.

However, due to the rise in fatalities, another crematorium, the Subhash Nagar Vishram Ghat, was also allowed to conduct the last rites, he said.

"The last rites of 1386 persons were performed at our crematorium last month. As many as 727 of them had died due to the coronavirus," Subhash Nagar Vishram Ghat manager Sobhraj Sukhwani said.

The bodies were cremated while following COVID-19 protocol, Sukhwani said.

Rehan Golden, president of the Zada cemetery committee in the Jahangirabad area said 373 burials, including those of 176 coronavirus victims, took place in the Muslim burial ground last month.

The official coronavirus death toll in Bhopal district last month, collated using the daily bulletins issued by the Madhya Pradesh government in April, comes to 104.

As per the government records, coronavirus has so far claimed 742 lives in Bhopal since the first case was reported last year.

Madhya Pradesh Saturday reported 12,379 new COVID-19 cases and 102 fatalities, taking the tally of infections to 5,75,706 and the death toll to 5,718 in the state, a health department official said.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: Taiwan on Sunday delivered to India 150 oxygen concentrators and 500 oxygen cylinders to assist the country in its fight against a devastating second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Taipei Economic and Cultural Center (TECC) said more batches of medical equipment and supplies will be airlifted to India soon.

"To express strong friendship with India in its fight against a new wave of Covid-19 pandemic, Taiwan is delivering critical medical supplies to India. The first batch of 150 oxygen concentrators and 500 oxygen cylinders have arrived in New Delhi on Sunday," the TECC said.

The TECC is Taiwan's representative office in India.

"On behalf of the government of Taiwan, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in India wishes to reaffirm the friendly bilateral relations between Taiwan and India," it said in a statement.

"Taiwan's deployment of medical supplies is testament to the close collaboration and partnership across multiple agencies on both sides. It also reflects the robust relief efforts and contributions made by the government and people of Taiwan to bring humanitarian relief to India," it said.

India does not have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, but both sides have trade and people-to-people ties.

China claims Taiwan as part of its territory.

Taiwan's aid to India came amid reports of violations of Taiwan's airspace by Chinese military jets.

"While the contribution is modest, we hope that it will bring comfort and relief to the patients in need and ease the burden on the healthcare workers who are working tirelessly to fight the pandemic," the TECC said.

It said President Tsai Ing-wen on April 27 conveyed solidarity with India and expressed deep concern about the country's situation.

"As India logged a record-breaking daily surge of coronavirus infection for consecutive days, Tsai said that Taiwan 'stand with India' during this difficult time while offering to provide help," the TECC said.

Meanwhile, Uzbekistan too supplied 100 oxygen concentrators as well as remdesivir and other medicines to India.

As India battles a devastating second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, several countries around the world are sending medical supplies to help it tide over the situation.

The leading countries that have announced assistance to India include the US, Russia, France, Germany, Australia, Ireland, Belgium, Romania, Luxembourg, Singapore, Portugal, Sweden, New Zealand, Kuwait and Mauritius.

Some of the countries have already delivered the supplies.
By PTI

BHOPAL: The Madhya Pradesh government on Sunday extended 'corona curfew' in capital Bhopal till May 10, an official said.

The curfew, in force since April 12 with extensions on April 19 and 26, was to end at 6am on Monday, he added.

Corona Curfew extended in MP capital Bhopal till May 10 morning in view of the continued COVID-19 surge. The city reported 1678 positive cases and 4 deaths over the last 24 hrs, while 1947 patients recovered from the fatal viral infection. @NewIndianXpress @TheMornStandard  Anuraag Singh (@anuraag_niebpl) May 2, 2021

"The corona curfew was extended in Bhopal and Berasia town till 6am on May 10 as per an order by district collector Avinash Lavaniya. Essential services and emergency travel are exempted from the curbs," the official informed.

As on Saturday, Bhopal has a COVID-19 caseload of 91,456, including 742 deaths.
I am a blue-collar candidate from South Jamaica with the most diverse coalition of support in this race, and Queens is full of hardworking New Yorkers from different backgrounds who make this city run and thrive, Adams said. Brooklyn is where I live, but Queens will always be home to me  so this endorsement from Borough President Richards is very meaningful.
By PTI

KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Sunday said combating the COVID-19 situation will be the topmost priority of her government and dedicated her party's resounding victory to the people of the state.

"For us, combating the COVID-19 situation will be the topmost priority. This is victory of Bengal and only Bengal can do it," she said in her brief message to party workers.
Rajesh Asnani By

Express News Service

JAIPUR: The ruling Congress won two seats, while the BJP got the third, in the bypolls for the Rajasthan Assembly. In the counting of votes for the three assembly seats on Sunday, the Congress secured comfortable wins in the Sahada and Sujangarh seats while the BJP retained its hold on the Rajasamand seat.

In the Sahada seat in Bhilwara district, Congress candidate Gayatri Trivedi defeated the BJPs Ratanlal Jat by a thumping margin of 42,099 votes.

In contrast, in Rajasamand, the BJPs Deepti Maheshwari emerged victorious against her Congress rival Tansukh Bohra by a narrow margin of 5165 votes.

However, in the Sujangarh seat in Churu district, the BJP suffered a major setback as its candidate finished a poor third. Congress candidate Manoj Meghwal led all through the counting process and defeated the RLPs Sitaram Nayak by 43,642 votes.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot took to Twitter to congratulate the Congress winners even before the election results were officially declared. Heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to Congress candidate Gayatri Devi from Sahada (Bhilwara) and Manoj Meghwal from Sujangarh (Churu). The Rajsamand by-election was also fought unitedly and the BJPs victory margin here has been quite modest," he tweeted in Hindi.

In addition, CM Gehlot also thanked the voters. People of the region have given more strength to the Congress government and have paved a way for development. I thank the voters for their blessings and support to the Congress candidates. I also congratulate party workers and leaders," Gehlot tweeted.

The BJP had turned these bypolls into a prestige battle by terming this to be a verdict on the Gehlot governments performance. If the BJP had won two of the three seats, the leadership claims of state BJP Chief Satish Poonia would have been strengthened. But now as the partys show has been rather ordinary, the camp led by former CM Vasundhara Raje (who stayed aloof from these bypolls) is likely to turn more aggressive. The rift in the state BJP could well intensify further.

Though the Congress too is plagued with infighting, the verdict is likely to strengthen the hands of CM Gehlot. But with the Sachin Pilot camp lobbying for cabinet expansion and political appointments, hectic political activity is likely even in Congress circles in the next few weeks.
Rajesh Kumar Thakur By

Express News Service

PATNA: With Bihar among the states bearing the brunt of the Covid-19 second wave, the state chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has reiterated that CM Nitish Kumar must impose an immediate lockdown to break the chain of transmission.

Senior vice-president of the IMA Dr Ajay Kumar, through a statement, said the national president-elect Dr Sahajanand Prasad Sing had also earlier demanded a total lockdown in the country for at least a fortnight. Dr Kumar said he had talked to some top health experts and health administrators in Bihar and they also agreed on the need for a total lockdown in the state.

Bihar reported 13,534 fresh Covid cases on Sunday taking the total count of active cases to 109945. There was a 77.36% drop in the recovery rate. The state also witnessed 97 Covid deaths, including that of the younger brother of former deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi.

Dr Ajay Kumar said director of IGIMS Dr NR Biswas was another doctor who supported the need of a total lockdown in the state.

Dr Kumar also quoted Dr PK Singh , the director of AIIMS Patna, the principal of Patna Medical College, Dr Vidyapat Chaudhary, and Dr Binod Kumar Singh, the superintendent of Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH), and said all these experts too have supported the need for an immediate lockdown in Bihar.

The Nalanda Medical College and Hospital is a Covid-dedicated hospital while the Patna Medical College and Hospital is one of the biggest hospitals in the country.

Quoting NMCH's Dr Singh, Dr Ajay Kumar, who is senior vice president of IMA, said that even simple restrictions imposed now by the government are yielding results and if the lockdown is imposed, it will certainly ease the situation to a great extent.

He added that both Dr Singh and the superintendent of the Netaji Subhash Chandra Medical College and Hospital at Bihta Dr Uday Kumarhad had said that if the lockdown was implemented earlier, the situation could have been under control now.



"Besides all of them, I have talked to many specialists in the medical fraternity and they have strongly echoed the same sentiment," Dr Ajay Kumar said, adding that the government should have taken the opinion of medical experts to check the pandemic. He also said that the IMA will start a movement demanding immediate lockdown in the state soon.

According to IMA sources, more than 46 doctors have lost their lives during the second wave of the pandemic in the state while hundreds of them are still infected with the coronavirus. The IMA condoled the deaths of the 46 doctors by observing a two-minute silence for the departed on Sunday.
Prasanta Mazumdar By

Express News Service

GUWAHATI: A three-pronged strategy by the BJP helped it sweep the Assam polls and retain power.

The BJP managed to counter the Congress-led grand alliance of the Opposition through developmentalism coupled with populist schemes; core Hindutva with continuous focus on the threat to the land, language and culture of the indigenous populace from the illegal immigrants; and by aligning with ethnic political outfits to marginalize the discontent of mainstream Assamese.

By indulging in competitive populism, the BJP-led government had targeted all communities, particularly tea workers, with various welfare schemes.

The government had also come up with schemes for the weaker sex, including unmarried women and widows. Unmarried women from poor families get one-time financial assistance of Rs 40,000 during their wedding. Widows belonging to BPL category get a lump sum pension of Rs 300 per month.

HIGHLIGHTS: How the Assam Assembly election results unfolded

Under the Arunodoi Scheme launched last year, financial assistance of Rs 830 per month is given to around 17 lakh families where women, being the primary caretakers of the family, are the beneficiaries. In its election manifesto, the BJP had promised to increase the assistance to Rs 3,000 and the number of beneficiaries to 30 lakh. The BJP had also made admission in government institutions free from the primary level to post-graduation.

Another measure of the partys competitive populism was gifting scooties to girl students who excel in their Class 12 board exams. This election, the party had announced a gift of bullet bikes to boys but did not mention the eligibility criteria.

Without looking at the overall fundamentals of the economy, the BJP had created huge beneficiary schemes for all segments of the society. During electioneering, it also constantly talked about the threat to Assamese civilisation from illegal immigrants after the Congress had aligned with the minority-based All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), political scientist Akhil Ranjan Dutta of Gauhati University said.

The AIUDF, seen by many in Assam as the protector of illegal immigrants, is a component of the 10-party and Congress-led grand alliance of the Opposition.

ALSO READ: Himanta Biswa Sarma: Man of the Match of the Assam elections

Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was at the forefront of the campaign against the AIUDF. He tried to scare people into believing that voting for the Congress would mean inviting AIUDF chief and MP Maulana Badruddin Ajmal to Dispur, the states seat of power.

In the lead-up to the polls, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal had made an appeal to the voters to defeat the Mughals, alluding to the AIUDF. So, the campaign had an impact on the Assamese people, particularly in Upper Assam where a strong sentiment of Assamese sub-nationalism works.

The Assamese are inherently linked to namghars which are Vaishnavite prayer centres. Almost every village has a namghar. As part of its core Hindutva, the BJP-led government had offered Rs 2.5 lakh each to 8,000 namghars across the state for a makeover and evicted alleged illegal immigrants from the Kaziranga National Park and some satras that are institutional centers associated with Vaishnavism.

The BJP could reach every ethnic community both in the hills and the plains. The Bodoland Peoples Front (BPF) was a challenge but the BJP found a competent ally in the United Peoples Party Liberal.

The saffron party retained ethnic political outfits such as Rabha Joutha Mancha and Tiwa Oikko Mancha. The Gana Shakti, floated a few years ago by tribal Mishing leaders, got handicapped after the BJP had managed to bring its top two leaders to its fold.

Six communities, such as Tai-Ahom, Moran, Motok, Chutia, Tea Tribe and Koch-Rajbangshi, have for long been demanding Scheduled Tribe status. The BJP had managed to quell the movement to some extent with its decision to create territorial councils for the Koch-Rajbongshi, Moran and Motok communities. The tea workers were kept in good humour with cash bonanza and a number of welfares schemes.

Over the past five years, the BJP focused on infrastructure development. After capturing power, it first finished the unfinished projects of the previous Congress government. Thereafter, it started building roads, including highways, statewide. It is also building three bridges over the Brahmaputra.

Dutta observes that parties retaining power has become a post-economic liberalization phenomenon.

If you look at post-economic liberalization from 2002, any government coming to power in any state is having at least two terms in power. It is due to competitive populism. It happened to the Tarun Gogoi government, Nitish Kumar government, Naveen Patnaik government, Narendra Modi government, AIADMK government, Dutta said.
T J S George By

The Telegraph said what others hesitated to state openly. "It's best to state this simply," said the Kolkata daily. "Narendra Modi needs to go. Amit Shah needs to go. Ajay Mohan Bisht, aka Yogi Adityanath, needs to go."

This view is not new. What is new is that it is being publicly aired. The public mood in India has changed. Tired of the pretensions, and the proprietorial arrogance of the Government, people have found the courage to come out and openly attack Narendra Modi and his self-centred approach to administration.

Modi of course is the greatest exhibitionist India has seen. His histrionics have tried to give the impression that Indian history began with his rise to power. His public relations programme was a bit too obvious to make any impact. Remember the picture of him reading books with an obedient peacock standing nearby?

On the day India set a world record for the largest number of corona cases in a 24-hour period, his radio programme Mann Ki Baat talked mostly about toys and childhood. It's no wonder that a rudderless-nation hears calls for Modi-Shah-Bisht to go.

As India's most image-conscious prime minister, Modi must be particularly upset about the way the world has revised its estimates of him. But who can forget Modi claiming that his Goods and Services Tax solved all problems. That was reminiscent of his infamous demonetisation, a "colossal policy failure" as some economists described it.

Response to the current crisis has also been a colossal policy failure. The main plank of the response was to kickstart new programmes for the construction of three secretariat buildings in the pet Modi scheme called Central Vista Project (total estimated cost Rs 20,000 crore).

No minister heard people asking: How many hospitals, oxygen plants and vaccine manufacturing units could have been built with the money spent on the Worlds Tallest Statue, Worlds Largest Stadium, Worlds Grandest Central Vista?

But oxygen plants cannot boost the ego as profoundly as the Tallest and the Largest can. It is small men who do things in the hope that their smallness will be seen as bigness. People have been hitting back, bringing Modis bloated ego several notches down.

A retired professor in Punjab demanded the removal of Modis photo from Covid vaccination certificates. In the south, these certificates did not carry Modi pictures. Obviously, the Big Man knew that South India was not Punjab. The Government's mishandling of the crisis was noted worldwide.

"A lethal, fast-paced second wave has brought Indias health care systems to the verge of collapse," said the director of the Centre for Disease Dynamics in Washington (who happens to be a man of Indian origin).

He went on to say: "Indias rapid slide into this unprecedented crisis is a direct result of complacency and lack of preparation by the Government." Saying that India is now a living hell, The Guardian said Modi "should make amends for mistakes that have caused enormous suffering".

The Australian newspaper said: "Arrogance, hypernationalism and bureaucratic incompetence have combined to create a crisis of epic proportions." Radio France was more downright. It said: "Health has collapsed in India. The main culprit is Narendra Modi."

Modi had the thick skin to claim that India was doing better than others in fighting COVID. Actually India was lagging behind as a direct result of official negligence. In 2020, India was the third highest in the world on COVID count and the lowest in testing.

In Delhi, a woman went from place to place looking for oxygen for her brother. No one helped and he died. The women cried out helplessly, before cameras: "Modi. Delhi Government. Who will reply? This Modi. For what did he take my vote? Why is he destroying the country?"
Prabhu Chawla By

In this political ecosystem where acronyms pass for action, VIP has a new interpretation. Verily Insurmountable Pandemic. Most VIPs who perch on the pinnacle of power in politics and bureaucracy have realised that corona has come home. Many ministers and their kin died. Top arbiters of national destiny fell to the divine arbiter.

VIPs are now facing the unusual experience of not finding ICU beds in spite of pulling levers. Despite warnings by scientists, doctors and pandemic experts, this smugness cost them lives. Death thrust a skeletal finger into the highest political ozone layers with the chilly message - no one is safe from my touch.

The murderous mayhem unleashed by the coronavirus has exposed the hollowness of power. Even after 15 months, none of the geniuses with gargantuan resources are able to outwit the virus. It is haunting all pin codes, vanishing here and appearing there. It spares none; prince or pauper, power player or poor player. COVID-19 has proved to be the great leveler.

The second coming has taken by surprise the establishment, which inoculated itself with vanity and recklessness. India gets around 4,00,000 new cases daily. Over a dozen chief ministers, an almost equal number of Union ministers, Governors, Lt Governors and legislators fell into the virus' lethal embrace.

Several Supreme Court and High Court judges were quarantined or hospitalised. Over 200 IAS, IPS and members of other elite services fell critically ill - Bihar's chief secretary died. Around 1,000 doctors and nurses became martyrs, battling for the lives of others. Sadhus and soothsayers lost their near and dear ones.

There is hardly a famous and influential family that hasnt been mauled by the virus. True, India is not the only country to have suffered a massive spike in casualties and caseloads. But it is the only nation that believed its initial success was the final victory over the pandemic.

While other countries planned for the future and boosted existing health infrastructure, India went into celebratory mode by conducting elections and religious congregations with utter disregard for corona protocol.

Political leaders engaged with massive audiences without masks, defying the very social distancing norms they are meant to uphold. Instead of leading by example, the exam was leading themIndia failed in the test of testing, as governments fudged data, cracked down on dissenting voices and instituted criminal action against the aggrieved.

Law enforcement agencies were lax in enforcing the law. In short, it was pandemic 'pawry' time with TV pundits talking the walk without a clue to the right direction, and only obeying instructions. Predictably, karma does not forgive.

No one is willing to take the responsibility for Indias monumental failure to protect lives. Finger pointing is the only point being made to protect reputations instead of lives. Who will answer these questions?

Who advised the states and the Centre to dismantle the additional Covid facilities created during the first wave? The prime minister announced a draconian lockdown without reasonable notice. In this period, thousands of COVID beds were added to hospitals. Fresh premises like schools, hotels and government buildings were converted into treatment centres.

Special concessions were given to manufacture PPE kits and ventilators. Though the nation was illequipped to handle such a large scale calamity, Indians fought it together and came out stronger. Temporarily though. Why weren't the additional healthcare facilities built during the first crises retained and expanded?

Why could a selected and trusted group of eminent doctors, scientists and babus not assess the shortage of essential medical equipment, medicines, hospital beds and oxygen in spite of warnings by the medical and scientific establishment?

They were sleeping at the wheel. Didnt they know the geographical difficulties in moving oxygen and medicines from one state to another? Did they study the logistical nightmare it would pose in future? For example, why didnt they flag that oxygen for Delhi would be sourced from Odisha and not Haryana?

Who is responsible for the shortage of doctors and hospitals? A country of 1.4 billion people has just 550 medical colleges with little less than 1,00,000 MBBS seats. According to a research study, India has around 70,000 private and public hospitals with 1.9 million beds.

But only 95,000 ICU beds and 50,000 ventilators were available. Delhi had only 1,000 ventilators while UP, with an over 20 crore population, had 7,000 ventilators. Who should be held accountable for creating the artificial shortage of life-saving medical equipment?

Who in the government is responsible for ensuring that all hospitals must be equipped to supply uninterrupted oxygen to patients? Why was it not made mandatory for them to install oxygen plants on their premises? Why werent oxygen concentrators imported earlier? Why were the sanctioned plants not made operational? Why was no audit done on hospital infrastructure in the past year to minimise the current agony?

Why were governments not advised by their experts to ramp up vaccine capacity in advance? And when they did, why was the advice ignored? India is the worlds oxygen factory. Vaccine billionaires were after money and image, and climbing on the 'maitri' bandwagon for profit, not principle. Hence India hasnt been able to supply the necessary amounts of vaccines to Indians, although almost every other country had placed huge orders in advance.

But our group of Error Experts failed to assess the national need and time frame for vaccine production and availability of related medicines. Atmanirbhar became ironic when the same India that donated over 100 million doses to other countries was desperately dependent on others for more. Rulers began to place additional orders only after the second wave had devastated millions of more lives.

Why didnt highly reputed, handsomely profitable enterprises like the Tatas, Mahindras and the Ambanis come forward earlier to supplement the governments efforts? Why couldn't Mahindras, who boast of making bulletproof vehicles for the netas and others, provide fully equipped ambulances to government hospitals? And why did Adar Poonawalla assume the title of a philanthropist by reducing the price of the Covishield vaccine?

The current crises could have been averted if each member of the sectoral leadership had taken their guardianship seriously. The corporate sector, which could have focused on creating better health infrastructure for its employees, was busy escalating its valuations and junking human values in the shredder of greed.

Hardly any big company gave liberal medical support to its employees. The bureaucracy could not foresee the collapse of Indias weak and inefficient infrastructure. Now they are paying the price collectively.

The rich are getting a taste of how the poor suffer during a calamity - if the poor and underprivileged cannot find an ICU bed; neither can they, despite money and might. Unfortunately, accountability has lost its relevance and reliability.

In the current model of governance, officials in sensitive positions are chosen by the leadership after passing three tests-loyalty, desirability and capability. It seems that after passing the first test, most key advisors in the establishment have failed to perform and betrayed the people who chose them as protectors. Instead of becoming solution leaders, they are just cheerleaders.

Living in the unholy utopia of selfishness and self-gratification, they have realised too late that death has stormed the citadel. They are trapped in the bewilderment of ignorance, apathy and self interest. Sure, some may score brownie points by winning an election or promote the 'positive side' of over two lakh deaths, but the truth is that mortality is the nemesis of hubris. Salvation is not the MasterCard of the privileged. And invincibility is just a myth.

(The writer can be contacted at prabhuchawla@newindianexpress.com)
By Express News Service

BELAGAVI: A Belagavi-based pharmaceutical company has been roped in to manufacture Remidesvir, which is given to critical Covid patients and is in short supply across the country. Pharma major Biocon has tied up with Sri Anand Life Sciences to manufacture the life-saving drug at Belagavi.

The Central Government has given its approval for Sri Anand to manufacture the drug. It was after Minister for Mines and Geology Murugesh Nirani announced such a manufacturing agreement. Sri Anand Life Sciences is only the second plant in the state to possess a Lyophilizer machine to freeze-dry drugs.

It is engaged in the manufacture of 500 different critical care, life-saving drugs at its plant in Honaga Industrial Area in Belagavi. It also exports injections to five countries, including Brazil. Company Managing Director Satish Gharge said, We have the approval from the Drug Controller General of India and Drug controller of the state and both Central and State governments to start the production of Remdesivir. The production will start in the next three to four weeks.

The government will monitor the production and supply of this medicine. Director Aishwarya Gharge said, Our plant will manufacture 80,000 Remidisvir injections every month and we have over 200 dedicated employees especially for this. Once the medicine is made, 14 days are required for the sterilisation process. It will take at least a month to bring out Remdesivir from our unit. There is a shortage everywhere in the country. We are happy that our company will manufacture the medicine and help in the battle against Covid.
Bala Chauhan By

Express News Service

BENGALURU: Mass open cremation of Covid- 19 victims, wrapped in Personal Protection kits (PPEs), may possibly lead to a longterm health and environment disaster, according to a senior environment officer. Cremation of the bodies of Covid-19 victims, wrapped in PPEs may lead to emission of dioxin and furan gases.

They are environmental pollutants and belong to the so-called dirty dozen - a group of dangerous chemicals known as persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Dioxin and furan are heavy gases and are carcinogenic in nature. They do not get disintegrated and are present in the atmosphere at breathing level, the officer, who didnt wish to be named, pointed out.

He suggested that PPE kits should either be removed from the bodies before they are cremated, or the bodies wrapped in non-chlorinated kits, to prevent emission of toxic gases. The PPE kits should ideally be disposed of at a designated place at the grounds for scientific incineration along with the bio-medical waste, but this is an unprecedented situation. Who could have imagined a human tragedy of this scale? he said.

Long queues at crematoria becoming super spreaders

Explaining the difference between open and closed cremation, the officer said that in a crematorium, bodies are incinerated at 600 degrees Centigrade in a closed chamber. In open cremation, bodies are burnt, and not incinerated. It is the burning of PPE kits along with the bodies that will lead to long-term health disaster, the officer explained.

The Karnataka Government this week identified four acres of land in Kurubarahalli in Tavarekere on the outskirts of Bengaluru for cremation of Covid-19 victims to ease the mounting burden on the crematoria in the city. The long winding queues at the crematoria were turning to be super spreaders of the highly transmissible second wave of the mutant virus, which compelled the government to allocate land just outside the city at a short time.

According to sources, the situation is such that there was no time to conduct an environmental assessment impact of open mass cremations of this scale. It became functional on April 25 with daily mass cremations.

FROM ACROSS THE STATE

KR Nagar MLA Sa Ra Mahesh has purchased two ambulances to help transport Covid patients

Kolar MP S Muniswamy visited the defunct BGML Hospital to see if it could be converted into a Covid hospital

Shivamogga City Corporation sets up a Covid war room and helpine to address peoples grievances
P Ramdas By

Express News Service

KOCHI: Nine months ago, he had approached the Kerala High Court expressing his wish to stay in the state and spend the rest of his life in the country. But now US citizen Johnny Paul Pierce, 75, is desperate to return to his homeland. The denial of Covid vaccine citing his foreign roots has forced Pierce to change his decision.It was the rapid spread of the pandemic in the US that prompted him to settle down in Kerala where the number of Covid cases and the case fatality rate were low. But the situation has changed and Kerala has 3.23 lakh active cases now compared to 2,411 on July 7, 2020 when he approached the High Court seeking permission to stay in the state. The death toll climbed from 27 to 5,356 on Saturday.

I have to go back to the US because the Indian government wont give me Covid vaccine as I am a foreigner, Pierce told TNIE. But he still loves Kerala and the country. The people in Kerala are wonderful and I will miss India greatly, he said.Pierce hit the headlines when he approached the High Court during lockdown seeking a directive to the Centre to permit him to apply for conversion of his tourist visa into a business visa without leaving the country.

He had come to India on February 26 last year on a tourist visa, which is valid up to January 26, 2025. This is his fifth visit to India as a tourist. The guidelines of the Indian government permit continuous stay for only 180 days for foreigners on tourist visa. But due to the pandemic and travel restrictions, the India government allowed him to continue his stay in the country. But the High Court had rejected his plea to change the visa.

Peirce to board Doha flight tomorrow

Pierce has been staying at Vagamon since August 2020. He bought a car to drive himself to the market and hospital during the Covid time. An Indian friend helped him open a bank account and got him a phone and changed the ownership of the car in his name because he cant do that on a tourist visa. I live on a hilltop with the closest neighbours a five-minute walk away. There are only two houses on my street, so I stay isolated. This district is sparsely populated and has low Covid cases, he said.

Adding to the woes, he was diagnosed with cancer in March. I wanted to stay because I learned I have prostate cancer and wanted treatment at a private hospital in Kottayam. But I dont feel safe going to hospital five times a week for treatment without Covid vaccination, he said. Peirces hopes of getting vaccinated vanished as he is a foreign national and does not possess a valid identity card or Aadhaar card.I contacted three private hospitals for vaccination so that I can start cancer treatment here. The hospital authorities contacted the health officials who replied that the vaccine is only for Indians, Pierce said. He will board a Qatar Air flight from Kochi airport to Doha on Monday.
Manoj Viswanathan By

Express News Service

KOCHI: Last week, the Department of Cardiac Surgery at the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) had to be temporarily shut down, after as many as seven patients admitted for surgery tested Covid-19 positive. The severity of the situation can be highlighted by the fact that patients who have undergone surgery are highly prone to contagious diseases, including Covid, as their immunity level is likely to be low.

In a bid to reduce the chances of further spread among patients admitted to surgical intensive care units in various hospitals, Kochi-based startup Asimov Robotics has stepped in to save the day with their Sevabot  a robot that can transport medicines and consumables to and from the ICUs, thus reducing human interaction in the critical care unit. The product is an advanced version of Karmibot, the humanoid developed by Asimov to reduce human role in Covid wards.

I prefer to call Sevabots a group of miniature ambulances that will move through the corridors of the ICU, delivering goods within the designated hospital space by integrating itself into the human workflow. The bot is easy to operate. Once loaded, it can be sent to multiple destinations just by entering a command on a mobile or tablet application, said Asimov Robotics CEO Jayakrishnan T.

The robot can detect obstacles on the way and navigate to avoid collision. It will move at a speed that will ensure the safety of the materials it is transporting. It is sufficiently fast and can deliver items on time. It can sense if the pathway is busy and will move away from obstacles. Also, if a person blocks its way, it will request them to move and will either step aside or shut down till the path is cleared, said Jayakrishnan.

Recently, Asimov Robotics installed one of their Sevabots at Bengalurus Narayana Hrudayalaya, which has more than 100 ICUs. Theres a lot of activity in the ICUs. Doctors, nurses and medical runners are always moving around delivering medicines, collecting microbiological samples and attending to patients. We made multiple site visits, held extensive discussions and collected data regarding the daily workflow of healthcare staff, trolleys and hospital beds using a tracking system. The robot was developed based on all this. Installation of sensors was a challenging task as the Narayana Hrudayalaya had metal cladding, which reflected signals, on their walls. We have made the mobile base human-friendly and provided multiple sensors to ensure hassle-free transportation,  he said. The plan is to hand 10 more robots to the institute, so that a safe working environment can be ensured in the ICUs. The cost of one Sevabot is around `3 lakh per unit.

According to Jayakrishnan, the role of robots has significantly increased in the post pandemic world. Humans are now confined to their houses and technology is taking over the more repetitive and risky tasks. These bots can also be deployed in urban workspaces including shopping malls, theatres, hotels and educational institutions, he added.

Asimov is now developing an artificial intelligence device called Covid Police, which can perform the role of a security guard and regulate the entry of people to halls by checking Covid symptoms. The device will check the persons body temperature and whether they are wearing a mask, and ask them the requisite questions. If the person has symptoms, it will lock the door and deny entry.
Rutgers, one of the oldest colleges in the nation, was the first to be smart and require that every student coming to campus this fall be vaccinated beforehand against COVID. That Rutgers is a public university and that New Jersey was just as badly laid low by the deadly virus as New York, means that our public colleges, SUNY and CUNY, must, must, must do the same.
B SREEJAN By

Express News Service

T'PURAM: Riding on the pro-incumbency wave, the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left Democratic Front won the assembly elections with an impressive tally of 99 out of 140 seats.

The LDF tally, which matches the win of A K Antony-led UDF in 2001, becomes remarkable as it is rare for an incumbent government to retain power by winning more seats than the last time.

"We trusted people and people put their trust in us," Pinarayi Vijayan told reporters in Kannur after the results were known. The verdict is a personal victory for Vijayan too as the CPM and CPI had benched many senior leaders including eight ministers to make room for newcomers.

ALSO WATCH:

The resounding wins in UDF strongholds like Aruvikkara in Thiruvananthapuram and Azheekode in Kannur underline the theory that votes were cast for the good work and policies of the LDF government rather than the merit of individual candidates.

Kerala results HIGHLIGHTS | Historic second term for CM Pinarayi Vijayan, BJP wiped out

The strategy of the UDF to put up a strong fight with young, new faces did not fetch the desired results as voters seemed to have made their choices based on policies.

Pinarayi, who was in his Dharmadom constituency when the counting took place on Sunday, will reach the capital on Monday and submit his resignation to Governor Arif Mohammed Khan by noon. The CPM state secretariat and LDF state committee are likely to meet on Tuesday to decide on the swearing-in ceremony.

A mix of policies in which development and welfare measures were added in right proportion and implemented over the last five years paved the way for the re-election of the ruling front, something which has not happened in the state after 1977.

Right from the implementation of Nava Kerala Mission projects to bring radical changes in health and education sectors and to provide housing for the poor to the organised manner in which the government dealt with Covid crisis, a host of factors could be listed as reasons for the result.

Crises such as Nipah, Ockhi cyclone, 2018 flood, Covid and lockdown were dealt with professionalism and compassion by the government. Pinarayis leadership skills were on display during these crises and the leader slowly grew to a cult figure among Keralites. When the CPM decided to seek votes for the Pinarayi government, drifting away from the practice of seeking votes for the party, there was a clear understanding the leader has become a brand himself and could ensure the win.

ALSO WATCH:

The comeback of LDF after the humiliating defeat in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls was made possible because of the strategic retreat by the front in the Sabarimala women's entry issue. Local body polls held in November was the testing ground for this strategy and the LDF made huge gains then.

The more accommodative stand assuaged majority communities and a first reading of the assembly poll results makes it clear that the LDF could win good majority of Nair, Ezhava votes along with the minority votes they had mobilised through strong stands taken during issues such as beef ban and CAA Act.

The second Pinarayi government will have to deal with tough challenges from Day One.

The worsening Covid situation and near-empty coffers will pose great challenges to the government. While speaking to reporters on Sunday, Pinarayi sought the support from all including the Opposition to take the state forward during the hour of crisis.
By PTI

BHUBANESHWAR: Odisha on Sunday registered 8,015 new COVID-19 cases, pushing the tally in the state to 4,62,622, while 14 fresh fatalities raised the toll to 2,068, a health department official said.

Of the 8,015 new cases, 4,568 were reported from various quarantine centres and the rest were detected during contact tracing, he said.

Khurda district, of which state capital Bhubaneswar is a part, reported the maximum number of fresh cases at 1,275, followed by Sundergarh at 735 and Angul at 525.

Other districts which reported over 100 cases include Cuttack, Sambalpur, Jharsuguda and Puri.

Taking to Twitter, the health department said, "Regret to inform about the demise of fourteen COVID positive patients while under treatment in hospitals." Four deaths were recorded in Rayagada district, two in Keonjhar and one each in Bhadrak, Bolangir, Boudh, Deogarh, Ganjam, Jagatsinghpur, Khurdha and Sundergarh.

This apart, 53 other COVID-19 patients have died in the state due to comorbidities, the official said. Odisha currently has 69,453 active cases, while 3,91,048 people have so far recovered from the infectious disease.

The positivity rate stood at 4.50 per cent. As many as 1,01,80,678 samples have been tested in the coastal state thus far, including 46,560 on Saturday, the official added.
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: With the DMK sealing its return to power after 10 years, wishes poured in for the party and its leader MK Stalin from leaders across the country.

A tweet from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official handle on Sunday said, "Congratulations to Thiru @mkstalin and @arivalayam for the victory in the Tamil Nadu assembly elections. We shall work together for enhancing national progress, fulfilling regional aspirations and defeating the COVID-19 pandemic."

The Defence Minister of India Rajnath Singh was among the first to congratulate Stalin.

"Congratulations to DMK leader, Thiru @mkstalin on his party's victory in Tamil Nadu assembly elections. I extend my best wishes to him," he tweeted on Sunday evening.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi too congratulated Stalin in a tweet stating, "People of Tamil Nadu have voted for change and we will, under your leadership, prove to be a confident step in that direction. Best wishes."

Nirmala Sitharaman, the Union Minister of Finance, wished Stalin and Arivalayam "a good tenure in the service of the people."

Samajwadi party president Akhilesh Yadav and Hemant Soren, Chief Minister of Jharkhand, also tweeted their wishes to Stalin.

ALSO READ | TN Election Results: These are the regions that helped DMK seal their victory

"My sincere congratulations to @mkstalin for the stupendous win of @arivalayam in #TamilNaduAssemblyPolls. Wishing him a successful road ahead in fulfilling the wishes of the people," Soren tweeted.

N Chandrababu Naidu, president of the Telugu Desam Party tweeted, "My best wishes and congratulations to @mkstalin Garu on @arivalayam's triumph in Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections 2021."

Lalu Prasad Yadav of Rashtriya Janata Dal termed the win a 'stupendous victory' in a tweet on Sunday.

"I am sure you will carry forward the social justice legacy of respected Kalaignar Karunanidhi ji and live up to the expectations of dravidian brothers and sisters," he tweeted.

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)s Southern region chairman CK Ranganathan stated in a press release, "This landmark victory of the DMK led by Mr MK Stalin as president of the party has demonstrated the popular support of the people of Tamil Nadu for his far-sighted, people-centric and inclusive governance to be steered under his leadership in Tamil Nadu."

In a congratulatory letter to Stalin, the Prince of Arcot Mohammed Abdul Ali said, "Tamil Nadu has rightly chosen you to be our next Chief Minister to implement at a fast pace and efficient manner, till 2026, which shows your sagacity, wisdom and knowledge of what and how to do like a true leader like your lamented father late Dr Kalaignar M Karunanidhi."
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Two months of heated campaigns, and days of anticipation later, it all comes down to this. Sunday is the day we know the States fate for the next five years. Will the sitting government bag another term or will the DMK, starved of power for a decade, usher in a new rule? Chief Electoral Officer Satyabrata Sahoo said that a total of 5.64 lakh postal votes have been received so far.

Speaking to reporters after attending a video meeting convened by Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra, along with CEOs of four other States that went to polls, Sahoo said, Due to the second wave, 10 general observers and six returning officers of various constituencies have been changed and new officers have been appointed. Additionally, a total of 5,622 CRPF personnel, 5,154 others from Tamil Nadu Special Police Force, as well as 25,059 police personnel have been deployed to ensure security at the 75 centres across the State.

Besides, 16,387 officials have been deployed for counting purpose. Speaking about preventive measures taken, the CEO said counting halls will be disinfected every two hours. It may be noted that the Election Commission had already announced that candidates and their agents will be let into the centres only after they produce Covid negative certificates and have taken two doses of vaccination. Besides, agents will not be allowed if their temperature is above 98.6 degrees.

Elaborating on the time to announce results, Sahoo said it would depend upon the number of booths. While Sholinganallur (Chennai district) has 991 booths, the highest in TN, Keelvelur (Nagapattinam district) has only 251 booths, the lowest. It is expected the entire results will be declared by midnight.

Meanwhile, the Chennai city police conducted a mock drill at four counting centres in the city Loyola College, Queen Marys College, Anna University and Madras Christian College on Saturday. DGP JK Tripathi monitored the arrangements. Over 3,000 police personnel have been deployed across city to avoid any untoward incidents. CCTV cameras have also been installed.
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: The fate of Tamil Nadu for the next five years will be sealed on Sunday with the Election Commission of India all set to commence vote counting at 75 centres across the State. The poll outcome assumes great significance as the public this time exercised their mandate in the absence of M Karunanidhi and J Jayalalithaa.

A total of 72.78 per cent of 6.28 crore voters cast their votes in the April 6 Assembly election, while as many as 3,998 candidates entered the fray from 234 constituencies. MK Stalin of DMK, Edappadi K Palaniswami of AIADMK, Seeman of NTK, Kamal Haasan of MNM and TTV Dhinakaran of AMMK were the chief ministerial candidates of the major players.

Eager to make inroads into the State, the BJP too will be keenly awaiting the results. Since the AIADMKs inception in 1977, Tamil Nadu has only favoured bipolar electoral results. However, with the demise of tall leaders in both DMK and AIADMK, Haasan, Seeman and Dhinakaran are hoping to win in a decent number of seats. Political observers feel that the results would not just decide the State affairs for five years, but would have long term impact.

Stalins win would mean that the DMK chief has established his position as the States next mass leader and others will have to trail him. If Palaniswami wins, it would prove that people have accepted him as the AIADMKs supreme leader, they said.

Besides, the BJPs performance will also leave a significant footprint. If it could win some seats under the AIADMK alliance, the consolidation of Hindu votes would get credence, while a poor performance would brush aside the concept of Hindu vote bank in Tamil Nadu.

EPS , OPS appeal for restrained celebrations

Chennai: AIADMK leaders O Panneerselvam and Edappadi K Palaniswami have urged party cadre to strictly adhere to Covid restrictions during the counting process. In a joint statement, they stated that all cadre must take precautions as the pandemic is spreading rapidly. They further urged them to cooperate with authorities and celebrate in a restricted manner without taking out processions or bursting crackers
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: The DMK is set to return to power after 10 years in Tamil Nadu, but the fight has proven to be closer than the exit polls predicted.

So, how did the battle play out in the various regions of the state? Which of these were decisive? This is what a look at the data available at 12:30 pm has revealed.

Chennai's verdict has been emphatic. DMK candidates are leading in all the constituencies in the city and also in the neighbouring Tiruvallur district.

Besides Chennai, it is the Central and Southern parts of the state that have voted overwhelmingly in favour of the DMK.

In the Cauvery delta districts too, the DMK and its allies are leading in most of the seats, barring a few.

Tirunelveli and Tenkasi districts have been more evenly fought with the DMK and AIADMK candidates leading in almost an equal number of seats.

TN Assembly Results Live | DMK set to return to power after ten years

In Virudhunagar district, the DMK is leading in most of the assembly seats, except in the Sivakasi assembly constituency.

In Kanniyakumari district, except for Nagercoil, the DMK and its allies are leading in all the seats.



Interestingly, trends indicate that the ruling AIADMK retained its political sway in western TN. The party is leading in more than 60 per cent of the seats here.

The AIADMK's alliance with PMK appears to have helped the party to put up a strong fight against the DMK in north-western and northern districts too.

In Dharmapuri, Salem and Tiruppur districts, the AIADMK-led alliance is ahead by a good margin. In Dharmapuri district, AIADMK is leading in all the seats.

Coimbatore and Nilgiris are also witnessing a sweep by AIADMK and its allies. In nine out of 10 seats in Coimbatore, the alliance led by the ruling party is leading. Theni and Madurai are the other districts where the AIADMK has performed well.
S Kumaresan By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: It was a well-fought battle, defying predictions of a "clean sweep," springing quite a few surprises in the process.

Out of power for a decade, the DMK finally managed to dethrone its Dravidian rival by a comfortable margin.

MK Stalin, who has been waiting in the sidelines for the last several years, is all set to be sworn-in as the eighth Chief Minister of the State.

At 68, he would be the oldest first-time CM of Tamil Nadu. This is the first time in 25 years that the DMK has secured a majority on its own.

For AIADMK, the defeat was not as bad as predicted, with the party winning in enough seats to be the strongest AIADMK Opposition in the history of the State Assembly, indicating that the anti-incumbency factor was not as intense as expected.

The biggest takeaway, however is that Tamil Nadu has, once again, decisively, shut the doors on the so-called "Third Front.

ALSO READ: 'Congratulations... We shall work together': PM Modi, top leaders wish DMK and Stalin

Self-proclaimed centrist Kamal Haasan's Makkal Needhi Maiam scored a duck, with the actor himself narrowly losing the race. Instead, Seeman's Naam Tamizhar Katchi, often overlooked, took the third place.

The BJP put up a poor show compared to its national rival Congress, which won 16 out of the 25 seats in which it contested. The Congress was also in line to win the bypoll to the Kanniyakumari Lok Sabha seat.

On the other hand, the saffron party only won four of the 20 Assembly seats from which it fought. Still, its MLAs will be entering the State Assembly for the first time in two decades.

ALSO READ: TN Election Results: These are the regions that helped DMK seal their victory

"This is a vote for change," said veteran journalist G Kubendran.

"Caste politics has been voted out, as sitting ministers including MC Sampath, CVe Shanmugam and KC Veeramani have lost despite the last-minute internal quota given to Vanniyars."

Sitting CM Edappadi K Palaniswami, however, managed to retain his Kongu belt fort. The same pro-AIADMK sentiment did not resonate in Southern districts, considered to be a bastion of deputy CM O Panneerselvam. Similarly, the capital city of Chennai and its surrounding districts gave a resounding mandate to DMK.

"The election victory is the result of the hardwork put in by Stalin," said another scribe, T Koodalarasan. This election will go down in history for one more reason: it marks the first electoral victory  a thumping one at that  for Stalin's son Udhayanidhi, speculated to be the party's heir apparent.
By PTI

JERUSALEM: Israel barred its citizens from travelling to India and six other countries, citing high COVID infection rates there.

In a joint press release issued by the Israel Prime Minister's Office and the Health Ministry on Friday, it was said that Israelis will not be allowed to travel to Ukraine, Brazil, Ethiopia, South Africa, India, Mexico and Turkey.

This regulation will come into force on May 3 and will remain in place until May 16. Non-Israelis, however, will be able to travel to these countries, provided they plan to reside there permanently, the press release said.

The regulation will not be applicable to those who stay at airports in transit in one of these countries for a time period of up to 12 hours while waiting for a connecting flight. The Israeli government has also authorised its health and interior ministers to appoint representatives to head an appeal committee and the panel reviewing special cases.

Meanwhile, the Health Ministry proposed that those returning from the seven countries enter a two-week mandatory quarantine, even if they have been vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19, local media reports said.

Those who have received two negative COVID-19 test reports will be required to be in a 10-day quarantine, they said. These additional restrictions are also expected to come into force on May 3, but are subject to the approval of the Knesset's (Israeli parliament) Arrangements Committee.
By ANI

ISLAMABAD: After succumbing to the demands of the proscribed radical Islamist group Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), which was banned by the government, Prime Minister Imran Khan appears to want to impose Islamic blasphemy laws across the world.

"I want the Muslim countries to devise a joint line of action over the blasphemy issue with a warning of trade boycott of countries where such incidents will happen," Khan said in an address last week, reported The Spectator.

This comes after three days of violent protests last month, where hundreds of protesters and police personnel were injured and thousands of TLP activists and supporters were arrested and booked for attacking law enforcement personnel and blocking main roads and highways in protest against the arrest of their leader Saad Hussain Rizvi.

The banned group had demanded the expulsion of the French ambassador and a boycott of French goods after Charlie Hebdo republished its Muhammad cartoons in September last year. Several police vehicles were torched, buildings were attacked and policemen were kidnapped and tortured by the activists of the TLP across the Punjab province.

Arab News reported that at least six policemen were killed and over 800 were injured, citing official figures.

While Imran Khan has reminded the TLP of the economic consequences of rushing against France, he has also reassured the group that he shares the 'same goals' as them, which was exemplified when the premier presented a resolution in Parliament to expel the French ambassador last week, writes Kunwar Khuldune Shahid for The Spectator.

However, Khan has stopped short of implementing a trade ban given the hundreds of millions worth of aid France gives to Pakistan and the billions worth of trade and aid the country gets from the European Union (EU), instead exporting Pakistan's murderous blasphemous laws.

Pakistan is one of 12 Muslim countries where blasphemy is still punishable by death. Hundreds have been on death row in Pakistan for 'committing blasphemy' by teaching certain ideas at universities, liking a post on Facebook, or drinking water from a Muslim's glass.

Earlier last month, two Christian nurses were charged with blasphemy for removing a sticker with an Islamic inscription on it in a Faisalabad hospital ward while in March, the Aurat [Women's] March in Pakistan has been accused of blasphemy for demanding human rights for women, reported The Spectator.

In 2020, a Muslim woman from the constitutionally excommunicated Ahmadiyya community was arrested for blasphemy after giving charity to a mosque and an Ahmadi man was shot dead in a courtroom during his blasphemy trial.

Shahid wrote that Ahmadi killings and state-backed demolition of their mosques, has continued in 2021, with the likes of the TLP, along with the Pakistan government's advisory Council of Islamic Ideology, demanding that the Ahmadiyya sect be collectively declared as blasphemers and apostates.

While Khan aggressively clamours against Western Islamophobia, Pakistan continues to conduct its own brutal 'Islamophobia' against Ahmadiyya and Shia Islam. Meanwhile, blasphemy against Hinduism continues, with Khan's ministers openly mocking Hindu deities and around 1,000 Hindu and Christian girls, mostly underage, forcibly converted to Islam each year.

In his quest, the Pakistan PM recently co-founded an 'anti-Islamophobia TV channel' in 2019, along with Mahathir Mohamad - who believes Muslims have a right to 'kill millions of French' - and Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Though Khan has previously confessed that when living in Pakistan there is a fear associated with talking about 'anything perceived to be sacrilegious, it is the same fear he now wants to instil in the West.
By AFP

SEOUL: North Korea on Sunday accused US President Joe Biden of pursuing a hostile policy, dismissing "spurious" American diplomacy and warning of a response. Biden had said on Wednesday that his administration would deal with the threat posed by Pyongyang's nuclear programme "through diplomacy as well as stern deterrence".

The White House said on Friday that the president was open to negotiations with North Korea on denuclearisation following the completion of a policy review, but Pyongyang said Biden had made a "big blunder".

"His statement clearly reflects his intent to keep enforcing the hostile policy toward the DPRK as it had been done by the US for over half a century," Kwon Jung Gun, a foreign ministry official, said in a statement released by the official KCNA news agency.

"The US-claimed 'diplomacy' is a spurious signboard for covering up its hostile acts, and 'deterrence' touted by it is just a means for posing nuclear threats to the DPRK. Now that what the keynote of the US new DPRK policy has become clear, we will be compelled to press for corresponding measures," Kwon added, using the official name of North Korea.

The White House said on Friday that its goal remains "the complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula". Biden's press secretary Jen Psaki gave little indication of what kind of diplomatic initiative this could entail, but suggested that the president had learned from the experience of his predecessors, who struggled to deal with North Korea's leadership and its nuclear weapons programme.

But Psaki said on Washington would not "focus on achieving a grand bargain", apparently referring to the kind of dramatic over-arching deal that former president Donald Trump initially suggested was possible when he met with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un.

Neither would the White House follow the more standoffish approach espoused by Barack Obama, she added.

'A political trick'

In a separate statement through KCNA Sunday, North Korea also accused the United States of insulting its leadership and its anti-coronavirus measures, referring to a State Department press release on April 28.

US State Department spokesman Ned Price had issued a statement that day criticising North Korea's human rights abuses and draconian COVID-19 curbs, describing it as "one of the most repressive and totalitarian states in the world". "The 'human rights issue' touted by the US is a political trick designed to destroy the ideology and social system in the DPRK," the North Korean foreign ministry said in the statement.

And in a third statement issued Sunday, Kim Jong Un's powerful sister Kim Yo Jong lashed out at South Korea over a recent anti-Pyongyang leaflet campaign by a defector group. Activist groups have long sent flyers critical of the North Korean leadership over human rights abuses and its nuclear ambitions across the Demilitarized Zone dividing the peninsula, either flying them by hot air balloon or floating them across rivers.

The leaflets have infuriated Pyongyang, which issued a series of vitriolic condemnations last year demanding Seoul take action and upped the pressure by blowing up an inter-Korean liaison office on its side of the border.

The South Korean parliament rapidly passed a law criminalising the leaflet campaigns in December, raising concerns over freedom of speech. But a defector group said it flew 500,000 leaflets near the DMZ last week in defiance of the law.

Kim Yo Jong blamed South Korean authorities for not stopping them. "We regard the maneuvers committed by the human wastes in the south as a serious provocation against our state and will look into corresponding action," she said.
Long Island City: The mayor and City Council got it wrong again. The announcement to expand the Open Streets program now is a mistake, especially since the mayor announced that he wants NYC back to normal by July 1. Closed streets that hamper traffic and create dangerous situations are not normal. There is a very small vocal minority that is pushing this idea. Most people in the neighborhoods that are affected do not want them. Berry St. in Greenpoint is a prime example. There is a bike lane that has become all but unusable because of Open Streets. Very few pedestrians use it, but those who do make it hard to use the bike lane and now no one uses the sidewalks, which are empty. Delivery trucks now use all the intersections where the police horses are as parking spaces, thus blocking access for cyclists to the bike lane. Lets get our priorities straight. Paul Camilleri
By PTI

KATHMANDU: Nepal on Sunday reported a record 7,137 new cases of COVID-19, the highest daily surge in the country.

According to the latest data received from the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP), as many as 7,137 new cases of COVID-19 were detected while conducting RT-PCR tests on 16,147 people in the past 24 hours.

There are currently 48,711 active cases across the country.

Similarly, 1,612 people who were earlier infected have been discharged after their recovery in the past 24 hours.

The Health Ministry also recorded 27 more fatalities due to COVID-19, taking the total number of Coronavirus-related death to 3325.

The number of people diagnosed with COVID-19 in Nepal has increased by 136.8 per cent compared to the last week.

The Nepal government on Friday decided to close 22 border points with India amid a sharp surge in COVID-19 cases in the neighbouring country.

The decision came after the COVID Crisis Management Coordination Committee (CCMC) recommended to the Council of Ministers to shut down 22 out of a total of 35 border points between Nepal and India.

Now only 13 border points between Nepal and India will remain operational.
By AFP

KANDAHAR: As the US military began formally withdrawing from Afghanistan on Saturday, some residents in Kandahar -- the former bastion of the Taliban -- were optimistic the exit will bring peace to the violence-wracked country.

"The fighting will then be between two Muslim brothers (Afghan government forces and the Taliban) and the hope is that the two will reconcile and make peace," said Pacha Khan, a farmer from the southern Afghan province that was once a flashpoint of fighting.

US President Joe Biden had announced in April that the remaining 2,500 American troops will formally begin leaving Afghanistan from May 1 and complete their withdrawal by the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, bringing an end to America's longest war.

In reality, the withdrawal has been a work in progress for months. Fighting between US forces and the Taliban has stopped since a landmark deal between Biden's predecessor Donald Trump and the insurgents last year.

But battles rage daily between Afghan government forces and the militants across Kandahar, the birthplace of the Taliban who ruled the country in the 1990s with a harsh version of Islamic sharia law. Few shops were open in Kandahar city's main market on Saturday, while police set up checkpoints on roads leading to the airport -- almost deserted as most American troops have left.

In Kandahar's Bush Bazar -- named for former US president who started the war in 2001 -- shopkeepers sorted through used goods for sale from the former American base. "A few days ago there was a big blast outside the airport. We later came to know the Americans had destroyed equipment. Now we get scrap from there to be sold in the market," said Esa Mohammad, the bazar's secretary.

Many ordinary Afghans remain bitter at US forces for the hardships over the years. Mohammad, a farmer who gave only one name, said the past 20 years had been worse than the 1980s, when Afghanistan was occupied by Soviet troops.

"The Russians did not inflict the kind of casualties the Americans did. The Americans killed my brother 10 years ago when they bombarded our village. These infidels have inflicted heavy losses and I'm happy they are leaving," said the father of eight.

His views were echoed by Agha Shireen, a trishaw driver from Arghandab on the outskirts of Kandahar city. "They have killed a lot of our people and brought only misery. If the Taliban return, the situation might turn better," he said.

'An unending war'

But Pari (31), who works in Panjwai district believes that for lasting peace, the Taliban have to declare a ceasefire. "I'm happy the US is withdrawing... but if the situation deteriorates in the absence of a ceasefire I might be unable to work," she said.

One of the biggest achievements of the last two decades has been a boost to women's rights, with Afghan women working in almost every sector. Women were banned from work and girls from attending school during the Taliban regime.

Even as the mood appeared optimistic in Kandahar, fear lurked in other cities over the US pullout. "I feel the Taliban will again be strong after the withdrawal of foreign troops. I feel scared of another civil war and that we will be forced to leave the country," said Ghulam Nabi, a shopkeeper from the western city of Herat.

The departure of US forces will weaken the morale of Afghans, said Adila Kabiri, a professor at Herat University. Her views were shared by Abdul Ahad Safi, a resident from the restive eastern city of Jalalabad, which has seen deadly attacks by Taliban and jihadists from the Islamic State. "They should not go until we have peace. We are worried about the bloodshed and an unending war in our country," he said.
By PTI

LONDON: Minority ethnic groups in general and South Asians, in particular, had a higher risk of testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 and of COVID-19 related hospitalisations, intensive care (ICU) admissions and deaths during the second wave of the pandemic in the UK compared to the first, according to a new observational study of 17 million people.

Led by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), the study published in the medical journal 'Lancet' on Friday accounted for a large number of explanatory variables such as household size, social factors and health conditions across all ethnic groups and at different stages of COVID-19, from testing to mortality.

"South Asian groups remained at higher risk for testing positive, with relative risks for hospitalisation, ICU admission, and death greater in magnitude in the second wave compared to the first wave," the study finds.

It found that compared with the first wave last year, the relative risk for testing positive, hospitalisation, ICU admission, and death were smaller in the pandemic second wave earlier this year for all minority ethnic communities compared to white people, with the exception of South Asian groups - covering Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis.

"Despite the improvements seen in most minority ethnic groups in the second wave compared to the first, it's concerning to see that the disparity widened among South Asian groups. This highlights an urgent need to find effective prevention measures that fit with the needs of the UK's ethnically diverse population," said Dr Rohini Mathur from LSHTM and the study's lead author.

After accounting for age and sex, social deprivation was the biggest potential explanatory factor for disparities in all minority ethnic groups except South Asian. In South Asian groups, health factors such as BMI, blood pressure, underlying health conditions played the biggest role in explaining excess risks for all outcomes.

Household size was an important explanatory factor for the disparity for COVID-19 mortality in South Asian groups only.

Dr Mathur said: "While multigenerational living may increase risk of exposure and transmission (from children or working age adults to older or vulnerable family members), such households and extended communities also offer valuable informal care networks and facilitate engagement with health and community services."

"In light of emerging evidence that minority ethnic groups are less likely to take up the COVID-19 vaccine, co-designing culturally competent and non-stigmatising engagement strategies with these communities is increasingly important.

On behalf of NHS England, the research team used the new secure OpenSAFELY data analytics platform to analyse partially anonymised electronic health data collected by general practitioners (GPs) covering 40 per cent of England.

These GP records were linked to other national coronavirus-related data sets for the first and second waves of the pandemic - including testing, hospital data and mortality records. Ethnicity was self-reported by participants in GP records and grouped into five census categories (white, South Asian, Black, other, mixed) and then a further 16 sub-groups.

"Minority ethnic groups in the UK are disproportionately affected by factors that also increase the risk for poor COVID-19 outcomes, such as living in deprived areas, working in front-line jobs, and having poorer access to healthcare," notes Dr Mathur.

"Our study indicates that even after accounting for many of these factors, the risk for testing positive, hospitalisation, ICU admission and death was still higher in minority ethnic groups compared with white people in England," she said.

"To improve COVID-19 outcomes, we urgently need to tackle the wider disadvantage and structural racism faced by these communities, as well as improving access to care and reducing transmission," she said.

The authors caution that there are some limitations to the study including an inability to capture all potential explanatory variables, including occupation, health-related behaviours, and experiences of racism or structural discrimination.

They call for improving the completeness of ethnicity recording in health data to further support the conduct of high-quality research into addressing health inequalities for COVID-19 and beyond.

The study, believed to be the largest of its type, was funded by the UK's Medical Research Council and conducted by scientists from a group of universities including LSHTM and the University of Oxford, along with the National Institute of Health Research.
By Associated Press

GREEN BAY (US): Authorities in Wisconsin say a gunman killed two people at a Green Bay casino Saturday night and seriously wounded a third before he was shot and killed by police.

Brown County Sheriff's Lt. Kevin Pawlak said investigators believe the gunman was targeting a specific person he was angry at, but the person wasn't at the Oneida Casino at the time. Pawlak said that the gunman "decided to still shoot some of the victim's co-workers or friends, it appears".

Patrons fled a Wisconsin casino after gunshots broke out Saturday evening, with one witness saying at least two people were shot.

The attack happened around 7:30 pm. at the Oneida Casino, operated by the Oneida Nation on the western side of Green Bay. Tribe spokeswoman Bobbi Webster said "individuals" had been shot, but she didn't have information on how many or their conditions.

Attorney General Josh Kaul tweeted shortly before 10 p.m. that the scene "is contained. There is no longer a threat to the community". He gave no other details and an agency spokeswoman didn't immediately respond to a message.

Green Bay police and the Brown County Sheriff's Office told The Associated Press they had no details on the casino incident. Jawad Yatim, a witness, said at least two people were shot. "I know for sure two, because it happened right next to us, literally right next to us. But he was shooting pretty aggressively in the building, so I wouldn't doubt him hitting other people," Yatim said.

Yatim said the shooting began in a casino restaurant. "We got the hell out of there, thank God we're OK, but obviously we wish the best for everybody who's been shot," he said. Webster said that the casino is connected to a large hotel and conference center, the Radisson, also owned by the Oneida Nation.

Gambler Max Westphal said he was standing outside after being evacuated for what he thought was a minor issue. "All of a sudden we hear a massive flurry of gunshots - 20 to 30 gunshots for sure. We took off running towards the highway...There had to have been 50 cop cars that came by on the highway. It was honestly insane," Westphal told WBAY-TV.

Gov. Tony Evers issued a statement late Saturday saying he was "devastated" to hear about the shooting, but gave no details. "While we are waiting for more information, we hope and pray those who were injured will recover and are grateful for the first responders who quickly responded to the situation," he said.

The Oneida tribe's reservation lies on the west side of the Green Bay area.
By PTI

LONDON: The UK is very close to turning the corner in its fight against the coronavirus pandemic and it is important to remain careful in the last lap of the process, UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said on Sunday.

The senior Cabinet minister was defending the government's roadmap out of the lockdown, which is now set to ease further on May 17 when greater indoor interactions are expected to be allowed, with June 21 set as the date for a near complete end to lockdown rules.

Some groups and businesses such as restaurants have called for a quicker lifting of restrictions.

"I know that people are hankering to go a bit faster but actually we feel vindicated at taking steady steps out of the lockdown is the smart way to go, Raab told Sky News'.

We're very close now to really turning the corner and I think we still need to be careful to go as I said we don't want to see the gains lost and the sacrifices that have been made undone.

By the time we get to June 21 almost all social restrictions will be lifted, so there's only a little bit more time to go but it's right we do that in a careful way, the minister said.

"I do think we just need to make sure that in the last lap, if you like, that we are careful and we don't lose the gains we've made, he said.

The minister also indicated that the government is looking at certain social distancing and other safeguards that would still be needed after June 21.

We want to get to a position, at the end of June, where we can get life back as close to normal as possible, but they'll still need to be some safeguards in place, he said.

According to some plans in the works, daily lateral flow tests could be used as an alternative to isolation for those who have been in contact with someone who tests positive for the coronavirus.

Currently, these people must quarantine for 10 days but a trial in England will see daily lateral flow tests given to as many as 40,000 people.

Participants in the trial will be sent a week's worth of tests and will be able to go about normal life as long as their daily results are negative.

The trial could provide evidence that would reduce the length of time contacts of positive cases need to isolate.

"This new pilot could help shift the dial in our favour by offering a viable alternative to self-isolation for people who are contacts of positive COVID-19 cases, and one that would allow people to carry on going to work and living their lives," said UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock.

The trial will begin on May 9 and close contacts of people with COVID-19 will be contacted by phone and sent seven days of the tests if they decide to participate in the study.

They will have to test themselves every morning for seven days and, as long as they test negative and do not have symptoms, they will be exempt from the home isolation rule.

"This study will help to determine whether we can deploy daily testing for contacts to potentially reduce the need for self-isolation, while still ensuring that chains of transmission are stopped," said Professor Isabel Oliver, who is leading the study as Public Health England's national infection service director.

"Contacts of cases are at higher risk of infection so testing them is a very effective way of preventing further spread," Oliver said.

Meanwhile, The Sunday Times' reported that health officials are drawing up plans to offer the Pfizer vaccine to secondary school pupils from September.

A document seen by the newspaper said children over the age of 12 could be offered a single dose when the new school year begins.

The move will depend on advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which has so far focussed on advice only for adults aged 18 and over.

The government target is to cover all over-18s with at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by July-end.
By AFP

LONDON: The UK said Sunday it was sending an extra 1,000 oxygen ventilators to Covid-struck India, as a group of doctors staged their own intervention by offering long-distance telemedicine from Britain.

Britain has already sent 495 oxygen concentrators and 200 ventilators to India as the country grapples with a devastating surge in coronavirus cases, and is shipping three larger production units, dubbed oxygen factories.

"We're going to be sending out another package of 1,000 ventilators, very shortly," Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told BBC television.

Raab is set to meet India's External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Monday on the margins of G7 talks this week in London.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is also due to hold a virtual meeting with Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, after cancelling a trip to New Delhi in light of the Covid crisis.

Britain will do everything it can in India's "hour of need", Raab said, although the government says it has no coronavirus vaccines to spare at this time.

Britain is home to a large Indian diaspora, which has mobilised with fundraising appeals to help supply oxygen and protective equipment to hospitals in India.

Members of the British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO) have meanwhile started to hold remote consultations with patients requiring non-urgent care in India, to ease the load on hard-pressed medics there.

"We are trying to do as much as we can in the form of fundraising to send equipment in the form of oxygen concentrators, creating capacity for ICU (intensive card) beds, BAPIO secretary Parag Singhal told Sky News.

"So that's one stream of work, but we are also trying to offer help to our exhausted colleagues in India -- doctors are overstretched, they're working too hard," the professor said.

As well as phone and online consultations, BAPIO doctors are analysing the results of routine tests conducted in Indian hospitals, he said.

Some 250 volunteers from Britain have signed up to the telemedicine initiative, and the group is aiming to get 1,000 in all, working in partnership with hospitals and smaller clinics especially in more remote parts of India.
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Hong Kong: Helper virus testing explained

It is necessary to mandate all foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) to receive testing for COVID-19 to completely cut any possible transmission chains in the community.

The Labour & Welfare Bureau made the statement today in response to the community's concerns over the requirement for FDHs to receive compulsory testing and the vaccination arrangement.

It noted that there have been recent incidents of helpers confirmed infected with the N501Y mutant strain of COVID-19 whose source of infection was unknown, which indicated there may already be silent transmission chains of the mutant strain in the community.

The bureau said compulsory testing is an important risk-based measure adopted by health authorities in view of the pandemic's evolving situation and is supported by public health experts.

The FDH population in Hong Kong is at about 370,000. Their job mainly involves taking care of family members, including the elderly and children.

If a helper is infected with the virus, the employer's family members may be infected. In addition, as FDHs have regular social gatherings, coupled with the high transmissibility of the N501Y mutant strain, any infection involving helpers might result in cross-household infections.

Hence, the requirement for FDHs to receive compulsory testing is necessary.

The bureau emphasised that compulsory testing also applies to people in other high-risk industries, such as staff of residential care homes for the elderly, residential care homes for people with disabilities and nursing homes. There is no discrimination on race or status.

The Government appeals to all FDHs to receive vaccination as soon as possible to protect their own health and that of their employers' family and others, and to avoid being subject to any regular testing in the future. Employers should encourage and assist their helpers to receive vaccination, such as allowing sufficient rest after vaccination.

Regarding the arrangement of requiring the helpers to receive recognised vaccines when applying for contract renewal in the future, the Labour Department and the Immigration Department are working out the relevant details.

If an FDH chooses to work in Hong Kong, he or she may receive the vaccination. If a helper is unable to receive vaccination due to health reasons, he or she may be considered for exemption from the requirement.

As regards the helper's medical expenses, the employer's responsibility is the same as that under the existing regulation.

According to the Standard Employment Contract, if the FDH is ill or suffers personal injury during the period of employment, the employer shall provide free medical treatment.

Under the prevailing policy, eligible helpers enjoy public healthcare services at a highly-subsidised rate by the Government.

Under the Indemnity Fund for Adverse Events Following Immunization with COVID-19 Vaccines, an FDH could, like other Hong Kong people, apply for financial support from the indemnity fund if he or she suffers unexpected serious adverse events associated with the vaccine.

Relevant departments will make an announcement after confirming the details of the arrangements.

This story has been published on: 2021-05-02. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
DPRK warns U.S. to face worse consequences after Washington calls Pyongyang "threat"

Xinhua) 10:45, May 02, 2021

PYONGYANG, May 2 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) warned on Sunday that the United States "will face worse and worse crisis" after U.S. President Joe Biden called the DPRK's nuclear program a "serious threat," reported the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Kwon Jong Gun, director general of the Department of U.S. Affairs of the Foreign Ministry, said in a statement released by the KCNA that the U.S. president made a slip of the tongue last week about the DPRK in his first Congressional speech in which he called Pyongyang a "serious threat" to the security of the United States and the world.

"His statement clearly reflects his intent to keep enforcing the hostile policy toward the DPRK as it had been done by the U.S. for over half a century," Kwon said.

"The U.S. will face worse and worse crisis beyond control in the near future if it is set to approach the DPRK-U.S. ties, still holding on the outdated policy from Cold War-minded perspective and viewpoint," Kwon warned.

"Now that what the keynote of the U.S. new DPRK policy has become clear, we will be compelled to press for corresponding measures, and with time the U.S. will find itself in a very grave situation," he said.

Kwon also said the U.S.-claimed "diplomacy" is a spurious signboard for covering up its hostile acts, and the "deterrence" touted by it "is just a means for posing nuclear threats" to the DPRK.

In a separate statement issued on Sunday, the DPRK foreign ministry also slammed Washington for criticizing the DPRK's human rights record, saying it amounts to insulting the "dignity of our supreme leadership."

Last week, U.S. State Department Spokesperson Ned Price released a press statement in which he "smeared the statewide anti-epidemic measures in the DPRK" for protecting the life and security of the people from the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic as "human rights abuses" and "even faulted the dignity of our supreme leadership," the DPRK statement said.

As the United States openly expressed its intention to stifle the DPRK with a "resolute deterrence," "denying our ideology and social system and abusing the 'human rights' as a tool for interference in our internal affairs and a political weapon for overturning our social system, we will be forced to take corresponding measures," it added.

(Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Bianji)
New York City has been through post-crisis spending before, and we need to learn from it. After 9/11, the city received $20 billion to rebuild lower Manhattan. But the money was badly tracked and badly spent. $1 billion went to protect companies involved in the clean-up from lawsuits, while hundreds of millions allocated for small business grants and assistance to residents to clean up their homes never got to those who needed it. Nearly $8 billion went to build high-end commercial projects or to convert lower Manhattan office buildings into luxury housing, with ongoing tax subsidies costing the city hundreds of millions more.
Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Rain this morning. Scattered thunderstorms for the afternoon. High 81F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy skies this evening. A few showers developing late. Low 67F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%.
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Madison Township

'We're all about the customers'

Owners of new Madison Taphouse try to create atmosphere of friendly neighborhood bar
How about a skit where a selfish billionaire has a tantrum and makes a showy to-do about moving his factory to another state, but that new state is so dysfunctional it has a third-world power grid and runs out of electricity to run his factories and cars? That would be hilarious, tweeted comedian Betty Bowers.
Not all public figures are equally beloved, and sometimes when more controversial celebrities get sick, it may negatively affect people's health intentions. In a study of people's reactions to radio host Rush Limbaugh's announcement of a lung cancer diagnosis and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul's announcement of a diagnosis of COVID-19, researchers at Penn State found that those who took pleasure in their misfortune were themselves less likely to take steps to prevent lung cancer or COVID-19.

Schadenfreude is the emotion of feeling pleasure in another's misfortune. In our study, after learning the news of a politician's illness, if people felt schadenfreude, they were much less likely to intend to take the actions that would prevent either lung cancer or COVID-19." Jessica Gall Myrick, associate professor of media studies

In general, previous research by Myrick has found that coverage of celebrity ailments can raise public awareness of serious illnesses, which can then serve as a motivation for people to avoid bad activities or start new healthy routines. But most studies on the topic examine how the public responds to well-liked celebrities. Respondents were not asked if they liked or disliked the person reporting the illness in the current study, but rather if they felt schadenfreude upon hearing the news of Limbaugh and Paul.

Myrick and doctoral student Jin Chen of the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications recently conducted two online surveys shortly after news coverage of illnesses associated with two provocative public figures. Their results were published in Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly.

The first survey was conducted with 414 American adults following Limbaugh's February 2020 announcement that he was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer. The second survey was conducted in March 2020 to 407 American adults following Paul's announcement that he had been diagnosed with COVID-19. Paul was the first national politician to confirm a diagnosis. Respondents were recruited and the surveys were conducted using Amazon Mechanical Turk.

The researchers tested the idea that when the average person sees news coverage about the illness of a public figure that they do not like, then they can experience the emotion of schadenfreude. They examined how that feeling affected people's intentions to prevent themselves from getting sick after hearing the news about Limbaugh and Paul, respectively.

Both of these surveys showed the same pattern; the respondents who felt greater schadenfreude toward Limbaugh and Paul after learning of their illnesses were less inclined to take the steps to prevent lung cancer and COVID-19.

Political ideology was not related to feelings of schadenfreude, according to these studies. The only factor that could predict how much schadenfreude people felt was how well they believed they knew these famous individuals through the media.

"The more media exposure people had to these political figures, and the more familiar people felt they were knowledgeable about the political figures, the more pleasure they experienced in learning of their illness," Myrick said. "That pleasure in the political figure's pain seemed to demotivate people to take action to protect themselves."

Myrick added that schadenfreude is a positive emotion and when "we feel happy and pleased, we also feel safe." This may be the reason people are less likely to avoid the health risks.

"Basically, why would we do anything to alter this good feeling by confronting a depressing health threat and thinking about bad things that could happen to us?" Myrick said. "Because schadenfreude puts us in a pleasant, pleasureful state, we let our guards down for risks to our own health."

The findings could have serious public health implications, according to Myrick. It makes it hard for health advocates to convince some segments of the population to take preventative actions when controversial political figures get sick.

"We need additional research to figure out the underpinnings of these feelings to see if there are other ways," she said. "Either through encouraging empathy for the ill or maybe even by better channeling the feelings of schadenfreude toward positive action."

Myrick is affiliated with the Science Communication Program, a program in the Bellisario College that supports research in the science of science communication.
Medical researchers at Flinders University have established a new link between high body mass index (BMI) and breast cancer survival rates - with clinical data revealing worse outcomes for early breast cancer (EBC) patients and improved survival rates in advanced breast cancer (ABC).

In a new study published in a top breast cancer journal- researchers evaluated data from 5 thousand patients with EBC and 3496 with ABC to determine associations between BMI and survival rates across both stages.

Researchers say the results present an 'obesity paradox' which will impact the survival outcomes of the 19,807 women and 167 men diagnosed with breast cancer in Australia in 2020.

Natansh Modi, a NHMRC PHD Candidate at Flinders University, says understanding the biological reasons obesity impacts early and advanced breast cancer survival rates differently will be the key towards developing more effective treatments.

Higher body mass index (BMI) is associated with an increased risk of developing many types of cancer including breast cancer as a result of elevated levels of circulating sex hormones such as estrogen, estrone, and testosterone, high serum leptin, and chronic inflammation that are associated with high BMI." Natansh Modi, NHMRC PHD Candidate, Flinders University

Co-author Dr Ashley Hopkins, a Senior Research Fellow at Flinders University, says the study utilizes high quality contemporary medicines data to demonstrate higher BMI as independently associated with worse survival in EBC and paradoxically improved survival in advanced disease.

This is world first evidence of an obesity paradox in breast cancer and highlights an urgent need to understand the biological basis of obesity impacts throughout breast cancer diagnosis and treatment." Dr Ashley Hopkins, Senior Research Fellow, Flinders University

The paper by Natansh D. Modi, Jin Quan Eugene Tan, Andrew Rowland, Bogda Koczwara, Ahmad Y. Abuhelwa, Ganessan Kichenadasse, Ross A. McKinnon, Michael D. Wiese, Michael J. Sorich & Ashley M. Hopkins (2021) is 'The Obesity Paradox in early and advanced HER2 positive breast cancer: pooled analysis of clinical trial data'.'
A new study, presented today at the AATS 101st Annual Meeting, found that severely ill COVID-19 patients treated with ECMO did not suffer worse long-term outcomes than other mechanically-ventilated patients. The multidisciplinary team included cardio thoracic surgeons, critical care doctors, medical staff at long-term care facilities, physical therapists and other specialists, and followed patients at five academic centers: University of Colorado; University of Virginia; University of Kentucky; Johns Hopkins University; and Vanderbilt University.

Survivors of critical illness are at high risk for long-term physical, psychological, and cognitive deficits. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) shows promising survival benefit for select patients with COVID-19. However, its impact on long-term recovery was unknown. The study measured physical, psychological, and cognitive deficits in in 46 patients who were canulated for ECMO compared to a control group of 262 mechanically ventilated patients who did not receive ECMO.

The multi-disciplinary team conducted a retrospective analysis of mechanically ventilated patients with COVID-19 admitted between March and May 2020. Data were available for all mechanically ventilated patients from three sites, while all five sites provided ECMO patient data. Survivors had access to a multi-disciplinary post-intensive care unit recovery clinic for long-term care. Physical, psychological, and cognitive deficits were measured using validated instruments during follow up. Patient characteristics and long-term outcomes were compared based on ECMO status.

The study found no significant difference in survival at discharge (69.6 percent ECMO vs. 69.9 percent non-ECMO.) Of the 215 survivors across both groups, 93.9 percent were residing at home, 16.1 percent had returned to work or usual activity and 26.2 percent were still using supplemental oxygen; these rates did not differ significantly based on ECMO status. Rates of physical, psychological and cognitive deficits did not differ significantly.

The initial guidance for ECMO in COVID was helpful and saved a lot of lives, and not to their detriment, which is very encouraging. This multidisciplinary collaboration is committed to examining long-term outcomes beyond survival, and early results look promising. This may help to further refine who should receive ECMO and may increase the rate of positive outcomes." Dr. Jessica Rove, Assistant Professor, Cardiothoracic Surgery at University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, and Section Chief, Cardiac Surgery, Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center

Further research will continue to follow patients and measure outcomes over the longer term. Dr. Lauren Taylor, fellow at University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus explained, "It is exciting that we now have the long term outcomes of these patients and that they are so promising. Further study of these patients over the long term can help to further refine who we are canulating for ECMO, leading to better outcomes for all."
Effectively and safely protecting against disease--this is what makes vaccines a vital and successful public health tool that saves lives and safeguards health and well-being. Today, vaccines shield us from more than 20 life-threatening diseases.

Each year, between 2 to 3 million lives are saved by immunization against diseases like diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, influenza or measles. However, several vaccines such as the one against measles can only reach their full potential--protecting not just those who are immunised, but also those who might not be eligible for vaccination--if the vaccination coverage in a population is high enough.

Looking at immunization programmes' successes and remaining challenges, this week's issue of Eurosurveillance is published on the occasion of European Immunization Week (EIW), from 26 April to 2 May 2021. The campaign, observed annually in the last week of April, was established by the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe in 2005 and aims to highlight the benefits of routine immunization and to support national immunization systems.

This year's EIW slogan, 'Vaccines bring us closer', embraces coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines as an integral part of the response to end the ongoing pandemic and ease the physical distancing measures that have been implemented to help control it.

Thanks to routine vaccination--which has helped to eradicate for example smallpox and to protect against other diseases with potentially serious health consequences--we know that vaccines work. Yet, WHO estimates that around 20 million children worldwide do not receive the vaccines they need or miss out on vaccination later in life.

Vaccines are most often administered to infants and children as part of routine national vaccination schedules. But immunization protection reaches further than childhood and is important for people in all stages of life, from teenagers to adults and elderly people. Providing such lifelong protection poses further challenges for vaccination programmes, including ensuring equitable access to vaccines.

The editorial in this Eurosurveillance issue outlines the lessons learnt since the outset of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, with regards to rapid vaccine development, authorisation, procurement, distribution and administration in large vaccination campaigns. It looks at the key considerations for national vaccine decision-making--during a pandemic or otherwise--and the role that National immunization Technical Advisory Groups (NITAGs) or equivalent bodies play when they advise their governments on how to best use new vaccines or design national immunization programmes.

Also in this issue, Williams et al. documented and quantified immunization programmes for adults across 194 WHO Member States in order to assess existing infrastructures' suitability for COVID-19 vaccine deployment. Looking at five vaccines licensed for adult immunization (hepatitis B, herpes zoster, influenza, pneumococcal conjugate and pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccines), the authors found that of the 194 WHO Member States, 120 (62%) reported having at least one adult vaccination programme in 2018, and that 59% of countries had adult vaccination programmes for influenza.

High- or upper-middle-income countries were found to be significantly more likely to report adult immunization programmes, with country income serving as the most strongly associated factor overall in a multivariable analysis. Other significantly associated factors in a bivariable analysis included meeting National immunization Technical Advisory Group (NITAG) basic functional indicators, having introduced new or underused vaccines and having achieved paediatric vaccine coverage goals.

Based on their assessment, Williams et al. conclude that almost 40% of the assessed countries have no infrastructure for adult immunization and that even the presence of a national adult vaccination programme does not guarantee extensive use of vaccines in the adult population.

One target group for adult vaccination is healthcare workers, given that they are exposed to vaccine-preventable diseases like measles, mumps, pertussis and varicella at work and can also transmit these to patients.

In their article, von Linstow et al. detected immunity gaps mainly among young healthcare workers. In addition, considerable proportions of healthcare workers in the study reported that they were unsure about their vaccination status (22-32%, depending on the disease) and possible previous infections (11% for varicella and 41% for pertussis). According to the authors, this demonstrates the need for more targeted measures like screening and a vaccine strategy to address these gaps in healthcare workers.

Specifically for measles and its related elimination goal, coverage and uptake of routine childhood immunization programmes have to improve in many European countries in the same way that immunity gaps in adolescents and adults need to be addressed.

In their paper, Rohleder et al. examine a possible relationship between socioeconomic deprivation and measles incidence in Germany, taking into account demographic, spatial and temporal factors. They conclude that the risks for measles infections are higher and more concentrated in areas with the highest socioeconomic status.

In a study of 6,423 healthcare workers in Italy who received the Comirnaty vaccine (BNT162b2, BioNTech/Pfizer, Mainz, Germany/New York, United States), Fabiani et al. found that the effectiveness of preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection was 84% (95% confidence interval (CI): 40-96) 14-21 days after receiving the first dose and 95% (95% CI: 62-99) at least 7 days after the second dose. According to the authors, these results could support the ongoing COVID-19 vaccination campaigns with evidence for targeted communication.

Vaccination may be receiving more attention than usual right now, as many adults worldwide are currently being vaccinated or awaiting their opportunity to receive protection against COVID-19. Topics around vaccine safety and efficacy, ethical and equity considerations, as well as logistics are being discussed more widely and more intensely. In this context, EIW serves to highlight the ongoing need to increase efforts to achieve better vaccination coverage for all vaccine-preventable diseases, in order to prevent disease and protect individuals beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.
(Newser)  A new study out of Florida Atlantic University might give people even more pause before entering dingy, poorly ventilated restrooms. Researchers found that toilet flushes, as well as urinal flushes, generate tiny aerosol droplets that linger and can be inhaled, per a university release. This goes beyond the gross factorthese droplets have the potential to spread bacteria and diseases such as Ebola and, yes, COVID-19, reports Science Alert. Closing the toilet lid before flushing helps, "although not by much" because droplets escape through the gap between lid and toilet, say the researchers. They also point out that the risk is diminished if the restroom is properly ventilated, which can be achieved through relatively modest tweaks. If not, such restrooms "could serve as hotbeds for airborne disease transmission."

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"After about three hours of tests involving more than 100 flushes, we found a substantial increase in the measured aerosol levels in the ambient environment," says co-author Siddhartha Verma. "Both the toilet and urinal generated large quantities of droplets smaller than 3 micrometers in size, posing a significant transmission risk if they contain infectious microorganisms." Because the droplets are so small, they can stay in the air for awhile. The team found them at heights of up to 5 feet for 20 seconds or more after a flush, per the Miami Herald. The newspaper notes that the coronavirus has been detected in urine and feces samples of those infected, though it quotes an expert who says more study is needed. "COVID- risk of bathroom exposure is largely theoreticalpossible, but not proven, says Dr. John Ross of Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston. (Read more toilets stories.)
(Newser)  Lifestyle influencer Rachel Hollis rose quickly to prominence (and riches) thanks to her best-sellers Girl, Wash Your Face and Girl, Stop Apologizing. But as a profile by Katherine Rosman in the New York Times makes clear, Hollis' self-help empire is facing serious turbulence for the first time. She has lost 100,000 Instagram followers and canceled or postponed two major events. "Overnight," Hollis has found herself "in a very unhappy, and unfamiliar, place: of abrupt online disavowal," writes Rosman. The reason? It began with a video in which Hollis was pushing back criticism that she was privileged and unrelatable. In the clip, Hollis refers to a woman who "cleans the toilets" in her home, and she also suggests a comparison between herself in the caption to women such as Harriet Tubman. The criticism over a rich, white woman comparing herself to Tubman came swiftly, and Hollis apologized.

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The first apology, though, didn't go well. Hollis blamed her "team" and denied she was comparing herself to the women in the caption. The backlash intensified, leading to apology No. 2. I am so deeply sorry for the things I said in my recent posts, she wrote. By talking about my own success, I diminished the struggles and hard work of many people who work tirelessly every day. Rosman's piece details other trouble, including staffers complaining that the persona Hollis embodies in her videos has grown distant from the egotistical boss in the office, charges of plagiarism, and followers feeling "bamboozled" by Hollis' surprise divorce. Then there's her appropriation of Black women's words ("girl" and "sis") and images while pushing a pull-yourself-up-by-the-bootstraps message. Do you not know the system is rigged against me?" says Vivian Kaye, a Black woman. "Thats not feminism. Thats just putting lipstick on the patriarchy. Read the full story. (Read more influencer stories.)
(Newser)  A human smuggling investigation has been launched after Houston police found more than 90 people huddled in two rooms of a two-story house. Police had gone to the house Thursday night to search it after receiving a tip about a kidnapping, CNN reports. "It was a big surprise when we got in the house and saw what we saw," said Assistant Chief Daryn Edwards. All but five of the peopleall adultsare men, he said, and none was tied up. They were given rapid coronavirus tests after several said they couldn't taste or smell, possible symptoms of COVID-19. As of Friday night, five people had tested positive, per KTRK. The people were being kept in the house for the early stages of the investigation; police were trying to figure who they are. The family that owns the house said it was rented out, per KHOU.

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Homeland Security will lead the smuggling investigation. "This is definitely more of a smuggling thing and not a trafficking thing," Edwards said. The people were kept in "deplorable conditions," another assistant chief said. "They can't stand. They had to ask permission to go to the restroom," Patricia Cantu said. "Some of them hadnt eaten in three days and haven't had water." They were wearing only underwear, she said. Neighbors began taking clothes to the house. A KHOU reporter tweeted that one neighbor said: "I've brought them T-shirts, soups, tortillas, pants. Everything extra I had at home." Cantu didn't want to discuss whether the people are in the US illegally "because that was not the main issue," she said. "It's heartbreaking to see people treated that way." (Read more human smuggling stories.)
(Newser)  The tables have turned on a California 'influencer mom' who recounted a terrifying brush with a kidnapping in a craft store to her Instagram following last year. Per BuzzFeed News, Katie Sorenson faces misdemeanor charges of lying to police over a purported incident at a Michael's in Petaluma in which she claimed a couple followed her around the craft store while talking about her children before one of them lunged for her stroller. Videos of her recounting the attempt went viral days later, but a Petaluma PD report showed investigators were not able to corroborate Sorenson's version of events and her viral video was soon deleted.

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Instead, police were able to find alleged attempted kidnappers Sadie Vega-Martinez and Eddie Martinez, who basically had no idea what they were talking about. Whereas Sorenson claimed the couple described her kids to a third party on the phone, the Latino grandparents were probably just talking about their own grandkids. The couple, who fully cooperated with police and were charged with no crime, say Sorenson racially profiled them that day last December. They told the Petaluma Argus-Courier the charges are a "step toward justice." Per the Daily Beast, each misdemeanor carries a maximum sentence of six months in prison. (Read more racial profiling stories.)
The man and woman, who have not been identified, were arrested on suspicion of being found in or upon enclosed premises and have been released under investigation while inquiries continue, Thames Valley police said, according to the newspaper.
(Newser)  A state lawmaker in Kansas faces battery charges following an encounter with a high school student while he was substitute teaching. Per the Kansas City Star, state Rep. Mark Samsel was arrested on charges of misdemeanor battery on Thursday, in part amid an outcry from Wellsville secondary school parents who viewed video students took of the lawmaker's bizarre behavior during his time as a sub. Recordings appeared to show Samsel talking about sex, masturbation, God, and the devil among other non-school related topics and at one point engages in a lengthy interaction with a student who he's accused of assaulting.

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Per the Daily Beast, Samsel is alleged to have kneed the boy in the crotch before asking "Did it hurt?" Ryan Bradbury, Wellsville superintendent, said in a letter that the school couldn't comment on the situation but that Samsel would no longer be allowed to substitute in the district. The 36-year-old was reportedly released on $1,000 bail before continuing to make bizarre statements, this time on his own Snapchat. "The kids and I planned ALL this to SEND A MESSAGE about art, mental health, teenage suicide," his video said, per the Kansas City Star. Samsel is a Republican, and GOP leadership at the statehouse said they've launched an investigation. Samsel has yet to be formally charged with a crime but has a first appearance scheduled in district court for May 19, per the AP. (Read more weird news stories.)
(Newser)  A four-member SpaceX crew returning from the International Space Station made a piloted landing in the Gulf of Mexico early Sunday, the first such nighttime landing in almost 54 years. After the gentle water landing just before 3am, aided by four parachutes, the Resilience capsule was lifted onto a recovery ship south of Panama City, Florida, CBS reports. The crew stayed in the capsule while getting reacquainted with gravity after 5 months in space. "What a ride! Thanks to the @NASA, @SpaceX, and @USCG teams for a safe and successful journey back to Earth," NASA astronaut Victor Glover tweeted. "Another step closer to family and home!" Weather conditions had shifted the landing from daylight, which is the preference, to darkness. The last nighttime water landing was by Apollo 8 in 1968, per NPR.

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Among the records set was one for the longest flight by a US space capsule with a crew, topping the 84 days that had stood since 1974. NASA's Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, and Shannon Walker, along with Japan's Soichi Noguchi, moved to the Crew Dragon capsule on Friday afternoon to prepare for their return with engine burns and maneuvers, per CNN. The trip itself took 6 hours. The experiments they conducted on the space station included one involving the effect of microgravity on human heart tissue. They also grew radishes in an effort to learn about sustainability during long missions. Just before he left the capsule after landing, Glover radioed flight controllers at SpaceX headquarters in California to thank them and tell them they're changing the world. "It's amazing what can be accomplished when people come together," he said. (Read more SpaceX stories.)
(Newser)  Sen. Mitt Romney endured insults and boos from Republicans at home on Saturday, but he avoided being censured by the Utah party convention. The anger, and the censure motion, were in response to Romney twice voting to convict former President Trump in his impeachment trial, CNN reports. "You know I was not a fan of our last president's character issues," the senator told the crowd, which jeered. Romney responded, per NBC: "Oh yeah, you can boo all you like, but I've been a Republican all my life. My dad was a governor of Michigan, my dad worked for Republican candidates that he believed in. I worked for Republicans across the country, and if you don't recall, I was the Republican nominee for president in 2012." Romney was the only GOP senator to vote against Trump in both trials.

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The censure motion listed conspiracy theories, some about President Biden and his family, and said Romney's consistent criticism of Trump hurt his reelection chances, as well as the campaigns of other Republicans in the November election. A state party spokeswoman said censure was rejected on a 711-798 vote. Romney has received verbal abuse from Trump supporters before, including one confrontation at an airport. Republican Sen. Susan Collins told CNN on Sunday that she was appalled by Romney's treatment at the convention. "We Republicans need to remember that we are united by fundamental principles," she said, adding, "We are not a party that is led by just one person." The convention didn't stop booing Romney, per the Salt Lake Tribune, until the chairman asked the crowd to "show respect." (Read more Mitt Romney stories.)
(Newser)  Iran said through state media Sunday that the US has agreed to a deal in which prisoners would be freed in exchange for the release of $7 billion in its frozen assets. The US immediately said there's no such agreement. The reports "are not true," said State Department spokesman Ned Price, the Hill reports. "Unfortunately, that report is untrue," White House chief of staff Ron Klain said CBS' Face the Nation, adding that the US has been seeking the prisoners' freedom. "We raise this with Iran and our interlocutors all the time," Klain said. The state TV report had said the Biden administration had agreed to release four Iranian prisoners being held in the US in exchange for four American 'spies,'" per Reuters.

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The report also said Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian national, would be freed once Britain had paid what it owes Iran for military equipment. "We recognize the IMS debt should be repaid, and we're looking at arrangements for securing that," Britain's foreign minister, Dominic Raab, said Sunday. She's jailed after being convicted in Iran of trying to overthrow the government, a charge her family and employer deny. Zaghari-Ratcliffe served five years for the conviction before a court added another year last week. Britain has called that inhumane. "I think she's been treated in the most abusive, tortuous way," Raab said. (Read more Iran stories.)
(Newser)  Protests on International Workers Day increased in number and intensity this time around, with demonstrators calling for improved working conditions and a series of other changes to help them deal with economic and health problems. Berlin alone had more than 20 demonstrations Saturday, the AP reports, and a few became violent: More than 90 police officers were reported injured and more than 350 protesters were taken into custody. Police in Paris arrested 46 people, and three officers were hurt, police said. The day is called Labor Day in many places as well as, of course, May Day. "There are so many motivations for a revolt that are building upthe management of COVID, the so-called reforms that are going to take away people's ability to live, job-seekers who are going to lose their benefits," a demonstrator in Paris said. "We absolutely need to express ourselves."

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The demonstrations and causes included:

In Berlin, at least 5,000 people condemning social inequity, per NPR. About 10,000 cyclists demonstrated against capitalism.

In Lichtenberg, 200 protesting pandemic restrictions, per CNN. In one spot, people gathered "to revitalize the culture and club scene."

In Paris, at least 17,000 people demonstrating, many against a change in government unemployment benefits.

In Sarajevo, hundreds of Bosnian coal miners seeking better working conditions and pay.

In Taiwan, hundreds calling for better pay and more secure pensions, per USA Today.

In Istanbul, Turkish authorities clashing with protesters who were defying pandemic restrictions. More than 200 were arrested, per the BBC.

(Read more protests stories.)
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When John visited a few years ago, the water was overflowing.

"It would be coming from over there and just flowing over the wall and trickling down, but with all of it trickling down it was quite a stream," he says.

For locals who see it all the time, the change is also obvious.

"Sad to see the low levels in it. I have to say certainly it's as low as I've seen it, ever," local Robyn says.

Water restrictions began for Auckland last May to try to combat a historic drought. One year on, the city is still experiencing a water shortage.

Normally the dirt banks at one Waitakere Ranges dam are underwater, but because of significantly less rainfall than normal Auckland dams are only about 51 percent full. Compare that to the 76 percent they normally are at this time of year and you can see why there's a problem.

Despite that, Watercare says we're in a better position than we were last year because not only have we increased our take from the Waikato River, but Aucklanders have been reducing water usage.

This week, Auckland needs to limit its water use to 430 million litres a day. We're on track at the moment, with the current seven-day rolling average sitting at 393 million litres a day.

Showering and doing laundry use the most water. The advice is to limit showers to a maximum of four minutes, only run your washing machine and dishwasher when full, and fill the sink rather than rinsing dishes under a running tap.

While Aucklanders are doing well when it comes to saving water, Watercare urges locals to keep up the good work because less than normal rainfall is expected.

"So far there's been about 200 millimetres of rain which compares to about 300 that you would normally have at this time," MetService forecaster Allister Gorman says.
"Shortage of hospitals, shortage of medical equipment, shortage of COVID vaccine," Uppkar Kashyap says.

"If something happened to me here, I don't know how I'd survive, I don't know if I'd be alive."

For the families trying to keep it together at home, it's become too much to bear.

"Every day as a mum, you have to show up for your kids. They don't know the emotion behind this. I have to be strong from them," Uppkar's wife Teagan Kashyap says.

Kashyap travelled to India for his father's funeral, meaning he had to leave his wife and kids behind for an emergency trip to sort out family affairs.

But as the Government blocked him from coming home, two weeks stretched into four. Now the New Zealand citizen can come home, but it's near impossible.

"I've booked three flights so far, none of them are coming from India," he says.

As the rest of the world blocks travel from India, the Kashyap family has run out of options.

"We just really want a repatriation flight to bring them home," Teagan says.

COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said in a statement the Government has had to make tough decisions to protect New Zealanders from the virus, but repatriation flights are not currently being offered.

The Human Rights Commission says it's watching the situation in India closely and has written to the minister seeking clarification on the recent changes affecting New Zealanders wanting to return home.
Customs has fired nine staff members after they refused to have the COVID-19 vaccine.

In a statement provided to Newshub, Customs deputy chief executive of people and capability Jacinda Funnell confirmed nine non-vaccinated workers were served a notice of early termination.

"We regret that these individuals have had to leave employment, and understand what a difficult situation this is for them," Funnell said.

In accordance with New Zealand's COVID-19 response, Customs is barred from having unvaccinated staff work in certain high-risk areas from May 1.

The nine sacked staff members were maritime border workers, their unvaccinated status meant they were no longer allowed to work in this area.
Firstly, because children and teenagers can only learn if they are fed well.

Secondly, so many schools and communities still miss out - which means while so much has already been done, thousands of kids still learn on empty stomachs, which is almost impossible.

So we have taken a stance and we say if we're going to feed some of them, feed them all.

Children still miss out on lunch at higher decile schools. Being decile 7, 8, 9, or 10 doesn't guarantee a decent lunch, it just means the area is deemed better off and funded at a different level.

Now, coming to this position has been somewhat of a journey for me.

You see, I never supported food in schools five years ago - I always deemed it exclusively a parent's job to feed their children.

Then I visited these amazing enterprises that provide the food and I visited some of the schools and met the teachers and kids.

And I have changed my mind.

This is now something we must do. This is about doing all we can to give all children a fair start.

We make sure all elderly are treated the same at 65, with universal superannuation.

So why should kids start out at school with such a handicap? Get them all to the start line at least.

Eat My Lunch, KidsCan and the Government's pilot programme Ka Ora Ka Ako all provide food in schools right now.

Some numbers for you: Eat My Lunch feeds 1800 kids in 77 schools. KidsCan provides food and other products to around 800 schools.

Ka Ora Ka Ako has seen lunches served in 542 schools, so about half of all New Zealand state schools are provided for through taxpayer and private support.

But today we are saying; go the whole hog and clear the waiting lists of schools desperate to be included

Make it fair - feed them all. It makes teaching easier and the outcomes are obvious.

What are we waiting for?

Duncan Garner hosts The AM Show.
In a tweet, Davidson called the gathering a "fabulous community event for justice", but the Opposition disagreed with her and Hunt attending.

Simeon Brown, the National Party's spokesperson for police, says it is "astonishing" the pair accepted an invitation to speak at the gathering.

"The Mongrel Mob peddles drugs, wields firearms and engages in violence, causing misery in communities across the country. They have no regard for their victims," he says.

"Marama Davidson is the Minister for Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence. Turning up at this event disrespects the many victims of sexual violence perpetrated by gang members.

"Her tweets calling the Mongrel Mob meeting 'a fabulous community event for justice' was an extra slap in the face."

Newshub has contacted several Green Party press secretaries requesting comment from Davidson.

Brown called on the Government to "get tough" and introduce Firearm Prohibition Orders (FPO) to give police new powers to take guns off gangs. National has draft legislation before Parliament that would mean gang members subject to a FPO wouldn't be allowed to possess a firearm, get a firearms license, or be on a property where firearms are present. It would also be an offence to supply firearms to someone subject to a FPO.
Many Indian citizens are defending New Zealand's High Commission in India after a plea for oxygen was made via social media, breaching Government protocol.



The commission, based in New Dehli, came under fire after it asked the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) on Twitter to urgently deliver an oxygen cylinder. The IYC is the youth wing of the Indian National Congress, in opposition to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

India Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Government have come under heavy criticism for their handling of COVID-19, resulting in a devastating second wave of the virus.

Modi and dozens of other politicians held rallies across the country for local elections in March and into April. This was despite warnings from scientists a new a more contagious coronavirus variant was taking hold in the country.

India has struggled to source enough oxygen for many of its COVID-19 patients as daily case numbers on Saturday soared past 400,000.

New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) has since apologised to the Indian Government for the Twitter oxygen plea. NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has since confirmed a worker at the New Zealand High Commission in India was "very unwell".
It's also the second time Ardern has used her speech to the China Business Summit to speak out against China's alleged human rights abuses. Her speech in July last year also touched on the erosion of democracy in Hong Kong and China's reluctance for Taiwan to become a member of the World Health Organisation.

Speaking to the China Business Summit on Monday, Ardern said China's geostrategic relevance "is a reality that no country can ignore" but she said New Zealand will continue to speak up when it comes to issues human rights issues.

"It will not have escaped the attention of anyone here that as China's role in the world grows and changes, the differences between our systems - and the interests and values that shape those systems - are becoming harder to reconcile," Ardern said.

"This is a challenge that we, and many other countries across the Indo Pacific region, but also in Europe and other regions, are also grappling with."

Ardern's speech comes amid tension over China's relationship with the Five Eyes intelligence sharing alliance, which includes New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the UK and United States.

New Zealand came under fire last month after Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta said the Government was "uncomfortable" with expanding the scope of the Five Eyes beyond intelligence sharing, which is what it was originally created for.

While Mahuta insisted New Zealand respects the Five Eyes and intends to remain part of the bloc, it didn't stopped politicians and commentators from across the group speculating that New Zealand had sold its soul to China for economic gain.

Ardern said in her speech that while it's important to acknowledge differences, it "need not derail" New Zealand's relationship with China, particularly with two-way trade now well in excess of $30 billion per year.

"Areas of difference need not define a relationship. But equally, they are part and parcel of New Zealand staying true to who we are as a nation," Ardern said.

"As a significant power, the way that China treats its partners is important for us. And we will continue to promote the things that we believe in, and support the rules-based system that underpins our collective well-being."

Ardern said she hopes China "sees it in its own core interests to act in the world in ways that are consistent with its responsibilities as a growing power, including as a permanent member of the UN Security Council".

It's estimated more than a million Uighur people - a mostly Muslim Turkic minority group that number about 11 million in Xinjiang - have been detained in camps, which have been widely condemned as akin to prisons.

A New Zealand Uighur woman, Rizwangul Nurmuhammad, told Newshub Nation last month her brother was detained in Xinjiang in 2017 and she hasn't heard from him. Former detainees have spoken of torture and brainwashing at the facilities, and women being forcibly sterilised.

After initially denying the existence of the camps, China now describes them as re-education centres offering classes on Mandarin, laws, regulations and vocational skills, as well as counter-terrorism training and psychological counselling for those affected by "extremist thoughts".

The Chinese Embassy hosted a Zoom conference on Friday to portray the "real situation" of Xinjiang to New Zealand. The presentation included several pre-recorded videos, which China expert Anne-Marie Brady described as "propaganda".

ACT has filed a motion to debate in Parliament whether China is committing genocide against the Uighurs, as the UK Parliament has done. Labour, which holds a majority in the House, will discuss their position on Tuesday at their caucus meeting.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is in discussions with Beijing about sending officials to Xinjiang to investigate the situation.
A right-wing political commentator says National's campaign against "racist separation" won't do it any favours in the polls.

Party leader Judith Collins doubled down on her opposition to a proposed Maori Health Authority in a speech to party members in Auckland yesterday.

She said the government is trying to set up separate education, justice and resource management systems "by stealth" - as well as a separate Maori Parliament.

Former National government press secretary Ben Thomas said Collins' strategy shows her leadership is clearly under pressure.

Whether there is an imminent threat to her leadership or not, it is clear that she feels under intense pressure about her performance and leadership.

"It looks as if she is casting around for any kind of temporary sugar hit she can get in terms of a brief bump in the polls to take that pressure off," Thomas said.
The shots were fired by a group of men duck shooting from a boat in the river. While they spoke to the injured women and offered assistance when they realised what had happened, they left in their boat afterwards and have not yet been identified.

Queenstown Police Detective Sergeant Paul Slater says officers investigating the incident would like to speak to the men.

"We ask them to get in touch as soon as possible by calling 105 quoting P046364839," he says.

"Anyone else who may have seen the incident is also asked to get in contact."

Det Sgt Slater adds the incident is an important reminder for people to stay vigilant about safety when hunting this game bird season.

"Anybody handling a firearm should always treat it as loaded; that means always pointing the firearm in a safe direction and checking your firing zone," he says.

"When your firearm is not in use, police would encourage people to take chamber flags with them and insert them in the breach."

Police also want to remind people of the seven basic firearms safety rules:

Treat every firearm as loaded Always point firearms in a safe direction Load a firearm only when ready to fire Identify your target beyond all doubt Check your firing zone Store firearms and ammunition safely Avoid alcohol and drugs when handling firearms

More hunting safety information can be found here.
They say there's "no such thing as a free lunch" but The AM Show wants to change that.

Starting today, as part of "The Big Picture" series, The AM Show is launching a campaign to get lunch provided to every school student in New Zealand.

Should all school students in New Zealand be provided a free lunch?

Having trouble viewing the Question of the Day? Click here.
"While the public health risk is deemed low, we must all remain vigilant as we enjoy the opportunities quarantine-free travel has given us," Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield says.

"There are some additional public health measures we require of people who are or have recently been in Western Australia."

Anyone who has been in Perth since April 27 is asked to check the Western Australian government website for locations of interest.

"If you were at a location of interest at a specified time and you are still in Perth and are planning to travel to New Zealand, you are asked to follow the Western Australia health advice regarding isolation and testing on the above website," the Ministry of Health says.

"In addition, anyone who has been at a location of interest cannot travel to New Zealand from Australia within 14 days of exposure. This includes any additional locations of interest that are determined in the coming days and yet to be announced.

"If you have recently arrived in New Zealand from Australia and were in a location of interest at the specified time, please self-isolate immediately and call Healthline on 0800 358 5453 for information on when you should be tested."

Around 750 passengers who travelled either directly or indirectly between Western Australia and New Zealand between April 27 and May 1 are being contacted by the Ministry of Health and being given health advice. The ministry says there may be more passengers identified as contact tracers work with other government agencies to confirm travel histories and contact details.

"The travel bubble allows us to reconnect with our loved ones across the Tasman, but we must still follow basic public health measures. It's important we continue to keep a record of where we have been by scanning QR codes and turning on Bluetooth using the COVID Tracer app, or keep manual diaries. Please continue to maintain personal hygiene measures and if you're unwell please stay home and call Healthline to work out whether you need to get a test," Dr Bloomfield says.

"Both countries have planned for this type of scenario and are following agreed trans-Tasman bubble protocols. We always knew disruption to travel plans was possible, and it is important that travellers follow the instructions in order to limit any risk of further spread. We'd like to thank people for their patience and cooperation."
"We will be giving further details after Cabinet," Ardern told The AM Show. "We will be having that discussion around our readiness on both sides."



Rarotonga remains free of COVID-19. New Zealand hasn't reported a community case for nearly two weeks. The latest infection was linked to the border and quickly contained.

Ardern said a bubble was good news for both countries.

"The Cook Islands have really been looking for that certainty for such a big part of their economy - [which] is tourism - and New Zealanders make up a large part of that."

She said quarantine-free travel between the nations had been a work-in-progress.

"We wanted to make sure when we did it, we got it right. We don't want to run the risk of exporting COVID to the Cook Islands."

Last month, Air New Zealand ramped up its operations to the Islands from May 10 but the national carrier claimed it was a "tentative" measure.
The three flights affected are Air New Zealand NZ202 from Brisbane to Christchurch which arrived around 4:30pm on Thursday, Air New Zealand NZ146 from Brisbane to Auckland which arrived at 5:30pm and Qantas QF135 from Brisbane to Christchurch.

The breach occurred at the Hudson Cafe, where two individuals were there at the same time as green zone passengers.

Queensland Health told the Ministry of Health on Thursday - before the person tested positive - the risk to the public is considered low as both travellers were wearing face masks.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told reporters on Friday officials consider it to "present a relatively low risk" to travellers.

"I think it just demonstrates again just how important it is on both sides that we had put a lot of work into the arrangements... From time to time we are going to have to manage situations where there may be lapses."

Green zones are areas of the airport where only travellers from New Zealand or Australia can go. Red zone areas include travellers from all over the world, including COVID-19 hotspots.

The aim is to keep quarantine free travellers separate from passengers arriving from countries with COVID-19.
Lewis Escobar says he was always a fan of sushi, but as a Latino, Hispanic food could not be absent from his table. While he always considered the possibility of opening a restaurant, he had never ventured to open his own business because, with experience in the hospitality industry, I had a good salary and had everything I needed, he said in an interview with El Sentinel Orlando.
A Kenyan doctor who aggressively opposed COVID-19 vaccines has died from the virus.

Stephen Karanja, chairman of the Kenya Catholic Doctors Association, was admitted to hospital last week before succumbing to the disease on Thursday, the BBC reported.

The controversial doctor clashed with the Catholic church over the safety of COVID-19 jabs and claimed the vaccine was "unnecessary".
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrainis can now experience quarantine-free travel to one more destination soon after agreeing on a similar deal with Israel.

Hungary is the latest country to join hands with Bahrain providing unrestricted travel to Bahrainis.

The move follows a deal for mutual recognition of vaccinations by the government of both countries.

The quarantine-free travel deal is effective starting tomorrow.

This agreement follows recent talks between Bahrain and Hungary, including communication between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Health in both countries.

Under the agreement, both countries will exempt individuals with a vaccination certificate from quarantine and grant access to locations allowed for fully vaccinated individuals.

The identification of travellers and verification of their right to travel is virtual.

The move, Bahrain said, facilitates entry into both countries and strengthens tourism, trade and economic links between Bahrain and Hungary.

A social distancing rule of 1.5 metre and mandatory wearing of facemasks are in place throughout Hungary.

Passengers arriving in Hungary are also subject to 10 days of self-quarantine from the date/time of entering the country.

Reports say that passengers to Hungary can shorten their quarantine period if there can present two negative COVID-19 PCR test results.

The tests must be at local designated laboratories with 48 hours between the two tests.

Under the new rules, only Hungarian nationals, non-Hungarian nationals who are permanently resident in Hungary or non-Hungarian nationals who have permission to remain longer than 90 days are allowed entry into the country.

Israel earlier said they allow Bahraini vaccine passports not only for entry but also to gain access to an Israeli domestic vaccine pass, called the Green Pass.

The Green pass allows those who are vaccinated against COVID-19 or recovered from the virus to access restaurants, gyms, theatres and other venues.

Israel also grants these passes to citizens who do not wish to be vaccinated, but only for 48 hours and only after they test negative for the virus.

Israel currently has Pfizer-BioNtech and Moderna vaccines, while Bahrain provides Sinopharm, Pfizer/BioNTech, Oxford-AstraZeneca, and Sputnik V jabs.

In the second phase, arrangements will be in place for people vaccinated with a vaccine not recognised by one of the two countries, Bahrains Ministry of Foreign Affairs said earlier.

Quick facts

 Starting 27th April, all arriving passengers above the age of six from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh must provide proof of a negative PCR test for Covid-19  with a QR code  conducted not more than 48 hours before departure.

 All passengers arriving in the Kingdom of Bahrain must undergo a series of PCR tests, costing BD36. The first test will take place on arrival and the second will take place five days later. The third and final test will take place on the 10th day of your stay in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

 All arrivals must also activate the BeAware Bahrain application and sign a self-isolation agreement, which requires you to quarantine at your place of residence until your arrival test results are available.

 Citizens planning to travel abroad must comply with entry procedures and requirements at their destinations.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Qatari-state-owned Al Jazeera is siding with people wanted on terrorism charges and untrustworthy sources to create inciting reports against Bahrain, said an Interior Ministry statement. Their methodology also includes repeat broadcast of statements by European parliamentarians, who are ignorant of the reality of the rights situation in the Kingdom, which were proved wrong by the Kingdom earlier, Interior Ministry said.

The statements quote European Parliamentarians alleging their concern over the human rights situation at the Reformation and Rehabilitation Centre in Jau and demanding the release of specific names, claiming they are prisoners of opinion. The inciting reports are circulated widely for the past few days by state-run Al Jazeera Channel, the ministry said, adding that the Security Information Centre at the Interior Ministry is keeping a close eye on their activity.

The statements, the ministry said, are based on untrustworthy sources, are repeatedly aired by Al Jazeera to undermine the gains of Bahrain amid the exceptional circumstances. This aggressive campaigns against Bahrain has nothing to do with the slogans the channel uses for media consumption. Ministry pointed that there is nexus between Al Jazeera and people who claim to works in the right field but are culprits on the run from the judicial system.

Some of them are involved in terrorism cases, the ministry said, adding that their statement completely ignores the reality of the rights situation here.

The statement also fails to see the measures Bahrain ensures in the Correction and Rehabilitation centres to protect the health and safety of the inmates regardless of their jail terms.

The parliamentarians speak volumes about the right conditions here, are, in fact, ignorant of the situations of thousands of inmates in their countries, the ministry said. These statements are then immediately aired by Al Jazeera to target the accomplishments of Bahrain.

These countries, as per general notion, the ministry points out, achieved a reasonable level of progress and rights protection status. However, the outbreak is prevailing at an alarming rate in their prisons. Meanwhile, Bahrain is vaccinating all its citizens and residents free of charge and is now close to vaccinate half of the total population, the ministry said. In the correctional facility, all of those who had registered are vaccinated.

The ministry also confirms that there are no existing cases of coronavirus inside the Correction and Rehabilitation Centre. Protocols and procedures are in place to deal with the possibility of future incidents. The ministry also reiterated that the Correction and Rehabilitation centre is open to agencies and rights authorities at all times.

The National Institution for Human Rights, the General Secretariat of the Ombudsman, the Prisoners and Detainee Rights Commission and others are carrying out announced and unannounced visits to ensure the inmates of their rights. Interior Ministry said that the facts are in stark disagreement with the alleged media neutrality of the Qatari Al Jazeera Channel.

Its media policy targets others and their accomplishments while it does not discuss anything related to Qatari Affairs. On this note, the ministry also pointed out that the inciting campaign between Al Jazeera and its supporters wont affect Bahrain and its people and leadership.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

In line with its ongoing commitment to supporting the local community, SSP Bahrain partnered with Al Sanabel Orphan Care Society to celebrate Ramadan in efforts to bring joy to the children.

Adhering to all the COVID protocols, the SSP Bahrain team visited Al Sanabel Orphan Care Society on 27th April 2021 and distributed 15 boxes of Burger Kings Breaded Chicken Fillet along with their instruction flyer on how to safely cook the products.

With an effort to make a positive impact, this latest initiative from SSP Bahrain was organized to help keep the wider community connected and play an active role in spreading positivity of the festive season even during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A new agreement enables St. Joseph students to train to become teachers at a limited expense, with potentially no Missouri Western State University out-of-pocket tuition owed at all.

Officials with Missouri Western and the St. Joseph School District agreed in a draft memorandum of understanding to set up an evolution of the Grow Your Own educator recruitment program, which the district previously has supported on its own. Per the agreement, up to $2,000 per academic year will be granted to qualified scholarship program participants, for up to eight continuous semesters. Combined with other common Missouri Western scholarships, this amount will cover 12 credit hours of study per semester for in-state students. Further support is available from the district itself. Missouri Western tuition and student fees  not accounting for room, board, books or supplies  run at about $3,000 per academic year.

The agreement is to be signed by Missouri Westerns Dr. Elizabeth Kennedy and the school districts Dr. Doug Van Zyl, the respective chiefs of each agency, sometime in the immediate future. Northwest Missouri State University has had a similar arrangement with the North Kansas City School District for about four years.

What you have to do is, you have to make this a reality for people in terms of a career field, said Dean Logan Jones of the Missouri Western College of Business and Professional Studies. And then you have to make students believe they can do it. And financially this partnership will take care of that.

There is no obligation inherent in the new deal, although the district provides up to $4,000 per academic year in financial aid to Grow Your Own recipients in exchange for the student agreeing to teach in the district. Therefore, if a student studies for four years at Missouri Western while receiving the maximum $6,000 in combined Grow Your Own aid, he or she will be obliged to work as an SJSD teacher for at least four years after graduation.

As explained by Dr. Victoria Seeger, a Northwest Missouri State University associate professor of education, the concept of Grow Your Own advances the tandem goals of providing more qualified teachers to school districts and expanding access to the career of education.

Dr. Mark Maus, the North Kansas City School Districts executive director of college and career readiness, said his organization is like most in that more than 90% of all teachers self-identify as white women. There are advantages, Seeger explained, in encouraging more men and women, especially those from an ethnic minority background, to go to work in the classroom.

On top of this need to have educators that better reflect the students in the classroom, we also wanted to identify students at the high-school level that have some idea that they might want to be a teacher but they arent sure who to talk to about that, Seeger said. These programs give them someone to talk to, a counselor or a principal, that can nudge them in the right direction.
As you become depressed or suicidal, you begin to doubt that anything or anybody can help you, he said. Youll actually talk yourself out of getting exactly what you may need, which is why we push for the bystander, the person who knows you and listens to you, who can persuade you to get help  and they can take you to get that help.
Niagara Falls, NY (14301)

Today

Chance of a shower or two during the morning, followed by partly cloudy skies this afternoon. High near 85F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

Mainly clear skies. Low 61F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.
Niagara Falls, NY (14301)

Today

Sun and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High around 85F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Mostly clear. Low 61F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.
Reno Omokri, former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan has called on Ejike Mbaka, the Spiritual Director of the Adoration Ministry, En...

Reno Omokri, former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan has called on Ejike Mbaka, the Spiritual Director of the Adoration Ministry, Enugu, to respond to the allegation made by the presidency.

Mbaka had called for President Muhammadu Buharis impeachment due to the current state of insecurity in Nigeria.

Responding, Buharis spokesman, Garba Shehu accused Mbaka of seeking for contracts from the president.

Shehu claimed that Mbaka resorted to attacks over the presidents refusal to grant his wish.

However, Omokri urged the clergy man to address the issue of demanding contracts as compensation for supporting Buhari.

In a series of tweets, the former presidential aide wrote: Reverend Father Mbaka, your silence is not golden. Did you ask General @MBuhari for contracts or not?

Should we stop addressing you as Reverend and instead call you Contractor Mbaka?

If after 24 hours we still have not heard from Mabka on whether or not he demanded contracts from General

@MBuhari as compensation for his political services, then the media, the @CatholicEW Church and the public should thenceforth refer to him as: Contractor Mbaka.
The Akwa Ibom State Police Command said it has arrested one Uduak Frank Akpan, 20, over the murder of one Miss Iniobong Umoren, who was de...

The Akwa Ibom State Police Command said it has arrested one Uduak Frank Akpan, 20, over the murder of one Miss Iniobong Umoren, who was declared missing a few days ago.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the State, SP Odiko Macdon, who disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, said the suspect lured the victim to his house in the guise of offering her job.

He said the suspect raped the victim in his house and killed her adding that in order to cover his tracks, he dug a shallow grave and buried her in his fathers compound.

The statement also said that the suspect claimed to have reported his atrocity to his Local Government Chairman before he fled to Calabar for fear of apprehension.

The statement in part, The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has arrested one Uduak Frank Akpan, 20 years old for kidnapping, raping and murdering one Miss Iniobong Umoren.

On 30/04/2021, the Command received a report on the disappearance of the victim.

Following available leads, men of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad of the Command, led by CSP Inengiye Igose, consolidated on the initial great progress made by the DPO Uruan, SP Samuel Ezeugo and arrested the perpetrator who confessed to have lured his victim to his house in the guise of giving her a job, but ended up sexually and physically assaulting her which led to her death. To cover his tracks, he dragged and buried her in a shallow grave in his fathers compound.

The deceased has been exhumed and deposited at UUTH for autopsy.

The suspect confessed to have told his local government chairman of his atrocity before escaping to Calabar and was never at any time handed over to the Police by anyone.

Suspect is a confessed serial rapist who has owned up to the raping of other victims. He will be charged to court at the conclusion of investigation.





The Commissioner of Police, CP Amienghene Andrew, has called on youths and job seekers to be wary of the activities of scammers and other men of the underworld.

While appreciating the efforts of the social media family and other fighters of injustice, he has condoled with the family and friends of the deceased.
National leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has warned those clamouring for secession of Nigeria to know th...

National leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has warned those clamouring for secession of Nigeria to know that Nigeria will be like Sudan and Iraq if war breaks out.

The former governor of Lagos spoke on Sunday at the State House, Marina at the Special Ramadan Prayer Tafsir Lecture.

He called on all those clamouring for secession to jettison the idea as the country is better together than separated.

Tinubu warned that the war drums some people are beating would result in the disintegration of the country like Sudan and Iraq.

According to him, Nigeria was yet to recover from the effect of the civil war, warning that the nation could not afford to experience another war.

In his words: For those clamouring for war, God will not allow Nigeria to experience war. If we say Nigeria should separate, people should remember what war caused in Sudan and Iraq. Such war does not ends on time. We are yet to recover from the civil war.

We are better together. I have nowhere I am going. Whoever has experienced war in the past will not pray for such. Nigeria will not separate, its not acceptable to us. Our prayers is for prosperity and more wealth for the country.

The APC National leader commended Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his Deputy, Dr. Kadiri Hamzat for their achievements in the state.

He said the state had witnessed massive developments since the administration of Sanwo-Olu came on board and expressed satisfaction with their performances.

Speaking, Sanwo-Olu promised to fulfill his campaign promises and deliver dividends of democracy.

The governor said the state government was in the process of installing 2,000 cameras across the state for security surveillance.

We are going to install 2,000 cameras in the whole state. We will stop at nothing at ensuring dividends of democracy, he said.

He disclosed that the proposed LASTMA buses, which his administration would unveil this month (May) would eradicate the menace of okada riders.

On security, Governor Sanwo-Olu said more funds would be deployed into the Security Trust Fund to empower police and other security operatives, while technology would be deployed around Lagos.

The National Missioner, Ansaru-deen Society of Nigeria, Sheikh Ahmad Raman also called on those clamouring for the country to divide to have a rethink.

He admitted that insecurity is on the increase, but with constant prayers, change of thoughts and characters by Nigerians, the country would come out of it.

Today are hard times, these are uncertain times. This is the time men are supposed to be separated from boys. This is the time that regions need to think out of the box.

We are insecure, we are unsure, there is hunger, there is anger and confusion in the land. This is the time we need divine intervention. If we gather and pray till 2023, Allah will not listen to us till we do some things, he said.

He added: This is the time action is required backed by deep thoughts for today and our tomorrow. We have often blamed leaders but we have to choose the kind of leaders we deserve. Everywhere is unsafe even the police station is not safe. We need to rejig.

For those clamouring to divide the country, maybe you should have rethink. Ask yourself; where will this clamour for so called independence lead us? We should reinvent this country. Nigeria will be great.
Acclaimed Yoruba activist, Chief Sunday Adeyemo (Aka Sunday Igboho) has said men and officers of the Nigeria Police Force from Yoruba land...

Acclaimed Yoruba activist, Chief Sunday Adeyemo (Aka Sunday Igboho) has said men and officers of the Nigeria Police Force from Yoruba land are with him and other Yoruba nation apologists.

This is coming hours after the police accused the Yoruba nation promoter of attacking its officers during a rally in abeokuta, the Ogun State capital on Sunday.

In a statement by his media aide, Olayomi Koiki, on his social media handle, Sunday Igboho said they will never fight Yoruba policemen.

Igboho directed all true Yoruba indigenes not to fight the police.

However, he reechoed that we do not want the Nigerian government anymore.

The statement read: All the Yoruba police are behind us. We will never fight them. If you are a true Yoruba, dont fight with the police, because they are not fighting (us).

We do not want the Nigerian government anymore, he said.
When Native American tribes were forced from their ancestral homelands in the southeastern United States to what is now Oklahoma in the 1800s  known as the Trail of Tears  thousands of Black slaves owned by tribal members also were removed and forced to provide manual labor along the way. Once in Oklahoma, slaves often toiled on plantation-style farms or were servants in tribal members homes.
A Newark art gallery that was in jeopardy of closing due to the coronavirus has gotten a helping hand from a city grant and private donations.

Now, the owner of Akwaaba is looking towards brighter days: shes planning a new exhibit and summer community events too.

Im feeling very confident that were going to be able to ride this whole COVID storm, said Laura Bonas-Palmer, who opened the art gallery in 2019.

Akwaaba  which means welcome in Twi, a language spoken in Ghana  is located at 509 South Orange Ave. in the citys West Ward. It opened in a portion of the city that has long been looking to revitalize.

The online fundraiser that Bonas-Palmer created about two months ago has raised more than $37,000 and she received a $15,000 grant from the city about two weeks ago. Newark officials have repurposed several grants to help those struggling during the pandemic.

Shes also gotten messages of support from people after sharing the gallerys plight. The positivity has been welcome, especially after she came down with COVID-19 and her husband nearly died from the virus.

For the last few months with everything that has happened, I have been in constant awe of the support weve gotten from the community, said Bonas-Palmer, who moved to Newark about 15 years ago from Brooklyn after immigrating from Trinidad.

Akwaaba Gallery in Newark opened in February 2019 and became a place where artists could not only sell their work, but also connect with others around the country.Paul Chinnery

Coronavirus restrictions meant that the overall business model for the gallery took a hit. The gallery doesnt just support itself on the sale of art.

Bonas-Palmer rented out the space for events unrelated to art and some of the tenants who lived upstairs in the building, which she owns, moved out during the pandemic. Property taxes on the building also increased once she converted the first floor from a bail bonds storefront into an art gallery.

But the energy that once existed in the space is picking up again.

The next exhibit, Soul of a Badass Warrior, will open on May 8 and will feature 16 women artists, including those from Newark, Jersey City, Detroit and Bermuda.

I really, really wanted to do this show because I wanted to do something that I felt was empowering to other women, Bonas-Palmer said.

Bonas-Palmer will also utilize an outdoor space for visitors to come and socialize. Reservations for the opening day have to be booked online so that no more than 25 visitors may come in each hour.

Many of the artists will attend the exhibit on its opening day from 2 to 8 p.m. The exhibit will run until June 12 and the gallery is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Akwaaba was just beginning to gain its collectors base and starting to attract visitors even from Manhattan, Bonas-Palmer said. She held another exhibit several weeks ago called Maskparade, which was her highest-selling show so far.

Bonas-Palmer plans to launch a summer reading and education program for children, which she called a passion project. She wants people she finds inspiring to read to children at the gallery, distribute books to them, and invite artists to teach kids an art project.

Shes also booked 10 events from now until June.

Throughout the pandemic, Bonas-Palmer said she followed every regulation the mayor and governor put in place to stop the spread of the coronavirus. She had no qualms about doing so either, even though her gallery struggled.

Before money comes health and safety, she said. I have no problem with any of the restrictions that were put in place because I feel in order for us to make a living we have to be here first.

Local journalism needs your support. Subscribe at nj.com/supporter.

Rebecca Panico may be reached at rpanico@njadvancemedia.com.
It was a case of road rage, minus the motor vehicle.

A New York man whose vehicle had been towed from a Bayonne street that was being paved was charged with numerous offenses when he got into a physical altercation, or nearly did, with every person he spoke with, Bayonne Capt. Eric Amato said.

Adeyemi S. Adebola Jr., 33, landed in Hudson County jail Friday after the ordeal, in which he was charged with disorderly conduct, obstructing a governmental function, six counts of aggravated assault, impersonating a law enforcement officer, terroristic threats and simple assault.

A police officer was on post for traffic control during a street paving project in the area of 47th Street and Broadway at 9 a.m. when Adebola approached asking about the whereabouts of his vehicle, Amato said.

The officer said that the car had been impounded because it was parked in the work zone where numerous No Parking signs had been posted. Adebola then became extremely irate and aggressive as he demanded the officer to return his vehicle, Amato said.

During the confrontation, Adebola falsely identified as himself as a New York police officer, while producing a gold police detective style badge. Additional officers arrived and Adebola was advised of the process to retrieve his vehicle from the impound lot.

A short while later, an angry Adebola returned to the officers location after speaking with a representative of the tow company, Amato said. An an attempt to avoid confusion, the officer spoke with the tow company, who said Adebola was extremely rude and belligerent after she had advised Adebola of the process to retrieve his vehicle and where it was stored, Amato said.

Adebola became enraged and came face-to-face with the officer in an aggressive manner as he clenched both fists at his side, and he was told he was under arrest for his disorderly conduct. Adebola then grabbed one officers wrist and squeezed tightly, lacerating the wrist with his fingernails, Amato said.

A search after his arrest determined the police badge was phony, and Adebola was taken to police headquarters to be processed for disorderly conduct, aggravated assault on a police officer and impersonating a law enforcement officer.

At the station, Adebola kicked off his shoes off and struck an officer who was preparing to place him into a holding cell. Once in the holding cell, Adebola scooped out the unsanitary toilet water and threw it officers as he threatened them.

He was processed and released, but Adebola was not done, Amato said.

At 4:20 p.m., police responding to a report of a fight in progress found Adebola at an auto body shop on West 22nd Street being subdued on the ground by employees. The employees told police Adebola became belligerent after learning that his vehicle was not there.

The employees tried to calm Adebola and then attempted to escort him out of the shop, but Adebola started a fight with them, Amato said.

The victims got Adebola outside and held him to the ground until police arrived, but only after Adebola bit two employees, causing one to suffer a deep laceration to his hand. Adebola was again arrested, then taken to the Bayonne Medical Center to be examined and then taken back to headquarters for processing.

After being processed, Adebola was brought back to the BMC when he complained of pain, Amato said. After being treated, Adebola became extremely irate and refused to get out of the hospital bed when officer attempted to take him to the Hudson County jail, Amato said.

Officers who got him out of the bed were trying to handcuff him when Adebola kicked, punched and bit the hands of two officers, Amato said. Adebola was ultimately subdued and taken to jail, while the two officers were treated for their injuries at the hospital.
Bicycles arrive one or two at a time and grow into the dozens.

Sewing machines, some after sitting in basements for years, also stack up.

But not for long. They will soon be shipped overseas to help people.

The items, both of which have a strong second, donatable life, were dropped off behind the Colts Neck Reformed Church Sunday as part of a Pedals for Progress event.

Joseph Callaci hands a bicycle to his son Joey Callaci. They donated five bicycles and a sewing machine at a Pedals For Progress event May 2, 2021 at the Colts Neck Reformed Church.Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

The bicycles are headed to Rwanda to help others. Each shipping container holds a little under 500 bicycles, said Gary Michel, of Pedals for Progress.

They had 400 bikes packed Sunday and were hoping to collect 50 to 60, he said.

It keeps stuff out of our landfills in this country and moves it to a country that really needs the help, said Carol McCoy, who organized the donation at the church.

We set up a bike shop in whatever Third World country we are shipping to, owned by nationals from that country, said Michel.

Volunteers at the Colts Neck Reformed Church collected donated bicycles and sewing machines for the charity Pedals For Progress on May 2, 2021.Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

The bikes are sent as is so repairs will be made in the country that receives them. They are going to repair the bikes and we want them to sell the bikes, Michel said.

Some will be given away but most will be sold at a very reasonable price $2, maybe $5, and that gets those guys paid. Now they have a job they help create a little economy, added Michel.

Secondly, when someone pays for a bike they have a vested interest in the bike and now they take care of it, if it breaks down, they take it back to the bike shop for repairs and it helps keep that economy rolling, Michel said.

I had three kids bicycles taking up space in my garage, said donator Nancy Holm. It feels great. I have less stuff in my garage and Im helping three people.

Gary Michel of Pedals for Progress and Doug McCoy prepare bikes for the shipping container. Volunteers at the Colts Neck Reformed Church collected donated bicycles and sewing machines for the charity Pedals For Progress on May 2, 2021.Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Over 30 years we have shipped some 160,000 bicycles overseas, Michel said.

Sewing machines are shipped separately. The organization started collecting and shipping them when they realized the support the same mission as bikes: they are a relatively simple way to improve economic circumstances in the developing world. That effort is called Sewing Peace.

Its so much fun when it all comes together to know that you helped somebody it helps so many people in different ways, McCoy said.

Gary Michel adjusts a bicycle at the Colts Neck Reformed Church at a Pedals for Progress event May 2, 2021.Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Donated sewing machines. Volunteers at the Colts Neck Reformed Church collected donated bicycles and sewing machines for the charity Pedals For Progress on May 2, 2021.Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Volunteers at the Colts Neck Reformed Church collected donated bicycles and sewing machines for the charity Pedals For Progress on May 2, 2021.Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Caro McCoy moves a sewing machine. Volunteers at the Colts Neck Reformed Church collected donated bicycles and sewing machines for the charity Pedals For Progress on May 2, 2021.Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Mark Capriglione gets help from Carol McCoy moving a bicycle his son donated. Volunteers at the Colts Neck Reformed Church collected donated bicycles and sewing machines for the charity Pedals For Progress on May 2, 2021.Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Nancy Holm drops off three children's bikes as volunteers at the Colts Neck Reformed Church collected donated bicycles and sewing machines for the charity Pedals For Progress on May 2, 2021.Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Organizer Carol McCoy moves a bicycle as volunteers at the Colts Neck Reformed Church collect donated bicycles and sewing machines for the charity Pedals For Progress on May 2, 2021.Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Volunteers at the Colts Neck Reformed Church collected donated bicycles and sewing machines for the charity Pedals For Progress on May 2, 2021.Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Volunteers at the Colts Neck Reformed Church collected donated bicycles and sewing machines for the charity Pedals For Progress on May 2, 2021.Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

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Ed Murray may be reached at emurray@njadvancemedia.com.
Theres a Norman Rockwell feel about the town of Kearny, the western outpost of Hudson County nestled between North Arlington in Bergen County and Newark in Essex. Drive down the main drag  Kearny Avenue -- and you get that old-time feel seeing stately houses with green lawns, small businesses and the cluster of mainline Christian churches: Baptist, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic and Methodist.

But what looks like a throwback can be deceiving.

Inside New Canaan United Methodist Church has been a decades-long transformation come to fruition with the largely Brazilian population who have moved into Kearny, Newark and the surrounding towns.

Leading the 100 or so congregants who travel from over a dozen towns every Sunday for the 10 oclock service is a fourth-generation Brazilian pastor, the Rev. Ricardo Oliveira Canfield, 40, who feels right at home in Kearny.

I have everything I can get in Brazil or Portugal right here, he said.

Food, professional services and culture are within walking distance or a brief car ride to the Ironbound section of Newark, the center of a thriving Portuguese nightlife pre-COVID.

Post-COVID, Canfields Sunday services and other church activities are gradually building up attendance as more people feel safe and return.

Before the pandemic, almost every parishioner was at the church every Sunday -- and not just on Sunday, when theyd spend the longest time -- for the service thats in Portuguese and simultaneously translated into English through headphones for anyone who desires it.

A weekly prayer meeting attracted some 40 regulars. Small groups prayed in homes. Friday night drew between 50 and 60 teens and young adults who have their own special room in the adjoining church center. The walls are painted black with lots of youthful symbols and banners and a widescreen television. Theyd hang out and socialize and then participate in an 8 oclock evening prayer service in English. All these activities have resumed and are growing in numbers.

The recently renovated sanctuary boasts a stage for musicians to lead the congregants in singing with a media system in the back of the nave. They were fully able to switch to online services while the church was closed due to the pandemic last year.

The church space is very inviting with a warmth and lots of sunlight.

The newly stained benches are slanted with a wrap-around effect. The church is airy with beautiful stained glass. There is a small altar unlike most churches since their service is mostly word and song.

Canfield said the congregants take Communion the first Sunday of the month and traditionally, even pre-COVID, use small paper cups for the blessed wine, making it COVID-safe today.

The Sunday service begins with an opening prayer, hymns, the tithing collection, then the children exit for Sunday school. Bible readings and the sermon follow and most Sundays there is an altar call, which could include conversions, healing, repentance or blessings.

Pre-COVID they would go to the social hall for breakfast before the service at 9 and that has not resumed yet. But Bible study is back at the same time.

Founded in 1896, in the last decades of the 20th century, the congregation was dwindling, but the New Jersey Methodist conference recognized the growing Portuguese immigration in the area. In 1997, the conference called Canfields father, Estevao, from Brazil to co-pastor the church alongside the small Anglo congregation.

Ricardo, his son who is now a naturalized U.S. citizen, graduated from Montclair State University and eventually moved to Portugal and Europe for 10 years to serve as a missionary until his wife was cleared to emigrate to the U.S. He took over the church in 2017.

Canfield resides in the parsonage next to the church with his wife, Cynthia, and their two children, Matheus, 11, and Beatriz, 6.

Kearny is a really clean city, Canfield said, which attracts more Brazilian immigrants who like the suburban feel. I dont really miss home and feel really alive here.

He said he never wanted to be a minister but felt a calling during his college years and his reaction was, I want to serve you, God. He knew then what he knows now. He loves being a pastor.

The Rev. Alexander Santora is the pastor of Our Lady of Grace and St. Joseph, 400 Willow Ave., Hoboken, NJ 07030. Email: padrealex@yahoo.com; Twitter: @padrehoboken.

Details ...

New Canaan United Methodist Church is located at 601 Kearny Ave., Kearny, NJ 07032. For information, call 201-955-0078 or email contact@newcanaanumc.com.
The Biden Administration has announced its intention to ban menthol cigarettes, and while that will eventually save lives, we should not wait for federal regulations and industry litigation that could take years. New Jersey should act now.

We have unfinished business here. Our state was the first to propose such a ban in Feb. of 2018, but the bill signed by Gov. Murphy that put restrictions on vaping products last year  including a ban of flavored vape liquids -- still left menthol cigarettes on the shelves.

The reason for that last-minute carveout was -- head slaps forehead --the tax revenue the state would lose in such a ban.

But now New Jersey is flush, so the budget should no longer factor into the debate over a toxic product that is the choice of 85 percent of all Black smokers and the majority of children who pick up the habit. Lawmakers must renew this fight to make New Jersey the fourth state to ban menthol.

Assemblyman Herb Conaway (D-Burlington) prefers federal action to prevent cross-border trade that would fill the vacuum of a state ban. But as a physician and board member for the Truth Initiative  one of the most prominent anti-tobacco organizations in the US  he agrees the delay in banning menthol boggles the mind.

Sen. Joe Vitale (D-Middlesex) agrees there is no point in waiting for the feds  it could take them years, and young people are getting hooked every day. And this is the opportunity to undo some of the damage caused by the racist marketing strategies used by Big Tobacco to addict millions of African Americans with menthol.

Indeed, it helps to remember how we got here.

Tobacco companies have targeted minorities for years with intense advertising and promotions of their menthol products, with programs (such as the Newport Pleasure Van) that included handing out free samples in urban communities.

Menthol appeals to new smokers because it reduces the harshness of tobacco smoke, making it easier for beginners to experiment and ultimately become addicted to nicotine. The problem is that the $70 billion tobacco industry knew that decades ago.

By the time the FDA released a report in 2013 about menthols grip on kids, this was industry gospel: Among smokers in the 12-17 age group  when the habit usually starts -- 54 percent prefer menthol. Among Black kids, its 70 percent.

There were 387,000 premature deaths attributed to menthol cigarettes between 1980 and 2018, the FDA says, along with 3 million life-years lost and 10.1 million new smokers. Based on data from other countries, the agency believes a menthol ban would lead to 923,000 smokers quitting within the first 17 months of the ban.

The convenience stores that rely on tobacco sales will feel the impact, but the human cost of smoking is greater than a drop in revenue at the local Wawa. We knew this decades ago, and its time to correct a tragic mistake. New Jersey should get there first.

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By Charles Boyer

As a pastor, I can attest that hope has always been the sustaining power for the Black Church and the Black American community as a whole. However, even with the recent verdict in the Derek Chauvin case, its been hard, over the last year, for Black communities to feel a lot of hope. From George Floyd to Breona Taylor, and now MaKhia Bryant, its been a year of anger and pain over lives lost to police violence. And it continues today.

Even in the midst of this season, which feels like a dark, never-ending tunnel, I do have hope for the future because of the real change weve been able to accomplish in New Jerseys criminal legal system.

Our victorious march toward justice proves that a better world is possible and, more importantly, that the way to get there is to focus on building advocates amongst people with lived experience. Thats why my organization, Salvation and Social Justice (SandSJ), is working with community leaders in two New Jersey communities to build a campaign to get police out of the process of responding to people suffering from substance abuse or mental health crises.

To see the power of advocacy building, look back to 2014 when New Jersey did what was then considered almost unthinkable  it eliminated the cash bail system that nearly all courts rely on in this country as part of their pretrial process. Imprisoning presumed-innocent people before trial simply because they are too poor to afford bail has been the chief driver of growing mass incarceration since the 1980s.

But New Jersey became one of the first to end this destructive and immoral system. It took years of research, advocacy with the legislature and judicial officials and finally approval from voters to amend the state constitution. Voters would never have supported bail reform and rejected decades of fear-mongering by police and conservative politicians without the efforts of hundreds of community organizers having thousands of conversations with voters to break through the lies.

In the years since, advocates with lived experience have been the key to multiple victories in the fight against white supremacy. SandSJ led successful campaigns for the creation of racial impact statements that make clear the impact of policy changes on Black and brown communities, for the appointment of independent prosecutors in cases of police misconduct and for the restriction of solitary confinement in prisons. With our partners, we helped the community advocate for voting rights restoration and the closure of youth prisons.

More recently, SandSJ and our partners led a massive grassroots campaign that successfully forced state officials to release thousands of sisters and brothers from inhumane prison conditions  likely one of the largest singular decarceration events in the states history. This was a critical legislative win that likely saved thousands of lives from overcrowded state prisons as the deadly second pandemic wave hit this past winter.

And of course, New Jersey made history by voting last November to legalize recreational cannabis. It was notable that the campaign to legalize cannabis  for years considered a political punchline  was finally successful only when Black and brown people were impacted by a prohibition organized for it in the name of racial justice. SandSJ demanded that the enabling laws be constructed with a reparative justice framework that uplifts and sends tax dollars back to the Black communities torn apart by the war on drugs. When we pushed for the law to change, and as its been implemented, we have made sure that our communities have a voice in who gets to reap the profits from this new industry.

These wins didnt happen because legislators or judges suddenly saw the light of reason. They happened because Black and brown communities came together to organize, build political power and then to wield that power strategically. And we havent stopped.

Salvation and Social Justice is now working on a campaign to minimize police involvement in the response to substance abuse and mental health crises. Like these other wins, a campaign like this can be successful only if its built by truly involving and listening to those most marginalized in our community. Were hosting a series of conversations with faith communities, youth, neighborhood groups, and others about how they think communities should be responding to people going through these sorts of health crises and where they think public money should be going. Its what we call a community-led response and it will ensure that the demands we ultimately bring to officials will be truly responsive to community needs. This is how true liberation occurs.

Funders, advocates, and strategists around the country need to look at whats happened in New Jersey and learn from it. Powerful, transformative change really is possible. But well only get there by harnessing the power of, and truly listening to, the voices in our communities.

The Rev. Dr. Charles F. Boyer is the pastor of Bethel AME Church in Woodbury and the founding director of Salvation and Social Justice.

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Theyll be putting one of those satellite mileage monitors in my car only after they pry my cold-dead hands off the steering wheel.

Thats my reaction to U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigiegs recent comments about how to fund infrastructure costs. I suspect a lot of other drivers will feel the same way.

In an interview with CNBC last month, Buttigieg said that a mileage tax shows a lot of promise as a means of funding infrastructure spending.

If we believe in that so-called user-pays principle, the idea that part of the way we pay for roads is you pay based on how much you drive, he explained. The gas tax used to be the obvious way to do it. Its not anymore.

But a few days later Buttigieg walked that back a bit.

Thats not part of the conversation about this infrastructure bill, Buttigieg said. Just want to make sure thats really clear.

Its really clear to me: We wont be seeing such a proposal heading into next years elections, at which control of Congress will be up for grabs.

After that, the skys the limit  literally.

The Vehicle Miles Traveled - or VMT - concept envisions satellite monitoring of a GPS device in your car that would bill you by the mile. In the world of transportation planning, its generally accepted that we will be moving in that direction. Typical was a report in the online magazine Slate on Buttigiegs position.

Its headline says it all: Well Have to Tax Drivers by the Mile Eventually.

Says who? Not the federal Energy Information Administration. The EIA, which is the leading authority on such topics, projects that petroleum usage in the transportation sector will remain at current levels through 2050. At that rate a gradual increase in the current gas tax would suffice.

What about the long run? As economist John Maynard Keynes famously quipped, In the long run, we are all dead.

The deep-thinkers may believe otherwise. But theyll have a tough time getting the votes of drivers, says New Jerseys leading driver advocate.

Steve Carrellas of the state chapter of the National Motorists Association, sums up the problems with the vehicle mileage tax succinctly:

Basically, its not cost effective; theres no privacy and it can lead to charging people congestion fees.

When it comes to cost-effectiveness, this scheme for funding infrastructure would require a whole new infrastructure of GPS units and satellites just to collect a few pennies per mile. Hiking the gas tax requires no new collection costs.

As for privacy, Apple already knows where I am at all times. I dont want the government knowing as well.

And then there are those congestion fees. Our neighbors across the Hudson are proposing to impose such a fee for driving into lower Manhattan.

Carrellas again sums that up succinctly: its paying more for worse service.

He argues that the same people proposing the fees are also proposing to shut down many streets to cars. A VMT would let the planners extend that concept to cities all over the country.

But the biggest flaw in the VMT proposal is that it would actually encourage the very behavior it intends to discourage.

With a gas tax, people have a natural incentive to move to more fuel-efficient vehicles. Under the VMT concept, the driver of a 15-mpg SUV pays the same per-mile cost as a 65-mpg plug-in hybrid - or an electric car.

(The Europeans are well aware of this. Look at this chart of gas prices there. One reason Sweden has a lot of electric cars is that the high gas taxes drive gas prices above $7 a gallon.)

But even with that incentive - as well as massive federal and state subsidies  the great mass of drivers are not buying them. (Check this article on how California drivers are switching back.)

In last Sundays Star-Ledger, reporter Payton Guion wrote of test-driving a couple EVs. His verdict: Lots of fun. But lots of range anxiety as well. Even when he found a charger, Guion had to find something to do while the car was charging. In Maplewood, he met some friends at a diner after plugging in to a public charger.

Returning to the car more than an hour later, I was shocked to find it had gained only about 20 miles of range, he wrote.

The current buyers of EVs tend to be early adopters who will put up with that sort of thing. Theyll also put up with turning off the heating and air-conditioning when the battery gets low. But the bulk of drivers expect the convenience of quick fill-ups.

Perhaps the EV manufacturers will soon solve those problems.

If they ever do, drivers will move to EVs of their own free will and the gas tax will be obsolete.

But till that happens, the VMT concept will remain on the horizon  forever coming after the next election.

ADD - AS SOUTH BEND MAYOR, BUTTIGIEG HAD SOME INTERESTING IDEAS ON TRAFFIC:

Writing in Railway Age, New Jersey rail advocate David Peter Allen had an interesting take on how Mayor Buttigiegs Complete Streets initiative reworked the streets of South Bend:

The Complete Streets movement constitutes an effort to re-introduce some of the other historic uses of street real estate with bicycle lanes, wider sidewalks for pedestrians, pedestrian-friendly design features like benches on the newly widened sidewalks, and, in an everything old is new again twist, streetcars.

The initiative was so successful that some locals were complaining of gentrification. Its always a good sign for a city when those complaints come in.

ALSO: I keep getting emails from people who insist we need to get rid of the gas tax because EV owners dont pay it.

Thats a silly argument to make at a time when the purchasers of EVs get thousands of dollars in tax credits for buying one. The obvious scam here is that the deep-thinkers first want to flood the market with EVs and then pretend to be shocked that no one who owns one pays the gas tax.

But the fact is people arent buying them even with that big purchase subsidy as well as savings on the gas tax.

If that bothers you then object to the purchase subsidies, not the gas-tax break. Giving economical vehicles a break on the gas tax is a far more intelligent way to encourage good fuel economy than presenting the buyers with a big cash gift.
By CJ Griffin and Jennifer Sellitti

The New Jersey Attorney Generals Office launched on April 6 what it called the most comprehensive statewide data on police use of force anywhere in the country. The Attorney Generals use-of-force dashboard builds on the NJ.com/The Star-Ledgers 2018 Force Report, which contained all use-of-force reports (UFRs) from 2012 to 2016. We wish that it picked up where the Force Report left off, but unfortunately, the dashboard contains only some UFRs from Oct. 1, 2020 and Feb. 28, 2021. We say some because certain uses of force are missing, such as the Jan. 1, 2021 deadly shooting in Newark.

This dashboard is, of course, a positive step. It catalogs the use of force throughout the state and provides the age, race and gender of both the officer and subject; the name of the officer; and the type of force used and resulting injuries. Just as the Force Report did, we hope that this dashboard educates the public about how police use force against Black and brown people at disproportionate rates and that it sparks change.

In launching the dashboard, the attorney general reaffirmed his commitment to making New Jersey a national leader on policing reform and said the dashboard is a central piece of that effort. Although the AG deserves credit for making some data more readily accessible to the public, this latest effort does little to make New Jersey a national leader in police reform. New Jersey continues to lag behind other states in key ways.

The database fails to create any new transparency or a path to accountability. It is neither complete nor up-to-date, and all of the use-of-force incidents within it are already public as a result of hard-fought court victories against the Attorney Generals Office.

Perhaps, more importantly, the dashboard only concerns itself with the use of force. Transparency is also desperately needed around categories of misconduct that remain hidden from public scrutiny. The testilying of police officers when they serve as witnesses, the fabrication and mishandling of evidence and on and on  all inaccessible in New Jersey. These hidden histories keep important information buried from public view. Extolling the database suggests that the problems with policing lie only with the use of force and not the other shapeshifting forms of harm police misconduct inhabits.

The public remains in the dark about whether each use of force in the database was justified, whether officers were disciplined when it was not, or whether the force ended in serious injury or death. State public defender agencies, newspapers and others have created databases far more robust than this one. For example, New Yorks Legal Aid Society maintains a comprehensive database of every officer that includes not only use of force data, but information about civil judgments, disciplinary violations and more. We cannot replicate this in New Jersey because we do not have similar access to disciplinary records.

The reality is that New Jersey remains far behind the pack when it comes to police reform and the dashboard doesnt change that reality. Florida, Georgia and a dozen other states already make police disciplinary records open to the public, and, in the past month, New Mexico ended the doctrine of qualified immunity that protects police officers from civil suit even after violating an individuals constitutional rights.

No meaningful reform at this level has happened here. Even if the dashboard tells us about individual uses of force, the secrecy that remains around discipline obscures the background of officers involved in these interactions.

This is not a perfect being the enemy of the good scenario. The missing pieces provide critical context to the use-of-force episodes that the public deserves to know about. As the killing of George Floyd shows, a database entry summarizing that an uninjured, white, male officer used neck pressure to subdue a Black man takes on a different meaning if the officer was previously disciplined for making racist remarks, or had internal affairs complaints filed against him by the public. Yet, we have no access to that information.

To bring transparency to policing and true accountability for police misconduct, we must pass Senate Bill 2656/Assembly Bill 5301, which would make law enforcement disciplinary records available for release under OPRA, including, but not limited to: complaints filed against officers, transcripts from disciplinary hearings, and internal affairs records. This would give us details about particular instances of behavior and the subsequent consequences for misdeeds.

We simply cannot claim we are a national leader on police reform when other states are outpacing us.

CJ Griffin is a partner at Pashman Stein Walder Hayden in Hackensack. Jennifer Sellitti is a criminal defense attorney practicing in New Jersey. This article represents the views of the authors only.

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By Kyle Bibby

I spent most of my childhood wanting to be a fighter pilot. I never imagined that the first time Id see a fighter aircraft would be flying over my high school in New Jersey on Sept 12th, 2001. What should have been the coolest moment of my young life was instead a jet-screaming exclamation point to the trauma we all felt on 9/11. If there is a moment when I lost my innocence, it was then.

Im reminded of that moment this week, as President Biden announced its time to end the Forever War and conclude our military presence in Afghanistan. This decision is a long time coming, and for many of the people who served in this war, we know hes making the right choice.

My journey through the military started as a 15-year-old on 9/11, but it peaked as a 25-year-old U.S. Marine Corps infantry officer in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. That was during the surge, 10 years after 9/11. I had spent a decade training to be a combat officer via the U.S. Naval Academy and a grueling Infantry Officer Course. When I deployed, I experienced the truth about war  its a messy, violent, painful and often boring disaster with no winners.

The war was, most of all, expensive, in both lives and resources. We struggled on the ground to understand how our day-to-day operations supported a broader strategy. Our nebulous mission was best highlighted when we received word of the successful Osama Bin Laden raid toward the end of our deployment. In our celebration, one of the Marines sarcastically asked me, OK, we going home now?!

That was 10 years ago.

We werent alone in our skepticism. Years later, while most were outraged by the Afghanistan papers, which shed light on the lies told by our military leaders to prolong the war and advance their careers, we were somewhat comforted to know we werent delinquent in our confusion about the mission. Even the flag officers and government officials guiding the war felt adrift.

In the years since, that confusion turned into anger and resentment. All of us who served know friends and comrades who struggle with the stress and pain they experienced in combat. Depression, substance abuse and suicide become a norm for some of us who served. In a sad irony that mirrors our deployments, we now rely on each other not just for friendship, but support and survival.

These lingering effects are what many people miss about President Bidens decision. Ive watched for years now as the decision to leave or stay in Afghanistan is presented as one of political geography and power politics. It missed the real toll and effect. These wars have taken a toll on the people we obsessively shower with endless claims of support in this country: our uniformed service members.

Every single day that we continue these wars is a day that American service members are asked to recommit to a cycle of trauma. Worse, we never as a nation truly reckoned with the harm we put on the communities overseas. These communities didnt volunteer to join the worlds premier fighting force  instead, their crime was being born on, and connected to contested land. When I speak to my fellow veterans, its not uncommon for the hardest memories to be tied to the families and children who were forced to live in the warzone. This grief is the cost of our forever wars.

Thats why its essential that we demand our elected leaders support our president in ending the Afghanistan War. For two decades weve pushed the costs of war overseas beyond our vision, but the silent costs are here, too. Every dollar spent destroying communities overseas is also a dollar not spent investing in our own youth. Every youth sent overseas for war is a life at risk for a sacrifice that we can no longer justify. Every veteran returning who is saddled with trauma is a high toll to pay for a war that never had a clear goal.

This announcement is an important one for me and the thousands of other veterans who worked so hard to end this war in a responsible way. We are thankful to President Biden for putting us on track for closure and healing. Im sure that in the coming months, as we draw this conflict to a close, people will recall the words of our former Secretary of State, John Kerry, who said, How do you ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake?

Today and for years to come, lets not forget the value of each and every life we will save by finally ending this war.

Kyle Bibby is the co-founder of the Black Veterans Project and national campaign director of Common Defense. He attended Franklin High School and lives in Jersey City.
A man died after being dropped off at a Paterson hospital with nine gunshot wounds, authorities said.

The man, whose identity is under investigation, was taken to University Medical Center on Saturday by individuals in a private vehicle, according to a press release from the Passaic County Prosecutors Office.

They left him at the hospital and drove away as staff rushed him to the emergency room. They could not save him and the man was later pronounced dead, the office said.

Authorities are now investigating who the victim was, why the shooting took place and where it occurred.

The Passaic County Prosecutors Office asks anyone with additional information about this incident to contact them on their tips line at 1-877-370-PCPO or tips@passaiccountynj.org or contact the Paterson Police Detective Bureau at 973-321-1120.

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Josh Axelrod may be reached at jaxelrod@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here.
For them, the holiday comes at the end of a 55-day fast where no meat, fish or dairy is eaten. This year it partially overlapped with Ramadan, the month-long Muslim fast that lasts from sunup to sundown. The communal rituals and family gatherings around the holy days have sparked worries with some experts that they could lead to wider transmission of the virus.
Watertown, NY (13601)

Today

Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High around 85F. W winds shifting to NNE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Mainly clear. Low 54F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.
Torgrimson-Ojerio decided she would try to figure out whether these anecdotes were outliers or representative of a more common phenomenon. She surveyed around 2,200 adults who said they had been exposed to tear gas in Portland last summer. In a study published this week in the journal BMC Public Health, she reported that 899 of them  more than 54% of the respondents who potentially menstruate  said they had experienced abnormal menstrual cycles.
MAPLEWOOD, N.J. (AP)  Olympia Dukakis, the veteran stage and screen actress whose flair for maternal roles helped her win an Oscar as Chers mother in the romantic comedy Moonstruck, has died. She was 89.

Dukakis died Saturday morning in her home in New York City, according to Allison Levy, her agent at Innovative Artists. A cause of death was not immediately released.

Dukakis won her Oscar through a surprising chain of circumstances, beginning with author Nora Ephrons recommendation that she play Meryl Streeps mother in the film version of Ephrons book Heartburn. Dukakis got the role, but her scenes were cut from the film. To make it up to her, director Mike Nichols cast her in his hit play Social Security. Director Norman Jewison saw her in that role and cast her in Moonstruck.

Dukakis won the Oscar for best supporting actress and Cher took home the trophy for best actress.

She referred to her 1988 win as the year of the Dukakii because it was also the year Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis, her cousin, was the Democratic Partys presidential nominee. At the ceremony, she held her Oscar high over her head and called out: OK, Michael, lets go!

Dukakis, who was born in Lowell, Massachusetts, had yearned to be an actress from an early age and had hoped to study drama in college. Her Greek immigrant parents insisted she pursue a more practical education, so she studied physical therapy at Boston University on a scholarship from the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis.

After earning her bachelors degree, she worked at an understaffed hospital in Marmet, West Virginia, and at the Hospital for Contagious Diseases in Boston.

But the lure of the theater eventually led her to study drama at Boston University.

It was a shocking change, she told an interviewer in 1988, noting that she had gone from the calm world of science to one where students routinely screamed at the teachers.

I thought they were all nuts, she said. It was wonderful.

Her first graduate school performance was a disaster, however, as she sat wordless on the stage.

After a teacher helped cure her stage fright, she began working in summer stock theaters. In 1960, she made her off-Broadway debut and two years later had a small part in The Aspen Papers on Broadway.

After three years with a Boston regional theater, Dukakis moved to New York and married actor Louis Zorich.

During their first years of marriage, acting jobs were scarce, and Dukakis worked as a bartender, waitress and other jobs.

She and Zorich had three children  Christina, Peter and Stefan. They decided it was too hard to raise children in New York with limited income, so they moved the family to a century-old house in Montclair, a New Jersey suburb of New York.

Her Oscar victory kept the motherly film roles coming. She was Kirstie Alleys mom in Look Whos Talking and its sequel Look Whos Talking Too, the sardonic widow in Steel Magnolias and the overbearing wife of Jack Lemmon (and mother of Ted Danson) in Dad.

Her recent projects included the 2019 TV miniseries Tales of the City and the upcoming film Not to Forgot.

But the stage was her first love.

My ambition wasnt to win the Oscar, she commented after her Moonstruck win. It was to play the great parts.

She accomplished that in such New York productions as Bertolt Brechts Mother Courage and Her Children, Eugene ONeills Long Days Journey into Night and Tennessee Williams The Rose Tattoo.

For two decades she ran the Whole Theater Company in Montclair, New Jersey, specializing in classic dramas.

Zorich died in January 2018 at age 93.

While her passion lay in stage, a line from her Oscar-winning performance as Rose nonetheless seemed fitting: I just want you to know no matter what you do, youre gonna die, just like everybody else.

___

The late Associated Press writer Bob Thomas in Los Angeles was the primary writer of this obituary.
After nearly three weeks, the United Cajun Navy suspended their search for the seven missing crew members who were aboard the Seacor Power, they announced Sunday.

United Cajun Navy volunteers said people on ATVs will continue to search the Holly Beach area and the Texas Coast East toward Louisiana. Some will continue to provide search dogs.

+8 As Seacor Power search continues, volunteers frustrated with lack of resources, fishing executive Two weeks after the Seacor Power lift boat capsized eight miles off the Louisiana coast, its owner, Seacor Marine, and the U.S. Coast Guard to

Nineteen crew members were aboard the Seacor Power when it departed Port Fourchon on April 13 en route to Main Pass 138. They were met with tropical storm-force winds and potentially deadly waves, but they continued on. The ship overturned at about 4:30 p.m.

"Others may continue in the search efforts and we wish them luck," the non-profit organization announced on Facebook. "Others have formed ways to collect donations to fund their own search efforts and we wish everyone safety and guidance in continued search efforts."

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The United Cajun Navy announced that during the search efforts for the missing crew members, there have been "accusations, untruths and finger pointing" arising "from individuals that United Cajun Navy has Permanent Protection Orders against." They announced they will issue an official statement concerning these rumors later Sunday.

"The rumors of sea planes and fuel invoices not being paid are completely false," the group wrote in a Facebook post. "If anyone has receipts for the Seacor search or feels that they should be reimbursed, please send us a message or post in the comments."

The United Cajun Navy says they raised money for the search efforts, and they created a special account that they say will go directly to the 13 victims' families, who will be issued refunds.

+4 Seacor Power captain's widow says doomed crew was told to sail into storm, contradicts boat's owner The widow of Seacor Power's captain is accusing the lift boat's owner of ordering her husband and his crew to sail into stormy conditions befo

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
A driver was arrested after causing a three-vehicle crash on I-10 near a construction zone in New Orleans early Sunday, the Louisiana State Police said in a statement.

At around 2 a.m., troopers and law enforcement were assisting Entergy with a planned closure at I-610.

As westbound traffic on I-10 neared Louisa Avenue, a driver, who was not named in the State Police release, caused a three-vehicle crash that included a State Police cruiser.

Police said the accident happened in the area where the number of lanes were being reduced to provide space for work crews.

All parties had minor injuries.

State police said the driver was impaired during the crash. Troopers arrested and charged the driver with reckless operation and driving while intoxicated.
During his two decades in New Orleans, Michael Martin was incessantly busy staging little-known plays in parks, garages, bars, storage rooms and other venues that might strike mainstream theatergoers as unconventional.

Because we did shows with zero money, we staked out places with zero overhead, said Margeaux Fanning, his collaborator. He said we were going to produce things that nobodys seen before. He wanted to give people their shot, to see their works produced.

Because Martin and Fannings company, Four Humours Theatre, operated on  at best  a shoestring budget, there was no telling whether anyone involved would be paid.

If there was anything left over after covering our expenses, the actors would get paid, Fanning said. They accepted it. Michael had this uncanny ability to make people perform for absolutely nothing. I cant tell you the number of shows for which I got nothing, and I didnt care. We were doing what was satisfying for our souls, and that was our pay.

Besides finding stages for his productions and then casting and directing them, Martin occasionally acted in them. In addition to performing in brand-new plays, Martin took on such classic heavyweight roles as the title character in Anton Chekhovs Uncle Vanya, George in Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and James Tyrone in Long Days Journey Into Night.

In reviewing Long Days Journey for The Times-Picayune, Theodore Mahne wrote that Martin rises to the top.  In a role that could too easily be tossed off as a drunken villain, Martin coherently revealed, layer by careful layer, who James Tyrone is. And as easy as he might have made it look, there wasnt a move or inflection that wasnt carefully and specifically chosen. It was a genuine pleasure to see such a master of his craft at work.

Martin, who supported himself with a succession of jobs, including janitorial work and cleaning houses, died Monday in his office at Lamothe House Hotel. He was 63.

The cause of death has not been determined, Fanning said.

Martin, whose shaggy white hair fell around his deeply creased face, was born in Minneapolis on May 30, 1957. He attended college but did not graduate. Before moving to New Orleans with Eric Webb, his husband, in 2001, he worked with a succession of theater companies, including Bryant Lake Bowl & Theater in his hometown and The Second City in Chicago.

In New Orleans, he was always doing something all the time, Webb said. He would pile so many projects on his plate, thinking he could do all of them.

David Cuthbert, a retired theater critic for The Times-Picayune, remembered seeing Martin in a performance of Samuel Becketts Krapps Last Tape, which features a 69-year-old man playing tapes he had made of himself years earlier.

The evening turned out to be memorable, Cuthbert said, because the tape recorder refused to work, forcing Martin to play both parts.

In a rehearsal for another play, Cuthbert said, an actress threw a can of vegetables at Martin, hit him in the face and knocked out two teeth.

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He had to have emergency dental surgery, Cuthbert said, but he went on.

Martin also played John Hinckley in a one-man show in which the man who tried to assassinate President Ronald Reagan tried to convince the parole board that he doesnt pose a threat to anyone.

He talks and he talks, and he talks himself back into prison, Cuthbert said. It was too long, but it was riveting.

People who worked with him thought he was the essence of an actor, said Alan Smason, a theater critic for Crescent City Jewish News. He was dedicated to his craft. They thought he was someone who was very intense in his approach to acting, and very generous in working with others.

Martin also had small parts in a long list of independent movies, most recently, Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets, which chronicled the closing of a Las Vegas dive bar.

Martin was a man of many different aspects, Smason said. Like a gem, he had a lot of facets.

He was a true artist, Webb said. There was no middle ground with him. He was either extremely happy or extremely pissed.

The New Orleans writer Michael Tisserand could attest to that, based on an intense discussion the two men had about Martins latest project: a staged reading of the Mueller Report on the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

I got a big blast of his talent, humor and ferocity all at once, Tisserand said. It was so memorable, and I was lucky to spend a day with him.

In addition to Webb, survivors include two brothers, Mathew Martin, of St. Paul, and Larry Martin, of St. Cloud, Minnesota; and two sisters, Nicole Green, of Minneapolis, and Helen Martin, of St. Paul.

Two memorial services, with performances, are planned. One will be held at 7 p.m. May 19 at the Backyard Ballroom, 3519 St. Claude Ave., and the other will be at 7 p.m. June 2 at the Allways Lounge and Cabaret, 2240 St. Claude Ave.

Editor's note: This story was updated May 4 to reflect that Eric Webb and Michael Martin were married.
Jackson, who was 40 weeks pregnant, was taken to Orlando hospital after she noticed Cairo had stopped moving in the womb for 10 hours and had passed meconium, a newborns feces  often a sign of distress if they are still in the womb. After several hours of pleading for treatment, hospital staff delivered Cairo, born with no heartbeat and without oxygen to his brain for eight minutes, the family said.
Have they started blaming the captain yet? asked the former captain they started blaming 32 years ago.

Jessie Morton called his dogs inside and hobbled out of a darkened house in the red-clay hills of northern Washington Parish.

The tragic capsizing of the Seacor Power lift boat last month in the Gulf of Mexico left 13 crewmen dead or missing in the waters south of Port Fourchon. Here, a mile from the Mississippi state line, news of the wreck, a frantic search and mass death off the Louisiana coast stirred haunting memories.

Like Capt. David Ledet of the Seacor Power, Morton was tossed into the sea from a jack-up barge that toppled under his watch in a brutal storm. He helmed the AVCO 5 when it flipped 20 miles out before dawn in July 1989, killing 10 of the 14 aboard.

Unlike Ledet, Morton lived to defend his actions, and endure the trauma, after the crew of a fishing boat pulled him from the Gulf. He sympathized with the deceased captain, noting that Ledet, who died at 63, was not able to defend himself.

Morton, 61, scoffed at a claim by Seacor Marine, the vessels owner, that the go/no-go decision to leave port between storms on April 13 was entirely that of the captain.

You dont just pick up and go on your own. He was under orders to do it, and all theyre trying to do is cover their ass, he said. You got to look at who made the call. That would be the oil company.

In the capsizing of the AVCO 5, the National Transportation Safety Board mostly agreed with him. The 87-foot lift boat, much smaller than the Seacor Power, was chartered by Chevron USA when it went down.

In a report issued 21 months later, the NTSB found that Chevron officials, including a representative on board, pressured Morton to jack down the AVCO 5 and bring it to shore.

They say safety first, captains choice, said Morton, who is now fighting cancer that has spread from kidney to bone. Its your choice when they get you a replacement.

Family members say it was a different Jessie Morton III who joined the boat at sea four days before it sank. He was called in when a relief captain, George Bodin, quit after Chevron officials told him to jack down the AVCO 5 and head to another site farther into the Gulf, the report said.

The Chevron representative remarked that (Bodin) was delaying the project work and he would not allow him to do so again, the report said.

Morton took over and raised the vessel as the seas kicked up on July 30, as a tropical depression that would become Hurricane Chantal formed in the Gulf of Mexico. There was talk after midnight of simply evacuating the boat, a fate that Morton and others expected, but it didnt happen.

Morton testified that the on-board Chevron rep told him about 1:30 a.m. on July 31 that a company dispatcher requested that the boat come into Leeville. Morton said he wanted to wait until daylight. He testified that Chevron denied him permission.

They wanted us down then and was pushing me on it, he testified after the accident.

He spoke with the boats owner and then lowered the craft onto the water about 2:30 a.m. for a 12-hour trip to shore that would last only a few. Morton pulled a photo of his two young children from his shirt pocket and slipped it in a drawer in the pilothouse.

Im not going to die today, he said he told himself as the top-heavy boat motored in. Within a half-hour I was swimming.

As the seas grew worse, Morton said he tried to steer around Ship Shoal, looking for an area calm enough to jack up the boat in time.

Didnt make it, he said last week. Once youre out there in the dark, you cant see the seas coming to time it, before it picks you up and bounces you and breaks your legs and turns you over anyway.

Around 4:30 a.m., a swell lifted the vessels stern and shoved the bow in the water. Another big wave struck. The AVCO 5 nosedived, then rolled to its port side.

Morton called Mayday into his radio handset before a surge of water washed him out through the starboard forward window, sucked him back inside and washed him out again, the NTSB said. The AVCO 5 went down at 5:05 a.m. Morton turned 30 the next day.

The NTSB deemed the probable cause for the accident to be the failure of Chevron USA to recall the vessel to port or leave it jacked up earlier, and a lag by Morton in making the move to shore. It said Morton had the ultimate responsibility to decide whether to proceed to Leeville, though it found his actions were strongly influenced by advice from Chevron representatives.

The company could have saved lives by evacuating, the NTSB found. Flooding from a deteriorated hull also contributed. The agency recommended action by the Coast Guard, Chevron and Avis Bourg & Co., the boats owner.

Morton said he went home cleared and later received $75,000 from a settlement with the boats insurer.

The only vessel he captains these days is a 10-foot flatboat that patrols a small pond dug out of a meadow down the hill behind Mortons house, along La. 424 north of Franklinton.

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Doctors removed a large mass from his shoulder and inserted a rod in his leg, he said. His beard turned white within weeks of his diagnosis. Morton credits his three dogs -- Cinnamon, Lily, and Clueless -- with saving his life while he healed.

It was just me and these dogs, he said.

A red flotation ring, faded and chipping, hangs from a wooden post outside his house -- a keepsake from his rescue.

Morton said he grabbed the ring in the Gulf, then found a lifeboat. He tried to make it back to the AVCO 5 before a shrimp boat crew spotted him drifting and yanked him onto the deck. Morton said he pointed the captain to two others from the toppled boat.

We were hollering back and forth at each other, Morton said. The shrimp boat found me first. The other two guys, they had a mattress. I was the one that grabbed them and pulled them out.

Within days of the wreck, Morton said, there were leaks to media about "possible captain error." A week later, Morton testified at a hearing in Morgan City before the NTSB.

Youre doing everything you can to keep people alive, and theyre dying anyway, and everybodys blaming you, he said. I was on the stand two days with a Chevron attorney trying to make me the scapegoat. He thought he had some stupid boat captain. I held my own.

Morton said he decided to open up once blame shifted on the captain over the submerged Seacor Power. He chafed at the attack on his own navigation skills in 1989.

After the wreck, Morton said, he suffered from post-traumatic stress. He was booked a few times for driving while intoxicated.

I woke up for years choking on saltwater thats not there, he said. After that accident, my nerves were a wreck for awhile. I gave up the boats, figured Id never do that again.

Among the dead was Mortons first cousin, Stephen Wayne Smith, a new deckhand who had driven from Texas with his graduation cap and gown still in the car. Morton had secured Smith the job. Hed sent Smith to check on the engine room minutes before the AVCO 5 capsized.

He got trapped down there, Morton said.

Glenna Anderson of Bogalusa said her brother was beset by guilt afterward.

Between the guilt and the anger that they made him move the boat, and all that kind of stuff, it really took a big toll on his mind, she said.

He had so much anger built up, we couldnt be around him. He couldnt face my aunt. We would have family functions and he wouldnt show up until it was over. Over the years it was almost like he was dealt a bad hand.

Morton had moments after the boat went down, she said, but it was a difference of night and day.

Jessie Butch Morton, 88, who lives across the woods, choked up when describing the impact of the capsizing on his son.

His son grew up in River Ridge, attended Bonnabel High School at its start and hauled construction trash over the Huey P. Long Bridge as a teen. Avis Bourg, the AVCO 5s owner, was a family friend who brought in Morton to work offshore.

Morton worked on lift boats for eight years before the accident. Hed separated from his second wife a few weeks before the fatal trip. Morton said he aimed to rise to a plum job as a Mississippi River pilot.

He was good, easy to get along with. He took his job seriously. He went all out to do whatever he could out there, the elder Morton said. He just totally changed.

Afterward, Morton attended Southeastern Louisiana University in hopes of earning a law degree to make it too expensive for them to kill people and just put em down as a figure, as the cost of doing business.

But his disability payments dried up, and Morton said he overcame panic attacks to return offshore in the late 1990s, first as a crane operator and then running underwater robots remotely.

A worsening back condition sent him home for good in 2015. Morton made wood carvings and worked a bouncy-house business for awhile before the cancer.

I knew it wasnt my time, he said of the AVCO 5 accident. Im still here for a reason.

Along with the floating ring that helped save him, Morton keeps a man-sized buoy outside that he picked up on the shore in Port Fourchon, one of many finds as a beachcomber.

The water will always give me something, he said.
A total of eight people were shot, including two who were killed, in three separate shootings overnight Saturday and Sunday, according to the New Orleans Police Department.

Two people were slain and three more were wounded in a shooting in the 7th Ward about 11:40 p.m., according to the New Orleans Police Department. Less than two hours later, there was a separate double shooting in the Central Business District, and then gunfire left another person wounded in Algiers late Sunday morning.

The quintuple shooting happened when someone sprayed gunfire at a car in which the victims were riding near the corner of St. Bernard and North Claiborne avenues, police said.

First responders initially said they found four men with bullet wounds and took them to the hospital, where two of them died. Police said two additional victims went to the hospital on their own, bringing the number of those shot to six; but then officers issued a correction saying only a total of five people had been hit by gunfire.

Police provided ages for the four whom first responders took to the hospital. They were 17, 18, 25 and 29 years old. They didn't specify which of those were the ones who died.

After 7 shot on New Orleans interstates in April with no 'rhyme or reason,' NOPD seeks answers In just the month of April, seven people have been injured in four interstate highway shootings, part of an uptick in gun violence on New Orle

Then, about 1:30 a.m. Sunday, police said gunfire wounded two men in the 300 block of Girod Street.

The wounded pair  ages 26 and 24  were in a car trying to find parking and had argued with at least one person in the street before that person pulled a gun out and shot the victims in the lower parts of their bodies, police said. Paramedics brought the two injured men to the hospital while the shooter fled.

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A law enforcement source said witnesses counted roughly 17 gunshots. One of the wounded men limped into the kitchen of a restaurant in the 700 block of Tchoupitoulas Street, near Gravier Street, which prompted police to initially report that the shooting had occurred at that intersection.

In the third case, about 11:30 a.m. Sunday, a man was shot at Vixen and Gallinghouse streets in Algiers but went to Martin Luther King Boulevard and South Claiborne Avenue before calling the police. He was taken to a hospital by paramedics.

That brought the number of people shot in New Orleans during a 36-hour period beginning in the early morning hours of Saturday to 11. Three men had been wounded in three separate shootings between 12:15 a.m. and 4:10 a.m. Saturday in Mid-City and St. Roch, as New Orleans continues experiencing elevated levels of gun violence.

Investigators did not name suspects in any of the shootings Saturday. They also didn't address possible motives except for the shooting on Girod.

Anyone with information can call Crimestoppers at (504) 822-1111. Tipsters may be eligible for a cash reward.

Editor's Note: This story has been updated to reflect additional information released by NOPD.
The third night of this years Louisiana Crawfish Festival in Chalmette was marred by a fight that set off a panicked stampede and prompted rumors of a shooting Saturday night, according to authorities.

The St. Bernard Parish Sheriffs Office said a fight involving one person who brandished a weapon was reported before 8:10 p.m. In a statement, festival organizers said that caused a massive crowd to charge the gates.

But accompanying rumors that someone had been shot at the festival were untrue, and there was no evidence that any shots were fired, the Sheriffs Office and the festival organizers said.

+5 St. Bernard crawfish festival kicks off under lighter COVID restrictions Clad in a Spiderman face mask and bursting with the pent-up energy of months of virtual learning, 7-year-old Taje Williams hit the Louisiana 

The Sheriffs Office said the only shooting reported in St. Bernard Parish was about 11:45 p.m. at the corner of Juno Drive and Patricia Street in Chalmette, more than a mile away from the Frederick J. Sigur Civic Center, where the festival was being held.

In that case, a 15-year-old boy and a 16-year-old were walking when someone in a passing car fired at them, striking one in the left foot and the other in the right side, the Sheriffs Office said. The teens were brought to University Medical Center while whoever shot them fled, the agency said.

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The Sheriffs Office said Sunday that investigators had not found a link between the shooting at Juno and Patricia and the fight at the crawfish festival. But the Sheriff's Office made it a point to say the investigation into the shooting remained ongoing.

Additionally, the agency set a news conference on Monday afternoon to publicly discuss both the fight at the festival as well as the shooting.

The Sheriff's Office did not say whether anyone was arrested for the fight at the festival. Investigators havent named any suspects in the shooting. Anyone with information can call Crimestoppers at (504) 822-1111.

The festival began Thursday and is scheduled to last through Sunday amid lighter coronavirus restrictions.
God may have given Americans the right to bear arms, but he did not show them all how to shoot straight.

Take a look, for instance, at that leaked videotape of Wayne LaPierre in Botswana, repeatedly failing to kill a wounded elephant at point-blank range. A guide eventually puts the beast out of its misery.

If this was embarrassing for LaPierre, it was only because, as national head of the NRA, he is billed as an accomplished big game hunter.

LaPierre thanked God for the Second Amendment after the 2018 school massacre in Parkland, Florida, so he isn't the type to be squeamish about African wildlife.

His belief that the right to keep and bear arms is God-given found lots of support in Baton Rouge on Wednesday, when a House committee took up a bill to repeal the law requiring a permit to walk down the street with a gun in your pocket. Proponents of repeal had no doubt which side God was on.

It was no surprise that this bill cleared committee, as a similar one had in the Senate a day earlier. Louisiana voters in 2012 overwhelming approved a constitutional amendment making the right to bear arms fundamental, so that any restrictions to it must be narrowly tailored to a compelling state interest. That left us standing tall as the gun-totingest state in the Union.

We are not leading the way this time, for what is called permitless concealed carry is all the rage. Proponents of repealing the Louisiana law reeled off a list of states that have gone before. It seems that the Legislature favors giving any adult who is not a convicted criminal, a drunk or an addict, an untrammeled right to hide a weapon about his or her person in public. Polls show the public think that's nuts and a veto is expected from Gov. John Bel Edwards.

Under current law, the permit that is required to carry a hidden gun is issued only after an applicant has undergone, and paid for, training in how to use it safely.

However, it is easy enough, even under current law, to avoid the inconvenience and expense of achieving firearm competence before getting rodded up to walk the streets. Just wear a pistol on your hip or sling a rifle over your shoulder and strut. There's no law against carrying a weapon openly.

Anyone who wants to obtain a concealed carry permit will still be able to do so if the bill passes, and conscientious citizens will no doubt do so. But a lifetime permit costs $500, which will discourage many and which proponents cited as a reason to repeal the requirement. They noted that Americans do not otherwise have to reach for their wallets in order to exercise a constitutional right.

If concealed carry permits were no longer required, goofballs with no idea how to handle that gun hidden under their clothes will inevitably take to the streets. Proponents deny that public safety will be affected, but law enforcement, which speaks with some authority, disagrees. State Police and the Baton Rouge Police Department testified against the bill.

Passions always run high in legislative hearings about guns, which often stray from the point, as citizens giving evidence grow understandably flustered. On this occasion, for instance, an opponent of permitless carry assured believers that suicide by gun is almost always fatal. That's hard to dispute whether or not you think that the Lord wants Smith and Wesson to prosper.

Email James Gill at gill504nola@gmail.com.
Every now and then, a politician will say the quiet part out loud.

Thats what happened last week, when state Rep. Bryan Fontenot, R-Thibodaux, basically admitted that his own bill goes too far, that he knows better than to claim that allowing the concealed carry of guns without proper training is a good idea.

"My personal experience is that you should have mandatory training, Fontenot said in discussing House Bill 596, but I was elected by a swath of individuals who disagree."

Maybe thats the case in Fontenots district  although its also quite likely that those individuals are fewer and louder than those who agree  but its not in the state.

A new poll taken for A Stronger Louisiana, a group helmed by people close to Gov. John Bel Edwards, found that public sentiment is very much in line with Fontenots stated thinking. The survey shows overwhelming support not just for training, but for permits as well. Eighty percent of the 600 registered voters interviewed in March said that there should be a requirement to obtain a permit and attend safety classes in order to carry a concealed handgun, as there is now. Support crosses party lines, with 88% of Democrats and 73% of Republicans agreeing, and covers every region in the state.

Actually, Fontenots preference for mandatory training stops well short of what voters say they want. His original bill did not require the nine-hour course currently mandated, but rather a one-hour online class. The bill was amended down to make even the watered-down online class optional.

The many voters who back the status quo are the same ones who, improbably, elected the Democratic governor in the first place, after Edwards proved he had his finger on the states cultural pulse by touting his support for gun rights. Theyre the same ones who hire, either directly or indirectly, the law enforcement leaders who warn that allowing concealed handguns without current regulations is a recipe for danger, or even needless death.

"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. Other top cops warned lawmakers that without those safeguards, gun owners might not know how theyre obligated to interact with police, or even how to shoot straight. A veteran trainer himself, Col. Lamar Davis, the superintendent of Louisiana State Police, said that without these classes, "many of (his students) could have shot themselves right there on the range."

Nevertheless, Fontenots bill was approved 8-4 by the Administration of Criminal Justice Committee, and a similar bill by state Sen. Jay Morris, R-West Monroe, has made it through the full Senate on a 27-11 vote.

Morris claims his bill is about liberty and freedom, as if those things arent compatible with responsibility and public safety. As Fontenot suggested in his unexpectedly honest aside, of course they are.

The public gets that. And so does Edwards, who is sensitive to being perceived as too close to a national party dominated by gun control supporters, and who rarely weighs in against gun rights measures unless he feels theyre truly outside the mainstream. Hes confident enough of where the center is here to say hell veto any loosening of concealed carry restrictions that reaches his desk.

Asked about current restrictions requiring training and permits, he said that all of that it seems to me is proper. Thats the right balance to strike. And I feel very strongly about that. I also feel very strongly that a considerable majority of the people in Louisiana support the system we currently have.

In other words, most voters also know better than to believe reasonable precautions to save lives somehow infringe on Louisianans freedom, or threaten a pro-gun culture that even the Democratic governor heartily supports. They know these bills go too far.

If only more of the people who claim to represent them in Baton Rouge would acknowledge that too.
Harrisburg, Pa.  A bipartisan group of state senators wants to finance animal cruelty investigations by assessing offenders an additional $5.

If enacted, S.B. 560 would establish the Animal Cruelty Investigation Fund in the state Treasury Department. Fines from individuals convicted of animal cruelty offenses would build up the fund. Money in the fund would go towards the training, equipment and legal expenses of humane society police officers. It would also cover the food and veterinary costs of rescued animals.

"The bill aims to ease the stress on animal protection organizations by providing support for our humane societies," primary sponsor Sen. John Kane (D-Chester) wrote in bill's memo.

Sens. Katie Muth (D-Berks), Wayne Fontana (D-Allegheny), Jim Brewster (D-Allegheny), Jay Costa (D-Allegheny), John Yudichak (I-Carbon), Steven Santarsiero (D-Bucks), Carolyn Comitta (D-Chester), Judith Schwank (D-Berks) and Maria Collett (D-Bucks) co-sponsored the measure.

The Pa. General Assembly's Animal Protection Caucus, a coalition of legislators from both chambers, endorses S.B. 560.

The bill was referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee on April 14.
Bellefonte, Pa.  State College Police hold an active warrant against a man accused of several felonies stemming from an investigation into the purchase of two firearms in 2020.

Angelo Betancourt, 39, of Bellefonte, is charged with second-degree possession of a firearm prohibited, third-degree felony sales to ineligible transferee, second-degree felony possession of a firearm prohibited, and third-degree felony conspiracy. He is also charged with second-degree firearm ownership and second-degree conspiracy. Both of those charges are misdemeanors.

Detectives from the State College Police Department said it started when they investigated the report of a false statement on a firearm application. The applicant responded no to the question, Are you an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or any controlled substance?.

Records shot the applicant was charged with DUI four days prior to filling out the application. Despite presenting a falsehood on the application, two Taurus Arms 9mm model G2C handguns were sold to the applicant.

On May 26 of 2020, a search warrant was issued for the applicants property. When officers attempted to serve the warrant, Betancourt answered the door at the applicants apartment.

Detectives said Betancourt gave them directions where to recover one of the firearms inside the apartment. According to the report, it was in a ceiling compartment in the hallway.

Betancourt told officers the other firearm was located at my place, according to the report. Betancourt offered to take officers to the apartment.

Troopers said the second firearm was recovered from an apartment in Lewistown by the original purchaser.

Detectives said they discovered Betancourt had multiple felony drug charges that would make it illegal for him to own a firearm. Detectives said a search warrant for the purchasers phone showed 70 messages and three phone calls between them and Betancourt the day of the purchase.

Detectives said the purchase was made as a straw purchase for Betancourt, who is not legally allowed to own or possess a firearm due to his criminal history.

Court records show Betancourt was charged with felony manufacture, delivery, or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver in 2013.
"The U.S. will face worse and worse crisis beyond control in the near future if it is set to approach [Nork Korea]-U.S. ties, still holding on the outdated policy from Cold War-minded perspective and viewpoint," he added.

"Now that... the keynote of the U.S. new [North Korea] policy has become clear, we will be compelled to press for corresponding measures, and with time the U.S. will find itself in a very grave situation," Kwon said, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency.

Kwon Jong-gun, director general of the Department of U.S. Affairs of the Norths Foreign Ministry, dismissed the U.S. approach as a "spurious signboard for covering up its hostile acts" against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the country's official name.

The statement, issued Sunday by a senior North Korean diplomat, was the country's first official reaction to the Biden administration's just-completed North Korea policy review, which expresses an openness to talks with the nuclear-armed country.

North Korea has lashed out at President Joe Biden, warning the U.S. will face a "very grave situation," after the White House announced the broad outlines of its plan for diplomacy with Pyongyang.

 Middle Approach

Following a monthslong internal review, the White House on Friday announced a general overview of its North Korea plan. The policy attempts to take a middle approach between those of Biden's recent predecessors.

"Our policy will not focus on achieving a grand bargain, nor will it rely on strategic patience," said White House press secretary Jen Psaki. "Our policy calls for a calibrated, practical approach that is open to and will explore diplomacy with the DPRK and to make practical progress that increases the security of the United States, our allies and deployed forces."

North Korea has boycotted talks with the U.S. since 2019. In February of that year, a summit between then-U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ended abruptly after Trump rejected Kim's offer of sanctions relief for partial steps to dismantle his nuclear program.

Biden, who took office in January, has long been critical of Trump's meetings with Kim. He believes top-level meetings should occur only if there is progress on denuclearization. But Biden is also attempting to discard aspects of the approach taken by former President Barack Obama, who relied on a policy of "strategic patience." That plan sought to apply carefully calibrated economic and military pressure until Pyongyang was ready to make concessions at the negotiating table.

 Human rights

North Korea seems unhappy with either approach. In their statements Sunday, North Korean officials slammed recent joint U.S.-South Korea military exercises. It also accused the Biden administration of "insult[ing] the dignity of our supreme leadership" by criticizing Pyongyang's human rights record.

Last week, the U.S. Department of State issued a statement noting the "millions of North Koreans who continue to have their dignity and human rights violated by one of the most repressive and totalitarian states in the world."

In response, a North Korean Foreign Ministry official said Sunday that Pyongyang "will be forced to take corresponding measures." "We have warned the U.S. sufficiently enough to understand that it will get hurt if it provokes us. The U.S. will surely and certainly regret for acting lightly, defying our warnings," the official said.

 More Tests Coming?

North Korea in March conducted its first ballistic missile test in about a year. Many experts had expected North Korea to resume tests near the outset of Biden's term, as it has done with past U.S. administrations. Kim said in January of last year that he no longer felt bound by his self-imposed moratorium on long-range missile and nuclear tests.

Pyongyang has not conducted a nuclear test or launched an intercontinental ballistic missile since 2017, before Kim's diplomacy with Trump.


Now, thanks to current or proposed Republican legislation, it will be much harder to add constitutional amendments to the ballot; local governments will not be able to do much about alternative energy or the environment without state approval; protesting will bring with it fear of criminal charges. And if I try to vote the Republicans out of office, they are passing new laws to make voting as inconvenient as possible. Do they hope I will give up? Dont count on it!
Washington, DC - The Fairness for Rape Kit Backlog Survivors Act is making a reappearance in Congress thanks to the efforts of Senators Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.).

Through this act, sexual assault survivors would receive access to the same benefits as victims of other crimes.

Law enforcement agencies, laboratories, and hospitals across the U.S. have hundreds of thousands of untested DNA evidence (known as "rape kits") collecting dust in their facilities, sometimes for years.

Because of this, many sexual assault survivors are unable to access state crime victim compensation once the kits are finally tested and matched.

The bipartisan legislation introduced by the two Senators would require state programs to allow sexual assault survivors to file for compensation without being penalized for testing delays. If passed, states would be given three years to change their own laws in compliance.

Every year, thousands of rape kits go untested, delaying justice for victims, said Senator Toomey.

This bipartisan bill helps lessen the ramifications of these backlogs by ensuring that victims can apply for and receive benefits and support services, even if their rape kit is delayed to a point that a victim missed the deadline to apply in their state. All victims deserve justice, so this bill is one small step Congress can take towards ensuring victims are properly supported. I hope my Senate colleagues will quickly approve this bill.

Nevadas work to clear its rape kit backlog in 2020 has resulted in 64 arrests and over 1,083 DNA matches. My legislation will allow these Nevadans who may have just learned about a DNA match or forthcoming prosecution to file for state compensation funding to cover mental health counseling, medical procedures, and other related support services, even if the backlog caused them to miss the original deadline to apply, said Senator Cortez Masto.

Protecting survivors of sexual assault is a bipartisan priority, and I will continue working across the aisle to make sure survivors have the resources and federal support they need to seek justice.
Rome, GA (30161)

Today

Showers this morning then scattered thunderstorms developing during the afternoon hours. High 86F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Locally heavy rainfall possible..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy with showers and a few thunderstorms. Low around 70F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
Re-rentrys hard, and the spacecraft was in beautiful condition, but you just worry as you as you go through the six minutes of com blackout, said Kathy Lueders, head of NASAs human space exploration directorate, at a press conference later Sunday. It was so great to hear Mikes voice and then see those drogues and the mains deploy so wonderfully and the vehicle just come softly down and back to Earth.
"We don't foresee the added protections of social distancing, hand sanitizing stations and extra disinfecting strategies going away any time soon. In the grand scheme of things, those are good practices to protect the health of our neighbors long after COVID has been controlled," she said. "We've also learned, internally, some of the things within our business that could be streamlined and updated to accommodate a changing society. Utilization of our drive-through service in Highland has increased immensely resulting in a shift in staff. Walk-ins after 6 p.m. slowed quite a bit, so we took the initiative to amend our hours."

The pandemic forced businesses to be nimble and adapt.

"Everyone and every business learned a lot very quickly during the pandemic," Strack and Van Til Chief Operating Officer Dave Wilkinson said. "All of us were in uncharted territory. From panic buying, product shortages, shutdowns, and government mandates, change came quickly, almost overnight. The Strack teams did an outstanding job and adapted to an ever-changing environment and continued to serve our customers in a safe and friendly environment."

Highland-based Strack & Van Til, which has 20 locations across Northwest Indiana, was busy during the pandemic, especially in the early days, but faced new challenges and changing consumer behavior.
For the second time in the last few weeks, a local locale has been featured in a major Hollywood movie.

Just a few weeks after Gary was a setting in the new "Mortal Kombat" movie, Netflix's "The Mitchells vs. The Machines" featured a billboard from Redamak's.
As Mother's Day draws near, the thoughts of many turn to our own mothers, grandmothers and those who've even served as a motherly role model in our lives.

Every year, a special storytelling production titled "Listen to your Mother" puts the spotlight on motherhood in all its glory, heartbreak, humorous moments and more.

This coming weekend, on May 8, the day before Mother's Day, the cast of "Listen to your Mother" will take the stage at 7 p.m. in Hobart to tell their tales of motherhood. The presentations will be a mixture of humor, heartbreak, serious and witty stories, monologues, poems and other creative works.

The Times Media Co. is one of the sponsors this year and will be livestreaming the event for those who can't attend in person.

The original show, which is the brainchild of Ann Imig, of Madison, Wisconsin, celebrates its 10th anniversary in Northwest Indiana.

Carrie Bedwell, producer/director of the Northwest Indiana version of the show, praised the work of this year's cast as well as the presentations of cast members through the years.
VALPARAISO  The Banta Center reopens Monday, but its days are numbered.

The Valparaiso Park Board ruled out using the former Banta School as a senior center site after hearing a presentation from the task force that recommended the former Whispering Pines as its favorite location. A site adjacent to the new Boys & Girls Club being built just south of Old Fairgrounds Park is the second choice.

At the suggestion of Director of Parks and Recreation John Seibert, the Park Board has opted to keep the Boys & Girls Club site in the running for now so a comparison can be made between the two sites.

The Whispering Pines sites advantages include its proximity to Pines Village, an assisted living retirement facility, and the Valparaiso Family YMCA as well as pathways and Calumet Avenue, a major thoroughfare. A V-Line bus stop is already located there.

Consultant Bill Oeding, of Abonmarche, knows the city well. He has served as city administrator, among other positions. His companys team  a structural engineer, an architect and a civil engineer  toured the Banta Center and Whispering Pines to see what shape the buildings were in and how functional they could become after remodeling.
CROWN POINT  A Crown Point K-9 is now enjoying life as a retired dog after years of patrolling the streets and his famed capture of a homicide suspect in 2018.

On Friday The Crown Point Police Department announced that Radar, a German Shepherd, is retired after 10 years of service. Police said along with his handler, Crown point police Cpl. Stanko Gligic, he spent eight years on street duty and two years as part of the departments DARE program.

In 2018, Radar was presented with the American Police Canine Association's Uncommon Valor Award for his work in apprehending fleeing double-homicide suspect.

On Dec. 26, 2018, police responded to a Merrillville home where two people had been shot, police reported. Robert Stewart, of Merrillville, who was charged with the deaths, had fled the scene still armed with a gun.

Radar was able to pick up the mans scent and track it in the cold and snow. The track went for approximately one mile through residential areas and led them to a shed in a backyard of a residence.

Not knowing if the suspect was still armed, Gligic began to give commands to the suspect to throw his weapon out and come out of the shed, with the suspect refusing.
Miller said teachers would recommend students attend one of the two remediation weeks, which would be optional for both teachers and students. Teachers would receive additional pay for participating in the program, Miller noted.

"They would have small group and individual remediation during that time, and again, during the spring break time ... we would do the same process," Miller said. "We know from our data that that can be as much as 75% of our kids would benefit from an intervention like that."

The balanced calendar allows the district to see students through an equity lens rather than an equality lens, Miller said.

"An equality lens says everybody gets the same exact thing no matter what, and that's what we've done in education for years. It's almost like the assembly line mentality," Miller said. "For a significant group of kids, that works. But you have high-ability kids on the high end, you have moderate- and low- ability kids, on the other end. You have special education students. You have students who are learning the language, and less and less is that one size fits all working for all the kids."
Nuses said many might think of K-9s as attack dogs.

In reality, the dog serves much more purpose, Nuses said.

If an officer is outnumbered, just the bark of a dog can cause enough of a distraction for the officer to gain control of a situation, he said.

Its a game changer, Nuses said.

Goose and Dozer were bred and trained at Baden K-9, which is in Canada. He said the cost of each dog is about $12,500, and Baden donated one of the animals to the department.

Sgt. Lance Schmidt, who is the handler of Goose, and Cpl. Gary Henry, who is the handler of Dozer, traveled to the Baden facility in March to train with the animals for two weeks.

And theyve been with them ever since, Nuses said.

He said the training with the animals continues here, and they should obtain final certification in May.

Right now, theyre riding with the police officers and just getting accustomed to the environment that theyre going to be in," Nuses said.

Council President Rick Bella commended Schmidt and Henry for their commitment to the animals and the K-9 unit.
"Services are in English," Van Sickle said.

Similarly, there was no need to call and RSVP during Easter for parishioners at SS. Peter and Paul Macedonian Church in Crown Point, according to the Rev. Georgij Gligorov, priest at the church.

"We will have regular services. There are no restrictions. We recommend parishioners wear masks and practice social distancing. We are not playing cops," Gligorov said. "We don't have reservations."

There is hope that things are getting safer given that a vaccine is readily available to most people.

"People are getting the shots. And in the past year we didn't have many cases. Our community was preserved," Gligorov said.

For Trakas, making reservations for church services at SS. Constantine and Helen was a small price to pay for being able to attend church services in person.

"It's the reason for Easter and the importance of family. These holidays need to be spent with families," Trakas said.

Trakas also celebrates the so-called American or earlier Easter with her parents, which also includes a dinner and Easter egg hunts.

But the Orthodox Easter for her is what brings about the true religious meaning of Easter.
VALPARAISO  As the citys Park Board considers where to put the active adult lifestyle center that will replace the Banta Center, its looking at more than just the cost.

We really want to make Valpo a retirement destination community, said Deb Butterfield, who led the task force put together to advise the Park Board on this issue.

Grandparents are moving to Valpo to be closer to their grandchildren, she said.

The recently released city housing study was useful, Butterfield said. It showed the age 65-plus category grew 47% in the past decade. In addition, 62% of the housing growth in Valparaiso over the next 10 years is expected to come from residents over age 65.

Butterfield, a former councilwoman, said the opportunity to offer input helped convince her to return to Valparaiso from Florida.

The task force was asked to examine best practices as well as recommend a new location. Programming needs, after all, will shape the design of the new facility.

The word senior is being dropped as the concept evolves.
While the weather may appear perfect for a day on the lake, safety officials warn against underlying hazards that could lead to drownings.

While temperatures will be in the 80s and 70s in the coming weekends, there will be strong south winds and cold water temperatures, said Dave Benjamin, executive director of the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project.

Benjamin said residents should enjoy the water from a distance as beachgoing season begins.

"Sudden immersion into cold water can cause cold water shock, a hyperventilation gasp reflex, and an incapacitated swimming ability," He said. "Drowning can happen within minutes. Hypothermia can set in in less than an hour."

He called the combinations of conditions for drownings the four W's: warm, wind, waves and weekend. Benjamin said those who are kayaking, paddle boarding or doing any other lake activities should wear wet suits and life jackets.

"Offshore winds and/or side-offshore winds can blow them fast and far from shore and theres a likelihood that they wont be able to paddle back to shore against the winds," Benjamin said.
WINFIELD  The Town Council will wait until next year to go forward with its sidewalk ramp project.

The council has rejected the lone $133,000 bid received from Gariup Construction of Gary and agreed to rebid the project next year, following the advice of Clerk-Treasurer Rick Anderson.

Anderson told the council that available funding for the project was approximately $42,100 from the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program.

That wouldn't be sufficient funding to proceed this year, Anderson said.

"The best option is to roll the money over to 2022 and rebid the project again next year," Anderson said.

Anderson said about 20 sidewalk ramps of a total of 30 were earmarked to be replaced in the Country Meadows subdivision.

Country Meadows, one of the town's oldest subdivisions, existed prior to Winfield becoming incorporated as a town, Anderson said.

Sidewalk ramp replacements are also needed in the Doubletree West subdivision.
President Joe Biden is willing to throw away Americas energy independence to chase an unattainable goal of having 100 percent renewable energy sources powering the country, according to a group of self-described climate realists who say the science doesnt match the rhetoric.

The week Biden was inaugurated was the first week since 1985 the U.S. did not import one barrel of oil from Saudi Arabia, said Gregory Wrightstone, executive director of the CO2 Coalition.

Wrightstone, a geologist by training, took part in a webinar hosted by The Heartland Institute in advance of the White Houses Global Climate Summit during which the administration negotiated climate deals with some of the planets most egregious greenhouse gas emitters.

Those agreements, though, wont be worth the paper on which theyre printed, said the experts.

The White House hosted a climate summit with more than three dozen world leaders, including some of the worlds biggest polluters. Biden committed to spending the next decade cutting U.S. emissions to at least half of their 2005 levels. China said it would strive to peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060.
I am a great observer of the implicit messages encoded in body language. I am intrigued by what is meant rather than what makes its way into our conversations.

In todays world, nothing is filtered, so in part, I have received much of what I desiredever heard of being thankful for unanswered prayers? In this case, I wish we had more filtration when it came to our communication. We would probably have a chance at restoring civility (as we once knew it). But, COVID once again has forced us to push the reset button and re-examine norms and cultural attitudes.

One such cultural attitude that no Constitution-loving American wants to admit to is classism because, after all, we were founded on tenets that excluded the class system. But, the Germans say, papier ist geduldig and that roughly translates to "paper is patience." Upon those papers lie the theories that work, but perhaps do not neatly translate into reality.

Attitudes about online learning and education come to mind when musing about class and education. I have named it educational elitism. We love to engage in it when we tout the brand, I mean, the school we attended.
The April 16 meeting at the White House between President Joe Biden of the United States and Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga of Japan underscored the strong alliance between their powerful nations, and went further.

The two leaders publicly emphasized the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and their commitment to peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues. They also went on the record expressing strong concern regarding Beijings suppression of freedom in Hong Kong and persecution of the Uyghur ethnic minority.

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which has controlled Taiwan government for the past five years, is formally committed to independence from China. President Tsai Ing-wen is also notable as the first woman elected to lead the island.

China has become increasingly militant and assertive in the region, including reconfirming commitment to absorbing Taiwan. Current aggressiveness of China in maritime and military terms adds teeth to the continuing harsh, expansionist rhetoric.
Ms. Lenz had already learned a thing or two from online dating. The first time she tried it was after the end of her marriage  she and her former husband had been together for 30 years and had two children  and she felt she had nothing to lose. Embracing what she called radical honesty, she felt she would rather be up front about who she was from the start. She followed that approach this time, too.

He, too, put some really vulnerable stuff in his profile, Ms. Lenz said.

Sarahs willingness and fearlessness in being honest is what brought us together, Mr. Paskey said.

Ms. Lenz is a graphic designer and artist. She grew up in Berkeley, Calif.

Mr. Paskey was raised in Kalamazoo, Mich., and is a lecturer in law, legal analysis, writing and research at the University at Buffalo School of Law. He spent more than a decade working in the Department of Justice bringing to trial Nazi collaborators who went to the United States after the war. He began his career working in desktop publishing and typesetting, the field in which Ms. Lenz also began her career.

Between the shutdown and the distance, there was plenty of time for long, rambling conversations by phone or online. Mr. Paskey shared about his two short-term marriages and other relationships, while Ms. Lenz had a more recent story. Ms. Lenz had met her husband when she was 18; theirs was an open marriage. In 2013, she left her husband, taking a few years to be on her own for the first time as an adult. She moved to Philadelphia, where her first grandchild was born. Inspired by one of her sons to go on OkCupid, she met someone and fell in love. They were living together in June 2019, also in a polyamorous relationship, when he was diagnosed with metastasized colon cancer. Six weeks later, he died.
Tuesday

Enjoy a conversation about books and art between the author and illustrator Sandra Boynton, the musician Yo-Yo Ma and the author Ann Patchett. The event, presented by Symphony Space, will celebrate Ms. Boyntons latest childrens book, Jungle Night, and will delve into Ms. Boyntons journey from publishing her first book in 1977 to her collaborations with Mr. Ma. Tickets are $15, and this presentation is available to stream after the event.

When 7 p.m.

Where symphonyspace.org/events/a-cartoonist-an-cellist-and-a-novelist-walk-into-a-bar

Celebrate and learn about the history of Cinco de Mayo. Jessie Vallejo, an ethnomusicologist at California State Polytechnic University and a mariachi musician, will lead a discussion about the holidays importance in Southern California and its role in racial justice and civil rights in the United States. The discussion, which is presented by the Michi and Walter Weglyn Multicultural Studies Chair, will be followed by a musical performance from the schools mariachi students. This event is free.

When 3 p.m.

Where eventbrite.com/e/152436095465

Wednesday

Explore the future of Chinatowns across the United States with a panel discussion presented by the Smithsonian Associates in collaboration with the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center and the Smithsonians National Museum of Asian Art. The panel will include the food writer and James Beard Award-winning cookbook author Grace Young, the author and chef Brandon Jew, and Jennifer Tam and Victoria Lee, co-founders of Welcome to Chinatown, an initiative supporting New York Citys Chinatown businesses, among others. The group will discuss the role Chinese food plays in American culture and how to preserve the legacy of Asian cuisine, particularly in the wake of recent Asian-American discrimination. This event is free and is the first of the four-part series CULINASIA, which will explore the future of Asian food in the United States.

When 6:30 p.m.

Where smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/saving-chinatown-and-our-legacies

Listen to a discussion about the culinary giant, James Beard. The Food Networks Ted Allen and John Birdsall, the author of The Man Who Ate Too Much, a biography about Beard, will explore who Beard was behind his public persona and then open up the floor for questions. This event, presented by Southern Arizona Senior Pride, which supports L.G.B.T.Q.+ adults 55 and over, is free to attend, but donations are accepted.
Oswego, NY (13126)

Today

Cloudy skies this morning will become partly cloudy this afternoon. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 76F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Mostly clear. Low 58F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph.
This obituary is part of a series about people who have died in the coronavirus pandemic. Read about others here.

When Dr. Manisha Jadhavs mother died, she struggled to cope with her grief. Her husband encouraged her to join a karaoke singing class as a distraction, and soon she was posting videos of her performances on social media.

She bought two karaoke sets, for each one of us, her husband, Dr. Navnath Jadhav, said. And in no time, I was singing with her too.

Dr. Jadhav, the chief medical officer at the Group of Tuberculosis Hospitals in Mumbai, found other outlets for her enthusiasm. After she became interested in photography last year, her husband, a pathologist, said, she took a course, watched experts explain their craft on YouTube, went on picture-taking tours and filled notebooks with observations on camera angles, focus, exposure and lighting. She also gave her husband a camera so he could share her interest.
SEOUL  North Korea said on Sunday that President Biden had made a big blunder by calling its nuclear arsenal a threat last week, and it warned that the United States would face a very grave situation if it maintained its hostile policy toward Pyongyang.

The statement, attributed to a senior official, was one of three that the North released on Sunday directed at the United States and its ally South Korea. They included warnings that the North might respond to the Biden administrations recent statements about the country with unspecified corresponding measures.

Mr. Biden made a brief reference to North Korea in his speech before a joint session of Congress on Wednesday, saying that its nuclear program and Irans presented serious threats to American security and the security of the world. He said the United States and its allies would deal with them through diplomacy as well as stern deterrence.

It is certain that the U.S. chief executive made a big blunder, Kwon Jong-gun, a senior official at North Koreas Foreign Ministry, said in a statement published by the Norths state news media. He said Mr. Bidens remark clearly reflects his intent to keep enforcing the hostile policy toward North Korea.
While it is a global power in vaccine production, India didnt purchase enough doses to protect itself. When its cases were relatively low, it exported more than 60 million shots; now exports have essentially been shut down. The chief executive of Serum Institute of India, the worlds largest vaccine manufacturer, is in Britain, having come under increasingly intense pressure at home.

Less than 2 percent of Indias 940 million adults have been fully vaccinated, according to data compiled from government sources by the Our World in Data project at the University of Oxford. Officials in Delhi, the capital, and big states like West Bengal and Karnataka have announced that the planned expansion of vaccine eligibility to everyone 18 and older is on hold because of shortages.

As soon as vaccines arrive, we will let you know, then you can come for shots, said Delhis chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal, the BBC reported. We appeal to you not to crowd vaccine centers in the next few days.

As long as vaccines are in short supply and the virus is running rampant, experts warn that dangerous variants will evolve, spread and possibly evade vaccines. That could eventually pose a threat even for countries like the United States, where 40 percent of the population is fully vaccinated. Michael Diamond, a viral immunologist at Washington University in St. Louis, said that the only way to break the cycle is to ensure countries like India get enough vaccines.
Fred Jordan, the publishing partner of Barney Rosset, whose groundbreaking Grove Press and Evergreen Review fended off government censors to introduce avant-garde authors who inspired the counterculture of the 1960s, died on April 19 in Brooklyn. He was 95.

His death, in a hospice, was confirmed by his son, Ken.

Groves lawyers were instrumental in overturning anti-pornography court rulings against D.H. Lawrences Lady Chatterleys Lover and Henry Millers Tropic of Cancer in 1959, William S. Burroughs Naked Lunch in the early 1960s and the Swedish erotic film I Am Curious (Yellow) in the late 60s.

The lifting of the ban on language had far-reaching significance, not just for writers and readers, Mr. Jordan would tell students at New York University in a lecture he occasionally delivered. Much of what later came to be known as the counterculture received its impetus from a new spirit of liberalism and freedom, which arose out of the new openness and the removal of old restraints.
Coronavirus threatens Modis political might

As India recorded 401,993 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, a global record, Prime Minister Narendra Modi failed to win a desperately wanted prize.

On Sunday, his party handily lost crucial and highly watched state elections in West Bengal, a stronghold of opposition. One of Indias feistiest parties cruised to victory, despite the heavy investment Modis party, the Bharatiya Janata Party, made in the state. The B.J.P. still won more seats than it took in the last election  a sign of how dominant it has become nationwide.

Even with cases soaring, Modi and other politicians held enormous rallies up and down the state, which critics said helped to spread the disease. Many Indians are stunned that these elections were even held, and blame Modi for mishandling the pandemic in the service of his own political power.

Amid all of this, families are reaching out across the diaspora, trying to save their loved ones. The U.S. will start restricting travel from the country on Tuesday. And the outbreak is overflowing Indias borders: Nepals hospitals have run out of beds, the health minister said, calling the situation unmanageable.
Even as the national economy snaps back, the mostly empty office buildings in Manhattan mean many storefronts have not yet seen a rebound. The stores are a crucial contributor to New Yorks economy and employment. While the city is home to some of the largest companies in the world, small businesses employed about 900,000 people and made up 98 percent of all businesses before the pandemic.

Employment at small service industry businesses in Manhattan neighborhoods with lots of office buildings was down 20 percent from prepandemic levels at the beginning of March, according to Gusto, which provides payroll and benefits services. In the wider New York metropolitan area, employment at such businesses is down much less, 6 percent.

Right now, small business jobs are disappearing from cities  and may never come back even after the vaccination is widespread and the economy fully reopens, said Luke Pardue, an economist at Gusto.

The owner of the Empire State Building said on Wednesday that just 48.3 percent of the buildings retail spaces were occupied, a sharp decline from the end of 2019, when that number was nearly 70 percent.

GFP, Ms. Vaturis landlord, has allowed over half its storefront tenants to pay roughly 10 percent of their sales in rent so they can survive, said Eric Gural, one of the companys co-chief executives. The forgone rent is increasingly becoming a burden: the financial cushions GFP keeps for unexpected costs at each of its 56 buildings have been materially depleted, Mr. Gural said, meaning they might not be able to make up for rent shortfalls from other tenants.
Not so fast, a representative at Eyeglassesdepot replied. The company had already generated a postal label to send her glasses. She owed $9.95. When she declined to send a penny, the representative said Ms. Kuczynski would be reported to a collections agency. Would she, the representative then asked, be willing to set up a phone call with the companys sales team and chief executive?

Then the phone rings, said Ms. Kuczynski, recounting the story recently. I was so amazed. It was Easter Sunday and this guy had taken time out of his day to harangue me about $9.95.

She hung up, blocked the number and posted a negative review on Trustpilot. Soon after, Eyeglassesdepot posted a reply that stated, This is a fake customer posting from a competitor repair website. We have identified the culprit.

Beneath those words were Ms. Kuczynskis home address and cellphone number.

She started looking into Eyeglassesdepot and found other consumers enduring similar ordeals. One of them is Melanie Craddock, of Kernersville, N.C. In early April, Ms. Craddocks name, address and credit card number  including expiration date and three-digit authorization code  were posted by Eyeglassesdepot on Trustpilot, beneath her unhappy tale of buying, then returning, a pair of fake-seeming Versace sunglasses to the company. In a recent interview, she said she and her husband were worried about what else Arsenio might do in retaliation.

There were negative reviews on other review sites, but Trustpilot was the one that seemed to worry Arsenio the most. Trustpilot, which recently went public, has a total of 120 million reviews on its site, and a new review is added every two seconds, a representative said.

Arsenio told furious customers that he would deflect attention from their biting reviews by posting raves that he or an ally had written. (Burying your bad review under all the good ones, he wrote to Ms. Beringer in late December.) Trustpilot offered little more than an auto-reply email when Ms. Kuczynski pleaded for the deletion of her home address.

Soon after Trustpilot was alerted to the bogus review claims and the doxxing episodes, the sites staff found that more than 60 Eyeglassesdepot reviews  about 40 percent  were fakes, which they deleted. Trustpilot sent the company an email asking that it cease and desist from writing fake reviews.
Cornel West and his co-author made a common mistake when they wrote a recent essay in The Washington Post chastising Howard University for eliminating its classics department. Reducing the decision to a spiritual catastrophe, they overlooked a deeper and more urgent problem: the financial constraints facing historically Black colleges and universities, and the inequality that underlies them.

Our approach to this issue is based in our perspective as philosophy professors at Howard who have reverence for the classics. Our department offers seminars on Plato and Aristotle alongside mandatory courses on the history of Africana philosophy. Classical texts have left an indelible mark on modern philosophy and theres no question that, in an ideal world, Howard would have a large, thriving classics department.

But departments arent free.

The decision to eliminate the department was the result of an intensive effort to determine how to best allocate the universitys limited resources. Departments were assessed based on student interest, cost and benefit, and overall fit with the universitys mission. No one wanted to eliminate any programs, and none of us cheer the loss of the department, but this change was necessary. Anthony K. Wutoh, the universitys provost and chief academic officer, has explained why that is, but wed like to offer additional insight.

Pronouncements from the ivory towers of predominantly white institutions about what Black colleges should do may score political points and draw public attention. But only those of us who research and teach at historically Black colleges and universities, known as H.B.C.U.s  unlike Dr. West, who has primarily worked at institutions with huge endowments  have the kind of understanding that comes from experience.
But both the generosity and the limits of the reformism of fear always depend on what exactly reformers find terrifying  and what they think will lead to safety. The threat of electoral loss will wane as soon as it seems less credible that Donald Trump or someone like him can capitalize on elite failures. Even as long as that fear lasts, it can as easily lead to optical or rhetorical change as it can drive structural reform. And fear conditions the kind of government investments chosen from the policy menu.

It is not just politicians angling to stay in power whose fear we need to realistically assess. Much depends, too, on the fear levels of the donors to whom politicians answer. In the 20th century, the carnage of war and masses enraged by depression  and pushing for labor rights through street action and union politics  once led the rich to redistribute to the rest of the country more willingly. But it is unclear whether our generations wealthy, whose donations made a big difference for Mr. Biden in the 2020 election (much as the votes of well-off suburbanites did), are genuinely terrified, or how far the president will ultimately shape policy to their demands.

If the New Deal shows that fear can motivate reform, it also reminds us that it can cause that reform to go awry. The one big change in foreign policy that Democrats are making to their pre-Trump understanding of what a rules-based international order requires concerns China, especially relating to trade policy. That Democrats are embracing so floridly the model of great power competition with China that Mr. Trump embraced  even perhaps a new Cold War  suggests that they know they need more than the anxiety that they will lose again or the threats to democracy that are associated with the right (and confirmed by the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol) to keep themselves and many in their audience motivated.

When we think about infrastructure, said Mr. Deese, a lot of it is in contraposition to what [Biden] is seeing China doing. As Mr. Biden himself remarked on Wednesday: China and other countries are closing in fast.

The New Deal truly changed America when it ended not in a welfare state but in a warfare state  and that proved a catastrophe for the kind of ambitious reform Mr. Biden says he wants. Apprehensive competition can bring distortion, excess and manipulation; it will not merely goad policymakers to change for the better or goad constituencies to support that change. Ambition can spring from rivalry, but competition, as the first Cold War with the Soviet Union showed, can also limit reform and lead to collateral damage and disastrous mistakes.

The limits of Mr. Bidens ambitions are the limits of the reformism of fear. For all the good it can provoke, a politics driven by threats from angry voters, domestic uprisings and foreign states cannot break the American impasse. Only hope and higher ideals can.

Samuel Moyn, a Yale law professor, is the author of the forthcoming Humane: How the United States Abandoned Peace and Reinvented War.
Three people died and more than two dozen others were hospitalized after an overcrowded boat being used to smuggle migrants broke apart on a reef off the coast of San Diego on Sunday morning, the authorities said.

About 30 people were aboard the 40-foot cabin cruiser when it hit the rocks in rough weather near Point Loma, a peninsula that separates the Pacific Ocean and San Diego Bay, according to the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.

One person was still in critical condition as of Monday afternoon, the United States Coast Guard said in a statement.

The shipwreck drew a large-scale search and rescue operation by sea, land and air, with emergency responders racing to save the boats passengers from being sucked into a riptide and from hypothermia.
Devoted supporters cheered her on.

We wont let them take you down! one of them wrote on Instagram. We stand strong with you! Youre an angel trying to save our kids and teachers.

Ms. Centner, an avid social media user who has long used her accounts to document her luxurious lifestyle, took effective control of the school last year, in the midst of the pandemic. She told the community that the school, with prekindergarten through eighth grades, would focus on happiness and espouse medical freedom.

Image Leila Centner, the schools co-founder, wrote on Instagram that journalists are trying to destroy my reputation because I went against their narrative. Credit... Romain Maurice/Getty Images for Haute Living

But interviews with 21 current and former parents and teachers, as well as a review of social media posts and of school documents, emails, text messages and videos, show how the wealthy and well-connected Ms. Centner brought her anti-vaccination and anti-masking views into the schools day-to-day life, turning what had been a tightknit community into one bitterly split between those who support her views on vaccinations and those who do not.

Every afternoon I have to explain things to my child when she comes home and says, How come the school says what youre saying is not right? said Iris Acosta-Zobel, referring to the importance she gives at home to masking and vaccinations. She pulled her daughter out of the school on Friday.

David J. Centner, a former electronic highway tolling entrepreneur who co-founded the school in its current iteration with his wife, said in written responses to questions that the school was listening to families. We have met with more than 70 parents, and we are pleased that so many families continue to support our mission and trust us with their children, he said.
The day after Daunte Wright was fatally shot by a police officer at a traffic stop in Brooklyn Center, Minn., on April 11, in the midst of the murder trial against the former Minneapolis police officer who killed George Floyd, officials opted to quickly release some of the body camera footage. The video shows the officer, who has since resigned and has been charged with second-degree manslaughter, shouting, Taser, suggesting she mistook one weapon for another. The swift release, which was not required by law, came after a night of particularly intense demonstrations, in which the police fired tear gas and rubber bullets.

When Ms. Bryant, 16, who according to the body-camera video was wielding a knife and had threatened two girls, was fatally shot by an officer in Columbus on April 20, the Columbus Division of Police released video about five hours later, as protesters gathered at the scene.

We wanted to get that out as soon as possible, said Michael Woods, the interim police chief of Columbus, even though he was not required by law to quickly do so.

Before North Carolina passed its body-camera law in 2016, law enforcement agencies in the state operated by their own rules. But the killing of Mr. Brown, who like Ms. Bryant and Mr. Wright was Black, has renewed calls to change the law.

I think it should be a public record, said Attorney General Josh Stein, a Democrat of North Carolina, referring to the body camera footage. And there should be a date certain by when the public knows that they will have access to it. And the burden should be on law enforcement to go to the court to seek a temporary stay for investigative purposes.

This week, State Representative Amos Quick, a Democrat, filed a bill in the state House that would force law enforcement agencies to release body camera recordings within 48 hours, and give police departments a chance to go before a judge to argue that the release would, among other things, jeopardize someones safety or hinder an investigation. (A similar bill is pending in the State Senate.)
Conversations with voters and activists in Hidalgo County suggested that there is not one answer but many: Women who staunchly oppose abortion voted for the first time; wives of Border Patrol agents felt convinced the Trump administration was firmly on their side; mothers picked up on the enthusiasm for Republicans from friends they knew through church or their childrens school.

For many voters in the region, there is a profound sense of cynicism  a feeling that things will not change no matter who is charge. The border, after all, has been the site of a humanitarian crisis under both Democrats and Republicans. Nearly everyone here knows both undocumented immigrants and Border Patrol agents, occasionally even within the same family. And for many here, law enforcement remains one of the easiest paths to the middle class, and Republicans have portrayed national Democrats as hostile toward the police.

Both Republicans and Democrats are likely this year to start funneling far more money into the region, where enthusiasm for the G.O.P. in 2020 was not limited to Mr. Trump. For the first time in recent history, a Republican came close to defeating the Democratic incumbent in Texas 15th Congressional District, which includes most of Hidalgo County and runs north of McAllen up to San Antonio.

In next years race for the seat, the Republican candidate, Monica De La Cruz-Hernandez, is again challenging Representative Vicente Gonzalez, a Democrat  but they may be competing on different political terrain if the districts bacon strip shape is altered in redistricting later this year.

At the local Lincoln Reagan Republican dinner in March, Mr. Abbott rallied support for Ms. De La Cruz-Hernandez and encouraged other women like her to come into the G.O.P. fold, speaking in glowing terms about their political potential and saying he had never been as impressed with the leadership of a county party.

Ive never been onstage with so many accomplished, articulate Latinas as I have been tonight with this group of ladies, he told an enthusiastic crowd. This is amazing. If I were the Democrats, I would be very afraid right now, because there is a storm coming, a storm that is going to win Hidalgo County. I wanted to be here in person, wanted to say thank you.
After a public outcry and a legal fight, the Indian Health Service has agreed to keep the emergency departments and inpatient care open for another year at a hospital in northwestern New Mexico serving 9,100 tribal citizens, settling at least temporarily a dispute that had become a flash point between tribal communities and the federal government over the quality and accessibility of health care.

The agreement was reached after a lawsuit brought in federal court in the District of Columbia in January accused the Indian Health Service of failing to provide proper notice and details to Congress before cutting services at the Acoma-Canoncito-Laguna hospital during the coronavirus pandemic.

The proposed cutbacks had focused further attention on what tribal leaders say has been the agencys long pattern of delivering subpar care to some of the nations poorest communities, a situation that was only exacerbated during the worst of the pandemic last year.

This is a significant victory for the Pueblo, said Brian D. Vallo, the governor of the Pueblo of Acoma. It is unfortunate we had to sue the Indian Health Service in order to restore the medical services and health care that Acoma and other surrounding tribal communities desperately need and rely on.
Mr. Romney, who has represented Utah in the Senate since 2019, became the first senator in American history to vote to remove a president from his own party from office when he voted to convict Mr. Trump at his first impeachment trial in 2020. Mr. Trump, he said at the time, was guilty of an appalling abuse of public trust for his pressure campaign on Ukraine to investigate his political rivals, including Joseph R. Biden Jr.

A year later, Mr. Romney was one of seven Republicans who voted to convict Mr. Trump in his second impeachment trial.

He hasnt shied away from criticizing the former president. When Mr. Trump tried to overturn the results of the 2020 election, Mr. Romney accused him of trying to subvert the will of the people.

It is difficult to imagine a worse, more undemocratic action by a sitting American president, Mr. Romney wrote on Twitter.

He was one of several prominent Republicans who said they did not vote for Mr. Trump in the November election.

In January, Mr. Romney was heckled at the Salt Lake City airport and on a plane as he was traveling to Washington for a joint session of Congress to certify the election victory of President Biden. In one video, passengers on the plane can be heard chanting traitor, traitor, traitor, and at least one person in the video called for him to resign.

On the night of Jan. 6, hours after a group of Mr. Trumps supporters stormed the Capitol to disrupt the vote certification, Mr. Romney addressed the Senate: We gather due to a selfish mans injured pride and the outrage of supporters who he had deliberately misinformed for the past two months and stirred to action this very morning. What happened here today was an insurrection incited by the president of the United States.
MIAMI  A secret marriage. A cryptic phone call. And then, a flight to Cuba from which Alina Lopez Miyares never returned.

It was months later that her family learned that Ms. Lopez, a dual Cuban and American citizen living in Miami, had gotten entangled in a murky love story steeped in international espionage. Now 62, she is serving a 13-year sentence in a Cuban prison. Her closed trial in a military court lasted a single morning.

To the Cuban government, which made its case in court documents reviewed by The New York Times, she is a traitor and a spy who slipped the names of Cuban operatives to the F.B.I.

To her family and her supporters in the United States, she is a guileless woman who was duped by an old flame  a Cuban diplomat and spy  and misguided by American intelligence agents. Shes been detained since 2017, and they want the U.S. government to help bring her back.
NEW DELHI  One of Indias feistiest opposition parties cruised to victory in state elections in West Bengal on Sunday, dealing a blow to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a campaign held during a catastrophic surge in Covid-19 infections.

Top parties had campaigned relentlessly in West Bengal, one of Indias most populous states and a stronghold of opposition to Mr. Modi, Indias most powerful prime minister in decades. Even with cases soaring and more and more people dying across India, Mr. Modi and other politicians held enormous rallies up and down the state, which critics said helped spread the virus.

By Sunday night, with nearly all the votes counted, Mr. Modis Bharatiya Janata Party was badly trailing despite its heavy investment in West Bengal, a prize it desperately wanted to win. The party won more seats in the state assembly than it took in the last election  a sign of how dominant it has become nationwide. Nevertheless, the All India Trinamool Congress party, which holds power in the state, was safely ahead.

That party is led by Mamata Banerjee, Indias only female chief minister, who has developed her own cult of personality and a reputation as a street fighter strong enough to ward off the most withering attacks from the B.J.P., as Mr. Modis Hindu nationalist party is commonly known.
ROME  It is a view that gladiators would once have experienced as they prepared for mortal combat: staring into the banked crowds of the Colosseum, perhaps under the gaze of the mighty Roman emperor himself.

Nearly 2,000 years later, visitors to the Colosseum will again be able to stand in almost the same place and imagine the spectators roar, after the Italian Culture Ministry on Sunday announced the winning project in a competition to build a replacement floor for the landmark in Rome.

The chosen design features a lattice of specially treated wooden slats that can be rotated to allow air to circulate and to expose the beehive of subterranean corridors. It was created by a team led by Milan Ingegneria, an engineering consulting company, and is expected to cost about 15 million euros, or $18 million. The surface is expected to be in use by 2023.

At the moment, most of the underground chambers are exposed to view, with only a small section of floor at one end. That section  about 650 square meters, or 7,000 square feet  was installed in 2000 and was used for the first time that year for a staging of Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles.
Russia, Mr. Klus said, might not have intended to topple the government but, after years of trying to break European unity over sanctions imposed after the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014, to collapse the government would be a very successful story for them.

In a report this past week, the European Unions foreign service said that Russias drive to promote Sputnik abroad was aimed at sowing distrust in Europes medicines regulator and stoking divisions.

In response, the Russian state investment agency spearheading Sputniks export drive lamented that the vaccine, which it hails as a vaccine for all mankind, has fallen victim to unfortunate daily information attacks. On Friday, after Brazil raised concerns about Sputnik, complaining of inadequate data, the vaccines developer in Moscow, the Gamaleya Institute, issued an angry statement complaining that unethical forces continuously attack the Sputnik V vaccine for competitive and political reasons.

The testy arguments in Slovakia over the vaccine reached a peak in April when the countrys drug regulatory agency claimed that Mr. Matovic had fallen for a Russian bait-and-switch. It said the vaccine doses sent to Slovakia at a cost of around $2 million differed from the Sputnik V reviewed favorably in a peer-reviewed February article in The Lancet, a respected British medical journal.

The Slovak claim, denounced by Moscow as sabotage, cast doubt on Sputniks main selling point: a proven efficacy rate of over 90 percent against Covid-19. The Lancet gave the vaccine 91.6 percent efficacy in February, and Russian scientists have since claimed a real world rate 97.6 percent.

Yet the main issue with Sputnik has never been whether it works  most experts believe it does  but Russias repeated failure to follow procedure and provide all the data needed by foreign regulators to assess safety. Slovakias regulator made its damning statement not because it had discovered any specific problems with Sputnik, but due to the lack of data from the manufacturer, inconsistencies in dosage forms and inability to compare the batches used in different studies and countries.

The 200,000 doses that Russia delivered in March were still all unused at a pharmaceutical company in eastern Slovakia as of last week. But Mr. Matovic said Russia had already returned the money paid by Slovakia.
News and commentary on organized crime, street crime, white collar crime, cyber crime, sex crime, crime fiction, crime prevention, espionage and terrorism.
Dr. Manisha Jadhav, the chief medical officer at the Group of Tuberculosis Hospitals in Mumbai, died on April 19 in a hospital in that city. She was 51. The cause was complications of Covid-19, her husband said.

Her job involved managing the hospitals staff and handling its operations. When the pandemic hit Mumbai in March 2020, she quickly organized personal protective equipment for the hospitals workers amid a severe shortage, ensured that they had food and made travel arrangements for the staff when public transport was suspended during the lockdown.

She was one of 13 doctors honored for their efforts by the governor of Maharashtra State in December.

Doctors are like soldiers, she would say. They cant be unavailable.

Manisha Ramugade was born in Mumbai on May 11, 1969, to Ram and Ratan Ramugade. Her father was a postal worker, her mother a homemaker. She was the youngest of four siblings.
About the Nile River Ports Project



The River Transport Authority (RTA) of Egypt recently faced challenges to attract bids for a pilot river port project, as investors believed they were asked to bear too much risk.



Consequently, the RTA requested the assistance of the Investment Security in the Mediterranean Support Programme (ISMED) on the Nile river ports project, in order to enhance Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) in the construction of four river ports in Qena, Sohag, Meet Ghamr and Assuit.



The goal of this project is to substantially increase transport of cargo by river within the next five years, thereby reducing road congestion, pollution, and expenditure on fuel subsidies.



ISMED Assistance to the River Transport Authority



Since 2013, ISMED has worked on legal framework and risk-sharing issues for the river ports project in co-operation with the RTA, the PPP Central Unit and other public and private stakeholders in Egypt.





The objective is to raise the RTAs profile and build capacity in advancing the project to the tendering stage.

 Public-Private Dialogue on Egypt's River Transport Sector, Cairo, 18 September 2014




WILLIAM Grant & sons have applied to Offaly county council for permission to develop a visitor centre with shop at their D.E.W distillery at Clonminch, in Tullamore.

The application seeks a change of use of their existing ''Three Storey Three Sisters Administration Building,'' at the distillery.

However, Offaly County Council has deemed the application to be incomplete and it has been returned to the applicants. It's expected to be amended shortly and resubmitted to the council.

Last year the company announced plans to relocate the visitor centre from Bury Quay in Tullamore to the Clonminch distillery.

This came as a shock locally as the facility had been attracting up to 40,000 visitors each year.

William Grant & Sons blamed the move on the Covid pandemic and its negative effect on visitor numbers.

On its website the company has posted:''From Summer 2021, the Tullamore Distillery in Tullamore, Co. Offaly, Ireland, is planned to become the new home of our Tullamore D.E.W. Visitor Experience and will host all future brand and whiskey tours.''

Last year the Irish Times reported William Grant & Sons had pre tax losses of 3.73 million for 2019.
Three compulsory purchase orders have been completed to date on vacant properties by Offaly County Council.

Replying to a query from Cllr Clare Claffey at this month's meeting of the local authority, the county council outlined how as part of the planning team plan for 2021 Vacant and Derelict sites have been given priority status.

An internal working steering group has been established between Housing and Planning on this matter and have met on a number of occasions to discuss the way forward.

Three successful CPOs have been completed to date by Housing on vacant properties and future works will proceed subject to availability of resources, the reply outlined.

Cllr Claffey asked whether Offaly County Council could provide an update as agreed on the feasibility of establishing a vacant properties task force to address the issues of derelict and vacant properties in the county.

The update was agreed upon by county councillors on November 16 2020, following a motion by Cllr Clare Claffey to address the issues of derelict and vacant properties in the county.

However, Cllr Claffey submitted a further question on whether the update can be provided for this month's meeting of Offaly County Council, held on Monday, April 19.

Responding to the query, the local authority outlined how as part of the planning team plan for 2021 Vacant and Derelict sites have been given priority status.

Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Claffey welcomed the update before asking a number of further questions including whether the group was working off the register that was in place two years ago or had it subsequently been updated. She also asked what resources were in place regarding funding, how many were on the steering group and who was leading the steering group?

Responding to the councillor's questions, Stephane Duclot, Director of Services pointed out the issue had been identified as a priority for 2021. However, Covid-19 has its impact but it will be a priority for the last part of 2021. I will come back to you with further information on this in the future, he added.

Cllr Ken Smollen also noted the amount of vacant property in both Tullamore and Clara. I think that it is time we had some sort of register, and update as to who the owners are. These buildings can't be left vacant and derelict, as some of them are. Some of them have even gone into dangerous condition. I would like to see something done there on this.

Replying, the Director of Services, Mr Duclot outlined how it was planned to update the vacant site list where the council would include vacant properties. We will also look at Clara, he added.

Some people have described dereliction in Ireland as being an epidemic.
A man was arrested in Tullamore overnight after claiming to have Covid-19 and causing damage to a filling station. A woman was also arrested over the incident.

While on mobile patrol in Tullamore, Gardai observed two individuals, one male and one female, both highly intoxicated and causing damage to a local service station forecourt.

When approached the male became highly abusive and aggressive towards Gardai and claimed to be Covid19 positive, gardai said.

Both individuals were subsequently arrested.

The female has been charged with public intoxication.

The male has been charged with public intoxication, numerous counts of criminal damage and simple possession of a controlled substance.

The male was also issued with a Covid fine having travelled to Tullamore from Galway without reasonable excuse.
Met Eireann has issued a Status Yellow Wind and Rain Warning for parts of Ireland for Bank Holiday Monday.

The Status Yellow Wind and Rain Warning is for Clare, Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Waterford, Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo, and Wexford.

Met Eireann is warning that it will be unseasonably wet and windy.

Southwesterly winds, veering northerly through Monday will reach mean speeds of 50 to 65 km/h with gusts up to 100 km/h, particularly in coastal areas and on higher ground. Heavy rain in conjunction with the wind will lead to spot flooding with a risk of wave overtopping in coastal areas.

The warning is valid from 3am on Monday morning until 10pm on Monday.
International Workers' Day, also known as Labour Day in most countries and often referred to as May Day, is a celebration of labourers and the working classes that is promoted by the international labour movement and occurs every year on May Day.
Pinarayi Vijayan, IPA: [pirji idjn], is an Indian politician who is the current Chief Minister of Kerala, serving since 25 May 2016. A member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), he is the longest-serving secretary of the Kerala State Committee of the CPI(M). He also served in the government of Kerala as Minister of Electric Power and Co-operatives from 1996 to 1998. Vijayan won a seat in the May 2016 Kerala Legislative Assembly election as the CPI(M) candidate for Dharmadom constituency and was selected as the leader of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and became the 12th Chief Minister of Kerala. He is the first chief minister from Kerala to be re-elected after completing a full term in office.
Malcolm Irving Glazer was an American businessman and sports team owner. He was the president and chief executive officer of First Allied Corporation, a holding company for his varied business interests, and owned both Manchester United of the Premier League and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League.
Indonesian police say they will conduct random checks of labs around the country to ensure that they were not conducting similar frauds to reuse COVID tests.
During the past week, 19 people were reported to have died of the virus in Hampton Roads: four in Norfolk; three in Virginia Beach; two each in Chesapeake, Newport News and Suffolk; and one each in Accomack, Isle of Wight and James City counties and Franklin, Hampton and Portsmouth.
HNGN 03 May 2021

North Korea says the US would face a "very grave situation," claims Biden's speech indicates pursuing the hostile policy.
When all is said and done, this is not a government that has our best interests at heart. This is not a government that values..

Eurasia Review 03 May 2021
The European Union has called on member states to set up wastewater monitoring to detect COVID outbreaks early. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's opponents accuse him of not buying enough vaccines. Follow DW for more.
Eurasia Review 20 May 2021

By Andrew Hammond*



Friday will offer the latest example of why the Asia-Pacific is now the pre-eminent theater for US..
It comes days after Mr Biden said he would use "diplomacy as well as stern deterrence" to contain North Korea's nuclear ambitions.
North Korea has reacted furiously to the US president's description of the country as a security threat, calling it a "big blunder".
The prime minister has been "crystal clear" about how the refurbishment of his Downing Street flat was financed, the foreign secretary has told Sky News.
The US said reports of a prisoner swap with Iran "are not true." Iranian state media reported that Tehran struck deals with British and American officials to release prisoners and unfreeze funds.
The acting chief of the defence staff has placed the military's Special Forces commander on leave after revelations of his handling of a sexual assault case in 2017.
Some examples include: The displacement and eradication of indigenous people by English colonists; the arrival of the first Africans in 1619; the contributions of enslaved laborers in building the fort; the 1824 visit of Lafayette, an early abolitionist and champion of American freedom; the legendary 1861 Contraband Decision and the bravery of the first contrabands Frank Baker, James Townsend and Shepard Mallory; the forts strategic importance as a Union stronghold throughout the Civil War, seven visits by Lincoln; Harriet Tubmans service as a hospital matron; its role during both world wars; being home to one of the first integrated schools in Virginia during massive resistance; and its final mission, headquarters of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command.
Oneindia 04 May 2021

Politcal violence erupted across West Bengal hours after the results were declared on 2nd May. The BJP which was the main rival of..
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Volunteers from one of Britain's largest Hindu temples set out to raise funds for COVID relief in India by riding stationary bikes
Arizona's audit of the 2020 presidential race results in Maricopa County will move on despite challenges from Democrats, and the procedure will have national significance, Arizona Republican Party Chairwoman Dr. Kelli Ward told Newsmax TV Saturday.
It was a "rare thing" on Friday evening as all New Zealand's past and present prime ministers, bar one, gathered in a room together. Attending the 150th anniversary of the Parliamentary Press Gallery were Prime Minister Jacinda...
The UK is in the "last lap" in its fight against coronavirus, the foreign secretary has told Sky News.
More emergency medical aid from foreign donors to alleviate a dire oxygen shortage arrived in India on Sunday, as Covid-19 deaths in the South Asian nation rose to a new record. India is setting almost-daily records for new infections and deaths as the virus crisis engulfs overstretched hospitals in cities and spreads into rural regions. []
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP)  SpaceX safely returned four astronauts from the International Space Station on Sunday, making the first U.S. crew splashdown in darkness since the Apollo 8 moonshot.



The Dragon capsule parachuted into the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Panama City, Florida, just before 3 a.m., ending the second astronaut flight for Elon Musks company.



It was an express trip home, lasting just 6 1/2 hours.



The astronauts, three American and one Japanese, flew back in the same capsule  named Resilience  in which they launched from NASAs Kennedy Space Center in November.



We welcome you back to planet Earth and thanks for flying SpaceX, SpaceX's Mission Control radioed moments after splashdown. For those of you enrolled in our frequent flyer program, you've earned 68 million miles on this voyage.



We'll take those miles, said spacecraft commander Mike Hopkins. Are they transferrable? SpaceX replied that the astronauts would have to check with the company's marketing department.



Within a half-hour of splashdown, the charred capsule  resembling a giant toasted marshmallow  had been hoisted onto the recovery ship.



Hopkins was the first one out, doing a little dance as he emerged under the intense spotlights.



Its amazing what can be accomplished when people come together, he told SpaceX flight controllers at company headquarters in Hawthorne, California. Quite frankly, you all are changing the world. Congratulations. Its great to be back.



The 167-day mission was the longest for a crew capsule launching from the U.S. The previous record of 84 days was set by NASAs final Skylab station astronauts in 1974.



Saturday nights undocking left seven people at the space station, four of whom arrived a...
The 31-year-old Scot's family wrote a hard-hitting letter to the Lord Advocate just days after ex-Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murdering George Floyd in America.
The blight is not the hundreds of people who live in its cells, but rather the callous lack of humanity shown to them. Its the staggering number of deaths, the inability to ensure the safety of inmates and guards, the repeated constitutional violations that required state and federal intervention  all of it.
Home Secretary Priti Patel has vowed not to stand by as pressure group Extinction Rebellion (XR) uses dangerous tactics in the name of environmentalism.
The Taliban sent a warning of "counteraction" to the U.S. Saturday, as the original May 1 date for U.S. and NATO troop removal from Afghanistan passed.
Eurasia Review 29 May 2021

By Michael Eisenstadt*



Since the creation of the Islamic Republic in 1979, Iran has distinguished itself (along with..
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson faced more allegations on Sunday about his expenditure on the refurbishment of his apartment and on childcare for his young son, which his foreign minister dismissed as baseless gossip.
Reuters - Politics 08 Jun 2021

A bipartisan U.S. Senate report said Capitol Police did not take seriously warnings of potential violence ahead of the deadly riot..
Sky Sports UK 18 May 2021

Manchester United fans protested against the club's owners as the team walked out onto the Old Trafford pitch for their..
The United States on Sunday denied a report by Iran's state television that the arch-foes had reached a prisoner swap deal in exchange for the release of $7 billion frozen Iranian oil funds under U.S. sanctions in other countries.
Should President Joe Biden be given Communion? That's not for the Catholic League to say.



Our job is to defend the right of the Catholic Church to proclaim the truth, to teach the faithful and to disseminate Church teachings. We have no theology: We are a watchdog, a civil rights organization that fights defamation and...


Richard Simmons B. G., Opalesque Geneva: London-based Derby Street Managers buys a selection of undervalued European and UK equities based on the capacity and quality of the business rather than the traditional relative value or low P/E and price-to-book ratios. Their selection style has paid off handsomely. "In many cases, cheap securities based on traditional value metrics are of very low quality and not cash-generating," portfolio manager Richard Simmons tells Opalesque. "We don't see a category called 'value stocks'," he adds. "Value is really the philosophy of buying things for less than their true worth, whether they are old school 'value' e.g. low P/E for a steady business, or what is sometimes called 'growth'. An 'expensive' stock with a high P/E or a high relative P/E can still be value; it is its future that counts." Derby Street managers consider an investment 'ideal' if it matches three criteria: it has a limited downside, a very large upside potential, and a sound business model. Two out of three may also suffice. However, where likely outcomes are more symmetrical, they demand a higher return. The managers buy three sets of companies, he says when explaining their differentiation: "Fantastic businesses with lots of growth ahead; businesses with undervalued assets or hidden assets; and liquidating companies, solvent companies selling their assets and returning capital to shareholders. "Our lens is identical in each set. What is the likely range of future values of the companies' cashflows and what kind of time-weighted return would we earn if we invested at a given price? The first set can provide high rates of return to our fund over very long periods of time - we have held some stocks for over fifteen years. The third set can provide much higher returns but over short periods - a year to five years. The second set is somewhere in between, with more resilience." Richard Simmons, a manager with more than 22 years of investing experience, will be presenting in Opalesque's next webinar, Small Managers - Big Alpha, on Tuesday 11th May. The funds Derby Street's Cayman-domiciled UK Equities and European Equities AIFs are managed by Richard Simmons. He relies heavily on internally-generated research and fundamental analysis. He runs high conviction portfolios with a low turnover and applies patient long-term investing. Furthermore, as an emerging fund manager, he able to invest in smaller and more niche themes than the average fund. The Derby Street strategies are long-only, fundamental value-oriented, and unconstrained. The European Equities fund, which manages 3m ($3.6m), was launched on 22nd February 2013. It returned +0.3% in 2020, +10.7% in Q1-2021 and +196% since inception. The UK Equities Fund invests primarily in the UK or other sterling-related securities including fixed income. Also launched in February 2013, the 13m ($18m) fund returned +3.7% in 2020, +8% in Q1 and +71% since inception. The Euronext100 index, the benchmark, was up 8% in Q1, -3.5% in 2020 and +47.6% since February 2013. There is no fundamental difference between UK and European stocks but there are interesting differences between countries, Simmons says. "Germany, for such a successful country, has a surprisingly moribund stock market, possibly because so many of its successful businesses are privately held. There are more interesting quoted companies in Italy than in Germany! The UK is the most dynamic and largest stock market, but its largest companies are poor quality - banks, commodity producers, insurers, investment trusts, supermarkets, pharmaceuticals. Mature companies mainly. But the lower ends of all markets throw up constant surprises, as that is where you typically find the most innovative and dynamic businesses." Derby Street Managers Ltd is an appointed representative of Eschler Asset Management LLP. Equities in Q1 European equities advanced in Q1, according to Shroders. Hopes of global economic recovery supported sectors that fared poorly in 2020, such as energy and financials. Consumer discretionary stocks also performed well, notably car makers as Volkswagen announced ambitious electric vehicle targets. Underperformers were defensive areas that are less tied to the economic recovery, such as utilities and real estate. UK equities also performed well. Lowly-valued, economically sensitive areas of the market extended the recovery seen since November. This was reflected in a very strong performance from materials, energy, and financials. Banks performed particularly well amid better-than-expected results and a sharp increase in bond yields as the global economic outlook improved.

Next webinar: Small Managers - Big Alpha With larger quantities of capital chasing the same alpha strategies and continuing to erode Alpha, savvy investors are turning to smaller and/or emerging managers as they look for alternative sources of return. Opalesque presents a carefully screened panel of investment managers worth taking a look at.

With:

- Nadine Korehnke, Quantumrock

- Elias Nechachby, Icon Asset Management

- Paul Lucek, Ridgedale

- Richard Simmons, Derby Street When : Tuesday, May 11th, 2021 at 10:30 am ET

Free registration here: www.opalesque.com/webinar/
Analysts say the bank needs support from local fintech giants and big retailers to build the infrastructure, including distribution channels for the national virtual currency, which is being tested in cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen. Its success, though, may end up taking market shares from these tech firms -- a move observers argue would show that China has planned steps to crack down on monopolies and "nationalize" troves of consumer financial data they own.

The bank has also been working with Ant and Tencent over the past three years to co-develop the e-CNY, the report added, citing information recently disclosed by the country's two largest e-payment providers. The disclosure appears to suggest that both companies were touting close ties with the regulator despite having come under the government's intensive anti-monopoly crackdown and investigation.

The two sides will jointly promote the development of the e-CNY, based on Ant's database, Ocean Base, and its mobile development platform, mPaaS, according to the state tabloid Global Times.

China has been developing its electronic yuan, or e-CNY, since 2014 with an aim to replace some of the cash in circulation. In lieu of a timetable for its official launch, the digital cash will first be used for retail payments domestically before it is used abroad, Chinese authorities have said.

 Who's the Boss?

"The Chinese authorities are telling Ant that you should hand over your big data to the central bank. The data won't remain in private hands since the Communist Party is the boss," Francis Lun, CEO of Geo Securities Ltd. in Hong Kong, told VOA by phone.

The Financial Times has reported that Beijing has asked Ant to turn over its data to a new state-controlled credit scoring company, which would be run by former executives of the central bank while serving other financial institutions, including competing with Ant's lending arms.

Ant insisted on leading the company, arguing that too much government intervention would drag the industry down, according to news reports. But the regulator disagreed, saying Ant's involvement in the new company would create a conflict of interest. Lun said that there's little Ant can do to defy the regulator's demand.

 Prospects of the E-CNY

He also expected the e-CNY to be in wide use since all banks in China will also have to comply with the regulator. Lun said that the digital yuan, domestically, will allow the government to monitor every transaction of the users "like a big brother." Its use abroad it will allow China to bypass the international settlement system, dominated by the U.S. dollar, in what he called a de-dollarization attempt.

Jerry Lin, director of the Financial Research Institute at the Taiwan Academy of Banking and Finance in Taipei, however, has doubts that the private sector will accept the e-CNY since most private businesses consider cash flows sensitive. He said, once a technical platform is completed, the central bank will next work with retailers to expand the e-CNY's distribution -- a key step that will determine whether the virtual currency is widely accepted.

The bank considers its latest efforts to roll out e-CNY a win-win strategy for itself and the nation's fintech giants, according to Lin. "By collaborating with the central bank [to launch the e-CNY], these fintech giants will be relieved from pressure in the regulator's anti-monopoly probe. Their monopoly is hard to break up unless there emerges a competitor as strong as the e-CNY to take up at least one-third of the market shares," Lin told VOA. Ant and Tencent respectively control 54 percent and 40 percent of China's e-payment market.

 Trade-off

Lin said that, in the short to medium term, it will also be in the fintech firms' interests to trade some of their shares in China's e-payment market in exchange for the regulator's lenient treatment of their online microlending, personal financial management and insurance operations, which generate higher profits.

In the long run, though, it is highly likely that China will try to "nationalize" most financial services, which are now dominated by private fintech firms, including e-payment, credit ratings or financial management, he added.

 No Distinction

Some have viewed China's rapid digitalization of its yuan as a threat to accelerate the decline of the U.S. dollar's dominance as the world's leading reserve currency, but New York-based Anne Stevenson-Yang, co-founder and research director of J Capital Research, disagreed. "I think there's too much focus being placed on the idea that this is a totally distinct currency and they are in competition. I mean, there's no difference between the DCEP [digital currency electronic payment for e-CNY] and the renminbi," she said.

"Despite many declarations by China about opening the capital accounts, the reason why it's not in international use, it remains in less 2 percent of SWIFT payments by value, the reason for that is because China doesn't want to make it available," she told VOA by phone, referring to the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication, the global system for financial messaging and cross-border payments. She added that she believes China's planned rollout of e-CNY is purely for supervisory reasons, neither for innovation nor its rivalry with the U.S. dollar.

China's general public will not notice any change, she said, because Ant's Alipay or Tencent's WeChat Pay will remain what consumers see, while the central bank will likely work as the engine in the background for both fintech platforms.
( ) made a premium AIM debut after raising 2.25mln that will be used to develop and market two products already out on the market.

The shares, sold to investors at 5p each, were changing hands for 5.5p early on, giving the company a market capitalisation of just over 9mln.

It specialises in gels, creams and devices for tary system (the human protective layer such as the skin), which explains the name.

As mentioned earlier it two innovations already out there  TS1, a tongue cleaner used by dentists and hygienists and Labskin, a three-dimensional skin equivalent.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.  SpaceX safely returned four astronauts from the International Space Station on Sunday, making the first U.S. crew splashdown in darkness since the Apollo 8 moonshot.

The Dragon capsule parachuted into the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Panama City, Florida, just before 3 a.m., ending the second astronaut flight for Elon Musks company.

It was an express trip home, lasting just 6 1/2 hours.

The astronauts, three American and one Japanese, flew back in the same capsule  named Resilience  in which they launched from NASAs Kennedy Space Center in November.

We welcome you back to planet Earth and thanks for flying SpaceX, SpaceXs Mission Control radioed moments after splashdown. For those of you enrolled in our frequent flyer program, youve earned 68 million miles on this voyage.

Well take those miles, said spacecraft commander Mike Hopkins. Are they transferrable? SpaceX replied that the astronauts would have to check with the companys marketing department.

Within a half-hour of splashdown, the charred capsule  resembling a giant toasted marshmallow  had been hoisted onto the recovery ship, with the astronauts exiting soon afterward. NASA and SpaceX managers marveled at how fast and smooth the operation went. The companys senior adviser, Hans Koenigsmann, said it looked more like a race car pit stop than anything else.

Hopkins was the first one out, doing a little dance as he emerged under the intense spotlights.

Its amazing what can be accomplished when people come together, he told SpaceX flight controllers at company headquarters in Hawthorne, California. Quite frankly, you all are changing the world. Congratulations. Its great to be back.

The 167-day mission was the longest for a crew capsule launching from the U.S. The previous record of 84 days was set by NASAs final Skylab station astronauts in 1974.

Saturday nights undocking left seven people at the space station, four of whom arrived a week ago via SpaceX.

Earthbound! NASA astronaut Victor Glover, the capsules pilot, tweeted after departing the station. One step closer to family and home!

Hopkins and Glover  along with NASAs Shannon Walker and Japans Soichi Noguchi  should have returned to Earth last Wednesday, but high offshore winds forced SpaceX to pass up a pair of daytime landing attempts. Managers switched to a rare splashdown in darkness, to take advantage of calm weather.

SpaceX had practiced for a nighttime return, just in case, and even recovered its most recent station cargo capsule from the Gulf of Mexico in darkness. Infrared cameras tracked the astronauts capsule as it re-entered the atmosphere; it resembled a bright star streaking through the night sky.

In this image made from NASA TV video, the SpaceX Dragon capsule is retrieved from the Gulf of Mexico near the Florida Panhandle early Sunday, May 2, 2021.NASA TV via AP

All four main parachutes could be seen deploying just before splashdown, which was also visible in the infrared.

Apollo 8  NASAs first flight to the moon with astronauts  ended with a predawn splashdown in the Pacific near Hawaii on Dec. 27, 1968. Eight years later, a Soviet capsule with two cosmonauts ended up in a dark, partially frozen lake in Kazakhstan, blown off course in a blizzard.

That was it for nighttime crew splashdowns  until Sunday.

Despite the early hour, the Coast Guard was out in full force to enforce an 11-mile (18-kilometer) keep-out zone around the bobbing Dragon capsule. For SpaceXs first crew return in August, pleasure boaters swarmed the capsule, a safety risk. Leisure boats stayed away this time.

Once finished with their medical checks on the ship, the astronauts planned to hop on a helicopter for the short flight to shore, then catch a plane straight to Houston for a reunion with their families.

Its not very often you get to wake up on the space station and go to sleep in Houston, chief flight director Holly Ridings told reporters.

The astronauts capsule, Resilience, will head back to Cape Canaveral for refurbishment for SpaceXs first private crew mission in September. The space station docking mechanism will be removed, and a brand new domed window put in its place.

A tech billionaire has purchased the entire three-day flight, which will orbit 75 miles (120 kilometers) above the space station. Hell fly with a pair of contest winners and a physician assistant from St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital, his designated charity for the mission.

SpaceXs next astronaut launch for NASA will follow in October.

NASA turned to private companies to service the space station, after the shuttle fleet retired in 2011. SpaceX began supply runs in 2012 and, last May, launched its first crew, ending NASAs reliance on Russia for astronaut transport.

Boeing isnt expected to launch astronauts until early next year.

-- The Associated Press
Updated Monday, May 3:

After a day of mostly peaceful protests, demonstrators gathered in downtown Portland Saturday evening for a pair of autonomous May Day demonstrations that turned violent, causing police to declare a riot following reports of broken windows at multiple businesses.

Police arrested five people Saturday night, and the Multnomah County District Attorneys office announced charges against three of them: Phoebe Loomis, Quang Nguyen and Jeremiah Day.

According to District Attorney Mike Schmidt, all three are charged with felony riot. Loomis and Nguyen face criminal mischief charges related to breaking windows at a downtown Starbucks. Day is charged with menacing, resisting arrest and interfering with a peace officer. Schmidt said while officers were trying to arrest another person, Day pushed through a group of officers and held up a butterfly knife to them, then walked back into the crowd and ran away from officers. Officers eventually arrested Day.

Around 9 p.m., small groups gathered at downtowns Shemanski Park, and near the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in South Portland, the site of another protest earlier in the day.

Just before 10 p.m., a group that Portland Police estimated to be around 100 people marched from Shemanski Park towards the area around City Hall, where there were multiple reports of vandalism and broken business windows. At 10:05 p.m., police declared the gathering a riot, ordering people to leave the area. Police later tweeted that they had made multiple targeted arrests.

Around the same time, Federal Protective Services reminded a group of several dozen people gathered outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Southwest Portland that the building was closed. Federal officers then deployed crowd-dispersal munitions at protesters. Around 10:30 p.m., it also was declared an unlawful assembly.

Earlier Saturday, demonstrators gathered for a series of events around Portland and in Salem. The largest event began near the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, where about 100 people gathered for a march and car caravan demanding justice for migrant workers. Dozens attended other events, and none of the gatherings turned destructive.

 The Oregonian/OregonLive
President Joe Bidens address Wednesday to a socially distanced joint session of Congress is a popular theme in this weeks batch of editorial cartoons. Biden used the speech to take credit for the rollout of the Covid-19 vaccine, and to make a case for his multi-trillion-dollar infrastructure and child care plans. Bill Bramhall of the New York Daily News drew the president as Mary Poppins singing about a tax increase to pay for universal pre-k.

The Republican response was delivered by Sen. Tim Scott, R-South Carolina, who criticized Biden for being divisive and his infrastructure plan as a liberal wish list of big government waste. Michael Ramirez of the Las Vegas Review-Journal picked up on that theme, drawing Air Force One dropping wads of I.O.U.s on the country below.

Cartoonists also commented on FBI searches of the home and office of Rudolph Giuliani, a lawyer for former President Donald Trump being investigated for his activities in Ukraine; polling that shows one-fourth of Americans do not intend to get the Covid-19 vaccine, which may prolong the pandemic; the fallout from calls for police reform; and a false story, fanned by conservative media, that the Biden administration planned to ban red meat to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Cartoons were drawn by Nick Anderson, Bill Bramhall, Dana Summers, Drew Sheneman, Scott Stantis, Walt Handelsman, David Horsey, Phil Hands, Joel Pett and Joey Weatherford of Tribune Content Agency; and A.F. Branco, Mike Luckovich and Michael Ramirez of Creators Syndicate.

View more editorial cartoon galleries.
Paul Messersmith-Glavin

Messersmith-Glavin serves on the board of the Institute for Anarchist Studies, a grant-giving organization created in 1996 to support the development of anarchism. The IAS publishes the Perspectives on Anarchist Theory journal, as well as books in collaboration with AK Press. Messersmith-Glavin is an organizer, author and health care worker in Portland.

In the April 25 editorial, Drawing the line between chaos and community, the Oregonian/OregonLive Editorial Board approvingly cites Mayor Ted Wheelers attempt to divide racial justice protesters from self-described anarchists who bring havoc. There is a great deal to unpack in Wheeler and the editorial boards assumptions.

Lets start with the misunderstanding that anarchists, self-described or otherwise, have no interest in racial justice. Anarchists seek a world free of all forms of domination and hierarchy, be they based in race, gender, class, ability, age or any other aspect of social or material differentiation. So committed are they to this ideal, they expose themselves to repeated police violence for expressing this view. It is empirically incorrect to suggest otherwise, as one would find out if one simply talked to them or listened to their words. Anarchists are involved in organizing against racial domination in Portland and around the world and have participated in protests against police killings of people of color for years.

Definitions of violence are contentious, but surely, we can agree there is a significant difference between broken windows and a 46-year-old man shot dead by police while in a city park, the latest person to be killed by Portland Police. There is no moral equivalency between dumpster fires in the street and murder. It is disingenuous to condemn property destruction while ignoring the relentless violence of Portland police, who used force a documented 6,000 times last year alone against citizens expressing their opinions on the value of Black lives. The overwhelming majority of violence against people occurring during protests is committed by Portland police, not by protestors.

Mayor Wheeler singled out those wearing black to be reported to police. Not only did this rapidly become a joke, as many non-anarchists in Portland wear black, but it stems from a misunderstanding of who and what the black bloc is. It is neither a group nor an identity. It is merely a demonstration tactic, developed to defend against police violence and surveillance, in which participants all dress in black, wear protective gear, and move as a group. This tactic has been used in this country for over 30 years and is a response to the increasing militarization and aggression of police.

The editorial boards understanding of community is as limited as its understanding of the motivations and tactics of anarchists. Anarchists have been a part of the Portland community for generations and live and work everywhere in this city. Some participate in militant street demonstrations. Some, often the same people, respond with material and emotional aid to those displaced by wildfires, suffering houselessness , or experiencing the physical and economic consequences of the pandemic. Anarchists organize to make workplaces more democratic, grow food cooperatively, teach children and young adults , and provide health care to the community. We are your friends, your neighbors, your coworkers , and your caregivers.

In reality, who brings violence, havoc, and chaos to the streets of Portland? Which institution is able to murder people at will without consequence? And which elected officials refuse to hold these actors accountable, instead pointing a finger at those reacting to injustice?

Mayor Wheeler and the editorial boards focus on the actions of militants in the streets is a distraction from talking about the social, economic , and political conditions that give rise to demonstrations in the first place. We urgently need to talk about why the Portland police can murder people at will, then viciously beat, shoot and attack those who confront this behavior. White supremacy and the institutions and actors who uphold it, not protests against these things, are what tear apart and create havoc in the Portland community.

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Athene Marston

Marston is a senior at Leodis V. McDaniel High School.

This may be the first time that you are hearing the name Leodis V. McDaniel. And that is one of the many reasons that the Madison High School community and its renaming committee found it so important to honor such a remarkable person in our name change. Someone who so deeply reflects our schools core values of community, respect, education, equity and diversity should be widely recognized and celebrated as the leader he was -- and through our renaming, we were given the opportunity to make that a reality.

Although we explored a variety of incredible name options, we saw that many of our candidates could (and we hope will) be tributed in the naming of any school in Oregon or even the country. As a past Madison principal and life-long Portland leader, Leodis McDaniels closeness to our school sets him apart as someone only our community can truly honor in this way.

McDaniel served Madison High School starting in 1974 as a counselor and later vice principal. He became principal in 1983, which was the position he held until his death in 1987. He was highly admired by students, staff and the Portland community alike and regarded as a selfless leader, who always wore a smile. At the time, he was one of the only Black principals in Oregon and led our school through the difficult task of desegregation and bussing.

Throughout his life, he received numerous awards and recognitions from the many community organizations to which he contributed. Even before our schools renaming, Madison has long awarded an annual scholarship to a senior in need in McDaniels honor.

Leodis V. McDaniel served as principal of the previously named Madison High School from 1983 until his death in 1987.

The changing of James Madison High Schools name has been a community-wide effort for many years. I joined the movement my sophomore year, but the process had begun before I even started at Madison. Our school, located in East Portland along 82nd Avenue, is one of the most diverse high schools in the state with students of color comprising nearly 70% of the school population. Our school welcomes students from Cuba to Ethiopia, and families who speak languages from Somali to Vietnamese. Inevitably, our community began to question how it could be suitable to be represented by James Madison, the fourth U.S. president, who owned over 100 slaves and sold them for his personal profit, even bringing enslaved people to serve him in the White House.

As soon as our committee released McDaniels name as an option, we received overwhelming support from students, alumni, parents, past and present staff, and beyond. Both our committee and the school district even received an abundance of support letters from community members sharing heartwarming personal stories and explaining just how much choosing McDaniel to honor with our schools new name would mean to them. In one letter, a staff member recalls how they had to close the school the day of his funeral because of how many people wanted to attend his service, and described Rose City Cemetery completely lined with students, staff, and the greater Portland community who had been moved by his activism. The letters of many other enthusiasts reiterate just how much he was loved and respected as both a leader and a friend and reflected his lifelong commitment to combating social and racial injustice and bettering the community that he deeply cared for.

Two months ago, the Portland Public School Board voted unanimously in favor of our name change proposal. After years of hard work, James Madison High Schools name was officially changed to Leodis V. McDaniel High School.

This process has been a huge step forward for historically underrepresented communities, creating a foundation for others to build on, and I feel honored to have been a part of it. Its powerful to know that student voices were heard and my work as a leader on this committee will leave a mark on my community long after I have graduated. Our schools name should be one that everyone can say with pride and that highlights the strength of our incredible community  and I feel that we were finally able to achieve that at McDaniel High School.

Our choice of Leodis McDaniel is one that embodies our schools values and uplifts our community. Having our school named after someone who represents me, as a student of color, and who represents many of my peers, is extremely meaningful and validating, especially after years of having a name with the opposite message. A name change isnt the solution alone, but it is definitely a step towards a more inclusive future  one that empowers every student. My hope is that our successful name change process will encourage others to follow in our footsteps and use their platforms to take an active stand for antiracism.

Donations to the McDaniel scholarship fund can be made by check payable to Oregon Community Foundation with McDaniel fund indicated on the check. Mail to Oregon Community Foundation, 1221 SW Yamhill St., Suite 100, Portland, OR 97205.

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Oregons 2020 wildfires have left a morbid black scar in our history and landscapes. Fires ripped through our communities forcing thousands to flee for their lives, burning small towns and taking the lives of loved ones. We are heartbroken and mourn with our neighbors over our collective loss.

As county commissioners, we know our county governments are doing everything possible to help with recovery. We are counting on our state and federal partners to support recovery with quick action to restore public lands, maintain public access and reduce the risks of future wildfire. We applaud actions by public agencies to remove dead and dying trees along roadsides so roads, facilities and recreational areas can safely reopen.

Unfortunately, a group of Portland-based environmental organizations recently sued the state to stop all post-fire restoration activities in our backyard (Environmental groups sue to stop post-fire logging in Santiam State Forest, April 15). They filed the suit in Multnomah County, so the case wont even be heard by a jury of those whose homes were destroyed and are living in a blackened landscape.

The Oregon Department of Forestry proposed salvage on just the most severely burned areas in the Santiam State Forest, leaving nearly 90% of it to recover naturally. Sale of the burned timber would pay for reopening and restoration of this public forest.

We call on Oregonians to reject obstructionist efforts that ignore the trauma, suffering and future livelihoods of fellow Oregonians. Help us move forward by supporting efforts to restore and replant our treasured forests.

Kevin Cameron, Tootie Smith and Roger Nyquist

Cameron is chair of the Marion County Board of Commissioners. Smith is chair of the Clackamas County Board of Commissioners. Nyquist is chair of the Linn County Board of Commissioners.
Under the wail of passing trains, Portlands Old Town residents and business owners swap stories of the latest neighborhood goings on. Their conversations repeat themselves week after week. They fear crime is increasing. Theyre bothered by tents lining sidewalks and trash piling up. Theyre frustrated that first responders dont arrive quickly when homeless neighbors experience a mental health crisis. And they worry about the immense task of reopening their businesses after a year of closures.

At first blush, the conversations seem to pit business owners against individuals experiencing homelessness. But in reality, both sides are asking for largely the same help from the city and Multnomah County.

Their top ask is for more mental health care, according to individuals experiencing homelessness, social service providers and local business owners who talked to The Oregonian/OregonLive. Business owners also want set boundaries for where people without homes can pitch tents.

Old Town business owners have repeatedly voiced their pleas in letters to the city asking for help to address what they describe as a crisis, said Jessie Burke, chair of the Old Town Community Association and chief executive officer of The Society Hotel. There are many homeless service providers and outreach workers in the area, but they cant keep up with the ever-increasing need, she said, referring to rows of tents outside many area businesses.

The only clear (action) that would be any help is to have a clear place where people can camp and where they cant, Burke said.

While an official count hasnt been conducted this year due to risks of spreading coronavirus, experts say homelessness, particularly tent camping, has grown across most parts of the city due to economic instability fueled by the pandemic. Old Town is an extreme microcosm of the citys larger street camping puzzle, since it has concentrated camping covering more block faces than almost any other residential or retail neighborhood and few green spaces for campers to spread out or hide in, said Scott Kerman, director of Blanchet House, which provides shelter and food in Old Town.

High-density clusters of street campers arent just located in the blocks between Old Towns borders of the Willamette River, the Broadway Bridge, Northwest Broadway and West Burnside Street, however. Large numbers of urban campers can also be found in areas near Portland State University, around Laurelhurst Park and in pockets lining Interstate 5 between the Steel and Burnside bridges just east of the river, among other areas, according to the citys One Point of Contact Campsite Reports.

In January 2019, the last time Multnomah County conducted an official point-in-time count of homeless residents, just over 2,000 people were found sleeping outdoors -- in tents, vehicles or other places not meant for human habitation -- on a single night. That represented a 22% increase from 2017.

Beth Epps, chief officer of community solutions at Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare, warns that targeted resources such as additional outreach teams shouldnt be piled into one neighborhood without taking a broader look at the citys overall needs. She believes part of the reason Old Town is the center of so much conversation is because area business owners are more vocal than people are about the less-visible homelessness in other parts of the city.

Certainly, we should support the needs of the business alliances and work collaboratively with them, but I dont think they should drive what needs to happen, Epps said. As the city and county map out where to provide outreach and connect suffering people with mental health care and alternative housing, she said, There is a need in Old Town, but it is hard to say if the need is truly more.

SURVIVING IN OLD TOWN

Evellyn Anderson popped up a tent on the outskirts of Old Town five years ago because the location was near an apartment she lived in as a child and because providers offering free meals, showers, housing referrals and other supportive care operate nearby.

Anderson, who is in her 30s, lives on a sidewalk that abuts a vacant building. Its an attractive spot, she says, because she likely wont be bothered. The vacant buildings in this area of Old Town attract less foot traffic and fewer business owners asking her to move her tent elsewhere.

She hears that housed neighbors fear the area because they say homelessness attracts crime. But she is as fearful as they are.

Because I am a chick, there are people who treat me like I am a prostitute, she said. Men drive by and they ask for sexual favors in exchange for money. I get harassed. I think women are just more objectified on the street.

Tents are a common sight in the Old Town neighborhood in downtown Portland. April 30, 2021. Beth Nakamura/StaffThe Oregonian

Burke, who owns The Society Hotel, a boutique inn, said she believes crime follows vulnerable populations, not necessarily because those individuals are committing crimes, but because they are easy targets for criminals. For instance, she has observed a prostitution ring operate down the block from her hotel week after week.

Since the start of the year, 3% of calls dispatched by 911 in Multnomah County have come from the Old Town neighborhood. Of total calls related to homelessness, which can include wellness checks, 4% have come from Old Town, according to data from the Portland Bureau of Emergency Communications. Old Town accounts for 0.6% of the countys population and less than 0.01% of its total square-miles.

While there are rules that warn clustering more than eight tents together can trigger city intervention, a man who identified himself as Bear said group camping is what makes him feel safe on the streets. The 47-year-old camps with relatives and friends near Sisters of the Road Cafe, which provides hot meals. If Bear is startled by a noise outside of his tent, he texts his nephew in the neighboring tent to ask him to assess the situation.

A few blocks away, Anderson feels less safe as a single woman.

There have been a few times where I wake up from the dead of sleep and someone is unzipping my tent and coming in uninvited, Anderson said. Ive woken up to guys on top of me and that is scary and violating. I have tried to tell police, but they dont care what I am saying.

Camper Jessica Chamberlin, 34, says police have also ignored her pleas for help when she told them she felt scared. She said she constantly hears voices, though the voices in her head are often kinder to her than passersby. But she wishes she had a dog for protection.

BUSINESS OWNERS WANT TENTS MOVED

While clusters of yellow, green and red tents line the sidewalks in Old Town, many campers leave enough space between the wall of buildings and their temporary home to allow passersby to walk along sidewalks and access businesses. Many campers say they keep their belongings tucked inside their tents to limit the number of objects that tumble into the walkway.

Many local business owners wish the city would force campers to vacate the areas immediately outside of their shops, though. They envision a sanctioned camping area outside of the Old Town business blocks where people could move to.

Dan Lenzen, who owns Dixie Tavern, said the line of tents near his business jars peoples feeling of safety and cleanliness. Society Hotel owner Burke said she believes a boundary should be drawn around the cluster of open businesses with a rule that would not allow campers to congregate in that area.

The scene outside Union Gospel Mission in Old Town during a free lunch service. April 27, 2021. Beth Nakamura/StaffThe Oregonian

People call and ask if it is safe, Lenzen said, adding he believes the sight of homelessness discourages people from coming to Old Town.

Tiffany Hammer, who volunteers with Old Town Community Associations homeless committee, said, If people are sleeping on the streets because they dont feel comfortable in the shelters that we have available, then we need to respond to that and provide alternatives like sanctioned camping where people would be interested in going.

Anderson, Chamberlin and Bear  who each keep to their own one-block area of Old Town  all have mixed feelings about sleeping in temporary shelter facilities.

Chamberlin, who suffers from schizophrenia, has no interest in temporary shelter. She wants individual housing, but she doesnt know how to access affordable housing. Anderson said indoor shelters have caused her extreme anxiety due to prior trauma and she has woken up screaming in the middle of the night while staying at those types of facilities. She has also tried the city-sanctioned outdoor tent camps but got kicked out due to what she described as a misunderstanding. Bear said it is too hard for him to sleep next to other people he doesnt know and prefers wide open spaces to quell his anxieties.

While the three do what they can to survive on the streets, there are immediate needs they wish the city or county would help them meet.

Anderson said the portable toilets that were set up for homeless individuals arent usable since they are often filled to the brim and unsanitary. Bear said the commodes are often out of toilet paper as well.

A lot of girls get (urinary tract infections) out here since there are so few places to relieve yourself, Anderson said. There is also a shortage of showers. There are places that offer showers and a portable shower truck that comes by, but those have limited access and hygiene is a daily need not just a weekly need. We need places to do laundry and we need more trash pick-up because the garbage cans spill over.

Downtown Portland Clean and Safe and Central City Concern collect trash every day but can barely keep up with the need, Burke said.

A BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CRISIS

Tucked under the awning of a vacant storefront on the corner of Northwest Third Avenue and Couch Street, Ryan Berrand sat in the shade on a recent Monday as the afternoon sun warmed the neighborhood. When asked how he decided on Old Town to call home, the 37-year-old said well, really, the neighborhood just chose me.

He sleeps across the street from a methadone clinic where he pops in each morning to get his dose of an opioid replacement therapy used to wean people from substance dependence. He then stops by his favorite coffee shop a couple blocks away where he tips $3 each day. He believes if he is kind to others, they will be kind to him.

Berrand camps in Old Town because he badly wants to get clean and housed. He needs to finish the methadone process and hopes to sign a lease on an apartment after that. He even stashed away his stimulus checks to save for a security deposit.

Brendan Flaeschel says hes been living outside in Portland for ten years. He is from Midville, Texas. Here, Flaeschel waits in line for food at Union Gospel Mission in Old Town. April 27, 2021. Beth Nakamura/StaffThe Oregonian

He is on a waitlist for a short-term residential program at Transition Projects, one of the largest housing service providers in Portland, where he checks in to its resource center in Old Town once a week to say hello. Each week they give him a number that indicates how many people are in line ahead of him. If he cant check in for a few weeks, he will fall off the waitlist, but staff at Transition Projects add him back once he checks in again.

He described the constant wait and the juggle to make it to the resource center each week as disheartening.

In the meantime, he curls up on the sidewalk to sleep each night.

I would be interested in going to shelter or a tiny home, but I didnt know it was available to me, he said. I thought the ones nearby were full.

While Berrand benefits from the methadone clinic, he wishes he could also get counseling to treat his depression. His younger brother died a year ago and he hasnt figured out how to address the pretty sad feelings that have plagued him since.

Local nonprofits and businesses also say broader behavioral health services are needed in the neighborhood.

What I think you see in Old Town, because it is more consolidated, is that the mental health challenges that many houseless individuals are facing are magnified, Kerman, the Blanchet House director, said.

Kerman said his nonprofit that has long fed people in need plans to muscle up the behavioral health skills among their staff to respond to the growing need of their clients. While the organization currently has peer support specialists that help diffuse tense situations, Kerman is counting down the days to when Portland Street Response, a new city non-police program which provides crisis care in the Lents neighborhood of outer Southeast Portland, will expand coverage to Old Town.

On Tuesday, a man who often receives free lunch at Union Gospel Mission experienced a mental health crisis, acting out violently as he became frustrated. Workers with no psychiatric training are often on the frontlines of responding to these crises, Kerman said. In other instances, women are often seen walking the streets unclothed, increasing their vulnerability, Hammer said.

Portland Street Response plans to offer services city wide in March 2022, but the team does not plan to expand to individual neighborhoods before then, said public information officer Caryn Brooks. The expansion could be in question, though, because Portland Mayor Ted Wheelers budget proposal released Thursday did not include funding to expand the program.

Epps, the chief of solutions at Cascadia Behavioral Health, said her nonprofit is actively working with Portland Street Response to coordinate overlapping services and identify where true gaps are.

We have a good number of mental health clinics in the county, but what is missing often are services for people who a clinic isnt going to work for, Epps said. We also have small specialty outreach teams for very specific populations that are awesome, but we need to be able to get that structure of service to all who need it.

There are teams of caseworkers that canvass the streets from organizations like Cascadia, among others. But many who are living on the streets say they either have never encountered a caseworker or it has been a while since they have seen them. Local nonprofits echo the same sentiment.

We know there are organizations with caseworkers that work in Old Town, Kerman said. But we dont see much of it down where we are. We need more of it.

Nicole Hayden writes about homelessness for The Oregonian|OregonLive. She can be reached at nhayden@oregonian.com or on Twitter @Nicole_A_Hayden.
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( ), the technology-based security solutions provider, expects to post positive underlying earnings this year.

In a statement released ahead of the groups annual general meeting, chief executive Peter Fowler said the group was now in a better position than it had been for some time in terms of management, structure, revenues and prospects.

Both of its divisions - Managed Services and Technology - are performing well and trading for the first five months of this financial year has been broadly in line with the board's expectations.

The Technology division has been quick out of the blocks this year, securing a number of contracts around the world, including the US$4.5mln security project in the Middle East announced in March, the bulk of which will be delivered this financial year.
While everyone uses water, Americans use it up, noted Wallace Stegner, the preeminent writer of the West, in his 1992 book of essays Where the Bluebird Sings to the Lemonade Springs.

That shrewd observation is even more accurate today.

In fact, even though weve dammed every river west of  and including  the Missouri, pumped most underground aquifers to the edge of emptiness, and captured every melting snowflake from the Rockies to the Sierras, much of the West remains in perpetual drought.

Worse, there is no end in sight for the region because the overwhelmed habitat now requires the overuse of water.

No one anywhere else should feel superior; we all totter on a ruinous edge of our own calamity: climate change.

And just like the Westerners who continue to fuel the urban sprawl of waterless Phoenix, Los Angeles, and San Jose, too many of us still believe climate change either isnt a real problem or is someone elses problem.

Thats especially so in American agriculture where even the mention of the phrase brings hoots, brickbats, and derision. Witness the latest national idea to mitigate climate change: President Joe Bidens hope to protect 30 percent of U.S. land and coastal seas by 2030.

The yet undefined White House effort, slugged 30x30, will require minimum effort to meet its coastal seas goal; already about 26 percent of U.S. coastal waters are protected.

The rub  especially for farmers and ranchers  comes on the land protection side because only about 12 percent of the U.S. is in what National Geographic magazine describes as a largely natural state. That means about 440 million acres, or an area twice the size of Texas, needs to be protected to meet a 30x30 target.

Enter the ag anger.

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That single figure, 440 million acres, say many national, state, and local farm and commodity organizations, means that farmers and ranchers are obvious targets for a yet-unannounced federal land grab to meet the White House goals.

The fact that no such land grab is in the cards  no formal land and seas protection program has been announced by the White House  has not stopped farm groups, rural state politicians, and ag conspiracy peddlers from promoting the land grab baloney far and wide.

Indeed, announced Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack in late April, the only aspect of 30x30 now underway by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the exact opposite of a land grab: USDA is pursuing a series of outreach efforts that ask a series of questions of commodity groups, farm organizations, and others for their input on creative and innovative ways to encourage folks to participate

In the meantime, Vilsack emphasized, There is no intention to take something away from folks.

But that fact  that there is no 30x30 land grab in the works  did not stop (g)overnors of 15 Midwestern states including Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota, from sending a letter to President Biden saying they have not been adequately consulted on the program

Most likely because  once again  there is no program.

A few days later, however, Vilsack had to again squash completely phony press stories about how the Biden Administration hoped to drastically reduce Americas meat consumption as part of its recently announced climate change policy.

In fact, Bidens commitment didnt include any targets for agriculture or any other sector, reported the authoritative Agri-Pulse April 27.

Mostly because there is no formal climate change program yet.

And, it seems, there will never be one if many of todays ag leaders and rural politicians continue to peddle their claptrap about land grabs and hamburgers. But thats what their deceits are really about; they like it just the way it is and tough luck to all who follow.

Which brings us back to Stegners experience of how most Americans see their role in the environment: we use it up. And as we do, we dont want to talk about it.

Not honestly, anyway.

The Farm and Food File is published weekly through the U.S. and Canada. Past columns, events and contact information are posted at www.farmandfoodfile.com.
Pamlico is a new gold discovery in virtually unexplored area of Nevada

Nevada is rated the fifth-largest gold producer and number one mining destination in the world

Exciting ground in Ontario as well

What Newrange Gold does:

Newrange Gold Corp's ( ) flagship project is the high-grade, near-surface gold discovery at Pamlico in mining-friendly Nevada.

The company boasts a large footprint, covering 2,548 hectares, which also encompasses a past gold producing area (with old mine workings) but has been unexplored and in private hands (three families) since 1896 so it has seen almost no modern exploration techniques.

Newrange is earning-in to 100% of Pamlico, which lies along US Highway 95, via staged annual payments up to 2044. There are around 8,000 meters (m) of tunnels scattered throughout the district and 300 adits (entrances) in the old workings but no maps and data. The Pamlico group of mines includes the Good Hope, Gold Bar, and Sunset mines.

The state of Nevada is a well-known mining hotspot and the world's fifth-largest producer of the yellow metal, with an eye-watering 169.1 million ounces having been generated from the state between 1835 and 2018.

Newrange also holds the 3,850 hectare North Birch Gold project (the new name for its optioned Western Fold Property and H Lake property) which lies around 100 kilometers (km) northeast of the town of Red Lake, Ontario, Canada.

How is it doing:

In April, Newrange Gold announced the completion of an induced polarization (IP) survey at the companys North Birch Project in the Red Lake Mining Division of Ontario, which successfully outlined a number of high priority targets for the companys upcoming summer drill program.

Exploration at North Birch is modeled after the Musselwhite Mine in northwestern Ontario, owned and operated by Newmont-Goldcorp, where gold is hosted in a folded and sheared iron formation.

Newrange added that it is preparing to establish a camp in late May to be manned by a geological field crew for the summer.

Meanwhile in late March 2021, Newrange said it had successfully expanded the Induced Polarization (IP) survey on its Pamlico Project in Nevada, as it was prudent to enlarge the property to cover as much of the new anomalies as possible."

Newrange said the new survey comprised 56.35-line kilometers, bringing the total, including the 2019-20 survey, to more than 76.5-line kilometers, covering the entire property. Three large areas of anomalous chargeability were detected, all of which encroached on the property boundary.

The company in February also revealed that it had discovered high-grade oxide mineralization around 85m east of the Merritt Zone at Pamlico, representing a new gold zone.

Results from reverse circulation (RC) drilling included 4.38 grams per ton (g/t) gold over 13.7 meters (m) and 22.4 g/t gold from a depth of 94.5 to 96m, and 13 g/t gold over 1.5m from 123.5 to 125m.

All mineralization is within 117m of the surface and Newrange said it was planning a follow-up drill program to help determine if the new zone is continuous with the Merritt Zone.

In addition, it said, diamond drilling is anticipated to begin in around three weeks and will likely entail a minimum of five holes to test a deep chargeability anomaly and to test a new anomaly in the Skarn area.

On January 12, Newrange had reported that reverse circulation (RC) drilling in the Gold Box Canyon, Merritt, and Good Hope Mine areas had revealed shallow oxide gold mineralization that covers an area of approximately 0.75 square kilometers.

The company noted that these drill results, which included 3.05m averaging 4.3 (g/t) gold, together with all its previous drilling and underground sampling, continued to indicate that oxide gold mineralization at Pamlico occurs in a large, near-surface, shallow-dipping to nearly flat, laterally-extensive structural zone.

In December 2020, the group had announced the further discovery of a new gold zone at Pamlico, around 1,300m north-northeast of the Pamlico Ridge area. Most notable was one hole, which intersected 0.7 grams per ton (g/t) gold over 18.3m within a larger envelope of 0.4 g/t gold over 51.8m.

Away from Pamlico, in February 2021, the company also announced that line cutting, the first step of exploration, had begun at its North Birch Project east of Red Lake, Ontario. It said an IP geophysical survey comprising approximately 90 line kilometres will follow, and the results will be used to generate targets for follow-up diamond drilling.

Inflection points:

More exporation results from Pamlico

Gold price moves

More news from North Birch project

What the broker says:

In an update to clients on April 27, Noble Capital Markets analysts commented on Newrange Golds recent induced polarization (IP) survey of its North Birch gold project in Ontario, which they said revealed several well-defined anomalies to target for the summer drilling program.

With the completion of the IP survey and proceeds realized from the sale of flow-though units, the company is poised to accelerate progress at its North Birch property, the analysts wrote.

They noted that about 2,500 meters of drilling at North Birch is expected to begin in late June through early July following mapping and sampling across most of the 3,850-hectare property.

The analysts added that Newrange recently raised gross proceeds C$1 million in a flow-through equity financing that will be used to advance the North Birch project.

Newrange Gold also expects to close a C$1.3 million non-flow-through financing shortly, which will be directed towards its Pamlico project in Nevada. The Noble Capital analysts said Newrange has made significant progress in advancing its exploration program at Pamlico.

Noble Capital analysts reiterated their Outperform rating on shares of Newrange Gold with a $0.20 target price.

What the boss says:

The new IP survey has been highly successful in not only further defining and extending the known anomalies but has identified others of potential significance, said Newrange CEO Robert Archer, commenting on the Pamlico Project announcement in March.

All three anomalous zones, the Northwest, East and Southeast Areas, are 2-3 kilometers in size and each contains more than one discrete zone of high chargeability. Collectively, they reflect a district-scale cluster extending approximately five kilometers east-west and more than six kilometers north-south. For this reason, we considered it prudent to enlarge the property to cover as much of the new anomalies as possible.

Contact Sean at sean@proactiveinvestors.com
BLOOMINGTON  With messages on mortarboards and masks, the Class of 2021 at Illinois Wesleyan University was sent off to go forth and do good amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Though the masks required inside the Shirk Center, where the ceremonies were held Sunday, may have hid smiles, the pride of parents shone in their eyes.

It is so overwhelming, so much emotion, said Kenya Wortham-Young of Chicago, whose daughter, Chantiera Wortham, may soon be on the frontlines of the pandemic with her IWU nursing degree.

Her mother said she was proud and not afraid of what her daughter might face.

Thats what they need right now. We need them here to help, she said.

Because of the pandemic, commencement for this years class was split into two ceremonies, and members of the Class of 2020, who did not have a commencement last year, were invited back for a separate evening ceremony. About 334 graduates were expected to take part in the Class of 2021 ceremonies and 92 in the Class of 2020 ceremony.

When President Georgia Nugent said she was thrilled to be able to have commencement in person, the graduates and guests erupted in cheers.

This year has helped us to realize more than ever that no one makes it alone, said Nugent.

Board chair Timothy Szerlong said the graduates would be remembered as the class of resilience, adaptability and unselfishness.

You leave this campus and enter a world in turmoil, he said, encouraging the students to seize the opportunity to bring about change.

Three different speakers invoked a quote from the late Minor Myers Jr., former president of IWU, to go forth and do well but, more importantly, go forth and do good.

Several students said they took to heart the challenge from speaker Geisha Jimenez Williams, who related a pivotal moment when she was just 25 and a mentor told her, Someone has to run the company. Why not you?

Williams, who came to the United States from Cuba when she was 5, went on to become chief executive officer and president of PG&E Corp.

That one simple question  Why not you?  kind of lit a fire.  It gave me permission to think bigger, she said.

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With each challenge, she gained confidence.

I believe confidence is like a muscle. The more you exercise it, the stronger it gets, she said. Youve already learned you can overcome something as big as a global pandemic.  Thats a confidence builder.

Noting that the pandemic will not be the last challenge you face," she listed climate change, systemic racism, poverty and environmental injustice.

Someone has to address those problems, she said. Why not you?

She added, Let it be more than a rhetorical question.  Let it be a call to action.

Zeke Kalmes of Peoria, who graduated with a degree in computer science, said he liked her message and planned to continue to ask himself, Why not you?

Amanda Hopkins, associate professor of nursing education, also issued a call to action.

Hopkins, named professor of the year by the Class of 2021, said this years graduates not only lived through a worldwide pandemic, they also witnessed ongoing acts of violence against people of color. She told them to stop being allies.

I encourage you, I urge you, to be accomplices, she said. Its 2021 and supporting others while seated on the sidelines is not enough.

Zach Anderson of Algonquin, who graduated with a degree in kinesiology, accepted Hopkins challenge to be an accomplice.  I find myself being too passive.

The Wheat family of McHenry had twice as many reasons to celebrate as most in attendance at Sundays ceremonies. They were there to see twin brothers Kyle and Lucas graduate with degrees in computer science and biology, respectively.

The family wore masks made by a sister, Kaitlin, who couldnt attend. They said:

Mom of two 2021 graduates, Dad of two 2021 graduates, and Sister of two 2021 graduates. And their brother-in-laws mask said, Proud of two 2021 graduates.

Kyle was grateful for the in-person commencement after the things we had to miss out on because of the pandemic and all the events we would have had.

Lucas said of attending college with his twin brother, It was a unique experience.  It was also nice to watch each other grow as our own people.

Contact Lenore Sobota at (309) 820-3240. Follow her on Twitter: @Pg_Sobota

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NORMAL  Rivian is set to have its 2020 property taxes abated as three of the electric vehicle company's requests involving 380 acres of farmland west of its Normal plant go before the Normal Town Council on Monday.

Normal estimates the abated property tax will account for $103,150 in property tax revenue, or $72,500 in the Town's General Fund and $30,650 in the Library Fund.

The property tax abatement is in accordance with Rivian's 2016 five-year economic incentive agreement with the town. To meet the property tax abatement benchmark, Rivian had to invest at least $32 million in project expenses and employ 300 full-time employees.

Rivian currently employs 1,250 people at its Normal plant and is rapidly building out its facility in preparation for a June production launch.

The company recently purchased farmland at 419 N. Rivian Motorway and three surrounding lots for $6.84 million, according to documents obtained from the McLean County Recording Division.

In addition the property tax abatement, the Normal Town Council will consider three requests involving those properties: annexation, rezoning for manufacturing, and an amended site plan that would allow the plant to develop the land for a maximum 10.6 million square-foot building.

"The annexing and rezoning of this property into the Town of Normal lays the foundation for even more Rivian growth in the future," Communications Director Cathy Oloffson said in an email to The Pantagraph. "The newly-annexed property will be subject to property tax in the future; however, its hard to quantify a true impact on the Town because it will depend on how the land is developed."

Rivian is requesting to rezone only 320 acres of the farmland following concerns raised by McLean County residents living near the property during an April 8 Normal Planning Commission meeting.

Road resurfacing

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In other business, the Town Council will consider awarding a nearly $1.12 million road resurfacing contract to H.J. Eppel & Co. Inc. of Pontiac.

The town received two bids for the project, which will resurface 2.1 centerline miles of street: H.J. Eppel & Co. Inc., $1,119,265.70; and Rowe Construction of Bloomington, $1,246,386.71.

Normal applies a local purchasing preference policy for local bidders, but H.J. Eppel & Co. Inc. still had the lowest bid, according to town staff.

If approved, road resurfacing would run May through Oct. 1.

Roads up for resurfacing are:

Bakewell Avenue (Marian Avenue to Summit Street)

Bakewell Avenue (Fairview Street to Orlando Avenue)

Summit Street (School Street to Fell Avenue)

Crestwood Court

Charlotte Drive

North Walnut Street (Lincoln Street to Shelbourne Drive)

Bright Drive

Tilden Place

Summit Street (Walnut Street to Beech Street)

North Maple Street (Summit Street to North of Summit Street)

Roland Drive

Chester Drive

Ironwood Drive (Foxwood Run to #604)

Tanger Court

Hanson Drive (West of Windsor Drive to Blair Drive)

Normal will hear several other ordinances and resolutions Monday night for approval, including:

A resolution executing a lease agreement with the Illinois House of Representatives, by its agent, Illinois State Rep. 105th District, Dan Brady, and with the U.S. House of Representatives by its agent, U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis.

A resolution waiving bid requirements and authorizing the purchase of a Ford F-550 truck equipped with a Perkins 8-Yard Satellite Refuse Body from Key Equipment & Supply Co. for $86,140.

A resolution authorizing the filing of the town's Community Development Block Grant action plan for 2021-22.

A resolution reapproving the preliminary subdivision plan for Greystone Fields Subdivision (Parkside Road).

A resolution conditionally approving the final plat for Greystone Fields Subdivision 2nd Addition (Parkside Road).

The virtual Normal Town Council meeting will be at 7 p.m. Monday and can be livestreamed through the town's YouTube page.

Contact Sierra Henry at 309-820-3234. Follow her on Twitter: @pg_sierrahenry.

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The Pantagraph Negative Collection is a visual history of McLean County, available to the public on the Illinois Digital Archive, which holds over 60,000 images dating from 1932 to 1950. The McLean County Museum of History continues to pursue preservation of these negatives and the stories they tell.

One unusual image in the collection is that of Peter Lum and his new bride, Ha Chiu, (later Jill) arriving at the Bloomington train station in 1948. Peter Lum had served in the Army during World War II, and like many Chinese veterans of the American military, Lum was finally able to bring a bride home from China. She was one of a bevy of war brides who came to McLean County at the end of World War II.

Because of their sacrifice and improved U.S. relations with China, Chinese men had finally received a small measure of equality with other immigrants. Jill Lum arrived by first class passage on the Grover Cleveland from China, on the arm of her handsome husband.

Chinese men had lived in Bloomington as early as 1875. They lived a solitary life, working in laundries. They took English lessons at local churches, where the lessons were probably heavily laced with religious stories or U.S. history. In the newspaper they were called washee men and referred to as Celestials or Chinamen.

In the Pantagraph, they would have seen themselves described as child-like and bland, brutal or superstitious. Boys would torment them with petty acts of vandalism, and they were arrested on suspicion of gambling when playing traditional Chinese games.

For company they had each other, but no Chinese man living in Bloomington was known to have a wife in the United States until Jill Lum arrived.

Peter and Bing Charlie Lum were the owners of the Grand Cafe, a restaurant established by Bing Lum in 1922 at 204 N. Center St., immediately south of the Ensenberger furniture store. Peter Lum joined Charlie several years before WWII to help him run the restaurant (the date of his arrival was inconsistently reported).

Established just one year before the downtown State Farm office was built, the Grand Cafe became a popular spot with downtown office workers. American-style meals were popular at lunchtime, but Chinese food was in demand at night, according to Ike Chiu, a nephew of Jill Lum and the fourth owner of the Grand Cafe.

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At the time Charlie and Peter Lum immigrated to the United States, the Chinese Exclusion Act was in effect. This law restricted the immigration of Chinese people almost completely. A very small number of Chinese merchants, diplomats and students were able to enter this country between 1910 and 1943. Only these men could bring their families, which led to the practice of entering the U.S. as paper sons, or pretending to be the son of a merchant or diplomat already living in the United States.

Charlie and Peter may have entered the country through a relative already residing in the States, or as paper sons.

The Chinese Exclusion Act further prevented Chinese people from becoming naturalized citizens, and Chinese residents were required to carry identification papers with their photographs. In spite of these unwelcoming laws, many Chinese men, like Peter, registered for the draft and served in the armed forces.

When Jill Lum arrived, she was the first female member of the family to work at the restaurant at 206 N. Center St. She had no experience working in restaurants, but learned to make pies and other American-style food. Mabel Wu, her daughter, remembered seeing her mother make four pies every morning.

The Lums were very proud that all food at the restaurant was made from scratch, especially the egg rolls. The egg rolls remain a Grand Cafe handcrafted tradition today, but no home-baked pies are on the menu.

Jill Lum did not speak English when she arrived, so one of her first tasks was to begin learning English. Peter advertised for a tutor, and Hazel Lockhart, a grade school teacher, became her tutor and a family friend. Jill Lum learned local customs from Lockhart, from the restaurants waitstaff and from her five children, who attended Metcalf Grade School and University High, both in Normal.

Wu recalled that many of the waitresses worked for the Lums for 20 or 30 years and were almost like family members. One of those waitresses told Wu that the Lums had lent her and her husband money after her husband suffered a devastating injury, to help them keep their farm. Those waitresses were an important part of Jill Lums successful adaptation to life in the U.S.

Chinese immigrants lived a lonely life even after the Chinese Exclusion Act was withdrawn in 1943. German immigrants had their Turnvereins and German festivals and the Irish had the Hibernian societies, but the Chinese in smaller cities were unable to build similar communities due to the immigration restrictions. Even though Jill Lum had waitresses and Lockhart for friends, she and Peter lacked Chinese friends who could share their customs and holidays.

Wu recalled a couple of Chinese acquaintances among the faculty at the Illinois Wesleyan and Illinois State universities and a Chinese laundryman who was a frequent visitor, but on the whole she felt her parents had no social life. Eventually the Lum family grew to include Jills brother, Pong Chiu, after he escaped what had become Communist China. He became the third owner of the Grand Cafe in 1971, three years before the restaurant moved to its now-vacant Main Street location.

The Grand Cafe has passed out of the Lum familys hands and is now owned by Jimmy and Kelly Mapugay. The Mapugays have added Filipino dishes to the menu, but the Chinese items are from the same delicious recipes.

The Grand Cafe, now at 2205 E. Oakland, is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. This anniversary is a celebration of the perseverance and bravery of the Lums and the Chius, who made their home in a strange country and adapted to its customs.

Pieces From Our Past is a weekly column by the McLean County Museum of History. Rochelle Gridley is archivist assistant at the museum.

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CHICAGO  More than 2,600 people have been in custody at the Cook County Jail or at home on electronic monitoring for more than a year as a massive backlog of felony cases has piled up at the Cook County Circuit Court.

The backlog is a direct result of restrictions that Chief Judge Timothy Evans put in place last year to limit the spread of Covid-19. Evans postponed all jury trials and scaled back most court operations. Even when court cases picked up again on Zoom, technical difficulties and some defendants' lack of access to computers or internet delayed cases further, and some proceedings could only be done in person.

As a result, there were more than 33,600 open felony cases in Cook County at the end of March, a 22% increase from the same time last year, according to an Injustice Watch analysis of Cook County State's Attorney's Office data.

The repercussions of the backlog are most apparent at the Cook County Jail, where the number of people detained has risen steadily since last May. More than 2,000 people have been in jail for longer than a year, according to the Cook County Sheriff's Office, a 30% increase from the same time last year.

Defense attorneys, prosecutors, and policy advocates who spoke to Injustice Watch said the backlog has exacerbated court delays that existed before the pandemic. They urged the courts to move quickly to address the backlog, which some described as an ongoing crisis that gets worse each day as more cases are added to the back of the queue.

The backlog disproportionately affects Black people, who are overrepresented in the criminal court system. About 75% of the people in custody in Cook County are Black, compared to just 23% of the county population. Research shows that being locked up for even a short period pretrial can increase the risk of being rearrested, increase the likelihood of a conviction, and result in harsher sentences for those who are convicted.

A spokesperson for Evans said the resumption of in-person jury trials and bench trials last month will help the court begin to clear cases at a normal rate "by the end of the year."

But Sarah Staudt, a senior policy analyst and staff attorney at the nonprofit court watchdog Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts, said that wouldn't be fast enough to clear the backlog or to meet an influx of cases that she expects as summer approaches and the city and state continue to lift pandemic restrictions.

"We have to move faster than normal," Staudt said. If the criminal justice system is like a pipeline, "basically, it's like the pipe is frozen" at the courts, she said.

Pandemic-related case backlogs aren't unique to Cook County. Every state plus Washington, D.C., scaled back in-person court proceedings to some degree because of the pandemic, which inevitably slowed down the rate at which cases could be resolved.

But even before the pandemic, the Cook County Circuit Court did not meet national standards for resolving felony cases on time. According to the nonprofit National Center for State Courts, a nonpartisan research organization focused on court efficiency, 90% of felony cases should be resolved within six months. But a recent analysis by Staudt shows that between 2015 and 2020, fewer than half of felony cases in Cook County were resolved in that time. Mary Wisniewski, a spokesperson for the Cook County Circuit Court, said "busy urban courts like Chicago pose different issues than courts in other areas" and should be subject to different best practices.

'Everybody is waiting'

There were 5,778 people detained at the Cook County Jail as of Tuesday, a 43% increase from the jail's lowest daily population last May, after hundreds of detainees were released to prevent Covid-19 from further spreading at the jail. Forty percent of people at the jail pretrial have been there for more than a year, and another 700 are awaiting transfers to state prison, according to the sheriff's office.

Part of the problem stems from the Illinois Supreme Court's decision at the beginning of the pandemic to suspend the right to a speedy trial. That has left people accused of the most serious crimes, such as murder  who are most likely to demand a trial and least likely to be released on bond  stuck at the jail, said David Olson, co-director of the Center for Criminal Research, Policy, and Practice at Loyola University Chicago.

"A large share of the people in jail that are charged with murder are going to want a trial," Olson said. "And for almost a year, we had no trials. So those cases are just sitting there, waiting for trials to start."

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The number of people on electronic monitoring has also ballooned from about 2,400, when the courts shut down last March, to more than 3,600 as of Tuesday. More than 600 people have been on electronic monitoring for more than a year, which is more than double the number there were a year ago, according to the sheriff's office.

A spokesperson for the state Supreme Court would not say when the justices plan to reinstate the speedy trial demand. But when they do, any defendant in custody who demands one has to receive a trial within 120 days under state law. And the clock for defendants who had already requested a speedy trial could begin to tick again, a spokesperson for the state supreme court said.

In an interview, Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx said trying to address the case backlog will further strain her office, which is already stretched thin. Nearly one in 10 prosecutors either retired or resigned over the last year, according to a spokesperson for Foxx's office.

In the past year, her office has closed fewer than six felony cases for every 10 cases that it opened, down from more than nine out of every 10 the year before, according to an Injustice Watch analysis. Half of all pending cases as of March 31 had been open for 392 days or more, up from 284 days a year before.

"The anxiety that our staff has about addressing the backlog is very real," Foxx said. "I have to remind people that these are human endeavors, and our priority is on keeping communities safe."

She said her office would prioritize violent crimes and crimes with victims.

The problem is that about 80% of people who are detained in the jail pretrial are accused of a violent crime, according to the Cook County Sheriff's Office.

There's a good chance that some of them will end up winning their cases. The analysis by Staudt found that about one-third of people charged with murder or attempted murder between 2015 and 2020 were acquitted or had all charges against them dismissed.

But sitting in jail or on home confinement for extended periods can lead people to consider pleading guilty to "either crimes they didn't commit or crimes that are being overcharged," said Cathryn Crawford, director of holistic legal services at the Lawndale Christian Legal Center, a nonprofit that represents juveniles and young adults in felony cases.

Wisniewski, the spokesperson for the court, said the return of bench and jury trials would begin to show results soon. She also said prosecutors and defense attorneys should review their cases and agree to allow some defendants in custody to be let out on bond.

Staudt agrees that the court should make it easier to release more people on bond, but officials should also pick up the pace through other means, she said. For example, Evans, the chief judge, could empower a "centralized group of stakeholders"  including public defenders, prosecutors, and judges  to sift through the pile and find defendants who've been in custody for so long, either at the jail or on electronic monitoring, that even if they're convicted, they will end up doing little to no jail time, she said. Prosecutors should also start choosing which cases they're going to dismiss sooner rather than later, she said.

Until then, "everybody is waiting," Staudt said.

___

Injustice Watch intern Michael Korsh contributed reporting.
People who have joined Apple through an acquisition and participated in the acquisition process told CNBC that Apples acquisition strategy focuses on getting talented technical staff from smaller companies, often valuing those companies in terms of the number of engineers working there, and quickly and quietly integrating them into teams at Apple.

Apple has used acquihires to speed expansion in fields where it needs technical talent or it sees a specific technology that could set it apart from its rivals. While the acquihire is a common technique among big tech companies, Apples near-exclusive focus on smaller transactions sets it apart.

Cook said in an interview with CNBC in 2019 that the companys approach is to identify where the company has technical challenges and then to buy companies that address them. One example was the acquisition of AuthenTec in 2012, which led to the iPhones fingerprint scanner and Touch ID.

In 2018, Apple acquired Texture, which reemerged as Apple News+, its subscription news service. Again in 2018 Apple acquired Akonia Holographics, which worked on smart glasses lenses. Akonia had over 200 patents to their credit which was of interest to Apple. Then last year, Apple acquired NextVR, which wrangled content for virtual reality headsets, and Spaces, a spin-off out of DreamWorks Animation that built location-based virtual reality experiences. Apple has gone on sprees picking up multiple firms in augmented and virtual reality, artificial intelligence, maps, health, and semiconductors, presaging future products or features.

People who have participated in Apples acquisition process say Apple expects discretion -- unsurprising given how secretive the company is. Apple generally doesnt announce small acquisitions and warns staff at the acquired companies not to update LinkedIn profiles to say they were acquired by Apple.

While every deal is different in its specifics, there are a few commonalities to Apples approach. Apple generally isn't interested in continuing the acquired companys line of business. Instead, Apple is particularly interested in a company's technical staff and not necessarily the business itself. Apple seeks out "individual contributors" in Silicon Valley jargon. Its less interested in hiring sales or support staff.

Apple even puts conditions on transactions that a certain number of technical employees must join Apple or the deal could fall through. These technical employees get what are called "golden handcuffs" treatment that includes large stock packages that vest over three or four years.

One of the big secrets to Apple's acquisition is revealed as being this: "Some people familiar with Apples process say that it assigns value to companies based on the number of technical employees/engineers, with a price tag of around $3 million per engineer, instead of basing it on the start-ups revenue or fundraising track record."

According to sources, Apples acquisition process starts after a company presents a demo to its technical teams who will determine whether they may want to license certain technologies or actually acquire a company. If a transaction takes place, Apple has a team that focuses on integrating the new employees into the specific technical group where theyll contribute.

A closer look at what Apple is buying can reveal where the company is expanding quickly. One current field of interest is in AR and VR technologies. Here, Apple has acquired at least 12 companies since 2013 as it builds out the Technology Development Group (TDG) division, which is working on head-worn computers. For more on this, read the full CNBC report.
Apple's tiniest product to date, AirTag, with a truly user-replaceable battery, had just gone under the knife at iFixit.

iFixit snagged the market veteran Tile Mate, plus Samsungs Galaxy SmartTag to judge our AirTag against its competition. Of the three, the AirTags Mentos-esque puck is the tiniest. About the size of a half-dollar coin, its not much larger than the battery that powers it. Likely spurred by Apples penchant for compactness, AirTag cuts corners by eliminating the keyring hole (a problem we intend to remedy).

Below is the first look inside AirTag with the help of Creative Electrons X-ray skills. As always, these X-rays have a lot to say. AirTags are indeed tinyabout the smallest they can get, judging by the density. Speaking of density, the relative darkness of the AirTag is due to a hefty central speaker magnet and its steel battery coverboth fairly opaque to X-rays.







While the AirTag is impressively compact, it manages to pack in ultra-wideband (UWB) functionalityan interesting technology in and of itself. Samsung just launched a UWB version of its tracker, dubbed the SmartTag+, but two weeks after the official release date its still MIA stateside.







All three trackers open up with finger powerno other tools required! That said, the AirTag is by far the most difficult, especially if you indulged in a snack earlier and have greasy digits. Imagine opening a stubborn pickle jar with just two slippery thumbs, and youve got the idea. The other trackers have dedicated divots for separating the pieces with a fingernailmoisturize to your hearts content!

Competing devices have replaceable batteries, so Apple may have been pressured to match the market standard in that respect. Still, we commend Apple for building the AirTag to last longer than a battery from the beginningTile took six years and 15 million devices to get there. Apple could have included an annoyingly-placed Lightning port or built-in (wasteful, inefficient) wireless charging functionality so the AirTag could charge from the Apple Watch puck chargerbut they didnt, and were here for it.

That said, two early patent filings posted in Patently Apple reports show AirTags recharging with an inductive charger. A sign of tech to come? Or more supporting evidence for an Apple product that never was?

Next up, did you notice the "button" on the underside of the cover? Thats not a clickable button like the Mate and SmartTag have, but rather the magnet we saw earlier in the X-ray. It sits right inside the donut-shaped logic board, nested into a coil of copper to form a speaker. You read that rightthe AirTags body is essentially a speaker driver. Power is sent to the voice coil, which drives the magnet mounted to the diaphragmin this case, the plastic cover where the battery liveswhich makes the sounds that lead you to your lost luggage.

As tiny as the AirTag is, iFixit is still mining new secrets. They note to "Stay tuned for detailed board shots" in-the-works, so there's more to come. Read the full iFixit report for more.
The Managing Director of Ghacem, Mr. Stefano Gallini, has called for a stronger partnership with Ghacems cement distributors and direct customers in the country to ensure that the needs of all retailers and end-users are duly served across the country.



Mr. Gallini encouraged customers to continue to alert Ghacem of their needs, for continuous improvement in addressing their challenges, as well as satisfying the end-users.



Speaking at Ghacems first virtual awards ceremony with distributors and Direct customers across the country, the Managing Director expressed his appreciation to the customers for their continuous support and contributions towards Ghacems achievement of its highest sales ever.



I look forward to better years ahead and wish to congratulate all award winners and even non- award-winning customers, as we all did our best to achieve the record sales. This was because of our cherished customers who chose Ghacem. Mr. Gallini noted.



The Commercial Director, Nana Philip Archer on his part noted that Ghacem will continue to focus on customer needs to ensure that the partnership is mutually profitable.



He explained that Ghacem could not hold a physical awards night due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, they look forward to doing this physically next year, all things being equal.



Nana Archer added that it is always humbling to meet our cherished distributors and direct customers to appreciate them for their partnership and hard work. We hope the well-deserved awards will motivate them to do even more now and for the future of the business.



Clement Effah, Chief Executive Officer of Clemonic Company Limited, speaking on behalf of the customers, after being adjudged the Overall Best Distributor for 2020, thanked Ghacem for appreciating their contribution towards the growth of the company.



Mr. Effah affirmed that Ghacem remains the number one cement manufacturer in the country and that as distributors, they will continue to partner Ghacem for joint profitability in the years ahead.



He expressed the hope that all customers would be able to meet in the coming year to celebrate bigger successes following what had been achieved this year.



The Ghacem Customer Appreciation Night is an annual event held to honour loyal and outstanding Ghacem cement distributors and direct customers across the country. This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was postponed and later held virtually on Microsoft teams.



Out of the over 150 distributors and 80 direct customers from across the country, 60 of them were awarded in categories such as Best Transporter, Most Loyal Distributor, and Best Sales Representative, among others.

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.

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Egg dealers are unhappy with price increase by food vendors, hawkers and retailers in the Sunyani Municipality.



In a market survey interview with the Ghana News agency (GNA) at the Sunyani Central Business District (CBD), the dealers said that the price of eggs has been stable for some time, and that food vendors and hawkers had no justification to increase the price.



The price of a crate of eggs has reduced drastically from between GHC16 and GHC24 in Christmas last year to GHC11 and GHC17, depending on the sizes, Ms Agartha Benewaa, a wholesaler told the GNA.



The reduction in prices is as a result of low patronage of eggs for some months now. Egg producers have not increased the prices, she said, adding its unacceptable for food vendors and hawkers to sell an egg at GHC1.



Ms Hannah Adjei, a popular egg dealer at the CBD noted that because of the high price, many people preferred to buy eggs from poultry farms, and that was affecting their businesses.



She reminded consumers that the market price of eggs remained unchanged and advised them to always buy them from the dealers or the markets

Source: GNA









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The National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) has called for a national stakeholder engagement to analyse and review the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy.

That, it said, was to improve upon the system.



The fact is Free SHS policy goes beyond the payment or non-payment of fees, but also the survival of the general school system," the President of NAGRAT, Mr Eric Agbe-Carbonu, said at a press conference in Accra yesterday ahead of the May Day celebrations.



He said while there was no doubt about the benefits of Free SHS, it was important to improve upon its delivery, thus a stakeholders engagement was one of the key ways of discussing the issue on a non-partisan basis with the aim of finding a solution to achieve the object of that policy without putting one party, in this case, the schools, at a disadvantage.



Challenges



The NAGRAT Chairman indicated that apart from the feeding fees, there were other fees on the bill that catered for the day-to-day running of SHSs across the country; however, with a freeze on all forms of payment by parents, many SHSs were suffering, hence the need for the stakeholder engagement to find a solution.



We also have challenges with the payment of electricity, especially bills of schools that are on prepaid meters. On a daily basis, challenges develop for school management to address, he said, adding that the situation currently makes it difficult or impossible for school managers to solve recurrent and intermittent challenges.



He further raised concerns about the supply from the buffer stock, and therefore, called for a re-look at the role of the buffer stock in supplying food items to the schools.



Technology



Mr Agbe-Carbonu noted that with the current technological age where the application of information and communication technology had become very paramount, the association would like to thank the government for facilitating the purchase and supply of laptops to teachers.



We call on the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service to ensure that technology plays a functional role in education and education delivery.



All obstacles in the use and application of ICT in education delivery should be consciously removed, he said.



The NAGRAT President said there were still challenges with salaries and allowances affecting the Ghanaian teacher and mentioned delays with the payment of responsibility allowances and salary arrears as examples.



He attributed the problem to delays in transferring information from district and regional offices, and called on authorities at the Ministry of Education and the GES to quickly resolve such issues to raise the morale of teachers.



May Day



Mr Agbe-Carbonu said Ghanaians were celebrating the 2021 May Day amid a sudden escalation of prices of goods and services in the country.



For instance, he said a bag of cement sold for GH34 just about this time last year but was now going for GH50.



Again, he said the price of iron rods, chippings and other building materials had shot up, and that the numerous fuel price increases had also contributed to the general price increases that had affected Ghanaian workers in general and the teacher in particular.



While contending with these numerous price increases, workers heard with shock that an economic advisor to government announced a government wage freeze for the next three years.



We are happy that government officials, labour watchers and labour unions have condemned the unacceptable announcement, he said.



Salary increase



Mr Agbe-Carbonu said the union was happy that negotiation on the minimum wage had commenced and that discussions on the base pay would also start soon. He added that a substantial increase in the salaries of workers will help cushion workers from the economic pressure affecting us.



He also expressed concern about the appointment of political activists to some management positions in the public and civil service.



He said such an action by politicians did not only demotivate and demoralize the worker but also compromised the non-partisan and impartial characteristics of the public and civil services.





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.

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A look at the major movers on the London market on Thursday

( ) is one of the day's risers after it unveiled a refinancing.

The exploration and production group has begun an offer of $1.8bn worth of senior secured notes due in 2026 and received commitments for a $500mln revolving credit facility and a $100mln letter of credit facility.

The proceeds with be used to push out the timeframe for its debt obligations, including redeeming $650mln worth of senior notes due in 2022 and repaying $300mln of convertible bonds due this July.

Its shares have climbed 13.35% or 6.63p to 56.3p on the news.

2.14pm: Financial website in demand

PLC ( ) has seen its shares surge as a former director almost doubled his stake.

The financial information provider has jumped 69.01% or 24.5p to 60p as Yair Tauman, a professor of economics at State University of New York, raised his investment from 9.44% to 18.31%

Professor Taubman, a proponent of game theory, resigned as a director in 2014 due to the pressure of his academic and business commitments, and at the time he said: " is a great company and should do very well in the future to come."

He has been gradually building up his stake since buying 5.85% in January 2019. Could a takeover bid be on the cards?

10.55am: Explorer issues new shares and warrants

Limited ( ) is among the day's bigger fallers after it announced a placing to raise 1mln.

Its shares have dropped 28% or 0.18p to 0.45p, which to be fair is the price at which 222mln shares have been placed.

The company has also issued 111mln warrants at an exercise price of 0.9p a share for a period of two years with one warrant for every two ordinary shares. If exercised in full this would raise another 1mln giving total proceeds of 2mln at an average weighted price of 0.6p a share.

The proceeds will be used to fund commitments for its PEL0094 oil licence in Namibia which it believes is highly prospective.

Chief executive Peter Hill said: "We are very pleased to have raised additional capital which enables us to progress our exploration activities on PEL0094, and to welcome new shareholders to the company. We look forward to providing further updates in due course."

9.53am: Toy specialist set to beat profit expectations

Some pandemic hit sales may never return but some may just be delayed.

The latter has been the case for toys and games designer and distributor PLC ( ), which saw a weak second half last year but a strong recovery in the first six months of 2021.

So much so it is on target to beat profit expectations and is heading for the best yearly performance in its history.

Revenues rose 44% to 74.5mln which pretax profits jumped from 2.2mln to 7.6mln. It also benefited from a 2mln gain from the sale of a property in Vernon Mill, Stockport.

Character said it had one of the strongest product portfolios it had ever taken to domestic and international markets and this performance was expected to continue through the second half of the financial year and beyond Christmas 2021.

Its top brands all showed significant sales growth, incluing squishy action figures Goo Jit Zu , Peppa Pig, Pokemon, Stretch Armstrong and Scooby Doo.

It plans to launch new products in the summer and autumn ready to capture the 2022 toy market.

Before then its strong performance in ther first half has continued in the second.

It said: "This growth is forecast to continue through to and beyond Christmas 2021 and we are on target to deliver the best performance in any calendar year in the group's history. Accordingly, we expect the 2021 full financial year's underlying profit before tax will be materially ahead of the published market consensus of 10.5m."

The news has sent its shares 17.59% or 83p higher at 555p.

8.47am: Rigs group in talks over energy deals

Star Phoenix Group Ltd (LON:STA) is coming closer to rising up from its previous rigs business and into faster growing areas of the energy sector.

The company has appointed a specialist broker to help sell its eight rigs in Trinidad, with interest from several potential buyers although the restrictions on travel caused by the pandemic mean the sale could take longer than it would normally.

While the sale process is underway, it is seeking lease agreements for the rigs to generate revenues, with one deal already signed.

Meanwhile, after considering several investment opportunities, it is in discussions on a number of potential ventures.

It said: "The board believes these new opportunities would offer shareholders exposure to significant plays in the energy sector and looks forward to sharing the details of these potentially value enhancing opportunities should they progress to binding deals."

There are a couple of outstanding pieces of litigation, with a US$10mln claim against LandOcean Energy Services and a US$22mln dispute with the government of Georgia.

The update has seen Star's shares soar 19.36% or 0.3p to 1.85p.

8.27am: Fashion group in demand

Group PLC ( ) is looking fashionable after an upbeat trading statement in what it called a transformational year.

Its AIM-listed shares have jumped 6.35% or 15.8p to 264.8p after the e-commerce womenswear brand said sales momentum since it floated in March was better than expected.

Turnover for the year is expected to be up 130% to at least 44.5mln, as its new customer numbers jumped by 19%.

It ended the period with 11.9mln of cash, and given its strong trading performance it has returned the financial support previously claimed under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

Since the year end it has signed a partnership with TV personality Stacey Solomon, as well as a deal with Asda, which will see the brand sold in around 100 of the supermarket's stores.

Chief executive Adam Frisby said: "We have maintained our strong momentum since our successful IPO and delivered a very good performance for the year...a transformational year for ...

"The collaboration with Stacey is one that we are really proud of and the hugely positive reaction to the launch of her maiden collection on 27 April underpins our confidence that this would generate an amazing reception from our customers and Stacey's followers. In addition, our nationwide partnership with Asda is also really exciting for the brand and will give fantastic levels of exposure and greater reach with our customers."

Also heading higher is Salt Lake Potash Limited ( ).

It has climbed 7.08% or 1.7p to25.7p after it received a key environmental go-ahead for its Lake Way project in Western Australia.

Chief executive Tony Swiercizuk said: "Receiving final Environmental Approval over the full Lake Way project will enable our team to commence construction of the remaining on-lake infrastructure and deliver the full scope of the Lake Way project. We look forward to commencing work shortly on this final phase."

Proactive news headlines

( ) swung into profit in 2020 as the cryptocurrency miner said it had crossed a major inflexion point during the year amid a surge in revenues.

( ) ( ) has hailed the full De Novo submission of its Parsortix system to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2020 as a watershed moment for the company and its goal to achieve the first-ever FDA clearance for a system to harvest cancer cells from patient blood for analysis.

( ) announced excellent results from the drilling campaign at the Havieron deposit and said they further support the delivery of an indicated mineral resource as well as the potential expansion of the gold-copper mineralised system.

( ) has begun the mobilisation of a drill rig ahead of a pivotal programme at the Rukwa helium project in Tanzania.

Ross Andrews, chairman (LON:IDV), the beauty and personal care specialist, said management was confident of a return to historic consumption levels for its products, including the popular Skinny Tan range.

( ) ( ) ( ) (FRA:W1D) has received its Part IV Environmental Approval for the Lake Way Project in Western Australia covering full-scale operations of 245,000 tonnes per annum of sulphate of potash (SOP).

FastForward Innovations Ltd ( ) said its investee company Yooma Wellness Inc, a maker of cannabinoid and hemp-derived wellness products in which it holds a 5.1% stake, has had its cannabidiol (CBD) food products from its MYO Plant Nutrition and Blossom brands added to the UK Food Standard Agencys novel foods list.

( ) reported a sharp reduction in debt for 2020 as the Africa-focused forestry and timber group said its business had remained resilient in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.

( ) has acquired a 49% stake in Barts Pub Ltd, owner of the iconic Kensington Park Hotel in Londons Ladbroke Grove for 750,000 and spent 1.18mln to increase its stake in certain companies with the Mosaic Pub and Dining Group to 24% from 14%.

( ) said its focus will be to further expand its portfolio, continue to build its network of partnerships and advance the pipeline of proprietary and partnered projects.

( ) said it is now well placed for substantial future growth after a transformational year.

( ) announced that its subsidiary SLE has been awarded the Queen's Award for Enterprise within the Innovation category.

Bidstack Group PLC ( ), the native in-game advertising platform, has enlisted Katherine Hays, the co-founder of in-game adveetising pioneer Massive Inc, as a strategic adviser.

( ) said its shares will begin trading on the OTCQX Best Market in the US on Thursday under the ticker PSDMF after the firm was upgraded from the Pink market.

( ) said the first copper concentrate for refining at Jubilee's Sable Refinery from Project Roan has been delivered on schedule.

Inc ( ) said it is working towards de-risking the Nalunaq Project as much as possible and increase the scale and value of the resource.

( ) has welcomed the commencement of field exploration work at Cobre Limiteds Perrinvale project in Western Australia. In a separate announcement, the company drew attention to s quarterly activities report, released today.

( ) confirmed lower activity levels in South Africa amidst the pandemic as it reported production numbers for its first quarter.

( ) highlighted an upgrade to its 2021 production guidance for the Kwale operations in Kenya as it this morning issued its quarterly activities update.

(LON:CNR, ) has completed a programme of infill drilling at the La India mines starter-pits ahead of a phased development in Nicaragua where the company seeks to boost the economics of early production.

( ) said it will continue to positioning itself strategically on orogenic gold systems.

( ) said it has carried out four follow-on holes in one area at its Toral project in Spain after good visible indications from initial drilling.

( ) said drilling at the Arzu North prospect in Turkey has indicated resources sufficient to extend the Kiziltepe mine by a year.

( ) announced that Dr Llew Keltner will join the board as a non-executive director with immediate effect. He brings over 30 years of experience across the life sciences sector, with extensive experience of public and private financings, M&A, the formation of strategic partnerships and numerous transactions in the CRO, biotech and pharma sectors, including as chairman of Raptor Pharmaceuticals Inc and as a board member at Mannkind Corporation and Immunovaccine Inc.

( ) has been awarded the Queen's Award for its contribution to international trade.

( ) subsidiary SLE Ltd has been awarded the Queen's Award for Enterprise for a second time.

( ) announced the appointment of Suzanne Brocks to company secretary with effect from 28th April 2021, a role she will hold alongside that of head of communications.

( ) said Brendan O'Mahony has stepped down as non-executive director of the company with immediate effect.

Esken Limited ( ) said that it has agreed that Warwick Brady will end his role as chief executive on 30 April and step down from the board of directors. He will continue to provide support to Esken on a limited part-time basis until he leaves employment on 30 June.

( ) announced that it now expects to report its 2020 annual report and accounts in May due to the impact of the Covid-19 lockdown.
The Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Right Rev Prof.Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante has appealed to the government to roll in students of Private Universities for them to also benefit from its educational interventions.



Rt. Rev. Prof. Mante who was speaking at the third congregation of the School of graduate studies of the Presbyterian University college at Akropong in the Eastern Region said students in private universities are Ghanaians the same way those in public universities are Ghanaians. He reminded the government of its promise to provide loans to tertiary students by the provision of the Ghana card and said Ghanaians are waiting for its implementation.



Rt. Rev Prof. Mante urged the graduands to join the moral decadence that is creeping into the Ghanaian society and promised the church's commitment to uplift the moral values of the society.



The President of the Presbyterian University College of Ghana Rev.Prof. Emmanuel Addie Obeng said it is becoming clear that a number of students both at the undergraduate and graduate levels have challenges with the payment of fees and the University is considering setting up a student fees office that will be charged with the responsibility of raising funds from philanthropist, corporate bodies and interested persons to support such students in paying their fees.



He said University has received approval from the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission to run a master of public health program and will commence in June this year.



In all, a total of 348 students made up 202 male and 145 female graduated with masters in education, International Development Studies, environmental health and sanitation, natural resources management, and financial risk management.

Source: Michael Akrofi/Peacefm Correspondent









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.

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Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, Minister of Education, has assured all Ghanaians that the Free Senior High School (FSHS) introduced by the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government, has come to stay.



He explained that the FSHS was to ensure equity, improve accessibility and also ease the burden on parents so that children could have access to education whether they have money or not.



The government would continue to make available the right resources to ensure that all schools had what was required to support effective teaching and learning at all times irrespective of location, he said.



Dr Adutwum gave the assurance when he paid a surprise visit to some selected schools in the Central region on Friday to monitor the adherence to the COVID-19 Protocols, implementation of the Free SHS Policy and teaching, learning and assessment.



The Minister who was on his way to the launching of the five-year Strategic Plan for the Takoradi Technical University, visited Wesley Girls High School, Academy of Christ the King SHS, Holy Child School and St. Augustine's College.



He also used the occasion to donate five pianos to some selected basic schools in the Cape Coast Municipality.



Dr Adutwum, who was impressed with the activities in the schools, commended the Cape Coast Education Directorate and the staff of the various schools for their hard work and assured them of governments timely support to enhance effective teaching and learning in their facilities.



He also urged students to spend most of their time at school studying as well as engaging in usual activities.



The Minister, who is also the Member of Parliament for Bosomtwe, charged students to remain focused at all time whiles in school and at home so that they would be able to study hard for the good of their future.



Focus on your studies which hold the key to the development of the country so that the huge investment made in the education sector would not go waste.



He assured the leadership of the various schools in the region that his Ministry would liaise with the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GeTFund) to find a lasting solution to the nagging issue of encroachment.

Source: GNA









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The police has been able to establish that the young man who fell from the 4th floor of the Mensah Sarbah Hall Annex "A" of the University of Ghana last week slipped when he tried to jump from one balcony to another.



The victim, Fuseini Wahab Abdul, is a former student of the university who is currently undertaking his national service on campus. He completed school last year, according to police sources.



However, he was reportedly perching with a student in the same room he occupied in the Mensah Sarbah Hall when he was still a student.



Investigations



Police sources have told Graphic Online that police investigations have shown that a student reportedly informed Wahab on the night of the incident that the porters and some university authorities were undertaking an exercise to eject illegal occupants.



The victim upon hearing the information is said to have attempted to outwit the authorities by jumping to the balcony of the next room only for him to have slipped.



The victim who is yet to regain consciousness is still at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital while police continue with their investigations.



The 24-year-old man allegedly fell from the 4th floor of the Mensah Sarbah Hall Annex "A" last week and was first taken to the Legon Hospital for medical attention.



He was later transferred to the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, Ridge.



As part of investigations the legon police have interrogated some persons they identified as floor and roommates of the victim.



The Dean of Students and the Mensah Sarbah hall master of the University of Ghana have also been invited by the police to submit their statements to help assist with investigations into the case.



The young man who fell from the fourth floor of the Mensah Sarbah Hall Annex "A" of the University of Ghana last week slipped while jumping from the balcony to outwit hall authorities who were ejecting illegal occupants of the hall.

Source: Graphiconline.com









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The Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Right Rev Prof. Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante has appealed to government to roll in Private University students to also benefit from its educational interventions.



Rt. Rev. Prof. Mante, speaking at the third congregation of the School of Graduate Studies of the Presbyterian University College at Akropong in the Eastern Region, said students in private Universities are Ghanaians the same way those in public Universities are.



He reminded government of its promise to provide loans to tertiary students, stressing Ghanaians are waiting for the implementation.



Rt. Rev Prof. Mante urged the graduates not to contribute to the moral decadence in the society.



He pledged the church's commitment to uplift the moral values of the society.



The President of the Presbyterian University College of Ghana, Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Addie Obeng said "it is becoming clear that a number of students both at the undergraduate and graduate levels have challenges with the payment of fees and the University is considering setting up a student fees office that will be charged with the responsibility of raising funds from philanthropist, corporate bodies and interested persons to support such students in paying their fees".



He said the University has received approval from the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission to run a Masters of Public Health program and will commence in June this year.



In all a total of 348 students made up 202 male and 145 female graduated with Masters in Education, International Development Studies, Environmental Health and Sanitation, Natural Resources Management and Financial Risk Management.





Source: Michael Akrofi/Peace FM News









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.

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National Organizer of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG), Yaw Asani Tano says the speech of Sir Sam Jonah at the Rotary Club programme has raised significant concerns about the ills of Ghanas democracy.



He, however, did not spare Sir Sam Jonah for being a major contributory factor of the concerns raised about the illegal mining [galamsey] menace in the country.



In a press release copied to Peacefmonline.com, the National Organizer of the LPG accused Sir Sam Jonah of failing to help Ghana establish a gold refinery to add value to the gold to increase its profitability to boost the countrys economy when he became the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Obuasi Gold-Mines.



He rather oversaw the shipment of our raw gold outside the country and the eventual almost total ownership and control of the mining industry by foreigners. If our leaders like Sir Sam Jonah had really sought and prioritized the interests of Ghana, we would not have been fighting galamsey by now, the statement read.







Below Is The Full Press Release Issued By LPG National Organizer:



Sir Sam Jonahs concerns raised in his brilliant speech at the Rotary Club are of importance and must be looked into for appropriate measures to be taken to correct the ills of Ghanas democracy.



However, it is equally important to point out to him without fear that he has been a major contributory factor to the concerns he raised.



Sir Sam Jonah has been in the mining sector since 1969 at the Obuasi gold mines at the age of 25 years as a supervisor in one of the deep mines and rose to become deputy CEO and subsequently appointed as substantive Chief Executive Officer. Sir Sam Jonah remains a major player in the mining sector globally.



However, Sir Sam Jonah failed to help Ghana establish a gold refinery to add value to our gold to increase its profitability to boost the economy. He rather oversaw the shipment of our raw gold outside the country and the eventual almost total ownership and control of the mining industry by foreigners. If our leaders like Sir Sam Jonah had really sought and prioritized the interests of Ghana, we would not have been fighting galamsey by now.



The underdevelopment in our various mining towns and cities especially those he managed is something he must be ashamed of. It is interesting but rather sad to note that in Sir Sam Jonah's own point of view; it is when a doctor says you have three days to live, or when you have absolutely no interest in material things like Gandhi, or when you are super rich like him before you will have serious concerns about the future generations and speak the truth.



Has any doctor told Sir Sam Jonah that he has only three days to live or for now he has no interest in material things like Mahatma Gandhi so he can speak the truth? Of course, he is also super-rich and untouchable so he can afford the cost of speaking the truth. Our golden boy Sir Sam Jonah could have spoken the truth to power long ago if he wanted but chose to keep quiet perhaps because he was observing table manners.



Sir Sam Jonahs concerns are legitimate but he failed to acknowledge his own actions and inactions as a contributory factor of the current situation that Ghana finds itself in which has led to impunity in all sectors of the country and governance as a whole. He should have rendered an apology to all Ghanaians.



Yaw Asani Tano



National Organizer, LPG



0244033693

Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com









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Da Costa Aboagye, the Chairman of Risk Communication and Community Engagement for Ghanas COVID-19 response, has described the testing regime at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) as robust, hence urged Ghanaians not to bastardize the testing regime.



He said the KIA testing was one of the best physical protocol mechanisms in reducing the importation of cases into the country.



Dr Aboagye who said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency explained that positive tests at the airport would normally be subjected to genomic sequencing to determine the type of strain.



The Food and Drugs Authority validated the equipment and processes of testing at the KIA often to give assurance of the testing regime, he stated.



Once the public health system in Ghana detected a positive case, no other independent result was accepted until the affected person had completed mandatory isolation including associated treatment, a further test and was discharged by the Ghana Health Service.



Dr Aboagye said no exemptions were made to anyone regardless of status, adding that persons who tested positive were likely to expose people around them and should desist from conducting independent tests afterward.



The Chairman said persons who tested positive at the airport were under the control of the Ghana Health Service and assessments were normally conducted to determine whether a positive patient should be offered the home, hospital, or hotel management.



He explained that these assessments were done by clinicians and the case management team of the country.



It will be recalled that AfCFTA Secretariat issued a statement following the positive test result at KIA of the Secretary-General, Mr Wamkele Mene disputing the results as a false positive. Mr Mene went into quarantine whilst receiving guidance and advice from his medical team, who advised he took another test.



The independent tests had turned out negative raising concerns about the efficacy of the KIA COVID-19 tests.



They stated that before the KIA Covid-19 test, he (Wamkele Mene) received the Johnson & Johnson (J & J) vaccine, which should provide him with an additional measure of protection. His Excellency continues to adhere to all prescribed COVID-19 protocols, he said.



However, Dr Aboagye said the GHS did not recognise the results of the independent tests carried out on Mr Mene since it was not sanctioned by the public health system of Ghana.



As a result, the Secretary-General of AfCFTA is to remain in isolation until the completion of the statutory seven-day isolation period, and is discharged, as per Ghanas COVID-19 protocols.



On several other travellers in a similar situation as Mr Mene at the Ghana Health Service isolation facilities, he said, had raised concerns about the quality of test at the airport and appealed to the service to allow for independent testing to validate the test at the airport.



Dr Aboagye said in the quest to reduce further importation of COVID-19 into the country, additional measures had been instituted at the airport such as uploading a negative PCR test of COVID-19, which was not more than 72 hours old before departure to a system or software for validation.



This would ensure that only test certificates bearing trusted travel or BIOMARS code were considered valid for travel out of Ghana.



He explained that arriving passengers would have to use a tool made available through the Global haven partnership to validate certificates, help curtail fake certificates and reduce the number of positive tests at the airport.

Source: GNA









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The Bishop of the Tema Diocese of The Methodist Church Ghana, Rt. Rev. Samuel Ofori-Akyea, has called on christians to intensify their teachings on the Lesbian, Gay Bisexual and Transgender, Queer Intersex (LGBTQI+) issue as well as educate their members, especially the youth and the Sunday School children on the adverse effects of the practices of the group.

Quoting various books from the Bible, he said it gave a clear standard for christians on the subject which meant that, it was not the practice of christians.



Thankfully, all the religious bodies in Ghana frowns on LGBTQI+ practices. Additionally, the traditional religious leaders also see it as an abomination. Ghanaians, for that matter Africans, cherish our rich and strong values on issues relating to LGBTQI+ practices and our pulpit must not be silent, he noted.



He encouraged christians to use the pulpit to educate members on the adverse effects of the practice.



Rt Rev Ofori-Akyea gave the advise at the official opening of the 24th Diocesan Annual Synod of the Tema Diocese of the church which was hosted by the Kpone Circuit at the Mt Sinai Society.



Delegates and invited guests at the 24th Diocesan Annual Synod of the Tema Diocese



Touching on the theme for the Synod, Discipleship, teaching everyone to live like Jesus Christ, he called on the Methodist community to disciple more people and empower them with the Holy Spirit so that together, all christians would respond appropriately to the emergence of the group.



He pointed out that the diocese would continue to encourage Wednesday and Friday school worship in all its schools adding that, where they lack sunday school and childrens service teachers, lay preachers would be given some special training locally to support teachers in the school worship.



Teaching and singing methodist hymns should be a priority at school worship as well as children/teens services.



The Bishop of the Tema Dioceses address also touched on other areas such as the COVID-19 pandemic, church planting, creation of diocese and circuits as well as the silver jubilee celebration of the diocese which would come off in 2022.



The Member of Parliament for Kpone Katamanso, Mr Joseph Akuerteh Tettey, commended The Methodist Church Ghana for upholding good christian principles adding that, he was ready to collaborate with it in order that the people would benefit.



The Municipal Chief Executive for the area, Mr Solomon Appiah, said as disciples of Christ, christians should live like Him by being patriotic to the nation in terms of sanitation.



The synod of The Methodist Church Ghana is the highest decision-making body of the church at the Diocesan level. It seeks to engage members of the church and various stakeholders to deliberate on issues that drive forward the developmental agenda of the church and the country.







Source: Graphiconline.com









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Authoritarian and illiberal-minded regimes are becoming increasingly emboldened in their efforts to stifle independent media, the International Press Institute (IPI) warned ahead of World Press Freedom Day 2021.



Brutal crackdowns on the press are unfolding openly across the globe. After seizing power in a coup on February 1, Myanmars military junta has arrested more than 70 journalists, revoked licences of independent media outlets, and repeatedly blocked internet access.



In Belarus, the regime of President Alexander Lukashenko launched a campaign to criminalize reporting on protests against last years fraudulent election. Local watchdogs have recorded over 550 attacks on journalists, including hundreds of detentions, since the vote.



Meanwhile, the Chinese government has accelerated an unprecedented effort to eradicate fundamental freedoms, including press freedom, in Hong Kong. Beijing has targeted prominent critical journalists, like Apply Daily publisher Jimmy Lai, as it transforms the territory into an outpost of its centralized authoritarianism.



The coronavirus pandemic has aided the negative trend as governments use the public health crisis to restrict reporting. Authorities have blocked access to information, arrested journalists for their coverage of the virus, and passed sweeping fake news laws that can be used to silence criticism. IPIs COVID-19 Press Freedom Tracker has recorded 635 press freedom violations around the world. India, which is battling a major wave of infections, has seen 84 violations  more than any other country.



The rise in open attacks on press freedom and the targeting of journalists in dictatorial and illiberal-minded regimes around the world is an ominous sign for the future of democratic freedoms, IPI Executive Director Barbara Trionfi said.



Press freedom is under assault everywhere we look, with tactics and methods for doing so being shared and copied by governments. Anti-democratic regimes increasingly feel that they can silence the media with impunity. This has a domino effect, encouraging other states to follow suit.



She added: The coronavirus pandemic and the accompanying states of emergency have provided in some cases a cover for governments to usher in new systems and norms that invite censorship and self-censorship. There is a clear risk that many of these norms will outlast the virus and become permanent fixtures. Now is the time to ensure that any rights restrictions are strictly necessary, proportionate and time-limited.



The pandemic has also reminded us of how important independent journalism is precisely in moments of crisis. We need an urgent, collective response by the international community  both states and civil society  to robustly defend press freedom as a pillar of free and democratic societies, and to stop the domino effect knocking down the publics right to independent news and information.



Authoritarianism on the march



A rise in authoritarianism and so-called illiberal democracy is contributing to a global decline in press freedom. Myanmar, Belarus and China are far from alone in their blatant repression of journalism.



Elsewhere in Asia, pressure on media freedom has grown in the Philippines under President Rodrigo Duterte, with new charges brought against prominent journalist and IPI Board member Maria Ressa and the forced closure of critical broadcaster ABS-CBN. Meanwhile, Indias increasingly illiberal government, stung by widespread criticism in the media over its response to the pandemic and the large-scale farmers protest, has stepped up legal harassment of journalists, notably through its notorious sedition law. Indian media outlets are challenging new rules covering digital media, warning of government censorship. Journalists in Indian-administered Kashmir continue to face an agonizing clampdown aimed at controlling news related to the territory.



In Africa, the re-election in January of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, in office for nearly 35 years, was marred by accusations of fraud and more than 100 attacks on journalists in the run-up to the vote. Just hours before the vote, Ugandan authorities brazenly cut off access to the entire internet to stifle public access to information. While Egypt finally released Al Jazeera correspondent Mahmoud Hussein in February, dozens more reporters remain behind bars. Legal proceedings against them are a mockery of due process.



Europe is not immune from the authoritarian turn. Hungary, a European Union member state, continued its dismantling of media freedom by kicking the countrys last independent radio broadcaster, Klubradio, off the air. Its media capture methods are now being exported to other countries in the region, especially Poland, where a state-controlled oil company purchased the largest network of regional newspapers. Turkey, which remains a leading jailer of journalists, strong-armed online platforms into complying with a new law that facilitates digital censorship.



In Latin America, the regime of Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua continues its war on the free press, shutting down access to information even as the COVID-19 pandemic spread. Journalists in the country face prosecution, surveillance, harassment and threats.



COVID-19 accelerates negative trends



The COVID-19 pandemic has delivered a debilitating blow to press freedom across the globe. Governments have tried to stifle independent media, while an alarming number of journalists have come under attacks for their coverage of the health crisis. So far, IPIs COVID-19 Press Freedom Tracker has recorded 635 press freedom violations around the world.



Overall, over 200 violations linked to the pandemic were reported in the Asia-Pacific region, of which about half were from four South Asian countries: Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Nepal. Seventy-one journalists faced arrests and charges for their coverage of the pandemic and its consequences in those countries, while 32 cases of physical attacks and verbal threats were reported.



Africa ranks second in terms of arrests and charges against journalists and media outlets. Zimbabwe reported the greatest number of arrests in the region, including that of prominent investigative journalist Hopewell Chinono. He was first arrested in July last year for exposing COVID-related procurement fraud within the countrys health ministry.



An alarming number of physical and verbal attacks on journalists were recorded in Europe. A total of 112 cases of attacks have been registered, of which more than 80 percent were by members of the public. Journalists were targeted while covering public demonstrations against lockdowns and other pandemic-related measures.



Numerous states imposed restrictions on access to information, preventing journalists from speaking to health officials or medical workers, or blocking independent media from attending press conferences. Restrictions on access to information were particularly evident in Latin America, where Venezuela and Honduras topped IPIs Press Freedom Tracker in terms of numbers of violations.



New fake news laws were enacted in at least 18 jurisdictions. Sold as efforts to combat disinformation about the health crisis, these laws provide governments with new tools to control the flow of news and information. Most recently, the Malaysian government took advantage of emergency powers to bypass parliament and introduce a regressive new regulation providing up to three years in prison for fake news on the pandemic or the state of emergency itself. Russia introduced legislation that imposes a fine of up to 21,000 and a five-year prison term for spreading false information.



Almost 50 journalists killed in the past year



At least 49 journalists were killed over the last 12 months, according to IPIs Death Watch. Of those, as many as 43 were murdered in retaliation for their work. Three journalists were killed covering armed conflict and one died while reporting on civil unrest. Two journalists were killed on assignment.



With nine cases Afghanistan had the greatest number of targeted killings over the past year, including three women working for Enikass TV who were shot dead on March 2 as they were on their way home. In Mexico, six journalists were killed in targeted attacks, mostly for their reports on drug cartels and organized crime.



Impunity remains the norm for killings of journalists around the world. While triggermen are occasionally sentenced for their roles, the masterminds of journalist murders almost never face justice.



In February, U.S. intelligence released a report concluding that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman had approved the heinous assassination of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018. Bin Salman and Saudi Arabia have faced no meaningful consequences for the murder  underscoring the lack of accountability for even the most brazen attacks on the press.









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.

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A four-member delegation from the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the Minerals Commission has called on the Asantehene, Otumfou Osei Tutu II, in Kumasi to seek his support in the fight against illegal small-scale mining.



The courtesy call was also to formally invite the Asantehene to the Regional Consultative Dialogue on Small-Scale Mining, slated for Wednesday, May 12, 2021, in Kumasi and for the Ghana Green Project, which aims to plant five million trees on June 11.



The delegation, led by Mr Benito Owusu Bio, a Deputy Minister-designate for Lands and Natural Resources, said the support of the Asantehene was critical in winning the illegal mining fight.



The Ashantehene, in his remarks, underlined the importance of rallying and mobilising every stakeholder in the mining sector to fight illegal mining, especially at a time the country's rivers and forest cover were dissipating at a faster rate.



He said the previous generations left the environment much cleaner and better and urged the current generation to leave a more secure and better environment for the future.



The Ashanti Regional Consultative Dialogue on small-Scale mining follows the National Consultative Dialogue held from April 14 to 15 in Accra.



Members of the delegation included Mr George Mireku Duker, a Deputy Minister-Designate for Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Martin Ayisi, the Acting CEO of the Minerals Commission, and Mr Kofi Adjei, the Chief Inspector of Mines at the Minerals Commission.

Source: GNA









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The Police are investigating an alleged gathering by the youth of the Christ Embassy Church at the Fantasy Dome, Trade Fair Centre, Accra, on Friday, April 30, 2021.



The gathering is said to be in flagrant disregard of COVID-19 protocols.



The event, advertised as a Church Service, which ordinarily did not require notice under the Public Order Act, was allegedly organised on the blind side of the Police given COVID-19 restrictions.



A statement issued in Accra by Superintendent of Police, Mrs Sheilla Kessie Abayie-Buckman, Director of Public Affairs, Ghana Police, said the Police had locked up the Fantasy Dome and started questioning leaders of the Church and Management of the Dome about the event.



"Any person found culpable will be arrested and duly prosecuted," it added.



The statement said trending videos of the alleged gathering, dubbed "Pneumatic Night" showed a non-mask-wearing mass crowd, screaming, chanting and dancing to the "evangelism" of non-mask-wearing leaders, putting the entire country at risk of spreading COVID-19.



It said the organizers did not give notice of the event to any Police Officer or Station.



The statement said, meanwhile, a similar event by the Church at UPSA took place on Sunday with strict observance of COVID-19 protocols under police surveillance.



The Police reminded the public that actions that breached the Imposition of Restrictions Act, would be subjected to the sanctions imposed by law.

Source: GNA









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A look at Friday's major share movers on the London Stock Exchange

PLC ( ) added 7% to 84.3p before close after announcing that performance following the reopening of stores in England and Wales has topped expectations.

Sites in Scotland will resume trading on 26 April while those in Northern Ireland have reopened today.

The greeting cards retailer has also headline terms for refinancing with its banks, with more details to be released soon. The banks also extended waivers in respect of anticipated covenant breaches to 31 May 2021, taking account of the company's cash flow projections.

2.05pm: FireAngel Safety descends after placing shares at a discount

FireAngel Safety Technology Group plc ( ) descended 10% to 20.2p after announcing plans to raise 6.9mln via an open offer.

The developer and supplier of home safety products is offering 10 open offer shares for every 33 existing ordinary shares at 18p each, which is a 20% discount to Thursdays closing price.

The AIM-listed firm has also raised 2.9mln via a firm placing and up to 6.9mln via a conditional placing, with proceeds to be used to fund research and development and shore up the balance sheet.

1pm: gallops after revenue, profit upgrade

PLC ( ) galloped 9% higher to 184p at lunchtime after upgrading expectations for full-year revenue and adjusted underlying earnings (EBITDA).

The veterinary services provider said sales are remaining strong and there has been a steady increase in customer demand since the end of March.

It expressed confidence that this strong performance will continue for the remaining months of the financial year ending in June.

12.10pm: slips after competitor poaches senior staff

plc ( ) slipped 9% to 50.1p at midday after admitting it has lost senior staff and associated team members to a competitor in the Asia-Pacific region.

The professional services consultancy said it makes up for significant challenges alongside volatility due to lockdowns in key regions.

However, the outlook for the second half year is encouraging, the AIM-listed firm added, with activity levels improved from the low point in January and February at the height of lockdown restrictions in the UK and Europe.

11am: genedrive in demand after Indian regulator approves COVID-19 test

( ) surged 24% to 89.75p in the late morning after its COVID-19 test was approved by the Indian regulator.

The PCR assay achieved 100% sensitivity and specificity in a performance evaluation conducted by the countrys Council of Medical Research.

The plan is to begin commercial activities through its existing local distributor Divoc Health, the company said, adding it will also be seeking additional routes to the market.

10am: Barclays tanks after falling short of rival banks performance

( ) dropped 5% to 179.58p after its first-quarter results showed a sharp variance to the positive updates from its high street banking rivals this week, with an increase in its cost-to-income ratio and cautious approach to bad debts.

The decision not to adjust its previous bad debt estimates, unlike most of its peer group, appears to have spooked the market along with a patchy investment banking performance and a cautious view on costs as Barclays looks at reducing its physical footprint, said Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell.

Less of us seem to be splurging with our credit cards in lockdown judging by the performance of Barclaycard, perhaps because of belt tightening on one side and on the other because some people have built up a cash buffer and therefore dont need to use credit at a time when theres less to spend on.

Elsewhere, Hurricane Energy PLC (LON:HUR) tumbled 39% to 1.4p after entering a lock-up agreement with an ad hoc group of bondholders.

This group holds 69% by value of the oiler's US$230mln convertible bonds due 24 July 2022.

Hurricane will pay its debt by issuing new shares and will pursue a new business strategy that will include extending production case in the Lancaster field.

9am: Jadestone Energy rises early after acquiring four Malaysian licences for US$9mln

Jadestone Energy plc ( ) was an early riser on Friday, jumping 9% to 64.5p after buying SapuraOMV's interest in four licences in Malaysia for US$9mln.

The assets have a low operating cost production of 6,000 barrels oil equivalent per day, increasing the AIM-listed firms reserves by 34%.

The transaction will be funded with the companys cash resources.

Elsewhere, ( ) climbed 35% to 60.6p after receiving CE mark approval for its MED3000 gel for erectile dysfunction.

The product will be available over the counter without a doctors prescription.

The CE mark paves the way for approval in many countries around the world, including in the Middle East, Africa, the Far East and Latin American regions that allow "fast-track" review based on recognition of the EU CE mark.

Proactive news headlines

( ) said its COVID-19 PCR test has been approved by Indian regulator after the 96 SARS-CoV-2 kit achieved 100% sensitivity and specificity in the performance evaluation conducted by the countrys Council of Medical Research.

( ) said it landed a new US$1.1mln rental contract from an existing North American customer. The customer will rent Enteq's core Measurement While Drilling (MWD) technology for a minimum of eight months.

( ) chief executive Richard Marsden said he was delighted by the findings from a phase II study of 221 hospitalised and home-based Covid patients.

( ) said it has now received its CE mark approval for its MED3000 erectile dysfunction gel formulation as a Class 2B approved medical device.

( ) has acquired a package of assets in Louisiana, marking its first deal in a newly identified central regional focus area (RFA).

( ) has updated investors on the outcome of its strategic implementation review while also unveiling a number of changes to its board.

( ) has reported improved losses during 2020 as the company said it had successfully navigated the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic due to its multiple revenue stream business model, with revenues remained relatively steady at 10mln.

( ) informed that the board has exercised its discretion to waive the requirement for a mandatory offer for the company by Labro Investments Limited upon the acquisition of up to 10,000,000 ordinary shares in the company.

PLC ( ) said it came out of 2020 stronger than it went in and expects to make progress across its portfolio with the possibility of additions.

( ) has inked a strategic research agreement with the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust (RD&E) that gives it secure access to 1.2mln patient records.

Salt Lake Potash Limited ( ) ( ) ( ) (FRA:W1D) has updated investors in a quarterly report for the period to March 31 as it focused on completing the development of the Lake Way sulphate of potash (SOP) project in Western Australia.

(LON:COPL, TSE:XOP) described a remarkable year as it filed its full year results. The first half of the year was difficult, but was truly outstanding at year-end, said Arthur Millholland chief executive said in a statement.

( ) has introduced a Carbon Policy that sets out its commitments relating to the management of carbon emissions, low-carbon targets and initiatives.

( ) said its next phase of work will comprise drilling at Ragged Range, its US uranium-vanadium project in Colorado, and resource extension work and ISR test work at Alford East.

( ) said it has eleven active non-disclosure agreements in force currently with opportunities across mineral sands, lead, nickel, copper, gold, zinc, cobalt, potash, and iron ore.

( ) said it has appointed its interim chief financial officer Mike Gant to the position permanently and to the board with immediate effect.

( ) said Richard Withers has tendered his resignation as chief financial officer to pursue a project outside of the group.

( ) announced that it was notified on 29 April 2021 that on that same day, Nick Rodgers, chairman of the company, purchased 1,511 shares at a price of 148.7p apiece.

( ) said Vulpes Life Sciences Fund, a person closely associated with non-executive director Martin Diggle has purchased 400,000 ordinary shares in the company at a price of 20.4p apiece.

Curtis Banks PLC ( ) announced that its annual general meeting will be held on Thursday 27 May 2021. Due to Covid-19, shareholders are strongly recommended not to attend the AGM in person and are instead requested to complete their form of proxy or submit their votes electronically.

Shanta Gold PLC ( ) notified that chief executive Eric Zurrin and chief financial officer Luke Leslie will provide a live investor presentation via the Investor Meet Company platform at 10:30am BST on Wednesday 5th May 2021.
The Minority National Democratic Congress (NDC) Caucus has called on the government to expedite action on the procurement and deployment of covid-19 vaccines to prevent further health risks.



At an emergency press conference, the Minority complained about the delay in the arrival of the vaccines for the second dose of Covid-19 injections.



It was expected that the vaccines would have arrived before the 28th of April so that those who had taken their first jabs could take the second jabs and those not vaccinated would get the opportunity, Mr Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, the Ranking Member on the Committee of Health said at a press conference on Sunday in Parliament House.



However, today is the 2nd of May, and as we speak, not an additional dose of AstraZeneca vaccines have arrived, putting Ghanaians who already had the first jab at risk of losing the partial immunity they acquired through vaccination, Mr Akandoh added.



He said, this has the potential to make some Ghanaians procure from unauthorized sources sub-standard jabs of Covid-19 vaccines to extend the protection they have after taking the first jab.



The Minority accused the government of waiting for freebies, in terms of foreign and donor assistance, and wondered to what use an estimated amount of $420 million allocated to the procurement of 42 million vaccines targeted at 20 million Ghanaians by the end of the year was being put.



Contrary to governments chorus of Ghana Beyond Aid, we have so far depended on aid from donor partners to vaccinate Ghanaians and it raises serious concerns about the capacity and competence of Government to deliver on its to promise, the Minority said.



There is information that 200,000 AstraZeneca vaccines originally meant for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) but reallocated to Ghana would expire next June.



This means on arrival, Government will have to fast-track its deployment so that it does not go waste, Mr Akandoh suggested and further called on the government to take additional steps to ensure that the vaccines coming from the DRC or elsewhere meet all the necessary safety and efficacy standards.



The Minority called on the Government to diversify the source of supply of Covid-19 vaccines, as India a major exporter of the vaccines, was facing challenges with high numbers of infections and associated deaths.



The Minority further said the government had almost three months to put in place a vaccination plan, but that plan was rendered almost ineffective because of a challenge with one supplier.



The Minority Caucus suggested to the Government to provide adequate funding for medical research agencies to conduct clinical trials on the various vaccines in the country, as Mr Akandoh explained that the country could not depend on genetic research result of the impact on vaccines on the general population.



We must conduct our localized research to have country-specific results that will inform our strategy and tactical deployments, Mr Akandoh, who is also the MP for Juaboso Constituency, said.



Mr Akandoh suggested that the government engaged in a public-private partnership to source for the vaccines if funding was a problem.



Mr A.B.A Fuseini, Ranking Member on the Committee on Communication and MP for Saganarigu, cautioned against the third wave of Covid-19 infections, which he said could be riskier than previous ones.



He said vaccination on the pandemic should be continuous.



Other members of the Minority Caucus were Mrs Elizabeth Ofosu Agyare, MP for Techiman North; and Mr Mohammed Adamu Ramadan, MP for Adenta.

Source: GNA









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A new hybrid maize seed with the capacity to increase the countrys present yield per hectare by five folds has been introduced into the system under the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) programme.



Produced in South Africa, the Lake 601 Hybrid Maize Seed has been tried, tested and released by the Varietal Release Committee of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) and added to the national seeds catalogue for use in the 2021 planting season.



Ghanas maize production now stands at a little over three million tonnes per annum, with 1.7 metric tonnes per hectare as the average yield, but this could rise to more than 15 million metric tonnes with the new seed.



Newage Agric Solutions Limited, a Ghanaian agricultural company, took delivery of the maize seed and has commenced distribution to farmers.



The Deputy Director of the Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Directorate (PPRSD) of the MoFA, Mr Eric Quaye, told the Daily Graphic that Newage Agric Solutions had been given the import permit to bring the Lake 601 Hybrid Maize Seed into the country.



Filling the gap



The General Manager of Newage Agric Solutions, Mr Martin Tettey Nartey, told the paper that the new variety, which has come at a time when the demand for maize continues to outstrip supply, thereby impacting prices, was aimed at promoting food security in the country.



He said the new seed variety was expected to help farmers guarantee a good yield, as well as provide jobs for the mass of the people who would venture into maize farming.



He said the Lake 601 Hybrid Maize Seed could produce far higher yields than the normal open-pollinated maize varieties (OPVs) used in the country.





That, he said, would help farmers increase their crop productivity and revenues.



Mr Nartey explained that the seed was a resplendent hybrid which was able to perform well in the environment from hot, humid lowlands to dry mid-altitudes and high potential wet highlands.



Again, he said, the variety performed well in all soil types across the country and even performed better in acidic soil with exceptional nitrogen use efficiency (NUE).



It is also tolerant to striga, the most dangerous weed to maize. It is the best option for commercial and small farming because the high yield potential is guaranteed when planted, Mr Nartey said.



He added that although both the new variety and the old OPVs attracted the same labour and cost in cultivation, the hybrids gave far higher yields.



Timely provision



The Chief Executive Officer of Newage Agric Solutions, Mr William Akonnor Kotey, said: It is important that, as suppliers, we endeavour to make conscious efforts to make such quality products available in a timely manner. We are here today, against this background, to satisfy our farmers who need these improved seeds sooner than we think.















Source: Graphiconline.com









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The Bono Regional Police Command has released the body of a 48-year-old charcoal burner, Abu Bukari Bahala, who was allegedly killed and secretly buried by three police officers at Seikwa in the Tain District for re-burial in Sunyani.



The body was released to family members at the Sunyani Regional Hospital after an autopsy was conducted by a Senior Specialist Pathologist at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Dr. Ernest K. Adjei, on Sunday, April 25, 2021.



The pathologist described the death as unnatural, as Bahala died due to a chest injury and blunt trauma to the chest.



The deceased was said to have smashed the car windscreen of the Manager of the Nkoranman Rural Bank, Mr. Emmanuel Ofori, as a result of which he was beaten to death. The registration number of the vehicle is AS 2000- X.



Second burial



Family members of Bahala re-laid the body at the forecourt of the Sunyani Regional Hospital Mortuary to perform Islamic religious rites for his second burial.



The three police officers who were remanded by the Sunyani Circuit Court last Tuesday for their alleged involvement in the death and secret burial of Bahala are Chief Inspector Eric Aforo, General Corporal William Apussung, and General Constable Ebenezer Akuffo.



The policemen and two security men of the Nkoranman Rural Bank, Rubin Obeng, and Aaron Abbey, were alleged to have brutalized Bahala to death and buried him secretly at night to cover their crime.



Satisfaction



A spokesperson of the family, Mr Abdul Raman, told the media that the family were so far satisfied with the court's decision to refuse bail for the accused persons and the cooperation and commitment of the police on the matter.



We are happy with the level of court proceeding so far and the level of police cooperation, commitment and support to the family, he stated, explaining that the police directed the hospital to release Bahalas body for re-burial.



Mr Raman explained that the family had never witnessed a re-burial matter before and would thus demand some rituals to be performed by the elders before he was interred.



He said the family had agreed to re-bury Bahala in Sunyani, adding that the family had nothing against the chiefs and people of Seikwa, where the incident happened.



Mr Raman debunked the claim that Bahala was a mentally challenged person, explaining that he was fit and strong in the community.

He said the deceased was a charcoal burner and a private security man who had three children, two males and a female.



Justice



Mr Raman called on the judiciary and the Ghana Police Service to ensure their departed brother got justice, saying what will make us happy is to get justice for our brother. We are happy about the proceedings so far.



He said the family would have managed to fix the windscreen of the vehicle if the incident had been reported to it.



Background



On Friday, April 16, 2021, the Manager of the Nkoranman Rural Bank, Mr Emmanuel Ofori, reported to the police that Bahala had smashed the windscreen of his vehicle.



After Bahala had smashed the windscreen of the said vehicle, Obeng and Abbey, who are the private security personnel, along with others, attacked and beat him mercilessly before sending him to the police station.



According to the police at the station, Bahala was violent, compelling the policemen to push him to the compound of the rented police quarters, where they managed to handcuff him.



Later, the police realised that the deceased had become weak and rushed him to the Seikwa Health Centre for treatment but he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Chief Inspector Aforo, the Akyeamehene of the Seikwa Traditional Area, Opanin Asuman, together with some boys, assisted him to bury the deceased.



When rumours went round in the community about the incident, the culprits realised their mistake, exhumed the body and sent it to the mortuary.









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.

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The Head of the Department of Linguistics at the University of Ghana, Legon, Professor Kofi Agyekum has said what matters most is the intelligence and competence of Lawyer Kissi Agyabeng for the Special Prosecutor position but not his age.



The 45-year-old has been nominated by the Attorney General to take the position of Special Prosecutor.



However, critics including former Member of Parliament(MP) for Tamale Central, Inusah Fuseini says Mr Agyabeng is too young for the position.



Did the President search well enough and not found a worthy replacement for Martin Amidu other than Kissi Agyebeng? Why did the President settle on Agyabeng, when Agyabeng after seven years will be around 50 years? the former MP asked.



Reacting to this during a panel discussion on Peace FM's Morning show 'Kokrokoo', Professor Kofi Agyekum, popularly known as Opanyin Ayekum, Head of the Department of Linguistics at the University of Ghana, Legon queried: "what else do you want"



" . . this job is not an easy one; these same Ghanaians complained that the President was appointing people who are supposed to be on pension and now he's decided to appoint young ones; that too . . . but the most important thing is how knowledgeable he is."



Listen to him in the video below





Source: Peacefmonline.com









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Former District Chief Executive (DCE) for Atwima Nwabiagya in the erstwhile former President John Dramani Mahama has joined many stalwarts of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) calling for the comeback of former President Mahama as the next Presidential Candidate for the party in the 2024 general elections.



In recent publications, the Member of Parliament(MP) for Builsa South Constituency, Dr Clement Apaak has strongly indicated that the NDC stands to lose the 2024 general elections if the former President is not made the NDC Flagbearer.



On another account, the Member of Parliament for Ashaiman Constituency, Ernest Norgbey is insisting that Mr Mahama is the best candidate for the NDC in the 2024 general elections; adding that it would be unwise for the party to introduce a new candidate as that candidate would first have to be accepted by the partys grassroots before preparing to compete the government in power.



Responding to a similar question on Okay FMs 'Ade Akye Abia' Morning Show, the former DCE for Atwima Nwabiagya, Nana Asare Bediako noted that looking at the achievements of former President John Mahama which Ghanaians can relate to, bringing back Mr Mahama will help the cause of the NDC as a political party ready for power in the next general elections.



"In all honesty, if we look at what former President Mahama has done for Ghana which we all can attest to them, I can boldly say that NDC as a party if we want to progress and win power, we should bring back former President Mahama to lead the party in the 2024 general elections, he indicated.



He was of the view that, it will help us a lot and so I am one of those who are calling for the comeback of former President John Dramani Mahama to lead the NDC to the 2024 general elections.





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.

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Award-Winning Ghanaian Screen Diva Abena Kyei Boakye has blessed the lives of many deprived school children at Dome M/A primary School with the necessary stationery required for adequate teaching and learning, Hand Sanitizers, and Sanitary Pads for the Young Ladies.



The donation was part of a Quality Education Project that the TV Presenter foundation has been engaged in to support school children in remote communities and deprived locations across the country.



The Eno Boakyewaa Foundation has been in existence for six years with the singular aim of supporting the lives of disadvantaged and destitute children in Ghana.



Focus areas of the Eno Boakyewaa Foundation include health, education, and total well-being of deprived Ghanaian children.



The items donated included: Nose mask - 1,50pcs, 280 Sanitary Pads, 150 Bottles of Hand Sanitizers, 250 pieces of Exercise Books.



According to the founder and leader of the Eno Boakyewaa Foundation, the entire team was overly excited about the donation and grateful to all and sundry who supported financially. She said:



"This s is to empower them not to accept little gifts from people who will want to lure them to bed just because of sanitary pad. And also advise them to take their studies seriously, that is the only way they can achieve their goals

Giving sanitary pads to as many schools as I can has been a project on my heart and I have a personal story to it which I do not want to share. So my foundation, which is Eno BOAKYEWAA foundation is fronting this project.



Last month we donated to kwabenya cluster of schools. And today I went to Dome M/A primary.



To be able to sustain the projects, she is calling on cooperate Ghana and able philanthropists to support the team either in cash or kind as without their help, the progress of the needy they intend to help will be greatly hindered.



Photos taken on the day of the donation prove that the gesture was truly appreciated as both the school's authorities and the school children could not hide their profound joy.

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
Visitors of the Jersey Shore love their ice cream and when a new shop opened in Stone Harbor last month it was the bark of the town.

Unique toppings such as dehydrated chicken, dehydrated liver and steak n sweet potato flavored bones are the paw-fect combinations to a wide variety of ice cream flavors that had all the customers drooling for more.

Welcome to Salty Paws, a doggie ice cream bar and bakery that claims to be the first of its kind in New Jersey.

Annie, a beagle-bull dog mix, looks on before indulging in a scoop of ice cream at Salty Paws Doggie Ice Cream Shop in Stone Harbor, Saturday, April 24, 2021.Lori M. Nichols | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

On a recent Saturday, the shop on 96th street was bustling with all breeds of dogs, accompanied by their humans, who stopped in to see what all the tail wagging was about and sample a taste of the lactose-free frozen treat. Prices range from $4.99 for one scoop to $6.99 for three scoops with $1 per topping.

No dog leaves unhappy, said owner Donna Kokol as she watched dogs patiently wait  well some patiently wait  for their ice cream to be served.

Banana, bacon, and peanut butter are just some of the eight flavors of ice cream to choose from. And seven different types of toppings, like dehydrated sweet potato or peanut butter yogurt chips  a dogs version of sprinkles or jimmies  complete the treat.

Donna Kokol, owner of Salty Paws Doggie Ice Cream Shop in Stone Harbor, holds a cup of freshly scooped ice cream, Saturday, April 24, 2021.Lori M. Nichols | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Kokol, of Avalon, visited the first Salty Paws shop, which is located in Delaware, approximately three years ago and eventually bought into the franchise.

I walked in one day and fell in love with the concept, she said about her first visit.

A doggie ice cream shop was the vision of Pennsylvania resident Suzanne Tretowicz who founded her first store in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, after she noticed people feeding their dogs the frozen treat on the boardwalk.

I thought to myself how creative it would be to open an ice cream shop thats just for dogs, said Tretowicz. Her ice cream would be healthier for the dogs rather than the lactose-based version meant for their owners.

Cheddar cheese ice cream at Salty Paws Doggie Ice Cream Shop in Stone Harbor, Saturday, April 24, 2021.Lori M. Nichols | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Her idea was so popular that people started asking about franchise opportunities. About a year ago the ball started rolling and now Stone Harbor is the third franchise to open.

Were still fairly new but its moving really quick and people absolutely love it, Tretowicz said.

Kokol decided to open her shop in Stone Harbor because it is such a dog-friendly town, and in January found a store on the main street into the city.

If youre in Stone Harbor you want to be on 96th Street, she said.

Salty Paws Doggie Ice Cream Shop in Stone Harbor, Saturday, April 24, 2021.Lori M. Nichols | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

By late afternoon, Salty Paws had a steady flow of customers. The sound of the dogs nails trying to get traction on the smooth floor while attempting to greet a new friend echoed throughout the shop.

Paul and Kate Corey, of Sea Isle City, were two of the few customers that walked into the shop without a dog.

Im not a dog lover, said Paul, a former paperboy who had his fair share of close encounters with mans best friend while on the job. Especially a couple German shepherds, he said with a laugh.

But that didnt stop them from supporting the new business in town, and buying a few bones for the dogs they know.

Annie, a beagle-bull dog mix, licks a scoop of ice cream from Salty Paws Doggie Ice Cream Shop in Stone Harbor, Saturday, April 24, 2021.Lori M. Nichols | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

The first stop on the dogs journey to the ice cream bar is the bone section. Stuffed bones filled with flavors such as beef, liver, chicken, and peanut butter and jelly are just a quick sniff from the front door.

Then its on to the main course, the ice cream.

Kylo, a 1-year-old super mutt  a mix of husky, American Eskimo and German shepherd  was eager to try his ice cream as he waited with both paws on the counter.

Kylo, a 1-year-old husky, American Eskimo and German shepherd mix owned by Alison and Paul Napoleon of Wildwood, enthusiastically licks his scoop of banana ice cream on the counter at Salty Paws Doggie Ice Cream Shop in Stone Harbor, Saturday, April 24, 2021.Lori M. Nichols | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

His owners, Andrew Napoleon and his wife Alison, of Wildwood, chose the banana ice cream and placed the cup on the floor as they ordered a cup of bacon-flavored for Rey, their 1-year-old German shepherd.

It didnt take long for Kylo to spill his ice cream all over the floor and it took only seconds for him to lick it up.

In this bar, eating off the floor is encouraged.

It looks so good Id like to try it myself, said Andrew.

There are eight flavors of lactose-free ice cream made especially for dogs, with several toppings available, at Salty Paws Doggie Ice Cream Shop in Stone Harbor, Saturday, April 24, 2021.Lori M. Nichols | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Macklin, a 1-year-old super mutt, who happens to be Kylos brother, had the blueberry ice cream. He seemed pretty happy with the flavor that his owner Emily Gannon picked out.

I think its like our equivalent to a coffee shop, said Gannon, a Cape May resident. She is thrilled to have a shop like this to bring her dog to because Cape Mays choices are limited.

Of course, Gannon couldnt leave the store without extra treats for her dog. I got some of the filled bones, bacon and cheddar and the peanut butter and jelly.

Dogs eat lactose-free ice cream at Salty Paws Doggie Ice Cream Shop in Stone Harbor, Saturday, April 24, 2021.Lori M. Nichols | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

The bakery section, filled with cookies and donuts  all made with human-grade ingredients  contain no sugar and are primarily a peanut butter and chicken base with a yogurt coating. And what looks like chocolate is carob, a chocolate alternative that is safe for dogs.

I have to say the drink cookies have been a big hit, said Kokol. The drink-shaped cookies  Grrrona Extra, Quarantini, and Pawtron  are just a few of the popular cookies the shop has available.

"Drink" cookies for dogs at Salty Paws Doggie Ice Cream Shop in Stone Harbor, Saturday, April 24, 2021.Lori M. Nichols | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

According to Tretowicz, the shop  which also hosts fundraisers, birthday parties and Ice cream socials  will soon have collars, leashes, beds, toys, and new ice cream flavors. And an antler bar.

Natures perfect chew, said Tretowicz.

Outside the shop, a crowd gathered to watch the many dogs happily eat their cup of ice cream that their owners held for them.

Callie, a 4-year-old mixed breed from Stone Harbor, licks a scoop of ice cream at Salty Paws Doggie Ice Cream Shop in Stone Harbor, Saturday, April 24, 2021.Lori M. Nichols | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

For Callie, 4-year-old mixed breed rescue, the peanut butter had all her attention.

Callie seems like a happy customer doesnt she? said Christine Krynock, of Stone Harbor, as she watched her dog woof down her ice cream.

Bone appetite!

Donna Kokol, owner of Salty Paws Doggie Ice Cream Shop in Stone Harbor, scoops a cup of ice cream, Saturday, April 24, 2021.Lori M. Nichols | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Bennett, a yellow Labrador retriever owned by Paul and Janet Nolan of Potomac, Md., enjoys a scoop of ice cream at Salty Paws Doggie Ice Cream Shop in Stone Harbor, Saturday, April 24, 2021.Lori M. Nichols | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Macklin, a 1-year-old husky, American Eskimo and German shepherd mix owned by Emily Gannon of Cape May, left, eyes up his blueberry ice cream as his brother Kylo, owned by Alison Napoleon of Wildwood, looks on at Salty Paws Doggie Ice Cream Shop in Stone Harbor, Saturday, April 24, 2021.Lori M. Nichols | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Bella, a 10-month-old Dalmatian mix owned by Sarah Jewett of Wilmington, Del., enjoys a scoop of ice cream at Salty Paws Doggie Ice Cream Shop in Stone Harbor, Saturday, April 24, 2021.Lori M. Nichols | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Annie, a beagle-bull dog mix, licks a scoop of ice cream from Salty Paws Doggie Ice Cream Shop in Stone Harbor, Saturday, April 24, 2021.Lori M. Nichols | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Donuts for dogs at Salty Paws Doggie Ice Cream Shop in Stone Harbor, Saturday, April 24, 2021.Lori M. Nichols | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Alex Hudome, of Avalon, scoops ice cream at Salty Paws Doggie Ice Cream Shop in Stone Harbor, Saturday, April 24, 2021.Lori M. Nichols | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Scout, an 8-year-old red fox Labrador retriever owned by Tia Cavallaro of Pipersville, Pa., enjoys a scoop of cheddar ice cream topped with cheddar and bacon-flavored biscuits at Salty Paws Doggie Ice Cream Shop in Stone Harbor, Saturday, April 24, 2021.Lori M. Nichols | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

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Tim Hawk may be reached at thawk@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Tim on Instagram @photog_hawk.

Lori M. Nichols may be reached at lnichols@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Lori on Instagram at @photog_lori.
Three weeks ago, Janelle Dunn was counting down the hours to the arrival of the COVID-19 vaccines that her nonprofit health clinic had been pleading for since January.

Now shes struggling to literally give them away.

Demand is extremely low, said Dunn, CEO of Sanford-based True Health, a community health center with seven Central Florida locations. And for Johnson & Johnson, its basically non-existent. I think the [vaccines] pause really stifled peoples desire to get it.

It has been much the same throughout Central Florida in recent days  and not only for the re-launched Johnson & Johnson vaccine, halted for 11 days over reports of rare blood clots. As mass vaccination sites in Orange, Lake, Volusia and Polk counties begin to shutter their operations over the coming week, demand for Pfizer and Moderna is also faltering, raising the question of when  or if  the goal of herd immunity can be reached.

Im significantly concerned about how quickly the scales seem to have tipped from having a lot of demand and not enough supply, to having enough supply and not demand, said Jared Moskowitz, the outgoing director of Floridas Division of Emergency Management, who has overseen the states vaccination distribution.

This is something we all need to be concerned with, from the federal government on down.  What do we do if half the population doesnt get vaccinated?

Moskowitz, who just wrapped his final week in the position before returning home to South Florida, said vaccine hesitancy was a problem even before the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the federal Food and Drug Administration recommended a pause in administering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine April 13. The move, heralded by some as evidence of the governments level of concern for safety, came after 15 recipients out of nearly 8 million developed rare but dangerous blood clots following vaccination.

Three of the recipients, all women, died.

Despite later reassurance from federal regulators that the vaccines benefits far outweigh its risks, Moskowitz said the move no doubt exacerbated Floridians eagerness to roll up their sleeves for a shot.

At the federally run mass-vaccination site at Valencia Colleges West Campus  which once drew thick crowds and administered up to 5,000 Johnson & Johnson shots in a single day  demand has plummeted. This week it administered an average of 400 shots a day. It has the capacity to do 3,000.

I definitely changed my point of view, said Val Mendoza, a 20-year-old tea cafe worker who had been leaning toward the single-dose Johnson & Johnson before its pause. I was debating what my options were  especially because the demographic who got affected the worst by it are women around my age.

Mendoza ultimately opted for Pfizer. But demand for that vaccine has dropped too.

Dr. Raul Pino, who heads the Florida Department of Health office in Orange County, said as many as 43,000 residents have skipped their scheduled second shot of the COVID vaccine in his jurisdiction alone. While some may merely be late, he worries more about those who opt to forego vaccination altogether  a percentage that has accelerated nationally over the past two months.

Still, a single dose of a two-dose vaccine does provide some level of immunity to the virus. A CDC study released in March reported that at least two weeks after an initial dose of Pfizer or Moderna, the risk of infection dropped by an average of 80%. But for the fully vaccinated, the risk is cut by over 90%.

In Orange, only 43% of the eligible population has gotten at least one round of a vaccine. Thats considerably short of the 70% to 85% range scientists estimate is needed for herd immunity.

It is going to be difficult to reach that goal, Pino said. But we must try and try hard.

Though herd immunity  the point at which the virus stops spreading freely across a population  is reached both through the number of people who have recovered from the disease and those who have been inoculated against it, health officials have largely focused on the latter.

Mostly, thats because vaccination spares people who may become seriously ill or die if infected. But the natural infection rate is also much harder to calculate.

We just dont know how many people have actually had COVID, and we certainly dont know how long theyll produce antibodies, said Dr. Vincent Hsu, an epidemiologist and AdventHealths infection control officer. Not everyone who has COVID is tested for it, and we believe that immunity or the duration of immunity can be quite variable. This is always a moving target.

And even those who have been infected should still get vaccinated, Hsu said, citing studies that vaccination produces a more robust and consistent response for COVID antibodies and protection against the virus.

As mask mandates ease, businesses reopen and people return to schools, offices, churches and sporting events, Hsu notes that further spread of the virus boosts the odds of a vaccine-resistant variant  a genetic mutation that could cause another surge.

Statewide, 41% of Florida residents have received at least one dose of a COVID vaccine, but only 25% are fully vaccinated, an option that is not yet even available to residents under age 16. And nationwide polls show a quarter of American adults say they have no plan to get vaccinated.

Lets put it this way: I would like to remain optimistic, Hsu said. But I am concerned.

With more time, more data and a campaign to reach more people through convenient mobile clinics, he hopes vaccine acceptance will improve.

So, too, does Dunn.

I think that we just have to continue to educate people, Dunn said. Were working with local pastors. Were working with the Rescue Outreach Mission [homeless shelter]. I think, overall, people have an inherent desire to care for themselves and their neighbors. So Im hopeful that, if we just keep trying, people will come back around.

______

Kate Santich of the Orlando Sentinel wrote this story.

2021 Orlando Sentinel. Visit orlandosentinel.com.

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GREEN BAY, Wis.  A gunman opened fire at a Wisconsin tribal casino complex a few miles from Lambeau Field, killing two people and wounding another in what witnesses described as a hailstorm of bullets before police shot him to death.

Brown County Sheriffs Lt. Kevin Pawlak said the shooting at the Oneida Casino in Green Bay on Saturday night appeared to be a targeted attack.

He was targeting a specific victim who was not there, but he decided to still shoot some of the victims friends or co-workers, it appears, Pawlak said at a news conference early Sunday.

Oneida Chairman Tehassi Hill told WLUK-TV on Sunday that he was in disbelief and called the shooting scary. He said the tribe prohibits firearms on its properties but that [mass shootings are] kind of a regular thing in this country.

Authorities have not released the identities of the gunman or his victims. The wounded person was being treated at a Milwaukee hospital, Pawlak said.

The attack happened around 7:30 p.m. in the restaurant at the casino complex operated by the Oneida Nation, whose reservation is located on the western side of Green Bay about 4 miles from Lambeau Field, home of the Green Bay Packers. The complex includes a casino, conference center, hotel and restaurant.

Jawad Yatim, a witness, said he saw at least two people shot.

I know for sure two, because it happened right next to us, literally right next to us, Yatim said. But he was shooting pretty aggressively in the building, so I wouldnt doubt him hitting other people. We got the hell out of there. Thank God were OK, but obviously we wish the best for everybody whos been shot.

Pawlak, the sheriffs department lieutenant, wasnt sure if the shooter was a former restaurant employee but said it appears theres some relationship that had to do with employment.

Whether or not they all worked there, were still working on, he said.

Gambler Max Westphal said he was standing outside after being evacuated from the building for what he thought was a minor issue.

All of a sudden we hear a massive flurry of gunshots  20 to 30 gunshots for sure, Westphal told WBAY-TV. We took off running towards the highway . . . There had to have been 50 cop cars that came by on the highway. It was honestly insane.

Pawlak said authorities called for a tactical alert after receiving the report of an active shooter. That brings every agency from around the area to the casino, to the Radisson, he said of the large law enforcement presence.

Hill, the tribal chairman, told WLUK-TV that he feels security is tight in the casino but that the tribe may have to consider tougher protocols for the complex depending on investigators findings.

Gov. Tony Evers issued a statement late Saturday saying he was devastated to hear about the shooting.

Our hearts, thoughts, and support go out to the Oneida Nation, the Ashwaubenon and Green Bay communities, and all those affected by this tragedy.

The Oneida is one of 11 tribes that operate casinos in Wisconsin under agreements with the state called compacts. Essentially, the tribes pledge a percentage of their gaming revenue to the state in exchange for the exclusive right to offer casino gambling.

Tribal gaming in Wisconsin generated nearly $1.3 billion in gross revenue in the 2018-2019 fiscal year but suffered deep losses in 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns.

___

Mike Roemer of The Associated Press wrote this story.

Associated Press writer Doug Glass contributed from Minneapolis; Mayuko Ono contributed from London. Todd Richmond contributed from Madison.
On May 2, 2011, Americans learned that Osama bin Laden was dead.

The founder and leader of al-Qaida, responsible for the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States that killed 2,996 people, was killed by U.S. Navy SEALs in Pakistan.

President Barack Obama said The world is safer. It is a better place because of the death of Osama bin Laden.

Obama also said that May 2, 2011, was a good day for America.

Today we are reminded that, as a nation, theres nothing we cant do when we put our shoulders to the wheel, when we work together, when we remember the sense of unity that defines us as Americans, he said.

On May 2, 2011, U.S. Special Forces raided an [al-Qaida] compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, and killed the worlds most wanted terrorist: Osama bin Laden. The entire operation, which lasted only 40 minutes from start to finish, was the culmination of years of calculated planning and training. Ultimately, bin Laden was found and killed within nine minutes, and SEAL Team Six was credited with carrying out a nearly flawless mission, according to history.com.

The mission was called Operation Neptune Spear that started on the afternoon of May 2, 2011  Pakistan time, according to history.com. (In Eastern Daylight Time it was the afternoon of May 1. Pakistan is nine hours ahead of Washington, D.C.). The 25 Navy SEALs landed at bin Ladens compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, at 3:30 p.m. Within 10 minutes, bin Laden was located and shot in the head. During the operation three other men and a woman also were killed, according to history.com.

Bin Laden was placed in a body bag. The SEALs then retrieved some things from his compound to be used for intelligence. The team exited at 4:05 p.m.

Obama, according to history.com, monitored the raid via footage shot by a drone flying over the compound.

Justice has been done, Obama said in a televised address at 11:35 p.m. Large crowds assembled outside the White House, in Times Square in New York City and at ground zero.

DNA was used to confirm that the man killed was Osama bin Laden.

The assassination of Osama bin Laden was a significant victory for the U.S. government and the American people at large. For many families of 9/11 victims, bin Ladens death symbolized justice and retribution, according to history.com.

On Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001, the extremist group al-Qaida attacked the United States by hijacking four airliners and crashing them.

The first airplane, American Airlines Flight 11, hit the north tower of the World Trade Center in New York City at 8:46 a.m.

At 9:03 a.m. United Airlines Flight 175 hit the south tower of the World Trade Center.

At 9:37 a.m. American Airlines Flight 77 slammed into the west side of the Pentagon.

At 9:59 a.m. the south tower of the World Trade Center collapsed.

At 10:03 a.m. United Airlines Flight 93 crashed into the ground in Somerset County, Pa.

At 10:28 a.m. the north tower collapsed.

At 10:50 a.m. five stories of part of the Pentagon collapsed.

In the end, 2,996 people were dead.

On Sept. 11, 2011, the national September 11 Memorial and Museum in New York City was dedicated and opened to the public the next day. The museum opened May 21, 2014.
"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
A 67-year-old Cambria County man is behind bars after authorities say he shot and killed his grandson.

Investigators were called to a home in Cambria Township Friday evening for a report of a domestic-related shooting and found 21-year-old Jacob Fisher unresponsive, WJAC is reporting.

Cambria County District Attorney Greg Neugebauer announced Saturday that Fishers grandfather is being charged in connection with the fatal shooting, which occurred on the 1700 block of Fairlane Road, according to the Tribune-Democrat of Johnstown.

John T. Oblinsky is now facing one count of criminal homicide and two counts of aggravated assault, reports indicate.

Details of what led to the shooting were not released, but Neugebauer said, There is never a reason that domestic disputes should turn physical or involve firearms, according to reports.

Cambria County Coroner Jeff Lees said Fisher died from a close-range gunshot wound to the chest and ruled his death a homicide, reports indicate.

Fisher had been living at the home for a few months before the shooting, reports indicate.

The investigation is ongoing.
An employee at a Sickerville auto shop was arrested Saturday after bringing a loaded gun to the store and threatening his boss, Gloucester Township Police said.

Dean O. Hardwick, 34, of Gloucester Township, who works at the Mavis Discount Tire at 545 Berlin Cross Keys Road, was reprimanded Saturday morning for his performance, police said in a press release. He became irate and threatened the manager, telling him he would be coming back to the store with something for him, according to the release.

He returned to the shop 15 minutes later with a loaded small .380 caliber firearm, which he pulled out of a hoodie pocket before walking toward the lobby, where several customers were waiting, police said.

The store manager tackled Hardwick and wrestled the gun away from him, subduing him until police from Winslow Township and then Gloucester Township arrived in response to 911 calls, according to the release.

There were no injuries to any employees, police, or patrons thanks to the swift actions of the store manager, Gloucester Township police said.

Hardwick is charged with unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose, terroristic threats and simple assault. He was taken to the Camden County Correctional Facility.

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The Pennsylvania State Police took a moment Sunday to commemorate its 116th anniversary and to honor its fallen troopers.

Founded May 2, 1905, the Pennsylvania State Police became the first uniformed agency of its kind, state police officials said.

And as part of todays commemoration, the name of Trooper Donald C. Brackett was added to the Memorial Wall at the state police academy in Hershey. Brackett died after suffering a medical emergency while on duty May 18, 2019.

The 99 names etched into the Memorial Wall represent not only the individual troopers who died in service to the commonwealth since 1905, but also the sacrifices of countless family members and loved ones who suffered their loss, Col. Robert Evanchick, commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police, said Sunday. Today is a solemn day for our department, as we honor those who came before us and ensure that their contributions to our department are not forgotten.

Due to pandemic restrictions, the PSP Academy shared a tribute video on its Facebook page in lieu of an in-person ceremony. An online version of the PSP Memorial Wall, with biographical information and photos of those who made the ultimate sacrifice, can be found here.

Gov. Tom Wolf marked the occasion by proclaiming May 2 as Pennsylvania State Police Day, state police officials said.

Frances and I again extend our condolences to Trooper Bracketts loved ones, as well as his larger state police family and everyone affected by his loss, Wolf said. Today serves as a reminder of the dangers faced by members of law enforcement, and I join all Pennsylvanians in pausing to remember the 99 troopers who have died in the line of duty.

The Pennsylvania State Police started with 228 members and has grown to more than over the past 116 years to an authorized enlisted compliment of 4,719 and is supported by more than 1,700 civilian employees. It is the 10th-largest police agency in the United States.
While Congress has wrangled over modest emergency pandemic relief for Americans who are suffering from unemployment and hunger over the last year, the nation of Israel receives a minimum of $3.8 billion annually  and even more covert aid  with no real debate in Congress.

Any member of Congress who might question the annual US subsidy for Israeli militarization knows that he or she will incur the wrath of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and other Israel lobby groups. AIPAC patrols the U.S. Congress to ensure that Israel, a small country of some nine million people, remains by far the largest recipient of U.S. foreign aid since World War II. U.S. aid enables Israeli apartheid policies, land theft in the occupied Palestinian territories, and ongoing violent repression of peaceful protests by Palestinian people.

Meanwhile, American citizens who support Palestinian human rights and question illegal Israeli policies by engaging in nonviolent protest movements such as boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) are accused of being anti-Semitic; their free speech rights questioned and First Amendment speech threatened by Congress. This despite the fact that Jewish American peace organizations, including Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) support these nonviolent actions against apartheid policies.

From 1946  2018 American taxpayers have funded $236 billion in aid (mostly military) to Israel while Palestinian people have received hundreds of thousands of dollars per year just to be able to survive. If Americans knew how their tax dollars are spent to undermine human rights in this situation, elected officials would have to end this aid  aid which is illegal under the Leahy Law due to the human rights abuses in Palestine.

When Americans advocate to elected officials to end illegal military aid until human rights for both Israeli and Palestinian people are honored, this will end.

This is an excellent example of why political campaigns should be funded by public money and lobby groups should be illegal. Many billions of dollars that are appropriated by Congress to build militaries around the world could be invested in our communities here at home.

Rev. Sandra R Mackie, Gettysburg, Pa.
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State Sen. Vincent Hughes and wife Sheryl Lee Ralph-Hughes are hosting five vaccination clinics throughout West Philadelphia as part of their #StopTheVirus campaign.

This is about people's health and well being, Sheryl Lee Ralph-Hughes said.

The Hughes family are known to promote and encourage healthy lifestyles but more importantly, theyve been advocates for better healthcare treatments and healthcare practices, especially as it pertains to people of color, whether it's HIV, AIDS, cancer, or autism, and now with COVID-19.

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Ralph-Hughes said she was fueled to encourage people to become vaccinated because she found that people don't value themselves enough to take action for themselves at times.

"They want to act as if they're not important enough to have the great things in life like great health, and great healthcare and that starts by caring for yourself, she said.

So now we have a situation in the United States, in Philadelphia, where we have more vaccines and people willing to take advantage of the steps needed to live a healthy, happier life. And, my God. Sometimes we think, what more needs to be done for people to realize that especially black folks realize just how important they are.

The May Day Challenge vaccination clinic sites include the Bluford Charter School, High School of the Future, Spectrum Health Service, and the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. The Lamberton School will a host vaccination site on May 1 and May 2 from 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m.

This section of the city [West Philadelphia] has high COVID rates, but low vaccine rates. So we needed to, jump right into this section, and get folks vaccinated, but also, always utilize the process of making sure that folks know that they can be bigger than themselves and be a messenger," Hughes said.

The Hughes family launched the #StopTheVirus campaign in February to help address vaccine hesitancy in Philadelphia. The vaccine clinics are a culmination of their efforts.

As Sheryl and I were together during the pandemic and understanding that we're all in this together and we've all got to do our part we just decided to start utilizing the voice that we have, and the resources that we have access to, to build on whatever else may be going on, Hughes said.

The couple was also motivated to become hands on and directly involved in the vaccination process due to what some would consider a botch job that the previous administration had done with rolling out an effective vaccination plan.

[They] made it bad for people, and we needed to make sure that we could play our role instead of complaining, be a part of a process that got the right message and got the right services out to folks so we started stop the virus, and we're now continuing on the message of adding the real services to make sure people get that vaccine, Hughes said.

More than 1,000 people have registered for the weekend vaccine clinics.Community members can sign up for vaccine appointments ahead of the vaccine clinics in the 7th Senatorial District this weekend on Senator Hughes website or using the phone numbers provided on Sen. Hughes website.

DJs have been arranged for every location.

We got music happening and a little food and, and just a lot of good positive vibrations that we're trying to get out to the community, Hughes said.

I'm a believer, Sheryl and I believe that we're not losers. We can win on all of this stuff, we just have to apply ourselves, and create that mindset amongst people that we are winners. Once we do that, we can do anything, we can beat COVID and we can do so much more.

We don't need essential Black people dropping like flies. We don't need essential Black and brown people living with long haul, long term effects of COVID-19. Take the vaccine. Help yourself, even a little bit, Ralph-Hughes said.
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If Andrea Hazel had been asked to paint a house from the peninsula's famed Rainbow Row of homes along East Bay Street, she probably wouldn't have done it.

Before Hazel even knew what Explore Charleston wanted her to paint for the cover of its next visitors guide, she knew that, if she was going to do it, it had to be of a freedman's cottage.

"When we started talking, I found out that was what they had in mind, as well," Hazel said.

On Explore Charleston's end, the idea came out of a display at its recently renovated visitors center on Meeting Street. It features models of dwellings that exemplify Charleston architecture, starting with a freedman's cottage.

A home on Francis Street provided the inspiration for the orange color used in Hazel's painting. The structure is modeled after another freedman's cottage on Nassau Street.

Hazel made several trips downtown to photograph the house, capturing it in different light to get it just right.

She's painted freedman's cottages before, and she grew up in a downtown neighborhood with "quite a few" of them, she said. Hazel was also hyper-aware of the built environment around her because her father was a carpenter, she said.

The term "freedman's cottage" refers to a specific type of Charleston architecture  a one-room wide, single-story home with a side piazza and a gabled roof.

A 2019 National Park Service case study about the renovation of freedman's cottages on Jackson Street described the homes as examples of the "most common worker housing built in the late 19th century in Charleston."

At one point, there were likely thousands of the cottages on the peninsula, but that number has since dwindled, due in part to "redevelopment pressures," per the report.

"People have these things in their mind of what's Charleston," Hazel said, listing off places that often serve as a visual representation of the city to tourists, such as Rainbow Row or the City Market.

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To her, the freedman's cottage brings to mind who built the city.

"The actual hands and hammers and nails, you know,  those were Black hands doing it," Hazel said.

Painting buildings is familiar territory for Hazel, whose work includes the series "How It Was ... Charleston in 1963" which used old photographs from the S.C. Department of Transportation to create streetscapes with since-demolished structures.

Hazel, a onetime math teacher-turned-painter, didn't pick up a brush until she was 53 years old. When she first found her niche as an artist, it was in photography. She only started painting because her friend  who later became her husband  thought it would help her relax, she said, and he gifted her a set of watercolors as a birthday present.

The cover of Charleston's annual visitors guide is a space that's only been open to painters. That's a tradition that goes back to Explore Charleston's very first visitor guides, CEO Helen Hill said.

There's usually discussion about putting a photo on the cover, she said, but the group has never veered from the practice of using paintings.

Demand for the guides is similarly consistent: Even though tourists can easily pull up the same information on their smartphones, the market for print copies continues to be robust each year, Hill said.

That means Hazel's art will make its way into the hands of thousands of current and prospective visitors.

The goal with the cover is always to find something that "you would know was Charleston without it having to say 'Charleston,'" Hill said.

Depicting a freedman's cottage fit that bill.

It's "quintessential Charleston," Hazel said.
South Carolina automakers are making a push toward building electric vehicles, but a recent report by a contrarian transportation analyst questions whether battery-powered cars are really a better environmental choice than their internal combustion counterparts.

Randal O'Toole, writing for the Thoreau Institute, an environmental consulting group, also wonders whether the nation's power grid is up to the task of charging millions of EVs in the not-too-distant future.

Although Volvo Cars, which builds S60 sedans in Ridgeville, promises all of its new vehicles will be battery-powered by 2030  and Mercedes-Benz Vans in North Charleston and BMW in the Upstate are introducing electrified models  the impending death of gas-powered cars could be greatly exaggerated.

Here is why:

The United States, on average, produces more than 900 pounds of carbon dioxide per megawatt hour of electricity production. That amount varies by state, depending on how electricity is generated. Vermont, for example, gets most of its electricity from nuclear plants, so that state produces just 7 pounds of carbon dioxide per megawatt hour. Wyoming, where most of the power is generated by coal, produces 2,046 pounds per megawatt hour.

South Carolina divides its electricity sources pretty evenly between coal, natural gas and nuclear, so the Palmetto State generates 552 pounds of carbon dioxide per megawatt hour. That's the 11th-lowest level in the nation.

Electric cars on the market today use between 24 and 50 kilowatt hours per hundred miles of driving. A Tesla Model 3, for example, could drive about 4,000 miles before using 1 megawatt of electricity.

That means states where EVs are a greater benefit than gas-powered are those that emit less carbon dioxide while producing electricity. Residents of states that rely on electricity sources emitting a lot of greenhouse gases would be better off buying a high-mpg gasoline-powered car, O'Toole writes.

South Carolina is a state where electric cars make sense. Wyoming isn't.

"The point is that electric vehicles arent necessarily the best solution so long as much of our electrical power comes from burning fossil fuels," O'Toole states.

Switching to a grid powered by renewable sources, while not entirely impossible, is at least impractical. Wind and solar power can be inefficient and unreliable. Hydro-electric power has its own environmental drawbacks.

"If the problem of converting to renewable sources of electricity is formidable, it becomes much worse when contemplating electric-powered transportation," O'Toole writes.

Automobiles use about 57 percent of transportations 28 quadrillion BTUs of energy, and trucks use another 20 percent, according to the study. Converting all of these to electric power would require 6.4 terawatt hours of electrical generation per year, which is around 60 percent more than the entire electrical grid produces today.

O'Toole urges environmentalists to tone down the greenhouse gas hysteria and take a more balanced approach as to whether gasoline-powered cars should remain viable.

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"A more reasonable expectation is that most remaining coal plants are soon replaced by natural gas plants, which will allow total carbon emissions to continue to decline," he writes. "Wind and solar power can be added as new technologies reduce their costs. People who live in states that get most of their electricity from non-fossil fuel sources should consider buying electric, or at least a plug-in hybrid, the next time they purchase a car."

Tool time

Harbor Freight Tools is expanding its operations near the State Ports Authority's inland port in Dillon.

The California-based tool and equipment retailer is leasing a 373,100-square-foot warehouse and distribution site at 95 Inland Port Logistics Center in Dillon County, according to building owner Equus Capital Partners Ltd. The new site is adjacent to 3.1 million square feet of space Harbor Freight operates as one of its key East Coast distribution centers along Interstate 95.

Harbor Freight is a top customer of the inland port, which links the state's Pee Dee Region with the Port of Charleston. The inland port, which opened in 2018, is served by the CSX Corp. railroad. Harbor Freight is the largest employer in Dillon County and imports about 25,000 containers of merchandise through the inland port.

The inland port "continues the national trend of increased usage of inland ports to support supply chain activity," said Dan DiLella Jr., senior vice president of Equus. "Inland Port Dillon is a valuable facility for Harbor Freight and should also attract new users to the region looking to import and distribute throughout the Southeast."

DiLella said Equus is in advanced discussions about acquiring more property nearby for similar developments.

Harbor Freight was represented in the transaction by Matthew Miller of CRESA. Equus was represented by Bob Barrineau and Brendan Redeyoff of CBRE Inc.'s Charleston office and Drew Chaplin of Palmetto Realty.

Supreme denial

The depositions are back on.

The U.S. Supreme Court paved the way for New York-based Servotronics Inc. to interview Boeing Co. and Rolls Royce employees about how a Trent-1000 engine fire occurred in 2016. The blaze caused $12.8 million in damages to a 787-9 Dreamliner at Boeing's North Charleston campus.

Rolls Royce says the fire was caused by a faulty valve made by Servotronics. The valve maker says the fire was the result of negligence on the workers' part. An arbitration hearing is scheduled for May 10 in London.

Rolls Royce had asked the Supreme Court to delay the depositions, but the high court declined to take up the matter.

The engine was repaired and the Dreamliner eventually was delivered to Virgin Atlantic Airways.
Lauryn Corry hadn't had breakfast and she wasn't yet done with all of her classes for the year. But the College of Charleston junior approached a stout brick building on a recent morning, ready to end a monthslong wait: She was about to get a coronavirus vaccine.

Moments later, the political science major was relieved as she sat in the waiting room of the campus health center.

"It's a step forward to end this mess," said Corry, 21. "I'm just really happy that I did my part."

State public health officials in recent weeks have expressed concerns about a drop in demand for coronavirus vaccines despite many more shots needed to reach herd immunity. Experts estimate at least 70 percent of the population needs to be vaccinated in order to achieve that benchmark.

Young adults make up the majority of newly reported cases in South Carolina and getting them vaccinated now is critical, said Dr. Brannon Traxler, the states public health director.

The effort to reach young people is a challenge across the nation. So much so, that West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice said his state will offer a $100 savings bond to residents 16 to 35 years old who choose to get vaccinated.

Last month, epidemiologist and former University of South Carolina President Harris Pastides said that it might have been a good idea to vaccinate younger people earlier to slow down the spread of the virus. They are less likely to follow public health recommendations and more eager to socialize in groups than older adults, he said.

When asked about the hypothetical scenario of getting a shot earlier, Corry's eyes widened in agreement.

"We do put people at risk," she said. "We're vectors."

In January, the schools president, Andrew Hsu, announced mandatory testing of students after he received reports of large gatherings and parties where mask and social distancing guidelines were not followed. He threatened a possible closure of campus after an "alarming rise of COVID-19 cases."

Those numbers eventually dropped.

To date, the college has had more than 1,285 cases among students. Included in that number were some who showed up to get a vaccine shot at the campus health center on April 26.

School officials have been considering whether to make it mandatory that those who return for the fall semester get vaccinated. Currently, they are only recommending it.

But the decision could soon be taken out of their hands. A clause in the over $10 billion state spending package approved on April 29 by the state Senate bans public colleges from making COVID-19 vaccination a condition for being on campus in the upcoming school year.

Along with hoping to end the pandemic, students who got shots said they were motivated by parents, the chance to protect loved ones and peer pressure.

"Everyone's doing it," said Dawson Holmes, 20, moments after getting jabbed in the arm.

Lee Penny, director of the campus health center, said it is unclear how many of the school's roughly 10,400 students have been vaccinated. More than 670 have received shots through the center so far, and additional vaccination clinics are planned throughout the spring and summer. Some students who had appointments on the recent day did not show up for their scheduled time.

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While Penny checked in the students who did come to the clinic, others passed by the center in downtown Charleston without stopping.

"Would you like to get your COVID vaccine? You can do it quickly," Penny called out to a young man walking by the oak trees that flank the building.

"No, that's alright," the young man said as he continued on.

Students who did get a shot lamented what they had missed out on over the past year: social events, study abroad experiences and in-person classes.

"Online school sucks," said Jordana Gruber, a Jewish studies and psychology major.

"It's been so sad," the 21-year-old said of her senior year. "It doesn't feel real."

It was hard to escape mentions of the pandemic on the college's grounds. Signs with public health advice were positioned along walkways and near buildings that date back to the 1800s. One sign, next to a campus entrance along Calhoun Street, said in large letters: "Face Covering Required."

Mary Margaret Deering, 22, and Claire Pyne, 21, came together to the student health center, which is located a little over 100 feet from that sign. Both are juniors and special education majors.

They were eager for their senior years to be closer to what it was like before the pandemic. Pyne said she wants to get classroom teaching experience. Deering hoped their graduation next year would be closer to normal.

While Corry, Pyne and Deering all received Moderna vaccines, students who arrived later in the day had a choice.

Days earlier, federal health officials had lifted a nearly two-week pause on the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine over concerns of rare but severe blood clots developed by some recipients. Penny and other health staff at the center had to prepare before putting it to use.

So what would it be: Johnson & Johnson or Moderna?

Timothy St. Pierre, a graduate student in public history, was among the first to face that question.

St. Pierre, 23, showed up expecting to receive a Moderna vaccine, but the one-shot Johnson & Johnson dose was too convenient to pass up.

"For me it felt like a straightforward decision," St. Pierre said.

A handful of other students followed suit. But by then, St. Pierre was gone, the shot of protection already coursing through his body.
A bold plan to renovate or replace all of the Charleston Housing Authority's public housing has started, and it's expected to add 800 to 1,000 affordable apartments to the city.

Existing complexes and buildings with a combined 1,407 apartments will either be extensively renovated or demolished in order to build larger buildings on the same properties.

Its huge," Charleston Housing Authority CEO Don Cameron said. "Its going to change everything."

No low-income housing will be lost, more housing will be created, and tenants who are displaced during renovations or construction will be able to return to the same properties, Cameron said.

The most visible changes will be seen on the Charleston peninsula where some of the CHA's apartment complexes cover multiple city blocks.

The authority owns 56 properties throughout the city  on the peninsula, West Ashley, James Island, Johns Island and Daniel Island  and one in Mount Pleasant, but the peninsula used to be the city limit and that's where the oldest and largest complexes are located.

The renovate-or-replace initiative could take up to a decade to complete and cost hundreds of millions of dollars, but the money won't come from CHA or local taxes. Each apartment complex or building will involve a public-private partnership funded largely through state and federal low-income housing tax credits.

The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development created the financial framework years ago, called the Rental Assistance Demonstration program, and Congress approved it in 2012. The RAD program aimed to use tax credits to get private developers involved in building and renovating public housing, and that's happening, but in this case the CHA will continue to own all the properties.

Work is expected to begin this year on the first two apartment complexes on CHA's list. The 12-unit apartment buildings at 275 Huger St. will be demolished to make way for an 85-unit complex, and the 61-unit Kiawah Homes complex in Wagener Terrace will be renovated.

Were using this (275 Huger) as an experiment for us to learn how to do this so we can use it as a model when we get to the bigger properties," Cameron said. I think the trust in the community has got to be good that what we say is what we do."

Patricia Stewart, chairwoman of the CHA's Resident Advisory Board, said the authority's plans have been hard to understand, creating some anxiety among tenants.

"People are still anxious about the fact that things are changing and they wonder if it will benefit them," she said. "The people are so concerned. We're all still waiting to see what it turns out to be."

For years, public housing tenants and advocates have feared that the rapid gentrification seen on the peninsula would lead to public housing being eliminated. Cameron said the opposite is happening, that there will be no loss of housing and there will in fact be more.

"I think it's a good idea as long as the residents can come back," said Kathy Nelson, secretary of the Resident Advisory Board.

Expansive apartment complexes that have been in place on the Charleston peninsula since the 1930s or 1940s will be renovated or replaced. They include two adjacent projects  Cooper River Courts and Meeting Street Manor  that together are home to 417 families.

Those low-rise apartments occupy more than seven blocks between Meeting Street and Morrison Drive near Sanders-Clyde Elementary School.

The Housing Authority's plan is to renovate apartment complexes that were well-built and rent well, including Meeting Street Manor and Robert Mills Manor.

"They're built like bomb shelters," said Cameron, praising the quality of construction. Meeting Street Manor was built in the mid-1930s as a Works Progress Administration project and is the oldest public housing in the state.

The renovation projects are expected to cost $45,000 to $100,000 per unit, Cameron said. In most cases, some tenants will relocate during the work, but most will move from older units to newly renovated ones as work is completed.

The federal government is picking up most of the tab but in a complex and indirect way.

First, the CHA will find partners that can benefit from low-income housing tax credits  something the authority can't do because it's a government entity. The tax credits pay out over 10 years, but once they are approved, the developer typically sells them at a discount, usually to banks, and the proceeds fund a large portion of the costs of renovations or demolition and construction.

For example, the demolish-and-replace project at 275 Huger St. is expected to cost $23.2 million. Tax credits are expected to cover about $10 million of the cost, and rents collected over time should pay off the debt that will cover the remaining costs. The housing authority will continue to own the land and will eventually own the new buildings.

The low-income tenants that live at 275 Huger now will have the right to return when the new buildings are completed, but there will also be 73 additional apartments. Most will be for low-income tenants, but 22 would be rented at close to market rates, making the new complex more financially sustainable.

The renovated or new apartment complexes would be assigned "project-based vouchers"  federal rent supplements that are tied to those apartments. The vouchers pay most or nearly all the rent for people with low incomes, who typically contribute 30 percent of their incomes toward the rent and utilities.

Market-rate apartments that could be included in new buildings are meant to serve as "workforce housing" and are not subsidized, but there may be maximum income limits for potential tenants and the rents are typically below those on the open market. The idea is to provide housing for people with moderate incomes who work nearby.

Part of CHA's goal is to replace some low-income housing complexes with modern apartments that will house an economic mix of tenants. The CHA already operates one such building on the peninsula, the recently built Grace Homes apartments at Meeting and Cooper streets, which has 35 income-assisted apartments and 27 workforce housing units.

At Grace Homes, unsubsidized two-bedroom workforce housing apartments rent for $1,327. Low-income apartments in the same complex are subsidized, with federal housing vouchers that pay some of the tenants' rent and utilities  whatever amount is left after the tenant contributes 30 percent of their income.

The new CHA complex planned at 275 Huger St. will also have some workforce housing units, which won't be subsidized but will have rents lower than those nearby, Cameron said. Just across the Huger Street, at East Central Lofts, a 731-square-foot 2-bedroom apartment rents for $1,765.

Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg touted the CHA initiative in his recent State of the City address, saying: "Weve given our Housing Authority the go-ahead to work with the federal government to replace or rehabilitate every public housing project in the city  an initiative that will both increase overall housing supply and give our public-housing residents a safer, cleaner, better place to live.

Even on the Charleston peninsula, the Charleston Housing Authority does not own all of the public housing. Some apartment complexes are owned by for-profit or nonprofit companies, and they are not part of CHA's plans.

For example, the county's housing authority owns Joseph Floyd Manor, the troubled high-rise complex on Mount Pleasant Street. And 300-unit Bridgeview Village, the single-largest low-income housing complex on the peninsula, is owned by nonprofit Housing on Merit and managed by Standard Communities.

The plan to renovate or replace all of CHA's public housing units is set to begin later this year with the one demolition and replacement project and one renovation. Kiawah Homes will be the first. The work at 275 Huger St. will take longer because a new building must be designed and permitted, so residents there will not move out before the start of 2023.

Kiawah Homes was built in 1942 and is a collection of duplexes. Extensive renovations there are expected to cost about $100,000 per unit, Cameron said, and could begin in August.

He said counselors have met with all the residents there to explain what will happen; mainly that some residents  maybe a third of them  will be relocated during renovations while others will move within the complex as renovations are completed.

When the Kiawah Homes and the 275 Huger St. projects are done, the housing authority can take what was learned from those first efforts and move on to some of the more than 1,300 apartments remaining.

By the end of the year, CHA hopes to be seek a developer for work on the demolition and replacement of Cooper River Courts.
South Carolinas indecent exposure law declares it unlawful for a person to wilfully, maliciously, and indecently expose his person in a public place, on property of others, or to the view of any person on a street or highway.

And although plenty of people get arrested for violating the law, they tend to be either drunk frat boys relieving themselves in public or young (or not so young) couples who get too amorous in a public place they mistakenly think affords them some privacy or else  well, perverts.

The latter being creepy men (theyre almost always men) we hide our children from. Creepy men who, for reasons that I do not understand and do not wish to understand, either think that exposing their genitals will render them irresistible or else get a thrill out of satisfying themselves sexually while others cant avert their eyes quickly enough to avoid witnessing the spectacle.

Outside those outliers, the prohibition on exposing our undefined but well-understood person is, thank goodness, universally accepted. Unquestioned.

Which is in some ways remarkable.

Dont get me wrong. Im glad I dont have to be confronted with naked strangers (actually, acquaintances might be worse) when Im out shopping or walking down the street or otherwise going about my business.

But its not like a naked body part is going to reach out and assault us.

Nudity was an uncommented-upon part of life for much of human history, and its still commonplace in some places.

So if you were of a mind to think we have an overbearing government that is controlling way too much of our lives, this seems like an obvious target: a prudish, invasive, even dictatorial law that does nothing to prevent crime. It is contained, by the way, in a section of the S.C. Code called Offenses Against Morality and Decency, along with laws that make it a crime punishable by imprisonment to commit adultery, fornication or buggery or to anonymously write, print, telephone, transmit a digital electronic file, or by other manner or means communicate, send, or deliver to another person within this State, without that person's consent, any obscene, profane, indecent, vulgar, suggestive, or immoral message. How well do you think that would hold up in court?

And yet  while nearly all of us obediently comply with the law that requires us to keep harmless body parts covered, we rebel against temporary rules, in place for less than a year, that require us to cover our mouths and noses. In order to contain the droplets of moisture that spew from our mouths when we talk and our noses when we sneeze and that could contain the COVID-19 virus, which can sicken and kill people nearby.

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The governor who will never complain about the state law that requires us to keep covered body parts that will not sicken or kill anyone in their proximity complains that cities, counties and school districts require people to wear face masks to protect our fellow human beings from a virus that is still killing South Carolinians every day.

Gov. Henry McMasters remarks on Wednesday came two days after some of the same parents who demanded  correctly  that we allow kids back into the classroom were back out demanding that kids be allowed to shed the despised masks while in those classrooms. Sitting next to children whose parents don't feel the same. As if they dont understand that those masks are what made it safe to let the kids back in. Or that were not out of the woods yet.

The governor told reporters that parents should be the ones deciding whether their children wear masks in school. Which is an even bigger "ridiculosity"  Mr. McMasters word  than his suggestion that theres something wrong with cities and counties requiring that we temporarily wear not only pants and shirts but also masks in public places.

Would the governor suggest that those parents should decide whether their children obey the other parts of their school dress codes as well?

Students in all Charleston County schools  and similar rules apply in every school district in the state  are prohibited from wearing hats, exposing their undergarments, revealing bare stomachs or wearing gang symbols or a long list of other prohibited items including Loungewear, pajamas, and bedroom slippers," Shirts, tops, or dresses that are backless, strapless, halter-style, cut-out, bare-shouldered, or spaghetti straps.

Should those rules be no longer the school districts choice"?

Matilda F. Dunston Elementary School in North Charleston is typical of schools that go beyond the dress code and require students to wear what it calls uniforms. It requires all students to wear navy or khaki bottoms and tops in white, navy, light blue, red or yellow or an official school shirt. At Moultrie Middle School in Mount Pleasant, bottoms can be navy, khaki, black, gray or white, and students can select from a wide variety of shirts  as long as they're the official Moultrie shirts.

Should it be, as Mr. McMaster said of masks, no longer the school districts choice what color of tops and bottoms students wear? How is a mask more oppressive than a personality-stripping uniform?

Mr. McMaster didnt say he intended to revoke S.C. Education Superintendent Molly Spearmans school mask mandate or the dwindling number of city and county mask ordinances that remain in effect, although his comments were an implicit threat.

But if the dangers posed by COVID-19 are so diminished that we no longer need lockdowns (and I agree that we dont), and we no longer need to be working from home, and we no longer need mask mandates, then how is it that we still need that state of emergency that gives the governor the power he otherwise would not have to overrule the decisions of other elected officials?
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Pro-Trump attorney Lin Wood is out for South Carolina GOP Chairman Drew McKissick's seat.

And not only does he want to see new leadership within the state party, Wood said there's a slew of other Republican leaders in the Palmetto State that he'd like to see ousted.

Wood has been making rounds across the state since announcing he had moved to South Carolina from Georgia and would challenge McKissick. He stopped at the Honkytonk Saloon in Ladson on May 2 for a rally with the Bikers for Trump group and former national security adviser Michael Flynn.

At the packed rally attended by hundreds of supporters, Wood accused McKissick of believing the state belongs to an elite establishment and said he failed to fight for former President Donald Trump after the 2020 election.

The last election cycle was a successful one for S.C. Republicans. GOP candidates won an expensive U.S. Senate race, flipped back a congressional seat and expanded majorities in the Statehouse. McKissick even secured an endorsement from Trump.

But while McKissick "went around celebrating how the elite establishment had done so well in South Carolina," Wood said he went to work on Nov. 4 to fight for Trump, who he believes won the presidential election.

President Joe Biden won the presidency 306-232 in Electoral College votes.

In order to continue the fight for Trump, Wood wants the current state GOP leader out of office and any other person who fails to seek an audit to "get the election right." He said that includes Sens. Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott, and former Gov. Nikki Haley.

"South Carolina is going to demand an honest election," Wood said. "You're not going to be cheated again."

McKissick, a longtime conservative activist, has pushed back against Wood, calling him a "carpetbagging RINO (Republican In Name Only)." He previously said Wood is "so far up in bizarro land, he couldn't find his way out with a flashlight and a map." He has suggested Wood be taken back to Georgia.

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In his speech in Ladson, Wood pushed the idea of paper ballots, voter identification and fingerprint verification to discourage cheating.

But in addition to election fraud, Wood used his time at the rally to discuss the need to clean up child sex trafficking in Horry County, Charleston and Columbia and a desire to see God placed back into schools and government.

Flynn, who is endorsing Wood, said the delegate vote on May 15 for state GOP chairman should be livestreamed, free, fair and transparent.

"We are not going to accept this RINO crowd, these Republicans that have been stabbing  they've been stabbing Trump in the back, they've been stabbing you in the back," Flynn said.

He said he is living proof of the back stabbing because for four years, he and his family was persecuted by Washington leaders.

A pardon from Trump last year ended a yearslong prosecution in a Russia investigation where Flynn pleaded guilty twice to lying to the FBI. The Associated Press reported that Flynn reversed himself before the Justice Department stepped in to dismiss his case.

Flynn encouraged the crowd to not let the political leaders cheat.

"The American people got cheated on the third of November," Flynn said. "We got outmaneuvered, we got outsmarted because they don't care. They didn't even care that they got caught."

The issue isn't about Democrats or Republicans but about the country, period, Flynn said.

McKissick and his supporters believe they have secured more than enough delegates for him to win reelection at the state party convention.
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These are the best high schools in Berks County, according to U.S. News and World Report
Last Sunday I posted a few footnotes to our coverage of the trial of Derek Chauvin for the death of George Floyd. I posted the footnotes in the form of bullet points. Last weeks footnotes are included below under April 25. Today I want to add footnotes in the same form and keep this going as warranted:

 Chauvin was convicted of second-degree murder and two lesser included offenses. Minnesota law (i.e., Minn. Stat.  609.035) follows a single behavioral incident rule precluding additional punishment for the same conduct. See, e.g., the Minnesota Supreme Court decision in State V. Branch (2020).

 Here all three offenses were inarguably predicated on the same conduct. At least the State does not dispute this point. Accordingly, I believe the rule applies in this case. Chauvin is to be sentenced on the second-degree murder charge, but not on the lesser included offenses.

 The applicability of the third-degree murder charge to the facts of the case raises a question of law. Holding that the third-degree murder charge did not apply to the facts in the case, Judge Cahill originally dismissed it. He reinstated it on the express order of the Minnesota Court of Appeals based on its February 1 ruling in State v. Noor.

 The Minnesota Supreme Court has accepted the Noor case for review. It is to be argued next month. We wont have a decision in the case until later this year. The third-degree murder charge against Chauvin should stand or fall with that decision. For the reasons stated above, however, it wont matter unless the second-degree murder charge against Chauvin is reversed on appeal.

 As I have repeatedly noted in my own trial coverage, the Hennepin County District has set up a page with access to all public filings in the case. Here it is. It includes all the wrangling over the third-degree murder charge.

 Chauvins sentencing is scheduled for June 25. Sentencing is generally governed by the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines. The presumed sentence in the Chauvin case is around 12-and-a-half years.

 The State has moved for an upward sentencing departure. The States memorandum is here. The State has separately filed several Minnesota appellate cases supporting its motion for an upward sentencing departure. Chauvins memorandum opposing the States motion is here. All these materials are accessible under the April 30 filings.

 I believe the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines were originally adopted in 1980 in part to prevent disparities in sentencing based on race or other inappropriate factors. If they were ever needed for this purpose, I think they have been highly successful. However, that is not the impression one would get from the Minnesota Supreme Courts farcical 1993 Task Force Report on Racial Bias in the Judicial System. (The report addresses sentencing at pages 49-58.) See my 2013 Federalist Society remarks Bias in the air.

 Brandon Mitchell was juror number 52. He participated in the deliberations on the verdict and is the first juror to have spoken to the press about them. KARE 11s Lou Raguse interviewed Mitchell and has posted the transcript here along with a 30-minute video of the interview.

 Mitchell also spoke to the Associated Press (Amy Forliti and Doug Glass), the Star Tribune (Chao Xiong), and the Wall Street Journal (Joe Barrett and Deena Winter). Lou Raguse, Joe Barrett, and Chao Xiong attended the trial in the Media Business Center across the street from the courthouse.

 Barretts WSJ story includes this revelatory tidbit: Each morning, all jurors would drive to pickup locations in the suburbs and then were driven to the courthouse by deputies in unmarked cars, he said. Then they would leave from several different buildings, sometimes a block or two away from the courthouse.

 Barrett also quotes Mitchell to the effect that hed go to his mothers home in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Park to feel some love after tough trial days. Brooklyn Park is immediately north of Brooklyn Center, the scene of the death of Daunte Wright and related events giving rise to the curfew imposed during Chauvins trial.

 It was reported last week  via a leak to the Star Tribunes Andy Mannix  that the Department of Justice allegedly plans to indict Chauvin and the three other officers facing trial on state charges in August on federal criminal civil rights charges.

 Mannixs story is sourced with perfect vagueness. The federal project must have been initiated as part of a backup plan in case Chauvin would have been acquitted. Mannixs talkative sources apparently did not explain what purpose federal civil rights charges would serve in the event of convictions on the state charges, or Mannix wasnt asking.

 Every left-wing organization in the United States including colleges, universities, and religious sects has taken the verdicts as an occasion to pronounce on what is to be done. These pronouncements have taken the form of reflections, letters, or messages to alumni and members. Peter Berkowitz responds to the reflections of Swarthmore College President Valerie Smith in his own open letter to her. My taste runs to something harsher, but at least Berkowitz is talking back and illustrating one way to do it. I have just deleted the messages in disgust.

APRIL 25

 The thirteenth and fourteenth seated jurors served as alternates and were released at the end of the trial. Juror number 96  Lisa Christensen  was the thirteenth seated juror. She made the media rounds last week in the aftermath of the verdict.

KARE 11s Lou Raguse interviewed Christensen in I wish it didnt have to happen: Alternate juror reflects on Derek Chauvin trial. Christensen lives in Brooklyn Center and had to navigate her way home through the crowds blocking intersections to protest the death of Daunte Wright.

Quotable quote:

Raguse: Did you want to be a juror? Christensen: I had mixed feelings. There was a question on the questionnaire about it and I put I did not know. The reason, at that time, was I did not know what the outcome was going to be, so I felt like either way you are going to disappoint one group or the other. I did not want to go through rioting and destruction again and I was concerned about people coming to my house if they were not happy with the verdict.

 The Biden-Harris Department of Justice announced an investigation of the Minneapolis Police Department the day following the verdict. They are from the federal government and they are here to help us. NRs Andrew McCarthy explains in the Corner post Obama Encore: Biden Justice Department Announces Investigation of Minneapolis Police Department.

 The Manhattan Institutes Heather Mac Donald said everything I would have said if I had the necessities in A troubled rule of law. Heathers column is the best thing I have read since the jury handed down the verdicts in the Chauvin trial.

 Alan Dershowitz takes up a theme that has preoccupied me in my own comments on the case in the Gatestone column A Long and Sordid History of Crowds Threatening Violence in the Event of a Jury Acquittal.

 As I noted last week, I spoke with Spectator editor Freddy Gray on the Friday before the jury heard closing arguments and retired to deliberate (podcast below). The Spectator also posted the column I wrote immediately following the jurys return of the verdicts on Tuesday under the headline How fair was the Derek Chauvin trial? The Spectator has fixed the proofreading errors that reflected my haste in completing the column the afternoon the verdicts were returned.

 Working on the column put me in mind of Robert Blys beautiful poem Driving toward the Lac Qui Parle River. Read it and youll see why.

 Friends sent me the BBC clips below.
I expressed my doubt about two of Rudy Giulianis statements to Tucker Carlson last week here. They discussed the search warrants executed at his home and office in connection with the investigation of an alleged Foreign Agents Registration Act violation. In that post I also took a cynical look at two New York Times stories on the case giving rise to the warrants. I dont take anything either Giuliani or the Times says at face value and I view FARA as the last refuge of a prosecutorial scoundrel.

The New York Post has now rounded up corrections on a related point made by the Times, the Washington Post, and NBC. The related point bears on an alleged FBI warning about Russian disinformation. Russia! Russia! Russia!

Here is the Times on the second of the two Giuliani warrant stories it ran last week: An earlier version of this article misstated whether Rudolph W. Giuliani received a formal warning from the F.B.I. about Russian disinformation. Mr. Giuliani did not receive such a so-called defensive briefing. The Times correction comes in the form of a note attached to the story.

Clarice Feldman also provides a good backgrounder on the Giuliani news in the American Thinker column The Never-ending Hunt for a Trump Crime. The media corrections came too late for Clarice to add a point about the never-ending embarrassment of the Times and its lessers among the mainstream media.

We are in the land of fake news generated by unidentified sources familiar with this and that. Unfortunately, I think the New York Post still owes its readers an explanation of the editors note appended to Laura Italianos Kam on in as well as Mark Moores follow-up story. Their stories turn out to have been Fake news, NY Post style.

Alan Dershowitz comments on the Giuliani warrants in his Dershow podcast below. Professor Dershowitz argues that the search warrants violated the Fourth Amendment. Among other things, Professor Dershowitz asserts that a search warrant is essentially thuggery.

Professor Dershowitz contends that Giuliani should have been served with a subpoena in lieu of the more intrusive search warrants. I believe his comments are consistent with Department of Justice guidelines, but I dont know that the Supreme Court has ever adopted this practice as a matter of constitutional law under the Fourth Amendment. Indeed, Professor Dershowitz cites no case supporting his argument. Rather, he cites civil liberties and relies on the spirit of the Fourth Amendment. However, his comments are consistent with Giulianis comments to Tucker Carlson.

Following the execution of the Giuliani search warrants last week, Professor Dershowitz agreed to provide constitutional advice to Giulianis legal team. The podcast gives us a preview of the advice he will render and the argument that will be made at some point on Giulianis behalf. If I were in trouble, I would want Professor Dershowitz on my side, but I infer from his comments that existing law does not support the argument he makes in the podcast.

UPDATE: I unintentionally overlooked Lee Smiths Epoch Times column on the Giuliani raid. Lee makes several telling points and his thesis may be right.
A CCTV footage of the embattled Yoruba actor, Olanrewaju Omiyinka, aka Baba Ijesha, kissing and fondling sensitive parts of the body of the 14-year-old girl whom he allegedly raped surfaced online on Sunday morning.

The eight-minute long footage which PREMIUM TIMES viewed, sees the actor licking and sucking the fingers of his victim.

He could also be seen caressing the minors legs and thighs in the video while the identity of the minor was concealed.

The actor would later lift his victims dress as he further caressed her body.

From the footage assessed, there was no part that showed the actor raping the minor.

It is, however, unclear what would have transpired in the remaining 22-minute footage which hasnt been made public.

This newspaper has also confirmed that the footage which was posted online on Sunday was not the full version of the 30-minute-long video.

Outcry

Since the story of Baba Ijeshas alleged rape mess came to the fore in April, many, including his fans and colleagues doubted the reports and asked to see the CCTV footage which implicated him.

The clamour for the release of the CCTV evidence became stronger on Thursday night after Princess hosted an Instagram live chat where she revealed that she watched Baba Ijesha molest and lick my daughter non-stop for 30 minutes on the CCTV.

The comedienne said she painfully monitored on her mobile phone how he licked her from head to toe for thirty minutes. How many adults can stomach that? and was doing all sorts that I cant even say.

Confession

Parts of the scenes of the alleged sexual assault released Thursday showed how the comic actor allegedly caught pant down, sitting on the floor, and pleading for forgiveness while being questioned by Princess and other people.

In the two-minute video, Baba Ijesha could be seen and repeatedly heard echoing, Please forgive me, I wont do it again.

He said, please forgive me, I know I have hurt you, but please forgive me. I know I have done something wrong, please forgive me because of God, Im begging you. You will never be put to shame. I dont know what came over me, if you must take me away, please let me kill myself, please, Have mercy on me, I said Im sorry.

When asked why he sexually harassed the minor for seven years, Baba Ijesha repeatedly said, Im very sorry.

Update

The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, Hakeem Odumosu, has said Baba Ijesha is currently in custody for alleged sexual assault and not rape as it is currently being bandied.

The CP said this at a press briefing which was held at the Lagos Police Command on Thursday.

On, April 22, PREMIUM TIMES reported that the Lagos State police command arrested the actor for allegedly raping a minor.

The Lagos State Police spokesperson, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, had said preliminary findings revealed that the suspect allegedly began sexually assaulting the victim, 14 since she was 7 years of age.

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Nigerian comedienne, Damilola Adekoya, guardian of the minor allegedly raped by Baba Ijesha, has denied authorising the release of the CCTV footage that captured the sexual assault of the child.

The CCTV footage of the embattled kissing and fondling sensitive parts of the body of the 14-year-old girl whom he allegedly raped surfaced online on Sunday morning.

The eight-minute long footage, which PREMIUM TIMES viewed, sees the actor licking and sucking the fingers of his victim.

Since the story of Baba Ijeshas alleged rape mess came to the fore in April, many including his fans and colleagues doubted the reports and asked to see the CCTV footage which implicated him.

The footage has since been yanked off major news outlets following a public outcry and a disclaimer released by Princess through her legal counsel, Ibilola Subair.

Disclaimer

Mrs Subair, in a chat with this newspaper on Sunday, confirmed that her client had indeed authorised the disclaimer.

In the disclaimer, Princess said she would not be responsible for any liability that results from the release of the footage.

Our Client disclaims any liability or responsibility whatsoever that arises from the publication of the video on the internet or any other social media platform showing Olanrewaju James Omiyinka (aka. Baba Ijesha) molesting Our Clients foster daughter.

Our client did not authorise the release of the CCTV footage by PUNCH MEDIA or any other person whatsoever. Our Client expressly disclaim any liability whatsoever for any loss however, arising from the content of the CCTV footage released to the general public through PUNCH Media, the disclaimer partly read.

Since the story of Baba Ijeshas alleged rape mess came to the fore in April, many, including his fans and colleagues doubted the reports and asked to see the CCTV footage which implicated him.

After the footage was made public, they

condemned the release saying it was irresponsible and against the Child Protection Act.

We advised the mother not to release the footage  Foundation

Meanwhile, Landas Bethel, a foundation that advocates the rights of victims of Child Abuse and Human Trafficking, said it advised Princess not to release the CCTV footage.

According to a statement released on Sunday by Yolanda George-David, a representative of the foundation, they said their recommendations to the survivors mother were disregarded.

They also added that they understand that it is within her right to do so.

We have always believed in the protection of survivors as this is important to their mental health. It was however shocking when it was brought to our notice that the CCTV video of one of the cases that we are working on is circulating in public space, the statement began.

In futherence to our ethics and duty to protect the survivor and critical evidence vital to the case, we pleaded and advised the mother of the survivor not to release the CCTV footage. I also advised severally that certain facts of the case be protected so that we do not jeopardize our case by releasing evidence for persecution or putting the identity of the Survivor at risk.

The foundation also added that they werent aware that the material had been released to the press.

Following the release of a certain CCTV footage against our advise and in violation with our practice in one of our active cases,we have been flooded with calls from other survivors worried that details of their case would be released. That would never happen, it added.

Scores of social media users have also called for the CCTV footage to be reported so that in can be pulled down from social media pages in protection of the minor.

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Last week, Nigeria joined the rest of the world to commemorate World Malaria Day and World Immunisation week.

The commemoration was done amidst the COVID-19 pandemic which has claimed over 3 million lives globally and over 2,000 lives in Nigeria.

As Nigeria continues to record few new COVID-19 cases, the fatality from the virus has also declined with only two deaths recorded in the last 18 days.

More Nigerians are still taking shots of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine and approximately 1.2 million persons have received their first dose of the vaccines=, according to data by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA).

Here is a round-up of some of the health stories which made headlines last week.

COVID-19: Nigeria records 43 new cases on Saturday

Nigeria on Saturday recorded 43 new COVID-19 infections in seven states across the country.

The new figure raised the total number of infections in the country to 165,153, an update published by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Saturday night indicates.

According to the update, no new death was recorded from the virus which has already claimed 2,063 lives in the country.

Malaria contributes to reduced economic growth in Nigeria, other African countries  WHO

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said malaria is responsible for an annual reduction of 1.3 per cent in Africas economic growth.

WHO Regional Director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti disclosed this in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES to commemorate the 2021 World Malaria Day (WMD).

According to Ms Moeti, for every year that malaria spread, health and development suffer the most.

Lassa Fever: Nigeria records 50 deaths as infections soar

At least 50 persons have died from Lassa fever in Nigeria, even as the country is still grappling with the scourging COVID-19 pandemic.

The figure, revealed by the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control as of Week 15, spanning April 12 -18, showed that Lassa fever has continued a silent ascent in fatalities and infection.

According to NCDC figures, 28 persons died between Week 7 (February 15-21) and Week 15.

Nigeria expecting 29.8 million doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine  Official

The Nigerian government says it expects to receive about 29.8 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) COVID-19 vaccines.

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The Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Faisal Shuaib, made this known during a briefing of the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) on COVID-19 on Monday.

Nigeria wont accept COVID-19 vaccines from private, unverified sources  Minister

The Nigerian government, on Monday, said it will not accept vaccines from private and unverified sources.

Health minister Osagie Ehanire while speaking during a briefing of the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) on COVID-19 said this is due to the high rate of fake COVID-19 vaccines in circulation.

COVID-19 hinders immunisation, puts millions of children at risk  WHO

While efforts to end COVID-19 has continued to gather steam with the successful roll-out of vaccines in over a hundred countries, the pandemic continues to hinder routine immunisation services, thereby putting millions of children at risk of deadly diseases.

The second round of a World Health Organisation pulse survey revealed that over one year into the COVID-19 pandemic, substantial disruptions persist, with about 90 per cent of countries still reporting one or more disruptions to essential health services.

US gives $90m to eight disadvantaged Nigerian states

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has extended a $90 million to eight disadvantaged Nigerian states to tackle malaria.

This was made known in a statement on Wednesday by the US Mission in Nigeria.

World Malaria Day: How corruption hinders Nigerias efforts to eradicate malaria

About eight years after a PREMIUM TIMES investigation uncovered how public officials collude with traders to sell free donor-funded mosquito nets to Nigerians, the practice is still rampant as Nigeria continues its battle against malaria.

With about 81,640 deaths annually from malaria, Nigeria accounts for over 20 per cent of the 400,000 annual deaths, globally, from the disease.

While there is now huge potential for a malaria vaccine, Long-Lasting Insecticide Nets (LLIN) have long been identified as one of the best ways to prevent the disease.

U.S. relaxes COVID-19 rules for fully vaccinated people

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced that Americans who are fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus no longer need to wear masks outdoors, except for large gatherings.

The risk of the virus spreading outdoors is so low that even unvaccinated individuals do not need to wear a mask if they hike, jog or are with a household member, according to the CDC guidelines issued on Tuesday.
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Governor Abdullahi Ganduje has extended the length of service for all categories of teachers in Kano State from 35 to 40 years, and the retirement age from 60 to 65 years.

Mr Ganduje disclosed this on Saturday at the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) award night held as part of the Workers Day celebration. The event took place at the open theatre of Government House, Kano.

The length of service for our teachers has been 35 years, I am glad to inform this gathering that we have now increased the duration to 40 years.

You are all aware that the federal government has made a pronouncement by increasing the retirement age and the length of service of teachers serving under the federal government. So we dont want teachers in Kano State to be left behind.

In order to promote their commitment and motivate our teachers, Kano State has now decided to increase the length of service from 30 years to 35 years and to also increase the retirement age for our teachers from 60 years to 65 years, he said.

The governor said all teachers in primary, secondary and tertiary schools will benefit from the new policy, adding that, this is an innovation that we cherish and it will be sustained.

Our teachers are our fathers. They are the backbone of sustainable development because without education there is no development. If we are to sustain our system of education, their welfare is absolutely necessary.

You could recall some two or three years back, we promoted our teachers and paid them increased salary for their promotion., which increased our monthly salaries payment with over N500 million. That is unprecedented, Mr Ganduje said.

In his remarks, the chairman of the state branch of the NLC, Kabiru Minjibir, commended the governor for the policy.

Sir, in spite of what you have done for us and what you have been doing for us, like Oliver Twist, we will ask for more.

Mr Minjibir urged the governor to also review the retirement age of civil servants in the state.

We are appealing to His Excellency to review the retirement age for civil servants in the state and local government services like has been done for teachers. This action will equally reduce the number of pensioners for another five years, thereby giving an opportunity for the State Pension Fund to offset its outstanding liabilities, Mr Minjibir said.
At least 18 police officers were killed in separate attacks across Nigeria last week, continuing a trend of targeted attacks on Nigerian security officials.

The targeted killings and destruction of police facilities started several weeks ago, mostly in the South-east and South-south regions and have since continued unabated; with experts saying these could worsen the already dire security situation across the country.

The attacks in the two regions are separate from the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-east. Also, as part of the general insecurity across the country, several states in Nigeria have been struggling with kidnapping for ransom, banditry, frequent clashes between farmers and herders, and inter-communal conflicts.

Due to the regular attacks on security outfits in the South-east, the governors and heads of security agencies in the five states in the region held a summit on security where they agreed to establish a joint security outfit to check the insecurity in the region.

IPOB, an outlawed secessionist group, and its security network, ESN, has been accused of being responsible for some of the attacks against the police in the South-east, but the group has denied any involvement.

PREMIUM TIMES highlights some of the attacks on security officials in the past week.

Five killed, one missing in Imo

Gunmen on Monday attacked a police station in Ehime Mbano, Okigwe South Local Government Area of Imo State.

They killed five officers while one officer is said to be missing.

The armed bandits also razed the police building, the spokesman of the Imo State Police Command, Orlando Ikeokwu, confirmed.

This comes two days after gunmen invaded the country home of the state governor, Hope Uzodinma, in Omuma, Oru East Local Government Area of the state.

During the attack, they burnt part of the building and razed some vehicles in the compound, killing at least a security official.

Imo State has suffered more attacks in the two regions than any other state.

Two police officers killed in Akwa-Ibom

A female police officer was shot dead on Tuesday by gunmen in Ika Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, Nigerias South-south.

The police spokesperson in the state, Odiko MacDon, who confirmed the killing, identified the slain police officer as Esther Akpan, a police corporal.

She was killed alongside a police special constabulary, Isonuyo Paul.

A patrol vehicle belonging to the local police station was set ablaze by the gunmen, the police spokesperson said.

The police said they had launched an investigation into the attack.

Apart from Ika, there have been similar attacks on police and soldiers in Essien Udim Local Government Area of the state.

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Nine police officers, two vigilantes killed in Kebbi

Suspected bandits attacked and killed a divisional police officer and eight other officers on Sunday in Sakaba Local Government Area of Kebbi State.

Two vigilante members were also killed by the bandits in the incident.

The police spokesperson in Kebbi, Nafiu Abubakar, told PREMIUM TIMES that the officers responded to distress calls following the attack on Sunday night.

Mr Abubakar said the bandits launched the attack at Makuku and surrounding villages in the Sakaba council area.

Sakaba Local Government Area had witnessed attacks by bandits in Kunduru, Bajida and Rafin Gora where the gunmen reportedly rustled some livestock. It shares a boundary with the troubled Zamfara and Niger states.

Another police attack in Abia

Armed men suspected to be members of the ESN, on Wednesday, attacked a police station in Abia State.

The police confirmed the attack in a statement issued on Thursday in Umuahia, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

Though there were no casualties, the police spokesperson in the state, Geoffrey Ogbonna, said the attack occurred at Nkporo Police Station in Ohafia Local Government Area of the state.

He blamed it on common criminals whom he said were repelled by the police operatives at the station.

He said the criminals, suspected to have been hibernating around the station, took advantage of the morning rainfall to attack the station.

They threw an explosive at the charge room which caused damage to the counter, chairs and benches therein.

They burnt one unserviceable police motorcycle outside, broke the wind shield of the patrol van and stole two exhibit motorcycles, Mr Ogbonna, a superintendent of police, said in the statement

A similar attack was carried out on Uzuakoli Police Station in Bende Local Government Area of the state on April 10.

Another two in Akwa Ibom

Another two police officers were killed on Saturday by some unknown gunmen who attacked a police facility in Ikono Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

A female police officer was also injured in the attack, while five vehicles parked at the stations premises were set ablaze, according to a statement from the Chairman of Ikono council, Nyakno Okoibu.

The statement issued by the chairmans media aide, Nsisong Ntuk, said the attack occurred at about 3 a.m.

The statement said members of the ESN were suspected to be behind the attack.

Security Experts Speak

The attacks on police personnel will lead to an increase in crime in the country, a security analyst, Timothy Avele, said.

Its sad and unfortunate that security personnel are now endangered species by been killed like flies.

First, this will result in more violent crimes like kidnapping, murder, armed robberies etc as the security personnel, especially the police, will feel less concerned to respond to distress calls from the public, he said.

Secondly, there will be transferred aggression from the security personnel to the citizens; no more police is your friend slogan in practice.

On the other hand, the police not responding to distresses of the public and being cruel to citizens due to the unprovoked attacks on them could result in missing out on criminal information normally shared with them by the public, Mr Avele stated.

Another security expert, Jonathan Mba, however, says the police should share the blame for the attacks.

He said they do not have the required training to gather information ahead of any attack. He also blamed the government for not playing its role in the training of the personnel.

What kind of training do the police possess? What is their understanding about civil policing with regards to public relations? How well are they kitted to guarantee their safety?

What is the level of intelligence gathered within the host community they find themselves? All these add up in helping the police understand how to repel attacks from criminals or aggrieved citizens, he said.

Mr Mba said interactions between the police and their host communities should be encouraged.
While efforts to end COVID-19 has continued to gather steam with the successful roll-out of vaccines in over a hundred countries, the pandemic continues to hinder routine immunisation services, thereby putting millions of children at risk of deadly diseases.

The second round of a World Health Organisation pulse survey revealed that over one year into the COVID-19 pandemic, substantial disruptions persist, with about 90 per cent of countries still reporting one or more disruptions to essential health services.

The survey published during the World Immunisation Week 2021 in the last week of April (April 24th-30th) also highlighted the urgent need for a renewed global commitment to improve vaccination access and uptake.

According to the WHO data, 60 mass immunisation campaigns are currently postponed in 50 countries, putting around 228 million people  mostly children  at risk for diseases such as measles, yellow fever and polio.

Over half of the 50 affected countries are in Africa, highlighting protracted inequities in peoples access to critical immunisation services.

Vaccines will help us end the COVID-19 pandemic but only if we ensure fair access for all countries, and build strong systems to deliver them, said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHOs director-general. And if were to avoid multiple outbreaks of life-threatening diseases like measles, yellow fever and diphtheria, we must ensure routine vaccination services are protected in every country in the world.

Survey

Despite progress when compared to the situation in 2020, more than one-third of respondent countries (37 per cent) still report experiencing disruptions to their routine immunisation services, the survey found.

Campaigns to immunise against measles, which is one of the most contagious diseases and can result in large outbreaks wherever people are unvaccinated, are the most impacted. Measles campaigns account for 23 of the 60 postponed campaigns, affecting an estimated 140 million people. Many have now been delayed for over a year.

Even before the pandemic, there were worrying signs that we were beginning to lose ground in the fight against preventable child illness, with 20 million children already missing out on critical vaccinations, said Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director. The pandemic has made a bad situation worse, causing millions more children to go unimmunized.

This situation is more event in countries like Nigeria that are already grappling with conflict situations and other challenges even before the service disruptions due to ongoing response measures to COVID-19.

Nigerian situation

Routine Immunisation is regarded as one of the greatest contributions to global health to date, given the high rate of infectious diseases affecting under-fives.

Deadly diseases, such as smallpox and measles, have become rare and some eradicated, improving health indices of many countries.

Evidence shows that each year, immunisation prevents 2- 3 million deaths globally.

In Nigeria, routine immunisations are particularly important as the under-five mortality rate has consistently been high.

Nigeria ranks the highest in the number of under-five deaths as a direct result of vaccine-preventable diseases. This is according to the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF), which states that in 2019, 858,000 under-five deaths occurred in Nigeria.

The 2018 Nigeria Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) also estimated that the under-five mortality rate in Nigeria is 132 per 1,000 live births; which is about 1 in 8 Nigerian children.

It is estimated that the 1 in 4 deaths that occur in children under-five in Nigeria are entirely preventable with recommended vaccines.

Nigerias coverage is currently below the goals of the Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP), which aims to ensure that individuals, regardless of where they are or live, can equitably access vaccines.

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The focus on COVID-19 response in the country has further widened the gaps in vaccination coverage for other diseases.

Way forward

Annually, the World Immunisation Week is an opportunity for international organisations to highlight the significance of immunisation by creating campaigns and building awareness on universal immunisation coverage.

WHO, UNICEF and the vaccine alliance, GAVI, said they have a new global strategy that will have the potential to save 50 million lives within less than a decade.

If were to avoid multiple outbreaks of life-threatening diseases like measles, yellow fever, and diphtheria, we must ensure routine vaccination services are protected in every country in the world, WHO chief, Mr Ghebreyesus, said in a statement.

Mrs Fore, head of UNICEF said, now that vaccines are at the forefront of everyones minds, we must sustain this energy to help every child catch up on their measles, polio, and other vaccines. We have no time to waste. Lost ground means lost lives.

According to GAVI chief, Seth Berkley, to support the recovery from COVID-19 and to fight future pandemics, we will need to ensure routine immunization is prioritized as we also focus on reaching children who do not receive any routine vaccines, or zero-dose children. To do this, we need to work together  across development agencies, governments, and civil society  to ensure that no child is left behind.
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Amidst the worsening security situation across Nigeria, the ruling party, APC, says President Muhammadu Buhari is capable of achieving quick, lasting solutions to the problems.

Many Nigerians have accused the president of not doing enough to curb the kidnappings, banditry and killings across the country. Some, particularly on social media, have called for Mr Buharis resignation or impeachment by lawmakers.

However, the APC in a statement issued late Saturday night by its Interim National General Secretary, John Akpanudoedehe, noted the worrisome security situation in many parts of the country but expressed confidence in the presidents ability to achieve quick, lasting solutions to insecurity.

The party and government definitely share the concerns of well-meaning Nigerians, including PDP governors. However, let no one be in doubt as to the urgency and capacity of the President Muhammadu Buhari government to end the recent security incidents, the party said in the statement, urging Nigerians to avoid politicising the countrys insecurity.

Although kidnappings, banditry and other forms of terrorism did not start with the APC administration, many Nigerians believe the countrys insecurity has become worse since Mr Buhari assumed office in 2015.

The APC in the Sunday statement said the Buhari administration is conducting investigations to arrest the sponsors and perpetrators of all the security incidents in the country. It cautioned governors of the main opposition party, PDP, against divisive rhetorics.

As those who receive constant security briefings, PDP Governors should know that divisive rhetorics can only embolden the criminals who are carrying out these cowardly acts. This is not the time to play to the gallery, but sit down to find real and lasting solutions. The latter is what the President Buhari administration is doing, the party said.

The statement is believed to be in response to the Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom, who on Tuesday berated the federal governments approach to the prevailing security challenges.

Mr Ortom, in his address to protesting youth after a Monday night attack on an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in Abagena village, said the state lost not less than 70 of its residents in two weeks to attacks by suspected herdsmen.

Over 200 people were killed in the penultimate week in separate attacks across Nigeria with about 44 others kidnapped. Last week, at least 18 police officers were killed in targeted attacks against security officials across the country.
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A fatal accident at Nkwo Mmiri Market in Nwangele Local Government Area of Imo State, on Saturday, claimed two lives and injured no fewer than eight persons.

The police spokesperson in Imo State, Orlando Ikeokwu, confirmed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Owerri.

Mr Ikeokwu, a superintendent of police, said a MACK truck that was carrying chippings and driven by Kingsley Okwudili from Ebonyi State to Orlu in Imo rammed into two vehicles, a bus and a tricycle, when its brake failed.

He said all three vehicles fell into a stream while the contents of the upended truck poured on people nearby.

He said that out of the 10 rescued persons, two were confirmed dead upon arrival at the hospital while the driver was taken into custody.

A MACK truck loaded with chippings, driven by one Kingsley Okwudili coming from Ebonyi state to Orlu, on getting to Nkwo Mmiri market, ran into two vehicles by 12:00 noon as a result of brake failure.

The impact pushed the truck and the other two vehicles into a stream nearby.

Sequel to that, operatives of the Divisional Police Headquarters in Nwangele moved to the scene and rescued 10 affected persons

On getting to the hospital two of the victims were confirmed dead while eight others with various degrees of injury were taken in for treatment.

Meanwhile, the driver has been taken into custody as investigation has commenced, the police spokesperson said.

(NAN)
The Nigerian government has announced a temporary ban on non-Nigerian passengers who have been in Brazil, India or Turkey within 14 days of intended arrival into Nigeria.

This is due to concerns over the spread of the COVID-19 virus, the chairman of the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, said in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday.

Mr Mustapha said the travel ban does not apply to passengers who only transited through these countries that have been experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases in the past week.

He said the new travel advisory shall come into effect from May 4 and shall be subject to review after an initial period of 4 weeks.

Guidelines Specific to Brazil, India and Turkey;

Non-Nigerian passport holders and non-residents who visited Brazil, India or Turkey within Fourteen (14) days preceding travel to Nigeria, shall be denied entry into Nigeria, he said.

India has had more COVID-19 cases in the last seven days than anywhere else in the world, Reuters reported.

Indian hospitals, morgues and crematoriums have been overwhelmed as the country has reported more than 300,000 daily cases for more than 10 days straight. Many families have been left on their own to scramble for medicines and oxygen.

Nearly 10 Indian states and union territories have imposed some form of restrictions, even as the federal government remains reluctant to impose a national lockdown.

The pandemic also continued to wreak havoc in Brazil, which on Thursday became the second country to officially top 400,000 COVID-19 deaths  April was Brazils deadliest month of the pandemic, with about 100,000 lives lost.

Turkey has also entered its first national coronavirus lockdown as infection rates continue to climb in the country, now the highest in Europe.

Turkey has recorded 37,674 new COVID-19 cases and 339 deaths in the last 24 hours, according to the Turkish Health Ministrys COVID-19 online dashboard.

Precautionary measures

Mr Mustapha said there are penalties for airlines and passengers who fail to comply with the new travel directives.

Airlines shall mandatorily pay a penalty of $3,500 for each defaulting passenger, Non-Nigerians will be denied entry and returned to the country of embarkation at cost to the Airline.

Nigerians and those with permanent resident permit shall undergo seven days of mandatory quarantine in a Government approved facility at the point-of-entry city and at cost to the passenger.

According to Mr Mustapha, Passenger(s) arriving in Nigeria from other destinations must observe a seven-day self-isolation at their final destination.

Carry out a COVID-19 PCR test on day 7 at selected laboratory. Shall be monitored for compliance to isolation protocol by appropriate authorities, he said.

He said that passengers who refuse to comply with directions of Port-Health staff, security agencies or evade quarantine shall be prosecuted in accordance with the law.

Mr Mustapha noted that these precautionary measures were necessary to minimize the risk of a surge in COVID-19 cases while national response activities continue.

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He urged members of the public to adhere to all COVID-19 preventive measures including adherence to the national travel protocol, proper use of face masks, regular handwashing and physical distancing.

He also appealed to Nigerians to avoid any non-essential international travels to any country at this period and specifically to countries that were showing a rise in number of cases and deaths.
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The worst that people feared about the missing Akwa Ibom woman has happened: Iniobong Umoren, the Philosophy graduate of the University of Uyo, who left her home for a supposedly job interview in the outskirt of Uyo, has been raped and killed by a man who said he had a job opportunity for her.

The sad development was confirmed, Sunday afternoon, by the police in Akwa Ibom State.

The police spokesperson in the state, Odiko MacDon, identified the suspect as 20-year-old Uduak Akpan.

The suspect, said to be a serial rapist, killed the missing woman and buried her in a shallow grave in his fathers house, after raping her.

On 30/04/2021, the Command received a report on the disappearance of the victim.

Following available leads, men of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad of the Command, led by CSP Inengiye Igosi, consolidated on the initial great progress made by the DPO Uruan, SP Samuel Ezeugo and arrested the perpetrator who confessed to have lured his victim to his house in the guise of giving her a job, but ended up sexually and physically assaulting her which led to her death.

To cover his tracks, he dragged and buried her in a shallow grave in his fathers compound, Mr MacDon, a superintendent of police, said in the statement.

The body of the woman has been exhumed and deposited at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, Uyo, the police said.

Suspect is a confessed serial rapist who has owned up to the raping of other victims.

He will be charged to court at the conclusion of investigation, Mr MacDon added.

Ms Umoren was last seen on April 29 before she went to honour the appointment for a job interview

She was screaming for help on the phone, said one of her friends who established contact with her on the day she went missing.

She sent me a 1sec audio record on WhatsApp and I had to call her back to know if she wanted to say something to me but immediately I called her I heard her screaming, the friend, Uduak Umoh, tweeted.

Concerned Nigerians did an amazing job, deploying internet tools to see how they could track the missing womans location or uncover the identity and the location of the person she went out to meet.

#FindHinyUmoren trended on Twitter for two days, after Ms Umoren went missing.

The Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom State, Amienghene Andrew, commended the social media family for their effort in the case.
Last Monday, Governor Abubakar Bello of Niger State told journalists that Boko Haram terrorists have been occupying some communities in the state.

I am confirming that there are Boko Haram elements here in Niger state, here in Kaure, I am confirming that they have hoisted their flags here.

Their wives (of the villagers) have been seized from them and forcefully attached to Boko Haram members. I just heard that they have placed their flags at Kaure, meaning they have taken over the territory.

This is what I have been engaging the federal government on, unfortunately, it has now got to this level. If care is not taken, even Abuja is not safe. We have been saying this for long. All our efforts have been in vain.

The governor said the terrorists have displaced over 3,000 residents of the affected communities.

From his gesture and facial expression, one could tell how frustrated he was. Like Mr Bello, Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, on Tuesday decried the violent killing of residents by suspected herders.

He lambasted the federal government for being complacent in the face of insecurity, saying not less than 70 lives were lost in two weeks in Makurdi local government area of the state.

Many states across the country are battling with security challenges involving killings and kidnappings of innocent individuals.

Over 97 people killed and 58 kidnapped in various violent attacks across Nigeria last week.

These figures were compiled using a review of newspaper reports, interviews with victims families, and in some cases, confirmation by public and security officials.

Sunday

At about 9:00 a.m. on Sunday, gunmen killed one and abducted four others in an attack on Haske Baptist Church at Manini village, in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

The incident was confirmed by Samuel Aruwan, the states commissioner for internal security and home affairs.

While Mr Aruwan condemned the attack in the strongest terms, the police spokesperson, Mohammed Jalige, described the attack as unfortunate.

Also, no fewer than eight security operatives were killed when gunmen attacked two checkpoints along Airport Road, Omagwa in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State.

It was reported that same day that bandits abducted 35 people and injured others during an attack on Chiri, Gini and Fuka communities in Shiroro and Munya local government areas of Niger state.

Four people were shot in Sundays robbery attack on motorists in Orji area of Owerri, Imo State.

The commands spokesperson, Orlando Ikeokwu, confirmed the incident, saying the victims of the attack were taken to the Federal Medical Center, Owerri, for treatment.

In the south-east, governors and opinion leaders in the zone met in a closed-door security meeting at the Government House, Enugu State.

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The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said that leaders of religious groups, traditional and socio-cultural institutions in the area were also part of the meeting.

Also, the Nigerian Army confirmed an ambush on one of its bases at Mainok, Borno State. In a statement by its spokesperson, Mohammed, the army described the attack as a multi-directional attack which claimed one officer and six soldiers.

But PREMIUM TIMES investigation revealed that as against the military claim, at least one Nigerian army officer and 17 soldiers died in battle on Sunday.

Military insiders familiar with the matter told PREMIUM TIMES that the armys public statement deliberately underplayed the attack and that it is not a true reflection of what transpired.

Apart from those killed, no fewer than 43 other soldiers were seriously injured while 50 other personnel remain missing.

Monday

This newspaper reported that gunmen kidnapped a hotelier, and eight others at a hotel in Ajaawa, Ogo Oluwa Local Government Area of Oyo State.

The nine victims were released on Tuesday after paying an undisclosed amount of money as ransom.

Also, the palace of Emeka Ilouno, the traditional ruler of Ifitedunu in Dunukofia Local Government Area of Anambra state was set on fire by gunmen.

Toochukwu Ikenga, police spokesperson in Anambra, made the disclosure in a statement on Monday.

Three students of the Federal University of Agriculture in Makurdi (FUAM) in Benue State were kidnapped at gunpoint around the College of Engineering area of the school.

The Director of Information, Protocol and Public Relations Unit (IPPR), Rosemary Waku, confirmed the incident on Monday.

Another two students of Greenfield University, were found dead. The Kaduna State Commissioner for Internal Security and Homeland Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, confirmed the latest murder of the two students on Monday.

On a sad note, security agencies have just reported to the Kaduna State Government the recovery of two more dead bodies of Greenfield University students, killed by armed bandits today, Monday 26th April 2021.

PREMIUM TIMES exclusively reported that four Nigerian soldiers were killed by suspected IPOB gunmen in a community in Rivers State.

The attack occurred at Edibe Hotel, in Abua- Odual Local Government Area of the state where the soldiers, attached to an oil company, Starling Global Ltd, were on an escort duty.

Also, no fewer than nine people were killed on Monday when hoodlums invaded Ukpomachi community, Awkuzu in Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State.

The police spokesperson in the state, Tochukwu Ikenga, who confirmed the killing in a statement, said information about the incident was still sketchy.

In another development, this newspaper reported that nine police officers, two vigilante members were killed in Kebbi State while repelling an attack by bandits.

Gunmen also kidnapped three persons along the Akure-Ilesa expressway in Osun State.

Also, soldiers killed a student of the Imo State University, Owerri, near the Douglas House, the seat of government .

The victim was identified as Divine Nwaneri, a 25-year-old 100 level student of Soil Science and Biotechnology.

Tuesday

Following repeated attacks witnessed in Anambra, the state government on Tuesday imposed a curfew of six communities in Anambra East and Oyi local government areas.

The affected communities are Igbariam, Aguleri, and Umueri in Anambra East, as we as Nteje, Awkuzu, and Umunya in Oyi local government area.

The Punch newspaper reported that some gunmen razed the Okigwe South Police Division in Orieagu in the Ehime Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State and no fewer than six police men were shot dead.

Our division in Okigwe South is on fire. Six policemen were shot dead by gunmen. They also freed the suspects before setting fire to the facility, a police source said.

It was also reported that gunmen ambushed Ukpomachi village, Awkuzu in Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State, killing 19 persons suspected to be herders while also destroying their properties worth millions of naira.

The Chair, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, south-east zone, Gidado Sidikki, who resides in Anambra State also confirmed the killing of 23 cows by the attackers.

The police confirmed the attack, saying the killings are being investigated.

Seven persons were confirmed dead, with many others injured, after armed herdsmen attacked Abagena community housing Internally Displaced Persons camp in Makurdi Local government Area of Benue State.

The State Governor, Samuel Ortom, in a statement, described the attack on the IDPs camp as inhuman, barbaric and unacceptable.

The police in Enugu State confirmed the killing of two yet-to-be identified men in an alleged clash between two rival cult groups on Ogui Road, Enugu metropolis.

The police spokesperson in the state, Daniel Ndukwe, confirmed the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Enugu.

Frustrated by the National Assemblys inability to halt the worsening security situation across Nigeria, two senators  former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, and Kogi West senator, Smart Adeyemi, asked that the legislative complex be shut down and that Nigeria should seek foreign aid.

Wednesday

This newspaper reported how some unknown gunmen shot dead two soldiers at a security checkpoint in Ebonyi State.

The army officials were on a stop-and-search duty at the checkpoint, in an area called Timber Junction, Afikpo North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, when the gunmen inside a white bus opened fire at them, killing two of the soldiers.

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers imposed curfew from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. at all entry and exit points with neighbouring states of Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, and Imo.

The curfew took effect from Wednesday night, and was necessitated by recent security breaches and deadly attacks.

A group of armed men on Wednesday night attacked Kings School, a Plateau State-based mission school owned by Calvary Ministries, and kidnapped a student.

The school is located in Gana Ropp, Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of the state.

According to Gabriel Ubah, the spokesperson of the police in Plateau, tactical operatives were deployed to the area after the command received a report.

Thursday

PREMIUM TIMES reported that a female police officer was shot dead by some gunmen in Ika Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State.

The police spokesperson in the state, Odiko MacDon, confirmed the killing which appeared to be a continuation of the attack against security agents in the countrys South-east and South-south regions.

Mr MacDon identified the slain police officer as Esther Akpan, a police corporal. She was killed alongside a police special constabulary, Isonuyo Paul.

By Thursday, Governor Wike imposed night curfew in all the 23 local government areas of Rivers.

The police in Benue on Thursday said they had a prolonged exchange of gunfire with bandits and led to the killing of two of the bandits.

A Professor of Engineering and former Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Osadolor Odia, was reportedly abducted by gunmen.



He was said to be on his way to his farm at Egoro, Ekpoma, when the incident occurred.

Friday

A notorious bandit, Auwalun Daudawa, was killed barely nine days after he returned back to the forest.

Ibrahim Zauma, a spokesperson to the governor of the state, broke the news late Friday.

Just in: Barely nine days after Auwalun Daudawa returned to the jungle after swearing oath on the Glorious Quran never to go back to banditry, he met his waterloo! He was killed while trying to rustle, he wrote on Twitter.

Saturday

The mother of one of the longest-serving members of the Niger State House of Assembly, Bello Ahmed Agwara, was reportedly kidnapped.

Two people were also killed in the process.

The Councilor representing Agbashi Electoral Ward in Doma Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, Jibrin Ede, was reportedly kidnapped by unknown gunmen.

Member of the State House of Assembly representing Doma South Constituency, John Osewu, who is also an elder brother to the victim, made the disclosure while speaking with newsmen on Saturday in Lafia.

The victim was kidnapped in the early hours of Saturday when he was on his way to Okpata community in Doma LGA to see a friend.

They demanded N10 million ransom.
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The Pension Board Commissioner of Kogi State, Adebayo Solomon, has been killed by gunmen, PREMIUM TIMES confirmed.

Mr Solomon, who was travelling from Ilorin, Kwara State capital, to Kabba in Kogi State on Saturday, was attacked alongside four others in the vehicle.

According to the spokesperson of the police in Kogi, Williams Aya, the attack took place at Eruku village, a few kilometres to Egbe and on the boundary between the two states.

Also, the Chairperson of Yagba East Local Government, Pius Kolawole, was reportedly kidnapped after the incident.

The corpse of the commissioner had since been deposited at ECWA Hospital, Egbe, while the whereabouts of Mr Kolawole remained unknown.

The Commissioner of Police in Kogi State, Ayuba Ede, in his reaction, said an intensive investigation has commenced to nab the perpetrators.

Some observers said the abduction of the council chairperson may not be unconnected with his efforts to rid his local government area of hoodlums suspected to be herders terrorising the council.

Nigeria faces serious security challenges involving killings and kidnappings of individuals.

No fewer than 97 persons were killed and eight kidnapped in various violent attacks across the country last week.
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A local office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Akwa Ibom State, Nigerias South-south, was on Sunday set ablaze by hoodlums.

The incident, which occurred in Essien Udim Local Government Area of the state, looks like a targeted attack by people who are also responsible for the ongoing attacks on security agencies in the South-east and South-south regions.

INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, confirmed the attack in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

Mr Okoye said the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Akwa Ibom State, Mike Igini, reported the incident to INEC headquarters, Abuja.

The security guard on duty in the INEC office escaped unhurt but the destruction to the building and properties was extensive, the commission said.

Items destroyed include 345 ballot boxes, 135 voting cubicles, megaphones, water tanks and office furniture.

The police, which have also been battling with attacks on its facilities and personnel in the area, are aware of the incident and have commenced investigation, Mr Okoye said.

He said if the attacks on INEC facilities continues, it may affect future polls.

The national commissioner recalled that on the eve of the 2019 general election, INEC newly constructed prototype local office in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, was burnt down, while two more offices in Mkpat Enin and Eastern Obolo local government areas, also in Akwa Ibom State, were bombed.

The recent attack on our facility after we have just concluded the inventory of electoral materials nationwide in readiness for the 2023 General Election is worrisome.

If unchecked, these attacks may constitute a setback on the Commissions preparations, including the ongoing conversion of Voting Points to Polling Units, the forthcoming Continuous Registration of Voters (CRV) and the conduct of polls, he said.

He said that, nevertheless, the commission assured Nigerians that it would leave no stone unturned to recover from the incident in Akwa Ibom as it continued to prepare for all electoral activities.

Essien Udim, where the incident occurred, has recorded deadly attacks on the police and Nigerian Army recently.

The local government area, which shares a boundary with the neighbouring Abia State, has been notorious for cult-related violence and killings.

(NAN)
Honey cakes with rice wine taste to be launched

By:Zheng Qian | From:english.eastday.com | 2021-04-30 13:53

Can you imagine a cake with a slight taste of rice wine? That is what a Shanghai time-honored brand has created.

In cooperation with Hema Baking, Shikumen, an old wine brand in Shanghai, has launched a new flavor of desserts made from rice wine, marking the first of its kind in the eatery industry.

Currently, the honey cake has entered mass production before making its debut during the upcoming May 5 shopping festival, which is part of Shanghais efforts to spur domestic spending in the post-pandemic era.

How to preserve the unique flavor of rice wine but avoid its bitterness was the difficulty in the cross-product innovation. After more than 50 tests and trials, the confectioner concluded that boiling the wine for 15 seconds longer after it reaches the boiling point can make the alcohol evaporate a little, leaving a non-bitter yellow wine.

According to an insider, besides the innovative honey cake, the two sides have developed a variety of crayfish with the taste of rice wine, which will also be among the commodities to debut at the shopping festival.
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
A member of the House of Representatives, Tunji Ajuloopin (APC-Kwara), has commended the youth and hunters for assisting in the arrest of suspected kidnappers in his constituency.

Mr Ajuloopin, who represents Ekiti/Isin/Irepodun and Oke-Ero Federal Constituency of Kwara, hailed all those who supported security agents in the operation.

The lawmaker said these in a statement on Saturday in Omu-Aran.

He renewed his appeal for community policing to boost security in Nigeria.

Mr Ajuloopin was reacting to the arrest of a suspected kidnap kingpin by the youth, hunters and Nigerian soldiers in Oke-Ero Local Government Area at their hideout in Odo Owa community in the area on Thursday.

He commended the effort of the youth and hunters in the area who busted the kidnapers hideout and quickly informed the Nigerian Army.

It was alleged that on April 28, the kidnapers received a ransom of N2 million from the family of a Federal Road Safety officer, and were at the verge of receiving N6 million from another victim when they were apprehended.

The youth and hunters, however, mobilised themselves along with soldiers to ransack the hideout of the suspected kidnappers, where they discovered huge sums in naira and dollar notes.

The youth and hunters thereafter handed the suspects over to the Nigerian Army.

Mr Ajuloopin commended the youth and hunters for not taking the law into their hands.

He also said it has becomes imperative for the federal government to consider community policing, saying it remains the panacea to incessant kidnapping, banditry and other forms of criminality in the country.

He commended the gallantry of the hunters and youth in the area, stressing that such move will send signal to criminals that Ekiti, Isin, Irepodun and Oke-Ero Federal Constituency would not condone any form of crime and criminality.

Mr Ajuloopin therefore called on his colleagues in the National Assembly to pass a law for community policing before the expiration of the ninth National Assembly.

He urged the constituents not to be deterred in their quest to flush criminals out of the area, describing the step taken to arrest the kidnapers as bold and daring.

Mr Ajuloopin pledged to support any effort to rid his constituency of criminal elements.

The lawmaker also lauded Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for being proactive in tackling insecurity in the state.

He praised the governor for mobilising the military personnel that busted the kidnappers hideouts, while urging him not to relent in his effort to secure the state from criminal elements.

(NAN)

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A former Chairman, Board of Directors of First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Ibukun Awosika, has said that she acted in honour and integrity when she chaired the board of the embattled bank.

Mrs Awosika made this known in a statement on Friday titled, My FBN Group Journey.

The former chairman was removed by the Central Bank of Nigeria on Thursday, alongside all the board members of the bank.

The decision, the apex bank said, was made to protect 31 million customers, minority shareholders of First Bank of Nigeria Ltd.

The CBN also announced the immediate appointment of Tunde Hassan-Odukale as Chairman of the bank. Mr Hassan-Odukale, until his appointment, was the Managing Director of Leadway Assurance Company.

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported how Adesola Adeduntan was removed as Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the bank. This newspaper also reported the appointment of Gbenga Shobo as MD/CEO designate, a move the apex bank said was made without regulatory approval.

Reacting to the furore on Friday, Mrs Awosika said she worked with others to restructure the bank.

For over five years , I have worked with a dedicated team of board and management , with the support of Central Bank of Nigeria to rebuild and restructure the institution for its future, she wrote.

This included cleaning up non performing loans, establishing good operational governance systems and processes, building controls and an effective and robust risk management system.

I am confident we have brought First Bank of Nigeria to a place where it is more than able to deliver utmost value to its stakeholders and the nation at large.

The ex-chair said that as a board, she and others acted in what they clearly believed to be in the best interest of the bank. She added that they had great plans and aspirations for where the bank could go to in its future, building on all the work that has already been done in the last five plus years.

Without a shadow of doubt, I will unequivocally state that I have always acted in honor and integrity with the utmost interest of the institution, all our stakeholders and the Nation, she said.

At various times, Mrs Awosika was chairman of the board of FBN Life Insurance Ltd, FBN Capital, and FBN quest Merchant Bank Group, which she chaired until her appointment as Chairman of First Bank of Nigeria in 2016.
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Nigeria on Saturday recorded 43 new COVID-19 infections in seven states across the country.

The new figure raised the total number of infections in the country to 165,153, an update published by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Saturday night indicates.

According to the update, no new death was recorded from the virus which has already claimed 2,063 lives in the country.

This makes it the third consecutive day that nobody died from the disease in the country.

The number of deaths recorded from the virus has declined recently with only two deaths recorded in the last 18 days.

A breakdown of the latest data shows that only eight people were discharged on Saturday after testing negative for the virus. This brings the total number of discharged persons after treatment to 155,109.

Meanwhile, 10,044 infections are still active in the country.

Statistics

The 43 new cases were reported from seven states: Lagos-28, FCT-4, Rivers-4,

Ekiti-2, Kaduna-2, Ogun-2 and Bauchi-1.

Lagos had the highest figure on Saturday with 28 new cases followed by FCT and Rivers with four new cases each.

Since the pandemic broke out in Nigeria in February 2020, the country has carried out over 1.9 million tests, according to the NCDC.

More Nigerians are also taking shots of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.

Almost two months after the country commenced vaccination against the virus, about 1.2 million people have received their first dose of the vaccines, according to data by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA).
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Some suspected armed hoodlums on Saturday attacked Abaomege Police Division in Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi and carted away valuables and destroyed property.

The Ebonyi Commissioner for Internal Security, Stanley Okoro-Emegha, confirmed the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abakaliki on Sunday.

Mr Okoro-Emegha described the attack as worrisome.

The police division was attacked yesterday, Saturday; it is very unfortunate and worrisome. I urge the police to step up strategy to deal with the hoodlums, he said.

Sunday Okafor, an eyewitness and resident in the area, who spoke with NAN, said the incident occurred on Saturday night.

Yes, it happened on Saturday night; the gunmen came and started shooting sporadically; one police officer was shot but we do not know if he is dead.

The gunmen also destroyed police vehicles and a motorcycle at the division and stole some property, Mr Okafor alleged.

Efforts by our correspondent to get the police reaction were abortive, as the Ebonyi Police Command Spokesperson, Loveth Odeh, could not immediately answer her calls or respond to text messages.

Police stations in Nigerias south-east and south-south have come under intense attacks of recent from hoodlums.

(NAN)
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The former president of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, said he is devastated by the killing of the missing Akwa Ibom woman, Iniobong Umoren, by a man who lured her with a job offer.

The police in Akwa Ibom State, on Sunday, confirmed that the missing woman was raped, killed, and buried in a shallow grave by a suspect who in in the police custody.

The police spokesperson in Akwa Ibom State, Odiko MacDon, identified the suspect as 20-year-old Uduak Akpan, said to be a serial rapist.

Ive been following the #FindHinyHumoren hashtag closely over the past couple of days and I am extremely devastated that young Miss Iniobong Umoren, who simply set out to find a job, was raped and murdered, Mr Saraki said in a Twitter post, Sunday.

At this particularly difficult time, my prayers are with her family and all her friends who kept this topic on the front burner over the last couple of days. I hope the perpetrators of this despicable act are swiftly tried and sentenced, he added.

Mr Sarakis remark is the first from a public figure in Nigeria since the sad news of Ms Umorens killing became public.

Inibehe Effiong, a human rights lawyer in Nigeria, said Ms Umorens tragic end was an indication that humanity was losing its place in the country.

Nobody is entitled to kill a human being as a thing of pleasure or to show a sense of superiority. Cases like this justifies the retention of the death penalty, Mr Effiong wrote on Facebook.

I call on the Nigeria Police and Akwa Ibom State Government to ensure that investigation into this gruesome murder case is carried out meticulously and everyone implicated should be diligently prosecuted.

I also urge the state government to visit and assist the deceased family.

Iniobong died in search of a job. She only wanted to work. She didnt ask for underserved or illicit favours. This case brings to the fore the debilitating effects of high unemployment rate in Akwa Ibom State on young people, the Lagos-based lawyer wrote.
The Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) has appointed a lecturer, Mohammed Gwaram, who was suspended for alleged criminal offences by the institutions governing board, as the substantive provost of the Federal College of Agricultural Produce Technology (FCAPT), Kano.

Apart from his interdiction, PREMIUM TIMES also obtained documentary evidence indicating that Mr Gwaram was not qualified for the position as of the time he filed his application.

He was accused of being dismissed by two federal government-owned institutions before his engagement by the Kano-based college. He was said to have failed to secure approval from the federal civil service commission as prescribed by the public service rules, before securing the appointment at the college.

They also accused Mr Gwaram of forgery, saying he wrote the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation informing it of the purported withdrawal of his interdiction, and called for the restoration of his full salary without the knowledge of the governing board that suspended him.

Relevant stakeholders at the institution, including the governing board and staff, have, therefore, kicked against the appointment, declaring it as illegal and unacceptable.

Specifically, some college workers, under the aegis of the Academic Staff Union of Colleges of Agriculture and Related Institutes, have petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari, accusing the research council of usurpation of the institutions governing boards roles.

The union also said the council acted against relevant provisions of the act establishing the college, and the public service rules guiding such an appointment.

However, the leadership of the research council has declined comment on the matter, as the matter is already being litigated in a court of law.

The executive secretary of the research council, Garba Sharubutu, told our reporter on the phone that a case on the matter has been instituted at the Federal High Court in Kano.

We have been taken to court by other applicants on the appointment. So you can join us at the court at the next sitting to have firsthand knowledge of the whole case, Sharubutu said.

Similarly, the embattled lecturer, who denied all the allegations levelled against him, also said he would not like to comment on the issues on the phone. He said there are documents to support his claim but that he could only share them with the reporter in person.

The connection between ARCN and the college?

By its mandate, the ARCN is responsible for the coordination, supervision, monitoring and evaluation of agricultural research, extension and training across Nigerias 15 agricultural research Institutes, 18 federal government-owned agricultural colleges and the three universities of agriculture.

The council also offers policy advisory services to the government on matters relating to agricultural research and development.

ARCN, however, does not have the mandate to oversee the administration or any other activity of the institutions, as they run independent budgets and are governed by their governing boards.

For instance, the vice-chancellors of the three agricultural universities are statutorily appointed by the President on the recommendation of the individual institutions governing councils.

There is also evidence that the appointment of Mr Gwarams predecessor was by the President on the recommendation of the colleges governing council.

How it started

Following the scheduled January 2020 expiration of the tenure of the immediate past provost of the Federal College of Agricultural Produce Technology (FCAPT), Mohammed Sule, the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) placed an advertorial seeking a successor in Daily Trust Newspaper on December 18, 2019.

But some workers kicked against the process at the time, accusing the research council of insubordination and for taking over the role of the institutions governing board headed by Abubakar Wurno, a retired ambassador.

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According to a member of the staff union who does not want to be named, apart from faulting the process by the council, the union also complained about the inappropriateness of Mr Gwarams application.

But despite the objections, the research council via a letter dated August 24, 2020, appointed Mr Gwaram the substantive provost of the college.

Issues against Gwaram

In one of the petitions addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari through the office of the special assistant to the President on Youths and Students Affairs, the staff union listed about six grounds for its objection to Mr Gwarams appointment.

These grounds include what the union described as the violation of chapter 2 clause 2.1.3 (c) and 2.1.5 of the condition of service for the federal research institutions, colleges of agriculture and allied institutions as applicable to the college.

The law states that; The position of the Executive Director or Provost shall be advertised internally and externally, and that governing board shall upon conclusion of an interview recommend through the Honourable Minister of the supervising ministry the best three (3) candidates to Mr. President for approval.

In the case of a provost, he shall be appointed by the President on the recommendation of the governing board through the minister of the supervising ministry.

According to the union, there is nowhere in the law that recognises the ARCN as the authority to appoint a provost for the college.

PREMIUM TIMES also obtained evidence indicating that Mr Gwaram was dismissed from the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research, Benin City. This was revealed via a letter addressed by the institute to another former employee of Mr Gwaram- Hussaini Adamu Federal Polytechnic, Kazaure, which confirmed the embattled officials dismissal from the institute.

The institutes letter was the evidence required by the polytechnic to also dismiss Mr Gwaram in 2009.

In the letter dated November 25, 2009, and titled; Letter of Dismissal from Service, the polytechnic said the decision to dismiss Mr Gwaram was taken at the institutions governing councils regular meeting of November 24, 2009.

The letter, which was signed by the polytechnics registrar, Rabiu Muhammed Danmalam, and addressed to Mr Gwaram, reads in part; Consequent upon your position to the chairman of the council which emanated as a result of my letter, Re: HAFF/CA/PER/YG/011/Vol.IV253 dated 7th September, I am directed to inform you that:

The management, in an effort to respond to the petition, has informed Council that you were dismissed from services of Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research, Benin City, on 22nd, 2003 based on information obtained from NIFOR 40th annual (2003) ISSN. 942742 and confidential report received to that effect.

Pursuant to the provisions of the public service rule 020206 (ii) and the letter from NIFOR you cannot continue to be in the service of the polytechnic.

And based on the Rule 020206 (a) (ii) of the Public Service Rules provides which provides that;No candidate shall be appointed to any post in the Federal Public Service without the prior SPECIFIC APPROVAL OF THE FEDERAL CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION if he/she has previously been employed in government service and BEEN DISMISSED or called upon to resign or retire therefrom. Such approval must always be obtained irrespective of any delegation of the Commissions powers, the union said Mr Gwaram was not even qualified for employment at the college in the first instance.

Police indict Gwaram

On February 13, 2020, the Kano State police command submitted its report on the allegations of defamation of character and inciting public disturbance levelled against Mr Gwaram. It was in response to the complaint filed by one Alhaji Muhammad Hadi Ibrahim, a lecturer at the Federal College of Agricultural Produce Technology (FCAPT), Kano.

The report, which was signed by officer in charge of intelligence, Kano States Intelligence Bureau, Salisu Mohammed, explained that in retaliation to the alleged opposition received as a deputy provost, Mr Gwaram resorted to the use of anonymous text messages against his perceived enemies in the college.

He was accused of using a mobile telephone line, which was later linked to him, to share frightening messages about some individuals at the institution.

It was on the basis of this indictment that Mr Gwaram was interdicted by the governing board of the institution, having pleaded with the police to deal with the issue internally.

His notice of interdiction, which was conveyed to him on March 9, 2020, and signed by the institutions registrar, Halima Sani, was the outcome of Mr Gwarams response to a query that served him on the matter.

The management has studied your response and observed it is contrary to the report received from the police as endorsed by the commissioner of police, Kano State. The management has decided to believe the police report and resolved to forward your case to the governing board of the college for final decision. Meanwhile, the management has decided to place you on interdiction with effect from March 9, 2020, pending when the board will decide your case, the notice reads in part.

Alleged forgery

But, in what the governing boards chair described as a fraudulent act, Mr Gwaram was said to have conspired with the institutions acting registrar, Ms Sani, to communicate the office of the accountant general of the federation on the purported withdrawal of his interdiction.

The board has, therefore, queried Mr Gwaram and Ms Sani on the allegation and its verdict may be out any moment from now.

A copy of the query, which was obtained by our reporter, reads in part; In process of the board meeting held on October 27, 2020 from the matters arising as reported by the senior staff promotion and disciplinary committee, the governing board was notified that the provost of the college, Dr Mohammad Yushau Gwaram and the acting registrar, Hajiya Halima Sani, conspired and illegally wrote a letter to the accountant general of the federation and to the attention of the director IPPIS, informing them that the interdiction placed on Dr Mohammad Yushau Gwaram by the board as a result of gross misconduct has been withdrawn and that they should consider full payment of his salary.

The query, which was signed by Maryam Ahmed, a deputy provost, on behalf of the chairman of the governing board, sought response from the two accused officials within seven days otherwise disciplinary action will be taken against you, within extant of the civil service rules.

Gwaram speaks

In his response to our reporters enquiry, Mr Gwaram described the allegations levelled against him as insinuations by detractors.

He said; I would have to discuss with you and support such discussion with documents to see the true situation so that you see what, which is different from the allegations. First, I wasnt dismissed. Second, the so-called interdiction was wrongly applied and its basis faulty. Third, I officially withdrew my services from the so-called dismissed employer and merged it.

My story is very long, but I have approved documents to support my facts. Thank you for the inquiry. Maybe you should know the case is before the court for determination. Can we wait for the verdict? Thank you.

Board chairman speaks

The governing board chairman, Mr Wornu, told PREMIUM TIMES on the phone that he was surprised by the actions of both the research council and Mr Gwaram.

He said; We have written the minister of agriculture a letter of complaint and we are currently awaiting the response on the illegalities being perpetrated by the council.
Controversial Catholic priest, Ejike Mbaka, has more troubles to deal with as a former aide to President Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokri, has petitioned the Vatican, requesting the Catholic Pope to investigate him.

Mr Omokris petition follows the accusation by the Nigerian presidency that the priest was a disgruntled contract-seeker.

Mr Mbaka, who once fraternised, campaigned for the election and re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari recently called for the presidents impeachment over the rising insecurity in the country.

But the presidency hit back at Mr Mbaka, saying the priest was angry with Mr Buhari because the president ignored his request for contracts.

Mr Omokri, a well-known critic of President Buhari, said in an open letter to Pope Francis that Mr Mbaka, based on the claim by the Nigerian government, has acted in a manner unethical and unbecoming of a Catholic priest.

He also accused the priest of making false allegations against Mr Jonathan when the latter was Nigerias president.

Mr Omokri urged the Pope to investigate Mr Mbaka and take proper measures to ensure that there is discipline within the Catholic Church in Nigeria.

Read Mr Omokris open letter below:

Open Letter To Pope Francis: Re Father Mbaka

Pope Francis

The Vatican

Open Letter To Pope Francis

Re: Reverend Father Ejike Mbaka

Your Holiness,

You may or may not have heard of a certain Reverend Father Ejike Mbaka, a Catholic priest in Enugu, Nigeria, who has left the calling he took holy oaths to abide by, to dabble disastrously in politics.

At various times between the years 2015-2016, this fellow made public pronouncements to the effect that God had told him that He was displeased with and had departed from Nigerias then President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.

He then claimed that God had told him that his opponent, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) was (and these are his exact words, not mine) an answer to prayer, a man who would save Nigeria, a liberator of Nigeria, and the glory of Nigeria.

He also in the year 2015 made false allegations against Mr. Jonathan, to the effect that Mr. Jonathan and his wife, Dame Patience Jonathan, wanted to assassinate him.

That I am willing to make an oath on a sworn affidavit that that allegation is false, and that at the material time when he made that allegation, I called on Reverend Mbaka to substantiate them with evidentiary proof, of which he never did.

That again in 2019, after Nigerians had gone through so much hardship under the said Major General Buhari, a man of very strong religious bias, Reverend Mbaka made pronouncements to the effect that Nigerians should continue with Buhari, after he had publicly humiliated a fellow Catholic, Peter Obi, on December 3, 2019, for failing to make a public donation, and called him stingy and said the way you and Atiku are moving will end in shame.

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It should be noted that Father Mbakas actions go against 2 Corinthians 9:7:

Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

And then when Father Mbaka made a volte face on April 29, 2021, asking his former friend, and now President Buhari, to resign, the Presidents spokesmen revealed the next day that Reverend Mbaka had requested for contracts as pecuniary compensation for his support for Mr. Buhari, and when this was not acceded to, he went rogue.

Your Holiness, By virtue of the Public Procurement Act of 2007, it is a criminal offence to demand and get a government contract without an open public and transparent tender. To legally get a contract in Nigeria, you must tender publicly, and the government must accept the lowest bid. Anything short of that is not just criminal, it is also unethical and unbecoming of a Catholic priest.

In the opinion of many Nigerians, Reverend Father Mbaka has brought the Catholic Church into disrepute, and undermined the faith of the faithful, by his conduct.

I therefore call on Your Holiness to investigate this matter, and take proper measures to ensure that there is discipline within the Catholic Church in Nigeria.

Reno Omokri
Nigerians have been expressing their rage and anguish on social media over the gruesome murder of Iniobong Umoren, a job seeker in Uyo, Akwa-Ibom State capital.

Ms Umoren, who had earlier shared on social media her need for a job, was declared missing after setting out to meet one Uduak Akpan for a job interview.

The police in Akwa Ibom State, on Sunday, confirmed that she was raped, killed and buried in a shallow grave by Mr Akpan.

The police spokesperson in Akwa Ibom State, Odiko MacDon, identified the suspect as a 20-year-old serial rapist.

But Nigerians on social media, who have keenly followed the turn of events, have called for justice, using the hashtag #JusticeForHinyUmoren.

Below are some of their reactions

Apparently kidnapping and ritual killing are the family business of Uduak Frank Akpan family. His father allegedly introduced him to the business.His father is 50 , at least.Imagine the number of victims he has slain since 18 yet has remained free.Nigeria!

#JusticeForHinyUmoren

Apparently kidnapping and ritual killing is the family business of Uduak Frank Akpan family. His father allegedly introduced him to the business.His father is 50 at least.Imagine the number of victims he has slain since 18 yet has remained free.Nigeria!

#JusticeForHinyUmoren  DR.PENKING #JusticeForHinyUmoren (@drpenking) May 2, 2021

We need Justice for Hiny Umoren.

She was just looking for a job fgs.

How can people be this Callous?

#JusticeForHinyUmoren

https://twitter.com/SavvyRinu/status/1388762275062951938?s=19

Hiny Umoren just wanted to be employed. She just needed a decent job to fend for herself and family. But the wickedness in the heart of man had another plan for her. They deceived her with a non-existing job offer and killed her. #JusticeForHinyUmoren

https://twitter.com/iSlimfit/status/1388762921476427778?s=19

A bloodline of wickedness and evil. The Uduak family actually killed her.

Generations after them will pay for it. Except they dont procreate. Demonic family

#JusticeForHinyUmoren

A bloodline of wickedness and evil. The Uduak family actually killed her. Generations after them will pay for it. Except they don't procreate. Demonic family #JusticeForHinyUmoren  FS Yusuf (@FS_Yusuf_) May 2, 2021

I wish Ini Umoren can get justice today you spend 4years in school, finish and then get killed looking for a job

Just like you put pressure in #FindHinyUmoren you also need to put pressure in #JusticeForHinyUmoren

#JusticeForHinyUmoren

#JusticeForHinyUmoren https://t.co/CM05xCz1nX

https://twitter.com/is_salsu/status/1388783419283419136?s=19

October 20, 2019, in Akwa-ibom too we were rubbed and my friend was raped by 3 men! All i could do was sit in my kitchen and listen in fear and pain. I just cant deal with what some animals do. God we were just serving our country!

The police did nothing! #JusticeForHinyUmoren

https://twitter.com/Boda_Subomi/status/1388787904873381888?s=19

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What a sad world we live in, all she needed was a decent job to fend for herself and her family, but like they say, the heart of men is full of wickedness. God please dont let the wicked go unpunished.#JusticeForHinyUmoren

What a sad world we live in, all she needed was a decent job to fend for her self and her family, but like they say the heart of men if full of wickedness. God please dont let the wicked go unpunished.#JusticeForHinyUmoren pic.twitter.com/hk6nyGqGtX  Kaisha Umaru (@kaishaofficial_) May 2, 2021

All she wanted was a job to keep her mind and soul together.

She didnt deserve to be killed. One thing is sure Uduak will never go unpunished.

You and everything you have is better dead than alive.

Rip Ini

May your soul find justice

#FindHinnyHumoren #JusticeForHinyUmoren https://t.co/2aveV5qn16

All she wanted was a Job to keep her mind and soul together. She didn't deserve to be killed. One thing is sure Uduak will never go unpunished.

You and everything you have is better dead than alive.

Rip Ini

May your soul find justice#FindHinnyHumoren #JusticeForHinyUmoren pic.twitter.com/2aveV5qn16  Osaze (@akwaibomdaily) May 2, 2021

The heart of man is extremely wicked. After all the search, it ended in heartbreak.

Rest in peace Hiny Umoren    #JusticeForHinyUmoren. https://t.co/HfMjffXxpJ

https://twitter.com/Truthfully83/status/1388761824531734530?s=19

#JusticeForHinyUmoren and the other innocent ladies who were raped and lost their lives to those rapists and murderers and their enablers. This is Akwa Ibom and well make sure we banter the government, this will not swept under the carpet,no matter the status of those involved.

#JusticeForHinyUmoren and the other innocent ladies who were raped and lost their lives to those rapists and murderers and their enablers. This is Akwa Ibom and we'll make sure we banter the government, this will not swept under the carpet,no matter the status of those involved  Akwa Ibom Hypeman (@romeocza) May 2, 2021

#JusticeForHinyUmoren

She was raped, killed and buried in a shallow grave for just wanting a job to keep herself going

What a world!

#JusticeForHinyUmoren  She was raped, killed and buried in a shallow grave for just wanting a job to keep herself going What a world!  FieldMarshall UPGRADED OZONE ROOTSHIP  (@FieldMa08811297) May 2, 2021

So sad about thisits heartbreaking

I really hoped shed be found alive so shed know how amazing a friend you are but this is surely a black Sunday. Words cant comfort you but God does. May she rest in power.

We demand #JusticeForHinyUmoren

https://twitter.com/frankamby/status/1388764765946851329?s=19

Hi twitter users, please let us use the same energy we used for #EndSARS to dig deep into this case. Lets uncover these people & their evil deeds. Theyve been doing these for a long time. Its like a family business. #FindHinyUmoren #JusticeforHinyUmoren

Hi twitter users, please let us use the same energy we used for #EndSARS to dig deep into this case. Let's uncover these people & their evil deeds. They've been doing these for a long time. It's like a family business. #FindHinyUmoren #JusticeforHinyUmoren pic.twitter.com/9LlhhR9r0M  #TroubleNobody (@abeembohlah) May 2, 2021
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its difficult for a parent not to respond when asked for ransom for a kidnapped offspring, or even relative. It is the only option left on the table because, unlike the earlier cited movie, there is little faith in the ability of Nigerian law enforcement agencies to rescue the victims of this nefarious activity.

The hardest choices require the strongest wills  Thanos of Avengers.

I recall a movie by one of my favourite actors, Mel Gibson, titled, Ransom. The plot was about a multi-millionaires son being kidnapped with the assistance of crooked police officers. The ransom payment of $2 million was agreed to be delivered by Mel Gibson, the father. On his way to the drop off, he changed his mind and decided to go on live television and announce a reward of $4 million, double the amount, for anyone who assists in the return of his son alive. As with human materialism, pleonexia set it. The cops started shooting each other, and to cut a long story short, the boy was saved, and no bad cop got any money.

But thats just a movie and no one should try that stunt here in Nigeria. But I draw inference from the statement of Governor El Rufai about the need for friends and families to stop paying ransom for their kidnapped relatives. On one hand, this makes a lot of sense. We may ask whether previous payments led to a reduction in the acts of kidnapping for ransom. Or if the subsequent killings reduced. On the basis of media reports and available statistics, the cases of kidnapping have actually risen. Just last week, three students were killed during kidnap negotiations  a very painful loss of young, innocent lives. As at the end of April, Kaduna State reported that 323 persons were killed and 949 kidnapped by bandits in the three prior months. We must note that cases of these incidents are under-reported, and the number could actually be much higher.

There have been several reports of the kidnapping of those delivering ransoms, which has created a new sphere of business  we now have professionals who earn a living from the delivery of ransoms to criminals! One kidnapper from Kano asked for the payment of ransom in cryptocurrency. This business is evolving and growing faster than our GDP. Since its a novel area, there is so much room for new tactics, that our current law enforcement infrastructure cannot cope with the pace of evolution. The enforcement agencies have the capacity, but not the willpower to act. Countries such as Venezuela, Somalia, and Mexico have not recorded decreases in the incidents of criminal abductions within their territories for years. On the basis of data available from Statista and other online sources, Nigeria was ranked number eight among global kidnapping hotspots in 2009. By 2014, it was number five. By 2017, number three. Kidnapping seems to flourish in fragile states and conflict-prone countries, as the vacuum left by the government must be filled by some activity or other, usually in terms of organised crime.

On the other hand, its difficult for a parent not to respond when asked for ransom for a kidnapped offspring, or even relative. It is the only option left on the table because, unlike the earlier cited movie, there is little faith in the ability of Nigerian law enforcement agencies to rescue the victims of this nefarious activity. Are they to merely pray? Hope? Wail? Or just pay? More recent kidnappers have become sick savages, and as such it makes sense to rush to take the more realistic option, despite unknown outcomes.

Since the primary motive for these crimes is money, we need to try a cocktail of solutions, as the current ones arent mitigating the problem. The immediate thing to do is to accelerate the complete phasing out of cash transactions in the country. The current technological infrastructure in Nigeria supports this.

The kidnapping business must be stopped. And immediately. There must be a balance of terror at some point. We cant afford the nuisance, alongside others vices like terrorism and banditry. South America countried like Colombia and Brazil have been battling these crimes for decades, and so also have India and others in deep conflict, like Afghanistan and Iraq.

Most of the kidnapping in those countries are of visiting foreigners. Earlier on in Nigeria, kidnappings mostly affected foreign oil workers, but of recent citizens have been kidnapping co-citizens, in dog eat dog fashion. The poor are kidnapping the poor. There is no unity in poverty and misery. The rich are providing information on themselves. Kids are conspiring to kidnap their parents. Jealous relatives and neighbours are providing information and snitching on each other. Colleagues in offices are conspiring against each other too! When did we become so low and with hardened hearts? Its evidently not caused by poverty, nor the absence of religiosity.

Since the primary motive for these crimes is money, we need to try a cocktail of solutions, as the current ones arent mitigating the problem. The immediate thing to do is to accelerate the complete phasing out of cash transactions in the country. The current technological infrastructure in Nigeria supports this. Where there are exceptions to make cash deposits or withdrawals, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) can provide adequate controls to ensure that the details of such transactions are taken. This wont cost the government a kobo. The deposit money banks would bear the cost through the expansion and updating of current technological transaction platforms.

we must continue to support our law enforcement agencies. Technology has to come in. We will never have men enough to cover ungoverned spaces. Our current population growth rate is 3 per cent, and there is no real policy effort at slowing this down.

As controls are put in place, money launderers and other criminal elements will be forced to possibly seek other means of transaction. The only other like option will be the use of cryptocurrencies. Whether we like it or not, that technology is coming to greater use very soon. Our government likes to ban what it doesnt understand. When you ban such, you drive it underground to an arena that our law enforcement lacks the depth to engage. As such, just like what the European Union has started, we have to start developing controls. We should legalise the use of cryptocurrencies, but subject them to regulations. There comes a time when we have to apply economics to fighting crime. Some countries are legalising Marijuana and taxing its users. This is cheaper than funding law enforcement and creating room for rent-seeking activities. Most bans simply create rich public officersin what should have been the regulatory space.

Of course, we must continue to support our law enforcement agencies. Technology has to come in. We will never have men enough to cover ungoverned spaces. Our current population growth rate is 3 per cent, and there is no real policy effort at slowing this down.

Finally, we have to stop toying around with constant bio-data registrations and harmonise all the existing ones. We have the biometric verification number (BVN), international passport, voter/s card and now the national identification number (NIN). Every agency is collecting the same set of data, while wasting valuable time and resources.

These are all economic approaches to addressing criminal justice issues. The current criminal justice system, of course, must continue to be strengthened in all ramifications. There is no time to lose.

Umar Yakubu is with the Centre for Fiscal Transparency and Integrity Watch. Twitter @umaryakubu
Once upon a time, there was a rich duke named Magnificus whose estate was the envy of all his neighbours. It was said by all and sundry that God was partial in bestowing so much blessing on one man. Added to his richness was the mans comeliness. God must have made him on a Monday, the first day after resting, they said. All kinds of blessings for which families have been praying from the beginning of Time were gifted to just one man. Not a few people wondered if the word, favouritism, was invented because of him.

If you thought Magnificus had had his kernels cracked by benevolent gods, you would be further amazed when you saw his children. The fruits of his loins were gifted, self assured like the mountain goat  they dominated their environment wherever they went. Even in foreign lands, his children were at the top of their game. Their names became a byword for beatitude, as if the Abrahamic promise  I shall make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven, and I shall give them all these countries, and all nations on earth will bless themselves by your descendants  was made to Magnificus family.

One great thing about Magnificus was that he cared about his neighbours. So, he spared no effort in settling their petty and not-so-petty quarrels. Out of his abundance, he wiped away their economic tears without expecting to be paid back. His generosity was so much that he extended the definition of neighbour to those thousands of miles away. In one faraway land where white people were being bestial to blacks, he weighed in on the side of the oppressed, insisting that, as a neighbour, he could not look the other way when man was inhuman to fellow man.

On what authority are you doing all these neighbourly deeds?, he was once asked.

I stand on the authority of the holy books, he replied. Dont you remember what Jesus Christ said? he asked in return.

Tell us, tell us, they demanded.

He quoted Genesis 26:4  All the commandments: You shall not commit adultery, you shall not kill, you shall not steal, you shall not covet, and so on, are summed up in this single command: You must love your neighbour as yourself.

Aha! Thats it eh?, they nodded in excitement.

Yes, he said. Youll get a similar answer about neighbours if you bother to check the Quran.

Really/

Yes. Let me share with you the perspective of Syed Abul Ala Maudud, in Islamic way of life: All neighbours are deserving of fellow-feelings, affection, courtesy and fair treatment. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said that a person who enjoys a full meal while his neighbour is starving really has no faith in Islam.

Magnificus had no apologies for stretching his arms to embrace everyone. He felt that his many blessings were meaningless unless he blessed others in return.

But strange are the ways of Fate. Where a dozen humans are gathered, one Judas lurks in plain sight. So it was with Magnificus and his brood. Some of his children, intoxicated by foreign philosophies began nursing dreams of new empires peopled by the zombified and governed by holy vampires. And blood flowed as throats were slit in an unprecedented orgy of savagery in the service of the god of their imagination.

Magnificus was aghast. The God of the Bible and the Quran said He was love. Where did these strange ideas of a god who needed to drink human blood come from? Where did these ideas that separated man from man and poisoned the waters of brotherhood originate? He wished that all the blessings Providence had bestowed on him be taken away, if only to return his family to the days of innocence before some of his children sniffed the narcotic of extremism.

Call a family meeting and lets all chastise these errant children, relatives and friends of the family counselled.

This is a nuclear family matter, he declared. Theres no point bringing in the extended family. I have issued orders and all the errant children will soon stop being a pestilence to us and our neighbours.

The more he made those self-assured statements, the more his children made life miserable for family, friends, neighbours and, indeed, anyone they could dominate.

Eventually, they set their fathers house on fire. The Dukedom of Magnificus which had been a byword for beatitude, the land on account of which others were to be blessed, the estate in which all the goodies of the Unmade Maker were concentrated was a-fire!

Friends and family rushed in with water to quench the fire. But it continued to rage. This wasnt the type of inferno extinguishable with water. This looked like oily smoke. The more water you poured the more energy the fire acquired. Was there a demon in the flames? Magnificus wondered.

Not quite, his neighbours replied. We have just the right kind of gas to snuff out the fire and the arsonists all at once.

What about my children? Magnificus asked.

Everyone involved in setting the house on fire will be wiped out.

No! Let the fire rage. Perhaps my children will retrace their steps before it is too late.

It is already getting too late, Sir. If you could help others in their time of need, why are you rejecting your neighbours help now that this raging fire is overwhelming you?

I dont need help!

But you do! What has come over you?

And so, continues the story, the fire rages on while the argument blazes on

There is so much similarity between Magnificus and the giant of Africa, Nigeria, located at 9455.2 N/84031 E.

For more than 10 years, we have been playing Ludo with Boko Haram while our collective home is a-fire. When you insist that there cant be any kind of compromise with evil, some will tell you that Boko haram members are their children and that the terrorists will soon regain their senses. Meanwhile, the house is burning, people are dying, survivors are reduced to sub-human existence in IDP camps.

The military is overwhelmed. It is clear that there are fifth columnists. It is an unequal war. Boko Haram obeys no laws while our soldiers have to follow specified rules of engagement.

Its not all bad news, though. Worse situations have been brought under control elsewhere. If only we had sought the help of our neighbours as canvassed by this writer and others in the past.

Only last December, I wrote:

Enough is not just enough; its already too much!  The god of modern warfare is always on the side of the bigger gun  which is why, lately, Nigerians have been calling on the Buhari government to bring in mercenaries to finish the job Nigerians believe that we have reached the bare-knuckle junction.

If we can import petrol from Niger, second-hand automobiles and spare parts from Belgium and used clothes from Europe, there is no shame in employing mercenaries to wipe out Boko Haram in six months; unless there is something the government knows that it is not telling us.

President Buhari has requested the US to relocate its AFRICOM military base from Stuttgart to Africa. Perhaps we should go further and formally request help with the Boko Haram and banditry wars? There is no shame in seeking help when you need it. We, too, had rendered help to others (Burma, Liberia, Congo, Sierra-Leone etc) in the past. Now, we have a load we cant carry alone.

Let all our good neighbours from far and near forgive our initial arrogance and stand up to be counted.

Wole Olaoye can be reached through wole.olaoye@gmail.com.
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The organised labour in Kwara has declared that the demand of workers for implementation of the N30,000 minimum wage is non-negotiable.

The workers, under the umbrella of Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), made their position known on Saturday in Ilorin during the Workers Day celebration.

The TUC chairman in the state, Akinsola Akinwunmi, called on the state government to return to the negotiation table on their outstanding demands, adding that the new minimum wage is their right.

The N30,000 minimum wage and consequential adjustment is our right and a must to be implemented for improved standard of living of the least paid workers in the service of the government of Kwara State.

Across the globe, May Day represents an auspicious moment in the life of an average worker largely on account of the fact that it presents a unique opportunity to, collectively, as a labour movement, appraise the contributions of workers to the nations economy.

May Day further places on our shoulder the onerous responsibilities of continually being the voice of the generality of our voiceless workers by intensifying the struggles against any perceived form of social injustice and anti-workers policies that negatively affected the well-being of our workers.

The Workers Day may not only be viewed as a day to celebrate the hardworking people, but a moment to reflect on our collective struggle, rights, respect, and dignity, Mr Akinwunmi said.

Also speaking at the event, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq described Nigerian workers as key to national growth.

Represented by the state Head of Service, Modupe Oluwole, the governor reassured the workers of his administrations commitment to improving their well-being despite dwindling revenue amidst the impact of COVID-19 pandemic.

Describing labour as an integral component of successive governments and a determining factor in the attainment of good governance, Mr AbdulRazaq commended them for adding value and for being committed to the growth of Kwara.

On the consequential adjustment component of the minimum wage, the governor sought the patience and understanding of the union, particularly in the light of the current economic realities.

I understand the position of labour particularly regarding the minimum wage. I assure you all that we certainly do not overlook these issues and we are considering all positive options to further make our workers happy.

I call for your understanding and support for us to get through this hard time, he said.

(NAN)
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The Jigawa governor, Muhammad Badaru, has said his state is not one of those owing workers or pensioners and has pledged to sustain the trend.

The governor stated this on Saturday at the Ahmadu Bello Hall in Dutse, the states capital, while addressing workers to mark the international Workers Day.

In many states, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) used the occasion of Workers Day to appeal to governors to clear arrears of salaries, pensions, gratuities and death benefits to workers, retirees and their heirs.

But Mr Badaru said: Jigawa is not owing salaries, pensions and gratuities or death benefits to any of its worker (s) retirees because we planned ahead by reducing the cost of governance and save money for the future.

The governor also pledged to continue payment of the new minimum wage despite dwindling monthly federal allocations to states and local governments.

He said the state will pay salaries and pensions next months despite warning that there may be zero federal allocation due to federal government expenditure on fuel subsidy.

The governor said his administration had planned ahead against the economic situation and refrained from unnecessary spending.

When we came in, we knew this day would come when we might not get anything from the federal government because of dwindling oil prices. And couple with the global pandemic, the economy has suffered more, the governor said.

We cut government spending and have saved right from then. Government House expenditure and that of the Deputy Governors office were first to be affected. This is because of times like this.

Workers and pensioners in Jigawa should remain calm as their salaries, pensions would be paid as and when due. Also, for those who are retiring, all their benefits will be paid on time, the governor said.

In his remarked, the chairman of the NLC in Jigawa, Sunusi Alhassan, commended the governor for ensuring that payment of the workers salaries and pension is done as and when due.

Workers in Jigawa are the greatest beneficiaries of government policy of cutting cost. Without that, Jigawa would have been in the league of states with mighty spending on governance to the detriment of workers, retirees and innocent heirs.

We received our salaries on or before the 25th of every month. We cant thank you enough, Your Excellency, the NLC chairman said.
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The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kaduna State has released the results of its screening of aspirants for local government council elections.

The APC in the state had conducted a screening examination for aspirants.

The examination, held on April 22, was supervised by a 17-member panel, including four professors, several PhD holders and lawyers.

The aspirants were told to write biographical essay on their lives, schools attended, work experiences, places lived or visited within the state, Nigeria and abroad.

According the APC, the essence of the exercise was to screen out incompetent aspirants as well as those with questionable credentials and deficiencies that have the tendencies of exposing the party to post-election litigations.

According to the results released by the APC and published by Daily Nigerian, three serving chairmen seeking reelection have been disqualified.

Aliyu Mahmood, the chairperson of ALGON and Soba LG chairperson and Abubakar Buba of Lere LG, were disqualified for anti-party activities.

The Kaduna North LG chairman was also disqualifies for financial mismanagement.

The partys state publicity secretary, Tanko Wusono, had in April told journalists in Kaduna that the State Independent Electoral Commission, KAD-SIECOM, has fixed June 5 for the polls.

At the close of the sales of nomination forms on April 14, some 105 contestants have picked the forms to seek the partys platform and stand election for the chairmanship position in the 23 LGs.

Some 800 others had purchased the nomination forms for councillorship tickets of the party in the 255 wards in the state, he said.

Residents, who also observed the process in Kaduna, told PREMIUM TIMES that it is a welcome development.

Umar Mohammed, a political analyst in Kaduna, said the Kaduna APC deserves commendations for introducing the process of screening candidates before party primaries.

 With this, we will be putting the right peg in the right hole. People with questionable past will not be allowed to take up leadership positions.

According to the list, those found wanting did not scale through, no matter their status, Mr Umar said.
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The Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, on Saturday announced a ban on the use of motorcycles in the state from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. daily.

Motorcycle is one of the commonest means of transportation in the oil-rich state, especially in the rural areas.

The ban, which is statewide, covers all types of motorcycles, including power bikes, according to a statement from the Secretary to the State Government, Emmanuel Ekuwem.

The statement did not give reason for the ban which initially affected only three local government areas.

The governments decision appeared to have been prompted by the continuous attacks on security agencies in the state, with the latest being the killing of two police officers on Saturday during an attack on a police facility in Ikono Local Government Area.

A female police officer was injured in the attack, while five vehicles parked at the stations premises were set ablaze.

A statement by the Ikono local government council said members of IPOBs security arm, Eastern Security Network (ESN), were suspected to be behind the attack.

The spate of attacks on security officials in the South-east and South-south has compounded the security challenges in the two regions.

Police facilities had been previously attacked in Essien Udim and Ika local government areas of Akwa Ibom State, with scores of officers killed.

IPOB, a pro-Biafra group which has been proscribed by the Nigerian government, has denied their involvement in the attacks in the two regions.

The Akwa Ibom government expressed regret on the inconvenience the ban on motorcycles would cause residents but said the decision was taken in the overall interest of the state.
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The National Vice Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), South-South, Dan Orbih, has expressed sympathy with Nigerian workers as they mark their day without much to celebrate.

Mr Orbih said on Saturday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Benin City, that workers day should go beyond the rhetoric of promises that were in most cases unfulfilled.

What the workers are doing today is marking the Workers Day, because there is nothing to celebrate, he said in his Workers Day message.

He said the time was right for Nigeria to start taking the interest of workers, who labour under very difficult conditions, more seriously.

He said the workers spent their most productive years in the service of the nation and they got very little at the end of the day.

The PDP South-south leader said what the workers in the country were going through was unprecedented.

According to him, workers salaries can no longer meet the cost of living of the workers.

There is no Nigerian worker today that can depend solely on his salary without looking for other things to augment the income.

There has been no significant review of workers salaries in the course of rising cost of living.

To me this is a moment of sober reflection, it is a moment for workers to sit down and start looking back whether today is better off than before.

Mr Orbih said that Nigeria workers had reached the stage where they must show greater interest in the election of those who manage the resources of the country.

This, he said, was because the workers suffered most from the bad policies and insensitivity of those in government.

He advised workers to always be courageous to vote out any elected government that was not taking care of their interest.

He urged them to always join hands with the larger society to vote in a government that would take the interest of the workers and Nigerians to heart.

(NAN)
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The Nigeria Police Force has stated that its officials in Ebonyi State intercepted about 753 live ammunition meant for General-Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG).

The police spokesperson, Frank Mba, who made this known in a statement on Sunday evening said the weapons were concealed in a sack being transported in a commercial vehicle from Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, to Umuahia in Abia State.

This development comes on the heels of attacks on police officers and other security personnel in Ebonyi and other states in the South-east.

A police statement on Friday said the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali, ordered the posting of a new commissioner of police to Anambra State, in addition to making other strategic postings in the region.

According to the Sunday statement by the police, five suspected armed robbers were also arrested in connection to a foiled bank robbery in the state.

Read the full statement below.

PRESS RELEASE

POLICE INTERCEPT 753 GPMG AMMUNITION IN ABAKALIKI

 Recover 2 AK47 Rifles, 5 Pump Action Guns, 6 Pistols, others, from Onueke Commercial Bank Robbers

The operatives of the Nigeria Police Force attached to the Ebonyi State Police Command have intercepted 753 live ammunition of General-Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) concealed in a sac being transported in a commercial vehicle from Abakaliki, Ebonyi State to Umuahia in Abia State. The intelligence-driven covert operation, which led to the interception and recovery of the deadly ammunition, is part of efforts by the Force to identify and crack down on criminal networks and supply chains for weapons and ammunition in and around the country. Comprehensive investigations aimed at bringing to book all persons linked to the crime are ongoing.

Similarly, following investigations into the foiled bank robbery on the Onueke branch of a commercial bank in Ebonyi State which occurred on Tuesday, 27th April, 2021; Police operatives led by the Commissioner of Police, Ebonyi State Command, on 29th April, 2021, stormed the criminal hideout of suspects indicted in the investigations located at Oriuzo village in Ezza North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. The suspects on sighting the Police squad, opened fire on them. The Police team engaged them gallantly and professionally. At the end, three (3) members of the gang including two (2) male and one (1) female met their waterloo following bullet injuries sustained during the exchange of gunfire. Other suspects fled in different directions.

Two (2) Ak47 riffles, five (5) pump action guns, six (6) pistols, fifty (50) Ak47 ammunition, one hundred and twenty-six (126) cartridges, Jack knives, cutlasses, and a 40-page notebook containing inventories of ammunition purchased by the gang were recovered. A Honda Pilot Jeep with Reg No. ABJ 163 NV used for the foiled bank robbery was also recovered by the Police Team.

Unrelenting in their quest to apprehend the remaining suspects, the Police team traced the suspects to a shrine where the robbers usually go for mystical powers before embarking on their robbery operations. Two (2) of the suspects were eventually arrested from the supposedly safe haven  the shrine, which led to the arrest of additional three (3) members of the gang. Meanwhile, efforts are ongoing to arrest other fleeing members of the gang and their spiritual godfather  the chief priest of the shrine.

The Inspector General of Police, Ag. IGP Usman Alkali Baba, psc (+), NPM, fdc, while commending the Commissioner of Police, Ebonyi State Police Command, CP Aliyu Garba, psc (+) and officers of the command, for excellently harnessing intelligence to nip the crimes in the bud, assured citizens of the renewed commitment of the Force to improving public safety and combating all forms of violent crimes across the land.

CP FRANK MBA

FORCE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER

FORCE HEADQUARTERS

ABUJA
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos on Saturday approved 10 hectares of land in Idera, Ibeju Lekki, and Badagry for workers housing schemes.

Mr Sanwo-Olu handed over the title documents to chairpersons of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) at an elaborate event organised to commemorate Workers Day.

The event, with the theme: COVID-19 Pandemic, Social and Economic Crises: Challenges for Jobs, Social Protection and Peoples Welfare, was held at Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan, in the heart of Lagos.

The two housing schemes will be built by the labour unions with funds from Federal Mortgage Bank. The Ministry of Housing will supervise the project.

Also, the labour unions will now have a befitting secretariat to aid their operations, the Governor said. The secretariat, Mr Sanwo-Olu promised, will be ready before next years May Day.

There was applause as Mr Sanwo-Olu announced the package. He was hailed as the best worker-friendly Governor.

Mr Sanwo-Olu said a productive workforce remained the backbone of a prosperous society, pointing out that Lagos workers are important stakeholders in the growth of the States economy and they deserve more than just an increment in the minimum wage.

He said his administration, in the last 12 months, had initiated welfare programmes specifically targeted at improving workers welfare and helping them to stabilise their livelihoods, following the economic disruption occasioned by the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic in the State.

He said: Today, I am handing over 10 hectares of land to organised labour unions in Lagos State to get a mortgage scheme and build a housing estate for workers. The title documents to lands have been approved and I am happy to hand them over to the leaders of the labour unions at this occasion. This intervention is part of our interventions to reduce the burden on our workers whose means of livelihood have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the past year, we took a major step in promoting workers welfare by revising the 2020 Budget to accommodate the social and economic impact of COVID-19, and to prioritise spending and investment that fulfilled the two primary goals of keeping our people alive and helping them sustain their livelihoods.

At the beginning of the pandemic, we asked most of our civil servants to stay at home and work from there. I am proud to say that we did not lay off workers, despite the economic recession that accompanied the pandemic and the downward review of the States 2020 Budget. We strengthened our social safety net to prevent a widespread loss of jobs, which would have led to a reversal of the progress we have made in the reduction of poverty.

The Governor specially recognised the sacrifice and selflessness of frontline workers in the COVID-19 response, extending his appreciation to medical personnel and sweepers disposing medical waste.

Henceforth, Mr Sanwo-Olu said the labour unions shall have a representative on the Board of the Pension Commission, pledging that the State Government would extend the courtesy to other labour-centric statutory bodies. He asked the organised labour to immediately forward the name of their representative for the pension board.

He said the State Government had demonstrated sincerity in implementing most of the demands of workers, pointing out that Lagos paid the statutory uniform allowances for medical workers. He pledged commitment to fulfilling demands of the unions that were yet to be redeemed.

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Mr Sanwo-Olu disclosed that his administration had cleared the backlog of pensioners benefits and did not owe any retiree their monthly allowance.

He said: We are in the process of increasing the fleet of our buses and we are going to consider supporting labour unions in Lagos with buses for Labour City Transport to assist in movement of workers. We have reviewed the composition of appointees in the Pension Commission; we will make amendment to ensure the labour representative in included.

We have increased allowance we pay to pensioners and we have consistently ensured that pensioners get their pension the same time State workers get their monthly salaries. There is no pensioner we are owing today; we will continue to ensure that retirees who have served the State are not left behind in our welfare programmes.

The Governor also donated official vehicles to the NLC and TUC chairpersons to assist them in running the unions.

State chairperson of NLC, Funmi Sessi, extolled the governors leadership qualities demonstrated in combating COVID-19, praising Sanwo-Olu for the payment of full salaries of workers who could not go to work during the first and second waves of COVID-19.

The labour leader stressed that Lagos Government had demonstrated exemplary leadership in granting judiciary full autonomy, adding that Mr Sanwo-Olu had created a labour-friendly environment for workers in the State, which resulted from the appointment of Special Adviser on Labour Matters.

The Lagos TUC chairperson, Gbenga Ekundayo, said the outbreak of COVID-19 had led to an upsurge in the violation of the rights of workers in the private sector.

He urged the governor to strengthen social security support and initiate actions that would adequately protect workers in the informal sector and private firms.

He said: Employers of labour and their human resources advisers have deployed different orthodox and unorthodox measures to mitigate their financial exposures in this period of COVID-19, some of which are not known to Nigerian Labour and Employment Laws.

Workers in the informal sector who are not organised are more vulnerable and their situation made worse due to the non-existing social security system. Government must urgently look for a way to strengthen social security support so that workers can be adequately protected at all times.
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Some gunmen have again abducted two people in Ogun State, an official has confirmed.

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the two persons abducted were whisked away in Omu, a community near Ofada town in Obafemi/Owode Local Government Area of the state.

The state police spokesperson, Abimbola Oyeyemi, who confirmed the incident, said the abduction occurred when the victims were on a visit to their farm on Saturday.

Mr Oyeyemi said the police have since launched a manhunt to rescue the victims and also arrest the perpetrators.

As of the time of this report, no ransom has so far been demanded by the abductors.

The latest abduction is coming three days after the police nabbed some suspects in connection with the abduction of a community leader, Tajudeen Omotayo, and two students of the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU).

The students were abducted on March 14 at their hostel while Mr Omotayo was kidnapped about a week later on his way from a meeting in Ijebu-Ode.

They have all regained their freedom after paying undisclosed amounts as ransom.

Nigeria is facing various forms of security challenges.

Earlier today, PREMIUM TIMES reported that no fewer than 97 people were killed and 58 kidnapped in various violent attacks across Nigeria last week.
In 2018, telling us that "trade wars are good, and easy to win," then-President Donald Trump imposed 15%-25% tariffs (versus the previous rate of 10% and the average U.S. tariff of 1.6%) on various Chinese goods, ranging from "dental cements and other dental fillings" to "Trout, fresh or chi
Now that COVID-19 cases are declining and the majority of Minnesotans have received vaccinations, what activities are you most looking forward to resuming this summer?

You voted:
WASHINGTON, May 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Four astronauts splashed down safely in the Gulf of Mexico Sunday, completing NASA's first commercial crew, long-duration mission aboard the International Space Station. The return comes nearly six months after the crew members arrived at the microgravity laboratory and also marks the longest-duration mission of a crewed American spacecraft to date.

SpaceX's Crew Dragon, carrying NASA astronauts Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, and Shannon Walker, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Soichi Noguchi, returned to Earth in a parachute-assisted splashdown at 2:56 a.m. EDT off the coast of Panama City, Florida. Crews aboard SpaceX recovery vessels successfully recovered the spacecraft and astronauts. After returning to shore, the astronauts will fly back to Houston.

"Welcome home Victor, Michael, Shannon, and Soichi, and congratulations to the teams at NASA and SpaceX who worked so hard to ensure their safe and successful splashdown," said Sen. Bill Nelson, who was confirmed by the Senate to serve as NASA Administrator on April 29. "We've accomplished another incredible spaceflight for America and our commercial and international partners. Safe, reliable transportation to the International Space Station is exactly the vision that NASA had when the agency embarked on the commercial crew program."

NASA's SpaceX Crew-1 mission launched Nov. 15, 2020, on a Falcon 9 rocket from the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The astronauts named the spacecraft Resilience, in honor of their families, colleagues, and fellow citizens and highlighting the dedication displayed by the teams involved with the mission and demonstrating that there is no limit to what humans can achieve when they work together. Crew Dragon Resilience docked to the Harmony module's forward port of the space station Nov. 16, nearly 27 hours after liftoff.

Overall, Hopkins, Glover, Walker, and Noguchi traveled 71,242,199 statute miles during their 168 days in orbit (with 167 days aboard the space station), completing 2,688 orbits around Earth. With splashdown, the crew also broke the American crewed spacecraft mission duration record of 84 days, 1 hour, 15 minutes, set by the final Skylab crew in February 1974.

Crew-1 also is the first night splashdown of a U.S. crewed spacecraft since Apollo 8's predawn return in the Pacific Ocean on Dec. 27, 1968, with NASA astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and Bill Anders.

Throughout their mission, the Crew-1 astronauts contributed to scientific investigations and technology demonstrations, in addition to spacewalks and public engagement events, while aboard the orbiting laboratory. From studying protein crystal development to advance new drug discoveries, to demonstrating robotic assistant technologies, their work advances exploration of the universe while bringing benefits back to Earth.

They also grew crops in both the Advanced Plant Habitat and Veggie plant growth facilities, and conducted tests of a new method for producing semiconductor crystals. The astronauts contributed hundreds of pictures of Earth as part of the Crew Earth Observation investigation, one of the longest-running investigations aboard the space station, which contributes to tracking of natural disasters and changes to our home planet. The crew also tested a new tape dispenser, designed and produced by students as part of the High Schools United with NASA to Create Hardware (HUNCH), during the mission.

In early 2021, the Crew-1 astronauts had significant roles to play in five spacewalks outside the orbiting laboratory. Glover completed his first four spacewalks, including three alongside Hopkins, whose total number of spacewalks is now five. Noguchi joined NASA's Kate Rubins on the fourth spacewalk of each of their careers. During the spacewalks, the astronauts connected cables on the recently installed Bartolomeo science platform, prepared the station for upcoming solar array upgrades, serviced the station's cooling system, and completed other station maintenance tasks.

On April 5, all four Crew-1 astronauts boarded Resilience for a port relocation maneuver, moving their spacecraft from the forward-facing port to the space-facing port on the Harmony module. The move allowed for the forward-facing port to receive four Crew-2 astronauts upon their arrival to the station April 24. Later this year, SpaceX's 22nd Commercial Resupply Services mission is scheduled to dock at the newly vacant zenith port, bringing with it the first pair of new solar arrays.

The Crew-1 flight is part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, which has worked with the U.S. aerospace industry to launch astronauts on American rockets and spacecraft from American soil to the space station.

The second splashdown of the Commercial Crew Program comes just over one week after the launch of NASA's SpaceX Crew-2 mission, the second long-duration mission. The Crew-2 astronauts launched April 23 and will live and work aboard the station until their return to Earth in about six months.

Resilience will return to SpaceX's Dragon Lair in Florida for inspection and processing. There, teams will examine the spacecraft's data and performance throughout the flight. The next NASA and SpaceX crewed mission is Crew-3, currently targeted for launch no earlier than Oct. 23. Crew-2 astronauts are scheduled to return to Earth Oct. 31, about a week after welcoming their Crew-3 colleagues to the orbiting outpost.

The goal of NASA's Commercial Crew Program is safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation to and from the International Space Station. This has already been proven to provide additional research time and increase the opportunity for discovery aboard humanity's testbed for exploration, including helping us prepare for human exploration of the Moon and Mars.

Learn more about NASA's Commercial Crew program at:

https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

SOURCE NASA

Related Links

http://www.nasa.gov


RADNOR, Pa., May 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The law firm of Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP reminds Credit Suisse Group AG (NYSE: CS) ("Credit Suisse") investors that a securities fraud class action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of those who purchased or acquired Credit Suisse American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs") between October 29, 2020 and March 31, 2021, inclusive (the "Class Period").

InvestorDeadline Reminder: Investors who purchased or acquired Credit Suisse ADRs during the Class Period may, no later than June 15, 2021 , seek to be appointed as a lead plaintiff representative of the class. For additional information or to learn how to participate in this litigation please contact Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP: James Maro, Esq. (484) 270-1453 or Adrienne Bell, Esq. (484) 270-1435; toll free at (844) 887-9500; via e-mail at [email protected]; or click https://www.ktmc.com/credit-suisse-class-action-lawsuit?utm_source=PR&utm_medium=Link&utm_campaign=credit_suisse

Credit Suisse is a global financial services company based in Zurich, Switzerland. Greensill Capital ("Greensill"), who for filed for insolvency protection on March 8, 2021, was a financial services company based in the United Kingdom and Australia focused on the provision of supply-chain financing and related services. Archegos Capital Management ("Archegos") is a family office investment fund run by Sung Kook Hwang.

On March 1, 2021, Credit Suisse froze $10 billion in funds that were invested in Greensill's financial products and held by its supply-chain investment funds. On March 8, 2021, Greensill filed for insolvency protection, as it found itself unable to repay a $140 million loan to Credit Suisse. By March 10, 2021, media reports revealed that Greensill investors had retained counsel and intended to sue Credit Suisse for their losses because Credit Suisse continued to market the biggest of the funds as a fully insured, low-risk product despite a decision by insurers during the summer of 2020 not to renew coverage. As the market digested this news, the market price of Credit Suisse ADRs fell from its close of $14.70 per ADR on March 1, 2021 to close at $12.85 per ADR by March 12, 2021, a decline of almost 13%.

Then, on Friday, March 26, 2021, several of the large banks offering prime brokerage services to Archegos  including Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs and UBS  suddenly began liquidating billions of dollars' worth of shares that Archegos had swap positions on at fire sale prices after Archegos had failed to meet a margin call. By the time Credit Suisse tried to liquidate its own holdings of stocks underlying Archegos' swap contracts over the ensuing weekend, prices had already collapsed and Credit Suisse quickly racked up billions of dollars in losses. Credit Suisse issued a press release on March 29, 2021 conceding that "the loss resulting from this exit . . . could be highly significant and material to our first quarter results." The Financial Times then pegged Credit Suisse's estimated losses at between $3 billion and $5 billion, more than a year's worth of Credit Suisse's net profit. The market price of Credit Suisse ADRs fell another nearly 20% following this news, declining from a close of $13.21 per ADR on March 25, 2021 to close at $10.60 per ADR on March 31, 2021.

The complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, the defendants concealed material defects in Credit Suisse's risk policies and procedures and compliance oversight functions and efforts to allow high-risk clients to take on excessive leverage, including Greensill and Archegos, exposing Credit Suisse to billions of dollars in losses.

Credit Suisse investors may, no later than June 15, 2021 , seek to be appointed as a lead plaintiff representative of the class through Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP or other counsel, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. A lead plaintiff is a representative party who acts on behalf of all class members in directing the litigation. In order to be appointed as a lead plaintiff, the Court must determine that the class member's claim is typical of the claims of other class members, and that the class member will adequately represent the class. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision of whether or not to serve as a lead plaintiff.

Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP prosecutes class actions in state and federal courts throughout the country involving securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duties and other violations of state and federal law. Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP is a driving force behind corporate governance reform, and has recovered billions of dollars on behalf of institutional and individual investors from the United States and around the world. The firm represents investors, consumers and whistleblowers (private citizens who report fraudulent practices against the government and share in the recovery of government dollars). The complaint in this action was not filed by Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP. For more information about Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP please visit www.ktmc.com.

CONTACT:

Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP

James Maro, Jr., Esq.

Adrienne Bell, Esq.

280 King of Prussia Road

Radnor, PA 19087

(844) 887-9500 (toll free)

[email protected]

SOURCE Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP

Related Links

http://www.ktmc.com


WORCESTER, Mass., May 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The nurses of St. Vincent Hospital and Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare held the second round of negotiations since the nurses launched their strike on March 8 today, where Tenet for the first time made a long-awaited proposal that opens the door to a substantive discussion on the nurses' main issue, which is the need for safer staffing levels to ensure safer patient care.

The nurses negotiating committee will take the next few days to meet and carefully evaluate the hospital's proposal and will be back to the table for negotiations on Wednesday at 10 a.m. to present a comprehensive response on what nurses need to settle the contract and end the strike. At this time, the nurses will not be discussing the specifics of, or the value of, what the hospital has proposed, but see it as a positive step in the process.

On Saturday, the nurses have been on strike for 55 days, the longest nurses strike in Massachusetts in two decades.

The strike began on March 8, after Tenet had refused to negotiate with the nurses over improvements the nurses are seeking to improve unsafe patient care conditions in the hospital. The decision followed earnest and painstaking efforts over the last two years by the nurses to convince Tenet to improve the patient care conditions at the facility, poor conditions that have only been exacerbated by the pandemic.

The nurses' strike has galvanized support from a variety of public officials, labor, faith-based organizations, and community advocates, including the entire Worcester City Council, the Worcester state legislative delegation, Senator Elizabeth Warren, Senator Edward Markey Congressman Jim McGovern, Congresswoman Lori Trahan, and Attorney General Maura Healy, who have all visited the nurses strike line. Senators Warren, Markey and Congressman McGovern sent their own letter to Tenet's CEO in Dallas urging Tenet to negotiate with the nurses to address the nurses' concerns over needed staffing improvements to ensure safe care. On Wednesday, the Massachusetts Building Trades Council delivered a letter to Tenet CEO Carolyn Jackson announcing that the council will not be sending its 75,000 members to the hospital for care until the strike is resolved.

In the last year alone, nurses have filed more than 600 official "unsafe staffing" reports (more than 110 such reports have been filed since January 1, 2021) in which nurses informed management in real time that patient care conditions jeopardized the safety of their patients. The nurses also report their patients in Worcester have experienced an increase in patient falls, an increase in patients suffering from preventable bed sores, potentially dangerous delays in patients receiving needed medications and other treatments  all due to lack of appropriate staffing, excessive patient assignments, and cuts to valuable support staff.

For a more detailed review of the staffing crisis, efforts by nurses to convince Tenet to address the crisis, as well as proposals nurses are seeking to improve patient care, click here to view a previous press release on the matter.

MassNurses.org  Facebook.com/MassNurses  Twitter.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


Chennai, May 2 : Counting of votes polled in the April 6 Tamil Nadu assembly election will begin at 8 a.m on Sunday.

A total of 3,998 candidates are fighting it out to enter the 234-member Tamil Nadu assembly.

As per the Election Commission of India, 72.81 per cent of the 6.29 crore voters have cast their votes in the poll.

Apart from the Assembly election results, the bypoll results for the Kanniyakumari Lok Sabha constituency will also be known on Sunday.

The bypoll was fought mainly between former Union Minister and BJP's Pon Radhakrishnan and Congress candidate Vijay Vasanth, son of late MP H. Vasanth Kumar.

The assembly poll results will be crucial for the ruling AIADMK government led by Chief Minister K. Palaniswami and the principal opposition party DMK led by M.K. Stalin.

Majority of the pre-poll opinion survey and the exit polls predicted a large win for the 10 year power starved DMK.

While counting would begin at 8 a.m., by noon the trend will be known as to who would storm the Fort St. George, the seat of power in Tamil Nadu.

Counting of votes will be at 75 centres in the state with the deployment of state police and central para military forces for security.

Vote counting will be videographed.

With the spread of coronavirus, counting agents and others will be allowed into the counting centres on the production of Covid-19 negative test report or should have been vaccinated twice.

Though it was a five cornered contest, the major rivals are the ruling AIADMK-led alliance and the DMK-led front.

The other players in the fray are actor-turned-politicians Kamal Haasan's Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) alliance, the alliance led by Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) floated by T.T.V. Dhinakaran and movie director Seeman's Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK).

The ruling AIADMK fought in 179 seats and six other small parties each contesting in one seat under the former's Two Leaves symbol.

The others in the AIADMK alliance are the BJP (contested in 20 seats) and PMK (23), TMC (6).

The DMK contested in 173 seats while alliance parties Congress (25), CPI, CPI-M, MDMK and VCK in six seats each, IUML, KMDK (3 each), MMK (2), All India Forward Bloc, Makkal Viduthalai Katchi, Athi Thamizhar Peravai and Tamizhaga Vazhuvurimai Katchi each contesting in one seat.

A total of 187 candidates -- DMK's own and that of alliance parties -- contested under the former's Rising Sun symbol.

The MNM allied with actor Sarathkumar's AISMK and IJK while Dhinakaran's AMMK allied with the DMDK, AIMIM and others.

The Seeman-led NTK went alone contesting in all the 234 constituencies and fielding 50 per cent women candidates.

The other parties in the fray on their own are the Bahujan Samaj Party (contesting in 160 seats), Puthiya Tamizhagam (60 seats) and Republican Party of India (16 seats).

Notable candidates in the polls and the constituencies are: Palaniswami (Edappadi), Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam (Bodinayakkanur), Stalin (Kolathur), his son Udhayanidhi Stalin (Chepauk-Tiruvallikeni), DMDK Treasurer and Vijayakant's wife Premalatha (Vridhachalam), MNM founder Kamal Haasan (Coimbatore South), TN BJP President L. Murugan (Dharapuram), actor Khushbu Sundar (Thousand Lights), TN BJP Vice President K.Annamalai (Aravakurichi), PMK's G.K.Mani (Pennagaram) and Seeman (Tiruvottriyur).

In the neighbouring Puducherry, Union Territory having just over 10 lakh voters, the fight for the 30-member Assembly was majorly between the Congress led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) consisting of Congress, DMK, CPI, VCK and an Independent and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) comprising of All India N.R. Congress, BJP and AIADMK.

The voter turnout was 81.69 per cent.

The exit polls have predicted a victory for NDA in Puducherry.
Chennai, May 2 : With opinion survey and exit polls predicting a victory for the BJP led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Puducherry, will the BJP be part of the next government in Puducherry, a land of Tamil speakers will be known soon.

The BJP has been finding it difficult to make a mark in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry all these years.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Puducherry consists of All India N.R. Congress (contesting in 16 seats), BJP (9) and AIADMK (5).

The NDA's rival for the 30-member Assembly is the Congress led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) consisting of Congress (14 seats), DMK (13), CPI (1), VCK (1) and an Independent (1).

The election was held on April 6 and the voter turnout was 81.69 per cent.

"It will be interesting to see a government in which BJP is a part. This will be the first time BJP will be part of the government in a Tamil speaking land," political analyst Kolahala Srenivaas told IANS.

He also added that BJP being part of the next government depends on the poll results and how All India N.R.Congress performs.
Cairo, May 2 : Egyptian Minister of Health Hala Zayed announced on Saturday that 30 tonnes of medical supplies will be sent to India to help contain the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In a statement, the minister said a shipment of 300 oxygen cylinders, 20 ventilators, 100 medical beds, 20 electrocardiography machines, 30 defibrillators and 50 electric syringe pumps will be sent to India.

The supplies will be delivered to India in cooperation with the Egyptian armed forces, the Xinhua news agency reported.

India's Covid-19 infections tally reached 19,164,969 on Saturday, with a single-day spike of 401,993 cases, according to the Indian health ministry.
Kampala, May 2 : Uganda planned to import Covid-19 vaccines from elsewhere after India as a supplier is grappling with a surge in cases domestically, said Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni.

"We were getting the vaccine from India, but they are now struggling. We shall get the J and J (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine and also import another batch from Cuba. That's our strategy," said Museveni in a televised address on Saturday.

Uganda has received 964,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from the COVAX initiative and the Indian government, and is expected to import another 5 million doses, the Xinhua news agency reported.

About 330,077 people in Uganda have so far received the first AstraZeneca jab, according to the health ministry.

"To be on the safe side let's immunise a minimum of five or seven million, then we can open up curfew," Museveni said, urging the public to continue adhering to the prevention measures.

As of Saturday, Uganda's national count of Covid-19 cases reached 41,905, with 41,422 recoveries and 342 deaths.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Lucknow, May 2 : Counting has begun for the panchayat polls in Uttar Pradesh amidst tight security and strict compliance of Covid safety protocols.

The UP government, as per Supreme Court directives, has notified a nodal officer for each of the 829 counting centres, mostly government schools, to ensure that the personnel for counting, candidates and their agents as well as security personnel, adhere to the specified Covid protocols.

The Supreme Court, on Saturday, had turned down a petition seeking deferment of counting of votes in view of the pandemic situation.

Nearly 600 teachers, deployed for election duty, have died of coronavirus infections. The various teachers' union that had earlier threatened to boycott counting, finally relented after talks with the chief secretary on Saturday evening.

An inquiry is on into the allegations about the death of teachers due to Covid during polling.

The UP government has decided that no congregation of the general public would be allowed around the counting centres and the curfew imposed in the state till Tuesday morning would be strictly enforced.

The three-tier panchayat election process was initiated for a total of 8,69,563 seats but actual voting was required in only 2,41,451 seats as rest were uncontested.

The State Election Commission (SEC) has restricted the total number of persons at a counting centre to 150, including poll officials, 75 candidates and their agents.

"Counting will take place in eight hourly shifts and after each shift, the centre will be fully sanitized," the SEC spokesman said.

No one, not even the election officials and security personnel, would be allowed entry into the counting centres without proving that they are Covid negative or have taken both doses of vaccine.

It will be mandatory for candidates and authorized representatives to produce a RT-PCR or Rapid Antigen Test report or Covid-19 vaccination completion report.

Massive rush was seen over the weekend at testing centres where candidates and their supporters queued up for Covid test.

Meanwhile, according to government spokesman, the results of the panchayat elections are likely to start rolling in by late on Sunday night or Monday since elections were held through ballots papers.

"It may even by Tuesday before the final results come in," said a SEC official.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Intelligence is all about deciphering what lies ahead -- analysis of what happened in the past and a capacity to determine what entails for the future in the goings-on of the present, certainly help but Einstein's famous dictum 'imagination is more important than knowledge' also speaks of the relevance of the versatility of the human mind that could see beyond what the 'facts' presented to the analyst meant and thus enrich the assessment. All of this seems to have guided the US National Intelligence Council's 20-year forecast of where the world would be, published recently.

It is a sobering thought that today strategic assessments have ceased to have a long life since the world could change faster than the calculated shifts and therefore the best that such an exercise could do is to project the trends and legitimately conclude where these, if unchecked, would end. Global readings are basically premised on the doings of human beings as a whole and the NIC has rightly identified five crucial areas in play where manmade changes would contribute to the shape of things to come -- international relations, global economy, technology, environment and domestic management of governance. Long range trends can be established and their cumulative effect read through a competent analysis in which legitimacy of 'imagination' as mentioned above would also play a part. But what about a crisis not directly created by man, like Covid? An infliction by nature that affected the entire humanity would set the clock back for the analysts in the sense that they would have to recalibrate their entire readings afresh.

'A more contested world' is the total summation that the NIC report makes and regardless of the details that might have gone into this assessment, there is no denying the fact that this is a brilliant prediction of the direction in which international relations are headed. In a very broad picturization it is prudent to consider the end of the Cold War as a reference point for examining what is shaping up the new global order ever since. Success of the anti-Soviet armed campaign in Afghanistan leading to the withdrawal of Soviet troops from there and a rapid dismemberment of the USSR, the mighty Communist superpower, that followed, brought down the curtains on the Cold War leaving the USA as the only superpower commanding all military and economic initiatives at the global level. The transformational event, however, was accompanied by three new developments that would further affect the world in the future. Still in play these, it is hoped, did get into NIC's calculus.

One is the impact that the Soviet collapse made on China, the second most powerful Communist power. President Deng Xiaoping did not fail to notice that the USSR had cracked under its own internal economic contradiction, had acquired military strength but not built its economy and had in fact moved towards an oligarchy. Deng was set on seeking the economic route to becoming a superpower, learning from the failed Soviet model and opening into the global economy in a controlled fashion. China has built a huge balance of trade in its favour, reached out to Western centres of knowledge through investments in the universities there and harnessed technology in all fields.

The second transformative change that coincided with the end of the Cold War was the success of the IT Revolution that shifted the world from the Industrial Age to the Age of Information. The new age brought in the Knowledge Economy, created borderless markets and set new benchmarks of competitiveness wherein a rival could appear from anywhere on the globe making better use of information that came into the public domain as soon as it was produced. There were no obscure corners in the world any more as a global outreach accessed them all. The end of the Cold War interestingly produced a large number of border conflicts, insurgencies and cross border offensives as many national identities that had been suppressed during the Cold War asserted themselves. This phenomenon is still at play in Eastern Europe and Central Asia and is a significant factor affecting international relations.

The third development -- and this posed a lasting threat to world security -- was the rise of the new global terror, a product of faith-based motivation from the same battleground in Afghanistan that had ousted the Soviet army from there. The anti- Soviet armed campaign was directed on the war cry of Jehad and led by the Pak-controlled Hizbul Mujahideen, the radical Taliban and the Lashkar-e-Toiba of Osama bin Laden with equal force. The success of the Afghan Jehad was followed by the installation of the Afghan Emirate at Kabul in 1996, on the initiative of Pakistan, that was headed by the Taliban's Mollah Omar working in close concert with Laden. That regime of Islamic radicals soon bared its fangs against the US-led West, the Shiites and the idol worshippers and compelled the US to oust it. This, in turn, laid the turf for the Al Qaeda's offensive of 9/11 and the subsequent launch of the 'war on terror' by the US-led World Coalition against Islamic radicals, first in Afghanistan and then in Iraq.

With Islamic radicals enjoying considerable support within the Muslim world spread across Asia and Africa and in particular receiving shelter in Pakistan, the 'war on terror' leaves behind a lasting conflict between the West and radical Islam, rightly described by the likes of Samuel P. Huntington and his mentor Prof. Bernard Lewis as a 'clash of civilisations'. The rise of China, advent of the cyber world and revival of radical Islam are thus the three paradigms that are shaping the world and pushing it in the direction of a new bipolar order. Even factors like economy, environment, technology and internal governance are in some way adding to this new post-Cold War cleavage created by international relations.

The geopolitical contours of 'a more contested world' are getting crystallised, as viewed from India, along three courses. First is the significant development of the advent of Biden Presidency restoring the traditional US-NATO alliance which was weakened in the Trump regime. This is in line with the Biden administration looking at China and Russia as the antagonistic powers much like what the position was for the US in the Cold War. Biden apparently looks at Russia's Putin with great distrust -- Donald Trump gave the impression of being in a comfortable equation with the Russian President and perhaps regarded Russia as another white nation across Europe. The new level of energisation of QUAD achieved in Biden administration was basically directed against the aggressive designs of China in the Indo-Pacific but it has evoked a sharp reaction from Russia and created a sense of strategic unity between Russia and China. Japan is the anchor of QUAD in the region and this has evidently led to Putin cautioning India against becoming part of an 'Asian NATO', particularly after the appearance of France on the scene through its participation in the naval exercises with QUAD.

Another course of global alignments that has a long-term implication is the divide between the democratic world and the autocratic regimes spawning across Asia in particular, which was of direct concern for India. The Chinese strategy of gaining influence in South and South-East Asia -- through the Sino-Pak alliance on the one hand and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) on the other -- demands an effective counter strategy from India. RCEP is a trading partnership of China with the ten ASEAN countries along with South Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. The challenge for India is that its political appeal to ASEAN as a democratic power is pitted against the overbearing economic pressure of the Communist neighbour which is testing India's 'Act East' policy. India has to work for multi-polarity in Asia to counter China's dominance here. India has to be in the democratic camp in Asia, on the side of US and its allies in the region. Participation of Prime Minister Modi in the first QUAD summit was a sound decision in this context -- it serves the cause of the security of Indian Ocean as well.

It is the third geopolitical trendsetter however, that is perhaps the most important for India's national security and international relations -- the shifting alignments within the Muslim world that weighed in favour of Pakistan in spite of the falling image of that country as a principal harborer of Islamic extremism. This adds to India's concerns as Pakistan is encouraged to step up its terror offensive against India and also cause internal destabilisation here. These goings-on strangely do not bother the Biden Presidency so much -- even though, ironically, the 'war on terror' against Islamic radicals was all along led by the US-led world coalition. The Sino-Pak alliance is working for Pakistan on the Afghan issue while a new grouping within the Islamic world -- of Pakistan, Turkey and Malaysia -- is becoming supportive of Islamic radicals and recalcitrant towards the supremacy of Saudi Arabia, a committed ally of the US in the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC).

If President Biden withdraws US troops from Afghanistan with a half-baked truce with the Taliban, Pakistan will retain its sway in that country and cause further problems for India. Meanwhile, pro-Pak lobbies are active in the US on the issue of Kashmir and there is a meeting of minds between Pakistan and China on countering India's hold in the Ladakh sector that was now directly administered by the Centre as a Union Territory. Also, there is revival of Islamic radicalism in many parts of Europe including France and Belgium because of the history of colonialism and even the legacy of the Crusades. The US-led West and India have a convergence of interest against the threat of 'radicalisation' but the NIC report does not seem to be impacted much by the latter. India does not have the comfort of distance that the US had on the threat from Islamic radicals -- it has therefore, to counter it largely on its own. Mobilisation of the democratic world against the faith-based global terror has to be kept up.

(The writer is a former Director, Intelligence Bureau)
Jaunpur : , May 2 (IANS) The Jaunpur police is initiating legal action against a person for allegedly helping provide free oxygen cylinders to patients who were unable to find beds at the district hospital.

The district medical department accused the youth of violating Covid-19 safety norms and has lodged a complaint with the police.

The man identified as Vicky, was reportedly helping the patients by arranging oxygen cylinders for them outside the district hospital.

The chief medical superintendent (CMS) of the hospital in the complaint to the police said Vicky was providing oxygen to many people without a Covid-19 test, in an unsafe manner, without sanitization and other medical precautions. This could lead to the spread of infection from one person to another.

In the police complaint, the CMS demanded action under the Epidemic Diseases Act.

The police in a statement said they were taking further legal action on the basis of the complaint.
But Modis government is suppressing the effort in an attempt to cover up its failure to prevent the crisis.

by Ruhi Bhasin

Death, sickness, and helplessness have become the new normal that Indians are being forced to live with as they witness the collapse of an already inadequate health care system and the failure of its political system that was caught napping on the uptick of cases, which showed an upward trend as far back as February.

For many families, who have been left to their own devices, social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram are now being used to search for hospital beds, oxygen cylinders and medications for loved ones. These platforms have become the COVID-19 helplines for most Indians. Ironically, instead of helping its citizens in their hour of need, the BJP-led government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is busy trying to control the narrative on social media sites like Twitter by asking the company to take down tweets that are critical of its handling of the COVID-19 crisis.

Even as the crisis continues to engulf the country, the government had distanced itself from any blame for allowing this surge in cases resulting from allowing religious congregations like Kumbh Mela and holding political rallies.

Turning to Each Other For Help

Indias 1.38 billion citizens largely feel abandoned by the government they helped vote into power in 2019. Fighting lone battles for the lives of their loved ones has proved to be an uphill task, leading them to turn to each other for help.

On a daily basis, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram feeds are flooded with requests for oxygen cylinderswhich are in dire shortage, especially in Delhias well as hospital beds, medications for critically ill patients and availability of plasma donations.

[P]eople are bypassing the conventional lines of communication and turning to Twitter to crowdsource help during the crisis of Indias second COVID-19 wave, according to an article in Mint.

The responsibility of providing medical oxygen lies with the central government, a fact that the courts in India have also highlighted while asking the center to employ whatever means necessary to supply oxygen to hospitals, especially in Delhi. Meanwhile, the center is now trying to pass on the blame for the shortages in the health care system to the states.

In all of this, social media has played an important role in filling in the information gap relating to the availability of beds, oxygen cylinders and medicines. There are some who have been lucky to receive the help they need to save a loved one, but a majority of Indians live in rural areas, and many of them do not have access to a smartphone or use social media, according to an article in the Wire: For the vast majority of Indians struggling to get help, repeatedly calling inundated phone lines or carrying patients to emergency wards in person is the only optionhighlighting the impact of the countrys digital divide.

How the Indian Government Is Using Social Media

Instead of responding to the pleas for help by its citizens, the Indian government is instead carrying out a face-saving exercise by asking social media platforms to take down posts that are critical of its handling of the COVID-19 situation.

Twitter recently removed around 50 posts and URLs that were ordered to be taken down by the Indian government. Other social media platforms like Facebook have also removed 50 posts. The posts that have been taken down were reportedly criticizing the government for poor handling of the COVID-19 crisis in the country amid the second wave of the pandemic, reported Mint.

Indias Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology asked that these posts be removed to prevent obstructions in the fight against the pandemic and disruption of public order due to the said posts, according to the Mint article.

As many as 52 tweets that were taken down were from journalists, opposition politicians and filmmakers, according to a report from the Times of India that cited Lumen Database, a Harvard University initiative.

In Uttar Pradesh, one of the most populous states in India where the BJP is in power, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has demanded that action be taken under the National Security Act and properties of those spreading rumors and propaganda on social media be seized. Recently, a criminal case was filed against a man in the state who took to Twitter to make an appeal for an oxygen cylinder for his sick grandfather, stated the Wire. The charges against him included, circulating a rumor with intent to cause fear or alarm.

In an interview with BBCs Newsnight, BJP national spokesperson Gopal Krishna Agarwal responded to accusations that the government was getting social media posts taken down, saying, When our government pointed out that these [tweets and posts] are not conducive to the current national interest Twitter and other social media agreed. He claimed the social media content was based on fake news and that it had an agendabut it is unclear what agenda the removed posts might have had besides highlighting the devastation caused by the uncontrolled spread of the virus, or amplifying the truth about how many Indians feel the blame lies with the government for failing to prevent the inevitable and address the crisis.

[I]ts easier to take down tweets than it is to ensure oxygen supplies, said Aftab Alam, a professor at the University of Delhi, in a tweet quoted in a New York Times article.

Meanwhile, on April 30, the Supreme Court of India, which is the highest court of the country, took note of the muzzling of information by the government and made it clear that if citizens communicate their grievance on social media and the internet, it cannot be said its wrong information, according to an article in the Indian Express. It has also warned that any attempt to clamp down on information would be treated as a contempt of court.

Too Little Too Late

In the wake of the surging cases in India, several governments across the world have finally come forward and extended help to the country. On April 28, the countrys deaths due to COVID-19 crossed the 200,000 mark. This number, however, doesnt seem to reflect the true picture of just how bad things are on the ground, with many media outlets reporting that deaths due to COVID-19 are mostly undercounted in India.

India has been adding more than 300,000 new infections every day during the last week of April and has overtaken Brazil as having the second-largest number of COVID-19 cases in the world. India is now second only to the United States, which as of April 30 leads the world in COVID-19 cases (and has a population a quarter of the size of that of India).

Meanwhile, at least eight countries have offered help to India so far. [T]he UK, France, Germany, Ireland, the U.S., Australia, Kuwait and Russia have announced help to India in various forms to deal with the unprecedented health crisis gripping the country due to the fast spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Hindu BusinessLine.

Nonprofit organizations have also stepped up to mobilize support required on the ground relating to information dissemination and providing relief packages to the migrant populations, who are often left to fend for themselves.

Even as Indians try to do everything in their power to overcome this second wave on their own, the question remains: Is it too little too late?

This article was produced by Globetrotter.

Ruhi Bhasin is an assistant editor at the Independent Media Institute. Previously, she worked as an editor and a senior journalist at the Times of India and the Indian Express covering politics, legal matters, and social issues. She can be reached on Twitter @BhasinRuhi.
Chandigarh, May 2 : A Punjab-born restaurateur in Oslo has contributed his day's income of Rs 482,000 through international humanitarian relief organisation Khalsa Aid to ease Delhi's Oxygen emergency for coronavirus patients.

"Solidarity!" remarked former UN Environment Executive Director Erik Solheim in a tweet on Sunday.

"Oslo's lead Indian restaurant 'New Delhi' gives income from Friday sale to provide Oxygen in Delhi through Khalsa Aid. Restaurant is closed due to lockdown but take away sales amounted to 54,000 NOK, that is Rs 482,000," he said, adding "Good work".

Solheim, the former Norwegian diplomat, politician and environment minister, who believes he is inspired by the life and thoughts of Mahatma Gandhi in the global fight against climate change, played a crucial role in 2018 as the UN Environment chief in convincing India to phase out single-use plastics by 2022, a major achievement in his crusade against plastic pollution.

New Delhi, run by a Singh family from Punjab, is popular for traditional Punjabi and 'tandoori' dishes in Norway.
Beijing, May 2 : China has listed 33 apps, including from tech giants like Baidu and Tencent, that reportedly collected users data. The listed apps have been directed to plug the loopholes in less than 15 days.

Citing complaints from users, the Cyberspace Administration of China listed 33 mobile apps for allegedly breaching various regulatory rules, reports ZDNet.

The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) said in a statement on Saturday that these apps had breached local regulations, primarily, for capturing personal data that were not relevant to their service.

The agency said "operators of the apps were found to have infringed the rules after authorities assessed several popular apps, including map navigation apps".

Among the list are apps from Sogou, Baidu, Tencent, QQ, and Zhejiang Jianxin Technology.

The Chinese government has ramped up efforts to crack down on the increasing influence of tech companies and safeguard consumers' rights.

Chinese regulators last month slapped a record fine of 18.2 billion yuan ($2.8 billion) on e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding.

According to South China Morning Post (owned by Alibaba), the fine on Ma's company by the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) was more than double the previous record of 6.1 billion yuan paid by chip-maker Qualcomm.

The fine was imposed on Alibaba for violating anti-monopoly rules as the country seeks to rein in the power of internet conglomerates.

In November last year, China proposed sweeping antitrust regulations targeting its tech industry.
Lucknow, May 2 : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has asked officials to engage the Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur (IIT-K) for rigorous analysis of the Covid curve in all the 75 districts of the state.

He said that such analysis would help in pandemic management.

"In view of the Covid peak, experts all over the country have been coming up with analysis. We should coordinate with IIT-K for district-wise rigorous analysis of UP," he said during a review meeting of the Covid situation in the state.

A senior state government official said that various experts had been doing analysis using technology and mathematics to indicate how and when the Covid infection or recovery graph would rise and fall.

The IIT-K already has been doing such analysis and has made them public. It would do more, as and when, the state government asked it to do so.

Professor Abhay Karandikar, director of IIT-K, said, "This is a part of a national super model where along with leading experts, doctors, and IIT-K Prof Manindra Agrawal have been working on predicting the peak. The prediction of peak done district wise has shown remarkable fit with observed data and hence reliable estimates can be done. This will help plan the medical emergencies. However, this is just a model and we need to be prepared for the worst-case scenario." Official sources said that of the 159 deaths in April, 95 persons were above 60 years of age, while 46 persons were between 46-60. Of the total cases, 95 per cent (18,572) cases came from urban areas, while 834 cases were from rural areas, Yogi Adityanath further said the state was now also getting oxygen from Jamnagar (Gujarat), Durgapur and Barjora (West Bengal) and Rourkela (Odisha) to augment supply.

Retired doctors, retired army personnel, experienced paramedics, and final year students of medical and paramedical courses should be engaged as there would be the need for trained human resource in hospitals in view of the fast-changing scenario, he said.

"It would be better if we have a manpower bank in the state so that we can deploy people as and when they are needed," he said.

He asked the medical education minister to work on the idea.

In the last 24 hours, the number of recoveries (38,826) was higher than the number of fresh Covid-19 cases (30,317), the Chief Minister said.

The Chief Minister also asked for creating a system for ensuring medical attention to pregnant women in the state. They should get ambulance and medical help immediately when required, he said.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Lucknow, May 2 : The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has accused Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra of unleashing a misinformation campaign against it over the panchayat polls.

Government spokesperson and Cabinet Minister Siddharth Nath Singh said that Vadra was a 'habitual liar responsible for spreading lies and creating a scare".

Referring to her statement where she had said that over 700 teachers had died of Covid during poll duty, the minister said, "UP government maintained all the protocols relating to Covid-19 which were issued by the state poll panel, but the Congress leader has been spreading false information. She is a habitual liar and a habitual scare monger." The minister said that the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic had affected the entire country but the Congress had nothing to offer. Instead, the party was throwing baseless allegations at the government.

He accused Congress of trying to regain lost ground by indulging in petty politics. "When it was in power, it did nothing for the people and even now the Congress is not standing with the government in the fight against the pandemic," Singh said.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Hathras, May 2 : A 16-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped by two army men in Hathras district when she was returning home after meeting her neighbour.

The incident took place on Friday but was reported to the police on Saturday.

The police have arrested one of the alleged accused Mukesh, who had come to the village on a leave. The other accused, Saurabh, is absconding.

According to Superintendent of police (SP) Hathras, Vineet Jaiswal, Mukesh is posted in Jodhpur as a jawan. Saurabh, a new recruit, has not got his posting yet.

The victim, a student of Class 10, was dragged by the suspects to a vacant plot while she was returning to her home. Mukesh's house is just 100-meter away from the victim's house.

The SP said that an FIR has been registered under section 376-D (gang-rape) and under POCSO at Sadabad police station.
Islamabad, May 2 : Watchdog Pakistan Freedom Network has declared Islamabad as the most dangerous city for journalists and reported that there was a 40 per cent increase in attack on journalists in Pakistan.

In its report, the network said that overall, there has been a 40 per cent increase in the attack on journalists and Islamabad had reported 51 of those cases. The breakdown showed that Sindh was in second place with 38 cases, Punjab in third with 39 cases, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in fourth with 13 cases, Azad Jammu and Kashmir in the fifth place with nine cases and Balochistan was in the last place with eight cases, Geo TV reported.

The network also reported that 148 different types of attacks on journalists were reported across Pakistan between May 3, 2020, till April 20, 2021.

The data showed that out of a total of 27 cases, 25 of them were related to detention or confinement, 15 were linked with violence and physical assaults, seven were of assentation attempts, six of murders, while five were related to abductions.
Washington, May 2 : With nearly 100 million Americans fully vaccinated and new coronavirus cases at their lowest level since last October, the US might have attained or will reach the crucial inflection point, the media reported.

While some researchers argue it's still too soon to say, a growing number of epidemiologists, infectious disease researchers and public health experts think that the vaccination campaign may be helping the country win the race against the coronavirus, according to a report in NPR.org.

"I think we've hit a tipping point. We've really turned a corner on this latest wave. And I think that the worst days of the pandemic really are now behind us," Ashish Jha, the dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, was quoted as saying.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 34 per cent proportion of the US population already have some immunity to the virus from having been exposed to the virus.

Added to this is the vaccination campaign, the report said. More than 43 per cent of the population has now gotten at least one shot, and a third are fully vaccinated. That's getting very close to where other countries, such as Israel, started to turn the corner and experience a precipitous drop in infections, it added.

The combination of natural immunity from people who were exposed and vaccination "means we may be closer to 60 per cent population immunity already," Jha said. "That's why I'm pretty confident we have turned the corner." After months of rising, the number of daily infections in the US has begun to fall again. It has on average dropped 27 per cent in the last two weeks.

However, in places, such as Oregon, Washington state, and parts of Colorado and Arizona, the infections are spreading fast, leading experts to warn people of letting down their guard too soon.

"There was a fourth surge, whether it's already receding isn't yet knowable. It didn't feel so bad because it was so much smaller than the third. It has been a bit larger than the second, and may not be over yet," Thomas Frieden, a former director of the CDC, was quoted as saying.
Mumbai, May 2 : Actor Kunal Jaisingh has been doing his bit to help the needy as the country battles the second wave of Covid-19. The actor has been providing milk and food to people in slums.

"Covid is showing us a really bad time. It has been a curse upon us. I feel every second person needs help, be it fighting a financial crisis or depression. I'm trying my best to help. I am helping people with necessities such as milk, food and other common bills since the last month," he told IANS.

The actor said that he is also trying to help people on social media.

"I am also trying my best to talk and answer maximum people on my social media account. That's how we all need to behave. It's the need of the hour," he said.

The actor said that at this time, we must try to reach out to one another.

"The is not the time to blame each other but our priority is to help each other. We must take a break from being casual and taking things for granted. We need to act in a responsible way. Also, we need to keep away from rumours related to Covid, instead, we need to bring more encouraging vibes," he said.

The actor is currently shooting in Gujarat for his show "Kyun Utthe Dil Chhod Aaye" and said that he is worried about his family back home.

"I'm worried about my family, who is in Mumbai, away from me. I just hope a miracle happens and it turns out to be a bad dream," he said.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Ulan Bator, May 2 : Strong winds and dust storms have hit large parts of Mongolia, the country's National Agency for Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring said on Sunday.

The strong winds and dust storms swept through southern provinces of Umnugovi and Dundgovi, western provinces such as Govi-Altai and Bayankhongor, and central areas, such as the capital city Ulan Bator and provinces of Uvurkhangai, Arkhangai and Tuv, the weather monitoring agency said in a statement.

The agency warned citizens, especially nomadic herders, to take extra precautions against possible disasters, the Xinhua news agency reported.

Strong winds, dust storms and snowstorms are common weather events during spring in Mongolia, one of the nomadic countries in the world.

Ten people, mostly nomadic herders, and hundreds of thousands of livestock died in Mongolia due to strong winds and heavy dust storms in mid-March.
Patna, May 2 : With Bihar reeling under the second wave of Covid-19, former BJP MLC Krishna Kumar Singh has demanded Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to impose a 15-day complete lockdown across the state.

Singh said that people in Bihar are turning out in large numbers to attend marriage parties.

"They were seen travelling between villages unperturbed triggering surge in virus transmission across the state," he said.

"The state government has enforced evening curfew which is good but it will not help in containing the Covid spread. There are not enough security checks in rural areas. Hence, despite Section 144 being imposed in the state, people were seen roaming from one village to another in groups to attend marriage functions," the former BJP MLC said.

"The only option is to impose complete lockdown for 15 days to break the chain of Covid transmission in the state. We have written to the Chief Minister, two Deputy CMs Tar Kishore Prasad and Renu Devi, to take immediate action in arresting the infection," he added.

Meanwhile, Jan Adhikar Party (JAP) president Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, who was on a visit to Arrah's Sadar hospital to inspect facilities, was stopped from entering the premises.

Yadav alleged that the state government was trying to hide its ill facilities in Sadar hospital.

"Hence, the officers of district administration forcibly tried to stop us from inspection." "At the time of crisis, a large number of people from Arrah came to my official residence and requested for Remdesvir injections, and we have provided it. We have arranged oxygen cylinders to the patients. I came here to inspect Sadar hospital after the complaints of several citizens of Arrah.

"As a law abiding leader of Bihar, we cannot breach the laws but at the same time we will show mirrors to the government about wrongdoings," Yadav added.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
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Hyderabad, May 2 : Ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) has consolidated its position in the Nagarjuna Sagar Assembly constituency, the counting trend showed on Sunday.

After 11 rounds of counting, Nomula Bhagat of the TRS was leading by 9,034 votes over his nearest rival K. Jana Reddy of the Congress party.

The TRS candidate polled 38,924 votes while Jana Reddy secured 29,890 votes.

Counting of votes polled in the April 17 bypoll began Sunday morning. The counting was taking place in two large halls, each with seven tables. About 400 officials were involved in counting and related activity.

Officials expect the counting to be completed in 25 rounds.

The constituency had witnessed 86.18 per cent polling on April 17 despite the Covid-19 surge. Out of the 2.20 lakh voters, 1.89 lakh had cast their votes.

As many as 41 candidates, including three women, contested the bypoll, which was necessitated due to the death of sitting legislator Nomula Narasimhaiah of the TRS.

The ruling party fielded Narasimhaiah's son Nomula Bhagat, a debutant who took on veteran Congress leader and seven-time MLA Jana Reddy.

In 2018, Nomula Narasimhaiah had won the seat by defeating Jana Reddy of the Congress by about 8,000 votes. Nomula polled 83,655 votes while Jana Reddy had garnered 75,884 votes.

BJP's K. Niveditha Reddy had polled only 2,675 votes.

The TRS had polled 46.34 per cent votes while the Congress secured 42.04 per cent vote and the BJP could get only 1.48 per cent votes.
Patna, May 2 : Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) leader Anil Oraon was shot dead by unknown assailants in Bihar's Purnia district, a police official said on Sunday.

Oraon, LJP Tribal unit President, was kidnapped from Khazanchi Haat police station area on April 29, for a ransom of Rs 10 lakh. The family members of the deceased leader had paid the ransom amount to the kidnappers, despite they killed Oraon.

"After kidnapping Oraon, the kidnappers had demanded Rs 10 lakh in cash. We managed to arrange the money and went to the address given by them. We waited at Bhanbhag Bandh (embankment) where two persons came on a Pulsar motor bike and took away the bag containing Rs 10 lakh. Since then we were waiting for Anil Oraon's release," said Rameshwar Oraon, a relative of the deceased leader.

On Sunday at nearly 8 a.m, Oraon's body was found at Dangraha locality in Purnia city. Following the murder, local residents and relatives blocked the road and protested against the district administration.

"After inspection of the body, it appeared that Oraon was brutally assaulted before being shot dead by kidnappers," said Rameshwar Oraon.

"We have some leads about the kidnappers and raids are on to nab the culprit," said an investigating officer of Khazanchi Haat police station.

Tarkishore Prasad, the Bihar Deputy Chief Minister, said, "The local police of Purnia detained some suspects and raids are on to nab others. We have spoken to Inspector General Of Police (IGP) of Purnia range to take strong action against the accused. The accused will be put behind bars soon."
Chennai, May 2 : A total of 167 voters in Edappadi assembly constituency have rejected all the contesting candidates including Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami.

As per Election Commission data, 167 voters in Edappadi seat have pressed the NOTA, or None of The Above candidates, button in the EVMs on April 6.

Palaniswami, also the Joint Coordinator of the AIADMK, has built up a comfortable lead of about 20,000 votes against his nearest rival, T. Sambathkumar of the DMK.

On the other hand, 110 voters of Kolathur assembly constituency have pressed the NOTA button and rejecting the contesting candidates including DMK President M.K. Stalin.
Guwahati, May 2 : Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Sunday said that he is confident of Bharatiya Janata Party-led government retaining the power in the state for the second consecutive term.

While talking to the media, Sonowal, who is seeking re-election from the world's largest river island Majuli in eastern Assam, said that the trends of the counting of votes across the state clearly suggested that the BJP is coming back to power for the second term.

The 59-years-old saffron party leader said that the BJP in alliance with the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and United People's Party Liberal (UPPL) would form the government.

"People of Assam have mandated for the BJP-led government. However, we have to wait till the counting of votes is completed and the clear pictures emerge. The trend of the outcome already shows that the people are on our side," said Sonowal, who was the Chief Minister since the BJP-led government first came to power in Assam in 2016 after defeating the Congress.

As per the latest trend, Sonowal is leading from the Majuli constituency while his rival Rajib Lochan Pegu of the Congress is trailing.

All the important candidates of the BJP including Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma from Jalukbari Assembly seat and state BJP President Ranjeet Kumar Dass from Patacharkuchi Assembly seat, are leading from their respective seats.

Of the 126 seats, the BJP is leading on 60 seats while its ally Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) on eleven seats and United People's Party Liberal (UPPL) is leading on seven seats.

The main opposition Congress is leading on 26 seats while its partners All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) leading on 11 seats, Bodoland Peoples Front on three seats and CPI-M on one seat.

Raijor Dal (RD) President and jailed leader Akhil Gogoi, who is contesting from Sibsagar constituency as an independent candidate, is also leading.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP President J. P. Nadda were among the central BJP leaders who undertook a hectic campaign for the BJP in Assam.
Kabul, May 2 : Five soldiers and eight militants were killed when fighting erupted in Afghanistan's northern Badakhshan province on Saturday night, a local source confirmed on Sunday.

The clashes broke out when armed militants stormed an Afghan Regional Army's checkpoint in surrounding areas of restive Wardoj district at midnight, Abdul Raziq from the Afghan national army's 217 Pamir Corps told the Xinhua news agency.

There were also 10 soldiers and eight militants wounded in the fighting, he said.

The violence lingers in war-torn Afghanistan as the US and NATO troops have been leaving the country.

About 3,500 US forces and 7,000 NATO troops will be withdrawn before September 11, the day which is the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that drew the US into war in Afghanistan.
Thiruvananthapuram, May 2 : Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, off late addressed by many in the social media as 'Captain', seems set to justify the title by creating history by leading the Left Democratic Front to its second consecutive victory, a feat which bucks an over 40-year-old trend in the state's electoral politics.

As the counting of votes reaches the last few rounds across the state's 140 Assembly constituencies, the LDF is leading in 98 seats, with the Congress-led United Democratic Front leading in 41 and the BJP in one seat -- Palakkad where Metroman E. Sreedharan is leading by 1,700 votes, as against over 5,000 at one point.

The Left's stunning performance can be attributed to no one other than Chief Minister Vijayan who led from the front.

In the 2016 polls, it was party stalwart V.S. Achuthanandan who led from the front and after the Left won, Vijayan stepped in to take the Chief Minister's post, while Achuthanandan was given the post of 'Kerala Castro'.

Vijayan, despite running into numerous troubles in various issues, stood his ground and boldly went forward. His writ ran large when it came to selecting party candidates, with seven ministers and 26 legislators left out.

Even with a few rounds of counting left, senior Congress leader and MP Benny Behanan said they accept the verdict and will sit down to find out what went wrong.

The leads are on the lines of the exit polls had predicted a victory for the Left, with few of them giving it over 100 seats while sticking to a minimum of 75.

The Congress-led UDF, which had swept the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, will have to do a lot of introspection as they were banking on a backlash against the Left from the Hindu women voters, especially those who are devotees of Lord Ayyappa, over Vijayan altering the traditions of the Sabarimala temple in 2018. After getting knocked out at the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Vijayan decided to wait for the apex court directive and then decide.

Likewise, the UDF also expected a backlash against the government from the fishing community which has its presence in around 50 constituencies, after Vijayan was forced to cancel an agreement with a US-based company for deep sea fishing.

That is only turning out to be the nemesis of state Fisheries Minister J. Mercykutty, who is trailing as counting entered the final rounds.

Also, its new ally Kerala Congress-Mani's leader Jose K.Mani, son of late legendary K.M. Mani whose party was in the Congress-led UDF till last year before switching over to the LDF, was trailing in Pala, represented by his father for over half a century.

What will be painful for him is a few of the other candidates from his party are leading.

Among the giant losers at the moment include seven-time legislator P.C. George, presently an independent candidate.

It only remains to see if the LDF will end up with three digits, by crossing 100 seats.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
New Delhi, May 2 : Delhi's Madhukar Rainbow Children hospital on Sunday sounded alert over oxygen shortage on a regular basis despite it claimed to be the city's southern region's only hospital that have been admitting pregnant women infected with Covid-19.

The 130-bedded hospital sent an SOS message through its Twitter handle after it again faced similar issue on Sunday when the oxygen availability at the facility for the day was estimated till 12 noon.

Based in south Delhi's Malviya Nagar area, the hospital currently admitted 80-90 Covid patients that included pregnant women and children-- some in ICU and NICU.

Soon after the SOS message was posted by the hospital, AAP MLA Raghav Chadha said, "We have arranged five D Type oxygen cylinders for Rainbow Children's Hospital, from our Rajghat Response Point. The govt's oxygen reserves are extremely limited due to reduced oxygen supply to Delhi, but we are doing everything possible to avert any untoward incident." In a tweet, Ranbow Children Hospital alerted, "We have liquid oxygen supply till 12 noon on Sunday at Madhukar Rainbow Children hospital." A hospital staff Ankita, , who sounded the alert, said that the hospital has been facing oxygen crisis on "daily basis".

"It is a daily task. Its daily hue and cry the firefighting mode that we have to come forward too. Being a children hospital, its very difficult for us to come to a firefighting mode every day.

"If we have ample amount of oxygen, we will be able to take more children also. Some of the time we have to limit ourselves to admit patients because of the oxygen scarcity. " Ankita said that Rainbow is the "only hospital in the south Delhi which is actively taking Covid positive pregnant women and secondly we have several children".

Due to the medical oxygen shortage for over an hour, twelve Covid-19 patients, including a doctor, lost their lives on Saturday afternoon in Delhi's Batra Hospital.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Mumbai, May 2 : Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPI) ended their buying spree in April as they pulled out net investments worth Rs 9,659 crore from Indian equities during the month.

The reversal in trend came at a time when the surging Covid cases and the resultant lockdowns spooked investor sentiments.

The FPIs turned net sellers after a gap of five months. In September, FPIs pulled out net investments worth Rs 7,783 crore.

Along with the second wave of Covid-19, weakness in the Indian rupee also led to the outflow of foreign funds last month, analysts said.

The net FPI investment in 2020 now stands at Rs 46,083 crore, including the net investments of Rs 19,473 crore, Rs 25,787 crore and Rs 10,482 crore in January, February and March, respectively.
Srinagar, May 2 : A soldier, posted in J&K's Baramulla district, shot himself dead on Sunday, police said.

Police sources said the soldier, identified as Parveen Kumar, shot himself with his service rifle.

"Police has registered a case in this incident and investigation has been started to ascertain the cause of death," a source said.
New Delhi, May 2 : As the counting of votes reached the last few rounds across the state's 140 Assembly constituencies, the LDF is leading in the majority of seats, with the Congress-led United Democratic Front trailing. Former CPM Secretary General Prakash Karat said that this mandate is for the work done for the people by the incumbent government.

Karat said, "In the past 40 years no government has been re-elected for a second successive term and this is a significant mandate by the people which shows that the people of Kerala appreciated the work of the Pinarayi Vijayan government -- the way it tackled the floods, COVID pandemic and its pro-people development in the state." Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, of late addressed by many in the social media as 'Captain', seems set to justify the title by creating history by leading the Left Democratic Front to its second consecutive victory, a feat which bucks an over 40-year-old trend in the state's electoral politics.

The Left's stunning performance can be attributed to no one other than Vijayan who led from the front.

In the 2016 polls, it was party stalwart V.S. Achuthanandan who played that role. After the Left won, Vijayan stepped in to take the Chief Minister's post, while Achuthanandan was given the post of 'Kerala Castro'.

Vijayan, despite facing problems over various issues, stood his ground and boldly went forward. His writ ran large when it came to selecting party candidates, with seven ministers and 26 legislators left out.

Even with a few rounds of counting left, senior Congress leader and MP Benny Behanan said they accept the verdict and will sit down and discuss to find out what went wrong.
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New Delhi, May 2 : A day after 12 patients, including a doctor, died due to oxygen shortage at Delhi's Batra Hospital, the facility in south Delhi on Sunday received 2.5-tonne liquid medical oxygen.

S.C.L. Gupta, the medical director of Batra Hospital, confirmed that an oxygen tanker carrying the life-saving gas arrived at its Mehrauli-based facility where 12 people lost their lives on Saturday afternoon due to lack of medical oxygen for over an hour.

"An oxygen tanker from INOX carrying 2.5-tonne liquid oxygen had reached Batra at around 12 noon. Supply to sustain till 11 p.m.," Gupta said.

The oxygen supply was provided to the hospital a day after the tragedy occurred on its campus, killing the hospital's gastroenteritis head R.K. Himthani (62) and 11 others. Six of the 12 deceased persons were admitted to the hospital's intensive care unit (ICU).

"Death toll at Batra Hospital increases from 8 to 12. Oxygen shortage at the facility led to these deaths. These were patients whose oxygen level sunk when the supply dropped," Sudhanshu Bankata, the Executive Director of Batra Hospital, had said on Saturday.

As on Saturday, a total of 220 patients were on oxygen support at the hospital.

The hospital had sent an SOS message before the tragedy on Saturday, "Oxygen will last for another 10 minutes." While oxygen was later supplied to the hospital, it said that by that time, eight patients had already died. Another four patients died later.

This was the second time in a week that the hospital ran out of medical oxygen. On April 24, the hospital had received a last-minute supply which arrived minutes after its oxygen reserves ran out.

Earlier this month, 20 people admitted to the critical care unit of Jaipur Golden hospital in Rohini had died when their oxygen levels dropped. The hospital had blamed the Delhi government for the delay in oxygen supply before the Delhi High Court.
Lucknow, May 2 : The Congress, on Sunday, asked the Uttar Pradesh government to release a white paper on the state's Covid Care Fund amid a massive surge in Corona virus cases.

In a statement issued here, UP Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu said the Covid Care Fund was created in April 2020 through which people from different sections of society contributed money.

The MLA funds were suspended for a year, and 30 per cent salary of the ministers and legislators cut and deposited in the Covid Care Fund.

It was said that the money would be used to fight the pandemic. Lallu said no one knows where this fund is in the second wave of Covid.

"Where is the fund being spent now? The people in the state are facing a shortage of Oxygen, medicines, and basic facilities. In this scenario, where is the Covid fund being spent, nothing is known," Lallu said adding that the government should release a white paper on this issue.

The UP Congress chief also claimed that the money meant for being used to provide medical treatment to the people, was diverted.

"As a result, in the second wave of Covid, the government has left the people to die. Today, because of the laxity and insensitivity of the Yogi Adityanath government, every citizen is fighting the pandemic at their own level and in their own capacity," he said.

He also said the UP chief minister, in a written reply to the UP Legislative Assembly, had said that till July 2020, Rs 412 crore was deposited from various sources, of which Rs 252 crore was used to buy medical equipment and to help the migrant labourers.

"Where has the rest of the Rs 160 crore gone? This is not known. Any information about money being deposited in the Covid Care Fund has not been made public," he stated.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Haveri: bharatiya kisan union leader Rakesh Tikait and farmers leaders at Raita Maha Panchayath, in Haveri on Sunday 21st March 2021.(Photo:Dhananjay Yadav/IANS) Image Source: IANS News

Chandigarh, May 2 : Haryana Police have registered a case against Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait and 12 others for violating prohibitory orders, officials said on Sunday.

Tikait and other leaders addressed the 'mahapanchayat' in a village near Ambala Cantonment on Saturday.

The other BJP leaders who have been booked included Ratan Maan Singh, Baldev Singh and Jasmer Saini.

To contain the pandemic, the district magistrate had imposed Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code, which bars a gathering of four or more persons.
Kasganj, May 2 : Three farmers, including a teenager, were killed in Uttar Pradesh's Kasganj district on Sunday after a 11,000-volt high tension wire broke and fell down.

The deceased included two brothers who were working in the field when the accident took place.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has taken cognizance of the accident. Expressing his condolences, he has instructed the District Magistrate and other officials to reach the spot immediately.

He has also directed the electricity department to pay a compensation of Rs five lakh to the kin of the deceased.

According to reports, brothers Manvendra and Krishna died on the spot while Pawan was rushed to a hospital for treatment but died on the way.

The police have sent the bodies for post-mortem.

A similar incident had taken place in the village six months ago where a girl Sapna had lost her life.
New Delhi, May 2 : As the Trinamool Congress, led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is looking at a spectacular victory in the West Bengal assembly elections, Senior BJP leader and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was the first from the BJP to congratulate her. The TMC is on course to winning more than two hundred seats in the 294-member assembly.

In West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress, as per the trends, is leading in 209 seats, while the BJP is leading in only 81 seats, not likely to cross even 100.

As the trends became clear, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated Mamata Banerjee on her party's stunning victory. Rajnath Singh extended his best wishes to Mamata Banerjee on Twitter, where he said, "Congratulations to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Didi on her victory in the Assembly Elections. My best wishes for her next term."
New Delhi, May 2 : Considering inputs of victory celebrations at some locations during counting of votes for 822 Assembly seats in four states and one Union Territory, the Election Commission on Sunday directed heads of political parties to prohibit these celebrations.

The poll panel's order came after it found out about such celebrations by the followers of some political parties in some states despite the commission's two orders issued last month and one on Sunday to ban such activities to avoid Covid spread.

The commission directed that "urgent action by heads of political parties" should be taken to prohibit victory celebrations during or after counting of votes which began at 8 a.m. on Sunday in Assam, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Kerala and Puducherry. The election was concluded in these regions last month.

"It has been brought to the notice of the commission that even after the directions already issued to ban victory celebrations during counting day until the period of MCC (Model Code of Conduct), at some locations in some states, the victory celebrations are being carried out today (Sunday) by the party workers in contravention of the commission's direction dated April 27, 2021, April 28, 2021 and May 1, 2021 wherein such kind of gatherings are prohibited," the EC said in a letter.

The commission has expressed its "displeasure on the failure of certain parties to abide by the extant instructions or guidelines".

In view of the situation, the commission said, it is "utmost necessary that you direct or guide your party representatives or followers with strictness to stop them to celebrate and show restraint in these challenging times and ask them to behave strictly in accordance with the ECI's instructions and extant instructions on Covid issued by NDMA or SDMA".

The commission earlier directed Chief Secretaries and Director General of Police in all the five states and UT to take penal actions including FIR against the violation in all such cases under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 and other relevant laws.

The Election Commission on April 27 had banned all victory processions after counting of votes in states where assembly polls were held to check the spread of coronavirus.

In view of the surge in Covid-19 cases throughout the country, the commission has decided to make more stringent provision to be followed during the process of counting, warning "no victory procession after the counting on May 2 shall be permissible".

It also said that "Not more than two persons shall be allowed to accompany the winning candidate or his/her authorised representative receive the certificate of election from the returning officer concerned." The decision to ban victory processions came a day after the Madras High Court came down heavily on the poll panel for failing to implement Covid guidelines during campaigning.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
Mumbai, May 2 : Actor R. Madhavan has urged all to spare a thought for young children at home, and ensure kids feel comforted. He says it is important for people to explain the ongoing pandemic situation to children.

"In all this chaos, uncertainty, and stress please spare a thought for the young kids at home. Their world has become frightening and they have are being mostly neglected," he tweeted.

"Explain to them what is happening and make sure that they feel comforted and secure what we fight this battle," he added.

The actor makes his directorial debut with "Rocketary: The Nambi Effect", based on the life of scientist and aerospace engineer S. Nambi Narayanan. Madhavan also essays the protagonist in the film.

Besides starring in and directing the film, Madhavan has written and produced the project, which will be released in Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil, English and Kannada languages.
Chandigarh, May 2 : Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij on Sunday said the third phase of coronavirus vaccination for those aged between 18 and 45 years, numbering around 1.1 crore, commenced at 200 centres in the state on Sunday.

He said free vaccination would be done at all government hospitals and vaccination centres. A total of 66 lakh doses of the vaccine were sought and the first batch has been received.
Bengaluru, May 2 : Indian Premier League (IPL) side Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have joined hands with Give India Foundation to provide 100 units of oxygen concentrators in Bangalore and other cities in the fight against Covid-19.

In a show of respect and solidarity with frontline workers, the Virat Kohli-led RCB will sport a special blue kit in one of the upcoming IPL matches. The jersey will carry messages on spreading awareness about fighting the disease.

RCB will then auction all the signed blue jerseys to raise money for the cause.

RCB skipper Virat Kohli said on Sunday that, "This is a tough time for our country; what's happening with the spread of the virus is deeply concerning. It is only because of the frontline heroes that we hope to save humanity.

"We salute them and would like to take the opportunity to spread as much awareness for people to follow all the safety protocols. We would do every part that helps fight this battle," Kohli added.

Since the start of the pandemic last year, RCB's parent company, Diageo India, has manufactured and distributed 3,00,000 litres of sanitisers and committed Rs 75 crore towards the programme to support the fight against the disease.

RCB chairman, Anand Kripalu, said: "Royal Challengers Bangalore stands united with our nation in this unprecedented crisis. There are numerous heroes all around our country who are selflessly fighting to save lives. The task is clearly enormous, and we wanted to help in whatever little way possible. We also encourage others to do their bit in this fight. We can and will win this battle together."

Latest updates on IPL 2021
Bengaluru, May 2 : Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President D.K. Shivakumar on Sunday directed his party workers to refrain from any kind of electoral celebrations in the state.

The state is awaiting the results of the bypolls held in one Lok Sabha and two Assembliy constituencies in Karnataka.

While the counting of votes for the Assembly elections in five states/UT is still going on, trends show that the DMK-Congress alliance in Tamil Nadu is poised to wrest power from the ruling AIADMK, while the Trinamool Congress is certain to return to power for a third consecutive term in West bengal.

Shivakumar told reporters that the Congress has taken a nationwide decision not to indulge in any kind of celebration.

"We are in the grip of the raging second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. People are dying due to lack of oxygen, drugs and hospitals. In many cases, people are not even getting a proper place to cremate or bury the dead. Therefore, I direct my party workers not to celebrate in any manner. Even if we win a seat or two in Karnataka, we should not celebrate," he said.

"Please follow the Covid protocols and continue with your efforts to help the people. This is a time for service, and not celebration," he said.

The Congress leader told mediapersons that even the winning candidates in Karnataka should not celebrate. "Let us show that we are different from the others. We will not take part in any debate as decided by our national leaders," he said.
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New Delhi, May 2 : The global 5G smartphone shipments soared a massive 458 per cent (YoY) from 24 million units in Q1 2020 to a record 133.9 million in Q1 this year, as rapid adoption of the technology in China is powering demand for 5G smartphones.

Apple (5G leader with 30 per cent market share) and the trio of OPPO, Vivo and Xiaomi benefitted most as the demand exploded in China, according to a report by market intelligence firm Strategy Analytics.

Samsung held a 13 per cent market share in 5G smartphone shipments globally in Q1 2021. The South Korean company shipped 17 million 5G smartphones globally in Q1 2021, up from 8.3 million in Q1 2020.

OPPO, Vivo and Xiaomi closed on Apple capturing 16 per cent, 14 per cent and 12 per cent global market share in the quarter, respectively.

"Huge demand in China, a strong push from Apple iPhone, and a wave of value priced Android models fuelled a record quarter for 5G smartphone shipments," said Ville-Petteri Ukonaho, Associate Director at Strategy Analytics.

Apple shipped a record 40.4 million 5G iPhones worldwide in Q1 2021, building on its strong performance of 52 million shipments globally in Q4 2020.

"Apple iPhone is the clear 5G leader with a 30 per cent 5G smartphone market share globally in the quarter. Apple iPhone 12 5G is proving wildly popular across China, Europe and the United States, due to its sleek hardware design and surprisingly competitive pricing," said Ken Hyers, Director at Strategy Analytics.

OPPO captured 16 per cent global 5G smartphone market share in Q1 2021, more than doubling its share from 7 per cent in Q1 2020.

Vivo increased its global 5G smartphone share in Q1 2021, up 646 per cent YoY on volumes of 19.4 million, taking 3rd place in global 5G smartphone shipments for the quarter.

Xiaomi rounded out the top-5 global 5G smartphone vendors on volumes of 16.6 million 5G smartphones shipped, up from 2.5 million in Q1 2020, and capturing 12 per cent market share, the report said.
New Delhi, May 2 : As healthcare workers work non-stop to fight the pandemic, the telecom industry is also playing a critical role in keeping the economy running with seamless, always-on connectivity, said experts.

The telecom companies and their infrastructure partners have, in the last 15 months, deployed as many as 69,448 new mobile towers. The telecom companies have also together invested as much as Rs 9,000 crore in network infrastructure expansion during the year, following the coronavirus pandemic, indicating a sharp growth in the consumption of communications services.

In recent few weeks mobile internet consumption has also jumped 50 per cent to 60 per cent, showcasing the importance of connectivity has grown multifold.

Telecom is also a sector which is changing fast with new technologies and applications like 5G, robotics, artificial intelligence, machine learning. As a result, telecom talent has to constantly learn and upgrade to keep its skills.

"The roll-out of 5G services and evolution of next generation technologies in near future come with enhanced challenges related to the competence needs on the manpower front with the requirement of right and skilled manpower," Amit Marwah, Head of Marketing and Corporate affairs, Nokia India, said in a statement on Sunday.

"As the industry ramps up its infrastructure and readies for future technologies, we need to invest in developing the right skills. The industry recognises this and is working towards it in many ways," Marwah added.

The telecom industry contributes 6.5 per cent to India's GDP and the industry has created around four million jobs. Almost a billion people in India use mobile phones and around half of them actively use mobile internet.

"Our industry is playing a critical role in providing connectivity to billion-plus nation and our industry is not limited to the telecom services providers only but covers the entire ecosystem which includes around 6,000 companies in the telecom business today," said Arvind Bali, CEO, The Telecom Sector Skill Council (TSSC), in the statement.

"With the new ecosystem developing fast we are expanding our plans to upskill our manpower and believe that 3.6 lakh of additional manpower across a variety of job roles may be required for installation and maintenance of this infrastructure," he added.

The industry also needs to migrate new job roles from current ones into 5G, new technologies and manufacturing. Also, the growth of the telecom sector could have a cascading impact on driving employment across multiple other sectors, the experts noted.
Washington, May 2 : Four astronauts, part of SpaceX and NASA's first commercial crew programme, returned to Earth safely on Sunday after their six-month mission aboard the International Space Station, the US space agency said.

The astronauts -- NASA's Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, and Shannon Walker, along with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) mission specialist Soichi Noguchi -- returned to Earth in a parachute-assisted splashdown at 2:56 a.m. EDT off the coast of Panama City, Florida on Sunday.

Crews aboard SpaceX recovery vessels successfully recovered the spacecraft and astronauts. After returning to shore, the astronauts will fly back to Houston, NASA said.

"Welcome home Victor, Michael, Shannon, and Soichi, and congratulations to the teams at NASA and SpaceX who worked so hard to ensure their safe and successful splashdown," NASA Administrator, Senator Bill Nelson, said.

"We've accomplished another incredible spaceflight for America and our commercial and international partners. Safe, reliable transportation to the International Space Station is exactly the vision that NASA had when the agency embarked on the commercial crew programme," he added.

The spacecraft named Resilience, by the Crew-1, was launched on a Falcon 9 rocket on November 15, 2020. The six months marks the longest-duration mission of a crewed American spacecraft to date.

Overall, Hopkins, Glover, Walker, and Noguchi travelled 71,242,199 statute miles during their 168 days in orbit (with 167 days aboard the space station), completing 2,688 orbits around Earth. With splashdown, the crew also broke the American crewed spacecraft mission duration record of 84 days, 1 hour, 15 minutes, set by the final Skylab crew in February 1974.

Crew-1 also is the first night splashdown of a US crewed spacecraft since Apollo 8's predawn return in the Pacific Ocean on December 27, 1968, with NASA astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and Bill Anders.

Throughout their mission, the Crew-1 astronauts contributed to scientific investigations and technology demonstrations, in addition to spacewalks and public engagement events, while aboard the orbiting laboratory. From studying protein crystal development to advance new drug discoveries, to demonstrating robotic assistant technologies, their work advances exploration of the universe while bringing benefits back to Earth.

The splashdown also comes just over one week after the launch of NASA's SpaceX Crew-2 mission, the second long-duration mission. The Crew-2 astronauts launched April 23 and will live and work aboard the station until their return to Earth in about six months, NASA said.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
New Delhi, May 2 : The West Bengal Assembly poll results show that people of the state have rejected the Bharatiya Janata Party's attempt to polarize the elections. The BJP, which had left no stone unturned to dislodge the Mamata Banerjee government in the state is unlikely to touch the three figure mark in the 294-member assembly.

Listing the reasons for the below expectation performance of the party, a BJP leader said their strategy failed to deliver the desired results. "It seems that people have rejected everything from 'asol poribortan' to 'khel shesh hobea'," he said.

Another BJP leader said, "Our leadership failed to understand the pulse of Bengal and its culture. And that is the reason despite leading in 121 assembly constituencies in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, we are facing difficulties to win over 100 seats in less than a two-year period." The initial analysis by the saffron party found that all the attempts to polarize the polls on communal lines failed. "People rejected politics of polarization or communal politics. Muslim votes polarized in favour of TMC while the Bengali Hindu also rejected communal politics and voted for the TMC," a BJP leader said.

Another important factor for the BJP's defeat was the absence of credible Bengali faces and making the election a fight between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Banerjee. "From the very beginning, the party made it a contest between Modiji (non- Bengali) versus Mamata Didi (Bengali). In the absence of Bengali faces, Didi acted against us," said the West Bengal BJP leader.

The saffron camp believes that the central leadership's failure to understand the culture of the state was the key reason for its failure to uproot the TMC government. They believe that several actions of central leaders had hurt Bengali sentiments.

A West Bengal BJP leader pointed out that people of West Bengal did not buy Union Home Minister Amit Shah's clarification that he did not occupy Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore's chair at the museum at Vishwa Bharati University. Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary had alleged that Shah sat on Gurudev's chair. "People did not buy Shah's clarification and they hit us hard for insulting Gurudev. It is not the culture of Bengal and people did not like it. People also did not like the 'Didi o Didi' jibe made by our leaders during the campaign," he said.

The saffron camp also believes that four phases of the West Bengal polls amid the Covid surge worked against the BJP. "Urban voters in the last four phases voted against us for holding elections in a pandemic and the Centre's failure to manage the situation." a party leader said.

The results also showed that while Banerjee kept her hold in rural Bengal, the urban voters moved away from the BJP.
New Delhi, May 2 : In a bid to fight the current crisis of Coronavirus-induced oxygen shortage, BLK-Max Super Speciality Hospital on Sunday announced that it will install an oxygen generator and a high-pressure cylinder filling system that was donated by the France government.

The Oxygen Generator -- manufactured by NOVAIR Medical -- and cylinder filling system -- manufactured by Oxyplus Technologies -- has a total capacity of generating 22 cubic metre of oxygen every hour. It will be installed and commissioned at the hospitals over the next 72 hours.

The initiative will help provide approximately 15 per cent additional back-up to the existing medical oxygen demand at the hospital in the form of a continuous feed.

"We are thankful to the Government of France for providing us critical support at a time when India is facing the worst of the pandemic. This generous donation stands testimony of the Indo-France cooperation during this time of crisis," said Dr Abhay Soi, Chairman and MD, Max Healthcare in a statement.

The installation of the systems will help BLK-Max hospital manage its oxygen requirements better, particularly in this time of severe oxygen shortages. The system will also be used as back-up support to its normal oxygen supplies.
Mumbai, May 2 : Bollywood star Deepika Padukone on Sunday shared a list of verified mental health helplines on Instagram, highlighting the significance of strong mental and emotional health in the time of surging Covid pandemic.

"As millions of us (me and my family included) strive to stay afloat, let us not forget that our emotional well-being in this current crisis, is equally important! Remember, You Are Not Alone. We are in this together. And most importantly, there is HOPE! #YouAreNotAlone @tlllfoundation," she wrote, along with 12 slides in varied shades of pink that contain the essential numbers.

Several Bollywood stars have been using their social media platforms to pitch in with assistance for the Covid-affected over the past few days. These include Alia Bhatt, John Abraham, Katrina Kaif, Vicky Kaushal, Taapsee Pannu and Bhumi Pednekar among others.

Almost every B-Town celebrity has also been appealing on social media to encourage fans to help in whatever way possible, not to pay heed to rumours and stay safe.
Guwahati, May 2 : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) or "Mitrajot" (Alliance of Friends) is set to form the government in Assam for the second consecutive time, as the ruling alliance according to the latest trends is likely to win 75 seats in the 126-member Assembly. The Congress-led "Mahajot" (Grand Alliance) is expected to win 45 seats.

The Election Commission (EC) is yet to declare the final result on any of the 126 seats as the counting of votes is still in progress in 34 districts across the northeastern state.

All important candidates of the BJP, including Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who is seeking re-election from Majuli Assembly constituency in eastern Assam, state Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma from Jalukbari Assembly constituency and state BJP President Ranjeet Kumar Dass from Patacharkuchi Assembly constituency, are leading on their respective seats.

Many top Congress leaders, including state Congress President Ripun Bora and Legislature Party leader Debabrata Saikia are trailing in the Gohpur and Nazira Assembly seats, respectively. Of the 126 seats, the BJP is leading in 56 seats while its ally Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) is leading in eleven seats and United People's Party Liberal (UPPL) in eight seats.

The Congress is leading in 29 seats while its partners All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) is leading in 14 seats, Bodoland Peoples' Front (BPF) and the CPI-M in one seat each. Raijor Dal (RD) President and jailed leader, Akhil Gogoi, who is contesting from Sibasagar constituency as an independent candidate, is also leading.

The Muslim-based party AIUDF, which won 13 seats during the 2016 Assembly polls, is leading in 14 seats while BPF which had bagged 12 seats five years ago, is leading in only one seat in the Bodoland areas of western Assam. The AIUDF led by perfume baron and Lok Sabha member Badruddin Ajmal, last time independently contested the elections and this time (2021) they put up 20 candidates in alliance with Congress-led Mahajot, which is a conglomeration of ten parties. The BPF was earlier an ally of the BJP and is now an alliance partner of the "Mahajot".

Though the opposition Congress-led Grand Alliance performed poorly in most parts of Assam, it performed a little better in the Bengali dominated southern Assam.

Of the 15 seats in southern Assam's Barak Valley comprising three districts -- Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi -- the "Mahajot" is leading in 11 seats with the BJP and its ally heading in four seats.

During the 2016 state Assembly elections in Barak Valley, the BJP won eight seats and the Congress had bagged seven seats. The BJP had won 60 seats during the previous Assembly elections in 2016 while its ally AGP had managed 14 seats and the Congress had secured 26 seats and one seat went to the independent candidate.
New Delhi, May 2 : Delhi-based Aakash Healthcare Super Speciality Hospital on Sunday sought the government's help to provide it with oxygen to save the lives of 250 patients, as the life-saving gas available with it would not last for "more than 60 minutes".

The hospital sounded the alert through an SOS message on its Twitter handle, seeking help from the Delhi government as well as the Centre.

"CRY FOR HELP: Received only 5 #oxygen cylinders after running around the entire day, not more than 60 mins left to save lives of more than 250 patients. Crying out to Govt authorities to shift out our patients ASAP so that they can be saved," Akash Healthcare tweeted.

Aakash Healthcare Super Speciality Hospital is a tertiary care facility in Delhi's Dwarka area.

Earlier in the day, Delhi's Madhukar Rainbow Children's Hospital had sounded an alert over oxygen shortage on a regular basis despite claiming to be the city's only hospital in the southern region which is admitting pregnant women infected with Covid-19.

The 130-bed hospital sent an SOS message through its Twitter handle after oxygen availability at the facility for the day was estimated to last till 12 noon. Based in south Delhi's Malviya Nagar area, the hospital currently has 80-90 Covid patients, including pregnant women and children.

Shortage of medical oxygen for over an hour had claimed 12 Covid patients' lives, including that of a doctor, on Saturday afternoon at Delhi's Batra Hospital.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Hyderabad, May 2 : Telangana's ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) has retained Nagarjuna Sagar Assembly seat.

Nomula Bhagat of the TRS defeated his nearest rival K. Jana Reddy of the Congress by 18,872 votes.

The TRS candidate polled 89,804 votes while Jana Reddy secured 70,932 votes. BJP's Ravi Kumar Naik could get only 7,676 votes and forfeited his deposit.

The death of Nomula Bhagat's father and sitting legislator Nomula Narasimhaiah had caused the by-election which was held on April 17.

Despite the Covid surge, the constituency had witnessed 86.18 per cent polling. Out of 2.20 lakh voters, 1.89 lakh had cast their votes.

A total of 41 candidates, including three women, were in fray.

In 2018, Nomula Narasimhaiah had won the seat by defeating Jana Reddy of Congress by about 8,000 votes. Narasimhaiah had polled 83,655 votes while Jana Reddy garnered 75,884 votes. BJP's K. Niveditha Reddy had polled only 2,675 votes.

The stakes were high for all the three major parties in the bypoll. Upbeat after winning both the seats of state Legislative Council that went to polls in March, the TRS made all out effort to retain Nagarjuna Sagar and banking on the sympathy factor by fielding Nomula Bhagat.

This was despite the TRS losing Dubbak Assembly to the BJP in November last year though the ruling party fielded S. Sujatha, widow of S. Ramalinga Reddy, whose death had necessitated the bypoll.

After the shock defeat to the BJP in Dubbak, the TRS did not take any chances in Nagarjuna Sagar. Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, who had not campaigned for TRS in Dubbak, addressed two public meetings.

The Congress was banking heavily on the charisma of Jana Reddy, who won the seat in 2009 and 2014.

He was earlier elected five times from Chalakurthy constituency, which became Nagarjuna Sagar in the delimitation exercise in 2009.
New Delhi, May 2 : After losing in the state polls the Congress said that the party will "study" the results, correct mistakes and do a course correction.

Congress Chief Spokesperson Randeep Surjewala addressing a press conference on Sunday read out a statement and said, "The Congress Party will definitely study the results and all the reasons diligently and we are committed to correct our mistakes and do appropriate course correction." "We recognize that the election results are not as per our expectations, particularly those of Assam and Kerala," he added.

Surjewala said the people's mandate is the final word in a democracy. People of West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry have given their democratic mandate for the next five years. We accept the verdict with humility and a sense of responsibility.

The statement said the party had lost the elections in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry and West Bengal but we have neither lost our morale nor our resolve or determination to continuously become the people's voice in these times of unprecedented calamity.

"We take this opportunity to recognize that our workers and leaders worked unitedly on the ground and gave their best, yet the people's verdict was not in our favour. Congress Party and its workers have a deep rooted personal connect with the people of the country, particularly in the five States where elections were held. We shall endeavour and work harder to build greater faith and affinity between the party and the people. We shall fulfil our commitment of a responsible opposition in both the States of Assam and Kerala to raise people's issues, inside & outside the Assembly," he said.

The Congress also congratulated the people of West Bengal, who have decimated the vicious divisive agenda as also money and muscle power of the Bharatiya Janata Party. They have chosen peace & brotherhood over division and hatred. While the Bengal results are a matter of concern, discussion and deliberation for the Congress Party, we congratulate Mamta Banerjee for her resounding victory and her determination in defeating the BJP, it said.

It also congratulated the Bharatiya Janata Party and Sarbananda Sonowal for their victory in Assam as also the LDF and Pinarayi Vijayan for their victory in Kerala.

"We sincerely hope that they will work to fulfil all their electoral promises as also do their best to protect lives in times of pandemic," the party said.

In Tamil Nadu, the Congress fought as part of the DMK alliance. The alliance led by M.K. Stalin has emerged victorious, defeating the AIADMK-BJP alliance. The party thanked the people of Tamil Nadu for their wisdom and faith and congratulated M.K. Stalin for leading the alliance to victory and said it is committed to work together, fulfil the election promises and ensure the State's development. "Congratulations to MK Stalin for the victory. People of Tamil Nadu have voted for change and we will, under your leadership, prove to be a confident step in that direction", said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

"Presently, the biggest challenge facing the country is to defeat the unprecedented Covid pandemic. Congress Party, along with its frontal organisations like the Youth Congress, is leaving no stone unturned to contribute in every way possible. We demand that Modi Govt now rise above the partisan political campaign and concentrate upon tackling Covid, providing life saving medicines and oxygen, ramping up hospital infrastructure and ensure universal vaccination for all. This is the bounden duty of each and every Indian," Surjewala said.
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New Delhi, May 2 : Amid the surge in Covid cases in the national capital, the Delhi government is taking all necessary measures to contain the virus and provide treatment to the patients. Doctors across the city are also putting in all their efforts in treating the patients and overcoming the shortage of oxygen.

The doctors with the help of family members of the patients are getting the oxygen cylinders refilled from a refilling facility in Haridwar in order to ensure continuous oxygen supply for the patients. The relatives of the patients are travelling from Delhi to Haridwar in their own vehicles to get the cylinders.

Recently, the Delhi government converted the Shehnai Banquet Hall near LNJP hospital into a Covid care centre. Patients with mild to moderate symptoms have been kept here.

Rajat Jain, President of the 'Doctor for You' organisation, which is responsible for this Covid care centre, told IANS that "there is acute shortage of oxygen while the patients who are being admitted now are in need of it. The LNJP hospital is providing oxygen to us but they are also grappling with the shortage. We are getting the cylinders refilled from Haridwar with the help of family members of the patients. As of now, we have got 40 cylinders refilled." "We have concentrators and with the help of a few NGOs we are trying to make arrangements at our level. Around 60 patients are admitted in the Banquet Hall. We are requesting the family members to get the cylinders refilled from Haridwar," he added.

The centre is equipped with oxygen support and doctors as well as nurses are here to take care of the patients with mild or moderate symptoms or who need oxygen support.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
New Delhi, May 2 : Thirteen top opposition leaders on Sunday jointly called on the Narendra Modi government to launch free mass vaccinations to tackle the coronavirus pandemic, as well as ensure oxygen supplies to hospitals across the country.

"In times of the uncontrollable surge of the pandemic across our country, we call upon the Central government to focus all attention in ensuring the uninterrupted flow of oxygen supplies to all hospitals and health centres across the country.

"We call upon the Central government to immediately launch a free mass vaccination programme across the country," said Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, former Prime Minister and Janata Dal-Secular supremo H.D. Deve Gowda, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, Jharkhand Chief Minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader Hemant Soren, DMK chief M.K. Stalin, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati, National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav, Communist Party of India-Marxist chief Sitaram Yechury and Communist Party of India's D. Raja, in the joint statement.

"The budgetary allocation of Rs 35,000 crore for the vaccination programme must be utilised for this," they added.
New Delhi, May 2 : After the Congress lost the Assembly elections in four states, party leader Rahul Gandhi said he accepts the people's mandate.

"We humbly accept the people's mandate. Sincere gratitude to our party workers and the millions of people who supported us on the ground. We will continue to fight for our values and ideals. Jai Hind," Gandhi tweeted.

The Congress lost all the Assembly elections except in Tamil Nadu where the party is in alliance with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).

Congress Chief Spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, addressing a press conference on Sunday released a statement and said, "The Congress will definitely study the results and all the reasons diligently. We are committed to correct our mistakes and do appropriate course correction." "We recognise that the election results are not as per our expectations, particularly those of Assam and Kerala," he added.

Surjewala said, "People's mandate is the final word in democracy. People of West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry have given their democratic mandate for the next five years. We accept the verdict with humility and a sense of responsibility." The Congress released a statement, saying,"The party had lost the elections in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry and West Bengal but we have neither lost our morale nor our resolve or the determination to continuously become people's voice in these times of unprecedented calamity." "We take this opportunity to recognise that our workers and leaders worked unitedly on the ground and gave their best, yet the people's verdict was not in our favour. Congress party and its workers have a deep rooted personal connect with the people of the country, particularly in the five states where elections were held. We shall endeavour and work harder to build greater faith and affinity between the party and the people. We shall fulfill our commitment of a responsible opposition in both Assam and Kerala to raise people's issues, inside and outside the Assembly," Surjewala said.

The Congress also congratulated the people of West Bengal, who have decimated the vicious divisive agenda as well as the money and muscle power of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). They have chosen peace and brotherhood over division and hatred. While the Bengal results are a matter of concern, discussion and deliberation for the Congress party, we congratulate Trinamool Congress (TMC) Supremo, Mamata Banerjee, for her resounding victory and her determination in defeating the BJP, it said.

The Congress also congratulated the BJP and Assam Chief Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal, for their victory in the north-eastern state as well as the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for their victory in Kerala.

"We sincerely hope that they will work to fulfil all their electoral promises as well as do their best to protect lives in times of the pandemic," said the Congress.

In Tamil Nadu, Congress fought as part of the DMK-led alliance. The DMK alliance led by M.K. Stalin has emerged victorious, defeating the AIADMK-BJP alliance. The party thanked the people of Tamil Nadu for their wisdom and faith and congratulated M.K. Stalin for leading the alliance to victory. It said it is committed to work together, fulfil the election promises and ensure the state's development.

"Congratulations to M.K. Stalin for the victory. People of Tamil Nadu have voted for change and we will under your leadership prove to be a confident step in that direction," said Rahul Gandhi.
Chennai, May 2 : BJP candidates A. Johnkumar and his son Richard Johnkumar won from their respective Assembly seats on Sunday in the Union Territory of Puducherry.

A. Johnkumar was with the Congress before joining the BJP ahead of the announcement of the Assembly elections in Puducherry.

A. Johnkumar contested from Kamaraj Nagar from where he had won twice earlier as a Congress candidate. He defeated former minister M.O.H.F. Shajahan of the Congress by 7,229 votes.

His son Richard Johnkumar fought a tough battle against DMK candidate V. Cartigueyana before winning by a slender margin of 496 votes from the Nellithope Assembly constituency.

The NDA led by the All India NR Congress (AINRC) is leading in the 30-member Puducherry Assembly with 12 seats. While the AINRC has won 8 seats, 4 seats have been won by its ally BJP. The Secular Progressive Alliance led by the Congress has won 3 seats as the counting progresses.
Mumbai, May 2 : Top political leaders in Maharashtra hailed the impending victory of the ruling Trinamool Congress in the West Bengal Assembly elections, as the final results continue to trickle in on Sunday.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray called up Trinamool supremo and West Bengal Chief Minster Mamata Banerjee for her party's impressive performance and said "the entire credit for this victory goes to the Bengal Tigress".

"Mamata Banerjee was fighting alone for the self-respect of the Bengali people. Her courage must be appreciated. In the end, she won," said Thackeray.

Taking a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Thackeray said that the Bharatiya Janata Party used all its might to vanquish Banerjee, but she blew them away.

"Now that politics is over, let's all focus on the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. I heartily congratulate her (Banerjee) and the courageous people of West Bengal," said Thackeray.

Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar said: "Congratulations on your stupendous victory! Let us continue our work towards the welfare of people and tackling the pandemic collectively." Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole said Banerjee's victory proves that the PM has failed to control the Covid-19 pandemic in the country.

"To defeat a lone woman, PM Modi, his entire cabinet, BJP leaders from all over India abandoned the country during the pandemic to campaign for the West Bengal polls. They misused power, government machinery and moneypower, attacked the Bengali pride and self-respect, but the people of that state have given them an appropriate reply," said Patole.

He said that the BJP's defeat in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala have clearly confirmed that the Modi government has miserably failed in handling the pandemic.

BJP's Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis said that now West Bengal has become "Communist-Mukt" and "Congress-Mukt" with the BJP improving its performance in a big way in the eastern state.

"Now, the BJP has become a formidable challenger in Bengal. Now, the state has left behind the Leftist ideology, and the saffron era has begun as Hindutva has got a firm foothold there," Fadnavis said.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray said that the "constant struggle has been the core" of Banerjee's political journey and it reached the epitome in the recent West Bengal elections in which she emerged victorious.

"Both Maharashtra and West Bengal have always resonated similar perceptions and backdrop whereby artistic and a progressive thought process takes precedence. To keep up with this legacy, its imperative that the states get adequate autonomy, a sense of regional identity and pride," said Raj Thackeray.

Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said: "Congratulations to the Bengal Tigress. Time for West Bengal to heal, the bitterness this battle saw was unprecedented. You all fought well and you deserve this win." Sena leader and Bollywood actress Urmila Matondkar said: "Today, a daughter of Bharatmata, with the blessings of Lord Ram, has flown the victory flag in West Bengal. Hats off to a single, strong woman's spirit, fortitude and perseverance. Bengal rocks!" Pawar and Patole have also congratulated the top leaders of the winning parties in both Tamil Nadu and Kerala, urging that now all should unite in the war against the pandemic that has gripped the country.
Hyderabad, May 2 : Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday thanked the people of Nagarjuna Sagar Assembly constituency for electing Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) candidate Nomula Bhagat with a vast majority.

The TRS chief said the party would rededicate itself and work with doubled vigour.

He thanked people for expressing their immense faith in the development, and welfare schemes of the government "despite several vicious campaigns let lose by the vested interests".

He said as per the TRS policy, the promises made during the electioneering would be fulfilled. He said very soon he would undertake a tour of the constituency along with Bhagat and solve all the problems of people.

KCR, as the Chief Minister is popularly known, said the lift irrigation schemes sanctioned in Devarakonda, Nagarjunasagar, Miryalguda, Huzurnagar and Kodad constituencies would be completed on a fast track and would supply water to the people. He said the issues of the people compiled during the elections would also be solved.

He also congratulated Bhagat and suggested that the newly-elected MLA should utilise this opportunity to serve the people and lay a strong foundation for a better political career. The CM also thanked the TRS leaders, cadre, and supporters for working for the victory of Bhagat.

Bhagat is son of Nomula Narasimhaiah, the sitting TRS legislator whose death in December last year, had caused the by-election.
Kolkata, May 2 : The BJP should not have "underestimated" its opponent and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee, and the party should have read the heritage, history and culture of West Bengal properly as people of the state are more inclusive, said Chandra Kumar Bose, the grand nephew of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and grandson of Sarat Chandra Bose, the elder brother of Netaji.

He also said that the BJP should have announced a chief ministerial candidate in West Bengal, besides not imposing its ideology on the people.

While the counting of votes is still on, the Trinamool is poised to return to power for the third time in a row in Bengal with leads in over 200 seats, well above the magic figure of 148.

Bose, who had joined the BJP in January 2016, told IANS that the 2021 Assembly election results are good for the party as it is leading on over 80 out of the 292 seats that went to the polls.

He said, "I think it is a good performance. In 2016, we had won three Assembly seats while this time we have been leading on more than 80 seats. In fact, it is a fairly good performance. And yes, we fell short of the magic figure of 148 to form the government." Bose further said that he had in fact given suggestion to the party leadership that it needs to get the 6 per cent critical vote bank.

"We had in fact got 41 per cent votes in 2019 (general elections) but we fell short of the critical vote bank of Bengal and we fell short by 4 to 5 per cent. This has happened this time also as the people of Bengal are very inclusive in nature," Bose said.

He also noted that the appeasement politics of Trinamool Congress cannot be countered by appeasement of the Hindu community.

"You need to have inclusive politics of reaching out to all religions in equal manner and cannot give weightage to one and less weightage to another. And there we failed to win the critical vote bank," the BJP leader said.

Bose noted that while polarisation happened in North Bengal, it did not happen in all the 292 seats.

He said, "If you consider 292 seats, polarisation happened only on certain seats." Bose added that if BJP could have done inclusive politics, then it could have reached out to the 10 crore voters of Bengal.

"What happened by doing vote bank politics and appeasement politics... we could not reach out to 100 per cent voters in the state," Bose said.

Citing an example, the BJP leader said that if you sit in an exam, you need to prepare for 100 per cent of the questions, but "we had prepared for 60 per cent questions and by answering 60 per cent questions one cannot top in exams".

"That is what I feel. My strategy was to reaching out to all communities like Hindu, Msulim, Sikh and others, then we would have combated the strategy of Mamata Banerjee," he said.

"But we underestimated our opponent as Banerjee is a leader of the masses and of repute. We should have taken our opponent seriously," Bose said.

He also said that the party leaders claiming to reach the halfway mark during few phases of polls did not work.

"These comments had an adverse effect on Bengal voters because Bengali people are very sentimental and intellectual. They took offence to that," Bose said.

He noted that "you cannot in the halfway stage claim that Mamata Banerjee would not be forming the government, and this was when the elections didn't even reach the halfway mark".

"I think those things we should have avoided and we should have also learnt the history, heritage and culture of Bengal. It was a bad reading," the BJP leader said.

Bose also said that the party should have focused more on local leaders.

"We know that BJP is a national party but more focus should have been given on local leaders backed by national leaders. We have a lot of local leaders like Mukul Roy, Dilip Ghosh, Suvendu Adhikari and others. And of course local leaders should have got support from the national leadership," he said.

He also said that a chief ministerial face should have been projected in West Bengal.

Backing his claims, Bose said, "Bengal is not Madhya Pradesh or Uttar Pradesh, where the BJP has a strong support base. Trinamool Congress has a strong face in the form of Mamata Banerjee." Citing examples of strong CM faces, Bose said that against Congress Chief Minister Siddhartha Shankar Ray, the Left parties had brought Jyoti Basu.

First Basu and then Buddhadeb Bhattacharya ruled till 2011 for 34 years and then Mamata Banerjee emerged as the strong face, he said.

"I had suggested this to the central leadership. But the party decided to follow its own ideology. Look, you need to do what Bengal wants. You cannot impose yourself on Bengal and ask people to vote for you," Bose said, adding that these are the things that went wrong.

He also said that now the BJP is the major opposition party in the state and it will play the role of a responsible opposition.

"We have several issues like the Covid menace and development of the state and we will work as a responsible opposition," the BJP leader said.

Commenting on the performance of Left parties and the Congress in the state, Bose said that both have been decimated in Bengal.

He felt that Left parties have the support base at the grassroot and booth level but they were unable to reach out to the voters.

(Anand Singh can be contacted at anand.s@ians.in)
New Delhi, May 2 : Even as several hospitals complained of Oxygen shortage, the Indian Railways on Sunday said that it has delivered about 1,094 MT of liquid oxygen, since it ran first loaded Oxygen Express.

A railway ministry spokesperson said that the national transporter continued its journey of bringing relief to people by delivering Liquid Medical Oxygen(LMO) to various states across the country.

The official said, "Indian Railways has now delivered 1,094 MT of LMO in 74 tankers to various states across the country. And 19 Oxygen Express trains have already completed their journey and two more loaded Oxygen Express are on the run carrying 61.46 MT of LMO in four tankers." The official said that Delhi received its second Oxygen Express on Sunday afternoon carrying 120 MT of LMO, and third Oxygen Express has already begun its journey from Angul to Delhi carrying 30.86 MT LMO.

The official said that Telangana received its first Oxygen Express from Angul carrying 63.6 MT LMO earlier in the day.

He said that more Oxygen Express to Haryana and Delhi carrying 61.46 MT LMO are on their way.

The official said that so far, Indian Railways has delivered more than 1094 metric tonnes LMO to Maharashtra (174 MT), Uttar Pradesh (430.51 MT), Madhya Pradesh (156.96 MT), Delhi (190 MT), Haryana (79 MT) & Telangana (63.6 MT).
Mumbai, May 2 : Maharashtra's Covid-19 deaths and infections witnessed a sharp fall on Sunday, although the state toll shot above the 70,000 mark while the case tally went above 47 lakh, health officials said here.

As against 802 deaths on Saturday, the state recorded 669 fatalities, taking up its toll to 70,284.

After over a week, the number of new infections dropped below the 60,000 mark, from 63,282 on Saturday to 56,647 now, as the state tally rose to 47,22,401 now.

The Mumbai infections remained below the 5,000 level, at 3,629, while the tally rose to 655,997.

Mumbai's daily deaths also came down from 90 on Saturday to 79 now, and the total fatalities in the country's commercial capital shot up to 13,294.

For the second day, the state death rate remained stable at 1.49 per cent, while the number of active cases increased from 663,758 to 668,353.

On the brighter side, 51,356 fully cured patients returned home, taking the total to 39,81,658 now, with the recovery rate improving from 84.24 per cent on Saturday to 84.31 per cent now.

The Mumbai Circle - comprising Mumbai, Thane, Palghar and Raigad districts - recorded a drop below the 10,000 level in new cases at 9,700, taking its tally to 13,91,160, while with 156 more deaths, the toll rose to 23,622.

Of the day's fatalities, Mumbai led with 79 deaths, while there were 65 in Pune, 62 in Thane, 49 in Solapur, 35 in Nashik, 34 in Ahmednagar, 30 in Nagpur, 28 in Yavatmal, 27 in Latur, 26 in Sangli, 23 in Nanded, 22 in Osmanabad, 21 each in Jalgaon and Amravati, 16 in Beed, 15 each in Satara and Chandrapur, 13 in Parbhani, 11 each in Raigad and Hingoli, 10 each in Sindhudurg, Jalna, and Washim, nine in Bhandara, six in Wardha, five in Gondia, four each in Palghar, Kolhapur, and Akola, and two each in Nandurbar and Aurangabad.

Out of the state's 36 districts, only Gadchiroli, Buldhana, Ratnagiri, and Dhule recorded zero fatalities.

Meanwhile, the number of people sent to home isolation decreased to 39,96,946 now, while those shunted to institutional quarantine went up to 27,735.
New York, May 2 : US-based pharmaceutical major Pfizer's Chief Executive Officer Albert Bourla said that the company's Covid-19 oral antiviral pill, which is in early-stage trials, could be ready by the end of the year, the media reported.

According to CNBC, the company, which developed the first authorised Covid-19 vaccine in the US with German drugmaker BioNTech, began an early-stage clinical trial for testing a new antiviral therapy for Covid-19 in March.

The drug is part of a class of medicines called protease inhibitors and works by inhibiting an enzyme that the virus needs to replicate in human cells.

"If clinical trials go well and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves it, the drug could be distributed across the US by the end of the year," Bourla told CNBC.

Protease inhibitors are used to treat other viral pathogens such as HIV and hepatitis C, the report said.

Last month, the pharmaceutical giant asked the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to expand the Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) for its Covid-19 vaccine to include children ages 12 to 15.

The request to expand emergency use comes just days after Pfizer released data demonstrating its vaccine was 100 per cent effective and well-tolerated by the younger group.

Pfizer is also working on its vaccine for 6-month to 11-year-old children.

A recent study, published in the journal Science, showed that a single dose of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines against Covid may boost immunity against the Covid-19 variants, only in people who were previously infected with the deadly virus.

In people who have not previously been infected and have so far only received one dose of vaccine, the immune response to variants of concern may be insufficient, the study indicated.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Amateur Radio licensing in the Falkland Islands The Open Falklands site provides an update on the licensing situation in the Falkland Islands



The site says:



After several months of protracted discussions, the Falkland Islands Communications Regulator has provided a final opportunity for non-resident lifetime, VP8 licence owners to have their VP8 callsigns revalidated.

The Regulator issued the following direction on the 27th April 2021:



Notice of Direction made by the Falkland Islands Communications Regulator addressed to those who hold or have held Falkland Island Amateur Radio Licences typically identified by call-signs with a VP8 prefix.



Pursuant to Regulation 10 Communications (Radiocommunications Licensing Procedures) Regulations 2019 the Falklands Islands Communications Regulator hereby directs and gives notice to all holders of Falkland Islands radio licences falling in the following categories:



(1) Amateur Radio Licence Full Lifetime



(2) Amateur Radio Licence Restricted Lifetime where:



 The licence has been granted on terms where no termination date has been specified and/or specify that the licence may be terminated on notice;

 Who wish to carry on the activities permitted by their licence; and

 Whose licences were not revalidated in the calendar year 2020



that they must apply to revalidate their licence by 31 Aug 21.



Anyone seeking to revalidate a licence must complete an Application to Revalidate a Radio Licence form and submit it by email to the Falklands Islands Communications Regulator on or before 13 Aug 21.



The Amateur Radio Licence Application form is available either to download from the Falklands Islands Communications Regulators website http://www.regulatorfi.org.fk or in print form from:



 The Post Office, Stanley, Falkland Islands; and

 The General Post Office Mount Pleasant, Falkland Islands.



Please take notice that 



 Any licence that is not re-validated in accordance with this direction will be deemed to have been terminated on 1 Sep 21 and in such circumstances

 The former licence holder must not carry on any of the activities that were permitted under the terminated licence; and

 If the former licence holder wishes to carry on any of the activities permitted under the terminated licence they will have to apply for a new licence.

 This is the third and final opportunity to seek revalidation. The Falklands Islands Communications Regulator cannot guarantee that any particular call-sign remains available. In circumstances where revalidation is sought for a licence with a call-sign that is no longer available a new call sign will be issued.

 New long-term licences will only be issued to individuals who meet the appropriate residency requirements. Full details are available on Falklands Islands Communications Regulators website.



Source Open Falklands

https://openfalklands.com/formal-complaint-regarding-the-actions-of-the-falkland-islands-communications-regulator/



Licence information, call sign database information, and revalidation guidance are at

https://www.regulatorfi.org.fk/spectrum/amateur-radio



In the past the Falkland Islands issued amateur radio licences without requiring any qualifications. In January 2020 the FICR announcd "the intention over time is for the Falkland Islands to move towards a qualification-based competency for the full amateur licence"

http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2020/january/falkland-island-ham-radio-licences.htm
New Delhi, May 2 : Assembly polls results of four key states and a Union Territory that came out on Sunday shows that women are emerging as an independent "vote bank" in the country and now play a decisive role in deciding electoral fortune of political parties, say analysts.

In the last 10 years, women's voting percentage has increased and crossed male voter turnout in recent elections. CVoter founder Yashwant Deshmukh told IANS that earlier women voter turnout used to be at least 10 per cent less than the male voter turnout but in the last 10 years, it has increased.

"In last ten years, women voter turnout is at par with male voter turnout or in many polls, their turnout is more," he said.

Deshmukh contended that governance is the most important poll issue for the women voters and they are least bothered by other political agenda of any political parties.

"Polarisation on the name of religion or caste does not affect the decision of women voters. They only vote for governance and development and it is visible in recent polls in the last few years," he said.

Women voters not only outnumber male voters in exercising their franchise but also have independent preference. Their preference has ensured the return of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre in 2019, and Nitish Kumar's return in Bihar in 2020.

Only due to their independent choice, did not only Mamta Banerjee return to power in West Bengal for her third term but also ensured return of the BJP and the LDF for a second term in Assam and Kerala, respectively. In Tamil Nadu, women also played a crucial role in return of the DMK to power as they drifted away from the AIADMK after demise of its supremo and Chief Minister J. Jayalalitha, he said.

"Prime Minister Modi's women specific welfare schemes like Ujjwala Yojana, which gave free gas cylinders, financial help to build toilets in every home and other welfare schemes ensured women's vote to BJP in the last Lok Sabha polls. Women voters also ensured return of Nitish Kumar government in Bihar... as they are voting independently on issues concerning them," Deshmukh said.

He emphasised that IANS-CVoter polls for the last many years shows women voters in West Bengal played a key role in success of Mamata Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress.

Pointing toward the voting pattern of women voters, Deshmukh said: "Women voters have arrived and they will make and break the electoral fortune of any leader of a political party."
Hyderabad, May 2 : Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday dropped E. Rajender from his council of ministers after investigation by Medak District Collector found that he encroached land of farmers.

"On the advice of the Chief Minister of Telangana, the Hon'ble Governor, Telangana has dropped E. Rajender, Minister from the Council of Ministers with immediate effect," said a communique from the Raj Bhavan.

The development came on a day when Medak District Collector submitted his inquiry report to Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar. The report says that Jamuna Hatcheries, owned by Rajender, encroached 66 acres of assigned lands in Achampet and Hakimpet villages in the district.

The District Collector conducted an inquiry on the direction of the Chief Minister.

The Chief Minister on Saturday took over the medical, health and family welfare portfolio from Rajender after the land grabbing allegations by farmers.

The development came a day after he ordered inquiry by the District Collector into allegations against his cabinet colleague. He also instructed DGP, Vigilance, Purnachandra Rao to find out the truth on the allegations.

Chandrasekhar Rao ordered the probe hours after some farmers in Medak district submitted a complaint to him alleging that the Health Minister forcibly took over 100 acres of their assigned lands to start a poultry industry.

Eight villagers from Achampet and Hakimpet villages alleged that the minister and his followers had taken over their lands to start a poultry industry. They sought intervention by the Chief Minister and appealed to him to ensure that the assigned lands given to them by the government be restored to them immediately.

The same day Rajender addressed a news conference to deny the allegations and claimed that a campaign was being run for his character assassination. He said he was ready to face a probe even by a sitting judge or the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Chennai, May 2 : For the 68-year-old M.K. Stalin, affectionately called "Thalapathi" (Commander) by members of his DMK, the wait to lead Tamil Nadu as its head will soon get over.

The DMK, led by Stalin, a former Deputy Chief Minister, is all set to come to power after a 10-year hiatus, and has even gained a majority on its own.

With the successive poll victories - the first one was the 2019 Lok Sabha polls - and now the Assembly polls, Stalin has established himself as an undisputed leader within and outside the party.

Stalin has to wait for some more days for his coronation as Chief Minister.

His earlier coronation as the DMK's second President in 2018 was a smooth affair.

DMK's then General Secretary K. Anbazhagan then said 1,307 party officials had proposed and seconded Stalin's candidature.

Stalin was given the role of Working President in January 2017 after his father and party patriarch M. Karunanidhi was largely confined to his home due to age-related ailments.

Born on March 1, 1953 to Karunanidhi and Dayalu Ammal, Stalin was named after the Russian leader Joseph Stalin who died on March 5, 1953 - four days after Stalin's birth.

Legend has it that Karunanidhi wanted to name him 'Ayyadurai' - after DK founder 'Periyar' E.V. Ramasamy and DMK founder C.N. Annadurai.

Like his multi-faceted father who entered public life at the age of 14, Stalin too started his political journey by becoming an ordinary member of the DMK at the age of 14 and campaigning for the party in the 1967 polls.

A year earlier he had formed a youth forum: Gopalapuram Youth DMK.

Stalin came to public notice at large when he was jailed under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) for opposing the imposition of Emergency by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

He became the party's Youth Wing Secretary in 1984 and continued to hold that post for a long time.

It was in 1984 that Stalin made his electoral debut from Thousand Lights constituency in Chennai but lost. He finally entered the Assembly in 1989.

The other electoral loss for him was in 1991 at the same seat.

Till date, Stalin has won six Assembly polls - four times from Thousand Lights and twice from Kolathur constituency. His seventh victory comes in 2021.

Stalin was the Local Administration Minister in the Karunanidhi government (2006-11) and became Deputy Chief Minister in 2009 and stayed in the post till 2011.

As the aged Karunanidhi was not able to move much, the mantle of being lead campaigner fell on him in 2016 Assembly polls.

The DMK won 89 seats and narrowly missed the victory to the AIADMK then led by J. Jayalalithaa.

Stalin became the Leader of the Opposition. But the party suffered a shock defeat losing the security deposit in the by-election from R.K. Nagar constituency in Chennai, a seat held by Jayalalithaa. The by-election was won by T.T.V. Dhinakaran, a rebel AIADMK leader who later floated the AMMK.

Before becoming a state minister, Stalin was the Chennai Mayor in 1996-2001 and 2001-02. He was also the party Treasurer.

During his Mayorship, the Chennai Corporation built several flyovers to ease the traffic flow. The AIADMK government headed by Jayalalithaa had, however, arrested Stalin for alleged corruption in building the flyovers.

But it did not affect his career. Even Karunanidhi had once openly declared that if he had a chance then he would announce Stalin as his successor.

But Stalin's elder brother and former Union Minister M.K. Alagiri - then incharge of the party affairs in the southern districts - opposed it and said he cannot think of anybody else as his leader other than Karunanidhi.

Later, Alagiri was dismissed from the party for anti-party activities.

Meanwhile, Stalin started taking strong hold of the party reins following the indisposition of Karunanidhi.

The Alagiri-Stalin rivalry plagued the DMK for a long time but Karunanidhi kept a fragile peace till his passing away.

Stalin is married to Durga, a believer, and the couple have two children - Udayanidhi and Senthamarai.

Udhayanidhi, an actor turned politician, also made successful electoral debut this time from the Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni Assembly constituency.

Stalin also had acted in two movies and in two television serials.

Succeeding Karunanidhi, an illustrious leader, Stalin did not try to show himself as a leader different from his father, and in all his election campaign speeches, always said he is the son of Karunanidhi.

Roping in political strategist Prashant Kishor to chart the party's victory route, Stalin continued with the campaign of painting the Narendra Modi-led Central government as "anti-Tamil" and "anti-states".

The party also successfully built a public perception that it would win the polls and the AIADMK government was subservient to the Central government.

Stalin also carried out hard bargaining for seats with allies and made many of them contest under the party's Rising Sun electoral symbol.

On the other factors that worked for the DMK in the assembly elections, a political analyst told IANS, were the anti-incumbency against the AIADMK government, the anti-BJP sentiment, alliance arithmetic, the steady cultivation of the perception that it will win the polls over a long period of time, and caste neutrality.

He did not agree that the assembly poll victory was an extension of the DMK-led alliance's victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

"That was a total rout for the AIADMK-led alliance. During the Lok Sabha elections, it was Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for the Prime Ministership that was on the centre stage," the analyst said.

In 2019 there was an anti-Modi wave in Tamil Nadu. But in the 2021 Assembly elections, Stalin was at the centre stage but there was no wave in his favour to rout the AIADMK, the analyst said.

Be that as it may, with the 2021 Assembly election victory and heading the state government, Stalin has very many challenges facing him.

First and the foremost will be arresting the spread of coronavirus.

As an opposition leader, he had fired several salvos against Chief Minister K. Palaniswami. And now Stalin has to take control.

As he used to say, the state finances were in bad shape. And now it is his responsibility to set it right while fulfilling many of the populist poll promises that were made this time.

After years of maintaining an anti-BJP stance, Stalin has to navigate carefully the centre-state relations as a Chief Minister.

What is now certain is that Stalin may come out of his father's shadows. And the long wait to become the Chief Minister will soon get over.

(Venkatachari Jagannathan can be contacted at v.jagannathan@ians.in)
Kolkata, May 2 : In a major development, the Trinamool Congress on Sunday approached state Chief Electoral Officer Ariz Aftab demanding recounting of votes in Nandigram after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee lost from there against her one-time aide and BJP candidate Suvendu Adhkari in the 'battle of prestige in East Midnapore district.

On Sunday evening, a Trinamool delegation led by its Rajya Sabha MP Derek O' Brien, former Mayor Firhad Hakim, MP Kalyan Banerjee and Atin Ghosh met CEO Ariz Aftab and submitted a letter demanding recounting of votes.

In the letter, the ruling party alleged that certain 'preposterous' and 'illegal' things have happened during the counting of votes in Nandigram for which it is demanding immediate recounting.

Elaborating further, the letter said that the counting process in Nandigram was stopped from time to time, alleging tampering of EVM.

In the letter, it has also been alleged that false votes were counted in favour of the BJP while Trinamool votes were wrongfully rejected.

"The candidate, Mamata Banerjee, has sought recounting of votes before the Returning Officer, Nandigram, but such recounting has been refused for reasons unknown. Such refusal is bad in law and colour," the letter said.

The Nandigram incident sparked a controversy when after several twist-and-turns, Banerjee's one-time aide Adhikari reportedly defeated her by a narrow margin. The Trinamool, however, did not accept the verdict, claiming that the counting is still on.

Meanwhile, Adhikari in a tweet congratulated the people of Nandigram for his victory and attached a copy of the tabulation sheet of the last round of counting that shows him winning by a margin of 2,036 votes.

Adhikari tweeted, "My sincere thanks to the great People of Nandigram for their love, trust, blessings, and support, and for choosing me as their representative and the MLA from #Nandigram. It is my never-ending commitment to be of service to them and working for their welfare. I am truly grateful!" Banerjee retorted by saying, "The Election Commission worked as a spokesperson of the BJP and now see what they are doing. Three hours back, it said something and now it is saying something else. Let Nadigram give its verdict, I shall accept that. I shall go to the court." Latter she said, "Nandigram is not a matter to me. I have so many seats but something wrong has happened there. The EVMs were tampered. The server was down for four hours. Everywhere we are winning but we have lost there only." The EC will now take the final call. Though officially none was ready to speak, but sources in the Commission said the ECI has been communicated about the developments and it will take a final decision on the matter.
Chennai, May 2 : Assured of electoral victory in the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly polls, DMK President M.K. Stalin on Sunday said "a new chapter is set to begin in the organisation's history".

Interestingly, it is not only to DMK's history that a new chapter is being added.

The death of two tall leaders of the state -- AAIADMK's J. Jayalalithaa in 2016 and DMK's M. Karunanidhi in 2018 -- resulted in new chapters being written in the state's politics.

On its part, the DMK won the 2019 Lok Sabha polls routing the AIADMK alliance. The DMK alliance won 38 of the 39 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

That success was replicated in the April 6 Assembly polls.

"We expected to win 180 seats. But we lost some constituencies where we had expected a win," DMK spokesperson and Parliamentarian T.K.S. Elangovan told IANS.

As to the new chapter that Stalin referred to, Elangovan said: "Stalin is a workaholic and is keen on fulfilling the promises made in the Assembly poll manifesto." Elangovan said the party leader will take up the issues of the people.

"Stalin has the administrative experience as he has been a former Deputy Chief Minister, minister in Karunanidhi's cabinet and was also the Mayor of Chennai," Elangovan said.

Continuing further, he said Stalin also knows to run the party and has been successfully doing that for the past several years.

Further, Stalin and Karunanidhi cannot be compared as the latter's experience and the initial days were different, he said.

Karunanidhi was part of the Dravida Kazhagam which was not interested in fighting elections but protested against social evils and propagation of ideology.

"Over the years, with the DMK coming to political power, the ideology has been achieved to a great extent. Now the focus will be on administration which Stalin will effectively see to," Elangovan said.

On the other hand, the sudden death of Jayalalithaa saw tumultuous developments in the AIADMK like the two splits, one engineered by O. Panneerselvam opposing V.K. Sasikala becoming the Chief Minister.

Some months after Sasikala was jailed in the corruption case, Panneerselvam rejoined the party and patched up with Chief Minister K. Palaniswami.

Subsequently, the party also dismissed 18 lawmakers who were supporters of T.T.V. Dhinakaran, the nephew of Sasikala.

The Palaniswami government, which was on totters for want of numbers to have majority in the Assembly, finally found its feet winning the required numbers in the bypolls.

Only the last two years, the outgoing AIADMK government had a peaceful existence.

Unlike Jayalalithaa, who was not accessible, Palaniswami was down to earth and accessible, answering the tricky or nasty questions raised by the media.

He never missed out an opportunity to say that he was from a humble family. The AIADMK culture of falling at Jayalalithaa's feet did not continue during Palaniswami's period.

Meanwhile, the days ahead are not going to be peaceful for Palaniswami with political analysts and others predicting internal power struggle with Panneerselvam.

Expelled former AIADMK Parliamentarian K.C. Palanisamy and a political analyst told IANS that Sasikala and Dhinakaran are now a spent force after the elections and may not be a threat for the AIADMK.

"Sasikala should have attempted to capture AIADMK or attacked it strongly soon after her release from the jail. But she announced her decision to keep away from politics temporarily," Palanisamy said.

In the Assembly polls, Dhinakaran himself was trailing and none of the other party candidates were able to win a seat which in turn exposed their lack of influence among the Thevar community, the political analyst said.

So, the coming days are not going to be smooth for the AIADMK and its leaders. After the swearing-in, the DMK government will start filing cases against the erstwhile ministers.

(Venkatachari Jagannathan can be contacted at v.jagannathan@ians.in)
New Delhi, May 2 : Senior Congress leaders, including Anand Sharma, had objected to the party's alliance with the Indian Secular Front (ISF) in West Bengal, but they were snubbed by Bengal Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.

Now after the dismal performance of the Congress-Left-ISF alliance in Bengal Assembly polls as well as in the Assam Assembly elections, many party leaders are saying that Congress lost poorly due to its tie up with the AIUDF in Assam and the ISF in West Bengal.

However, the party maintained in a statement that its morale is not down and it will work towards course correction, with Randeep Singh Surjewala saying, "The Congress will deliberate on the issues, including the issue of alliance, but the ex-Assam Chief Minister late Tarun Gogoi too was keen to join hands with the AIUDF." A Congress leader said on condition of anonymity that due to its alliance with the AIUDF, the BJP was able to polarise votes in its favour in Assam, and had there been a tacit understanding, things could have been better perhaps.

Of the 126 seats in Assam, the BJP is leading on 60 seats while its ally Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) on 11 seats and the United People's Party Liberal (UPPL) on seven seats.

The main opposition Congress is leading on 26 seats while its partners All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) is leading on 11 seats, the Bodoland People's Front on three seats and CPI-M on one seat.
Bengaluru, May 2 : Karnataka's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday wrested the Basavakalyan Assembly seat in Bidar district from the opposition Congress.

"BJP's candidate Sharanu Salagar won in Basavakalyan by a margin of 20,629 votes, defeating his nearest rival Mala B. Narayanrao of Congress in a triangular contest," a poll official told IANS on phone.

Salagar polled 71,012 votes, with 48.17 per cent vote share while Mala Narayanrao secured 50,383 votes, with 34.17 per cent vote share.

Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S), which fielded Sayed Yasrub Ali Quadri, got 11,402 votes, with 7.73 per cent vote share.

BJP's rebel candidate Mallikarjun Khuba, who was among the four Independents in the fray, got 9,457 votes, with 6.41 per cent vote share.

Of the 2,39,782 electorate in Basavakalyan, 1,47,647 voted, resulting in 61.58 per cent polling.

Of the total 1,47,432 votes, 834 were postal ballots, which were counted during the day-long process amid tight security and following Covid guidelines.

The vacancy in Basavakalyan was caused due to the death of Congress legislator B. Narayanrao due to Covid in September 2020. Mala is his widow.
New Delhi, May 2 : After winning a bitterly-fought battle with the BJP to record her third successive victory in the West Bengal Assembly elections, Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee seems to have emerged as a formidable challenge to the Centre's ruling party.

With leaders of different regional parties, including NCP chief Sharad Pawar, sending her congratulatory massages, the message from the Assembly election is clear that Banerjee is capable of taking the challenge of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, and combating it successfully.

However, the Congress, which was expected to win at least two states but could not do, failing to wrest Assam from the BJP and Kerala from the Left, still insists that it is the only option to BJP.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said: "Congress is the sole national party which is alternative to the BJP as it is fighting BJP in all the states." But the messages from the leaders of regional parties indicate that Banerjee, whose Trinamool which was once part of the UPA, has shown her mettle by single-handedly defeating the BJP and in a convincing manner.

The poll results show that people of West Bengal have rejected the Bharatiya Janata Party's attempt to polarise the elections. The BJP, which had left no stone unturned to dislodge the Banerjee government, could not cross three-digit figure despite its claims of getting 200-plus seats out of the state's 294.

The reason behind Banerjee's masterful performance was admitted by a BJP leader, who said that their leadership "failed to understand the pulse of Bengal and its culture". "And that is the reason despite leading in 121 Assembly constituencies in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, we are facing difficulties in winning over 100 seats in less than a two-year period." "People rejected politics of polarisation or communal politics. Muslim votes polarised in favour of the Trinamool while the Bengali Hindu also rejected communal politics and voted for the Trinamool," the BJP leader said.
Bengaluru, May 3 : Karnataka's opposition Congress is set to retain the Maski (reserved) Assembly seat as its candidate Basanagouda Turuvihal was leading by a margin of 30,606 votes over ruling BJP's nominee Pratapgouda Patil, as per poll officials.

"Turuvihal polled 86,337 votes, with 59.27 per cent vote share so far, while Patil secured 55,731 votes, with 38.26 per cent vote share," a poll official told IANS on phone.

Of 2,06,429-strong electorate in Maski in Raichur district, 1,45,458 voted, resulting in 70.40 per cent polling.

The vacancy in Maski was caused due to the disqualification of Patil, who defected from the Congress to the BJP in November 2019.

Interestingly, Turuvihal lost to Patil in the May 2018 assembly elections as a BJP candidate, and had recently joined the Congress, which fielded him in the bypolls.
Hyderabad, May 3 : Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has provided 100 medical oxygen cylinders to the government-run Gandhi Hospital here.

The cylinders were supplied at short notice on the request of Union Minister of State for Home G. Kishan Reddy.

Reddy, in whose Secunderabad Lok Sabha constituency the hospital falls, handed over the cylinders to the hospital superintendent on Sunday in the presence of officials from DRDO and Telangana's medical and health department.

Reddy took to Twitter to thank Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and DRDO for sending 100 oxygen cylinders to his parliamentary constituency Secunderabad, at a short notice.

In another tweet, the minister of state said Telangana's allocation of Remdesivir has been markedly increased to make the availability to the needy Covid-19 patients.

He said 93,800 Remdesivir vials were allocated to Telangana for the period April 21 to May 9.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Bulgarian special callsign/event

Members of the 'School Radio Club and TV - Young Hams' (LZ1KAK) will use the special callsign LZ1BOTEV to

mark the 145th anniversary of the sacrifice of the revolutionary, poet, publicist, journalist, translator, thinker and literary critic - Hristo Botev.

For Bulgarians, Botev's personality is an icon, a national symbol.

A poet and a rebel, a zealous guardian of national ideas, he left a lasting mark in the pre-liberation history of Bulgaria.

Activity will be on 80-2 meters using various modes, as well as the Digital modes, the QO-100 satellite and SSTV.

QSL via LZ1KAK.
Bengaluru, May 3 : Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa said on Sunday that BJP's performance in West Bengal Assembly elections shows that people's faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi has only grown.

In a series of tweets, Yediyurappa said that the BJP may have lost in West Bengal, but winning 75 seats from just 3 seats in 2016 clearly shows that people's faith in Modi's has only grown.

As per the latest Election Commission data, the BJO has won 74 seats in Bengal while it is leading on 3 more seats.

"Increase in our party's vote share in Tamil Nadu shows that the BJP can make inroads in any part of the country." he said.

The Chief Minister also congratulated his party candidate Mangala Angadi for winning the Lok Sabha bypoll in Belagaum in Karnataka, besides congratulating Sharanu Salagar from wresting the Basavakalyan Assembly seat from the Congress in the by-elections held on April 17.

In Belgaum, the ruling BJP won by a slender margin of 5,240 votes. In Basavakalyan, Salagar defeated Congress' Mala Narayan Rao by 20,629 votes.
Bengaluru, May 3 : Buoyed by the victory of the Congress and the DMK alliance in Tamil Nadu, and Trinamool Congress retaining power in West Bengal, Karnataka leader of the opposition, Siddaramaiah on Sunday described these election results as 'a new game' in the country.

Reacting to the results declared on Sunday for the polling held in five states, despite the dismal performance of the Congress party, Siddarmaiah said that people of West Bengal have shown the ruling BJP in the country 'its place' for their immoral political strategies.

"BJP has faced humiliation in West Bengal in spite of using money, muscle and power," he said.

According to him, Siddaramaiah said that the BJP party led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had ignored all expert warnings related to Covid-19 and went ahead with elections by pressurising the Election Commission of India (ECI) to conduct elections in West Bengal in eight phases.

"This was nothing but a selfish move by the BJP, which only worsened the Covid scenario in the country," he alleged and added that both PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah should take the responsibility for the death of many innocent people due to Covid-19.

Congratulating West Bengal CM, Mamata Banerjee who was sworn in as Chief Minister for third time in a row, Siddaramaiah said "kudos to Mamata Banerjee for leading her party to victory in her state".

Applauding the DMK alliance led by its leader M.K. Stalin which trounced AIDMK alliance in Tamil Nadu and Left Democratic Front (LDF) led by Pinarayi Vijayan which defeated United Democratic Front led by Congress to retain Kerala for second term, Siddaramaiah said that many congratulations to both Stalin and Vijayan for halting the Modi juggernaut in the South of Vindyas.

He added that be it assembly elections in five states or local body elections in Karnataka, people have given their mandate against the BJP in India.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
Bengaluru, May 3 : Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on Sunday effected minor reshuffle in the appointment of district in-charge ministers in the state.

In a notification issued by the government, Yediyurappa assigned Deputy Chief Minister Govind Karjol as the in-charge of the high-profile Belagavi district, despite having four leaders from this district in his Cabinet.

Belagavi assumes significance in state politics as it is the second largest district after Bengaluru which sends 18 MLAs to the state Assembly.

Karjol, who holds the Public Works portfolio, enjoys considerable rapport with the powerful Jarkiholi family in the district. He will be replacing Ramesh Jarkiholi, who had to step down as minister owing to his name cropping up in the alleged sleaze CD scandal in March this year.

Karjole was the in-charge of Bagalkote and Kalaburagi districts until now .

Food and Civil Supplies Minister Umesh Katti will replace Karjole in Bagalkote, while Mining and Geology Minister Murugesh Nirani will look after the Kalaburagi district.

Forest, Kannada and Culture Minister Aravind Limbavali will be in-charge of Bidar district, a post previously held by Animal Husbandry Minister Prabhu Chavan.

Urban Development Minister M.T.B. Nagaraj has been made the in-charge of Kolar district. Previously, H. Nagesh was the in-charge minister there, who was dropped from the Cabinet ahead of its expansion and rejig in January.

Fisheries and Port Minister S. Angara will be the in-charge of Chikkamagaluru district.

Surprisingly, BJP MLC and Tourism Minister C.P. Yogeeshwara has not been made a district in-charge despite lobbying hard to get the post for Mysuru or Mandya districts.
Guwahati, May 3 : The ruling BJP-led NDA returned to power in Assam for the second consecutive term as the "Mitrajot" secured 68 seats in the 126-member assembly, election officials said on Sunday midnight.

According to the latest tally of the Election Commission results late on Sunday night, of the total of 126 seats, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has so far won 53 seats, and leading in six seats while its ally Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) won nine seats and the United People's Party Liberal (UPPL) won six seats.

The Congress has won 23 seats and leading in seven seats. Other partners of the Congress led "Mahajot" (grand alliance) - the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) won 13 seats and leading in three seats, Bodoland Peoples Front (BPF) and Communist Party of India-Marxist won four and one seat respectively.

Raijor Dal (RD) President and jailed leader Akhil Gogoi, who is contesting from Sibasagar constituency as an independent candidate, also won the seat by defeating the BJP candidate Surabhi Rajkonwari by a marjin of 11, 875 votes.

The BJP had won 60 seats during the previous Assembly elections in 2016 while its ally AGP had managed 14 seats and the Congress had secured 26 seats and one seat went to the independent candidate.

Contesting the 2016 elections independently, the AIUDF won 13 seats while Bodoland Peoples Front (BPF) had bagged 12 seats five years ago..The BPF was earlier an ally of the BJP and is now an alliance partner of the 10-party "Mahajot".

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
We thank Master Sergeant Nkosi Leary for his service. Success Conditioning is a Process of Overcoming Emotional and Psychological Barriers. Mr. Leary has overcome both emotional and psychological barriers...Reuben Wanjala, Leeds Press Corp.

Mr. Leary is a Veteran and retired after 26 years of service in the U.S. Marine Corps as a helicopter door gunner. In his career, Nkosi was on several missions in Sub-Saharan Africa subsequent to the Somali Conflict Black Hawk Down and in support of the Rwandan  Burundi civil wars Hotel Rwanda. Mr. Leary is a Solutions-driven strategist and project manager skilled at creating business plans that drive improvements and streamline processes in flying squadrons, military organizations, and corporate entities.

According to Dr. Calvin Ellison, Vice President of Community Affairs of the Atlanta Black Chamber, Writing books empowers our communities with a wealth of knowledge that translates into an economic revolution. Dr. Ellison believes that we cannot rise if we do not have shared experiences and challenges while taking care of our primary responsibilities, and it starts with leadership.
While the pandemic disrupted many learning experiences, our students will remember 2021 as the year that they went to space. Our virtual field trip with the humble little clover seeds opens up the universe of possibilities through authentic research.

Magnitude.io CEO Ted Tagami announced today that ExoLab-8 returned from the International Space Station (ISS) on Sunday, May 2 on board the historic Crew-1 SpaceX Dragon after connecting more that 4,000 students with a hands-on transdisciplinary experience.

The ExoLab-8 mission operated aboard the International Space Station for 51 days. Using the Magnitude Classroom for a virtual field trip to the ISS, mission participants from twelve countries engaged in science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) project-based learning in an authentic research experiment. Mission participants, including students of all ages, from K to Gray, studied plants on Earth while specimens grew in microgravity.

Based on the success of ExoLab-8, Tagami announced that Magnitude.ios 9th mission to the ISS will launch aboard the SpaceX-23 cargo resupply mission on August 18, 2021. Replicating the science focused on legume root nodulation with red clover, Magnitude.io aims to add to the body of research for food crop production for long duration missions beyond Earth as well as an investigation into sustainable agricultural possibilities with a world confronting climate change.

Tagami remarked, We connect students globally via our orbital classroom. While the pandemic disrupted many learning experiences, our students will remember 2021 as the year that they went to space. Our virtual field trip with the humble little clover seeds opens up the universe of possibilities through authentic research. Experiences matter in students academic journey, and the ExoLab-9 mission launching 100 days from now will give even more students opportunities to investigate transdisciplinary careers needed in the coming decade and beyond.

As a demonstration project, the science goal of the ExoLab-8 mission focused on achieving root nodulation on the legume red clover by nitrogen-fixing Rhizobia bacteria for the first time in the microgravity environment of the ISS. Within an autonomous 4U Space Tango CubeLab that monitored and managed the experiment, environmental data and imaging were transmitted from orbit to ExoLab networked classrooms, science centers, libraries, and museums around the world. Schools around the world still have an opportunity to register for the next mission at https://magnitude.io/.

In collaboration with Space Tango, a company enabling R&D and manufacturing in space, and the ISS U.S. National Laboratorys Space Station Explorers, Magnitude.ios award-winning ExoLab dramatically extends reach to enable student participation in a space mission at a fraction of the typical cost. ExoLab-8 is Magnitude.ios eighth mission to the ISS with Space Tango, beginning with ExoLab-1 in February 2017. As a founding member of the Space Station Explorers consortium of the US ISS National Lab, Magnitude.io is a leader in offering stellar STEAM experiences through engaging and fun project-based learning experiences for students of all ages.
The African Well Fund (AWF) is excited to announce its 19th annual Build a Well for Bonos Birthday campaign. Beginning May 1, AWF invites U2 fans from around the world to donate funds in honor of the musicians 61th birthday. This year AWF is once again partnering with The Outer Loop Theater Experience to build a well in Msona,Tanzania.

This years project will mark AWFs third collaboration with The Outer Loop. The first two projects were built in the village of Mloka, providing a waterpoint at a health center as well as a community well and the rehabilitation of a school waterpoint. Msona is also located in the Mwaseni Ward of Tanzania ten miles from Mloka. The town has a population of approximately 2500 and the well will be located on the grounds of the secondary school. Currently, the school does not have any water for toilet facilities and the village does not have a clean, safe water access point. The communities we work with in Tanzania are profoundly grateful for the partnership we have maintained with African Well Fund, says Outer Loop managing director Rachael Yoder. The last three projects funded by AWF in partnership with The Outer Loop have directly impacted the lives of over 6,000 people. We hear constantly how quality of life, health, and education have improved in Mloka thanks to these water projects. This next project will broaden the scope of assistance to a neighboring community in need, and will directly improve the lives of the Msona community; primarily school-aged children and their families.

Since 2003, AWF has joined together with the U2 fan community to celebrate and honor Bonos birthday by raising funds for clean water and sanitation projects. Once again we asked this community for help in suggesting a theme. The winning theme, Carry Each Other, came from long time U2 fan and African Well Fund supporter, Marilyn Lynch. Bonos words from the song One, carry each other, are a reminder of the deceptively simple core concept that were all in it together and that helping one another is both a responsibility and a privilege, Lynch explains. Thats the spirit I admire in the African Well Fund, with its origins in a small group of people who had U2 in common and channeled that commonality to make a real difference in the world. Something as seemingly simple as songs can inspire and uplift people, and something as simple as access to water can transform lives.

From May 1 to May 31, fans may donate through the AWF website: https://africanwellfund.org/bbw21/ As always, all donors are invited to add their name and a message to a birthday card that will be sent to Bono upon completion of the fundraiser. Since 2003, more than $280,000 has been raised in Bono's honor to fund the construction of clean water and sanitation projects that are benefiting more than 86,000 people in Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Liberia, Mali, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.

The African Well Fund is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the mission of funding clean water and sanitation projects in sub-Saharan Africa. Since its founding in 2002, the organization has raised more than $1 million to fund over 30 projects in 15 countries, benefiting more than 360,000 people. https://africanwellfund.org/

The Outer Loop is a 501(c)3 nonprofit arts and humanitarian organization. The Outer Loop strives to discover compelling stories that resonate with audiences, and looks for unique and engaging ways in which to tell them. The Outer Loop is committed, through storytelling, to addressing Tanzanian development and health issues, by working in partnership with the Tanzanian people to build sustainable and productive communities. https://www.outerlooptheater.org/
The Global TV Group, the informal grouping of TV companies and sales houses trade bodies in Europe, the USA, Canada, Australia and Latin America, has released the first of three topical updates of its Global TV Deck planned for 2021.

The compendium gathers research summaries from various countries and covers critical studies as The Halo Effect: TV As A Growth Engine (VAB/Effectv), Not all reach is equal (Screenforce DACH/Karen Nelson-Field), TV Drives Advertising Effectiveness that Lasts (Accenture/thinktv Canada), and Profitability: The Business Case for Advertising (Thinkbox/Ebiquity/Gain Theory).

Findings show that within the first fortnight of a campaign, TV delivers on average 23% of media-driven sales, while campaigns with a 70% to 90% coverage deliver the best possible impact in terms of contribution to sales and penetration.

Sean Cunningham, President of The Global TV Group and CEO & President of the VAB, commented: Advertisers choose TV for the most important role in their marketing plans, that of lead outcomes-driver. To best achieve the full range of business results - from quickly activating customer traffic at scale to securing brand loyalty beyond reason, whatever is most mission-critical to sales goals and brand goals should be trusted to TV.

Added Lindsey Clay, CEO, Thinkbox: Theres an increasing culture of effectiveness in marketing. Outcomes are in. So, this new deck is timely. It shows repeatedly, forensically, and comprehensively TV advertisings incredible skillset. It demonstrates how TV solves business problems and is packed with the evidence marketers need to prove that TV is a low-risk investment that unlocks growth.

The Global TV Deck update can be freely downloaded on The Global TV Group website.
CAST.ERA, a joint venture between SK Telecom and Sinclair Broadcast Group, will introduce next-generation broadcasting technology to the US and Korea by the end of this year following successful trials on Koreas Jeju Island.

The new technology will enable companies to broadcast ultra-HD (UHD) video with what is said to be low-to-zero latency to next-generation TVs and mobile devices.

CAST.ERAs technology is a convergence of telecoms 5G standard and ATSC 3.0, the new standard set by the Advanced Television Systems Committee for UHD broadcasting. CAST.ERA, based in Arlington, Virginia, will provide broadcast solutions to US and Korean distribution companies, including Sinclairs major US TV stations as well as Korean media giants Kai Media, ATBiS, DigiCAP and Hasigancom.

When paired with next-generation TVs and mobile devices, the CAST.ERA technology will make it possible for viewers to receive high-quality video, datacasting through OTA (over-to-air), and live TV broadcasts via OTT (over-the-top) platforms at home or on the go with minimal lag in transmission times. The technology will also enable broadcasters to dynamically insert personalised advertisements during commercial breaks for each viewer via the OTT broadcast service.

Kevin Gage, CAST.ERAs Chief Operating Officer, said: We plan to introduce the cloud-based, AI-driven next-generation TV broadcasting solutions into the US market this year. These solutions will help accelerate US broadcasters deployment of next-generation TV broadcasting services into the market.

Del Parks, Sinclairs Chief Technology Officer, added: Bringing together the technologies and expertise that these two companies possess will help unlock the huge potential that ATSC 3.0 has for delivering IP content efficiently over large geographic areas covered by our TV signal. These technologies are a game changer. Our new abilities to provide improved viewer experience and access to new business models, like data delivery as a service (Ddaas), is one of the most exciting things to happen to our business since HDTV.
Today

Partly to mostly cloudy with a chance of thunderstorms. High 83F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.

Tonight

Cloudy with occasional rain showers. Low 68F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.

Tomorrow

Rain showers in the morning with numerous thunderstorms developing in the afternoon. High 78F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%.
Pudong shopping festival opens with pop-up fairs

From:Shine | 2021-05-01 20:33

A woman buyshuangjiu cake and congyou palmier.

Jiang Xiaowei / SHINE

Pudong's delicacies and fruits are on sale.

From huangjiu cake to xiasha shaomai, from Iranian pottery to Syrian soap, more than 400 local and exotic products are on offer in two pop-up fairs which opened on Saturday in bustling Lujiazui in the Pudong New Area.

Of the products, more than half are Shanghai, China and global debuts, and 36 have been displayed at the China International Import Expo, according to Wu Jun, deputy director of the Pudong Commerce Commission.

The five-day food fair was unveiled on Saturday morning at the foot of the Oriental Pearl TV Tower. It raised the curtain on Pudongs shopping frenzy.

Of the eight debuts, huangjiu cake and congyou palmier meld local flavor with foreign pastries.

Huangjiu, literally yellow wine, is a traditional Chinese wine fermented from rice popular in Shanghai and neighboring cities. Two cakes macerated in 12-year-old huangjiu produced by a local winery present a unique taste and texture.

Shanghai peoplealso like congyou, scallion oil, which is used in many of Shanghais signature dishes such as scallion pancake and scallion noodles. When the complex umami flavor of congyou adds to the traditional French pastry, a new East-meets-West delicacy is produced.

Other products include White Rabbit candies, almost synonymous with Shanghai souvenirs, Xiasha shaomai, a steamed dumpling from Pudongs Nanhui area and Pudong-grown melon varieties.

According to Wu, its easy for visitors to have a look and take a stroll around the fair as its right in the square of the Oriental Pearl TV Tower. Express service is available to deliver Shanghai taste to the nation.

Jiang Xiaowei / SHINE

New Disney merchandise is on display.

Jiang Xiaowei / SHINE

Coffee from Timor Leste is free to taste.

At Super Brand Mall across the street a pop-up fair with goods from all over the world has opened. It will run through May 16, offering high-quality goods at favorable price.

Sales people are wearing traditional clothes from Thailand to promote the countrys fruits, birds' nest and frozen products including shrimp. New Disney merchandise from bags to toys to celebrate this year's fifth anniversary are also displayed.

Coffee is a pillar industry of Timor Leste, accounting for 90 percent of the total export trade. It produces premium arabica coffee, especially kopi luwak that is commonly known as cat-poo coffee. But its less known by many Chinese.

To promote the countrys coffee culture, traders set up a stall, inviting visitors to have a sip of kopi luwak. Althoughunorthodox, it is one of the costliest coffee beans in the world.

We just produce about 800 kilograms every year," said a saleswoman. "So, we dont sell it. Instead, we send it to others as agift of our country. But we bring the same variety that these cats eat for sale. They are of the same quality. But it's quite cheaper."

Exquisite handicrafts from Iran and Syria are another highlightof the fair.

Pottery in Iran dates back 5,000 years, and its known for its unique art of enameling, calledminakari. A set of pottery tableware from flagons to plates are displayed for sale. The shape of the ox, the Chinese zodiac of the year, is seen in many pieces of work.

The shape of the ox was designed based on Irans unearthed relics," said Julie Dong, in charge of the stall. "The ox series was especially promoted to celebrate the Year of the Ox, and it was displayed at last years China International Import Expo. We will later promote a series based on the Chinese zodiac's 12 animal signs."

There is also Irans bronzeware and wooden boxes inlaid with camels bones.

Jiang Xiaowei / SHINE

Pottery from Iran.

Jiang Xiaowei / SHINE

People try pomegranate wine and grapefruit juice from Azerbaijan.

Also on the shelves, there are Syrias famous rose water and essential oils, and hand-crafted soaps made with oil and laurel berry essential oil.

The International Exhibition and Trading Center of Wine and Beverage, based in Pudongs Waigaoqiao bonded area, showcases pomegranate wine from Azerbaijan.

Its a very unique product," said a warehouse manager surnamed Liu. "Azerbaijan has a long history of wine making and it plants high-quality pomegranates. As it has just entered China, we sell it at only 99 yuan (US$15) per bottle to promote it to the domestic market.

Another highlight, according to him, is the limited edition of Mouton Cadet for the Cannes Film Festival. Its a Bordeaux-cultivated wine.

We prepared 150 bottles to sell at the pop-up fair," Liu said. "One bottle is priced at 268 yuan, and customers can buy one get one free."

The stall selling Shanghais Butterfly sewing machines is popular with ladies. The brand started in 1919, and over the years, it has caught the digital tide. The stall features a completely automatic sewing machine.

We developed software enabling it to scan patterns and do sewing work itself, said Wang Ying, sales manager of Butterfly China. We hope to tell todays young people what sewing machines can do.

Jiang Xiaowei / SHINE

A demonstration of the automated Butterfly brand sewing machine.

Jiang Xiaowei / SHINE

The pop-up fair at Super Brand Mall will run through May 16.

Wu said that asLujiazui is an international commercial zone, people go there to seek high-quality products.

So, we focus on increasing supply of high-quality products," he said. "We provide products displayed at the CIIE and imported products with agood reputation to local customers, which satisfy their needs and attracts them to make purchase here in Lujiazui.

During the Double Five Shopping Festival, we will host 120 promotional activities involving more than 70 companies and brands to offer tens of thousands of products to the market.
North American QSO parties to recognize young contester entries

To encourage young radiosport participants, National Contest Journal (NCJ) will recognize their entries in the North American QSO Party (NAQP), starting with the August 2021 NAQP CW and NAQP SSB events.

Following the lead of Youth on the Air (YOTA) in International Amateur Radio Union Region 1 (IARU), operators 25 years old and younger will be highlighted in the results.

The NAQP log upload app and 3830scores.com will include a Youth (25 and under) check box. Initially, the young operator designation will apply only to single-operator entries. This is not a separate category. Participants of any age will compete for awards in the regular single-operator category.

3830 Scores will display the young operator scores as an overlay to the single-operator group. NAQP line scores will note the young operator scores and a separate table of these scores will be included in the results and referenced in the NCJ NextGen Contesters column by Neil Rapp, WB9VPG.

Source:

http://www.arrl.org/news/north-american-qso-parties-to-recognize-young-contester-entries
In recognition of the integral role nurses play within the health care industry, organizations such as the American Nursing Association and various national and regional groups award official honors to reward nurses for their undying efforts on behalf of their patients.
Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
@LisaScheid on Twitter

I explore how our lives are shaped by our relationship to the land, water and air. Have a question you want me to answer? Email me.
Music

Raising the curtain on jazz

Wynton Marsalis to perform live at Reading's DoubleTree by Hilton hotel

Legendary trumpeter Wynton Marsalis is bringing his septet to the DoubleTree in downtown Reading for a socially distanced concert on May 27.
Biden Must Stop Lying About Cause of Border Crisis & Start Fixing It

President Joe Biden on Friday laid fresh blame for the border not-a-crisis (he insists) at the feet of his predecessor. Does he not realize that his nonstop lies on the issue undermine his credibil
Dear President Smith,

Thank you for your Reflections on Yesterdays Verdict, which you sent to Swarthmore students, alumni, faculty, and staff on April 21 and posted on the colleges website. Prompted by the announcement that Derek Chauvin had been found guilty of murdering George Floyd, you offered brief thoughts on the connection between liberal education and racial justice, social movements, and political change. As a Swarthmore graduate grateful for the long-ago introduction that the college provided me to liberal education, and as an observer of American politics troubled by the nations widening schisms, I read your message with great interest.

In the spirit of my Swarthmore studies, your reflections have left me with a number of questions. They revolve around the relation between politics and liberal education.

Your message asserts that [a]lthough the verdict can never truly bring justice for Mr. Floyd and his family, it signals the impact of a powerful social movement. You summon us to join in that social movement, stating, We must dedicate ourselves anew to the struggle for lasting, meaningful change in America to bring about a more just, equitable, and safe society.

You envisage a distinctive role for colleges and universities. As an institution of higher learning, Swarthmore College is committed to contributing to that change -- by continuing to foster an environment in which students can engage in deep, thoughtful, and frank conversations about the challenges facing our society, you write. This shared and vital work can and will continue to ensure we provide a transformative liberal arts education grounded in fearless intellectual inquiry.

I certainly believe that liberal education serves Americas interest in sustaining a society that safeguards citizens fundamental freedoms and basic rights. Whether that comports with your understanding turns on what you mean by a more just, equitable, and safe society and how you conceive of a transformative liberal arts education.

If by a transformative liberal arts education you intend one that refines and elevates students minds by transmitting knowledge and cultivating independent thought so that they are better able to exercise their rights, respect the rights of others, and do their part to uphold the nations constitutional form of government, then we are in full agreement. But for Swarthmore to offer such an education -- the same goes for any institution of higher learning -- the college must avoid, to the extent possible, taking sides in current political debates and legal controversies. Only by staying out of the political fray as an institution can the college provide a community that genuinely encourages students to energetically and rigorously explore the many sides of hard political questions.

If, however, by a transformative liberal arts education you mean an education that aims to instill in students a specific conception of social justice, that brings institutional pressure to bear on students to embrace a college-proclaimed orthodoxy on political issues that divide the nation, and that trains students to exclusively advance one partisan reform agenda, then I fear that Swarthmore will hasten the demise of liberal education. For how can students engage in deep, thoughtful, and frank conversations about the challenges facing our society if the college itself takes a firm and public stance on the proper response to those challenges? All that would remain is for students to debate the means for implementing Swarthmore-approved moral judgments and political priorities.

In my view, the college is entirely justified -- obligated, even -- to champion the principles of individual freedom and human equality. These, after all, are the moral premises that underlie our constitutional order. They also inspire liberal education, the governing purpose of which is to prepare students to enjoy the rights and assume the responsibilities of freedom.

But regarding, say, the conservative and progressive interpretations of freedoms imperatives in particular political disputes, the college has no business taking a stand and organizing students for political action. That goes for professors in the classroom as well as for administrators in Parrish Hall. The proselytizing and partisan mission subverts the educational mission.

The creation of an environment hospitable to the exchange of opinions and the careful examination of rival analyses and assessments is a hallmark of liberal education. The promulgation of opinions and ideas insulated from critical examination, the stigmatizing and silencing of nonconformist voices, and the rallying of members of the campus community around a political cause are distinguishing features of indoctrination.

Whether Swarthmore and colleges and universities across the country are devoted to liberal education or indoctrination is, in my mind, the crux of the matter.

To better understand your views on politics and liberal education, it would be helpful to know more about your thinking on two issues that have generated considerable controversy over the last few years: free speech and the content of the curriculum.

Free speech is a pillar of liberal education. By exposing students to competing ideas and opinions, liberal education develops their ability to break free from one-sidedness and special pleading. The encounter with a diversity of viewpoints also teaches students to respect fellow citizens who see the world differently. These days, it has become fashionable to dismiss free speech as a ruse by which the oppressors in the United States control the oppressed. Yet that contention flies in the face of historical realities: In democracies, free speech has always been an indispensable ally of minorities seeking to vindicate their rights, dissenters challenging the conventional wisdom, and innovators opening new vistas of inquiry and action.

The 2015 Report of the Committee on Freedom of Expression at the University of Chicago provides both an eloquent explanation, and rousing defense, of free speech and liberal education. To show that Swarthmore College cherishes free speech because it sustains liberal education, wouldnt it be useful to join with 81 other colleges and universities -- as of March of this year, according to the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education -- in endorsing the Chicago principles?

One way Swarthmore models its conception of free speech is through the distinguished figures it invites to campus. On May 6, the President's Fund for Racial Justice and the Social Responsibility Committee of the Board of Managers are sponsoring what is bound to be a fascinating and timely event, An Evening With Eric Holder: Voting Rights, Leadership, and Social Justice. Wouldnt Swarthmore demonstrate its commitment to, in your words, deep, thoughtful, and frank conversations about the challenges facing our society by following up the discussion of voting rights with former President Barack Obamas attorney general by inviting to campus William Barr, attorney general under former Presidents George H.W. Bush and Donald Trump, to hear his thoughts on voting rights?

A well-designed curriculum is another crucial component of liberal education. According to the college website, at Swarthmore [s]tudents generally spend their first two years exploring, taking courses in a range of disciplines across the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. After students encounter new ways of thinking they focus in their final two years on their majors. But isnt it also incumbent on the college to ensure that all students share a common foundation of basic knowledge about the nation and the civilization of which they are part? If, for example, students have not studied the sweep of American political ideas -- from the nations founding to progressivism and conservatism today -- how can they seriously evaluate and intelligently discuss the competing views of former attorneys general Holder and Barr? Yet, near as I can tell, Swarthmores political science department does not offer such a course.

I hope we have the chance to continue the important conversation you launched about politics and liberal education.

Respectfully,

Peter Berkowitz

Swarthmore College, 81
70th anniversary of Radio Free Europe

Radio Free Europe began its Czechoslovak service 70 years ago, offering news throughout the Cold War

Radio Free Europe started full-time broadcasts in the Czech language 70 years ago on May 1, 1951, and it lasted for half a century, even beyond the end of the Cold War.

During the communist era, the Czech version of RFE, called Radio Svobodna Evropa, was one of the few objective sources of information for the people of then-Czechoslovakia. At that time the U.S.-funded broadcaster was based in Munich in what was West Germany.

Czech president Vaclav Havel praised the service on its 50th anniversary in 2001.

All through the long years of communism, it provided the only avenue for the free exchange of information, for free journalism, and also the only, or rather, the main, source for communication between the opposition at home with the public, the general society, and the nation. I believe that our society owes Radio Free Europe immense gratitude for the role it has played in the past," Havel said.

At an event in 2011 to mark the 60th anniversary, then-Czech prime minister Petr Necas praised the service. RFE tore down the information barrier erected by the communist regime. The truth and RFE will always stay in our conscience, he said. The Slovak prime minister at the time, Iveta Radicova, sai the broadcasts brought a small island of freedom to people's homes.

The first shortwave broadcast in the Czech language actually took place July 4, 1950, from an office in the Empire State Building in New York City, but it didnt operate on a regular schedule until the station moved to West Germany a few months later. Broadcasts began with the phrase, Vola hlas svobodneho Ceskoslovenska, rozhlasova stanice Svobodna Evropa (The voice of Free Czechoslovakia is calling, the radio station Free Europe).
Traverse City, MI (49684)

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A mix of clouds and sun this morning followed by mostly cloudy skies and a few showers this afternoon. High 86F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

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Crime in Athens has decreased more overall in 2020 and 2021 in the wake of the coronavirus than the last five years.
Athens, GA (30605)

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Rain showers early then thundershowers for the afternoon. High near 85F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%..

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Thunderstorms this evening followed by occasional showers overnight. Low 68F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%.
The University of Georgia hosted its first Symposium on Recognition, Reconciliation and Redress on Friday and Saturday, a series of presentations and performances dedicated to discussing the historical and contemporary impacts of slavery on the university and the city of Athens.

The event brought together more than 50 speakers and participants from all over the country, particularly the Athens area.

This years symposium was organized by its eight-member planning committee, many of whom are educators and researchers connected to the university.

We believe the collective knowledge about and experiences of racism and white supremacy held among those who have come together as part of this symposium must play a larger role in the ways that the University of Georgia shapes its future, said symposium planning committee member Amy Andrews during introductory remarks Friday morning.

The symposiums sessions covered a wide range of topics all connected to the overarching theme of racial justice. While the event didnt necessarily progress in chronological order, a majority of Fridays sessions focused on the lives and legacies of enslaved people, while most of Saturdays sessions focused on the repercussions of slavery, which still affect Black students, scholars and activists to this day.

Friday morning kicked off with a lecture on the removal of Native Americans in the early 1800s and its connection to the wealthy Athens elite. Led by UGA Richard B. Russell professor in American history Claudio Saunt, the 45-minute-long session explained the transformation the south underwent just decades before the start of the Civil War.

The day continued with roughly hour-long sessions until 5 p.m., concluding with a conversation between Black women scholars on their respective studies, motivations and go-to methods of self-care.

The next morning focused on the experiences of Black Athens residents and UGA students throughout the second half of the 20th century and into the present day. The panel Beyond Desegregation: 50 Years of the Black Student Experience at the University of Georgia brought together UGA graduates from the past 50 years to discuss generational change in regard to racial discrimination on campus. Older participants commended the university for forcing them to grow thicker skin and preparing them for workforces that lacked diversity.

What [attending UGA] really taught me is that I could compete with anybody in the world, said 1971 graduate Helen Butler.

Linnentown and Baldwin Hall were pivotal points of discussion, as well. Jerry Shannon, an associate professor in UGAs departments of geography and financial planning, housing and consumer economics, and graduate student Aidan Hysjulien, explained the geographical losses caused by the universitys demolition of Linnentown and presented research conducted by students of the department of geography. Members of the Redress for Linnentown committee Commissioner Mariah Parker and co-chair Hattie Thomas Whitehead recounted the history of Linnentown, Whitehead giving a firsthand account of her experience living there as a child.

Later that afternoon, Phaidra Buchanan and Kyle Patel, UGA students and co-founders of Beyond Baldwin, spoke about the disappointment they felt with the university in its handling of the Baldwin Hall controversy. Buchanan also explained the motive and goals of Beyond Baldwin as they push for accountability from UGA.

We want to create a scenario where this sort of response does not happen again, Buchanan said, where that sort of scenario is prevented in the future because we are not done reckoning with the past at the University of Georgia.

This symposium also served as an opportunity for artists to showcase their abilities through the presentation of projects related to the theme of the event. Caroline Caden, a third-year theatre major, shared her creative interpretation of the WPA Slave Narratives, a project entitled lost tape. The project is an audio play inspired by three separate narratives of enslaved people who lived in the Athens area. The two-day event concluded with a performance of Joyful, Joyful from the East Athens Educational Dance Center Performance Group.

Committee member Linda Davis ended the symposium with a brief explanation of the Day of Jubilee, the day slaves in Athens-Clarke County were set free in 1865.

Its no coincidence that we end our symposium so close to this celebration, Davis said. For we understand the importance of freedom and are actively working to obtain it for everyone.
Giving the credit to the communists for being the originators of the labour movement in the world, one is inclined to discuss the state of communism and the communist philosophy in the present day world.

by N.S.Venkataraman

Rightly or wrongly, May Day has been associated with the communist philosophy and one cannot but think about the present state of the communist party and communist philosophy on 1st May.

No doubt, the cause of the labour was convincingly and effectively brought to the attention of the world by Karl Marx ,who eloquently said that the workers of the world have nothing to lose except the chain. One can say with certainty that communist philosophy was founded on the basis of sucha theme advocated by Karl Marx.

Today, not only the communist party but all the political parties claim that they represent the interests of the labour and May Day is celebrated all over the world by all political parties in one form or the other. In other words, it means that May Day celebration is no more the exclusive preserve of the communist party.

Giving the credit to the communists for being the originators of the labour movement in the world, one is inclined to discuss the state of communism and the communist philosophy in the present day world.

Has communist philosophy lost its relevance ?

A few years back, Nandini Voice for Deprived , a Chennai (India) based non profit organization sponsored a discussion on the topic  Has communist philosophy lost its relevance?

The meeting was presided over by Mr. D. Jayakanthan, a famous thinker and writer in Tamil and ardent admirer of communist philosophy. While speaking on the occasion , Mr. Jayakanthan said that If one has to lose , then the other one has to win. If communist philosophy has lost its relevance , some other philosophy should have gained at its cost. This can never happen, as communist philosophy has relevance for all time to come , whatever may be the rise or fall in the behavior pattern of the cadres and leaders of communist movement. If communist leadership had failed to live up to the expectation of philosophers like Karl Marx, it would not mean that the concept of communism would lose its shine.

State of communism in the world :

The ground reality today is that all over the world, the communist governments have collapsed . This has happened, mainly due to the fact that those who emerged as the leaders of the communist governments conducted themselves as dictators and benefited themselves and in the process suppressing the freedom of people and confusing the concept of totalitarianism as communism. Citizens of those countries rebelled and overthrew the communist regimes.

Finally, two countries are left in the world who claim themselves to be communist countries . One is Cuba and the other one is mainland China. In true terms, both these countries are no more communist countries in spirit. Fidel Castros successor in Cuba is only his family member. In China, the Chinese government claims itself to be a communist government, where labour movements are suppressed and only those who pledge their loyalty to the coterie of communist leaders can survive in politics. Karl Marx would be turning in his grave to see the pattern of governance in communist China today.

State of communism in India :

In India too , sadly , the communist party , which has split into several parties due to the ego centric leaders, has now become fringe party for all practical purposes. It has lost its lofty position in Tripura and West Bengal state and in Kerala state , it could survive only by compromising with communist principles and aligning itself with communal and other parties and in the process losing its image as a labour centric progressive party.

One of the main reasons for the decay in communist movement in India is that the communist parties gained an image for themselves as violent prone party with gherao being the main tool adopted by the communist parties to fight for the so called interest of the labour. Several violent attacks indulged by the cadres of communist parties during the labour strike have permanently damaged the image of communism as progressive movement that could build a healthy society.

Further, its image got seriously disturbed by its tendency to remain as a negative force rather than a positive force, exhibiting hatred for the investors and industrialists who are accused by the party of gaining richness by exploiting the market forces and by corrupt means .

But, people see that while communist parties have been in governance in West Bengal and Kerala, many communist leaders themselves were accused of corrupt practices and were suspected of having personal wealth far beyond their known sources of income. Further, the communist governments in West Bengal and Kerala have invited industrialists to invest in the state, whom they have been accusing earlier as exploiters.

There were days when towering leaders like E.M.S. Namboodiripad brought glory and respectability to the communist party in India. Unfortunately, such leadership quality appears to be conspicuous by absence in communist party today.

The statement issued by Mr. Sitaram Yachury, CPM leader which appeared in the media on 1st May that Modi government must either deliver or quit , at the present corona time has raised eyebrows amongst the discerning countrymen. People who read this statement inevitably wonder whether in the present corona conditions , is it the right time to ask the Modi government to qui?t. A responsible party, which the communists claim that they are, should provide positive criticism rather than destructive criticism.

Need to reevaluate priorities :

People like me who sincerely think that philosophy of communism , which implies protection for human dignity, is extremely relevant today in India and the movement should be strengthened , are disappointed.

However, any movement can be only as good as the quality of the leadership that the movement has.

It is the right time for the leadership of the communist parties to ponder over the future of the party.

In the next few years, it would be appropriate if the communists would build the movement as a progressive force, fine tuning the approach to emerge as a dignified and genuine movement, that fights for protecting human dignity and avoiding exploitation of the poor and downtrodden people. It should erase its image as a violent prone party or one that advocates hatred against one class or the other. A lofty and dignified movement that aims to achieve the glorious philosophy of communism should achieve the objectives not by force or hate spread but by lofty logic and healthy and responsible approach.

It should give up its political ambitions for the time being , as such ambition is leading the party nowhere and has forced it to become one of many parties that readily compromise and with many of them remaining as self centred family parties.

In all probability, by strengthening the base as a socially relevant and principled movement, the communist party will become a strong political force in the country sooner or later and perhaps, sooner than later.
Weather Alert

...The Flood Warning continues for the following rivers in North Carolina... Contentnea Creek Near Hookerton affecting Greene, Pitt and Lenoir Counties. For the Contentnea Creek...including Hookerton...Minor flooding is forecast. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. Additional information is available at water.weather.gov/ahps. ...The Flood Warning is now in effect until early Saturday morning... The Flood Warning continues for the Contentnea Creek Near Hookerton. * Until early Saturday morning. * At 8:00 PM EDT Tuesday the stage was 14.3 feet. * Flood stage is 13.0 feet. * Minor flooding is occurring and minor flooding is forecast. * Recent Activity...The maximum river stage in the 24 hours ending at 8:00 PM EDT Tuesday was 14.7 feet. * Forecast...The river is expected to fall below flood stage Friday evening and continue falling to 12.2 feet Sunday evening. * Impact...At 13.0 feet, Minor flooding of low lying areas adjacent to creek can be expected. Several homes threatened by water in northwest Greene County near HWY 58. &&
Speaking on the theme Building back better from crises through regional cooperation in Asia and the Pacific Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa at the inauguration of the 77th Session of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) outlined Sri Lankas successful approach in controlling the COVID-19 and called for renewed South-South cooperation, to recover from the pandemic. The session was held virtually in Bangkok from 26th to 29th April 2012.

Prime Minister stated that even during the pandemic, economic and export sector continued to function, tourism restarted in January and the Central Bank reduced policy rates and implemented several concessionary refinancing programs in Sri Lanka.

Further, Prime Minister emphasized that Sri Lanka is deeply committed to achieving Sustainable Development Goals and toward this end, an Inter-ministerial Steering Committee on Sustainable Development and Sustainable Development Council have been established and the decade 2021 to 2030 has been declared as the Decade of Skills Development in Sri Lanka.

Delivering the Country Statement, Foreign Secretary Admiral Prof. Jayanath Colombage stated that the Government of Sri Lanka was able to mitigate the speared of the pandemic and keep the death rate comparatively low against the high recovery rate due to its Whole of Government and Whole of Society approach, Preemptive Strategy, and matured Public Healthcare system. He stated that to date hundred and thirty thousand standard Sri Lankans were brought home from over 120 countries and that Sri Lanka continues to provide quarantine facilities free of charge especially for migrant workers.

Given Sri Lankas ongoing resilient, inclusive and sustainable development pathways, Foreign Secretary requested that Member States of economic strength in the Asia-Pacific region should provide smaller economies like that of Sri Lanka with investment, greater market access and trading opportunities, foreign employment opportunities and assistance in vaccination programs, to smoothen the path to build back better from crises.

Reaffirming its commitment to international cooperation, along with Indonesia, Japan, Maldives, Pakistan and Vietnam, Sri Lanka co-sponsored the resolution put forward by Thailand, which was adopted by the Commission on the theme Regional cooperation to build back better from crises in Asia and the Pacific in support of all similar efforts of Member States.

Over 50 member states participated in the four day online session and Heads of State/ Government of Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Indonesia, Kiribati, Kyrgyz Republic, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Fiji, Pakistan, Thailand, Tuvalu and Uzbekistan addressed the inauguration of the 77th Session.

United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of UNESCAP Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana emphasized that As we move towards recovery, our efforts must take into account the aspirations of all countries, including the least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing States, of Asia and the Pacific. More than ever before, the full potential of inclusive and networked multilateralism should be tapped. International development cooperation, including South-South and triangular cooperation, must be further harnessed.

Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the UNESCAP Ambassador C.A. Chaminda I. Colonne, Director General Chamindry Saparamadu of Sustainable Development Council, senior officials from the Foreign Ministry, Central Bank, Department of External Resources and Sustainable Development Council of Sri Lanka were in the delegation.

Embassy and Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the UNESCAP

Bangkok, Thailand




Greg Sukiennik has worked at all three Vermont News & Media newspapers and was their managing editor from 2017-19. He previously worked for ESPN.com, for the AP in Boston, and at The Berkshire Eagle in Pittsfield, Mass.
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Mostly cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy this afternoon. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High near 90F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph..

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Beckley, WV (25801)

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Rain showers in the morning with thunderstorms developing for the afternoon. High around 75F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%..

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WALLINGFORD - Salvatore Menzo, who has been the Superintendent of the towns school system for the last 12 years, is leaving the district at the end of the school year to run a pair of magnet schools operated by Hartford-based Goodwin University.

Menzo, who will become superintendent of the Goodwin magnet schools, announced that he was leaving the district in a letter sent out to members of the Wallingford school community in an e-mail message sent out late Friday. In that message, he said the decision to leave was not an easy one.

Over the last twelve years in Wallingford, I was blessed to work with so many talented students and staff, Menzo said. However, this is an opportunity that will allow me to continue to grow personally and professionally. Now, much like our high school seniors, I, too, am preparing for a new beginning.

Menzo did not respond to messages from Hearst Connecticut Media seeking further comment.

Karen Hlavac, the chairwoman of Wallingford school board, said Menzo did so much for the district that its difficult to pick out just a few things.

He has done an excellent job of moving our district forward, Hlavac said. His creativity has engaged our district in many ways. We are thankful for what he has done for our students.

Michael Votto was chairman of the Wallingford Board of Education when Menzo was hired in 2009. Votto called him a tremendous asset to our system.

His main objective was always students first, Votto said of Menzo. At his interview (with the school board prior to being hired), his intelligence, enthusiasm, and creative ideas were quite evident then. Obviously he was not a disappointment.

Both Votto and Hlavac said Menzos communication and interpersonal skills were what made him successful.

This has been proven with the cooperation and support of many businesses in town and throughout the state and especially with the thousands of dollars in donations he has been able to acquire for our district, Votto said. His rapport with our parents and students as well with the Board of Education has earned him the respect of all and an appreciation of all his efforts. Dr. Menzo certainly has put Wallingford on the educational map in Connecticut.

Menzo started his career as an eighth grade language arts teacher in Willimantic. He later became an assistant principal and principal of Silas Deane Middle School in Wethersfield and then was named Superintendent of the Marlborough Public School District in eastern Connecticut in 2005.

When Menzo became superintendent in Wallingford, he replaced Dale Wilson, a longtime educator in the district who retired at the end of the 2008-2009 school year after three years on the job and 36 years working in the district.

During Menzos tenure a superintendent, the district had its first Connecticut Teacher of the Year. He also oversaw a reconfiguration of the districts 11 schools and successful managed a temporary relocation of Mark T. Sheehan High School to the Oakdale Theater after Hurricane Sandy damaged the schools roof.

I know not all the times were easy or without bumps along the way, Menzo said in his e-mail to the school community. (But) there is a spirit in this community like no other.

Hlavac said the superintendents job will be posted next week. At the same time, she said the boar is going to begin looking at search firms to handle background checks and do other things.

The district Goodwin operates has two East Hartford-based inter-district magnet schools. The university operates the district in conjunction Old Lyme-based LEARN, a regional educational service center.

One is Connecticut River Academy, which serves students in grades 6 through 12 and is focused on environmental science and advanced manufacturing. The other is Riverside Magnet School, which serves students in pre-kindergarten through Grade 5.

luther.turmelle@hearstmediact.com
POTTSVILLE  A Pottsville man will spend time behind state prison bars after admitting Monday to a Schuylkill County judge that he tried to intimidate a witness at a hearing in July 2020 before a magisterial district judge.

Tomasso J. Dino, 22, must serve three to 12 months in prison, Judge Christina E. Hale ruled. She made the sentence concurrent with one Dino already is serving.

Dino pleaded guilty to intimidation of witness or victim. Prosecutors withdrew a charge of harassment.

State police at Schuylkill Haven charged Dino with calling a witness a snitch on July 22, 2020, during a preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge David A. Plachko, Port Carbon.

Hale also sentenced Dino to pay costs and $50 to the Criminal Justice Enhancement Account, and submit a DNA sample to law enforcement authorities.

Dino already is an inmate at SCI/Chester in Delaware County, and Hale conducted Mondays hearing by videoconference.

Also on Monday, Judge Cyrus Palmer Dolbin revoked the probation of John A. Kemmerer, 30, of Orwigsburg, and sentenced him to serve eight to 36 months in a state correctional institution.

Kemmerer admitted violating his probation by failing to report to his supervising officer, committing new crimes, using drugs failing a drug test, not making payments on his court-ordered costs and fees and not completing drug and alcohol treatment.

He originally pleaded guilty on Sept. 12, 2018, to possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, simple assault, endangering the welfare of children and recklessly endangering another person.

At that time, Dolbin placed Kemmerer on probation for six years, and also sentenced him to pay costs, $100 to the Substance Abuse Education Fund, a $50 CJEA payment and $720 restitution to the state police crime laboratory in Harrisburg.

State police at Schuylkill Haven charged Kemmerer with committing his crimes on April 9, 2017, in Wayne Township.

Kemmerer already is an inmate at the county prison, and Dolbin conducted the interview by videoconference.

In other recent court action, a Gilberton woman will not spend time in prison on a drug-related charge after recently pleading guilty to it.

Sandra Tomcavage, 36, pleaded guilty to possession of drug paraphernalia.

Judge Charles M. Miller accepted the plea, placed Tomcavage on probation for 12 months and also sentenced her to pay costs, $100 to the Substance Abuse Education Fund, $50 to the Criminal Justice Enhancement Account and a $50 bench warrant fee.

State police at Frackville charged Tomcavage with possessing paraphernalia on July 27, 2019.

Tomcavage is an inmate at Dauphin County prison on another case, and Miller conducted the hearing by videoconference.

Also recently in the county court, Pedro J.V. Ortiz, 21, of Shenandoah, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. Prosecutors withdrew charges of possession of a controlled substance, possession of a small amount of marijuana and possession with intent to deliver drug paraphernalia.

President Judge William E. Baldwin accepted the plea, placed Ortiz on probation for 18 months and also sentenced him to pay costs, a $100 SAEF payment and a $50 CJEA payment, and submit a DNA sample to law enforcement authorities.

McAdoo police charged Ortiz with possessing drugs and paraphernalia on Sept. 23, 2019, in the borough.

In another county case, Baldwin on Monday revoked the probation of Derick D. Lutz, 31, of Lost Creek, and sentenced him to serve 62 days to 12 months in prison.

Lutz originally pleaded guilty on May 27, 2016, to possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. Prosecutors withdrew a charge of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance.

At that time, Baldwin sentenced him to serve 62 days to 12 months in prison and an additional 12 months on probation, and to pay costs, a $100 SAEF payment, a $50 CJEA payment and a $50 bench warrant fee.

Shenandoah police alleged Lutz possessed drugs and paraphernalia on Sept. 4, 2014, in the borough.
100 years ago  1921

The criminal courts were operating on Tuesday with more snap that has been seen at the courthouse of many terms.

75 years ago  1946

War veterans of the Good Will Fire Company Pottsville, were welcomed home on Wednesday night at the companys 64th anniversary banquet held in the engine house, corner of Coal and Nichols streets, Pottsville.

50 years ago  1971

With the primary election only three weeks away, the North Schuylkill Taxpayers Association and the North Schuylkill School Board both want an early decision from the Schuylkill County Court on a taxpayers suit to stay the building project.

25 years ago  1996

BUCK MOUNTAIN  In the early 20th century, the Buck Mountain breaker processed anthracite tunneled from underground veins. But for decades its been the sometime hangout for youngsters who called it The Castle, a deteriorating shell of concrete and brick with trees growing in and around it. The only payload visitors can draw from there today is wonderment at its strange beauty. And locals like Buck Mountain native Alfred E. Flaim can draw on memories of when it was alive. The building is on the southeast end of this village up the hill from Mahanoy City.
POTTSVILLE  Schuylkill County District Attorney Michael A. OPake and the Schuylkill County detectives are asking for the publics help in locating a man who failed to show at three separate court appearances last year.

Detectives said Richard Arrigo failed to appear at the Schuylkill County Courthouse for status conferences on criminal cases on May 30 and June 30.

Arrigo also failed to appear for a preliminary hearing on July 6 before Magisterial District Judge James K. Reiley in Pottsville, detectives said.

The original charges against Arrigo are two felony counts of retail theft and one felony count of criminal trespass-entering a structure.

Arrigo, 28, is described as being white, about 5 feet, 6 inches tall and weighing about 150 pounds. He has a last-known address of 825 Fairview St., Pottsville, detectives said.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Arrigo or any other fugitive in Schuylkill County is asked to call the district attorneys office at 570-628-1350 or Schuylkill County Tip Line at 570-624-3988.

Information can also be submitted by email to dadd@co.schuylkill.pa.us.

In addition, detectives said that anyone who may see or come in contact with Arrigo is asked to call the Schuylkill County 911 Center or their local police department immediately.

All information received will remain confidential.

A list of Schuylkill County bench warrants is available on the Schuylkill County website, www.co.schuylkill.pa.us.

Bench warrants served for the month of April totaled 115, bringing the number of bench warrants to date in 2021 to 397.
POTTSVILLE  A Norwegian Township familys involvement in an accident at Route 61 and Mill Creek Avenue has led to a petition drive calling for traffic signal improvements at the busy intersection.

The Verchick family has had close calls before, said Dale Verchick, but a four-vehicle accident on April 23 at the site involving her husband, son and a family friend prompted her to act.

We were fortunate, but not many people can say the same of that intersection in the past, and possibly not in the future, reads her petition, which as of Friday had 695 signatures.

Meanwhile, officials at PennDOT said signal upgrades are coming to intersections from that site south to the Mount Carbon Arch as part of a project that began earlier this year and should wrap up by August 2022.

Crash blamed on left turn

Verchick said her husband, Greg, was stopped in his Chevrolet Traverse at the red light on Mill Creek on the west side of the intersection near the Pottsville Diner that Friday evening. With him were his son, Andrew, and his friend, Brayden Evans, both 13.

According to city police, Richard Barskey, 30, of Minersville, was driving a Ford Escape north on Route 61 when he attempted to make a left turn onto Mill Creek Avenue. His vehicle collided with a a 2013 Hyundai Velostar traveling south on Route 61.

The impact sent the Velostar into Verchicks SUV head-on, and his Traverse was pushed into a 2009 Hyundai Sonata stopped behind it.

Evans suffered minor injuries and was taken by Schuylkill EMS to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Schuylkill and released that night, Dale Verchick said, while her husband and son were not injured.

Barskey, his passengers and the occupants of the Velostar and Hyundai were not injured, police said. But three of the four vehicles suffered significant damage and were towed, and police said Barskey will be cited for a left-turn violation.

State officials notified

The next day, Dale Verchick began her petition drive, which calls for PennDOT to install additional traffic lights at the intersection.

While they were stopped at a red light, a bad call to turn by another driver could have cost our family dearly, she wrote in the petition. Traffic signals may not be an answer for every problem intersection, but we desperately need a change in this pattern with an additional arrow signal in all directions.

She said Friday that people she has heard from are happy someone is speaking out about problems at the intersection. She said aggressive driving has been particularly noticeable at the left turn from Route 61 northbound onto Mill Street (also sometimes referred to as Nichols Street, which intersects nearby.)

A lot of motorists have had close calls, she said. Its an active intersection and very dangerous.

The west side of the intersection is particularly problematic because of an uphill grade that limits visibility for drivers entering Route 61.

Verchick expressed her concerns in an email to Michael Rebert, district executive for Allentown-based PennDOT District 5, which covers Schuylkill County. She copied state Secretary of Transportation Yasmin Gramian, state Sen. David G. Argall, R-29, Rush Township, and state Reps. Joe Kerwin, R-125, Lykens; Tim Twardzik, R-123, Butler Township; and Jerry Knowles, R-124, Rush Township.

Leaders at the local and state level have to be aware of it, she said.

She said she was informed by city Councilman Mark Atkinson about the work planned for the intersection.

Signal work coming

PennDOT District 5 spokesman Sean Brown said Thursday that signal upgrades at the intersection are part of the $2 million project at intersections along a 2-mile stretch of Route 61 through the city.

Left-hand turn lanes will be installed on all approaches at the intersection, with an advanced left-turn phase on the south approach on Route 61 and the east approach on Mill Creek Avenue, he said.

Also, pedestrian access will be added and some new signal heads with retroreflective backplates will be installed.

PennDOT said an average of 7,271 vehicles travel through the intersection daily.

City Police Chief Richard F. Wojciechowsky said there were six accidents at the intersection in the 16 months between Jan. 1, 2020, and Thursday, three of which required a vehicle to be towed, and one of which resulted in a minor injury.
Gordon, I am ashamed to live in a country with people like you who have no respect for human life other than unborn babies. Human beings make mistakes and by your judgment if someone committed a crime in their past and has any kind of drug addiction, they are expendable. You talked about crazy but you should look in the mirror. I guess you think we should kill anyone who makes mistakes and close down all the prisons and rehabs. I bet you call yourself a Christian, too.

Mahanoy City



I am confused. Nearly all of our municipalities dont do any road, storm drain, curb, water, street, park, historical, demo work, etc. unless they get state or federal money. Where are all our tax dollars going?

Cressona



Somebody from our town called and said you cant unite people when half of the people dont want to be united. You are correct. Half of us dont want to be united. We dont want to be socialists. We dont want to be Democrats. We dont want anything to do with the nonsense. These people are trying to destroy the Constitution. Maybe your half ought to change.

Frackville



My wife and I are retired and having trouble making ends meet after working for 95 years between us. If we denounce our citizenship and move to California, will the government provide for us?

Gordon



Klingerstown, our forefathers enacted the Second Amendment in order for citizens to be able to protect themselves from tyrannical government, not to allow us to hunt. You say there is no need for anyone to own a military-style weapon? My answer to that is called freedom. Military-style weapons are capable of automatic firing, most civilian versions are not. When two or more armed thugs enter your homes in the middle of the night, you would wish you had a weapon that you would consider an assault weapon.

Pottsville



To the caller from Pottsville who prefers a businessman to a left-wing politician. Mr. Trump has had bankrupt casinos, a failed so-called university in which he had to repay $25 million to gullible enrollees and also outstanding debts to Deutsche Bank and a host of contractors. Trump is no businessman, he is a failed businessman and a failed politician.

Pottsville



If the Democrats policies are that great then why are the Democratic cities all being evacuated? People are leaving in droves. Those states are just emptying out. I dont think I will ever be woke enough to understand.

Minersville
As the country battles the second wave of coronavirus pandemic, many countries like US, Germany, France, Uzbekistan have extended their support to India by supplying medical essentials and equipments to aid the country in its fight against the COVID-19 crisis. The latest in line to provide medical aid to India is its 'EU partner', Belgium.

A special flight from Belgium carrying COVID-19 drugs arrived at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi on Sunday, 2 May 2021, early in the morning. The flight brought in a consignment which included 9,000 vials of Remdesivir.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi took to his Twitter handle to inform about the arrival of Remdesivir. "Shared interests & shared commonalities! Welcome consignment of 9000 vials of Remdesivir from our EU partner Belgium," he wrote.



Shared interests & shared commonalities! Welcome consignment of 9000 vials of Remdesivir from our EU partner Belgium. pic.twitter.com/XjUQrcfhu7  Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) May 2, 2021

India also received eight oxygen generator plants including 28 tonnes of medical equipment from France, on Sunday, as a part of its program which the country terms as a "solidarity mission" in order to help India battle COVID-19 and boost the long-term resilience of its healthcare system.

French Ambassador to India Emmanuel Lenain took to his Twitter handle to share updates on the "solidarity mission". He said that the eight "world-class" oxygen plants, manufactured by the French company Novair, that have been shipped to India are capable enough to make eight Indian hospitals "oxygen autonomous for 10+ years."

On Saturday, informing about the departure of the shipment, he tweeted, "#FranceStandsWithIndia, just as India has always stood by France. The first shipment of our COVID-19 solidarity mission has just taken off and will land tomorrow morning - with more in the coming days! Together, we will prevail."

Today, post the arrival of medical essentials, he vowed to "stand together" with India in this fight.

Mission accomplie ! 1st phase of  solidarity mission landed this morning with 28 tons of ready-to-use support incl. 8 oxygen plants. More to come soon as we continue to stand together in this fight. pic.twitter.com/AqYhLuBaYe  Emmanuel Lenain (@FranceinIndia) May 2, 2021

"A testament to India-France strategic partnership & friendship! 28 tonnes of medical equipment including 8 hospital-level oxygen generators and other medical supplies arrives from France. Deeply appreciate the support from France. Will bolster our oxygen capacities," tweeted MEA spokesperson, Bagchi.

According to the sources, the oxygen plants will be delivered to 8 Indian hospitals, 6 in Delhi, one in Haryana and one in Telangana, based on needs as identified by the Indian authorities.

India is battling a horrific second wave of coronavirus pandemic with an unprecedented surge in the number of COVID-19 infections daily. On Sunday, the country recorded 3,92,488 people who were positive for the virus making the toll reach 1,95,57,457. A record 3,689 daily fatalities pushed Indias death toll to 2,15,542.

(With Agency Inputs)
In a bid to showcase solidarity with Indias fight against the massive second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, Taiwan has sent the first batch of 150 oxygen concentrators along with 500 oxygen cylinders that arrived in New Delhi on May 2. Joining several nations including Germany, Belgium, the United States among others, Taiwan expressed strong ties with India by delivering essential supplies amid the health crisis. Further, the second batch of shipment will reportedly be soon airlifted to India as the self-ruled democratic island has pledged to provide the required assistance to Indians during these challenging times.

#Taiwan stands by #India in its hour of need. Whatever we can provide, we will. The contribution might be modest but the Taiwanese people believe that #TaiwanCanHelp in fighting the pandemic by standing with India as a true friend! pic.twitter.com/zGiaZaeGo3  Taiwan in India (@TWIndia2) May 2, 2021

On behalf of the Taiwanese government, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in India has also wished to reaffirm the friendly bilateral relations between both nations. The delivery of supplies from Taiwan landed in New Delhi after on April 27, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen expressed deep concern over India logging record-breaking daily cases of COVID-19. She had also reiterated the islands commitment to stand with India during the pandemic and had offered to provide help.

As of May 2, India registered a record of 3,689 COVID-19 casualties pushing the total death toll to 2,15,542 with the total cases spiking to 1,95,57,457 as the nation logged in 3,92,488 fresh infections of coronavirus in the last 24 hours, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday. The 1 PM data on Sunday showed that the active cases mark has already surpassed 33,49,600 while recording a steady increase comprising over 17% of the total infections. Further, the national COVID-19 recovery rate has drooped to 1.10%, as per data.

2nd Shipment From USAID Delivered

Taiwans first shipment arrived at New Delhi as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) announced the departures of three additional COVID-19 relief supply aircraft carrying life-saving oxygen supplied, and other critical health commodities to the country. USAID has stated that two shipments have already been delivered to India to date, while more such consignments are on the way.

2 air shipments arrived in India to date, with more on the way. USAID announced departures of 3 addl #COVID19 relief supply aircraft carrying life-saving oxygen, oxygen supplies & other critical health commodities from US to India: US Agency for International Development (USAID) pic.twitter.com/nPaWQQ6rYj  ANI (@ANI) May 2, 2021

Image credits: @TWIndia2/Twitter
New Delhi, May 1 (PTI) The Indian Navy has deployed seven warships to bring oxygen-filled cryogenic containers from abroad as hospitals across India continued to face a severe shortage of medical oxygen in view of mounting cases of COVID-19 infections.

The ships which are deployed to bring liquid oxygen and associated medical equipment from abroad under operation 'Samudra Setu II' are Kolkata, Kochi, Talwar, Tabar, Trikand, Jalashwa and Airavat, officials said.

The Navy launched the operation at a time hospitals in Delhi and several other states and union territories are running out of oxygen, triggering a healthcare crisis. Twelve people, including a doctor, died at Delhi's Batra Hospital on Saturday after it allegedly ran out of medical oxygen.

The Indian Navy said INS Talwar is bringing 40 metric tonnes of liquid medical oxygen from Manama in Bahrain while INS Kolkata has proceeded to Doha to collect medical supplies. The ship will subsequently leave for Kuwait to bring liquid oxygen tanks.

Similarly, on the eastern seaboard, INS Airavat is scheduled to bring oxygen from Singapore while INS Jalashwa is standing by to bring medical stores at a short notice.

"The second batch of ships comprising Kochi, Trikand and Tabar mission deployed in the Arabian Sea have also been diverted to join the national effort. From the Southern Naval Command, the landing ship tank INS Shardul is being readied to join the operation within 48 hours," the Navy said in a statement.

Officials said the Navy has the capability to deploy more ships when the need arises to further the nation's fight against COVID-19.

"It is pertinent that the ships are combat-ready and capable of meeting any contingency in keeping with the attributes of versatility of sea power," the Navy said.

Last year, the Indian Navy had launched Operation Samudra Setu as part of the Vande Bharat evacuation mission under which it brought back around 4,000 stranded Indians from the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Iran.

In the last few days, the Indian Air Force airlifted from abroad 47 oxygen containers with a total capacity of 830 metric tonnes to augment oxygen supply and distribution infrastructure in the country.

The IAF brought empty tanks as containers filled with oxygen are highly combustible and may pose a risk to its planes As India battles a devastating second wave of coronavirus pandemic, countries around the world have announced sending medical supplies including oxygen-related equipment to help it tide over the situation.

The leading countries that have announced assistance to India include the US, Russia, France, Germany, Australia, Ireland, Belgium, Romania, Luxembourg, Singapore, Portugal, Sweden, New Zealand, Kuwait and Mauritius. PTI MPB NSD NSD

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
With phase-3 of nationwide vaccination drive commencing on May 1, India's cumulative vaccination coverage has exceeded 15.68 crore, said the Ministry of Health on Sunday. More than 86 thousand beneficiaries of age group 18-44 were vaccinated on the first day of vaccination drive phase-3, it added. Registration for the newly eligible population groups has commenced on April 28.

According to an official release by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, a total of 15,68,16,031 vaccine doses have been administered through 22,93,911 sessions till 7 am on Sunday. This included:

94,28,490 health care workers (HCWs) who have taken the 1st dose and 62,65,397 HCWs who have taken the 2nd dose

1,27,57,529 front line workers (1stdose), 69,22,093 FLWs (2nddose)

86,023 beneficiaries under 18-45 age group (1st dose)

5,26,18,135 1st dose beneficiaries and 1,14,49,310 2nd dose beneficiaries more than 60 years old

5,32,80,976 (1st dose) and 40,08,078 (2nd dose) beneficiaries aged 45 to 60 years.

The Ministry also stated that over 29 crore tests have been conducted so far while the cumulative positivity rate has increased to 6.74 per cent.

#Unite2FightCorona



Over 29 crore tests have been conducted so far.



The cumulative positivity rate has increased to 6.74%. pic.twitter.com/rmqQm52EI0  Ministry of Health (@MoHFW_INDIA) May 2, 2021

85,000 beneficiaries inoculated in 11 states

As per Health Ministry reports, a total of 84,599 beneficiaries of the 18-44 age group on Saturday received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine on the first day of the Phase 3 vaccination drive. These states are Chhattisgarh (987), Delhi (1,472), Gujarat (51,622), Jammu and Kashmir (201), Karnataka (649), Maharashtra (12,525), Odisha (97), Punjab (298), Rajasthan (1853), Tamil Nadu (527) and UP (15,792).

Over 16 lakh vaccine doses were administered till 8 pm on Saturday, the 106th day of nationwide COVID-19 vaccination. In the 45-60 age group, 5.33 crore people have taken the first dose, while over 40 lakh have been given the second dose of the jab so far.

COVID-19 cases in India

As per Union Health Ministry, India reported 3,92,488 new COVID-19 cases, 3,689 deaths and as many as 3,07,865 recoveries In the last 24 hours:

Total cases: 1,95,57,457

Total recoveries: 1,59,92,271

Death toll: 2,15,542

Active cases: 33,49,644

Total vaccination: 15,68,16,031

(With ANI Inputs)

(Image Credits: PTI-REPRESENTATIVEIMAGE)
After the Congress rushed to extend help, when the New Zealand embassy replied to a tweet put up by the Philipines Embassy, seeking help, the Embassy took to Twitter to issue a clarification and said that their intentions had been 'misinterpreted'. It all started when the Philipines Embassy got a hoax call from Manila, in relation to the supply of oxygen, and the Embassy tweeted about the same, on which New Zeland suo moto replied, seeking help. The Congress embroiled in it and besides extending help, started bashing the Government and the Ministry. Seeing this, the New Zealand Embassy issued a notification.

The clarification came as a reply to the tweets of the Congress leaders, who were since morning lauding the efforts of the youth wing of the party, and slamming the government for not performing its job diligently.

Senior leader Jairam Ramesh took to his Twitter handle and wrote, " While I thank Indian Youth Congress for its stellar efforts, as an Indian citizen Im stunned that the youth wing of the opposition party is attending to SOS calls from foreign embassies. Is the MEA sleeping?"

While I thank @IYC for its stellar efforts, as an Indian citizen Im stunned that the youth wing of the opposition party is attending to SOS calls from foreign embassies. Is the MEA sleeping @DrSJaishankar ? https://t.co/iEG49baE9l  Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) May 1, 2021

Shashi Tharoor, another eminent leader of the party, also made the best of the incident, and wrote," Sad that a High Commission turns to the youth leader of an Opposition party to solve a problem the inept government cannot. Srinivas will do it I am sure but where is the ruling party at the state or the Centre?"

Sad that a High Commission turns to the youth leader of an Opposition party to solve a problem the inept government cannot. @srinivasiyc will do it I am sure but where is the ruling party at the state or the Centre? @incIndia https://t.co/hPykwFqcOw  Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) May 2, 2021

Jaishankar retaliates

Issuing a clarification on the supply of oxygen to the Philipines embassy, Jaishankar retaliated to all the claims of Congress. Calling the supply unsolicited as there were no COVID- 19 cases, he, without naming anyone pointed out that it was a 'cheap act of publicity'. He condemned the 'giving away of cylinders' when people are in desperate need of supply, and went on to call the incident appalling.

MEA checked with the Philippines Embassy. This was an unsolicited supply as they had no Covid cases. Clearly for cheap publicity by you know who. Giving away cylinders like this when there are people in desperate need of oxygen is simply appalling. @Jairam_Ramesh https://t.co/G3jPE3c0nR  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) May 2, 2021

In another tweet, he cleared the government's stance and said that the Ministry of External Affairs 'does not sleep', and 'does not fake'. He added, 'Everyone knows who does.'

(Credit-PTI/Twitter-@NZinIndia)
Balasore (Odisha), May 1 (PTI) The Special Task Force (STF) of Odisha Crime Branch Saturday seized a huge cache of brown sugar worth Rs 1.36 crore from the possession of two persons in Balasore town, police said.

The two drug peddlers were arrested.

Based on an intelligence input, the STF personnel raided the spot under the jurisdiction of Sahadevkhunta police station, and seized two packets of the contraband from the possession of the two persons, the police said.

A stolen motorcycle was also seized.

A case under several sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, has been registered against them.

The two were also involved in other criminal cases, the police said.

The STF, as part of its anti-drug drive, has seized more than 30 kg of brown sugar and heroin, and over 64 quintals (6,400 kg) of ganja since 2020.

It has arrested over 100 drug dealers and peddlers in connection with these cases, an official release said. PTI COR AAM SBN MM MM

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
True. Runcie and School Board member Laurie Rich Levinson made a big push to expand forensics programs. Only 12 high schools had it 2012, but by 2014, that was up to all 34 traditional high schools. It was later expanded to all middle schools and some elementary schools. The district has secured hundreds of thousands in grants to support this effort.
Earths continental crust may have emerged 3.7 billion years earlier than scientists had previously estimated. A team of scientists has devised a new way to date ancient chunks of crust and according to their latest research, the age of the continents have been misjudged by half a billion years. A research presented at the virtual European Geosciences Union (EGU) General Assembly 2021 conference, the team showed that by analyzing a mineral called barite, which is a combination of ocean salts and barium released by volcanic ocean vents, they found evidence that Earths continental crust was around at least 3.7 billion years ago, much older than previous estimates.

The research author Desiree Roerdink, a geochemist at the University of Bergen, Norway, said that this is a huge jump back in time. "It has implications for the way that we think about how life evolved. We dont really know if it is possible that life could have developed at the same time on land, Roerdink noted, adding but then that land has to be there.

According to the research, continents and oceans have a long history of trading nutrients - and barites record that history extremely well. Roerdink informed that the composition of a piece of barite that has been on Earth for three and a half billion years is exactly the same as it was when it actually precipitated. She added that it is a great recorder to look at processes on the early Earth.

Further, during the virtual conference, the team explained that the key process is weathering. They explained that as continents wear down naturally over time, they spill nutrients into the neighbouring seas. These nutrients help foster life in the seas. The team of researchers then went on to say that one element that continental crust leaks into the ocean is strontium.

(Image: EGU/Website)

500mn years earlier than previously thought

They said that by measuring the ratio of two strontium isotopes in six different deposits of barite minerals, they calculated the ages of those minerals. The mineral ranged from 3.2 billion to 3.5 billion years old. But the story doesnt end there, as the team explained that from these minerals, they inferred how long ago the ancient continents started leaking strontium into the oceans where these barites eventually formed. This continental weathering process likely began about 3.7 million years ago, the concluded.

The recent research means that there were well-established continents around 3.7 billion years ago, which is 500 million years earlier than previously thought. The researchers said that the finding means that the process that creates continents - such as place tectonics - have been active on Earth for at least that long. There could also be implications for the evolution of life in the ocean, which thrived on those continental nutrients, the researchers said, however, they also added that more research is required to know for sure.

(Image: Unsplash)


SpaceXs Dragon capsule, ferrying four astronauts back from the International Space Station (ISS), made a successful landing on May 2. All the four astronauts belonging to SpaceXs Crew-I Mission splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico near Panama City at 2:56 a.m. EDT, a minute ahead of the scheduled time. All four main parachutes could be seen deploying just before splashdown, which was also visible in the infrared. Seconds later, a recovery ship retrieved the capsule from the sea, ending their crews 6-month long mission. The astronauts are the first US crew to make a nighttime splashdown since 1968, during the Apollo 8 mission to orbit the moon.

"Dragon, on behalf of NASA and SpaceX teams, we welcome you back to planet Earth and thanks for flying SpaceX. For those of you enrolled in our frequent flier program, you've earned 68 million miles [109 million kilometers] on this voyage," a SpaceX crew operations and resources engineer told the Crew-1 astronauts after splashdown.

Well take those miles, said spacecraft commander Mike Hopkins. Are they transferrable? SpaceX replied that the astronauts would have to check with the companys marketing department.

Within a half-hour of splashdown, the charred capsule had been hoisted onto the recovery ship, with the astronauts exiting soon afterward. Hopkins was the first one out, doing a little dance as he emerged under the intense spotlights. Its amazing what can be accomplished when people come together, he told SpaceX flight controllers at company headquarters in Hawthorne, California. Quite frankly, you all are changing the world. Congratulations. Its great to be back.

(NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins is helped out of the SpaceX Crew Dragon Resilience spacecraft. (Bill Ingalls/NASA via AP))

Saturday nights undocking left seven people at the space station, four of whom arrived a week ago via SpaceX. Earthbound! NASA astronaut Victor Glover, the capsules pilot, tweeted after departing the station. One step closer to family and home! Hopkins and Glover  along with NASAs Shannon Walker and Japans Soichi Noguchi  should have returned to Earth last Wednesday, but high offshore winds forced SpaceX to pass up a pair of daytime landing attempts. Managers switched to a rare splashdown in darkness, to take advantage of calm weather.

(From left to right, Walker, Glover, Hopkins and Noguchi. (Bill Ingalls/NASA via AP))

Crew-1 Mission

NASAs SpaceX Crew-1 mission launched November 15, 2020, on a Falcon 9 rocket from the agencys Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The astronauts named the spacecraft Resilience, in honour of their families, colleagues, and fellow citizens and highlighting the dedication displayed by the teams involved with the mission and demonstrating that there is no limit to what humans can achieve when they work together. Crew Dragon Resilience docked to the Harmony modules forward port of the space station November 16, nearly 27 hours after liftoff.

Image Credits: SpaceX/Twitter
Somalias President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed on Saturday asked the Prime Minister to organize the elections as soon as possible in a bid to calm the country's worst political crisis in several years. We have decided to seek the solution through negotiations and to avoid starting violence for the benefit of those who trade on the blood of the public, Mohamed, popularly known as Farmajo, said in a televised speech before parliament that was broadcast live.

The Somalian President on May 1 ditched the extension of his two-year mandate in office reached unconstitutionally earlier last month that spiralled the fragile nation into civilian unrest. Armed clashes broke out between government military troops and groups backing the opposition in the capital Mogadishu as civilians demanded scrapping the controversial two-year term extension.

According to multiple local press reports, Somalias lower house of parliament approved the presidents request and agreed to lay the groundwork for the countrys long-delayed national elections. In his overnight speech, Mohamed said, As we have repeatedly stated, we have always been ready to implement timely and peaceful elections in the country. Further in his remarks aired on state television, the Somali leader added, "But unfortunately, our efforts were hampered by individuals, and foreign entities who have no aim other than to destabilize the country and take it back to the era of division and destruction to create a constitutional vacuum.

We welcome the decision of the Lower House of the Somali Parliament today (1 May), which endorses holding the elections on the basis of the 17 September agreement as soon as possible, said the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement. We hope that this development will serve to restart constructive talks among political stakeholders without delay and ensure progress on the basis of social consensus by overcoming disagreements, it added.

[Opposition protesters are supported by armed groups in Mogadishu. Credit: AP]

Losing key allies amid political conflict

In his bid to remain in power, Mohamed reportedly lost several of his key allies over the last week amid ongoing political violence, the state press reported. Both Galmudug and Hirshabelle, two key Somali states formerly aligned with the president urged for the cancellation of the Presidents extension of power. Civilians in large numbers fled the country in defiance of the mandate, and armed men exchanged live ammunition with security forces on the streets.

In an official announcement broadcast on state TV, Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble said that the lower house of parliament that had voted to extend President Mohameds rule was now preparing to hold elections. Mohameds term had expired in February, and there has been an intentional pressure for the country in the Horn of Africa to elect the government democratically. The six federal member state of 15 million was threatened by the international community with sanctions, as at least 140 members of parliament voted unanimously for the elections to be held.

I welcome @_AfricanUnion to take a leading role in facilitating an election process in which every citizen elects their representatives through free and fair elections. All Somali stakeholders will actively participate in the dialogue on the future of our democracy.  Mohamed Farmaajo (@M_Farmaajo) April 19, 2021

In a statement issued Friday, the opposition asked Framajo to step down and reinstate indirect polls saying: "The council urges Prime Minister Roble to take full control of the electoral process and national security. Meanwhile agreeing to the ballots, President Mohamed said, I also ask the opposition leaders to play their role in pacifying the country and Mogadishu, in particular, for the sake of the people, country, and religion. Earlier in February Somalia had an electoral impasse after there were disputes between the federal government and the states of Puntland and Jubbaland in how to conduct the votes. Amid the ongoing rift, Somalias lower house of parliament unanimously extended President Mohamed's four-year term in office.
China on Saturday berated Australias decision of reversal from Beijing's flagship Belt and Road Initiative. It said that Canberras provocative decision last week has deteriorated relations between the two nations even further. Calling Australias scrapping of the deal a negative move, China's top diplomat in Canberra, ambassador Cheng Jingye, said Australias economic coercion, cancelling the deal that the state of Victoria refused, was an act out of line. Australias Foreign Minister Marise Payne announced this past Wednesday that the federal government was overriding the Victorian state governments agreement to sign up for the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) due to national security reasons. The move plummeted Australia and Chinas already soured bilateral relations to a new low as Beijing warned Australia to rectify its wrong decision.

Ambassador Cheng Jingye told business leaders in a video address earlier this week, that Australia's perception of China as a "threat and challenge" had hurt the bilateral relations. What China has done is only aimed to uphold its legitimate rights and interests, prevent bilateral ties from further plunging, and move them back onto the right track, Cheng said.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a state news conference that China disapproved of Australias posturing and abrupt reversal of the deals. China has lodged stern representations with Australia, he said, adding that Australia's political manoeuvring and unreasonable practice are vile in nature, state-run newspaper China Daily reported. China also accused Australia of trying to reverse the direction of the wheel of history. Wang further stated that Australia had undermined Chinas credibility with its latest move, and has damaged bilateral relations. He also said that Australia must stop making irresponsible remarks and refrain from arbitrarily hampering cooperation. "It is bound to bring further damage to bilateral relations and (the country) will only end up hurting itself," The Chinese embassy in Canberra said in a statement.

The BRI is an initiative for economic cooperation, which follows the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, and upholds the spirit of openness, inclusiveness, and transparency. It has brought tangible benefits to the participating parties. The BRI cooperation between China and the Victoria state is conducive to deepening economic and trade relations between the two sides, and will promote economic growth and the well-being of the people of Victoria, the Chinese embassy in Canberra argued in a statement.

Australia says deal a threat to 'national security

In response to Chinas remarks, Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne clarified that the agreements were cancelled under Australia's Foreign Arrangements Scheme which has been operational since Dec 10, 2020. Under the scheme, the Australian federal government reserved the right to intervene in state affairs and cancel a deal it did not deem in favour of its national interest and security. Australia argued that earlier it had also scrapped deals between the Victorian government and Iran, and a separate agreement with Syria. "I consider these four arrangements to be inconsistent with Australia's foreign policy or adverse to our foreign relations in line with the relevant test in Australia's Foreign Relations Act, Australias Payne explained. Australia has reportedly revoked at least two accords signed by Victoria state to join the Belt and Road Initiative with China.
A Chinese Navy group, led by Shandong, the country's first generation aircraft carrier, recently conducted military exercises in the South China Sea, said a navy spokesperson. Similar to concerns over China's Coast Guard Laws to serve unilateral sovereignity claim in the Sea, this too can be categorised as contributory factor to China's hegemony assertion in the disputed East Sea alias South China Sea.

Shandong is China's second aircraft carrier and this is the first time it has earmarked on exercises made aware to the general public in 2021, the Global Times reported. Sputnik reported Shandong as China's second aircraft carrier, but the first home made one. China bought bulk of its first aircraft carrier, Liaoning, from Ukraine.

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy or the Chinese Navy spokesperson Gao Xiucheng addressed a news conference,

"The Chinese Navy has recently formed an aircraft carrier group headed by the Shandong to conduct exercises in the South China Sea." He affirmed, "we hope the outside world can view (the Shandong's exercise) objectively and rationally. The PLA Navy will continue to organise similar exercises according to the plan regularly in the future."

He also mentioned these were routine drills that were "completely legitimate" and aimed to enhance the navy's capabilities and safeguard the national sovereignity and security as well as regional stability.

China's Power Projection

The power projection comes in the backdrop of China's ascending maritime activities in South China Sea. Experts have noted this increase in China's presence in the Sea as a response to Beijing's concerns over sizeable increase in US military presence in the region. This has escalated the Sino-US feud.

According to the National Task Force of West Philippines Sea (NTF-WPS) around 220 Chinese fishing ships were monitored to have moored at Whitsun Reef as early as March 7, 2021. The NTF-WPS then reported that the Chinese vessels did not engage in fishing activities. Department of National Defense of Philippines and authorities from Vietnam, both claimant countries of Whitsun Reef alleged China of incursion and issued a demand to China to have the vessels withdraw from Whitsun.

Republic of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs later disputed these allegations and in return reasoned stalled vessels by saying that fishing boats took shelter at Whitsun Reef due to rough sea and wind conditions sheltering from a storm and insisted that their mooring was normal. Further, China had clarified the Philippines' claim, "there is no Chinese Maritime Militia as alleged. Thus, reasonable and lawful." However, the region's recent fine weather reports around Whitsun Reef debunked the initial excuse from China that they were riding out a storm.

Disputes over the South China Sea, have compelled several foreign entities to outpour their opinions and inculpate China. Now there exist a plethora of territorial disputes between China and its neighbours in the East and South China Seas. Wary countries hooked in territorial disputes with China anticipate basis precedence that latter may interpret internal waters of islands, as territory of its own. Whereas according to China, it is imperative to clarify the positioning of Chinese coast guards, their functions and to convey transparent regulation for international entities thus, when foreign coast guards interact with their Chinese counterparts, they are clear about their actions and potential repercussions.

Tensions in the South China Sea

China has been more assertive in sovereignty disputes of the South China Sea. According to research by the Centre of Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), significant numbers of vessels have been at Whitsun Reef since February 2020. Whitsun Reef is among maritime features in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. It is in a shallow coral region of the resource-rich Spratly Islands and is now at the centre of a deepening maritime row between Beijing and Manila. The said islands are subject to a territorial dispute and are in whole or partly claimed by numerous countries, namely, Brunei, China, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.

As no country can exist in vacuum, China has started to face brunt of its domineering side as foreign members accuse China of encroachment and jeopardy. The US Navy strike group also entered the disputed waters after the president of the Philippines, a US ally, voiced concern about the Chinese vessels massing in Manilas 320km exclusive economic zone. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken last month said. Last week, the European Union inculpated China to have jeopardised peace in the South China Sea. The EU urged all its parties to abide by the ruling of a 2016 tribunal in order to eliminate most of China's claim to sovereignty in the sea.

A 2016 ruling by a United Nations tribunal dismissed China's claim to virtually claim all sovereignty of the South China Sea, though Beijing has refused to recognise the decision. The Chinese statement insisted that China's sovereignty, rights and vested interests in the South China Sea were formed in the 'long course of history and consistent with international law' and rejected the 2016 tribunal ruling as "null and void".
Amid a devastating second wave of coronavirus, Punjab-born restaurateur in Norway has donated his days income of Rs 482,000 to Khalsa aid, an international humanitarian relief organisation, in a bid to ease Delhis oxygen emergency for COVID-19 patients. While taking to Twitter, former UN Environment Executive Director Erik Solheim informed about the great work done by Oslos lead Indian restaurant. Solheim also shared pictures of the owner and the restaurant and said that the eatery is closed due to lockdown but take away sales amounted to 54,000 NOK.

Solidarity! 

Oslos  lead Indian  restaurant New Delhi gives income from Friday sale to provide oxygen in Delhi through Khalsa Aid. Restaurant is lockdown closed but take away sales amounted to 54 000 NOK, that its 482 000 rupees



Good work @Khalsa_Aid @khalsaaid_india ! pic.twitter.com/SV6xoW4OAo  Erik Solheim (@ErikSolheim) May 2, 2021

As of May 2, India registered a record of 3,689 COVID-19 casualties pushing the total death toll to 2,15,542 with the total cases spiking to 1,95,57,457 as the nation logged in 3,92,488 fresh infections of coronavirus in the last 24 hours, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday. The 1:00 pm data on Sunday showed that the active cases mark has already surpassed 33,49,600 while recording a steady increase comprising over 17% of the total infections. Further, the national COVID-19 recovery rate has drooped to 1.10%, as per data.

Help amid crisis

Amid the crisis, not only countries but people and organisations around the globe are coming together to lend a helping hand in whatever capacity to fight the crisis together. UK-based doctors are deploying telemedicine to their colleagues in India in a bid to help them battle the escalating crisis, while Mumbai's Dattatray Sawant has converted his auto-rickshaw into a mobile ambulance to ferry COVID-19 patients for free. Famous celebrities, including Sonu Sood and Vikas Khanna, are also doing their bit to help people.

The WHO and UNICEF are also procuring equipment and supplies, including 7,000 oxygen concentrators and 500 nasal devices for oxygen supply, as well as oxygen generating plants, COVID-19 testing machines, and personal protective kits. The WHO is even helping to set up mobile hospital units and is providing laboratories. Around 2,600 WHO field officers have been immediately deployed to support health authorities to curb the spread of the pandemic.

(Image: Twitter)
A Dutch couple recently moved into Europes first fully 3D-printed house which looks like a giant boulder with windows. According to AP, Retired Elize Lutz and Harrie Dekkers new home is a 94-square meter (1,011-square foot) two-bedroom bungalow. Despite its natural look, the house is actually at the cutting edge of housing construction technology in the Netherlands and it was printed at a nearby factory.

Lutz said, Its special. Its a form thats unusual, and when I saw it for the first time, it reminds me of something you knew when you were young.

The house was built in just five days. For now, it looks strange with its layers of printed concrete clearly visible even in a few places where printing problems caused imperfections. However, Lutz and Harrie, who are former shopkeepers from Amsterdam, called it beautiful and added that the house has the feel of a bunker and feels safe.

Lutz and Harries house is made up of 24 concrete elements printed by a machine that squirts layer upon layer of concrete before the finishing touches, including a roof. The layers give a ribbed texture to its walls, inside and out. Moreover, the house also complies will all Dutch construction codes and the printing process took just 120 hours.

The 3D house is the product of collaboration between city hall, Eindhovens Technical University and construction companies called Project Milestone. Now, they are also planning to build a total of five houses, honing their techniques with each one. They even revealed that future homes will have more than one floor.

A 'sustainable' option

Amid the growing population, Netherlands needs thousands of new homes, therefore, the country is seeking ways to tackle a chronic housing shortage. As per reports, Theo Salet, who is a professor at Eindhovens Technical University, is working in 3D printing in a bid to find ways of making concrete construction more sustainable. He said that houses can be 3D printed in the future using 30 per cent less material.

Why? The answer is sustainability, Salet said. And the first way to do that is by cutting down the amount of concrete that we use.

Salet explained that printing can deposit the material only where you need it - saving waste. Additionally, a new generation of start-ups in the US also are among the companies looking to bring futuristic properties to the mainstream. In a report, the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency said that education and innovation can spur the construction industry in the long term, but other measures are needed to tackle Dutch housing shortages, including reforming zoning.

(Inputs & images: AP)
Hundreds marched in protest against the governments clampdowns to stem the novel COVID-19 cases in the capitals of Finland and Sweden on Saturday. As many as 300 anti-lockdown demonstrators congregated in Helsinki in breach of the capitals public gathering ban, flouting mask adherence, and physical distancing, Finnish police tweeted. Arrests were made and those that defied the police orders and the coronavirus safety protocols were slapped with massive fines as officers dispersed the crowd to avoid an event of an outbreak. In Stockholm, similarly, demonstrators between 500 and 600 flooded the streets brandishing placards that read "freedom and truth, as they violated the restrictions set by the Swedish government. Police in central Stockholm managed to disperse masses in order to slim down the assembly as threats of an outbreak loomed.

Even as Sweden, unlike the other European countries, has not enforced a strict lockdown but has just issued an advisory that shuttered restaurants last month, demonstrators in large numbers came out to protest the governments move. Video footage on Swedish media depicted hundreds of people who had illegally gathered without masks in central Stockholm in the countrys first major protest against coronavirus restrictions. Crowd meandered at the Medborgarplatsen square not far from the capital's Old Town noncompliant to polices orders to return home.

[Anti-lockdown protesters face police as they demonstrate against coronavirus restrictions in Stockholm. The protest was disbanded by police. Credit: Henrik Montgomery / TT via AP]

There are so many people in Sweden who have had enough of these restrictions, which are really unfounded, and want to put their foot down and show that we don't agree to it anymore, Filip Sjostrom, an organizer from Freedom Sweden, told Expressen, as per AP.

Restricting 'human rights'

Earlier, violent scuffles broke out between the security forces and flouters that had left six police officers critically wounded, according to the Swedish tabloids Aftonbladet and Expressen. The controversial rally was organized by a group named Freedom Sweden, associated press reported citing the on-ground sources. The rebel group believed that the cover restrictions were a form of restricting human rights and freedom. The rallies consisted of far-right activists, those that were against COVID-19 vaccines, and families with children. TV visuals portrayed the officers in riot gear shoving the protesters in the minibus. As the country recorded total of 13,000 fatalities, Stockholm police said on their website: Police have taken the decision to break up the non-authorized gathering which is ongoing, owing to the ban on public gatherings of more than eight people.
Hungary on Saturday loosened several COVID-19 restrictions for people with government-issued immunity cards, the latest in a series of reopening measures that have followed an ambitious vaccination campaign.

As of Saturday, individuals with the plastic cards may enter indoor dining rooms, hotels, theaters, cinemas, spas, gyms, libraries, museums and other recreational venues.

Hungary's famous thermal baths, a hallmark of its tourism industry, opened their pools, saunas and steam rooms to guests after nearly six months of closure.

Budapest, which operates 12 such spas, opened six of them for visitors.

Ildiko Szucs, CEO of Budapest Spas Ltd, told The Associated Press that the baths can provide valuable health benefits for those who have suffered physically and mentally under COVID-19 lockdowns.

Speaking from Budapest's neo-Baroque Szecheyni Baths, the largest medicinal spa in Europe, Szucs said that many guests arrived Saturday with proof of vaccination issued by their doctor, but had still not received their government-issued card, prohibiting them from entering.

"We will try to take action on this matter and, if necessary, ask for an amendment to the legislation, since these guests have already received two vaccinations in many cases," she said.

People who have received at least one vaccine dose and those who have recovered from COVID-19 are eligible for the Hungarian immunity cards, which must be presented at establishments before entry.

Businesses can be issued heavy fines if they allow non-cardholders to enter.

While millions of Hungarians now have the opportunity to return to some semblance of their normal lives with the immunity cards, many who are eligible have yet to receive them.

Maria and Gabor Gal, a retired married couple, received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine on March 21, and their second in early April. But six weeks after their initial shots, they said they hadn't received their cards.

The government has launched a website and special email address where those who have not received their cards may submit a request for one.

Earlier plans indicated a mobile app would be available to prove vaccination, but the system has yet to go online.

Hungary has given out 4 million first-dose coronavirus vaccinations, reaching around 40% of its population and is the only EU nation using vaccines from China and Russia in addition to Western jabs.

It has the second highest vaccination rate in the EU, but a devastating infection surge this spring means Hungary now has the highest total death rate per million inhabitants in the world, according to Johns Hopkins University.

So far there have been more than 27,500 coronavirus fatalities.

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Serbian Christians celebrated Orthodox Easter on Sunday with dozens of worshippers attending mass in St. Sava Church in Belgrade, gathering inside an ornate temple embellished with Orthodox style icons and chandeliers.

Although the choir wore face masks as they performed, many in the congregation did not and stood side by side during the service in the Serbian capital.

After vaccinating some 1.5 million people, Serbia has eased measures against the coronavirus despite high numbers of infections and a slowdown in vaccination.

Patriarch Porfirije, the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church, led the morning mass.

Last year, 90-year-old Serbian Orthodox Church Patriarch Irinej died after testing positive for the coronavirus.

Irinej was hospitalised with the virus early in November, soon after attending the funeral of the head of the Orthodox Church in Montenegro, Bishop Amfilohije, who also died from the virus.

Easter represents a period of hope for Orthodox Christians - a time when, nearly two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ was said to have risen from the grave after dying for the sins of humanity.

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His life represents an amazing commitment to fight for justice and equality at a time when the battle for both was stacked against him, Rosemary Barkett, a former Florida Supreme Court justice and appellate judge, said as part of a January event in which the Florida Supreme Court Historical Society honored Hatchett with a lifetime achievement award. His life is an example of patience and perseverance and calmness but in the face of daily bouts of injustice and unfairness. As early as grade school, I know that Joe was very keenly aware of the civil-rights movement and the inequality of segregation.
Albanias main port of Durres has welcomed a huge influx of containers and big trucks this week ahead of NATO exercises, a concentration of military vehicles that U.S. officials said has not been seen in the Adriatic nation since World War II.

Some 700 pieces of equipment from the Florida National Guards 53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team were being discharged at Durres, 33 kilometers (20 miles) west of the capital, Tirana.

They will be used for two weeks of training involving up to 6,000 U.S. troops at six Albanian military bases.

It's part of the US Army-led Defender-Europe 21 multinational military exercises, which are focused on deterring aggression and building operational readiness with NATO and a greater number of allies and partners.

They run from May 17 to June 2.

Divers were still checking the ports 7-meter ( 23-foot) deep draft.

But the two logistic support vessels transporting the vehicles can operate in shallow water and were working nonstop to bring in the military equipment.

A British military vessel will also arrive in the next few days.

Defender-Europe this year has involved around 28,000 U.S., allied and partner forces from 27 nations to conduct simultaneous operations across more than 30 training areas in more than a dozen nations, from the Baltics and Africa to the Black Sea and the Balkans.

Besides offering six naval, land and air bases, Albania, a NATO member since 2009, will commit 1,000 troops to what Defense Minister Niko Peleshi called a historic event because it is the biggest exercise in Albania and the region.

U.S. military officials praised Albanias welcome, good food and natural beauty.

Major Randall Moran said the host country is "probably one of the friendliest places I've been in a long time."

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Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech on Friday submitted a request to the European drug regulator for emergency approval of its vaccine for use among children aged 12 to 15 years old. In a statement, the pharmaceutical firm said that its request was based on positive results yielded by the BNT162b2. The vaccine, according to Pfizer, demonstrated 100 percent efficacy and robust antibody responses in at least 2,000 adolescents that showed their vaccine to be safe and effective. The companies also plan to submit these data to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as well as the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

Pfizer provided the results from a pivotal Phase 3 trial in adolescents saying that the group showed well tolerance towards the vaccine. We share the urgency to expand the authorization of our vaccine to use in younger populations and are encouraged by the clinical trial data from adolescents between the ages of 12 and 15, said Albert Bourla, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Pfizer in a statement.

We plan to submit these data to FDA as a proposed amendment to our Emergency Use Authorization in the coming weeks and to other regulators around the world, with the hope of starting to vaccinate this age group before the start of the next school year, he added. The trial enrolled kids across the United States, and the vaccination with BNT162b2 elicited SARS-CoV-2neutralizing antibody response.

German Health Minister Jens Spahn told reporters, "This can make a further real difference to our vaccine campaign if approval is granted," as he launched a new vaccine manufacturing plant in the German town of Reinbek.

'Well tolerance' among kids

Pfizer stated that the BNT162b2 demonstrated strong immunogenicity in a subset of adolescents nearly one month after the second dose. NT162b2 administration was well tolerated, with side effects generally consistent with those observed in participants 16 to 25 years of age, the company said. Pfizer also evaluated the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in children 6 months to 11 years of age. The company administered a two-dose schedule, nearly 21 days apart in three age groups: children aged 5 to 11 years, 2 to 5 years, and 6 months to 2 years, and delivered positive results. Currently, Pfizers mRNA vaccine has been authorized for use in individuals 16 years of age and older.
Israel barred its citizens from travelling to India and six other countries, citing high COVID infection rates there. In a joint press release issued by the Israel Prime Ministers Office and the Health Ministry on Friday, it was said that Israelis will not be allowed to travel to Ukraine, Brazil, Ethiopia, South Africa, India, Mexico and Turkey.

This regulation will come into force on May 3 and will remain in place until May 16. Non-Israelis, however, will be able to travel to these countries, provided they plan to reside there permanently, the press release said. The regulation will not be applicable to those who stay at airports in transit in one of these countries for a time period of up to 12 hours while waiting for a connecting flight.

The Israeli government has also authorised its health and interior ministers to appoint representatives to head an appeal committee and the panel reviewing special cases. Meanwhile, the Health Ministry proposed that those returning from the seven countries enter a two-week mandatory quarantine, even if they have been vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19, local media reports said.

Those who have received two negative COVID-19 test reports will be required to be in a 10-day quarantine, they said. These additional restrictions are also expected to come into force on May 3, but are subject to the approval of the Knesset's (Israeli parliament) Arrangements Committee.

Image Credits: AP/Unsplash

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It has been 10 years since then-President Barack Obama announced that the US had successfully killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of al-Qaeda. Bin Laden, who was the globes most hunted, was killed by US Special Forces during a raid at a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. The Saudi-born architect of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001 had been hunted by the US and its allies for a decade and the then US president George W. Bush had even declared in 2001 that he was Wanted: Dead or Alive.

Ten years later, in 2011, the US Intelligence received a tip-off that Bin Laden was at a walled compound in the Pakistan city of Abbottabad, close to a major military training academy. After consulting key military and political advisers, Barack Obama then authorised a strike - breaching the sovereign territory of a purported US ally - to target an icon of international violence and terror. Flying from bases in Afghanistan, a US Navy SEAL was tasked with capturing or killing Bin Laden.

The full story of how, and why, Americas top security officials decided to pull the trigger that night in May has never officially been told. However, the oral history - based on interviews with intelligence and national security leaders, revealed that disaster for the Americans almost struck in the early part of the operation when a Blackhawk helicopter hit technical trouble and was forced into an emergency landing. The SEAL team then found themselves in a fierce gun battle with the occupants of the compound.

Justice has been done

In the ensuing firefight, Bin Laden and three other men died. A woman was also reportedly killed. After the fighting, the SEAL team then quickly gathered papers and other materials in the two buildings and clambered back on helicopters, taking Bin Ladens corpse with them. Before leaving, the US troops had even blown up the Blackhawk helicopter.

Tonight, I can report to the American people and to the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of al-Qaeda and a terrorist who's responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women, and children, Obama said while addressing the nation in 2011.

On nights like this one, we can say to those families who have lost loved ones to al Qaedas terror: justice has been done, he added.

Bin Ladens body was flown to a US warship in the northern part of the Arabian Sea and buried at sea. The raid was quick, risky and deadly, but ultimately a massive success. Once his death was announced in a hastily organized late Sunday night presidential address, much of the attention focused on the bravery and skill of the SEAL operators who flew in and conducted the attack. Following the announcement, massive celebrations also broke out across the globe.

(Image: AP)


In the wake of the resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic in some nations, Nigeria has rolled out fresh restrictions including a ban on entry of non-Nigerians passengers who have been in Brazil, India or Turkey in the last two weeks, announced the health authorities on May 2. As per the official statement by the presidential steering committee on COVID-19, the travel ban in Nigeria does not apply to passengers who have transited through those three nations.

It further added, these precautionary measures are a necessary step to minimize the risk of a surge in COVID-19 cases introduced to Nigeria from other countries.

Nigerians along with other permanent citizens who have been to Brazil, India, and Turkey in the last fortnight will be allowed to enter the nation but will have to undergo a mandatory quarantine period for a week in a government-approved facility on arrival. Further, all passengers arriving in Nigeria will have to produce a negative COVID-19 test report taken within the last 72 hours, not 96 hours period. Nigeria is Africas most populous country, has reported just over 165,000 COVID-19 cases and 2,063 deaths since the coronavirus first emerged in China in December 2019.

Meanwhile, as of May 2, India registered a record of 3,689 COVID-19 casualties pushing the total death toll to 2,15,542 with the total cases spiking to 1,95,57,457 as the nation logged in 3,92,488 fresh infections of coronavirus in the last 24 hours, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday. The 1 PM data on Sunday showed that the active cases mark has already surpassed 33,49,600 while recording a steady increase comprising over 17% of the total infections. Further, the national COVID-19 recovery rate has drooped to 1.10%, as per data.

India travel banned by the US

Meanwhile, the United States will be suspending almost all travel from India beginning May 4 during the devastating COVID-19 surge. However, certain categories of students, academics, journalists and individuals have been exempted from the India travel ban announced by US President Joe Biden.

In keeping with the Department of States commitment to facilitate legitimate travel to the United States, Secretary Blinken decided today to apply the same set of National Interest Exceptions to India that he had previously applied to all other regional travel restrictions currently in effect as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the State Department said.

Image credits: PTI/Pixabay
New Delhi, May 2 (PTI) Taiwan on Sunday delivered to India 150 oxygen concentrators and 500 oxygen cylinders to assist the country in its fight against a devastating second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Taipei Economic and Cultural Center (TECC) said more batches of medical equipment and supplies will be airlifted to India soon.

"To express strong friendship with India in its fight against a new wave of Covid-19 pandemic, Taiwan is delivering critical medical supplies to India. The first batch of 150 oxygen concentrators and 500 oxygen cylinders have arrived in New Delhi on Sunday," the TECC said.

The TECC is Taiwan's representative office in India.

"On behalf of the government of Taiwan, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in India wishes to reaffirm the friendly bilateral relations between Taiwan and India," it said in a statement.

"Taiwan's deployment of medical supplies is testament to the close collaboration and partnership across multiple agencies on both sides. It also reflects the robust relief efforts and contributions made by the government and people of Taiwan to bring humanitarian relief to India," it said.

India does not have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, but both sides have trade and people-to-people ties. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory.

Taiwan's aid to India came amid reports of violations of Taiwan's airspace by Chinese military jets.

"While the contribution is modest, we hope that it will bring comfort and relief to the patients in need and ease the burden on the healthcare workers who are working tirelessly to fight the pandemic," the TECC said.

It said President Tsai Ing-wen on April 27 conveyed solidarity with India and expressed deep concern about the country's situation.

"As India logged a record-breaking daily surge of coronavirus infection for consecutive days, Tsai said that Taiwan 'stand with India' during this difficult time while offering to provide help," the TECC said.

Meanwhile, Uzbekistan too supplied 100 oxygen concentrators as well as remdesivir and other medicines to India.

As India battles a devastating second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, several countries around the world are sending medical supplies to help it tide over the situation.

The leading countries that have announced assistance to India include the US, Russia, France, Germany, Australia, Ireland, Belgium, Romania, Luxembourg, Singapore, Portugal, Sweden, New Zealand, Kuwait and Mauritius.

Some of the countries have already delivered the supplies. PTI MPB SNE

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The government in Nepal on Saturday expressed an alarm on the record-high surge in COVID-19 cases, speculating that the Himalayan country may be starting to witness a second wave. At a COVID-19 news briefing, Nepal's Ministry of Health and Population cautioned that the country recorded a total of 5,763 COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, the highest single daily figure since October last year when the maximum daily figure was 5,743 cases. Last month, in March, Nepal had recorded minimum coronavirus cases, that dropped to 47, however, in the last two weeks a sudden spike in infections, and rise in hospitalizations has turned a concern for the government.

According to an ANI report, the coronavirus cases in Nepal more than doubled from 2,619 on April 24 to over 5,700 as of Saturday. The rising trajectory has sparked fears of the hospital beds running out in the country. The health ministry of Nepal on Saturday issued a stern warning saying that the cases were rising at a scale that the health system was not able to cope with. In a statement released by Prime Minister of Nepal KP Sharma Olis office, Nepals government said: "Such a situation has arisen now that the patients cannot be provided care at the hospitals as they are running out of beds. Such a harrowing situation was witnessed in Kathmandu-based Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital where an influx of patients has led to the scarcity of sufficient beds to treat the COVID-19 patients.

"We have a total of 60 beds in our hospital but we are providing treatment to 78 patients at the moment," Sagar Kumar Rajbhandari, director of the hospital, told Xinhua on Saturday. "We have five beds in the emergency ward but there are 18 patients there including in the adjoining corridor waiting for the occupied beds to become vacant, he continued.

Lockdown in Kathmandu valley

In order to curb the rising infections, Nepals government on April 29 enforced a nationwide lockdown across Kathmandu valley, and many restrictions similar to lockdown were effective in different parts of the country. We should be protected from COVID-19; the COVID protocols and measures introduced by the Government should be followed and defend own self as well as others, PM Ali had told a news conference, adding that people had to remain cautious and follow COVID-19 protocols as the second wave of infections was hitting the country.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi are set to hold talks on Monday, May 3 in London, the Japanese Foreign Ministry informed.

Their talks will be held before a three-day meeting of foreign ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) countries, Kyodo News reported, with issues linked to China, North Korea and Myanmar are possibly on their agenda.

According to the Japanese news agency, the two leaders are expected to discuss practical aspects of how the two countries can strengthen the bilateral alliance. This surfaced a day after top officers from Japan's Self Defence Forces and the US military on Friday agreed to stand firm gainst any attempt to change the status quo in the East China Sea alias South China Sea.

Koji Yamazaki, the chief of Japan's Self Defence Forces' Joint Staff, discussed the situation in the Indo- Pacific region amid China's assertion in disputed waters of South China Sea and their growing military activity. Recent conversations come in the backdrop of the first in-person meeting between US President Joe Biden and Japanese PM Yoshihide Suga.

Affirming his "ironclad" support for the US- Japanese alliance, President Joe Biden last month had said that both countries are committed to working together to take on the challenges posed by the Republic of China to ensure free future of Indo-Pacific region. President Joe Biden after meeting Suga said,

"Today, Prime Minister Suga and I affirmed our iron-clad support for the US- Japanese alliance and for our shared activity. We committed to working together to take on the challenges from China and on issues like East China Sea, the South China Sea as well as North Korea to ensure the future of our free and open Indo- Pacific." He added, "our commitment to meet in person is indicative of the importance and value we place on the relationship between Japan and the United States."

As per minutes of Foreign and Development Ministers' meeting, members of the G7 intend to discuss other ongoing topics worthy of speculation too. They have enumerated the ambit of their minute via press release of the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. It can be perused as follows,

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will attend the G7 Foreign and Development Ministers Meeting in London, the United Kingdom, from May 3-5, 2021 pic.twitter.com/lXPMIaJJI0  ANI (@ANI) May 2, 2021

The 46th G7 summit of the leaders of the G7 was originally scheduled for June 1012, 2020, at Camp David, United States. However, the summit was cancelled owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A few dozen government supporters joined a Labor Day march in Caracas on Saturday to show their support for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's administration.

Maduro's government had called for the rally, which was also to protest international economic sanctions against the country, despite a recent national rise in coronavirus cases.

Nelly Lopez, a supporter of the ruling United Socialist Party, said she was marching to back the continuation of the so-called Bolivarian revolution.

Elsewhere, anti-government demonstrators gathered outside the office of the United Nations Development Programme to call for improvements to conditions for workers and the national COVID-19 vaccine rollout.

Among them was nurse Jose Antonio Cadiz, who banged an empty pot to symbolise low salaries.

Cadiz said that Labor Day, which has seen large celebrations in Venezuela in the past, had become a day of "sadness, pain, hardship, hunger".

Shortages of basic supplies in Venezuela have been exacerbated by a collapse in the value of the local currency against the US dollar.

The country has been vaccinating part of its population with the Russian Sputnik vaccine and the Chinese Sinopharm, and in April Maduro's government joined the UN-backed COVAX vaccine program.

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Anger spilled onto the streets of Minsk and across Belarus on August 9, 2020, shortly after polls closed and a state-run exit survey pointed to a big victory for Alyaksandr Lukashenka. Protesters marched through the streets of the capital, many facing off against armed riot police who dealt with them brutally.

No election in Belarus under Lukashenka, in power since 1994, had been deemed free or fair by the West, and this one was no different, although the strongman was suddenly more vulnerable than he had been going into past votes. He was under fire for refusing to institute lockdown measures to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, which he dismissed as "mass hysteria."

Crisis In Belarus Read our coverage as Belarusians continue to demand the resignation of Alyaksandr Lukashenka amid a brutal crackdown on protesters. The West refuses to recognize him as the country's legitimate leader after an August 9 election considered fraudulent.

He was also facing a strong challenge from Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, a political novice and last-minute fill-in candidate for her jailed husband, Syarhey Tsikhanouski. Her huge campaign rallies had fueled hopes, quickly dashed, that Lukashenka's decades-long authoritarian rule was nearing an end.

Maryna Zolatava, editor in chief of the country's most popular news website, the independent outlet Tut.by, was working the editorial desk that day when reports came in of unrest on the streets of Minsk after the polls closed.

"The recollections from August 9 are seared into my mind," Zolatava told RFE/RL's Belarus Service in a recent interview, describing the scene "when our reporters in the field began calling in to the editorial office to tell us what was happening in the city."

"Explosions, gunfire.... I couldn't believe the things the reporters were telling me," she said. "It was all remarkable, but we didn't have time to reflect on what was happening."

The protests, with crowds swelling to as many as 200,000 people in Minsk, have continued ever since, albeit with dwindling numbers. That has been put down to fatigue and the fear instilled by the Lukashenka government's brutal crackdown. More than 30,000 Belarusians have been detained, with hundreds beaten on the streets and taken into custody.

Rights groups have documented some 1,000 cases of suspected torture. At least five people have been killed. Tsikhanouskaya was forced to flee to Lithuania after the vote amid threats to her and her family.

For the crackdown and alleged vote-rigging, Lukashenka and his inner circle have been hit with sanctions by the United States, the European Union, and others, including Canada.

Lukashenka faces international isolation and is ever more reliant on support from larger, more powerful neighbor Russia, which commentators say is exploiting his weakness to squeeze out more concessions on a union treaty deal that critics say further erode what sovereignty it still possesses.

The practice of independent journalism, long dangerous work in tightly controlled Belarus, has become substantially riskier over the past year. And even journalists at state-run media weren't safe: Dozens who voiced support for the opposition were thrown out of work and replaced by state TV journalists from Russia.

According to the Belarusian Association of Journalists, 481 journalists were detained in 2020, twice as many as the previous six years combined.

Fear And Courage

Belarus slipped five places, to 158th, in Reporters Without Borders' (RSF) 2021 World Press Freedom Index. Three journalists were given hard prison time, including two facing two-year prison sentences.

"The authorities are trying to suppress all independent voices and to strike fear into the hearts of journalists," said Jeanne Cavelier, the head of RSF's Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk. "RSF hails the courage of those who continue to report on the crackdown in Belarus and calls on international organizations to take action to prevent such harassment and to secure the release of journalists jailed for doing their job."

During the early days of postelection protests, journalists were not widely targeted by police, Zolatava said -- but that changed quickly, and soon police were harassing even those with vests clearing identifying them as "press."

"At the time I thought, 'This can't be!' But it is, and it should not be so. The administrative arrests had started. It all seemed impossible -- the fact that all this was happening was surreal."

The risk of her reporters being beaten or snatched off the street by police began to weigh on Zolatava.

"It wasn't like that before. Now you're under constant stress as you try to maintain a state of normality within your team. And you constantly think about how you can guarantee the safety of your people," she said. "It has greatly changed the job. It doesn't impact you physically, it's more like constant psychological pressure. You really have to be prepared for it."

Long targeted by the authorities for its hard-hitting reporting, Tut.by has found itself under even greater scrutiny over the past year. The Ministry of Information warned the news site over four articles before withholding its accreditation for three months starting on October 1.

Tut.by only registered as a media outlet in January 2019. Before that, it had operated without media credentials since the site's founding in 2000.

Behind Bars

Despite the growing pressures, Zolatava said her reporting team remains largely intact.

"Have people left due to security issues or political problems? Nothing like that has happened. In August, our work underwent huge changes. Everything that happened before and after that has hugely impacted all of our lives," she said, adding that her reporters were detained 38 times by police in 2020.

One of them was Katsyaryna Barysevich. She was arrested on November 19 after writing an article about Raman Bandarenka, who died several days earlier following a beating by a group of masked assailants. Barysevich disputed the official claim that Bandarenka was drunk, citing medical findings that no alcohol had been detected in his blood.

The doctor who provided the lab results, Artsyom Sarokin, was arrested, tried, and convicted along with Barysevich, ultimately receiving a suspended two-year prison sentence and fine of 1,450 Belarusian rubles ($560) for disclosing medical information. Barysevich was handed a six-month prison term and fined 2,900 rubles ($1,130) for disclosing medical information and instigating a crime by pressuring a first responder to share information.

"Katsyaryna is in good spirits. Barysevich is someone deserving of admiration. Katya is the best," Zolatava said. "It is definitely very distressing that she is in [prison]. And it's awful that we can't change that."

"We are doing our best. We are writing appeals, trying to draw the attention of the international community to the situation of Katsyaryna," she said, thanking the Belarusian Association of Journalists and human rights activists for their efforts. "But almost five months have passed since November 19, and Katya is still behind bars. And it's just awful. How can this be happening?"

Barysevich's arrest and sentencing served as wake-up calls to editors at Tut.by, Zolatava said.

"After Katya's arrest, we began to discuss our future more often and consult with lawyers. Although, in principle, her arrest did not affect the editorial policy; self-censorship did not increase. Katya did nothing illegal. She did her job, did it as it should be done," she said.

On April 20, the Minsk City Court upheld Barysevich's conviction and sentence. She is now scheduled to be released from prison on May 19.

'Nightmarish Events'

While Barysevich's was one the harshest sentences, two other Belarusians suffered an even worse fate. Katsyaryna Andreyeva and Darya Chultsova, reporters for Belsat, a Poland-based satellite TV station, were arrested on November 15 while covering a rally in Minsk to commemorate Bandarenka.

A court in Minsk on February 18 found Andreyeva and Chultsova guilty and sentenced them to two years in prison each, sparking international condemnation, with EU foreign affairs spokesman Peter Stano denouncing it as a "shameful crackdown on media."

Despite the dangers, more people than ever are turning to Tut.by for credible news coverage, although numbers are slipping as weariness creeps in, Zolatava said.

Visits to the site peaked in August, September, and October. By December, they began to dip and the downward trend continues, although there was a blip around March 25 and 27, when Tsikhanouskaya had called for a huge turnout coinciding with the anniversary of the founding in 1918 of the first free Belarusian republic.

"I think there is a fatigue factor with readers. A year ago, the coronavirus appeared, and the situation then was not completely normal. I think people were looking for something a bit lighter. The whole world is now stressed," Zolatava said.

Meanwhile, Lukashenka's government is pushing ahead with more media restrictions. Changes to the country's mass-media law -- passed by the rubber-stamp parliament earlier this month -- would make it illegal for journalists to "discredit" the state, or livestream mass unauthorized gatherings, among other draconian measures. According to Human Rights Watch, at least seven reporters face trial.

Despite the bleak prospects and pangs of doubt, Zolatava says she is determined to continue her work at Tut.by.

"There have been so many nightmarish events, so much that is unfair, that I've wondered whether it's possible to continue the work. The injustice, the fact that so much is horribly illegal, and yet we are still working," she said.

"On the other hand, what else can we do?" she continued. "We have to continue working so that all that has happened is not forgotten and remains a chapter of our history. So that people will know everything that happened."

Written by Tony Wesolowsky based on reporting by RFE/RL's Belarus Service
7. In the same week that the Department of Justice announced it was investigating the tactics of the Minneapolis police after the death of George Floyd while in police custody, the DOJ said it would also be investigating what other incident?
Protesters displayed banned white-and-red national flags in several areas of the suburbs of the Belarusian capital, Minsk, on May 1, including a park, by the roadside, and in residential areas. The protesters were continuing to press their demand for the resignation of Alyaksandr Lukashenka.
Long persecuted by Iran's Islamic regime, followers of the Baha'i faith in Tehran have now been told they must bury their dead upon the mass graves of political prisoners.

The Baha'i community in the Iranian capital has for years buried its dead in a special section of Tehran's Khavaran cemetery, near the resting place for hundreds or even thousands of political prisoners who were victims of mass executions in the late 1980s.

Cemetery officials have in recent days reportedly told Baha'is that they are no longer allowed to bury their dead in that section of the cemetery.

Instead, they have been given two choices: they can bury their dead in the narrow space between existing Baha'i graves or use the area where the mass graves are located, says Simin Fahandej, the Baha'i International Community representative to the United Nations in Geneva.

Baha'is find the order unacceptable and want to be able to bury their dead with dignity and according to their religious rules. "With the destruction of many Baha'i cemeteries in the past four decades, Baha'is have experienced the pain caused by disrespect to the deceased and they don't want others to experience the same pain," Fahandej said in an interview with RFE/RL's Radio Farda.

He added that this new pressure from the authorities is part of more than 40 years of state repression and discrimination that Baha'is have faced in Iran since the creation of the Islamic republic.

History Of Persecution

Baha'is -- who number some 300,000 in Iran and have an estimated 5 million followers worldwide -- have faced systematic persecution in Iran, where their faith is not officially recognized in the country's constitution.

Since the Islamic Republic of Iran was established in 1979, hundreds of Baha'is have been arrested and jailed for their beliefs. At least 200 have been executed or were arrested and never heard from again -- that includes all the members of three National Spiritual Assemblies from 1980 to 1984.

Thousands more have been banned from higher education or had their property confiscated. The community has long had its cemeteries desecrated and its loved ones' gravestones destroyed.

The latest restriction put on Baha'i burials in Tehran, where most of Iran's Baha'is live, has also upset the families of the executed political prisoners. They even wrote in an open letter dated April 25 complaining that several new graves had appeared near the site of the mass burials at Khavaran.

"On Friday April 23, while visiting the nameless land of our loved ones, we saw something that was shocking to believe: graves were dug in the mass graves' site of our loved ones and two Baha'is were also buried in those graves," said the letter, which was signed by 79 family members of the executed political prisoners.

"It is our right to know the exact burial place of our loved ones," the letter said, adding that "after being deprived of this right for 40 years, we demand that there won't be any changes and invasion at this cemetery."

They also urged the Iranian authorities to refrain from forcing Baha'is to bury their loved ones on the area where the mass graves are located. "Don't rub salt in our old wounds," said the letter, addressed to Iranian President Hassan Rohani and Tehran Mayor Piruz Hanachi.

'Salt In Our Wounds'

In a separate statement, some of the children of the executed prisoners said they opposed "any changes" at Khavaran, calling on the Baha'is not to submit to the order telling them where to bury their dead. "This is not the first time that the Islamic republic has attempted to cover up the remains of its crimes," the statement said.

Several photos of the purported new graves at Khavaran, including two that had signs and flowers laid on them, have been posted online. The images appeared also to show white lines drawn in the dirt apparently as marks for new graves. RFE/RL cannot verify the authenticity of the images. Reports suggest about 10 new graves have appeared recently at Khavaran's mass graves' section.

Amnesty International said in a statement on April 29 that the Iranian authorities had attempted for years to destroy the mass-grave sites of the victims of the 1988 prison executions "in a bid to eliminate crucial evidence of crimes against humanity, denying truth, justice, and reparations to the families of those forcibly disappeared and extrajudicially executed in secret."

"As well as causing further pain and anguish to the already persecuted Baha'i minority by depriving them of their rights to give their loves ones a dignified burial in line with their religious beliefs, Iran's authorities are willfully destroying a crime scene," said Diana Eltahawy, Amnesty International's deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa.

The executions of political prisoners were carried out in the last days of the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq War, after the founder of the Islamic republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, declared that apostates and those who had taken up arms against the Islamic republic were "waging war against God" and should be sentenced to death.

The prisoners were sent to their deaths following very brief interrogations by a small group of state officials, dubbed by prisoners as "death commissions."

The Iranian establishment has rarely acknowledged the executions while also enforcing a news blackout on the issue. They have also repeatedly harassed family members of the victims who seek answers about their loved ones.

The Baha'i faith is a monotheistic religion whose central figure is Sayyed Ali Muhammad Shirazi, better known as Bab, who was executed in Tabriz by the Persian authorities in 1850. Based on the teachings of Persian religious leader Bahaullah, it considers the founders of various faiths -- including Buddha, Jesus Christ, and the Prophet Muhammad -- as expressions of God.

The central tenet of Baha'is is to promote a "oneness of humankind" that treats people of different nationalities, races, and classes equally.

Elahe Ravanshad of RFE/RL's Radio Farda contributed to this story
U.S., U.K., and Iranian officials have all dismissed or otherwise downplayed unconfirmed reports out of Iran that suggested deals had been struck to swap prisoners against the backdrop of high-profile nuclear talks over Iran's nuclear activities.

The United States said reports of an agreement to exchange prisoners and free up billions in Iranian assets were "not true," while British officials avoided linking a U.K. national's case to current talks, and an Iranian envoy said a U.S. exchange was "not confirmed."

The renewed focus on Westerners held in Iran emerged a day after the parties to a 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran wrapped up a third round of tense talks on May 1 focused on bringing the United States and Iran back into full compliance with the deal.

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab on May 2 said that dual British-Iranian national Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who has been held in Iran since 2016, is being held "unlawfully" and "being treated in the most abusive" way.

"I think it amounts to torture the way she's being treated, and there is a very clear, unequivocal obligation on the Iranians to release her," Raab told BBC television on May 2.

Raab spoke by telephone with former charity worker Zaghari-Ratcliffe on April 28, days after her lawyer announced that she had been sentenced to another year in prison in Iran for spreading "propaganda against the system."

Zaghari-Ratcliffe was already serving a five-year sentence for plotting the overthrow of Iran's government, a charge that she, her supporters, and rights groups deny.

Her husband, Richard Ratcliffe, has accused Tehran of holding Zaghari-Ratcliffe as a diplomatic ploy.

Iranian state TV on May 2 quoted an anonymous source as saying a deal had been agreed for the United Kingdom to pay hundreds of millions of pounds for the release of Zaghari-Ratcliffe.

The 400 million pound ($552 million) sum mentioned seems to correspond to a British debt to Tehran that predates Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The Foreign Office responded to the report of a possible swap by saying Britain continues "to explore options to resolve this 40-year-old case and we will not comment further as legal discussions are ongoing."

The claims of a prisoner swap appeared in Iranian media in the hours before a nationally broadcast speech by Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in which he made no mention of such a deal.

Later, Iran's envoy to the United Nations was quoted by a state-affiliated website called the Young Journalists Club as saying such news was "not confirmed."

"The news of the agreement for the release of American prisoners [in Iran] is not confirmed," the website quoted envoy Majid Takht Ravanchi as saying.

The U.S. State Department denied the reports suggesting a deal including a prisoner swap had been made between Washington and Tehran.

"Reports that a prisoner swap deal has been reached are not true," U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said. "As we have said, we always raise the cases of Americans detained or missing in Iran. We will not stop until we are able to reunite them with their families."

The unsourced reports said four Iranians and "four American spies who have served part of their sentences" would be traded and $7 billion in frozen Iranian funds released.

Even after the U.S. denial, an Iranian anchorwoman on state TV told viewers that "some sources say four Iranian prisoners are to be released and $7 billion are to be received by Iran in exchange for releasing four American spies."

Iran is known to be holding at least four Americans: father and son Baquer and Siamak Namazi, environmentalist Morad Tahbaz, and entrepreneur Emad Shargi.

U.S. President Joe Biden has stated his aim of rejoining the so-called Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the nuclear deal his predecessor Donald Trump abandoned in 2018 to reimpose sanctions on Iran.

Biden's chief of White House staff, Ron Klain, told CBS on May 2 that "unfortunately" the report of a swap was "untrue."

"We're working very hard to get them released," Klain said. "We raise this with Iran and our interlocutors all the time, but so far there's no agreement."

With reporting by AP, AFP, and Reuters
Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has lashed out at Tehran's top diplomat in a powerful rebuke that could hobble Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif as international nuclear talks continue in Vienna and a presidential election looms.

Khamenei did not identify Zarif by name in his televised speech on May 2, but he cited as "a big mistake" his leaked criticism of the conduct of foreign policy that frequently left him out of the loop.

The embattled Zarif publicly apologized earlier in the day for comments he made in a recording that emerged last week in which he criticized the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and its forrmer commander, assassinated General Qasem Soleimani.

"This was a big mistake that must not be made by an official of the Islamic republic," Khamenei said.

"Nowhere in the world does the Foreign Ministry determine foreign policy," Khamenei, who holds the final word on religious and political decisions, told the country. "There are higher-ranking officials that make the decisions and policies. Of course, the Foreign Ministry is also involved."

Zarif was a key participant in the talks that resulted in the 2015 nuclear agreement between world powers and Iran to curb Tehran's nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.

He is helping steer tense multilateral talks that began last month to revive the so-called Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) after U.S. President Joe Biden signaled his desire to return to the deal, which his predecessor Donald Trump exited in 2018.

Zarif wrote on Instagram on May 2 that he hoped Soleimanis family and the Iranian people would forgive him for the controversial comments.

The leaked recordings have touched off a firestorm in Iran less than two months ahead of a presidential election. On the recording, Zarif criticizes the IRGC's involvement in diplomacy and charges that Soleimani maintained separate relations with Russia.

He also criticized his lack of influence within the country's theocratic political system, saying that he was often left in the dark on important foreign-policy decisions.

Soleimani was killed by a U.S. drone strike near Baghdad in 2020 and, since then, has been lionized in Iran as a martyr. Prosecutors in Tehran have launched a criminal investigation into the leak, while hard-liners have accused Zarif of "betrayal" and the "defamation" of Soleimani.

The leaked audio was from an interview with Zarif that was recorded on February 24 as part of an "oral history" series, the interviewer, prominent economist Saeed Laylaz, said in an audio file that was posted online.

Zarif can be heard repeatedly saying his comments are not for publication.

After the disclosure, the Foreign Ministry said the most controversial excerpts were taken out of context from a seven-hour conversation.

Zarif has said he does not plan to participate in the June presidential election, in which Zarif ally and incumbent President Hassan Rohani is ineligible after serving two terms. In the past he has often been mentioned as a possible challenger to the hard-line faction.

Russia has long been one of Iran's closest allies and has consistently supported Tehran at the United Nations. Moscow called the assassination of Soleimani a "reckless step" that threatened regional stability.

On April 28, Zarif posted on Instagram a video of himself visiting the memorial to his "longtime friend" Soleimani in Baghdad. He wrote that he favored a "smart adjustment" between the diplomatic and military spheres in Tehran.
Both sides have reported calm on the Kyrgyz-Tajik border as a day-old cease-fire appeared to be holding and more than 40 people were being mourned from some of the worst clashes in decades on their disputed frontier.

A joint Kyrgyz-Tajik military commission reported finding an unexploded rocket embedded in a residence in the area as the group inspected the scene of 24 hours of intense violence on April 28-29.

Kyrgyzstan is observing two days of official mourning for 34 people who died in Batken Province. One hundred and seventy-eight more were reported injured on the Kyrgyz side, seven of them still in grave condition.

Some 30,000 Kyrgyz villagers were reportedly evacuated from their homes.

Fifteen people were thought to have been killed on the Tajik side and 90 more injured, according to RFE/RL's Tajik Service, although Tajik authorities did not disclose casualty figures.

The Kyrgyz Interior Ministry said in a statement on May 2 that "the situation in all districts and villages of Batken Province on the Kyrgyz-Tajik border is stable and calm."

The violence followed a dispute over the installation of surveillance cameras at a water-distribution point near Tajikistan's Vorukh exclave, drawing in security forces from both countries.

Kyrgyz security officials at one point accused Tajik forces of using MI-24 helicopter gunships to shoot at Kyrgyz villages.

Kyrgyz reports say about 100 structures, including dozens of homes, three border checkpoints, a medical center, a police station, and two schools, were damaged.

The heads of national security for the post-Soviet, Central Asian neighbors agreed to the pullback during a crisis meeting on May 1.

The meeting of the Tajik and Kyrgyz delegations followed a telephone conversation between Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and his Tajik counterpart, Emomali Rahmon.

The European Union, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and Russia have all urged both sides to respect the cease-fire agreement.

Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan both host Russian military bases.

Human Rights Watch has urged an immediate investigation to hold either side responsible for laws-of-war violations against civilians.

Like many other border areas in Central Asia, almost half of the 970-kilometer-long Kyrgyz-Tajik border has not been demarcated, leading to tensions for the past 30 years.
Orthodox Christians around the world are observing the holiday of Easter for the second time under conditions of the global pandemic.

Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill on May 2 expressed his hope that the coronavirus would be eliminated, and the pandemic ended.

"This Easter is special and its special nature lies in the hope that the bane of the pandemic will pass and, leaving us with a number of important lessons, will after all abandon us forever," Kirill told the Russia-24 TV channel.

Many worshipers in Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Savior were seen wearing masks to reduce the transmission of the virus, but President Vladimir Putin was unmasked.

Putin issued a statement thanking the church for its contribution to "pressing social problems" and for promoting family traditions.

WATCH: In Kazan, Tatar-speaking Orthodox Christians -- a community known as Kryashens -- gathered for an Easter Mass.

Despite concerns expressed by Serbia's national task force ahead of Easter ceremonies in Serbia and the Balkan region, the Serbian Orthodox Church did not include calls for restricting communion or other procedures in its online schedule of liturgies.

The new patriarch, Porfirije, did make a reference in his Easter address to "respecting the recommendations of medicine."

The Serbian church replaced its patriarch in February, three months after 90-year-old Patriarch Irinej died after coronavirus infection as the church refused to change practices including the administration of communion with a single spoon for an entire congregation.

Serbia, which is among the leaders in Europe in its vaccination efforts, is around 85 percent Orthodox, with hundreds of thousands more followers of the Serbian Orthodox Church in neighboring countries.

The holiday was also celebrated at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and at the main Coptic Christian cathedral in Cairo. In both cases, participation was restricted because of the pandemic.

"We are praying for an end to this pandemic that has horrifyingly swept through the world," Coptic Pope Tawadros II said in an Easter message. "We are praying for our dear health workers, being the first defense line in confronting this pandemic."

Imprisoned Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny also issued an Easter statement, congratulating believers, nonbelievers, and "militant atheists" on the occasion.

"I embrace and love you all," he wrote on social media. "On such a day I know for certain and understand that everything will be all right."

Navalny recently ended a hunger strike that he had been holding to demand he be examined by his own doctors amid what he has described as a "deliberate campaign" by Russian prison officials to undermine his health.

Navalny has been in custody since January, when he returned to Russia following weeks of medical treatment in Germany for a nerve-agent poisoning that he says was carried out by operatives of the Federal Security Service (FSB) at the behest of Putin.

He is serving a 2 1/2-year prison sentence on embezzlement charges that he says were trumped up because of his political activity.

Many countries are restricting normal Orthodox Easter celebrations, after last year much of the world lived in lockdown.

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, the spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians based in Istanbul, has conducted various Easter celebrations over the weekend with limited attendance, as Turkey is under a strict lockdown.

In Greece, the government kept pandemic restrictions in place through the Easter holiday while preparing to restart services for tourists next week. Many church services were held outdoors and those indoors required social distancing and mask wearing.

In Lebanon, a curfew was in effect to curb the spread of coronavirus and churches were allowed to hold Easter Mass and prayers only at 30 percent capacity.

With reporting by dpa, AP, RFE/RL's Balkan Service, Orthodox Times, and TASS
More than 80 Russian journalists, writers, historians, and translators have issued an open letter in support of prominent defense attorney Ivan Pavlov, who was detained in Moscow on April 30 and accused of disclosing classified information about the ongoing investigation of former journalist Ivan Safronov.

"The persecution of Ivan Pavlov and the seizure of confidential case files is an act of terror directed not only at Pavlov but at the entire law community and an attempt to drive Pavlov out of the Ivan Safronov case," the open letter published on May 2 said.

The signatories of the letter represent the Moscow PEN Club and the Free Speech Association.

Pavlov, 50, is one of Russia's leading human rights lawyers and the head of the legal-aid foundation Team 29. Law enforcement officers searched the Team 29 office in St. Petersburg, the home of the group's IT specialist, and the apartment of Pavlov's wife.

Safronov is accused of treason and has been in pretrial detention since July 2020. Authorities say he gave classified information about Russian arms sales in the Middle East to the Czech Republic, an accusation that Safronov denies.

Pavlov has also been representing the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), which was created by imprisoned opposition politician Aleksei Navalny and which Russian authorities are pushing to have declared an "extremist" organization.

In a statement on April 30, Amnesty International described Pavlov as "one of the country's most courageous lawyers" and said his detention was "a travesty of justice."

Pavlov also defended physicist Viktor Kudryavtsev, who was also charged with treason. Kudryavtsev died of cancer on April 29 as his trial was pending.

Pavlov told journalists that the 14 months Kudryavtsev spent in pretrial detention had "completely damaged his health." The case was "an example of how the secret services are literally killing Russian science in general," he added.
MANSFIELD -- William Smith saw a news clip of Civil War reenactors in 1977. He's been hooked on it ever since.

A resident of Ellwood City, Penn., about 30 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, Smith returned to Mansfield on Saturday for the 43rd annual Ohio Civil War And WWI & II Show at the Richland County Fairgrounds.

As the leader of the 19th Ohio Light Artillery, Smith led a group of more than 40 artillery reenactors who wowed the large crowd in attendance with a seven-canon live firing demonstration.

Smith, who said he has been coming to the local show for two decades, said he became involved in Civil War reenacting as a way to salute the soldiers who fought in the war from 1861-1865.

"It was the way they dressed and the way they maneuvered on the field. I think it's important to remember the heritage of our country and what they suffered through during that period," Smith said.

"I thought it would be a good thing to participate in to help keep that memory," he said.

Smith said the unit, most of whom live in Ohio, does five to eight reenactments around the country each year. Historical reenactments are not cheap hobbies for the participants, especially for those involved in artillery.

"It's very expensive," he said with a laugh. "You have to start with the gun and you're looking at $15,000 to $18,000 to get the gun on the field. Then you need a limber (a two-wheeled cart), which is about another $7,000.

"Then you need a trailer to haul it on and you have to have something to pull the trailer with. Then you need to buy the powder and the primers and the uniforms," Smith said.

Smith and the other artillery crews attend schools to learn how to operate the weapons safely. Individual units practice together before events and the guns undergo safety inspections.

There were two artillery demonstrations on Saturday. Two more are planned on Sunday at 11:30 am and 1:30 pm.

The artillery demonstrations are just a part of the show, which was cancelled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The buildings and grounds were filled on Saturday by participants and fans of the event.

There are 380 exhibitors from 38 states participating in the show, including 700 tables of military memorabilia from 1775 through 1945 for buy, sell, trade and display.

In addition, related items such as books, images, photographs, paper goods, Civil War prints and womens apparel are available to the public and collectors.

The show continues Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is $7. Children under 12 are admitted free when accompanied by an adult. Parking is included in the cost of admission.
Richmond, KY (40475)

Today

Rain showers in the morning with thunderstorms developing for the afternoon. High 79F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Locally heavy rainfall possible..

Tonight

Variable clouds with showers and scattered thunderstorms. Storms more numerous this evening. Low 68F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
It was February 2004 when Hernandez lured his friend, Jaime Gough, also 14, into a bathroom stall at Southwood Middle in Palmetto Bay, a suburban city south of Miami. He stabbed Jaime more than 40 times in a case that shocked South Florida and the nation.
Richmond, KY (40475)

Today

Rain showers this morning with numerous thunderstorms developing during the afternoon hours. High 78F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Locally heavy rainfall possible..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy with showers and a few thunderstorms. Low 68F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.
Rocky Mount, NC (27804)

Today

Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. High 88F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with more showers at times. Low 71F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.
Almost every year, the Russian press reports on the future development of the Popigai deposit of impact diamonds in the north of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. These sensations have already grown more and more detailed, including the relevant agreements between the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the leadership of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), and the Krasnoyarsk Territory, as well as attracting ALROSA and AFK (Joint-Stock Financial Company) Sistema as investors, and even positioning this project as a joint one with the Republic of Belarus. According to the Popigai diamond proponents, they promise brilliant prospects to Russia and the world, they say that the development of the deposit will provide the world industry with new rough diamonds, the annual demand for which may rise to 1 billion carats. The public interest in the issue has been mounting and it inevitably requires answers to the questions - why has a unique diamond deposit discovered half a century ago turned out to be in no demand so far and what is the real prospect of its development taking into account the current state of the world diamond market?

Lets start with some historical background. The Popigai impact diamonds (i. e., the ones formed as a result of a meteorite impact) were discovered in 1971 by geologists of VSEGEI (A. P. Karpinsky Russian Geological Research Institute) under the leadership of V. L. Masaitis. The diamonds are in the form of inclusions in bedrocks (impactites) and in placers formed during the destruction of bedrocks. Within the Popigai meteorite crater, two primary deposits were identified - Udarnoe and Skalnoe - as well as the local areas of high-diamond impactites (Syuryunge, Vstrechny, Taas, Tongulakh, Ege-Yuryage), and several placers (Dogoiskaya, Balagan-Yuryakskaya, etc.). The actual reserves and inferred resources of impact diamonds in bedrocks on a total area of about 120 sq. km in the Popigai region amount to 212 bn carats1. The reserves and resources of the alluvial impact diamonds are estimated at several tens of millions of carats. The ore grade reaches 23 cpt and higher, but there are no gem-quality diamonds in the ore.

Let us mention the most significant stages of the discovery and the attempts to develop the Popigai diamonds:

- January 1971 - diamonds were discovered in the samples of the rocks from the Popigai crater obtained by the expedition headed by V. L. Masaitis in 1970;

- December 1971 - VSEGEI gave the first rough estimate of the geological reserves of impact diamonds; it was argued that these reserves exceeded the ones of kimberlite diamonds in all the diamond-bearing provinces of the world. The information was classified as top secret;

- May 1973 - VSEGEI holds a meeting where the results of studying the geological properties and diamond potential of the Popigai crater obtained in 1970 to 1972 were presented. The plans of the research and production work for 1973 to 1976 were outlined;

- February 1974 - VSEGEI submitted a report to the USSR Ministry of Geology, which assessed the prospects for the use of the impact diamonds. The report substantiated the need to set up a special-purpose geological exploration expedition;

- March 11, 1974 - a meeting at the Central Committee of the CPSU on the issue of the impact diamonds was held, and a decision was made to classify all the information on the Popigai diamonds as secret;

- March 13, 1974 - a confidential resolution of the Central Committee of the CPSU and the USSR Council of Ministers On the creation of a mineral resource base for the diamond mining industry in the north of the Krasnoyarsk Territory was issued;

- April 1974 - The Ministry of Geology of the USSR established a Polar Exploration Expedition based in Khatanga for a detailed study and determination of reserves of the impact diamond deposits;

- 1975 - The State Reserves Committee approved the reserves of the Udarnoye deposit at 11.9 bn carats in all categories, with a grade of 7.13 - 7.19 cpt. A feasibility study for the development of the Udarnoye deposit was developed (by TsNIGRI (Central Geological Research Institute for Nonferrous and Precious Metals) and YakutNIPROalmaz);

- 1976 - 900 tonnes of ore from the Popigai crater were delivered by military transport aircraft (!) to the city of Mirny for beneficiation;

- December 1978 - The State Reserves Committee approved the reserves of the Skalnoye deposit, the report was approved and the right was given to carry out the project engineering of the Mining and Processing Plant (MPP). The total reserves of the Popigai craters impact diamonds were estimated at over 260 bn carats. A feasibility study for the development of the Skalnoe deposit was developed;

- January 1979 - a decree of the USSR Council of Ministers was signed on the construction of a beneficiation plant in Khatanga with its commissioning in 1980;

- 1981-1982 - The financing of work on impact diamonds was sharply reduced and all the relevant departments lost their interest in the impact diamonds;

- 1983 - The Ministry of Nonferrous Metallurgy of the USSR (P. F. Lomako) gave a conclusion on the inexpediency of developing the impact diamond deposits.

The decision of the Ministry of Non-ferrous Metallurgy (which included the diamond mining industry at that time) put an end to the development of the Popigai diamonds. Although an additional exploration of the deposits continued for some time and the beneficiation plant in Khatanga regularly produced the concentrate, there was no talk about a full-fledged production or project engineering regarding a mine and MPP, and by 1985, the project was almost completely stopped. Why did the USSR stop developing the impact diamond deposits?

It is widely believed that the Popigai diamonds have lost out to its synthetic competitors. Here is a typical example of such statements, By the beginning of the 1980s, the USSR had already organized the production of inexpensive synthetic diamonds, which, along with natural industrial diamonds, fully satisfied the needs of the domestic industry. Expensive impact diamonds, albeit high-quality ones, turned out to be of no use.2 This statement was repeated in almost all the publications about the history of the Popigai diamonds. Moreover, some authors presented the matter in such a way that the leadership of the USSR had a choice - to build factories for the synthetic diamond production or to mine the Popigai diamonds, It did not come to development since the Soviet leadership relied on the construction of a network of factories for the synthetic diamond production.3 And in the long run, synthetic lobbyists allegedly won. That was not the case, and in fact, the competition with the synthetics was far from the main reason for stopping the development of the impact diamond deposits.

Indeed, lets look at the chronology of the Soviet synthetic diamond industry development:

- 1960 - V. N. Bakul developed the industrial technology for diamond synthesis;

- 1961 - the Institute of Superhard Materials (ISM) with a pilot plant was established in Kyiv, and the first production lot (2,000 carats) of synthetic diamonds was manufactured;

- 1963 - IMS developed a plan for the introduction of diamond tools based on synthetic diamonds at 580 (!) factories in the USSR;

- 1966 - the largest in Europe Poltava plant of synthetic diamonds and diamond tools produced the first batch of products;

- 1970 - the USSR was ahead of the USA in terms of synthetic diamond production.

Thus, a full-fledged industry for the production of synthetic diamonds was created in the USSR prior to the impact diamond discovery. The creation and development of this industry were carried out within the framework of the five-year plans to meet the needs of the industry in diamond tools, which was directly seen in the names of the factories like Poltava plant of Synthetic Diamonds and diamond tools, Borislav plant of Synthetic Diamonds and diamond tools, Yerevan plant of Synthetic Diamonds and diamond tools, etc. By 1970, the USSR almost completely satisfied its needs for the diamond tools, moreover, it actively exported these goods, including the exports to the industrially developed Western countries. The production of the synthetic diamonds, together with natural industrial diamond production at the Yakut deposits, fully provided the industry with cheap rough diamonds in all categories and for all purposes.

So, why did they need the Resolution of the Central Committee of the CPSU and the USSR Council of Ministers On the creation of a mineral resource base for the diamond mining industry in the north of the Krasnoyarsk Territory dated March 13, 1974? Why was there a need for the detailed exploration of the Popigai diamonds, the creation of the Polar Geological Exploration Expedition and the beneficiation plant, and even for such expensive transportation of the ore by military transport aircraft? If the Popigai diamonds were initially considered only as competitors to synthetic diamonds, and with a higher cost price, none of these efforts would have been made.

And at this point, we have to return to the main motive the Soviet government had in making the decisions in the diamond industry. Since the discovery of the first deposits in the Urals in 1937, diamonds had been viewed primarily as an export commodity having a high unit value. In the 1970s, there was no shortage of natural or synthetic industrial diamonds in the USSR, but there was always a scarcity of foreign currency. And when V. L. Masaitis discovered the diamonds of a previously unknown type (but still, they were diamonds!), a hope evolved that there were large gem-quality diamonds. With such huge reserves and huge grade - an order of magnitude higher than in the Yakutias pipes - they could be sitting on a gold mine (more precisely, on a diamond mine)! All budget problems could be easily solved, and at the same time, communism could also be built. To test this tempting hypothesis, one can use the air division flying back and forth - just in the case of success!

Unfortunately, no gem-quality diamonds were found at the Popigai deposit, and the hope for the export potential of this deposit withered year by year. Since 1981, the interest in the impact diamonds began to evaporate markedly, and the funding became much lower. Why did all this started exactly from 1981, and not earlier or later? The matter is that the Pomorskaya kimberlite pipe and the Lomonosovskaya pipe were discovered in the Arkhangelsk region in 1980 and 1981, respectively. Also, gem-quality diamonds of the usual kimberlite type were found there. This is the main reason that the countrys leadership lost their interest in the impact diamonds. Their export potential was zero, while the Arkhangelsk pipes, on the contrary, hold promise for the future, which was a decisive factor - the impact diamonds lost to the Arkhangelsk gem-quality rough diamonds, and not to the synthetic diamonds.

Lets return from the USSR times to our turbulent time. What has changed in the motivation of the people running the countrys diamond industry? Nothing has changed. The rough diamonds are still viewed as an export commodity - a source of currency. And the consumption of natural industrial diamonds by the industry today hardly reaches a couple of percent of the diamonds - the rest is replaced by synthetics. Moreover, the synthesis technologies are developing by leaps and bound, their cost is decreasing. And the world market does not experience any shortage of industrial diamonds. Of course, the impact diamonds have specific properties that distinguish them from natural and synthetic diamonds and have both advantages and disadvantages. Various studies of impact diamonds have been carried out by many specialized organizations over the past 30 years and have produced mixed results. There are many discussions in the professional literature devoted to this topic, we believe that the conclusion made by the experts of TsNIGRI was quite convincing, The research results could not unambiguously reveal the advantages of using impact diamonds for technical purposes in comparison with kimberlite and synthetic industrial diamonds.4

Do the impact diamonds have any export potential as a raw material for the production of diamond tools? No, the potential is still zero. During the Soviet times, the development of the Popigai deposit was estimated at 1.5 bn roubles, today, given the almost complete lack of infrastructure in this area, the development would also cost 1.5 bn, but US dollars. And these are just quarries and MPPs, by conservative estimates. To promote these rough diamonds on the market, it is necessary to offer a whole range of technologies for their use. These technologies do not exist in Russia today, and potential buyers do not have them, either. Who, where, and at whose expense will create these technologies? How much will it cost to promote such a product in a competitive market oversaturated with synthetic diamonds that are constantly being improved, becoming cheaper day by day, and easily adapting to new tasks and industry requirements?

And finally, the main argument. The Popigai deposit is truly unique and the industrial reserves of such diamonds are in Russia only. This fact is considered by the apologists of the impact diamond mining as an undoubted advantage. In fact, this is a fatal disadvantage that makes the market value of these rough diamonds negligible. Imagine that you are a diamond tool manufacturer (for example, in the USA) and have rebuilt (modified, developed) your technological facilities to use the impact diamonds. And you have one supplier of rough diamonds. The only supplier in the world that has an absolute monopoly. Have you heard anything about sanctions? About a country risk? Will you invest in such a business? Especially considering that today, diamond synthetics can be produced anywhere in the world and there are hundreds of competing suppliers on the market? These are rhetorical questions.

Probably, the Popigai deposit is of extreme interest from the point of view of earth sciences. But from the standpoint of the diamond market, its development is a pure wildcat venture, and this was well understood even in the USSR. Given that this crater is included in the UNESCO Geological Heritage List of the highest category, the best thing to do is to leave it alone.

Sergey Goryainov, Rough&Polished





1Masaitis V.L., Kirichenko V.T., Mashak M.S., Fedorova I.G. Primary deposits and placers of impact diamonds in the Popigai region (Northern Siberia) .// Regional geology and metallogeny. 2013. No. 54. Pp. 89-98.

2Yuzmukhametov R.N. From the history of the discovery of the Popigai deposit of impact diamonds. // Social Sciences. 2011. No. 6. Pp. 218-221.

3The diamonds found near Yakutia will last for at least a thousand years. // Information agency "SakhaNews". 03-04-2021. https://www.1sn.ru/260628.html

4Golubev Yu.K., Kulikov D.A., Karpukhina M.V. On the prospects for the development of the Popigai diamond deposit // Mineral resources of Russia. Economics and Management. 2018. No. 5. Pages. 16-20.
Rubel & Menasche, the well-known Paris-based diamond company, has been supplying the jewelry houses of Place Vendome with high-end small goods for over 50 years.

The company has been granted European Commission Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) status by the government of France, which means that it meets EC standards in respect of customs compliance, record-keeping, financial solvency, security and safety standards.

Rubel & Menasche was one of the first companies to be certified by the Responsible Jewellery Council.

Stephan Wolzok, CEO of Rubel & Menasche, has kindly agreed to answer Rough&Polished's questions.

How has the pandemic affected diamond producers globally?

The pandemic has certainly affected gem producers. But they have been brave enough to keep their goods for part of the year, to hold their prices, and not to force purchases. From my point of view, they had the resources to absorb the costs of the stocks So they have been very active in dealing with this crisis and had a very positive regulatory role. They have supported the entire industry. Their attitude has enabled us, here at Rubel & Menasche for example, to continue purchasing, storing, and manufacturing. We werent running the risk that our goods decreased in value. The gem producers are now bringing their prices back up, theyre controlling supply, but it seems fair to me. In my opinion, we have had the oxygen we needed.

Could we say that the diamond market is slowly recovering?

Yes, of course, the figures at the end of 2020 were good, they were strong. At Rubel & Menasche, our order books are much fuller, since July 2020, than at the same time last year! Theres a real upturn in all the product sectors, except high jewelry which has not yet picked up pace again. Brands are taking more and more of the market share. The crisis has well and truly strengthened the big Maisons, which is what Im seeing in the orders placed in my company.

Finally, since the first lockdown last year, we have all had to take breaks at times, but the closure of such and such country was compensated by another country and enabled the business to be maintained

When, do you think, it will be possible to speak of a full-fledged market recovery?

All I can say is that were off to a very good start. Complete recovery will go hand in hand with vaccination. When were all able to go back to our normal lives, then the market will do the same.

A positive aspect of this crisis is that many people wanted to treat themselves with jewels. And I mean really treat themselves.

What are the main drivers of market growth at the moment?

One of the main drivers of growth in our industry is the fact that weve been communicating about our diamonds to revive longing and enthusiasm. We must be clear and honest about our product.

Some consumers will prefer diamonds that come from the earth, and some wont. But we have to remember that in our industry, the natural diamonds that we offer are respectable at over 99% and that were all thinking of reaching 100%! Transparency, best professional practices, committing to equality, these things are all fundamental. This is what is driving growth. And all of that with cheerfulness of course Diamonds are not an austere product Your eyes will always light up when you see them!

You know, in our business, everything remained secret for a very long time. The profession was passed on from father to son, we walked around with diamonds in our pockets and we lined those pockets At the time there was no question of shouting from the rooftops that we were diamantaires! And, by extension, we communicated no more about the industry than we did about our profession!

Gradually, the situation was changed by the demands of the Maisons, the financial bodies, and consumers. We cleaned house, we demanded guarantees, and we made sourcing more secure In short, transparency is essential, as is being certain that your supplier will be able to deliver to you!

Do you see the need for marketers to develop a fundamentally new strategy aimed at popularizing diamonds among the "Internet generation"?

Yes, of course, we need to develop an appropriate strategy But dont ask me what it is, as I dont know! Rubel & Menasche works in B to B. We have to give the youngest people a taste for diamonds, we have to create in them the values and the emotion that diamonds convey. The previous generation didnt often wear their jewels, which didnt help to raise awareness among young people! So we need to resume dialog and talk about what our industry is, in a fun, clear, vivid way; we need to tell its fine story exactly how it is. That will whet appetites!

To what extent do you think laboratory diamonds can threaten the natural stone market?

Laboratory diamonds represent no threat! Lets stop thinking that. Each customer has to find what works for them. And in the end, why not wear both? Depending on the circumstances, perhaps someone will prefer to give, or to be given, a synthetic diamond. Im convinced that the synthetic product could bring new customers to natural diamonds Whats most important is that the jewelers message is clear. Lets stop being afraid!

Tell us about your hopes and vision for the current year, 2021.

I think that Covid-19 must not be a pretext for doing less. Clearly, its not my thing. People are concerned. But, in my opinion, we can remain open, while assessing the threat. We need to be even closer to other people, show more solidarity and pay attention to our neighbor yes, the one whos just next to us, who we come across every day We need to go to the shop on our street corner!

In this sense, my hope would be that, after this crisis, everyone will generally share a little more. For me, its not imaginable that today, people who are working cant pay for a roof over their heads. Thats exactly why we can no longer say we cant! We need to move towards sharing more! Moreover, this is something that were trying to put into place at Rubel & Menasche. Living well and wellbeing in our company, in simplicity, without grand speeches.

I hope that all my employees will be increasingly satisfied coming into work! I want them to be happy, and I want their experience at Rubel & Menasche to bring them much for the future



Alex Shishlo for Rough&Polished
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This spring, as COVID-19 vaccines arrive in our communities, and as we begin to reflect on the impact of the last year, we are reminded of the power of helping others. We see it on the frontlines of the crisis, in hospitals, at food banks and in elder care facilities. The virus opened our eyes to the charitable nature of our neighbors, through a willingness to help those afflicted. This is nothing new. In fact, for most of the modern age, Americans have heeded the call for aid, at home and abroad. However, the pandemic changed, and continues to change, the way we help vulnerable children in countries around the world.
Fool proof liquor sticker re-emerges amidst industry protests View(s):

The government will go ahead with the fool proof sticker scheme for all imported and local liquor products from July this year amidst industry protests and mounting allegations against the sticker printing deal.

The affixing of a sticker with barcodes now confined only for imported liquor bottles and cans will be made compulsory for all local liquor products with effect from July 1, a senior official of the Excise Department said.

The process of developing mobile app and QR code for the fool proof sticker is now underway and the department has brought down 30 special machines to this code, he said.

The department will take action to cancel the licenses of liquor traders who fail to comply with the relevant regulations of fool proof sticker scheme under the Excise Notification No. 01/2021, he added.

The present government will continue the contract given to Indian company Madras Security Printers Pvt Ltd by a tender initially called in 2016 and recalled in 2017 due to technical issues. According to the 5-year contract, the Indian company has to supply 384 million stickers per year and 32 million per month, but its supply has been irregular and their printing paper quality was low and it could easily be duplicated by anyone, a senior Treasury official said.

Several local liquor manufacturers noted that that the quality of the samples of fool proof liquor stickers was not suitable for use in their high-speed machines.

However the Government is not in a position to suspend the tender as it has been four years since the tender was awarded and it has to pay a penalty in case of cancellation, he added.

The Excise Department has already banned the sale of all brands of imported liquor without the new foolproof sticker introduced by the Department.

The Excise Notice No: 4/2019 which was published under Gazette Extraordinary No: 2128/30 issued by former Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera in this regard under the Excise Ordinance on June 20, 2019 is now in force. Awarding of this tender to the Madras company, rejecting several other bidders who have quoted lesser prices, came under severe criticism at that time from industry stakeholders.

They have protested over the selection of this printer with allegations of its involvement in two scandals in India and Kenya in 2017 and 2018 and the impracticality of the fool proof liquor scheme.

The Indian companys bid for the deal was US$5.99 to print 1000 stickers during the second tender although its initial bid was $3.19; other bidders claimed adding that one of them has placed a bid of $4.57 per 1000 stickers and the lowest bid was $2.8 per 1000.

Therefore the then government has been compelled to pay an additional amount of $1075200 (or slightly over $1 million) for 384 million stickers obtained in the first year, the Auditor Generals relevant report revealed.

Meanwhile local manufacturers are vehemently opposing the governments decision to introduce fool proof liquor with QR code for all liquor products without addressing practical issues in the implementation of this scheme.

Several leading liquor manufacturers told the Business Times the departments scheme of manual pasting of stickers is not practical for their speedy production process and they have suggested a digital coding system sometimes back with the consent of the former Finance Minister in 2019.

They noted that the per-hour production capacity at its manufacturing plants are much higher than the manual pasting capacity of stickers per hour and a suggestion was made to then authorities to go for a digital system.

On the other hand these companies will have to import newly designed machines at a very high cost and the installing of such machine after the removal of existing labeling machinery will take more than one year incurring a heavy loss due to stoppage of production, CEO of a leading liquor production company said.

The quality of the samples was not suitable and compatible for use in high-speed machines, he pointed out adding that the industry has proposed the faster and cost effective digital coding system instead of the outdated manual sticker pasting method.

The manufacturers have called upon the government to absorb the cost of stickers as the move will bring in revenue of around Rs. 20 billion by way of a tax hike per annum to the treasury. Madras Security Printers Company of India will collect Rs 2 the cost of the sticker from every liquor bottle or a can of beer from Sri Lankan consumers as the government will have to increase taxes resulting in a price hike, MP Buddhika Pathirana told a media conference in Colombo recently. He has also filed a complaint in this regard with the Bribery Commissions office. (BS)
featured

SARATOGA SPRINGS

Spring Shopping Spree slated for May 6 through 9
The Latest Shortage  Rental Cars

Rental car prices are skyrocketing. Its getting so bad in Hawaii, some vacationers have started renting U-Haul trucks to get around.

Whats causing all this? The pandemic, of course. Last year, with travel restricted, car rental firms had vehicles, but drastically fewer customers. As a result, the rental companies sold much of their inventory.

Several major brands including Hertz, Advantage, and EZ went into bankruptcy.

Higher Demand, Lower Supply

Now, with vaccinations on the rise and the economy rebounding, more people are traveling. That means demand for rental cars has suddenly increased. That has sent rental prices soaring.

Car rental companies with bare-bones fleets are now struggling to meet the crushing demand from a growing number of folks who suddenly want to travel, writes Jonathan Weinberg, CEO of Autoslash, a website designed to save on rental cars. Thats leading to skyrocketing car rental rates and, quite frequently, travelers getting shut out of renting any car because they are completely sold out in a given market.

Not Getting Any Better

Orlando, Tampa, Phoenix, and Denver sold out of rentals over Presidents Day, according to Weinberg.

Got your vaccinations and want to fly down to San Juan for some sun and surf? asks Weinberg. I hope you dont mind cabbing it everywhere. And it is only going to get worse as we head through spring and into summer.

No Simple Solution

Ordinarily, rental companies would only have to purchase more cars to meet the demand. However, the new car supply is down due to COVID plant closings and the semiconductor shortage.

For this summer, the best advice the rental companies can offer is to book your rental early. However, you may want to make that booking with U-haul.

All That Glitters Is Not Gold

Investors are beginning to take a shine to Copper. The highly used element being gobbled up as manufacturing revitalizes.

Sunday SA will look at this copper boom and how it may impact your wallet.

Job Scams on the Rise

With more jobs than qualified applicants and unemployment heading down, you might think job scams would be declining. However, the opposite is true.

Last year 16.012 people reported losing over $59 million to employment fraud, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigations Internet Crime Complaints Center (IC3). Meanwhile, 2,349 people have already reported losses of over $5 million in the first two months of 2021.

Lets take a look at three of the most prominent hiring scams.

Money Laundering Scam

The online advertisement or email promoting this fraud says the employer needs to process payments through your personal checking account. You are given a small percentage of each check. Typically, the crooks will say they can not process certain payments because they are in a foreign country.

What your doing is processing stolen money or bad checks. That is money laundering. It is a crime and you could go to jail for doing it. On top of that, you are responsible to the bank for its losses.

Phishing Scam

These rip-offs tell you they need more information to determine if you qualify for a top-paying job. They direct you to a website where you fill in personal financial information.

By doing that, you are sending them your identity and access to your money. At best you are giving them information they will sell to online marketers.

Shipping Scam

This scam offers to pay you to receive, repackage and reship packages. Why would a company need you to do that?

Here, the fraudsters are getting you to ship stolen goods. On top of that, they may direct you to label the packages as gifts. By doing that, you would be falsifying government documents. That is a crime you can add to mail fraud.

How To Spot a Fraud

There are several red flags in employment scams. Here are some:

If It sounds too good to be true, it probably is. There arent many jobs that pay a lot for little or no work.

The company has no website.

They want personal information upfront.

You have to pay for training or make a deposit.

Do Some Research

Here are a few ways you can check for employment fraud before sending personal information or accepting a fishy job,

Do an online search adding the word scam to the company name. For instance, lets say you get an email job offer from Get Rich, Do Nothing. If you Google Get Rich, Do Nothing + scam you will get information on any shady activities.

In addition, you can also contact the Better Business Bureau for a free report on the company. One of the best sources regarding consumer fraud is the Federal Trade Commission.

Video Games Stocks Stumble

Some businesses benefited from the pandemic shutdown. Manufacturers of hand sanitizers and masks certainly did. Another sector that increased profits as a result of COVID concerns is video game companies.

However, with the kids returning to school and parents getting back to the office, video games may go back in their boxes. As a result, video company stocks may not make it to the next level any time soon.

February Highs

Major video company stocks peaked in February. However, since then, they have been on a downward slide.

In our view, one of the big risks is the return to normalcy, John Patrick Lee, VanEck ETF product manager, told Investors Business Daily.

Seasonality

Video game purchases peak during the holidays. However, they also tapper off in the months afterward.

One gauge of the industrys health is E3. That is the Comic-Con of the video gaming world. Last years event was canceled due to the pandemic. This years E3 will be online June 12-15.

Some new releases to be unveiled at this years E3 include Halo Infinite from Microsoft and a new Call of Duty from Activision Blizzard. The consumer response to those and other releases will indicate where video game stocks are headed.

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Forex regulations revised to help cross-border transactions View(s):

The Central Bank has revised regulations under the Foreign Exchange Act, No. 12 of 2017 (FEA) for further simplification and clarity improvement, with the objectives of achieving greater efficiency in the conduct of cross-border foreign exchange transactions alongside further facilitating economic activities of the stakeholders through greater convenience of doing business.

These revised foreign exchange policy framework will be implemented with effect from March 22, the bank said in a public announcement last week. The key highlights of policy measures so introduced are as follows.

i. Excluding the mandatory requirement of opening Inward Investment Accounts (IIAs) by the foreign investors/lenders when granting loans to persons resident in Sri Lanka including to Government of Sri Lanka and state-owned enterprises.

ii. Introducing a new account titled External Commercial Borrowing Account, to facilitate foreign exchange borrowings from overseas by persons resident in Sri Lanka.

iii. General permission for companies registered in Sri Lanka (Branch office, Liaison office, Project office etc.) to borrow from their parent companies outside Sri Lanka.

iv. General permission for non-resident investors to invest in shares or debt securities of companies not incorporated in Sri Lanka and listed in Colombo Stock Exchange by routing funds through accounts maintained in the Offshore Banking Units of Licensed Commercial Banks in Sri Lanka instead of routing funds via IIA.

v. Introducing a supplementary account titled Emigrants Remittable Income Account for the purpose of repatriating emigrants current income.

vi. Permitting emigrants to invest in Sri Lanka out of the funds held in Non-Resident Rupee Accounts and Capital Transaction Rupee Accounts.

vii. General permission for persons resident in Sri Lanka who have been a resident outside Sri Lanka and earned/ obtained foreign exchange outside Sri Lanka and companies incorporated in Sri Lanka which are eligible to borrow from overseas to open, maintain and operate an account with a regulated financial institution outside Sri Lanka.

viii. General permission for Sri Lankans employed outside Sri Lanka (other than emigrants) to open and maintain Sri Lanka Rupee accounts for crediting funds generated in Sri Lanka Rupees and for local disbursements.

ix. Introducing three new eligible resident investor categories as to, listed entities or non-listed entities, which have been established under any other written laws in Sri Lanka and Sole Proprietorships.

x. Permitting deposit of unutilized foreign currency obtained as travel allowance into new or existing Personal Foreign Currency Accounts.
Former PM: Make Port City game changer, not gaming centre By Bandula Sirimanna View(s): View(s):

The Colombo Port City, one of the most significant projects with tremendous potential has to go forward in the right direction as a game changer but not as a betting and gaming centre for money laundering, former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe emphasised.

In a phone-interview with the Business Times, Mr Wickremesinghe, four times Prime Minister of Sri Lanka with four decades of experience in politics, outlined the past and present developments of the Port City Project and the relevant laws being drafted during his regimes.

He noted that the notable difference between the previous regimes draft law for the envisaged offshore financial city and the present Port City Economic Commission bill was the inclusion of casinos among off Shore Service and Financial Centres.

The present government has failed to indicate anything about new laws that allow offshore financial services such as banking and insurance, he pointed out.

Under the present circumstances, there was no possibility to attract foreign investors even from the South Asian region especially from India; he said adding that the intention of the present regime may be to raise black money projecting the image of the Port City.

This was clearly indicated in the absence of laws on offshore financial services, removing Port City from the purview of the Finance Ministry and making it independent of Parliament, he explained.

Mr .Wickremesinghe noted that there is a difference between a Financial City which was planned by the then government and  Gaming island which is being created under the all powerful Commission proposed by the present Rajapaksa regime. This new Commission where several monopolies are granted under the single window concept makes it a very powerful entity which will be recognised by the countrys law, he said pointing out what his regimes plan was to maintain Port City parallel to the countrys development in transport logistics as a part of the hub of the Indian Ocean.

It has been planned by the previous government to gazette the Port city reclaimed land as a new central business and real estate development area under the purview of Colombo divisional secretariat in the Colombo District.

At that time legislation was drafted by a team of legal experts to maintain a regional hub where the government will develop ports, airports, and get financial services and offshore services. On the other hand, we were looking at a digital economy and a green economy, he disclosed.

But according to the present bill the Commission will be entrusted with the administration, regulation and control of, all matters connected with businesses and other operations, in and from the area of authority of the Colombo Port City.

Mr. Wickremesinghe said that consultation compromise and consensus on the proposed legislation would be beneficial to ensure the project serves the countys best interest and attracts the right kind of investments but not black money from money laundering.

He stressed that the legislation needs to be in consistent with the Constitution of the country and that transparency and accountability were key to success.

At the initial stages we held discussions with with China Harbour Corporation and they were willing to assist us by even handing over a building at the Port City for the proposed International Financial Centre, he revealed.

We spoke to the UK, EU and China. We spoke with the Reserve Bank of India and the IMF and the Pakistan, Bangladeshi and Maldives banks and consulted them on off shore financial services. We had a positive response and assistance during our visits to Ireland and UK. We were also drafting a law at that time and that was going to be a framework law. If you were going to introduce any offshore laws it is essential to get Parliamentary approval, he said.

These laws were aimed at providing provisions for a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) for services; he said adding that there was to be real estate, yacht marinas, retail, world class universities and proper health care etc and it was a 10-12 year long plan.

The Colombo International Financial City (CIFC) legal entity headed by former Attorney General Yuvanjana Wijethilake with a cadre of supporting staff had been working on the Colombo CIFC law at that time and most of the drafting was nearing completion, he revealed.

A reputed UK based law firm was engaged in the evaluation of the draft CIFC Law and the selected British law firm had been involved in drafting detailed rules and regulations of the CIFC in accordance with the common law in consistent with the Constitution, he revealed.

In January 2017, a group of highly reputed international consultants had been engaged in looking at strategy and policy studies with regard to the CIFC.

These consultants included former chairman Merrill Lynch Europe Ltd, the chairman of UK Finance, representatives of 300 leading financial service companies including British Bankers Association, top officials of Dubai International Financial Corporation and the Qatar Financial centre.

They had come with some drafts on the CIFC Law and ways and means to transform the CIFC to a regional hub and set the agenda for the city of the future.

The finance and marina district master plan was designed by SOM (Skidmore Owings & Merrill) for CHEC Port City Colombo to transform 269 hectares of reclaimed land beside Colombos central business district.

The financial city was planned to function as a special jurisdiction area directly under the state and accountable to parliament with its own economic and commercial laws compatible for international and British laws and Sri Lankan law to facilitate operations of global multinational corporations and grow as a business and financial hub, he revealed.
London, KY (40741)

Today

Rain showers in the morning with thunderstorms developing for the afternoon. High around 75F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Locally heavy rainfall possible..

Tonight

Thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. Low 67F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
A large contingent of Oakland police officers confronted an estimated 70 protesters near downtown Saturday night and arrested seven people, some for allegedly assaulting officers, police officials said.

Oakland police said in a tweet they arrested two people on suspicion of assaulting officers around 9:30 p.m. on Castro Street as the group of about 70 protesters made its way north past 10th Street.

Later, in a statement, police said officers arrested people on suspicion of a range of crimes, such as assault with a deadly weapon on an officer and resisting/delaying/obstructing an officer.

Police said some people in a group of about 70 threw bottles and cans at officers, injuring two. The nature and extent of the injuries were not disclosed.

Protesters tweeting from the demonstration, however, said the demonstrators did not assault police.

Police are looking for opportunities to grab people, tweeted a local photographer known as @renepakmorrison.

There were no reports of property damage, police said.

An Abolish the Police protest had been planned for Saturday night in Oakland, and several protesters at the Saturday night march held a large banner that said Off the Pigs.

Earlier Saturday afternoon, a caravan of motorists and bicyclists traveled throughout Oakland as part of a number of International Workers Day events in the Bay Area.

Protests against police brutality and killings of Black people and Latinos have been going on for nearly a year since the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. The former officer, Derek Chauvin, was convicted of murder on April 20.

Videos tweeted by @renepakmorrison Saturday showed dozens of Oakland police officers blocking the sidewalks  though police demanded the crowd to march on the sidewalks, she said.

Does it look like there is room on the sidewalk for protestors? she wrote on Twitter, sharing a photo of officers in riot gear swelling on the sidewalk. Officers appeared to outnumber the protesters.

By about 10:30 p.m., the group had begun to disperse.

Lauren Hernandez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: lauren.hernandez@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ByLHernandez
The order on March 17, 2020, was as clear as it was unprecedented: Shelter in place. The Chronicle ran a full-width, front-page headline: STAY AT HOME.

So Emily Liu, 25, and her sister did as they were told and kept trips outside the home to a bare minimum as they followed news accounts of the mounting pandemic. I was basically not going outside at all, Liu says. I just had these visions of catching it by accident.

Now, a year later, both Liu and her sister are fully vaccinated, but not much has changed. They still wipe down the groceries they often have delivered. Liu might pick up dinner, rather than having it delivered, but shes eaten outside of the house only once in the past year. She did have a friend over to meet the cat she adopted, but they were careful to wear masks and remain physically distant inside. When they drank boba tea together, they did it on a windy rooftop, 6 feet apart.

Liu knows the facts  the broad protection the vaccine offers, the low transmission rates in San Francisco, the relative safety of outdoor activities  but its hard to shake a years worth of accumulated anxiety. The facts are one thing, she says, and the emotions are another. Shes not sure how to align the two  or even whether she can.

Shes not alone. As California and the Bay Area make big steps toward reopening, many people dont feel ready to return to anything like normal. In the most recent Morning Consult tracking poll, 45% of respondents nationwide said they werent yet ready to return to their regular routines. A March survey by the American Psychological Association had similar findings: 46% of those polled said they didnt feel comfortable living life like they used to before the pandemic, while 49% said they were feeling uneasy about adjusting to in-person interaction once the pandemic ends.

If you think about whats happening its like were being conditioned to have a phobia, says David Spiegel, director of the Stanford Center on Stress and Health. The world outside has come to seem very dangerous because it has been. Theres something especially creepy about a virus you cant see.

That fear that made so much sense at the beginning of the pandemic may make less sense now, given what scientists have learned about the virus; the Centers for Disease Control recently released guidance that most outdoor and indoor activities were safe for vaccinated people, especially if masked  but it doesnt make it any less real.

Part of the reason, Spiegel says, is that humans dont assess risk on a purely logical level. Your risk of dying from travel is so much greater in a car than it is a plane, he says. Very few people have car phobias and a lot of people have airplane phobias.  Were not entirely rational and sometimes we misassess risk.

At the start of the pandemic, Laurina Marcic, 36, and her family locked down hard in their Mission District home. They havent let up since. Marcic lives with her sister, nephew, aunt and mom, and theyre all vaccinated (except her nephew, who is too young). None of them are ready to chance even the smallest possibility that they might get COVID. Were an immunocompromised home, she says.

Meanwhile, outside, people gather on the sidewalks of Valencia Street for drinks and lounge in Dolores Park. People are always with their masks off  We feel like were almost forced to stay inside, Marcic says. We almost feel like were trapped within our home if we want to stay safe  its been a little rough.

Its not that she wants to keep on this way, she says. Marcic used to live for concerts  she still wants to go on that New Kids on the Block cruise that got canceled. But right now its difficult to feel safe, and not even the statistics sway her.

The virus is still new, Marcic says, and the changing messages as scientists learn more havent helped: Dont wear a mask, do wear a mask, wear this kind of mask, wear two masks. Wipe everything down. Oh, you dont need to wipe everything down. So Im, like, what do I believe?

I hope I get to the point where I can at least go and hug a family member.

Its not surprising that many people are reluctant to go out, says Stephen Hinshaw, a professor of psychology at UC Berkeley. Recently he received an email from a friend along those lines. Of course wed love to visit you at your outdoor fire pit in Berkeley, they wrote. But were so used to not socializing, we didnt know how to break the habit.

Part of it is you just get used to being locked down. Hinshaw says. And even though the risk is pretty darn low, you read about India in the paper or you read about other states and the variants, and once you get into an anxious, shutdown way of being, I think it really is hard to break out (of it) because any threat seems like it could be fatal.

Both he and Spiegel recommend starting slow and being kind to oneself. Rome wasnt built in a day, Hinshaw says. Small steps, social support, reinforcing that this is safe to do if everybody is vaccinated can lift you out of the doldrums and may motivate you to take another small step tomorrow or the next day.

Dont be impatient with yourself if youre feeling uncomfortable about going out, Spiegel says. We just spent the last year removed from normal social contact, so it will take a little while to relearn it and feel comfortable with it, and thats OK. That fact that youre hesitant now doesnt mean you will be in six months.

Liu is still waiting for the day when shell feel comfortable enough outside without her double masks. Shes not sure when that day will come  maybe once vaccination rates in the Bay Area are high enough and community spread has nearly vanished. But lately, shes been thinking about the return to normal, how nice it would be to have her nails done and get her hair cut. And even that feels like progress.

Hopefully one day Ill go back to the world before where Ill sit in (a boba shop) and journal for a few hours. I really miss that.

Ryan Kost is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rkost@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @RyanKost
A group of naturalists  amateur and professional  squatted around the rotting log, peering at an insect barely larger than the head of a pin.

This is so exciting; its a mole cricket, said Lauren Esposito, curator of arachnology at the California Academy of Sciences. Its a funny little cricket that lives in ant colonies  it mimics their pheromones to trick them into thinking its an ant. Ive never seen it live before, only pinned up in an insect collection.

She photographed the insect and logged it into an app called iNaturalist, while explaining that it bunks with ants for protection from predators that avoid ants since they tend to sting and bite. It was among dozens of plant and animal species that the group would find in a Saturday afternoon expedition around Milagra Ridge, a scrubby nature area in Pacifica managed by the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

The naturalists were participating in a multiday global event, the City Nature Challenge, which asks citizen scientists to document the biodiversity they find around them. It is free and open to all nature enthusiasts. People can look for flora and fauna in their own backyards, on a walk around their neighborhoods, or at local parks and beaches.

Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle

The observation phase runs through midnight Monday, followed by several days for participants to identify the finds in the iNaturalist app.

Anyone can help; you dont have to be a taxonomy expert, said Rebecca Johnson, co-director of Community Science at the California Academy of Sciences, which organized the Pacifica event and co-originated the challenge. Even scientists dont know the genus and species of everything.

Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle

Once species identities are confirmed, they are considered research-grade observations, she said. All those observations become open-source data that scientists and conservationists rely on for insights into resource management and detecting biodiversity changes.

By the events end, participants from more than 400 cities on every continent except Antarctica will have logged tens of thousand of species of plants and critters. Organizers hope to break 1 million observations for the first time (each species may be observed multiple times by different people).

Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle

The bioblitz, now one of the worlds largest community science events, started in 2016 as a friendly rivalry between the California Academy of Sciences and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles. In past years, cities competed to log the most species, most observations and most participants. The Bay Area won in 2018, logging 3,200 species. In light of the pandemic, the 2021 and 2020 events stressed collaboration instead and were conducted with social distancing and mask-wearing.

Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle

The group at Milagra Ridge had started its day at the Pillar Point tide polls at Half Moon Bay, where members were jazzed to spot an octopus and a wide variety of nudibranchs  more commonly known as sea slugs.

They were stunningly gorgeous, said Donna Pomeroy, who lives in El Granada near the tide pools, as she showed off photos of a white, orange and electric blue hermissenda crassicornis shed taken with an underwater camera. At one-eighth-inch long its practically invisible; I havent seen one since 2015, she said.

Some sea slugs look like 60s Peter Max posters with amazing colorations, added her husband, Doug Pomeroy. The couple, longtime volunteers with the Sequoia Audubon Society, came to the nature challenge armed with binoculars and long-lens cameras.

Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle

Amid thick fog and blustery wind, they didnt spot many birds at Milagra Ridge  theyre all hunkered down, Donna said  but heard bird songs, such as the bouncing-ball-like sound of the wrentit. The windy conditions made it hard to record the sounds. A small flock of fantail pigeons flew overhead, a red-winged blackbird perched on a shrub and an Annas hummingbird flitted by.

I saw the pink, said Alison Young, the other co-director of Community Science at the California Academy of Sciences and co-founder of the challenge, referring to the male hummingbirds distinctive throat coloring.

Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle

If it were sunny, we were hoping to see butterflies but they dont like the wind, she said.

Critters other than insects were in short supply. The group saw scat from coyotes and rabbits, the shell of a California Lancetooth snail, and gopher holes, all of which count as they are evidence of the species presence.

Even though fewer plants are blooming during this drought year, the group still found a veritable rainbow of wildflowers and blooming shrubs: red and orange paintbrushes, purple Douglas irises, white and pink Mediterranean linseed, red osier dogwood, pink checkerbloom, purple lupin, yellow Oregon gumplant, yellow and white wild cucumber, yellow woolly sunflower (a.k.a. lizard tail).

Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle

Were not documenting all the grasses, Young said. That would take forever.

Doug Pomeroy summed up the events ethos.

If youre interested in learning whats around you, all you need is a smart phone and a free app (iNaturalist), he said. You can take a picture and put it online. Its like a social network  people will identify what you found.

Carolyn Said is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: csaid@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @csaid
Four-party agreement to launch SL Transit Card View(s):

The Ministry of Transport and the Central Bank, in a groundbreaking move towards revolutionising the transport sector, played lead roles to get the key stakeholders to sign a four-party agreement to introduce Sri Lanka Transit Card (SLTC) recently.

The SLTC initiative, which had been on the drawing board for many years will finally come to light in line with manifesto of the President, Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour, which proposed a single transport e-ticket system to be introduced in Sri Lanka.

The four-party agreement for the implementation of SLTC was signed amongst Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB), National Transport Commission (NTC), Peoples Bank and LankaClear (Pvt) Ltd. at the Ministry of Transport on April 2021 under the patronage of Gamini Lokuge, Minister of Transport; Dilum Amunugama, State Minister  Vehicle Regulation, Bus Transport Services and Train Compartments and Motor Car Industry, Secretaries and officials of both ministries. Chairman SLTB, Kingsly Ranawaka, Chairman NTC, Sashi Welgama, GM/CEO LankaClear Channa de Silva and Senior DGM, Peoples Bank, K. B. Rajapakse signed the historic agreement representing their respective organisations, LankaClear said in a media release

The proposal to implement the SLTC submitted by LankaClear, with approval from Central Bank and support from the Ministry of Transport, received cabinet approval in February 2021. The SLTC will be issued by all authorised financial institutions under the National Card Scheme (NCS) facilitated by LankaClear. SLTC will be the first-ever 2in1 card to be introduced in Sri Lanka that comes with a unique stored-value component, in addition to debit/credit feature, built into a single chip card. This unique feature of maintaining a single card to be used across ATMs, POS machines and all transport sectors provides a citizen with the convenience of using a single card to carry out multiple modes of transactions. In addition, it will save the government a colossal amount of money in terms of printing and distributing cards if it were implemented as a standalone transport card.

At the pilot phase, SLTC will be accepted in public and private buses in selected routes identified by the Ministry of Transport, which will be gradually extended to other routes and to Sri Lanka Railway. This national initiative was aptly backed by the Ministry of Transport and the Central Bank while Peoples Bank came on board as the first bank to issue the SLTC, which is set to be rolled out in a couple of months. Bank of Ceylon and other state banks are also in the process of joining this national initiative by issuing SLTC within a few months. The SLTB and NTC are in the process of implementing the required technology backend to facilitate this card in public and private buses.

LankaClear has come forward to operate the network to facilitate the transactions that are carried out for public transport using SLTC, under the guidance of the Central Bank, free of charge in considering the importance of this national initiative, the release said.
Michael Lang left the Bay Area four months ago after he was stopped at gunpoint by police in Berkeley in a case of mistaken identity for a carjacking suspect, leaving him traumatized.

Lang, who is Black, had just picked up a food order to deliver to a customer in Berkeley on June 30. When he saw a patrol car behind him, the 27-year-old pulled over to let it pass. The police car didnt have its sirens or lights on, he said.

The officer stopped beside him, jumped out of his vehicle and pointed his gun at Lang. Other officers responded to the call and held Lang at gunpoint  all the while Lang, confused, kept asking, What are you pulling me over for? The officers then handcuffed him.

They were being really aggressive, he said.

Lang said he felt like he was racially profiled, and that if police had just asked for his license and vehicle registration first, he could have avoided a potentially dangerous confrontation. He was eventually released on the spot, but left terrified.

I cant even describe the feeling, said Lang, who moved to Las Vegas. I just felt vulnerable.

Langs experience happened months before an audit of the Berkeley Police Department from 2015 to 2019 was released last week showing disparities in how Black and Hispanic people are treated by police. They were more likely to be stopped and searched by Berkeley police than white and Asian people.

Police pulled over Black people in 34% of stops even though they only made up 8% of the city population. Hispanic people represented 13% of stops and made up 11% of the population. Police stopped Asian people in 8% of stops and Asian people make up 21% of the population. Police stopped white people the most  they accounted for 35% of the stops and for most of the citys population at 53%.

The audit also found that searches of Black and Hispanic people are less likely to result in an arrest than searches of white and Asian people. It did not track where people who were pulled over live.

The findings mirror data from the Center for Policing Equity from 2012 to 2016 that found Black motorists were 6.5 times more likely to be stopped by Berkeley police than white motorists, and 4.5 times more likely to be stopped while on foot. Experts on policing say departments nationwide engage in racial profiling and that Black and brown communities often experience harassment and abuse  as well as violence and killings  when stopped by police.

Stephen Menendian, the director of UC Berkeleys Othering and Belonging Institute, said there is a lot of racial profiling that occurs in police patrol techniques, and often the racial profiling can lead to abuse or harassment, which contributes to the overall lack of trust between police and communities they serve.

Advocates say that the new audits findings are concerning in light of the Center for Policing Equitys earlier report.

The Berkeley Police Department has made pretty much zero progress in addressing racial disparity in policing, racial bias in policing in the last 10 years, said Maria Yates, a volunteer with Berkeley Copwatch, a community organization dedicated to monitoring police actions.

The 80-page audit analyzed 360,242 events that resulted in a police response over the five-year period.

Other cities have reported similar issues with police departments. In 2016, Stanford released a report that analyzed 28,000 stops by Oakland police, and found that Oakland officers were more likely to stop and search Black drivers or pedestrians than white ones. Oakland police now decline to pull over people in most low-level cases to curb racial bias. In San Francisco, Black people are also more likely to be searched and stopped, and made up nearly half of all use-of-force cases in 2019 despite being just 5% of the citys population.

Berkeley Auditor Jenny Wong said in a statement that the Police Department audit reflects a troubling trend of Black people being stopped at higher rates than their representation in the city population.

Time will tell as to the impacts of recent reforms, but addressing this issue and tracking the impact of policy changes should continue to be a priority, she said.

The audit comes as Berkeley embarks on potential police reforms and the City Council asked for this data to inform its decisions in the wake of the protests last year over police brutality and the murder of George Floyd. Berkeley officials are moving to deprioritize police traffic stops for low-level offenses, such as failing to wear a seat belt or driving with expired license plate tags, and instead have officers focus on traffic safety.

Wong said the report was fast-tracked to help inform policy decisions.

Transparency is critical to both good decision-making and fair and effective policing, she said.

Councilman Ben Bartlett said he requested the audit last year to better inform the citys efforts on reimagining policing.

We want to avoid the situation of these unstable dangerous situations that are fraught with bias and fear and pressure, he said. We want to de-escalate that on the institutional level.

Officer Byron White, a spokesman for the Berkeley Police Department, said the department is committed to working with the City Council and the reimagine process to make Berkeley a place that everyone feels safe in.

The audit found the city averaged more than 72,000 events per year  about 73% were traffic-related, disturbing the peace, trespassing, suspicious circumstance, theft, parking violations and other incidents. Other types of calls included property and violent crimes.

During that period, 55% of police stops were made in response to calls to the citys non-emergency dispatch center, 27% were initiated by police and 18% resulted from calls to the 911 emergency line.

Most police stops occurred between 9 p.m. and midnight.

Bartlett said if more police time was spent on serious crimes, the city would be served better and it would address the distress people of color are feeling on the streets.

People would see a difference on the streets, he said.

Menendian said Berkeleys study points to a nationwide trend and highlights a cultural problem in many police departments, as well as problematic policies.

He pointed to a study done by the Kerner Commission in 1967 that found  among other findings  that Black people experienced police brutality and harassment regularly in their neighborhoods.

Fifty years later, a Stanford study on Oakland police released in 2017 showed that officers were less likely to use respectful language when talking to Black motorists than to white people during traffic stops.

Menendian applauded Berkeleys efforts to reimagine the role police have in traffic stops in general.

Communities of color are just sick and tired of being harassed and abused, he said. There is no perfect solution, but there are alternative ways to do traffic enforcement than someone coming to your window with a gun.

He said other cities should also consider evaluating how traffic stops are handled.

Thats something that Lang said he supports, too. He wants Bay Area leaders to hold police accountable.

Saeed Rahbaran / Special to The Chronicle

My life was on the line, he said. Im just glad Im not a murder victim. Im alive today to tell my story. It was traumatizing.

At the time of the incident, Lang was driving a red and green 2007 Crown Victoria. The stolen vehicle was an orange and green 2009 Crown Victoria.

White, the Berkeley police officer, said the incident was unique because of the similarity of the stolen vehicle and Langs car.

Im sorry all this happened to him, White said. We do have a duty to investigate a stolen vehicle particularly when its described so similarly.

Berkeley police ended up arresting someone July 2 for the stolen vehicle. That suspect was white.

In addition to the traffic stop data, the audit  which looked broadly at calls for service and officer-initiated stops  said there is insufficient data on how police respond to calls involving homeless people and those dealing with mental health issues. They recommend that Berkeley police identify all calls that involve a mental health crisis or someone whos homeless. In response, the department wrote it would take up to six months to implement changes.

Auditors also recommended that Berkeley police make calls data available on the citys open data portal and update it regularly to boost transparency. The department agreed and said it would take six months to a year to do so.

The audit will be presented to the City Council on May 11.

Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani
Parts of the Bay Area faced fire conditions on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service, which issued a red flag warning for Solano County and the Sacramento Valley and warned of elevated fire risk in the East Bay and North Bay.

The reason is a slug of dry winds gusting down from the Sacramento Valley this weekend. Weather officials on Sunday said critical fire weather was not expected throughout the Bay Area, but dry and gusty conditions could rapidly dry finer fuels such as grasses and potentially lead to fires.

The majority of the Bay Area was expected to experience 20-30 mph winds, with gusts reaching up to 40 mph in the San Bruno gap, weather officials said. The winds were expected to subside by Sunday night, but dry offshore gusts were expected to cause heightened fire weather concerns in portions of the North Bay mountains and East Bay hills through Tuesday morning.

A red flag warning was issued at 11 a.m. Sunday for Sacramento County and adjoining areas, including Solano County. The warning, which indicates critical fire weather conditions are occurring or will shortly, is in effect until 5 p.m Tuesday.

A vegetation fire that started Saturday in heavy brush and steep terrain in El Dorado County had burned 32 acres as of Sunday morning, Cal Fire reported. The Salmon Fire, named because of its proximity to Salmon Falls Bridge near the American River, was around 40% contained.

The weather services Bay Area office said the expected winds should mostly stay in the valley, but would try and sneak into the hills of Napa County, which was again ravaged by wildfires last year, Californias worst on record, after several previous fire seasons.

This is a typical fire weather pattern, the weather service reported on its forecast page. The predicted impact was that natural fire fuels like trees and vegetation would dry out even more, making them more susceptible to a spark, especially across the interior portions of the North and East Bay.

The warnings come as a bone-dry California experiences its worst drought conditions since 2016.

According to a map released by the United States Drought Monitor, a second dry year has left much of the state parched for water and all but one county in the Bay Area under extreme drought conditions, the second worst category.

Only Santa Clara County was in the slightly better category of experiencing severe drought conditions.

San Francisco got a drizzle of rain to start the month of May, the National Weather Service reported on social media.

2020 marked Californias worst fire season record, devouring 4.4 million acres, or more than 4% of the state.

The Hennessey Fire, which was part of the enormous LNU Lightning Complex Fire, and the Glass Fire combined to swallow 373,000 acres and left the Napa Valley smoldering for more than two months before they were contained last October.

The lightning storm-sparked SCU Lightning Complex Fire ripped through nearly 400,000 acres in the Bay Area and Central Valley last year, making it the third-largest fire complex in state history.

Following a dry fall and spring, state and fire officials are bracing for another brutal summer.

Raheem Hosseini and Vanessa Arredondo are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: raheem.hosseini@sfchronicle.com, vanessa.arredondo@sfchronicle.com; Twitter: @raheemfh, @v_anana
The Black men I most often speak to about mental health are my older brothers, Kyle and Blair. And theres a phrase we use whenever one of us isnt opening up about whats troubling us: Dont Im good yourself into depression.

Its our way of acknowledging a reality for Black and brown folks in America, especially men, of not having the tools to properly process race-based trauma. Sometimes an emotional check-in  You good?  can get an equally clipped answer  Im good.

Truth is, most of us arent.

Were constantly seeing our reflections in the victims of police violence. On March 11, a Danville police officer who is now charged in a 2018 killing shot Tyrell Wilson point-blank in the face. Daunte Wright was fatally shot during an April 11 traffic stop in Minneapolis. Eight days later, Mario Gonzalez of Oakland died after Alameda police pinned him to the ground for five minutes.

We cant finish grieving one trauma before the next occurs.

In March, racism was declared a public health crisis by California organizations representing county behavioral health, human services, public health and public hospital systems. In a joint statement, the stakeholders pledged to prioritize investment in promoting racial and economic equity to address social determinants of health.

It sounds good. But racism has been a public health crisis for generations. In the 17th century, Black slaves saw each other beaten and whipped on Southern plantations. During Jim Crow, there were public lynchings. Black suffering continues to be on public display in the digital age thanks to social media videos of police killings.

Yet we historically havent sought professional help to deal with what we continue to witness and experience because of the stigma surrounding it.

George Galvis, the co-founder and executive director of Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice in Oakland, said the stigma aspect is more complicated than most people realize.

I feel like (the stigma) has been misconstrued by dominant culture that were too ignorant, were too prideful (to seek help). Thats not the case, he said. Its actually a result of the fact that us seeking mental health has been used to weaponize stealing our children and destabilizing our families historically through social services, and through child welfare departments and so on.

According to the San Francisco nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation, which analyzed data from the Census Bureaus Household Pulse Survey, communities of color could use the care. The report showed that 48% of Black adults and 46% of Latino adults in the U.S. were more likely to report symptoms of anxiety and/or depressive disorder through the pandemic than white people, at 41%.

These numbers may seem bleak. But Ive found that many Black therapists in the Bay Area are hopeful. The reason: Over the last year, theyve been working with more BIPOC patients. And most of these new patients are younger people.

Im working with more Black people who are learning to be themselves, unapologetically Black, and theyre understanding that their existence is their resistance, said Stephanie McWoods, a Black therapist in Oakland. Its a transition in thinking that has led to a lot of healing.

McWoods told me shes one of many local therapists who dropped their rates or offered free sessions over the last few months to meet a growing demand.

Amber Nutter, a Black therapist who also does clinical social work in Oakland, described the rise in young Black and brown patients as a renaissance.

Were seeing people shedding that stigma around therapy. With so many young people seeking it out, I think the outcrop of that will be they will not pass that stigma on to their kids, Nutter said. I can see the scales falling off.

There are organizations in the Bay Area that help people from maginalized communities afford mental health care, including Oakland-based National Queer and Trans Therapists of America.

Young people are also using public spaces to heal. Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice regularly holds vigils in honor of Black and brown people who have been killed by police, most recently for Gonzalez outside of the Alameda Police Department. Many of these events are attended by young people, Galvis said.

Compared to Jim Crow, we can speak up and most of us are not going to worry about a burning cross in our front lawn, something definitely my dad in Arkansas would have experienced, said Mary Sanders, a Black therapist based in Oakland who has been working with more Black and brown patients. As we cultivate more safety in our communities and were more empowered to speak out, were more able to put our voices and bodies out there. Were establishing a new baseline of vulnerability.

The idea of a mental health renaissance is a beautiful one. But itll require progressive support to become a reality.

Cat Brooks, the co-founder of the Anti Police-Terror Project and its new initiative called Mental Health First, which facilitates a non-police response to mental health crises in Oakland, had an intriguing idea. She said for every cop sent to the scene of a homicide in the Bay Area, a mental health or trauma worker should also be dispatched.

The Bay Area should take this a step further: Local city governments should pay for the mental health care of family members of people killed by police until they decide they no longer want or need it. The choice should be theirs.

And I know where a policy like this can start  in Alameda for the family of Mario Gonzalez.

San Francisco Chronicle columnist Justin Phillips appears Sundays. Email: jphillips@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JustMrPhillips
Regarding Ice cream shop dream melted by red tape (April 21): I can no longer be silent, being a small business owner myself. My father had his own business in San Francisco for over 40 years.

Currently, my daughter has her own business in San Francisco. We understand the cost of doing business in San Francisco. For anyone to spend $200,000 for an architect, lawyer, permits, fees, equipment and rent and still not able to open his door for customers, as the situation is with Jason Yu, is deplorable. Mr. Yus business would eventually create a few employee jobs. Do these jobs not count? Does his tax money not count? Or does San Francisco only want big tech companies and their employees? San Francisco seems to fall over backward for big tech companies, but not for the little businesses. San Francisco should not only be ashamed of itself but should refund his money for services not rendered.

Gloria Wallace, Menlo Park

Wait for all the facts

Regarding Infants death raises questions on Boudins aid to violence victims (Front Page, April 25): Heather Knight touched upon issues that deserve further attention. As a Superior Court judge for 20 years now retired, I cant stress enough the necessity for the police to notify Child Protective Services when a child is present during a domestic violence incident. CPS will determine if the child is safe to stay with either parent. Police Chief Bill Scott must mandate this requirement as part of police protocol. Advocates, including domestic violence advocates, serve an important societal role but unlike district attorneys they are not bound by legal ethics. It is unethical for a district attorney to file charges unless they can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. In addition to a victim refusing to cooperate, the district attorney must consider other factors in determining if that standard is satisfied.

Some of these factors are: who was the initial aggressor; the injuries sustained by both parties; the strength of victims insistence that they wont testify even if subpoenaed; the statements of both parties; and do the rules of evidence (hearsay) allow victims statements to be considered if they refuse to testify. Instead of rushing to judgment, it would serve us all well to wait until all the facts are known.

Ellen Chaitin, San Francisco

Downsize the police

Police continue to kill innocent people, Derek Chauvins conviction notwithstanding. We should downsize the police so that social workers, negotiators and others can replace them. Until then, we must make it harder for an officer to kill. To that end, the Taser should be placed on the same side of an officer as his or her dominant hand, and the gun on the other side. This way, in a crisis situation, a suspect would be less likely to be murdered, and if an officer fired a gun it would more clearly be seen as a deliberate act that cant be viewed as accidental. I fully realize that Tasers are painful and cruel, they sometimes result in death, and we need new options. However, a Taser is less lethal than a gun, and my suggestion can be put into practice quickly, nationwide, while we work hard to implement far better solutions.

Bill Dingfelder, Philadelphia

Keep taking precautions

Yosemite National Park is known for its majestic waterfalls and towering forests on top of stone. As the fear of the spreading virus recedes, services and parks are reopening. Its clever of the park to charge a reservation fee; not only do staff and rangers continue to profit, but also numbers of visitors are limited for sickness spread prevention, and canceling a reservation only sets customers back by two dollars. A week prior, without restrictions, I visited the park surrounded by waves of people, even at the top of Vernal Fall. Even with the regulation of visitors, a good precaution to take is to continue social distancing protocols, waiting or swerving when passing hikers on trails. Aim to avoid public water fountains that are germ magnets and instead bring your own water bottles. Fortunately, many restaurants in Yosemite are separated by thick booths for diners to eat safely and comfortably.
The worst online shopping experience of Samin Beringers life started with a Google search last fall for a pair of Chanel sunglasses. One of her top results was a site called Eyeglassesdepot, which promised to beat the price of any competitor. On Nov. 2, she placed an order with the company for $322.

When the glasses finally arrived, three weeks late, they were the wrong color and, worse, they appeared to be fakes. One giveaway: There was no Chanel box, dust bag or certificate of authenticity.

I own about 20 pairs of Chanel glasses and these were much lighter and flimsier, she said in a recent interview. I didnt bother to bring them to an expert to verify I was right. I just asked to send them back.

And so began a weekslong barrage of emails, texts and late-night phone calls from someone identified to her only as Arsenio. He seemed to cycle quickly through the three stages of retail grief, starting with denial (Its not supposed to come with a BOX, he emailed on Dec. 10. This is not Macys) bargaining (Why dont you keep it for $50 off ok? he wrote the same day) and anger.

The anger erupted soon after Beringer posted negative comments about Eyeglassesdepot on a consumer review site called Trustpilot. As part of a campaign to bully her into taking down the review, Arsenio sent an email that stated, This is my final warning to you, and threatened to file a defamation lawsuit in NYS Supreme court if the comments werent deleted.

It was Christmas Day.

Im a family law attorney and I deal with distraught and emotional people, and very contested issues, Beringer said. Ive never experienced anything like this in a professional setting, let alone from a guy I was trying to buy sunglasses from.

While new to Beringer, this fraught encounter will sound familiar to hundreds of unsuspecting online eyeglass buyers, some of whom made their purchases more than a decade ago. In 2010, these people had chanced across a site called DecorMyEyes, which was operated by a man calling himself Stanley Bolds, who regularly threatened to murder or maim customers who griped that their pricey glasses were cheap knockoffs.

THE NEW YORK TIMES/NYT

In 2017, buyers from another site, OpticsFast, complained that when they tried to return their counterfeit glasses, they endured grueling harassment from someone identified as Becky S.

Stanley and Becky turned out to be the same person, Vitaly Borker, a 6-foot-5 immigrant from Ukraine. I have known about Borkers singular approach to online retail since 2010 when he explained his business in a surprisingly candid interview at his home in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. He was arrested a week later and would serve 3 1/2 in prison after pleading guilty to fraud and sending threatening communications as the operator of DecorMyEyes.

Once released, he went straight back to work, running OpticsFast, prosecutors said. In 2017, he was arrested and imprisoned again, this time pleading guilty to mail and wire fraud.

An array of online clues strongly suggests that Borker, who was released from prison in November 2020, Federal Bureau of Prisons records show, is behind Eyeglassesdepot. None of Eyeglassesdepots customers said they were threatened, but at least three were doxxed  that is to say, their names, addresses and credit card information were posted online  by an Eyeglassesdepot representative underneath their complaints about the site.

An email to Eyeglassesdepot was returned by someone identified only as Alex. I suggest you get your facts right before making false public allegations about this website, he wrote, without citing any inaccuracies in a detailed note about this article. He declined to comment. A follow-up email asking for Alexs last name was answered with a copy of a contract showing that Alex had purchased Eyeglassesdepot from Vitaly Borker in November 2020. Alexs last name was inked out on the document.

Borkers lawyer, Dominic Amorosa, sent a one-sentence response: Mr. Borker denies that he is the person identified as Arsenio in your proposed piece.

One of Eyeglassesdepots doxxed customers is Sasha Kuczynski, who in March found the site while looking for a place that could repair her Max Mara glasses. The estimate of $45 sounded appealing, but the odd syntax, misspellings and snippy comments in subsequent correspondence put her off and she emailed to say she would send her glasses elsewhere.

Not so fast, a representative at Eyeglassesdepot replied. The company had already generated a postal label to send her glasses. She owed $9.95. When she declined to send a penny, the representative said Kuczynski would be reported to a collections agency. Would she, the representative then asked, be willing to set up a phone call with the companys sales team and chief executive?

Then the phone rings, said Kuczynski, recounting the story recently. I was so amazed. It was Easter Sunday and this guy had taken time out of his day to harangue me about $9.95.

She hung up, blocked the number and posted a negative review on Trustpilot. Soon after, Eyeglassesdepot posted a reply that stated, This is a fake customer posting from a competitor repair website. We have identified the culprit.

Beneath those words were Kuczynskis home address and cellphone number.

She started looking into Eyeglassesdepot and found other consumers enduring similar ordeals. One of them is Melanie Craddock, of Kernersville, North Carolina. In early April, Craddocks name, address and credit card number  including expiration date and three-digit authorization code  were posted by Eyeglassesdepot on Trustpilot, beneath her unhappy tale of buying, then returning, a pair of fake-seeming Versace sunglasses to the company. In a recent interview, she said she and her husband were worried about what else Arsenio might do in retaliation.

There were negative reviews on other review sites, but Trustpilot was the one that seemed to worry Arsenio the most. Trustpilot, which recently went public, has 120 million reviews on its site, and a review is added every two seconds, a representative said.

Arsenio told furious customers that he would deflect attention from their biting reviews by posting raves that he or an ally had written. (Burying your bad review under all the good ones, he wrote to Beringer in late December.) Trustpilot offered little more than an auto-reply email when Kuczynski pleaded for the deletion of her home address.

Soon after Trustpilot was alerted to the bogus review claims and the doxxing episodes, the sites staff found that more than 60 Eyeglassesdepot reviews  about 40%  were fakes, which they deleted. Trustpilot sent the company an email asking that it cease and desist from writing fake reviews.

Yeah whatever, Arsenio emailed back.

A Trustpilot representative acknowledged that it should have responded more quickly and said it was working hard to improve content integrity.

Some information about the online origins and ownership of Eyeglassesdepot is private. But Doug Pierce, founder of Cogney, a search engine optimization agency, looked into the vendor at the request of The New York Times and found plenty of clues suggesting that the owner of OpticsFast also owns Eyeglassesdepot.

Theres a number of glaring fingerprints, Pierce said.

Most tellingly, the sites share what are called third-party tags. This is a bit of code from companies that offer e-commerce services, like web security. Eyeglasssesdepot and OpticsFast have identical tags, for instance, with two companies that market online live-chat services.

Further, Pierce ran the source code of Eyeglassesdepot and OpticsFast through a program and found that 95% of it was identical. Whoever created Eyeglassesdepot, he concluded, simply cloned OpticsFast, perhaps in the interest of saving time and money, and then made a few cosmetic changes. That person isnt necessarily Vitaly Borker.

But who else, Pierce asked, would steal the code from a website as notorious as OpticsFast?

At one point, Borker considered his hyper-abrasive style an effective sales strategy. During that 2010 interview in his home, he said that he was delighted that hundreds of buyers fumed about him on review sites. It had the perverse effect, he explained, of elevating DecorMyEyes in Google search results.

Thats because Googles search engine didnt then distinguish between outrage and positive feedback. It all registered as hubbub, he said, which made DecorMyEyes more likely to show up high on the first page of results. He had previously spent money on search engine optimization specialists, he went on, but they didnt produce the results he got by scaring his customers, which didnt cost him a dime.

Typically, he would hint at imminent violence (You put your hand in fire. Now its time to get burned), although he vowed to rape at least one customer and sent emails to the co-workers of another, claiming the customer dealt drugs.

Why am I there? he all but shouted, when DecorMyEyes showed up high up in the results of a Google search for Christian Audigier eyeglasses. He was sitting in his living room with a reporter, typing on his laptop, sounding both annoyed and pleased at the same time. I dont belong there.

A few days after the article was published, Google announced that it had tweaked its algorithm so that toxic retail could not benefit toxic retailers.

ROBERT STOLARIK/NYT

Neither that change nor a few years in prison did much to alter Borkers methods. His 2017 arrest occurred while he was still on probation, the terms of which prohibited him from lying to probation officers  which he did, those officers testified, when he lied about whether he owned OpticsFast.

I dont see how youre allowed to be back in business, said an irate Judge Richard Sullivan in 2018, six years after he had sentenced Borker to prison the first time.

In 2018, Borker also pleaded guilty to an indictment related to OpticsFast and received another two-year sentence in 2019. Judge Paul Gardephe, who presided over the case, said in court hed never seen a defendant return so quickly to exactly the same crime.

Its over, its over, Borker told the judge. In a pre-sentencing letter, Borker also stated, Something is just not right inside my brain. Gardephe concurred, noting that mental health professionals had found that Borker suffers from narcissism, bipolar disorder and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder.

In his 2019 opinion, Gardephe offered one of the few hints about the economics of Borkers business. DecorMyEyes had generated $3.2 million, he wrote, in just over a year. Running the company took little more than a cellphone and an attitude. Borker didnt carry inventory. He bought glasses from an array of vendors, often through eBay, and often had those vendors ship directly to his customers.

If Borker is in charge of Eyeglassesdepot, he broke the law well before he doxxed a customer. The terms of his release prohibit him from involvement with online retail in any capacity.

Eleven years after Borkers first arrest  which turned him into New York City tabloid fodder and later the star of an episode of the CNBC true-crime series, American Greed  remarkably little has changed. The owner of Eyeglassesdepot can abuse customers and still rank high in Google search results. Unhappy customers can still vent on complaint sites with no effect on the fortunes of Eyeglassesdepot.

And if Arsenio is Borker, he spent much of the last decade behind bars for a crime he returned to immediately after his release from prison last year. He seems to regard selling glasses online in the most combative way possible, causing maximum aggravation over the tiniest sums, as a professional calling.

During the interview at his home in 2010, he blamed mercurial customers for his noxious manner and implied, with more than a hint of self-pity, that his endless war on unsatisfied buyers, played out through texts and phone calls, was surely shaving years off his life. When it was suggested to him that he might want to find a less stressful job, he pushed back immediately.

I love the craziness, he said with a sudden smile. This works for me.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
Standing at the Disneyland gates at 8:30 on Friday morning, we heard a sound in the distance. A sound no one had heard in more than 400 days: a long, friendly whistle, followed by the chugging of a steam train engine.

A rousing cheer erupted from the thousands of people waiting in line. The Disneyland railroad emerged from the trees and pulled into the Main Street Station.

Some waved and whooped. Some cried. Some held up phones to take pictures. But we all knew one thing at the same moment: This was really about to happen.

Its really special to be here, a total stranger said to the person behind her at the next distancing marker.

Like countless others, Ive often used Disneyland as a marker of milestones in my life. Going there for the first time crystallized in my mind as an important life event, and Ive celebrated plenty of birthdays and special occasions there in the years that followed.

Courtesy of Getty

I never expected to use the park as a marker of something truly terrible  but thats what happened last March. When Disneyland announced that it would be closing because of the pandemic, that was the moment when it hit me. Things were about to get really, really bad.

I knew I wasnt alone in feeling that way. If a multibillion dollar company willingly chose to shutter in response to a health event, it had to mean that the event in question was severe beyond any reasonable doubt.

3 1 of 3 Julie Tremaine/SFGATE Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Imag Show More Show Less 3 of 3





Standing at those gates, waiting to get into a place that had been closed for the better part of 14 months, it was the total opposite.

Things were about to get really, really good.

I lined up at the temperature check just before 7 a.m. for Disneylands 9 a.m. opening, expecting to wait for hours upon hours like I did for the reopening of the Buena Vista Street extension of Downtown Disney in November. But at 8 a.m., they started letting people through, and I was past the temperature check, security dog screening and bag check in less than 15 minutes. Another seamless 15 minutes later, I was inside the gates, walking underneath the sign that says, Here you leave today, and enter the land of yesterday, tomorrow and fantasy.

Its a message that hit harder that day than it usually does. People who love Disneyland havent been able to leave today for a year that has, at times, felt like it lasted a lifetime, when weve been in one unending bad news cycle.

When I got to Town Square, the area in the park that leads into Main Street U.S.A. and down to Sleeping Beauty Castle, I stopped to take it all in. There were people all around me crying happy tears, tears of relief, of sharing something joyful with their friends again, of being able to shed the weight weve been collectively carrying for so long. A woman in her 50s in head-to-toe Mickey gear stood next to me, crying and hugging her friend. Im just so happy to be back, she said. It was something I heard over and over again all day long.

Down the sidewalks of Main Street were hundreds of cast members waving, cheering, blowing bubbles in the air with those Mickey bubble wands. Welcome back! they said. Were so happy to see you! We missed you. Guests, as they walked towards the castle, gave it all back to them. We missed you too, some said. We missed you so much.

Courtesy of Getty

The park didnt technically open until 9, but by that time, I had already been on three rides in Fantasyland without a wait at all, including Peter Pans Flight, which has not been modified in the closure. Wait times for that ride, and most of the rides on that side of the park, stayed low all day, partly because of the reduced crowd size and partly because a new ride, Snow Whites Enchanted Wish, debuted upon reopening. That, and the revamped Haunted Mansion, were the most in-demand rides of the day.

The 30 minutes I waited to get on the Snow White ride brought me through a queue that snaked down the pathway past the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, down the bridge to the Royal Theatre where Cinderella and Rapunzel were inside, interacting with guests by chatting from a distance and posing while people took socially distanced selfies. Unlike Walt Disney World where guests are now allowed to remove masks for photos, Disneyland requires masks at all times unless stopped and actively eating or drinking.

It was complicated to understand where to stand next, but there were cast members throughout to help. We have to be a little mindful of things like the markers now just so that we can be safe, one said to me as we were chatting in line, but its worth it though just to get to be here. I heard and overheard similar things all day long: Cast members were cheerful and upbeat helping people navigate the new systems, and people were complying, even with mask wearing. I asked employees all day long if they had to remind people to wear masks, and across the board, they said no. Im not sure I even heard a single guest complaining in the way that people who are hot and overtired and paying a lot of money to be somewhere tend to do in Disney parks. The good cheer, it seemed, was everywhere.

Julie Tremaine/SFGATE

While I was waiting in that Snow White line, I watched a woman with a young girl dressed as a princess stop to ask a cast member a question. See ya, princess! he said to the girl as they walked away. He turned aside. Oh, the kiddos, he said to himself. I missed the kiddos.

Across the way at Disney California Adventure, Mickey and Minnie stood in Carthay Circle, waving to guests. Mickey did an occasional softshoe. Minnie blew kisses. The ride times were also generally easy. The line for Radiator Springs Racers, often a two-hour wait, was at times 15 minutes long and at times a walk-on.

The biggest downside of the day had to do with food, which is limited. Most of the parks sit-down restaurants are still closed, and the procedures for quick service restaurants have changed. Most quick service restaurants are serving limited menus, and have completely stopped taking orders at cash registers, only allowing orders to be placed through smartphones on the Disneyland app or website. To place an order, you pick a time slot to pick up your food, then choose what you want to eat, and pay for it at the time of order with a linked credit card. At lunchtime, there was wide availability, but as the day progressed, people in the know scooped up later pickup times. By 5 p.m., there was no availability to get food at Plaza Inn at all, nor could you get a Dole whip from Tropical Hideaway for the rest of the day. (If youre planning a trip soon, make sure you order food early, and structure your day around food pickups the way you used to around the not-currently-available Fast Passes.)

Julie Tremaine/SFGATE

There are other downsides. Some of the iconic rides, like Jungle Cruise and the Matterhorn, are closed. You cant hug Mickey and Minnie the way you used to be able to. Some ride features, because they count as indoor shows, arent currently allowed in the state guidelines.

For the most part, though, what wasnt there didnt seem to matter much.

The pandemic isnt over. On Disneylands opening day, the CDC reported 53,000 new cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. Were still going to wear masks for a long time. Even Disney CEO Bob Chapek has gone on the record speculating that theyll be required in the parks through at least the end of 2021.

But that day, being among so many joyful people who were grateful to be there, things felt good again. There was magic in the air that hasnt been there for a year that felt like it stretched into infinity. Its what we came to Disneyland for, and we got it.
Palm oil ban blamed on protectionism, BOP balancing act By Sunimalee Dias View(s): View(s):

Sri Lanka has come under a global purview in the wake of the countrys ban on importing and producing palm oil as a number of countries raised concerns over these actions by the government in a move to curb the use of the edible oil.

Wayamba University Agriculture and Plantation Faculty, Plantation Management Department Chair Professor, Prof. Asoka Nugawela responding to the queries by the Business Times said that the ban imposed by the government on importing palm oil is likely to die a natural death as it is raw material required for manufacturers and in this respect there could be some adjustments made in bringing down the product. He made these observations at a virtual roundtable this week on Sustainability Challenges in Palm Oil Sector in South Asia, organised by the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC).

However, pointing out the concern of forced uprooting of palm oil plantations he said, We will have to change the mindsets of the politicians of the country and we will need to educate them on the correct aspects of palm oil.

Prof. Nugawela pointed out that Sri Lanka is currently being talked about on palm oil and asserted that the government has due to certain misconceptions resorted to ban the import and cultivation of palm oil in the country.

He noted that in 2009 the cabinet approved tax concessions for the import of palm seeds to cultivate up to 25,000 hectares but in 2016 it was permitted to expand oil palm cultivation up to 20, 000 hectares.

Moreover, the government had mandated the Coconut Research Institute to provide technical information to palm oil growers but there continued to be a lot of social pressure on the growers to stop cultivation.

Some of these concerns were from pressure groups with allegations that palm oil does not provide for any undergrowth; contributes to soil degradation making it uncultivable in future; disturbing soil during land preparation; increased use of chemical fertiliser; replacing environmentally friendly rubber crop; and citing negative environmental impacts in other countries, Prof. Nugawela highlighted.

Some of the social issues alleged are an increase in the monkey population; that pollinating weevils are harmful; that it lowers the bee population; increases snake bites; causes a shortage of water for household use and agriculture; shortage of fuel wood; and health concerns (carcinogens, heart ailments), he said.

Sri Lanka currently has an annual demand of 300,000 MT for edible oils and at present there is a production of 25,000 MT of palm oil and 15,000 MT of coconut oil but the huge gap of 260,000 MT per annum is needed and can be only achieved by way of imports, it was noted.

Solidaridad, Asia, Managing Director Dr. Shatadru Chattopadhayay spotlighting on the situation in Sri Lanka said that other countries in the region like India, Bangladesh and Pakistan also import and produce palm oil.

He noted that they needed to develop an Asian Palm Oil Alliance on Sustainable Palm Oil in line with the European Palm Oil Alliance as the issue of sustainability of palm oil has become a key concern in Europe.

It should comprise major palm oil producing and consuming countries in Asia, Prof. Chattopadhayay said adding that this would ensure that they could develop a common Asia framework on sustainable palm oil and move toward a more balanced and science-based discussion by obtaining a panel of scientists from these palm oil producing and consuming countries to provide science-based feedback on health benefits of the product.

PT Agro Harapan Lestari Goodhope Asia Holdings Director of Sustainability Edi Suhardi pointed out that the Sri Lankan Presidents order to ban palm oil imports and uprooting of some of the countrys existing oil palm plantations was misguided.

We believe this policy is misguided and is a result of soft protectionism, Mr. Suhardi said.
The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (FAMSF) have submitted at least a dozen paintings in its collection for close review after an inquiry from the Jewish News of Northern California prompted further investigation on their possible ties to Nazi-looted art.

Dating from the 15th to 19th centuries, 10 of these pieces, including Francesco Granaccis Madonna and Child, were initially identified by the FAMSF in 2001 as part of what is now widely considered to be the greatest theft of its kind in history: the Nazi plunder of European art. Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party seized paintings, sculptures and other objects of cultural significance deemed degenerate from Jewish families as well as European museums from 1933 until the end of World War II.

The FAMSF oversees the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park and the Legion of Honor Museum in Lincoln Park.

An estimated one-fifth of all European art in existence at the time was stolen, totaling approximately $20.5 billion in losses, according to the Jewish News of Northern California; however, those numbers dont account for the artworks that were destroyed altogether. Hitler  whose own failed career as an artist may have been linked to his hatred of modern art  and the Nazi Party organized a so-called Degenerate Art exhibition in Munich in 1937, showcasing 650 of the stolen works.

The 10 paintings identified by the FAMSF in 2001 were later submitted to the Nazi-Era Provenance Internet Portal in 2005, a website providing a searchable registry of presumed Nazi-looted art. The collection currently features 29,863 works submitted by 179 museums across the nation, including FAMSF and the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive.

The Jewish News of Northern California flagged two additional pieces from the FAMSF in March  a 15th century portrait of Mary Magdalene by an unknown artist, as well as Rudolph Grossmans 19th century-era work Sketch to the artists enchantment  for further evaluation. Notably, some of Grossmans stolen paintings were featured in the Degenerate Art exhibition. In response, the FAMSF has submitted all 12 pieces to the Art Loss Register, the worlds largest private database of lost, stolen and looted art, which has catalogued more than 700,000 items to date. Ultimately, FAMSF hopes to obtain more information regarding the provenance, or chronological history of ownership, for each piece, and said it would share its findings with the news outlet once the review is completed.

We take any claims or questions or inquiries about our collection very seriously, Melissa Buron, director of the art division at the FAMSF, told the Jewish News of Northern California.

We do as much research as we possibly can to fill in gaps in knowledge that may exist. Its a continuous process, and gaps in provenance in any museum collection are not particularly uncommon. But thats the work of a curator, to over many years fill in those gaps to the best of our ability and to continuously work on that. We want to be as transparent as possible.

Buron added no one has claimed to own any of the paintings in question. The FAMSF reportedly declined to provide an approximate value of all 12 artworks, which are in storage and not on display at this time.

For more information regarding credited ownership of these paintings and the history of Nazi-looted art, read the Jewish News of Northern California's recent article here.
REM Solar provides cutting edge renewable energy solutions View(s):

REM Solar, a customised Solar PV provider dedicated to delivering cutting-edge solutions for enhancing energy efficiency and generating renewable energy, offers customer-centric service and tailor-made solutions to those looking to invest in securing a sustainable future.

As part of its vision to fulfil Sri Lankas energy requirements, REM Solar is an industry player with over 13 years of experience, having planted its roots in Maldives first, before extending its range of services to the Sri Lankan audience. Offering innovative solutions and uncompromised quality, REM Solar provides renewable energy solutions to residential, commercial, and utility scale energy projects through affordable prices, world class systems, reliable quality installations and after sales services, the company said in a media release.

REM Solar strives to deliver solar solutions in Sri Lanka by customizing energy-independent solutions that allow customers to break free from the hassle of paying massive monthly electricity bills. By simply making an investment that offers a higher internal rate of return, customers can experience optimized returns on their investment, and significant long-terms savings, while creating a significantly positive environmental impact, it said.

In line with the Governments vision of achieving 70 per cent of island-wide power generation from renewables in 2030, REM Solar operates with the goal of securing a safe and sustainable future for all, by working to mitigate the advancement of, and the negative consequences faced due to climate change. REM hopes to achieve this by maximising the utilisation of renewable energy and optimising peoples ability to acquire energy through indigenous energy sources, those which are already readily abundant in Sri Lanka.

Placing customer service at the heart of its operations, REM Solars qualified team of individuals will perform an inspection of your property, complete an engineering assessment, and consult with you to determine the best solar power system for your property. Your homes architecture, current and future consumption requirements and financial situation is always considered when developing your tailor-made solution, it said.

In order to amplify their service offerings and ensure ease of convenience, REM Solar has partnered with leading banks in Sri Lanka to help customers finance their solar purchase through loans and installments via credit cards.

With a vision to expand its portfolio of providing renewable energy and related services, REM Solar has partnered with major investors in developing large scale economical projects, some totaling more than 1 Megawatt in capacity, across the island. Remaining committed towards shining a light on the true value of solar power, REM Solar says it is working to help Sri Lanka become a clean energy leader in its path toward a sustainable future.
SEC on a roll: Sanctions fund raising and shell company frameworks By Duruthu Edirimuni Chandrasekera View(s): View(s):

It is indeed early Christmas for the capital market in the form of new products and frameworks giving a wide choice for investing, deviating from the same old in a bid to entice new investors.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is forging ahead with a host of initiatives as never seen before such as crowd funding for equity/ debt and giving the go ahead for Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC).

We have developed a framework to facilitate fund raising through online platforms such as crowdfunding which is soliciting small amounts of funds from multiple investors through a web-based platform or social networking site for a specific project, business venture etc. Currently, the possibility of introducing equity/debt crowdfunding and peer to peer lending through the E-Wallet which is expected to be introduced as part of the second phase of digitisation initiative are being evaluated jointly with the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) which will reduce the cost of capital and other intermediary cost involved, Viraj Dayaratne, Chairman SEC told the Business Times in an interview on Tuesday.

A consultative meeting was held with the CSE and they will further study the initial concept paper prepared by the SEC and revert with their feedback for the same in order to take the initiative forward, he said.

In a bid to further broad-base listing requirements to facilitate new listings to the market, the SEC intends to enable listing of SPACs  with proper safeguards. A SPAC is a shell company set up by investors with the sole purpose of raising money through an IPO to eventually acquire another company. It has no existing operations or underlying business that is founded by one or a group of sponsors, being well-known entrepreneurs, private equity or industry experts with the objective of making one or more acquisitions.

The policy for listing SPACs has been finalised and the CSE listing rules (including eligibility criteria for the SPAC and promoters etc will be amended accordingly to facilitate it, Mr. Dayaratne added.

SPAC features are that only qualified investors are allowed to invest in them and SPAC shares will be traded in the Over The Counter (OTC) board, the IPO funds will be kept in a trust structure until the target firm is acquired and shareholder approval is required to carry out the target acquisition and exit mechanism will be provided for the shareholders who are not in agreement with the acquisition. A SPAC is required to conclude its first acquisition within a stated timeframe and in the event if a SPAC is unable to do so, the SPAC will be liquidated according to the provisions of the Companys Act. The lock-in period for promoters and other safeguards will be introduced accordingly, Mr. Dayaratne added. Upon acquisition, the SPAC will be merged with the target company in line with the Companys Act provisions and the merged entity will operate as an ordinary listed entity at the CSE.

Having successfully launched the first phase of the digitalisation initiative, the SEC and the CSE embarked on the second phase which has now reached near completion and will be launched this month. Under the soon to be launched second phase, new features such as use of CSE mobile application for Central Depository Systems (CDS) account opening for local companies and foreign individuals will be enabled.

Mr. Dayaratne added that new features such as the launch of CDS E-connect will enable viewing of CDS account information, viewing of balances, transaction history, free of charge monthly statement for the last six months, facility to request for reports, sending information requests to CDS/stockbroker, ability to give instructions to change CDS account details of the logged in user account, intra account transfer requests, access for brokers online trading apps, corporate action alerts such as dividends/rights and other corporate actions, access to research reports.

E-IPOs, E-Rights, E-Portal for online company registration, E-wallet (in order to bring in seamless transfer of funds between asset classes) will be introduced on top of features such as the chat bot feature that would be added to enhance the user experience and convenience by providing account opening assistance and investor portfolio information assistance.

He said the CDS account opening process for both foreign individuals and foreign companies are being digitised which would expedite the entry process by foreign investors to the Sri Lankan market.

As at last September when it was launched, there have been more than 20,000 new CDS accounts opened via the mobile app and 50,000 plus mobile app downloads. More than 90 per cent of the new CDS accounts have been opened via the new mobile app.
SL transit hub for Indians By Sunimalee Dias View(s): View(s):

Sri Lanka has become a transit hub for Indians visiting other destinations like West Asia or Singapore for instance, prior to which they need to be quarantined for 14 days.

Some countries accept quarantine in Sri Lanka as an entry requirement to their country, where direct arrival for the origin country is not permitted. This is a reflection of Sri Lankas health and safety regulations, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) has stated in a new set of regulations issued on April 24 for international arrivals for the purpose of 14-day quarantine enroute to other countries.

In this respect, travel agents are looking at promoting this type of travel to Sri Lanka that is faced with a dearth of tourists as the tourism industry has been shut-down for nearly 10 months last year and saw a slow revival. Hotels have moved onto providing healthcare and quarantining facilities for

Sri Lankans until lately.

The new regulations have been brought in mainly targeting Indian travellers as more use this new route to enter other destinations as a result Sri Lanka is catering to this new demand by certifying Level 2 hotels to be used only for these visitors.

The regulations state that Level 2 hotels will be exclusively for the said category and not be permitted to take other international or domestic bookings.

Tourists need to strictly adhere to insurance, PCR testing etc., and all other health guidelines as detailed for Level 1 hotels continue to be applicable for these hotels as well.

The guests will be confined to their rooms and will not be permitted to use common facilities at any stage and even meals should be delivered to the room, it was noted.

Drivers, guides or any staff interacting with guests must be in full PPE, the regulations state adding that these regulations are applicable irrespective of being fully vaccinated.

Moreover, the regulations note that travel agents and hotels taking such bookings will be responsible to ensure the departure of such guests from the country at the end of the 14-day quarantine period, it was stated.

Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga told the Business Times said that currently they were permitting Indians to travel to Sri Lanka under these regulations.

He noted that this was in view of the fact that Sri Lanka has become an acceptable destination for Indians to seek quarantine facilities prior to proceeding to destinations like West Asia and Singapore.

Currently this facility is being used only by Indians as Pakistanis and Bangladeshis are banned from travelling overseas, he noted.

Meanwhile, the Minister said the authorities were still working on the new Tourism Act that is set to replace the existing Tourism Act of 2005.

We have asked all stakeholders to give their opinions and give suggestions and only after that a discussion paper will be presented, he said. The private sector has expressed opposition to replacing the existing Tourism Act.
Utah Republicans loudly booed Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, at a state party convention Saturday, shortly before a failed effort to censure him for his votes to convict former president Donald Trump.

A clip from the event in West Valley City, Utah, shows Romney walking up to a lectern to a raucous mix of cheers and louder boos from the nearly 2,000 delegates.

"So what do you think about President Biden's first 100 days?" Romney begins to say, as the jeers intensify.

"Now you know me as a person who says what he thinks, and I don't hide the fact that I wasn't a fan of our last president's character issues," he said, prompting more boos from the crowd.

He paused for a few seconds as the booing continued before asking the crowd: "Aren't you embarrassed?"

Later Saturday, a resolution to censure Romney for voting to remove Trump from office was defeated by a 798-to-711 vote, according to Utah Republican Party spokeswoman Lynda Cox.

About 1,900 delegates were in attendance at the start of the state organizing convention, held at the Maverik Center, Cox said.

The resolution, sponsored by Don Guymon, a party delegate from Davis County, cites Romney's votes to remove Trump from office during both of his impeachment trials. The resolution alleges that Romney "consistently publicly criticized" Trump and that those comments "not only hurt President Trump's re-election but hurt other Republicans on the ballot."

Romney was the lone Republican senator to break ranks in his vote to convict Trump of abuse of power in 2020; he was joined by six others who voted earlier this year to remove Trump from office for inciting an insurrection after a mob overran the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

Hours before rioters descended on the Capitol, supporters of the former president heckled Romney at the Salt Lake City airport, calling him a "traitor."

According to the Salt Lake Tribune, some called Romney a "traitor" and a "communist" on Saturday as delegates shouted their disapproval toward the stage. Shortly after Romney began, outgoing Utah GOP Chairman Derek Brown called on the crowd to "show respect."

The weekend scene in Utah reflects a chasm within the Republican Party that has widened following Trump's exit from office. Many in the GOP remain closely tied to Trump even as some in the party question what role the former president should continue to play.

In a statement emailed to The Washington Post on Sunday, Guymon said that while it was "disappointing" that the resolution did not pass, he believed Romney "received a clear message yesterday that grass-roots Republicans represented by the state delegates are unhappy with his performance in the US Senate."

Romney's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

During his remarks on Saturday, Romney acknowledged that "I have a few folks who don't like me terribly much, and I'm sorry about that."

"But I express my mind as I believe is right, and I follow my conscience as I believe is right," Romney said, which prompted loud cheers.

The crowd settled as Romney continued. During his remarks, he challenged Biden and Democrats on the president's big-spending proposals, on plans to raise taxes, and on stimulus payments that he said provided people "more money for not working than they made when they were working."

Romney called himself an "old-fashioned Republican" and told the crowd they can "boo all you like, but I've been a Republican all my life. My dad was a governor of Michigan; my dad worked for Republican candidates that he believed in. I worked for Republicans across the country, and if you don't recall, I was the Republican nominee for president in 2012."

Many in the crowd cheered as Romney implored: "Let me tell you something, if we divide our party, we're going to be a losing party."

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, another of the seven Republican senators who voted in favor of convicting Trump during his second impeachment trial, said Sunday she was "appalled" by members of the Utah GOP booing Romney and attempting to censure him.

"We Republicans need to remember that we are united by fundamental principles, such as a belief in personal responsibility, individual freedom, opportunity, free markets, a strong national defense," Collins said in an interview on CNN's "State of the Union." "Those are the principles that unite us. We are not a party that is led by just one person."
Sri Lankas vanaspathi exports to India plummet By Bandula Sirimanna View(s): View(s):

Sri Lankas vanaspathi export industry (fully or partially hydrogenated vegetable cooking oil) established to cater to the needs of India under the Free Trade Agreement has been adversely affected following the ban imposed on crude palm oil (HS Code1511.10) by the government.

Thirteen companies engaged in the production of vanaspathi using palm oil for the Indian market are on the verge of collapsing, several leading members of the Vanaspathi Exporters Association told the Business Times.

The palm oil containers imported to the island on April 7 for reshipment to India after processing it in local factories, along with relevant shipment, were held up without clearance at the Colombo port since April 7 the day after the import ban they complained.

The importers had to pay large sums of money as demurrage and customs surcharges due to the delay in clearance of containers without their fault; they said adding that there has been no production of vanaspathi for the past two months.

The 13 factories with around 5000 workers are set to close down operations as it has to cancel all forward import contracts with palm oil suppliers.

These companies have also been compelled to cancel sales agreements with Indian importers as they cannot supply the required quantities of vanaspathi due to a stoppage in production as a result of the ban.

It was unimaginable, that Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa who promoted the reshipment of very same palm oil after processing it locally as vanaspathi to India when he held the presidency has issued the gazette notification to ban it on April 6, they added.

The 13 factories with refineries (10 owned by Indians and three by local investors) were set up with BOI facilities during the period of 2008/2009 under the Indo Lanka FTA signed by former President Chandrika Kumaratunge in 2002.

The local vanaspathi industry came into being as a result of FTA which has allowed Sri Lanka to export 250,000 tonnes duty-free vanaspati to India per annum with its value at around US$32 million.

The daily reshipment volume is around 40 containers and the company profit share was $150 per tonne, an exporter said.

According to industry sources, the formal local manufacturing industry is worth Rs. 85 billion and with the SMEs, the sectors value is around Rs. 95 to Rs. 100 billion.
Turmoil has gripped the leadership ranks of the California National Guard, with the firing of the general who commanded its air branch, the suspension of a second key general, and new limits placed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on the organizations use of fighter jets for civilian missions.

Newsoms office and the head of the Guard, Maj. Gen. David S. Baldwin, refused to provide details on the reasons behind the recent leadership changes other than a statement from the Guard saying that the organization is committed to facilitating a positive working environment for all of its members, regardless of gender and ethnicity.

The air branchs former commander, who was forced out two weeks ago, told the Los Angeles Times he did nothing wrong and said Baldwin had lost touch with reality.

The abrupt actions against the two generals mark the second major shake-up in Californias Military Department in as many years. And they were announced on the heels of a Times report that Guard members were concerned that their leaders had readied an F-15C fighter jet last year for a possible mission in which the aircraft would fly low over civilian protesters to frighten and disperse them.

Baldwin denied that the jet was placed on an alert status for that purpose, and a Newsom spokeswoman said the governor would never authorize such a mission. Erin Mellon said in a statement to The Times that Newsom wanted to be crystal clear about restrictions on the use of military aircraft for domestic missions.

The governor has directed his Office of Emergency Services, in collaboration with the California National Guard, to review and assert definitive and unmistakable parameters for authorizing and using military aircraft under the State Emergency Management System, while reverting F-15 aircraft to a reduced state of readiness for civil support missions, the statement said.

Mellon provided Guard memos saying fighter jets have been used a few times in the past to quickly survey earthquake damage. She did not answer several questions regarding the use of the F-15C last year, including whether it was placed on an alert status for earthquakes or other natural disasters.

In an email statement to The Times, the Guard said Baldwin accepted Maj. Gen. Gregory Jones resignation as commander of the California Air National Guard on April 16. Jones said he never offered to step down but was forced out.

Baldwin said in a statement that he lost faith, trust, and confidence in (Jones) ability to foster an inclusive and healthy command climate.

Asked whether the F-15C controversy had anything to do with Jones removal, Baldwin wrote, I do not fire people for fictional events. The F-15C narrative is just that, a fictional event.

Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Magram, director of air staff, was suspended and reassigned, and Chief Master Sgt. Steve Pyzska was relieved as command chief under Jones, the Guard said.

Magram and Pyzska declined to comment.

In an interview, Jones said the Guards statement suggesting that he treated women or people of color unfairly is absolutely false and it was actually Baldwin who created an unhealthy environment at Guard headquarters.

Hes been there too long, Jones said. Then-Gov. Jerry Brown appointed Baldwin to the post in 2011. Hes lost touch with reality.

Jones said he did not know why the F-15C, an air-to-air combat aircraft, was placed on an alert status for a domestic mission last year. The jets are based at the Guards 144th Fighter Wing in Fresno. Their principal mission is to respond immediately to attacks by enemy aircraft on orders from the Pentagon as part of the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD. They are also used to train pilots for that mission.

Jones said it would make no sense to place an F-15C on an alert status to respond to earthquakes. You dont know when theyre going to happen, Jones said. Its a poor use of resources to have an airplane just sitting there .... Its just not the mission that theyre designed to do either, which is to shoot down other airplanes.

He said he has butted heads with Baldwin in the past over what he thought was an improper use of military aircraft.

He said Baldwin pressured him to deploy an F-15C jet to survey damage from the 2019 Ridgecrest earthquake. When he resisted, Jones said, Baldwin told him: These are my airplanes.

To accommodate Baldwin, Jones said, the Guard classified the Ridgecrest mission as a federal training exercise to disguise its true purpose.

During last years mass protests after the police killing of George Floyd, Jones said, Baldwin pushed to send hundreds of Air Guard members to cities across the state with inadequate training.

I told him I think we could put 500. He said, No, I want 800. We were tasked with training 800 airmen the next day, he said, adding that the training included firearm and riot control components. Luckily nobody got hurt, we didnt have any accidental discharges. It couldve gotten really ugly.

The Guard and Baldwin did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Jones assertions.

Jones predecessor as commander of the Air Guard, Maj. Gen. Clay Garrison, was removed from the position in 2019 amid complaints of reprisals against whistleblowers and allegations of a cover-up of misconduct that reached into the highest ranks of the organization. The complaints, which were disclosed by The Times, focused on the leadership of the Fresno base and included an alleged cover-up of an incident in which someone urinated in a female Guard members boots. The commander of the base was also removed.

In announcing Jones appointment to succeed Garrison, a spokesman for Baldwin said, The Guard is committed to providing a transparent, respectful and positive command climate . I am confident that Brig. Gen. Jones will be able to lead the organization effectively and with the utmost integrity.

Guard sources told The Times that last years order to put the F-15C on an alert status didnt spell out the mission but, given the aircrafts limitations, they understood it to mean the plane could be deployed to terrify and disperse protesters by flying low over them at window-rattling speeds, with its afterburners streaming columns of flames. Fighter jets have been used occasionally in that manner in combat zones in Iraq and Afghanistan, they said.

The sources said the directives from Guard headquarters made their way down orally or in text messages, rather than in formal written orders, which was unusual and heightened their concerns that the jet would be used inappropriately.

Mellon, the governors spokeswoman, said she couldnt speak to how Guard members interpreted directives beyond what the governors offices understanding is, which is  the aircraft would never be authorized for such a mission.

She provided The Times with a memo in which Col. Jeremiah Cruz, who commanded the 144th Wing until January, said: At no time during my tenure as wing commander, vice wing commander, and operations group commander was I ever tasked to utilize an F-15C at the 144FW to respond to a civil unrest event nor has the idea ever been discussed with me as an option.

The memo was dated April 21, well after The Times began asking the Guard to respond to concerns among its members that the jet had been readied for a possible response to civil unrest.

An earlier email reviewed by The Times shows that Cruz had referenced concerns over the jets use to several officers three days before the Nov. 3 election. There is no expectation that the F-15C will be used in any way in support of civil unrest, he wrote, instructing the recipients to keep him apprised of any requests or upcoming requests from Guard headquarters in Sacramento.

The Times reviewed other internal Guard documents that show the jet was placed on an alert status for a possible election-week mission and that officers discussed concerns in March 2020 as well as that summer about using the F-15C for domestic purposes, including to intimidate civilians.

The Guard has faced scrutiny before for how it has deployed military aircraft.

Last October, Newsoms office denounced the Guards decision to send a military spy plane to suburban El Dorado Hills, where Baldwin lived, to help civilian authorities monitor demonstrations over the Floyd killing. Baldwin said the fact that he resided in El Dorado Hills, where the protests were small and peaceful, had nothing to do with the deployment of the RC-26B reconnaissance plane.
by Sue Gilmore

Bay City News Foundation

The seventh annual Bay Area Book Festival, going all virtual for the second year in a row, launched its nine-day run on Saturday and is such a high-wattage affair, attendees may want to consider donning sunglasses to tune in.

The literary luminaries who will be featured include Nobel Prize laureate Kazuo Ishiguro, 2020 National Book Award winner Charles Yu, renowned journalist and China expert Orville Schell, 2020 Booker Prize winner Douglas Stuart, Pulitzer Prize winner (and former U.S. poet laureate) Tracy K. Smith and prolific (more than 100 books!) novelist Joyce Carol Oates.

The festival, which runs through Sunday, May 9, has 11 programs for adults in the lineup, three of them free to attend, and an ancillary run of eight free programs for younger readers.

As is the case with all the programs, registrants can submit questions when they sign up for the link, and there will be opportunities for live interaction as well.

A powerful trio of Booker Prize-nominated women authors closes out the festival at 6 p.m. on Sunday, May 9 (Mother's Day), with a panel moderated by Words Without Borders executive director Karen Phillips. Indian author Avni Doshi ("Burnt Sugar"), Ethiopian-American author Maaza Mengiste ("The Shadow King") and Chilean author Alia Trabucco Zeran ("The Remainder") are the participants in a session subtitled "An International Roundtable of Dangerous Women Writers." This is the only one of the sessions that is not live, as the three novelists are appearing from three different time zones.

San Francisco novelists Vendela Vida and Carol Edgarian talk about "The Epicenter of Girlhood" in the third free event at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Both women have recent novels that feature young heroines in San Francisco settings: Edgarian's "Vera" takes place during and immediately after the 1906 earthquake and fires, and Vida's "We Run the Tides" centers on young friends who live in Sea Cliff in the 1990s.

Most of the ticketed events can be accessed for a $15 fee for each, but the festival organizers also offer passes ranging from $60 to $120 for entry to multiple programs. Tickets and more information are available at baybookfest.org.

Here is a brief schedule of the ticketed events.

Sunday, 1 p.m. Novelists Kazuo Ishiguro and Yaa Gyasi talk about "Love and Illusion," referencing their newest works, "Klara and the Sun" and "Transcendent Kingdom."

Sunday, 6 p.m. Berkeley author and journalism professor Adam Hochschild hosts "When Everything Falls Apart, How Does the Heart Survive?" - a session with Orville Schell and MacArthur "Genius Grant" recipient and Bay Area author Yiyun Li.

Monday, 7 p.m. Jim Gavin, creator of AMC's quirky comedy "Lodge 49," interviews Charles Yu, whose National Book Award-winning novel, "Interior Chinatown," is a funny and scathing satire about how Asian actors are (mis)treated in Hollywood.

Wednesday, 7 p.m. The somewhat ominously titled "Green Rabbits Glowing at the End of the World" session features journalists and speculative fiction writers Annalee Newitz ("Four Lost Cities: A Secret History of the Urban Age") and Nathaniel Rich ("Second Nature: Scenes From a World Remade") talking about surviving failed civilizations.

Thursday, 7 p.m. "Lager and Love Can't Pay the Bills" is the wry title of this session with Douglas Stuart, whose Glasgow-set novel "Shuggie Bain" captured the 2020 Booker Prize and has been favorably compared to Frank McCourt's "Angela's Ashes." He'll discuss the book with author and TED talk speaker Casey Gerald.

Friday, 6 p.m. Award-winning sci-fi novelists Nnedi Okorafor ("Remote Control") and Jeff VanderMeer ("Hummingbird Salamander") join forces to ruminate about "How to Dream the World You Want."

Saturday, 7 p.m. To be published May 11, "There's a Revolution Outside My Love: Letters from a Crisis" is a wide-ranging anthology of essays, poems, letters and articles from some of our finest writers from all across America, produced in response to the upheaval of our times and edited by poet Tracy K. Smith and literary critic John Freeman. Smith and fellow poets Camille Dungy and Reginald Dwayne Betts take part in a "Mourn, Heal and Take to the Streets" discussion moderated by Ismail Muhammad.

Sunday, May 9, 1 p.m. "A Matter of Death and Life" is the title of the memoir world-renowned psychiatrist and author Irvin Yalom co-wrote with his late wife, Marilyn, recounting the 65th and last year of their marriage as she was dying of cancer. Joining Yalom to talk about "Love, Loss and Meaning in Life" is the prodigiously gifted author Joyce Carol Oates.

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Unilever Sri Lanka holds its first virtual scientific symposium View(s):

A scientific symposium themed Science in the Service of Consumer Protection was held recently, with the intention of creating a platform for local and global experts in the field, to exchange multidisciplinary scientific expertise on methods to ensure the safety and sustainability of the fast-growing cosmetic categories.

Organised by Unilever

Sri Lanka, the symposium sought to facilitate the sharing of accurate and factual scientific data to co-create healthy discussion in the interest of enhancing the quality and consumer safety of cosmetic products.

The forum, which had an audience of over 50 attendees, featured an elite panel of speakers who shared their vast experience and knowledge with the audience, Unilever said in a media release.

The symposium saw sessions conducted by Prof. Ravindra Fernando, Senior Professor  University of Colombo, on cosmetic ingredient safety and global standards for cosmetic product safety; Dr. Carl Westmoreland, Science Director  Unilever Safety & Environment Assurance Centre UK, assessing the safety of cosmetic ingredients with next generation risk assessment and mechanistic safety science; Prof. Nikolai Denkov, Department of Chemical & Pharmaceutical Engineering, Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy  Sofia University, Bulgaria, discussing the scientific aspects of soap composition; Scientist Ray Boughton of Delphic HSE UK, explaining the safety of cosmetic ingredient exposure; and Meena Rajan, General Manager, R&D Category Design, Skin Cleansing Bars  Unilever, sharing some new technological advancements in skin cleansing, which is the largest cosmetic product category and has been instrumental in preventing the spread of COVID-19.

Discussing the safety of ingredients used in the manufacture of cosmetics were Dr. Vibhav Sanzgiri, Prof. Ravindra Fernando, Dr. Carl Westmoreland, and scientist Ray Boughton. They shared an in-depth analysis on how cosmetic safety assessments are conducted day-to-day to comply with regulations, how next generation risk assessments are conducted without animal testing, the benefits of using this method, and how a margin of safety calculation is carried out.

Prof. Nikolai Denkov, spoke on the different types of soap components, how these different components play a different role in foaming and foam stability, the effects of soap types, and the soap ingredients that support mildness to the skin. During this session it was explained with scientific data that the quality of a soap bar is determined by several parameters and not just by Total Fatty Matter (TFM), which is the common belief, the release said.

With soap being a category with a 5,000-year history, it has evolved over the years to deliver more consumer benefits. Meena Rajan elaborated on some of these new advancements such as the evolution of the category into liquids from bars and the optimisation of fatty matter in soap bars through alternate structures through the introduction of alternate structurants, surfactants and other benefit agents to cater to the evolving needs of the modern consumer such as offering greater skin care and protection from germs and skin pollutants in an environmentally friendly manner.
For more than two years, Faith Bravo of Milford successfully regulated her eye pressure thanks to a single drop of a medication called Phospholine Iodide.

Bravo, 16, was born with detached retinas and underwent surgery that involved removing the lenses  part of the eye that focuses light rays as they pass through  in both her eyes. Doctors reattached her retinas, but the procedure left her vulnerable to glaucoma, which can cause high eye pressure, damage the optic nerve and lead to blindness.

Once Bravo was diagnosed with the condition, the challenge of regulating her eye pressure began. For years, she tried different medications until, as a teenager, her doctor suggested Phospholine Iodide. It is an old but effective drug used to treat rare forms of glaucoma, especially the kind resulting from childhood surgery for congenital cataracts in which the ocular lens is removed.

The other medications didnt seem to be helping her as much, her mother, Maria Bravo, said. So this was a last resort to help bring down the pressure in her eyes.

It worked  while on Phospholine Iodide, Faith Bravos eye pressure was in the low teens (normal eye pressure is between 10 and 21 mm Hg), down from the high 20s.

Though it couldnt bring back the vision Faith Bravo had lost  the Jonathan Law High sophomore is legally blind and reads and writes in braille  it gave her a sense of relief knowing the condition was under control.

We live in a visual world, Maria Bravo said. And having a visually impaired child, whatever visions she does have, if we can keep it by keeping the pressure down, that would be great.

But in the last year, the already hard-to-find drug became increasingly scarce.

By February 2020, Maria Bravo contacted Pfizer, the pharmaceutical giant that distributes the medicine. A representative told her Phospholine Iodide was on back-order due to an unexpected manufacturing delay. Before long, the Bravos werent able to get the medication at all. In fall 2020, Pfizer announced that it is discontinuing the drug, with supply expected to run out by summer 2021.

The announcement came as a shock to patients, their families and their doctors.

The Bravos decided on a new treatment with her ophthalmologist, Dr. David Walton, a clinical professor of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School and a surgeon in ophthalmology at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. But without Phopholine Iodide, Faith Bravos eye pressure is at risk of rising  and surgery or further loss of vision could follow.

Production issues

In a statement, Pfizer explained that a complex set of circumstances led to its decision.

The New York-based pharmaceutical company does not produce the drug; it relies on a complex chain of external partners to manufacture Phospholine Iodide. That supply chain become unstable, the company said, while doctors rarely prescribe the drug. Pfizer estimates that 100 patients in the U.S. are currently using the eye drop.

We understand that some patients, caregivers and ophthalmology scientific organizations are disappointed about Pfizers decision to discontinue Phospholine Iodide, the statement said. We did not come to this decision lightly and made every effort to inform those impacted as soon as the decision was made to allow time to seek the best alternative treatment options.

But Walton and other doctors, patients and glaucoma advocates question the decision. Walton said he has reached out regularly to Pfizer in recent months about his patients but has received few answers.

He said he is not anti-Pfizer and said he understands why the company made its decision. But he hoped for more cooperation, given the consequences for certain patients. Its likely that Pfizer, one of the hundred largest corporations in the U.S. with total revenue of nearly $48 billion at the end of 2020, was losing money on the drug, Walton said.

A Change.org petition, begun by Mabel Balestra, a Greenwich resident and board member of the Childrens Glaucoma Foundation, has collected more than 2,000 signatures and suggests that Pfizer eliminated the drug because it was not profitable. The petition calls on Pfizer to continue distributing the drug until an alternative is arranged.

But a solution remains elusive.

Pfizer said it no longer owns the patent for the drug  which was introduced in 1962  meaning another pharmaceutical company could step in. But that could be a lengthy process, and any prospective drug-maker would likely have the same concerns about the small number of users.

Walton said Pfizers estimate that only 100 people in the U.S. use the drug is likely low, though he acknowledges that it is small, in part, because the medicine is so difficult to acquire that most doctors dont prescribe it. He estimated the number nationally is between 100 and 1,000.

The federal Food and Drug Administration, which regulates pharmaceuticals and the companies that make them, cannot force a firm to continue distributing a drug.

Dr. Steven Kane, associate clinical professor of ophthalmology at Columbia University Medical Center and co-director of the Pediatric Glaucoma Clinic at the Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute, said the situation with Phospholine Iodide is indicative of larger issues with the pharmaceutical industry in America.

Pharmaceutical companies, he said, should not decide which drugs to distribute based on profitability.

Thats a problem that I have with our pharmaceutical industry, which enjoys enormous benefits in this country, said Kane, who has dozens of patients who rely on the drug. I dont think theres a pharmaceutical industry anywhere in the world that is as advantaged and as wealthy as ours. They have a moral obligation to take care of us. What that means is to continue making medications, even if theyre old and theyre not profitable anymore.

No other option?

In its statement, Pfizer listed a series of newer eye drops to treat glaucoma that are more frequently prescribed, including prostaglandins and beta-blockers. But according to Walton and Kane, those alternatives offer little help.

Theres not been another medication that has been as effective in other medication classes, Kane said. And this medication really is in its own class of medicines. It does not have a substitute.

Kane has encouraged patients to stockpile the small supply left of Phospholine Iodide. Kane and Walton have also begun transitioning patients onto other treatments.

Theyll be put on alternative medications, but ... theyre not nearly as effective for this subset of glaucoma as this particular drug, Walton said. I dont know how many of the ones whose glaucoma is controlled by this medicine will be controlled by other medicines. But you have a feeling that its going to be a significant subset.

Dropping the drug could force the patients to confront a new reality in which loss of vision, blindness or eye surgeries are increasingly likely.

Linda Larochs son, Marco, was diagnosed when he was 10 days old with glaucoma as a result of Sturge-Weber syndrome, a rare disorder causing complications with the eyes, skin and brain. Now 16, Marco has had more than 20 ocular surgeries and recently lost his right eye. From 2005 to 2017, he avoided surgery thanks to Phospholine Iodide. Without it, protecting his right eye became more difficult.

Vicki Philhowers son, Dan, is a 19-year-old college freshman who was born with congenital ectropion uveae, a rare disorder that often leads to glaucoma. He has had five surgeries on his right eye to stabilize the condition and sees Kane every three months to monitor his eye pressure.

According to Philhower, who lives in New Jersey, Kanes goal for her sons eye pressure was around 20. On Phospholine Iodide, that was attainable. Off it, the future is uncertain.

Were blessed that its only one eye, because it effects many people more severely, Philhower said. Its frustrating because I know theres such a small group of people that this drug works for, but its so imperative for those of us who need it.

justin.papp@scni.com; @justinjpapp1; 203-842-2586
"America is rising anew, choosing hope over fear, truth over lies, and light over darkness. After 100 days of rescue and renewal, America is ready for a take-off. We are working again, dreaming again, discovering again and leading the world again. We have shown each other and the world that there is no quit in America," Biden said."In my conversations with world leaders -- many I've known for a long time -- the comment I hear most often is: we see that America is back, but for how long? Biden said in his prime-time address on Wednesday night."We have to show not just that we are back, but that we are here to stay. And that we aren't going it alone, we're going to be leading with our allies. No one nation can deal with all the crises of our time alone -- from terrorism to nuclear proliferation to mass migration, cybersecurity, climate change -- and as we're experiencing now, pandemics," he said.Recommended byBiden touted the success of his administration's COVID-19 vaccine rollout and urged everyone to get vaccinated against the deadly disease that has claimed over 574,000 lives in the country."Go get vaccinated, America. They are available," Biden said.Biden also said that the climate crisis is not America's fight alone, but a global one as he asserted that he pushed for the US to meet its international obligations to slow the impact of climate change.He said that the US accounts for less than 15 per cent of carbon emissions while the rest of the world accounts for 85 per cent. "That's why I kept my commitment to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement on my first day in office," he said.While former US president Barack Obama signed the Paris Climate Accord his successor Donald Trump pulled the US out, calling it unfair to American coal miners and the energy industry. Biden has rejoined the landmark accord soon after assuming office in January.Under the Paris agreement, each country has to set its own emission-reduction targets, known as national determined contributions and the pact's goal was to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius."I kept my commitment to convene a climate summit in America of all the major economies in the world, China, Russia, India, European Union. I started doing it in my first 100 days, Biden said."I wanted the world to see that there is consensus that we are at an inflection point in history. And the consensus is if we act, we can save the planet and we can create millions of jobs and economic growth and opportunity to raise the standard of living for everyone in the world. The investments I've proposed tonight also advance a foreign policy that benefits the middle class, he added.That means making sure every nation plays by the same rules in the global economy, including China, Biden said."In my discussion with President Xi Jinping, I told him that we welcome the competition and that we are not looking for conflict. But I made absolutely clear that I will defend American interests across the board, he said.Biden said that America will stand up to "unfair" trade practices that undercut American workers and industries, like subsidies for state-owned enterprises and the theft of American technologies and intellectual property."I also told President Xi that we will maintain a strong military presence in the Indo-Pacific just as we do with NATO in Europe, not to start conflict, but to prevent conflict," he said.Biden also said that he told Xi what he has said to many world leaders - that America won't back away from its commitment to human rights and fundamental freedoms.No responsible American president can remain silent when basic human rights are violated. A president has to represent the essence of our country, he added.US President Biden said that it is time to grow the economy from the bottom and the middle, asserting that America is in a competition with China and other countries to win the 21st century.He quoted the International Monetary Fund as saying that the US economy will grow at the rate of more than 6 per cent this year. "That will be the fastest pace of economic growth in this country in four decades," he said.Claiming that the economy created more than 1,300,000 new jobs in his first 100 days in office, Biden said, "We have to do more than just build back better."He proposed a $1.8 trillion investment in children, families and education to help rebuild an economy devastated by the virus and compete with rising global competitors.On Russia, he said that he made it very clear to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that while the US doesn't seek escalation, their actions have consequences. "I responded in a direct and proportionate way to Russia's interference in our elections and cyber attacks on our government and businesses and they did both of those things and I did respond, he said."But we can also cooperate when it's in our mutual interests. As we did when we extended the New START Treaty on nuclear arms, and as we're working to do on the climate crisis, he said.
Chennai (Tamil Nadu): Days ahead of polling in Tamil Nadu (April 2), when his son-in-law's houses in Chennai was raided by the Income Tax department, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin walked on stage at Perambalur, and said, "I am the son of Kalaignar (nickname of late DMK supremo Karunanidhi). I will not be scared with this."

Stalin is the second son of former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi with his second wife, Dayalu Ammal. Born four days after the death of the Soviet communist leader, Stalin was named after Joseph Stalin. He was groomed from an early age by Karunanidhi as his successor and heir.

68-year-old Stalin was contesting as the chief ministerial candidate for the first time during these polls. He was elected unopposed as the DMK chief in August 2018, after the death of his father, a post that Karunanidhi held for 49 years. That didn't come as a surprise to anyone, as during his lifetime,

Karunanidhi, on multiple occasions made his preference for his successor abundantly clear and systematically groomed him for the job.

These Assembly polls were seen as a real test of Stalin's leadership, despite DMK registering a sweeping victory on 38 out of 39 seats in 2019 parliamentary elections under his guidance.

However, that win was hugely credited to an anti-AIADMK-BJP wave following Jayalalithaa's death in 2016.

Moreover, these are the first Assembly polls to be held in the absence of two towering leaders of the state who ruled Tamil Nadu for decades---former chief ministers J Jayalalithaa and M Karunanidhi. This was Stalin's chance to come out of his father's shadow and be "Thalaivar" (leader) as his party cadres call him.

DMK, which is out of power since 2011 in the state, gave a head-to-head fight to the ruling party AIADMK in nearly 130 constituencies, under the leadership of Stalin during the campaigning for these polls.

Stalin has called the AIADMK government a slave to the BJP and alleged corruption during its tenure. He had challenged Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami-led government, which has promised in its manifesto to ask the Centre to drop the recently enacted Citizenship (Amendment) Act if voted back to power, to speak against the CAA in front of Central leaders. He had alleged that the AIADMK government had taken Tamil Nadu back 50 years.

"This AIDMK government has taken Tamil Nadu back 50 years. All the rights of the people of Tamil Nadu have been taken by introducing NEET, the new education policy and the Citizenship Amendment Act," Stalin had said, addressing a public meeting in Salem on March 29. He also called the election a means to get back Tamil Nadu's rights.

Known as a tireless worker, Stalin began his political journey during the 1967 Assemble elections in Madras state by campaigning for his father's party when he was a lad of 14.

However, during his early political career, Stalin was not considered a serious politician. Things changed when he was jailed for six months during Emergency under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA).

At the rally in Perambalur on April 2, challenging his rivals and asserting his might, DMK chief had said, "This Stalin has faced Maintenance of Internal Security Act.... emergency. They think they can scare us with the raids, this may happen with AIADMK but this will not happen with DMK. You should not forget that people will reply to your act on April 6."

Stalin holds a bachelor's degree in political science from the Presidency College in Chennai. He is credited for forming the youth wing of DMK and headed it for more than four decades. He became the first directly elected mayor of Chennai from 1996 to 2001. He was also elected legislator from the Thousand Lights constituency in Chennai in 1989, 1996, 2001 and 2006. In 2011, he was elected to the Assembly from the Kolathur constituency in Chennai.

He served as the Local Administration and Rural Development Minister in his father Karunanidhi's Cabinet from 2006 to 2011. He also held the charge of Deputy Chief Minister from 2009-2011. In 2016 he again won the Assembly election from the Kolathur constituency and held the charge of the leader of opposition in the Tamil Nadu assembly.

In Tamil Nadu, the people have traditionally seen the DMK and the AIADMK hold power alternately since 1967. However, AIADMK emerged victorious in the last two Assembly elections. These polls were Stalin's chance to lead his party back to power after two terms.

During this election, ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) contested the poll in a pre-poll alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Paattali Makkal Katchi (PMK).

On the other hand, Stalin-led DMK allotted 25 seats to its Congress party, and six each for CPI, CPI (M), Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and Vaiko's Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), who contested polls in alliance with him.

This time, Stalin again tried his luck again from the Kolathur seat and faced AIADMK's Adhi Rajaram.

The high-octane poll was held in a single phase on April 6.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. A recent dip in COVID-19 hospitalizations across Staten Island has continued through the weekend, while two more residents reportedly have died of the virus, according to the latest data from the citys Health Department and hospital officials.

Total fatalities on Staten Island since the start of the pandemic include 1,570 patients with confirmed coronavirus cases, up two from Saturday. In addition, 208 fatalities were classified as probable, which represents zero change from a day prior.

A death is classified as probable if the decedent was a city resident who had no known positive laboratory test for the coronavirus, but the death certificate lists COVID-19 or an equivalent as a cause of death.

HOSPITALIZATIONS

Patients treated for the virus across the boroughs two hospital systems remained nearly the same Sunday, after a notable milestone at the start of the weekend.

On Friday, for the first time in 2021, the total patient-count fell below 100.

On Sunday, that total stood at stood at 82 patients.

Richmond University Medical Center was reporting 24 patients Sunday at its West Brighton hospital, a spokesman for the hospital said.

At Staten Island University Hospital, a spokesman reported 58 patients. That represented a drop of 15 since Friday.

NEW CASES

From Friday through Sunday, the number of new, daily coronavirus cases reported on Staten Island averaged out to just over 100, which marks a notable decline from the start of the year.

As of Sunday, 61,059 Staten Islanders had tested positive for the virus.

The borough remains with the highest rate of infection across New York City, data indicates.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A 40-year-old man who was injured in a single-vehicle motorcycle crash early Saturday morning remains in critical condition, according to police.

The crash, which took place at the intersection of Richmond Terrace and Van Name Avenue at around 1:15 a.m. on Saturday, left the man with broken legs and arms, said a spokesman for the NYPDs Deputy Commissioner of Public Information.

He was transported to Richmond University Medical Center following the crash in critical condition but is expected to survive, police said.

A 40-year-old motorcyclist was critically injured early Saturday morning after crashing into a utility pole in Mariners Harbor, according to police.

A mangled yellow motorcycle could be seen at the site of the crash Saturday morning.

Police initially said investigators believed the motorcyclist was traveling at a high rate of speed eastbound on Richmond Terrace, when he lost control of his bike and crashed into a pole.

No one else was injured in the crash, police added.

A 40-year-old motorcyclist was critically injured early Saturday morning after crashing into a utility pole in Mariners Harbor, according to police.

The Advance/SILive.com reported traffic deaths on Staten Island have doubled in 2021 compared to last year.

As of April 13, there had been 155 collisions on Staten Island this year that were responsible for injuries to 195 people, according to NYPD data.

Of those, 42 were at least partially due to driver inattention or distraction, making it the leading cause of accidents with injury on Staten Island; 54 people were hurt in those incidents.

Another 23 collisions were caused by at least one driver failing to yield the right of way.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Just when you thought we were finally finding our way out of the COVID-19 pandemic, President Joe Biden tries to pull us back in.

Biden on Friday said that wearing your COVID-19 mask was a matter of patriotism, even if youre vaccinated.

Its a small precaution to take that has a profound impact, Biden told NBC News. Its a patriotic responsibility, for Gods sake.

I thought wearing a facial covering was a matter of science, not patriotism.

Bidens admonitions is just what the nation needs right now: Another way for Americans to be divided from one another. Another way for us to judge one another. To eye each other suspiciously.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which Biden runs, last week said that vaccinated people no longer had to wear masks outside, unless they were in large groups.

Biden told NBC News that the chances of the president going outside and not being around other people were slim, so Biden said he would continue to wear his mask outside.

Good for him. Even though Biden should have no problem keeping crowds at bay with all his Secret Service protection, if wants to keep wearing his mask, more power to him.

And that goes for everybody else out there. If you want to keep wearing your mask when youre walking alone in the park, even if youre vaccinated, thats your decision.

But you cant foist it on me. Not anymore.

Ive been vaccinated. Im a COVID-19 survivor. According to the guidance from federal scientists, Im at very low risk of getting the virus or passing it on. That was the whole point of getting vaccinated in the first place, no?

Vaccine card after columnist Tom Wrobleski received COVID-19 vaccine. (Tom Wrobleski/Staten Island Advance)

CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said that I dont have to wear a mask outside. So Im not wearing a mask outside.

Thats following science. And I thought that following science, and not politics, was what we were supposed to be doing throughout all this.

But Biden is saying that if I was patriotic, Id keep wearing my mask.

So is wearing a mask based on science or is it based on politics? Are we doing whats right for the public health or are we merely looking to be socially courteous and to model good behavior for children?

Is it only about virtue-signaling after all?

I consider myself an American patriot. I believe the words of the Pledge of Allegiance. I stand for the National Anthem.

I believe that while American democracy isnt perfect, its better than most other government systems out there, including the dark, discredited, fascistic, socialist world that some Democrats want to drag us toward.

If thats not good enough for Biden, if I have to play a role in American mask theater just to show my patriotism, then thats the presidents problem, not mine.

This is a perfect illustration of why so many Americans have gotten fed up with COVID-19 pandemic regulations. The guidance has been all over the lot.

We were told that the virus presented little risk. Then we learned differently.

We were told that we didnt have to wear masks at all, never mind everywhere we went. That changed too.

And remember when we were told that there was no human-to-human transmission of COVID-19? Or that we were at great risk of getting the virus from surfaces?

Even the six-foot social distancing guidance has taken a hit recently, with a study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology casting doubt on how safe that distance really keeps us.

The study has gotten some fierce blowback, but the CDC had long before reduced the recommended social distance in school from six feet to three.

Now a facial covering is suddenly a sign of how patriotic I am.

Not in the country that I live in.
Why are farmers poor? By Dr. C.S. Weeraratna, former Professor of Agronomy, Ruhuna and Rajarata Universities Feature View(s): View(s):

The gist of Prof. Sirimal Abeyratnes (SA) article titled How to keep them poor? which appeared in the Business Times section on April 25 is that Sri Lanka doesnt need more than 500,000 farmers to get the output that they produce now.

There are 1.5 million paddy parcels cultivated by nearly 2 million farmers producing 5 million MT of paddy annually. If there are only 500,000 farmers and if the level of productivity remains the same, our annual paddy production will be around 1.2 million MT resulting in an increase of rice imports and expenditure on imports affecting the economy which is already in a dire status. If only 500,000 farmers are sufficient what will the balance 1.5 million people do. Work as security guards or drive 3 wheelers. It would have been better if SA suggested alternatives.

If there will be only 500,000 farmers, it is obvious that their productivity has to be raised in order to produce enough to meet the national food demand. But the productivity of our farmers tends to be low compared to those in Israel mainly because our farmers are faced with so many problems. They unlike those in Israel are affected by elephant damage. Almost daily we hear about deaths to many people and destruction to crops/property caused by wild elephants.

CKDu issues

Around 50,000 people, mostly farmers in a number of districts such as Anuradhapura, Kurunegala and Polonnaruwa are affected by the kidney disease called CKDu, and on an average three or four people die daily because of this disease. The families of those affected by CKDu are desperate. In some families both parents have died and their children are helpless. Farmers have to obtain water to irrigate their crops from about 15,000 reservoirs in the dry zone but most of these are silted up. As a result farmers are unable to obtain water to irrigate their crops. Thousands of farmers are facing immense problems due to repeated crop failures mainly due to shortage of water. Recently, a number of crops were damaged by the Army Worm. The Ministry of Agriculture had no effective solution and got some Entomologists from Rwanda to control this insect without any success. Brown Plant hopper is a common insect pest causing crop losses. Those farmers who manage to get a good crop of rice/vegetables/pulses are unable to sell it for a reasonable price as the government has not developed a suitable mechanism to purchase the produce. Thousands of men and women of farmer families have to walk a few km to obtain water for their domestic needs. Even what is available is polluted. They do not have sufficient finances to fulfill their basic needs and they are forced to pawn their jewellery. According to a news item televised a few days ago, famers in Ampara have prepared their fields and are waiting for seed paddy and fertilisers. No effective actions appear to have been taken by the relevant authorities to find appropriate solutions to these problems. Farmers in Israel do not have to face such problems.

According to Prof. SA, in

Sri Lanka too many farmers produce too little output and thus they remain poor. Too little output can be attributed to many factors which farmers have no control. Among these are low quality seeds/planting material, low soil fertility, pests and diseases etc. Unlike the farmers in Israel, our farmers have to depend mostly on imported seeds except paddy, which are very expensive resulting in an increase in COP. Very often the seeds they obtain are of low viability. Most of the Sri Lankan soils are less fertile because of land degradation. Heavy rains during Maha season have eroded soils in most areas. There is a Soil Conservation Act which is not implemented effectively. Erosion causes the soil to be less fertile resulting in the need to apply fertilisers. Importing inorganic fertiliser is going to be banned which may cause further reduction of yield/ha. Farmers in Israel do not have to face such problems.

Prof. SA, mentioning Israel agriculture in his article made me to go to the Internet to learn about agriculture in Israel. A comprehensive description on agriculture of Israel is given in https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/index.php?page=view&nr=456&type=504&menu=139. A paper on Israel agriculture in the Internet concludes as follows. The Israeli model of agricultural development can be characterised as one which did not stem purely from privatised agriculture but was strongly influenced by the state. Israel may have enjoyed some advantages over other developing countries in the form of high levels of external financial support and skilled labour facilitating the transition to a specialised agricultural economy. Nonetheless, the mechanisms of market systems coordinated jointly by government, private entities and producer organisations, the provision of an effective organisational structure, export promotion, the integrated approach of research and extension services, and the sustainable use of natural resources may serve as a model of agricultural development for other developing countries. I need not delve into what is happening in SL agriculture. We even do not have a system to provide facilities to store excess fruits and vegetables and about 40 per cent of the produce

is wasted.

Earnings of farmers

If anyone/organisation is keen to increase the earnings of our poor farmers I wish to suggest that a group discussion is held with relevant people including farmers to decide what should be done and get the authority to implement them. In December 2005, I organised an advisory meeting of nearly 50 professionals including farmers and submitted the outcome to the then Ministers of Agriculture (three of them) to implement the decisions. There was lighting of the oil lamp, singing of the national anthem etc at the meeting but apparently there was no action on the recommendations. Later in June 2015 the Convener, Campaign for Sound National Policies Prof. Siri Hettige organised a workshop under the patronage of the then President of Sri Lanka. At this workshop, 10 professionals in the field of agriculture made several recommendations related to National Policy on Agriculture. As usual there was lighting of the oil lamp, singing of the national anthem, key-note addresses etc but apparently there was no action on the recommendations. I am sure that in Israel such things will not happen.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- New York City is relaunching programs that will allow small business owners and homeowners to obtain free inspections of their structures -- like business accessory signs, decks, porches and retaining walls -- without the risk of penalty to determine if they comply with city safety regulations.

The Department of Buildings (DOB) announced the return of its annual No-Penalty Business Accessory Sign Inspection and No-Penalty Deck and Retaining Wall Inspection programs. These 60-day citywide initiatives allow New Yorkers to call 311 to request a free, no-penalty visual inspection of any accessory business sign, deck, porch, or retaining wall on their property. The programs run through to June 30, 2021.

These programs give homeowners and small business owners in the five boroughs the opportunity to ensure that structures are in good structural standing with no visibly apparent violating conditions. Following the inspection, DOB will notify property owners of the agencys findings.

If we do find any violating conditions, we will withhold issuing violations and penalties for a limited time, giving the owners opportunity to make corrective repairs and make their property safe, said DOB in a statement.

CASH SAVINGS

Our free inspection program is a great opportunity for homeowners and small business owners to make sure their properties are safe, said Buildings Commissioner Melanie E. La Rocca. Any experienced property owner will tell you simple proactive maintenance today can prevent expensive damage and tragic accidents tomorrow. Taking advantage of these programs can be the first step to saving you cash and protecting your fellow New Yorkers from a poorly maintained property.

Weather, time, and improper installation can all cause these outdoor structures to weaken and deteriorate over time.

It is important that property owners ensure that these structures are up to code and properly maintained. Each year, [Buildings] Department inspectors respond to business sign, retaining wall and deck collapses across the five boroughs. In many cases, our investigations determine that these costly incidents could have been prevented with proper maintenance, said DOB.

By law, property owners in New York City are required to maintain their accessory business signs, decks, porches, and retaining walls in a safe and code-compliant condition at all times. The aim of these inspection programs is to provide a no-penalty service to members of the public so that they can ensure they are meeting this important legal requirement, said DOB.

Since the annual No-Penalty Deck and Retaining Wall Inspection Program was first launched in 2005, the Department has performed hundreds of these no-penalty inspections, saving homeowners both time and money by identifying potential safety issues, according To DOB.

DOB launched its first ever No-Penalty Business Accessory Sign Inspection Program last year, offering to inspect these business signs at no cost and without penalty. Small business owners are encouraged to take advantage of these no-penalty inspections in order to avoid potential issues in the future.

This administration has been committed to making New York City the best place in the world to start and grow a business, said Jonnel Doris, commissioner of the NYC Department of Small Business Services. The return of the Business Accessory Sign Inspection Program will allow small businesses to learn and fix any safety issues they may have, without receiving a penalty. We look forward to our continued work with the Department of Buildings in reducing fines and keeping small businesses safe.

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- With coronavirus (COVID-19) cases on the decline and New York City ready to reopen, Senator Charles Schumer (D-New York) said that 24-hour subway service needs to be restored as soon as possible.

Schumer cited three main reasons for the need for 24/7 subway service: A subway swipe surge, vaccinations, and low COVID-19 case averages.

The city that never sleeps is slowlybut surelyliving up to its name again and waking up from the COVID-19 pandemic, but so should the subway systemand ASAP, said Schumer. Workers and riders need a fully functioning, 24/7 subway system badly, especially with restaurant and bar curfews slated to end.... To keep this recovery and good trend going, we need the subways working around-the-clock.

On April 23, the more than 2.1 million subway trips marked a new record high amid the COVID-19 pandemic, said Schumer.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) said that weekday ridership has consistently hovered at or above the 2 million mark since April 9, which Schumer says is an indicator that travel will continue.

Schumer cited a 42% decline in COVID-19 cases over a seven day period, and 35% of people are fully vaccinated.

City-run vaccination sites are also now open for walk-in appointments to all New Yorkers over the age of 16.

When it comes to funding for MTA to restore services, Schumer claimed that he made sure that the MTA maintained funding over the pandemic which will allow them to reopen with ease.

He worked to secure more than $14 billion in federal relief for MTA to keep it fully functioning throughout the pandemic.

The Senator anticipates that the need for 24/7 subway services will continue to grow, particularly with recent news of restaurant and bar curfews being lifted.

These three subway signals: the swipe surge, the 7-day COVID average and the number of shots in arms all give a green light to a 24-hour subway happening ASAP, Schumer added.
Hi Neighbor,

The plan was to circle back to Staten Islands skinny streets and talk traffic this week. But then one of the talking heads at Fox News went on a boneheaded rant about face masks the other day and I just cant stop myself.

We need to talk about it.

Maybe youre too young to remember the good days of TV journalism. The days of Walter Cronkite, Huntley, Brinkley and Edward R. Murrow. Jessica Savitch, Peter Jennings and Harry Reasoner. Judy Woodruff, Tom Brokaw, Ted Koppel and Tim Russert.

Edward R Murrow (1908 - 1965), American journalist and broadcaster of current affairs programs, who contributed to the fall of Sen. Joseph McCarthy. (Photo by Erich Auerbach/Getty Images)Getty Images

The days when Cronkite was thought of as the most trusted man in America.

Today we have the likes of CNNs Chris Cuomo on the left and Fox News Sean Hannity on the right. If I had to bet, Id put money on Staten island voting Chris Cuomo the most distrusted man in America. With his brother not far behind.

But its Foxs Tucker Carlson we need to talk about. Why? Because if I had to bet, Id put money down that Carlson has a pretty good following among Staten Islanders, wholl agree with just about anything he says. His show, Tucker Carlson Tonight, is the second-most-watched cable news show in America.

Prominent and well-respected businesspeople in our community have told me they think Carlsons a reasonable guy. So-called journalists like Tucker Carlson were relegated to newspapers like The Enquirer during the Cronkite years.

Lets take a listen to a reasonable Carlson as he pontificated on face masks this week.

As for forcing children to wear masks outside, that should be illegal, Carlson told his legion of fans. Your response when you see children wearing masks as they play should be no different from your response to seeing someone beat a kid in Walmart. Call the police immediately, contact child protective services. Keep calling until someone arrives. What youre looking at is abuse, its child abuse and you are morally obligated to attempt to prevent it.

Does this sound reasonable to you, neighbors? Child abuse? Id like to say this guy cant be serious. Hes just kidding. But no. In fact, he double downed.

So the next time you see someone in a mask on the sidewalk or on the bike path, do not hesitate. Ask politely but firmly, Would you please take off your mask? Science shows there is no reason for you to be wearing it. Your mask is making me uncomfortable. "

Its mind-boggling. And estimates have 4.33 million people listening to this idiocy every single night. Carlson and his ilk talk about trashing liberties. Thats exactly what hes doing, while advocating that people harass and intimidate.

Walter Cronkite. Carlson isn't in the same league.AP

You think we have a road rage problem on Staten Island? Imagine a scenario where someone walks up to a dad and child  both with masks:

Carlson follower: You are abusing your child, Sir. And youre both making me uncomfortable.

Dad: You wanna feel uncomfortable, you #$&*%# piece of %&*$#@?

Carlson follower, picking himself up from the sidewalk: Hello, 911. I want to report a masked man and child on Forest Avenue. And send an ambulance.

It would be amusing if not potentially deadly. Not just the mask-rage. The pandemic is not over, folks. Its not even in the rear-view mirror, despite declining numbers.

People still get Covid. People are still dying.

The Centers for Disease Control might have loosened its face mask guidelines this week, suggesting vaccinated people can go mask-less outdoors and in small groups, but only 28.5% percent of America is fully vaccinated.

There are wide swaths of Americans that are refusing the vaccine. A Monmouth University poll this week found that 1 in 5 Americans do not want it, and it falls along partisan lines. Forty-three percent of Republicans say theyll refuse, compared to 5% of the Democrats, while 22% of independents wont get vaccinated.

On Staten Island, Donald Trump got 57% of the vote. You do the math.

On just one day this week, Covid took the lives of 64 New Yorkers.

In the Tottenville area (10307), there were seven new cases. The same in Port Richmond (10302). From the Historic Richmond Town area to Grant City (10306), 15 new cases. Annadale to Eltingville (10312), 17 new cases. Rossville to Princes Bay (10309), 12 new cases. In the mid-Island (10314), 24 new cases.

Maybe youre OK with those odds. The governor appears to be. Cuomo has lifted restrictions on restaurants, catered events, and offices. Diners can eat and drink outdoors past midnight on May 17, and indoors on May 31. Offices can increase capacity from 50% to 75% on May 15. And theres movement in the Legislature to override the governors mandate on no booze at bars without food.

So New York is easing back into a semblance of normalcy. And thats just fine. But to suggest we toss caution out the window, and harass people in the process, is simply irresponsible.

Tucker Carlson, and anyone who buys into his nonsense, should be ashamed.

Brian

A countdown signal for pedestrians at Hylan Boulevard and New Dorp Lane, one of the borough's most dangerous intersections. (Staten Island Advance)Staten Island Advance

Oh by the way: Speaking of traffic . . . when Polly Trottenberg was the citys Department of Transportation commissioner, it was suggested to her that all intersection walk/dont-walk signs be made the digital count-down variety so motorists knew how much time before the light turned yellow/red. No way, Polly said, claiming she didnt know drivers used them for that purpose  and if they did, it was only to speed up to beat the red light. Despite all the statistics red-light camera opponents toss out, there are just too many Staten Islanders blowing through red lights. Something needs to be done and if not countdown clocks or red-light cameras, then what? We cant have a cop at every intersection.
Uber Eats was a key driver of earnings after the coronavirus hit the technology companys transport offering hard. Credit:Attila Csaszar She points to Ubers premium tier dubbed Uber Comfort, Ubers rider rating cap which blocks users with bad ratings from using the platform and its delivery option Uber Connect which all originated in Australia. Uber Connect was created in the depths of the coronavirus pandemic and is something Anderson is particularly proud of after the transport side of the companys business dried up overnight and Uber had to quickly diversify beyond its food delivery offerings. Anderson describes the pandemic as extremely difficult for the company but says it has proven Ubers resilience and it is now playing in a much broader space. If you need to go somewhere, if you need to get something, we are working to try and make sure theres solutions that are both for consumers as well as this really growing enterprise space where were seeing a lot of demand and an appetite for us to operate, Anderson says.

The tech giant ditched its more ambitious offerings such as its self driving cars program and its flying taxis through Uber Air which Melbourne was initially touted as a hub for. We did a lot of work over the last 12 months really thinking about where do we focus resources, Anderson says. It is really focusing on mobility, focusing on the delivery aspects to the core capabilities, but actually I think we are innovating as much as we ever have. Loading Ubers most recent financial results show losses of $US6.77 billion ($8.74 billion) for 2020 with the company continuing to lose around $US1 billion a quarter with revenue driven mainly by Uber Eats as its transport business slowly recovers. Now Anderson is taking on her biggest challenge yet getting ready to move to San Francisco as the global head of the tech giants Uber for Business operations.

Uber for Business is a significant arm for Uber and is in growth compared to 2019 with Uber reporting in its February results that its bookings grew roughly 45 per cent for the most recent quarter. Were back growing even over a two year period and partly that is we are seeing that shift in mindset around business yes theres business travel, but also the other business solutions that has really kind of helped drive that growth, Anderson says. From my perspective I think thats really exciting and interesting to see how that plays out. Anderson sees potential for more growth in business customers ordering food through Uber Eats when travelling and corporates packaging Ubers products like insurance companies offering Ubers when cars are being serviced or Sky TV in the UK offering gift cards to tie television programs to food delivery. Oxford educated and with a background as a consultant for Bain, Anderson is described by her peers as super smart. Former Uber colleague Amy Kunrojpanya who is now vice president of communications for Netflix for the Asia Pacific region says Anderson is a prolific organisation builder who is tough but fair.

I think she has the ability to also build a vision that people rally around very easily and immediately, she says. The pursuit of excellence means that you do have to be very clear about what youre looking for, and also clear about when things dont hit the mark. The new role also puts Anderson in Khosrowshahis inner circle and signals a role for her as a potential successor. Its not lost on Kunrojpanya that Uber for Business is an incredibly important part of Ubers portfolio. Susan has the ability to go in whatever direction she wants from here and being given a global portfolio I think is a great vote of confidence in what she can bring, she says. For her part, Anderson is excited about the challenge ahead once she overcomes the logistics of relocating her family in the midst of a pandemic.
The history wars were re-ignited last week when the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority released its draft review of the national education curriculum for public consultation.

Its a complex document, covering every aspect of education from prep upwards, and many of its suggested changes to the current curriculum are uncontentious and unremarkable.

Federal Education Minister Alan Tudge. Credit:Meredith OShea

ACARAs recommendations include that maths classes include more units on financial literacy, that business classes are more about entrepreneurship, that there is more content at all class levels about consent in personal relationships, and that primary school students are taught to have a greater awareness of online security.

ACARA has also recommended reducing the overall curriculum by around 20 per cent in what chief executive David de Carvalho described as the Marie Kondo treatment  so that regardless of how much content is left in the curriculum, it is properly organised, logical in its presentation and sequence, coherent, clear and easily accessible.
Award-winning Australian poet and writer Kate Jennings has been remembered as brilliant, funny and formidable after she died in New York aged 72.

Jennings, who penned essays, novels, short stories, poetry and newspaper columns throughout her career, was among a group of pioneering feminist activists in Sydney who set up Australias first refuge for victims of domestic violence.

Kate Jennings has died aged 72. Credit:Roger Cummins

She rose to prominence in the 1970s, when she spoke at a Vietnam moratorium rally at Sydney University and declared, in part, Youll say Im a man-hating, bra-burning, lesbian member of the castration penis envy brigade. Which I am!

In 2010, Jennings recalled the speech as the first shot from across the bow which caused womens lib meetings to spread like wildfire.
A manhunt is under way for a crew member of a live exports carrier in Townsville who reportedly absconded onto dry land and breached quarantine rules.

According to Nine News, the Pakistani national disembarked on Saturday night after the ship, Polaris 3, docked at the Port of Townsville following a 17-day journey from Huanghua in China.

Queensland Police and Australian Border Force officials are looking for the man who, according to the Townsville Bulletin, is understood to be seeking asylum.

Member for Herbert, Phillip Thompson, said another 11 crew members were also requesting to be granted asylum, and were being taken to a facility by government officials to have their claims assessed.
Morrison is quoted as saying we must never surrender the truth that the experience and value of every human being is unique and personal. I suppose the Biloela familys experience on Christmas Island is also unique and personal but I fail to see how it fits in with Morrisons experience of having a humble heart, not a pious or judgmental one. Petrina Slaytor, Greenwich Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction. Bring them home to Biloela. Ian Harrison, Centennial Park It is pleasing that our PM has now condemned divisive identity politics. Presumably that doesnt include him claiming that energy policy will not be made in the wine bars, coffee shops and dinner parties of the inner city. The PM must think that the average Australian has the memory span of a goldfish. Alan Phillips, Mosman Funny how the loudest voices decrying identity politics appear to come from white, male heterosexuals  powerful men who, Im guessing, have never been bullied or ostracised because of their colour, gender or sexuality. Without identity politics, the mind boggles as to where my standing as a gay man would be today. My thanks and admiration go out to all those gay activists who, decades ago, flaunted their sexuality, at great risk, to ensure the my standing in the community. Max Fischer, Wollongong Perhaps the PMs policy for protecting Creation is left to God rather than governments. That way, he has no obligation to have regard, compassion and responsibility for our rapidly dwindling iconic wildlife and environmental heritage. Sue Arnold, Ocean Shores

Morrison condemns identity politics for pitting Australians against each other. However, he and his Coalition colleagues routinely use greenie and leftie as terms of derision to describe those who seek to safeguard our environment. Surely the government is responsible for ensuring that future generations are entitled to a clean, unpolluted, habitable country. Alan Marel, North Curl Curl Why save our history, anyway? Historian Michelle Arrow (Lets press pause on nations memory loss, May 1-2) highlights the importance for democracy of preserving our film and sound archives. The National Archives are suffering from years of government budget cuts, and the administrators spent more than $1 million trying to block access to the Palace letters. The publics right to know will mean nothing if records have vanished. Diana Wyndham, North Sydney Since when have Australians ever been interested in history? Once school is over, it becomes a dead space. People would rather see a futuristic film with lots of special effects or watch reality TV with its charade of famous people. They are more likely to get a Wikipedia page devoted to them compared to historians. Sorry if you expect governments to spend money to preserve our history; you are a group of tear-crying lefties of no interest to the public and the enemy of a federal government that thinks the less knowledge the electorate has, the better. Just look at how they have made arts subjects more costly under HECS. You are David but historical reality says Goliath always wins. I wish it were otherwise. John Rome, Mt Lawley (WA) The National Archives is an important repository of knowledge for all Australians wanting to understand who we are and how we got here. Given their importance, the price of saving these precious records is a bargain and an investment, not just in the past, but for our future. Philip Cooney, Wentworth Falls

Dont roast the RFS Your correspondents statement (Letters, May 1-2) that the RFS has become an industry that needs to justify itself by making big noticeable fires is both ignorant and offensive. The RFS cannot win  they are heroes during and after major fire incidents and villains when there is smoke in non-fire activity periods. All hazard reduction burns are not RFS burns. The recent burns closest to Mosman were conducted by Fire and Rescue or the National Parks, not by the RFS, who managed burns towards the west and the south. Mechanical clearing is expensive and can be more destructive than low-intensity bushfire hazard reduction. Hand-clearing is time-consuming and demands heavy physical work by firefighters, especially RFS volunteers. Small Indigenous-style slow-burns would be ideal but climate change and the impact of human development in fire-prone areas does not always permit long periods of cool burns. Vivien Clark-Ferraino, Duckmaloi No diplomacy diploma Former UK prime minister Harold Macmillan once said that the life of a foreign affairs minister was forever poised between a cliche and an indiscretion. On our China relationship, the Morrison government has been plagued by indiscretions (Where are our grown-ups ? China loose talk is reckless, May 1-2). Bob Carr comments that diplomacy was invented for managing competing challenges such as our alliance with the US and our productive trade with China. Federal cabinet ministers and government MPs have made statements which have annoyed China, which has responded with damaging tariffs. Sensitive diplomacy would allow us to be resolute about our values as a democracy observing the rule of law without being provocative. As Bob Carr notes, US sales of food and beverage to China have risen despite manifest policy differences. James Moore, Kogarah For once, Im in agreement with Bob Carr. It was Teddy Roosevelt who said, speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far. Australia is unable to do either and has failed another maxim of Roosevelts  allow the adversary to save face in a confrontation. Openly criticising China through a megaphone might play well to Morrisons electoral base but has led to loss of $20 billion in exports.

Rodney Crute, Hunters Hill

Fantastic development Federal Housing Minister Michael Sukkar wants development levies dropped because developers will then reduce their house prices (Feet to fire: Row erupts over house price crisis, May 1-2). What a convenient illusion! Three-quarters of house and unit sales in Australia each year are turnover of existing dwelling stock. These sales essentially set the market price in each area. Additional development has a small downward impact on these prices. Subject to this small impact, developers charge the market price. The view that developers will reduce the price of their housing because charges are lowered, or even dropped, is a fantasy. Peter Abelson, Mosman The empirical chaplain If the Australian federation was founded on Judeo-Christian values, as your correspondent asserts (Letters, May 1-2), then two explanations at least are needed. The federation speedily enacted laws based on white supremacy, namely the White Australia Policy, while no mention was made of prior Indigenous occupancy of the country. Federation was created through the dispossession of the same Indigenous peoples. Which Christian values shaped the supremacist action and the dispossession? Christianity served as a chaplain to white supremacist European empires that, for centuries, dispossessed Indigenous people across four continents. Rev Dr Ray Barraclough,

Currimundi (Qld) Answers, please

Can someone tell me what is going on with government requirements for drawing down from super accounts in the next financial year? Keith Russell, Mayfield West Hear, hear Attagirl, Brittany! (Higgins calls on Morrison to lead sweeping change, May 1-2). Edward Loong, Milsons Point Obituary obsessions Never mind the had a fall/fell over geriatric test; the real tell-tale of ageing is whether youve started scanning the death notice summaries. Tony Hunt, Gordon

Rock and roll Clive Palmer may be guilty of copyright infringement and be forced to pay $1.5m (Palmer has got to take it: $1.5m loss over copyright, May 1-2), but that is a small price to pay in a multimillion-dollar campaign that sank Labors chances of winning the last election. Peter Miniutti, Ashbury Palmer has made millions out of mining rocks for metals. Now hes mined one heavy metal without approval and has been ordered to pay damages for copyright infringement. Ray Peck, Hawthorn (Vic) Diamond in the rough Congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on their 10th anniversary (The seesaw secret to William and Kates carefully balanced marriage, smh.com.au, April 30). I prefer their never explain, never complain approach to the carry-on of his brother and sister-in-law. Lindsay Dent, Campbelltown (SA)
Smoke from hazard reduction burns settled across Sydney and southern NSW on Monday morning ahead of forecast wet weather that could suspend planned burns for some time.

Air quality plummeted to very poor levels in some parts of the city, but by 4pm all suburbs except for St Marys, in western Sydney, were recording good levels.

Smoke and fog over the northern beaches near Terrey Hills on Monday morning following weekend hazard reduction burns. Credit:Nick Moir

NSW Rural Fire Service inspector Ben Shepherd told 2GB on Monday the smoke had come from planned burns around the northern beaches, Campbelltown and the Blue Mountains.

This has been a very good opportunity for us to do these burns, he said. We are looking at some rain midweek so that may see burning postponed there for some time, depending how much we get.
An aged care home for lower-income Sydneysiders could be forced out of Rhodes because the government plans to slice the property in two as part of a major redevelopment of the suburb.

Operators of the not-for-profit Concord Community Village say they will lose out under the state governments draft plans for Rhodes East while Billbergia  the precincts largest property owner  plans to build apartments as high as 25 storeys on some of its nearby properties.

RFBI chief executive Frank Price, left and Concord Community Village board members Jenny Nicholls, Alan Wright and Judy Love. Credit:Rhett Wyman

The predicament for the aged-care home in the inner-west suburb comes after other small property owners raised concerns that they were more disadvantaged by the plans for Rhodes East than Billbergia, one of Sydneys largest developers of waterfront apartments.

Operated by the Royal Freemasons Benevolent Institution (RFBI), the 63-bed aged-care home on Cavell Avenue opened about 23 years ago and is in need of a major upgrade.
World Bank approves $80.5 m additional financing for vaccines View(s):

WASHINGTONThe World Bank on Wednesday approved US$80.5 million additional financing to help Sri Lanka access and distribute fairly COVID-19 vaccines and to strengthen the countrys vaccination system and pandemic response. This additional finance builds on the $217.56 million- Sri Lanka COVID-19 Emergency Response and Pandemic Preparedness Project, which was approved in April 2020.

This new financing will help purchase vaccines to cover approximately 4 million people (18 per cent of Sri Lankas population). In addition, it will cover the costs of deploying safe and effective vaccines to 20 per cent of Sri Lankas population to meet the target of vaccinating at least 60 per cent of its population. This additional financing will help implement the National Vaccine Deployment Plan of the Ministry of Health (MOH), the Bank said in a media statement.

Sri Lanka has demonstrated resilience in the implementation of its test, trace and treat pandemic management strategy, which has relied on its well-established public healthcare system, said Faris. H. Hadad-Zervos, World Bank Country Director for Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka. To recover from the pandemic-induced impacts, Sri Lanka needs sustainable financing mechanisms to further strengthen and equip its healthcare system to protect its population through improved vaccination programmes and curative and preventive healthcare.

The World Bank responded to the COVID-19 outbreak in Sri Lanka by repurposing a large portion of its current portfolio to assist the government in reducing the pandemics effects. Supplying critical personal protective equipment (PPE), medical commodities and PCR tests, providing temporary cash assistance to vulnerable groups, strengthening isolation and quarantine facilities and laboratory capacity, improving mobity support for the community health officials to improve surveillance and contact tracing measures, risk communication measures and mental health services associated with the impact of COVID-19 are some initiatives supported by the World Bank.

In addition to this financing for Sri Lanka, last month, the World Banks Board of Executive Directors approved a total of $688 million for Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Nepal to support their COVID-19 vaccination efforts. In addition to financing, the Bank is providing technical assistance and knowledge-sharing workshops for countries in South Asia on different aspects of designing and deploying fair and equitable vaccine strategies.

The World Bank, one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries, is taking broad, fast action to help developing countries respond to the health, social and economic impacts of COVID-19. This includes $12 billion to help low- and middle-income countries purchase and distribute COVID-19 vaccines, tests, and treatments, and strengthen vaccination systems. The financing builds on the broader World Bank Group COVID-19 response, which is helping more than 100 countries strengthen health systems, support the poorest households, and create supportive conditions to maintain livelihoods and jobs for those hit hardest.
Most people who have received $1000 COVID-19 fines for breaching social distancing rules have not paid or cant afford to pay them, leading to calls for a means-tested system and review of police conduct.

Fewer than a quarter of the 1854 fines police issued in 14 months since they were introduced have been paid in full, figures obtained by the Redfern Legal Centre under freedom of information laws reveal.

Professor Simon Rice is objecting to the fine issued to him. Credit:Kate Geraghty

The figures show NSW Police issued the fines between January 1, 2020, and February 24 this year, including to children. The data reveals 22 per cent of the fines  about $415,000 of the total $1,854,000 owing  had been paid in full.

Of 246 fines reviewed, 206 were upheld, 12 withdrawn and 13 people were cautioned.
The Australian governments ban  with penalties  on travellers returning from India is startling, indeed it is difficult to see it as anything other than an unlawful response to managing the COVID-19 health crisis. No wonder the Human Rights Commission released a statement on Saturday raising deep concerns about these extraordinary new restrictions.

It is difficult to reconcile the concept of being a citizen of a democratic country while being trapped by ones own government, unable to leave Australia (through the absolute ban on people leaving the country) or to return. With these recent measures, two of the very touchstones of a democracy are being trashed at a stroke; measures that no other democratic country has taken.

A priest lights a wooden stick as he prepares to perform the last rites of a patient who died of COVID-19 during a mass cremation in New Delhi, India. Credit:Getty Images

The value of living within a democratic framework was driven home to me during my undergraduate years in the 1980s studying law at the University of Melbourne. I was alive to the plight of Jews applying to leave Russia to take up their right of return to Israel or enter another country with which they had a connection. I read Martin Gilberts 1987 biography of Natan Sharansky, the famous refusenik who finally made it to Israel, and who much later became a member of their Parliament. In that same year I joined a letter-writing campaign to a man called Arkady Lipkin who had applied to leave Russia to join family in Australia. Having applied to leave, the Russian government then dismissed him from his job and otherwise discriminated against him.

Is the Australian government now discriminating against Australian citizens in India in singling them out for this drastic measure? The Commonwealths BioSecurity Act 2015  under which the Health Minister Greg Hunt has made these determinations  has clear limitations on this power. The Act states the Minister must be satisfied of all of the following: that the measure is likely to be effective in achieving the purpose for which it is to be determined and that the measure is appropriate and adapted to achieve the purpose and that the requirement is no more restrictive or intrusive than is required in the circumstances; and that the period during which the requirement is to apply is only as long as is necessary.
The smell of charcoal and roasting lamb wafting from a Hughesdale backyard on Orthodox Easter Sunday marked a return to normality for the Menidis family after last years lockdowns denied them their annual feast.

[Last year] we had a barbecue, just my immediate family and Zoomed my parents who live around the corner and my brother who lives a couple of streets away, said Jorge Menidis.

Jorge Menidis carves the spit-roasted spring lamb that he and his extended family enjoyed on Orthodox Easter Sunday. Credit:Chris Hopkins

It wasnt great. Its a very, very big part of not only our religious but cultural calendar as well. The gathering of people, the gathering of families.

Sunday marked the most important feasting day of Holy Week for an estimated 650,000 Orthodox Christians in Australia, including Greeks, Russians, Macedonians, Romanians and Bulgarians.
The composition of school boards has always fascinated me, and positions on them are often highly sought after.

But unfortunate events at a number of private schools over the past few years has thrown a very public spotlight on a number of boards, their composition and suitability to successfully oversee an education institution.

Dealing with very delicate matters involving child safety and allegations of sexual abuse must be a minefield for any board and there are often many demanding and diverse stakeholders involved in private schools.

A school board needs legal and financial experts. Credit:Michael Clayton-Jones

Boards are essentially responsible for governance, strategic direction and fulfilling an organisations mission. They need a balance of people with a variety of skill sets. Schools are not for profit organisations whose core business is the provision of education. They are answerable to a number of government bodies and a large number of other stakeholders ranging from current parents to local residents.
The parents of a seven-year-old girl who died just hours after arriving at Perth Childrens Hospital have quit their hunger strike after being reassured that they will get some answers on May 12.

Clad in their warmest clothes and with face masks on, Aswath Chavittupara and Prasitha Sasidharan stood outside the hospital from midnight on Friday holding placards in a desperate bid to get some answers about the death of their daughter Aishwarya.

Aishwarya Aswaths parents outside Perth Childrens Hospital. Credit:Olivia Donaldson/Nine News Perth

Aishwarya died at the hospital after a two-hour wait to see a doctor, despite multiple pleas for help from her parents. Her 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.

Child and Adolescent Health Services chief executive, Dr Aresh Anwar, has met with the Morley couple to privately discuss the incident at what I know is a very difficult time.
Loading We struggle, every one of us. McKenzie said: I see people driving around in flash cars, houses, their childrens got a house, Toyotas, and we got nothing. Others had broader concerns. What was there to show for the years of mining revenues? Where were the permanent enhancements to their communities? Why, in particular, was there such secrecy around a trustee company  Rangelea Holdings Pty Ltd  which for years had been the cashbox for receiving and dispensing the mining royalties yet kept its books tightly closed against all outside scrutiny, even from ATLA members?

There was plenty to fuel suspicion. Rumours that there had been a referral to the police were rife. There had been years of complaints to the federal regulator, the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations (ORIC), which had removed all ATLAs 20-plus directors in March 2020 and installed special administrators whose terms had been extended for a second, then third time. Now the community was eager for answers as it gathered on Saturday, April 10, in a large indoor sporting facility at the Central Oval in Port Augusta.

It soon became apparent the administrators Bevan Mailman and Brian Bero, lawyers at Jaramer Legal, had made less progress than many had hoped. The paper trail theyd tried to follow was full of glaring holes. The administrators said some bank records were inaccessible. A forensic accountants report by KordaMentha, promised to be released to them, wasnt ready for circulation. There was no new board ready to install to hand back ATLA to the people, as the community had been promised. The draft resolution which would have broken Rangeleas tight grip on the mining revenues didnt even get put to a vote. The meeting ended in confusion and recriminations. The women were disconsolate. Where did the money go? We could get no answers at all, you know, and its not fair. Weve been waiting for answers for years and years, Ms Brady said later.

Adnyamathanha elder Tiger McKenzie said he had been let down again. How can we as members hold boards to account into the future if we cant get to the bottom of whats gone on? he said. ATLA and whats gone on should be a priority for a royal commission. The outcome of the meeting was a blow to ORIC as well. The regulator had mounted the high-profile intervention into ATLA in the hope of sending  as one insider familiar with the issues put it  shockwaves through the entire native title system nationally so that everyone else pays attention. Adnyamathanha elder Tiger McKenzie wants a royal commission to fix the mess. Credit:Tom Hancock ORICs role is to oversee the operations of some 3300 Indigenous organisations, which vary enormously in size and complexity. The top 500 had around $2 billion in annual revenue, according to the most recent estimates. Where native title interests intersect with mining interests, big money is at stake.

But with a staff of only 40 or so and a budget of $8 million  and few powers including an inability to issue fines for breaches of governance  ORIC is woefully under-resourced for its task, particularly when faced with the byzantine financial structures which lawyers, accountants and other advisers have erected around the scaffolding of native title. Selwyn Button is head of Indigenous regulator ORIC. Credit:Louise Kennerley In ATLAs case, for instance, the special administrators found they were grappling with at least 13 associated entities, some with overlapping sets of directors. ORIC chief Selwyn Button said when we had conversations with directors, they couldnt articulate how things were connected. They couldnt give us a clear understanding of where the revenue streams are flowing to each entity and why the revenue streams are flowing into different entities  [or] how ATLA interfaced with all those entities. In many instances across the country, professionals were doing better out of native title than the traditional owners themselves, Button charged, because of the complexity of native title structures.

After the unhappy experience of the April 10 meeting, Button placed a second administration team inside ATLA, which is now due to report at the end of June. An advisory committee has also been appointed, which ORIC hopes will become the nucleus of a new ATLA board. The task ahead remains daunting. Button said we havent found any wrongdoing[but] when we looked at the books, there was a lack of paperwork and a lack of a paper trail and a [lack of] transparency of decisions he said. There was limited information that would give us confidence  that ATLA was actually acting in the interests of its members. Investigators had also uncovered an intricate network of related entities and interests within the ATLA corporate structure, but it had been difficult to decipher from the limited paper trail why some of these entities were created or even how they came to be. Of these structures, Rangelea Holdings has been the hardest to penetrate.

Loading Even though its eight directors are Adnyamathanha  representing the eight original native title claimants  it has been set up as a private trustee company, meaning its financial records are beyond the reach and scrutiny of ORIC. Repeated demands from wider Adnyamathanha community members to see the books have fallen on deaf ears. The regulator may now be forced into court action to crack it open. Accountant and Adnyamathanha woman Sally Clark, who has campaigned for years to reform ATLA and is a member of the freshly appointed advisory committee, believes up to $40 million in mining revenues has passed through Rangelea since Heathgate began paying uranium royalties not long after the first mine opened in 2001. She fears tens of millions may have been squandered and nobody has been made accountable.

Button confirmed: we do know that its in the tens of millions of dollars thats gone through Rangelea. What we have seen so far is that there is very limited oversight of the activities of Rangelea over a long period of time. Adnyamathanha sources have described a system under which each of Rangeleas directors distribute royalty cheques twice yearly to their own agreed sub-groups, which range in size from 70 to more than 1000 people. Beyond that, little is known. Rangeleas legal firm, Townsends Solicitors in Adelaide, disputed the $40 million estimate but failed to supply an alternative figure. Contacted again on Friday, the firm said it had received no authority from directors to release further information. Mining company Heathgate also refused to comment, saying the amount paid is contractually confidential. One persistent charge levied by those who want ATLA radically reformed is that its fallen under the influence of a boys club centred on long-time former chair and CEO Vince Coulthard and his brother Terrence. Vince Coulthard has a high profile in South Australia, and has been feted by senior politicians at state and federal level. In 2015, the state government named him the Local Hero of the Year.

Vince Coulthard, former chair of the Adnyamathanha Traditional Lands Association (ATLA), says the regulator is racist. Credit:Lincoln Rothall He directs a radio station, is involved in tourism ventures and runs a consultancy business. Coulthard is also a director of Rangelea and raised eyebrows when he turned up at the April 10 meeting with a barrister, intent on blocking planned attempts to replace Rangelea as trustee. The administrators insisted the barrister leave. The administrators said there was evidence that some payments from ATLA entities to directors and other individuals have largely flowed to certain family groups. Excerpts from the KordaMentha forensic report seen by this masthead and 7.30, examining just seven Westpac bank accounts operated by ATLA and its charity arm, Cramond, between late 2012 and last year, revealed $1.3 million had been paid to unknown parties while a total of $1 million had been paid to directors and related parties.

Loading Of that $1 million, the report identified about $700,000 that had gone to the Coulthard family and its related entities  significantly more than several other family groups who were identified in the report. But Coulthard vigorously denies wrongdoing, saying you know they [Coulthards] are not necessarily connected. Its a name. He denied investigators findings of financial reports not filed, papers missing and transactions for which no record of a decision-making process exists. He insists any complaints about him and his family are fuelled by tall poppy syndrome and ATLA has been a very successful, transparent and well-run organisation which has delivered for its community.

Coulthard and his supporters have since stepped up a counterattack against ORIC accusing it of being racist and demanding there be a royal commission into the regulator itself. Theres a lot of mud slung at ATLA because people  [are] listening to dissident dissatisfied little people and I think thats wrong, Coulthard said, adding he had been unfairly demonised throughout the whole process. ORICs hopes for reform of the sector hang on the government response to a review of the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act, from which the regulator derives its powers. The recommendations highlight the need for increased transparency to improve Indigenous governance, particularly when it comes to the use of trusts. It also recommends expanded powers for ORIC  something Button welcomes. He believes native title should become more skewed towards establishing future funds, and investments to produce ongoing revenue streams.
I think part of the public is frankly ahead of where the public debate is because theres just so much information available online. People see the reported comments of the ambassador and the vice ambassador here, as well as the spokesman out of Beijing. He said he wanted to have a more frank discussion with the public about Chinas intentions. However, former Labor prime minister Kevin Rudd said the public language of Morrison, Dutton and Pezzullo on China, Taiwan and the possibility of war in the last week serves zero national security purpose. Australia already has a highly problematic relationship with China, Mr Rudd said. Much of this is because of changes in Chinese policy and posture under a much more assertive Xi Jinping. But it is also because Morrison et al are addicted to the drug of standing up to China every day of the week because of its perceived domestic political utility.

Loading Mr Dutton said he would not rule out naming the countries behind cyber attacks if the government was certain and doing so didnt reveal any previously secret capabilities of the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD). Where its in our interests to call out  whether its Russia or China or North Korea or somebody else  we will call them out, he said. Theres a lot of capacity that Australia has in the cyber space that clearly we wouldnt talk publicly about, but gives us a very significant edge over many adversaries, even sophisticated adversaries. He said the ASD was quite remarkable and world-leading but theres more that we need to do. Australian military planners have been increasingly concerned about the threat of grey zone warfare, which refers to aggressions that fall somewhere between what we traditionally view as war and peace. It includes cyber attacks, disinformation campaigns, intellectual property theft and propaganda.

A state actor, believed to be China, was last year behind a series of cyber raids on all levels of government, industry and critical infrastructure including hospitals, local councils and state-owned utilities. Asked what the country needed to do to defend against grey zone warfare, Mr Dutton said Australians needed to understand that were already under attack on the cyber front. Under attack by state actors, under attack from very sophisticated criminal syndicates based in the Middle East, based in Asia and based in Europe, he said. So thats the reality and its not seen and theres no casualties on the battlefield but there are companies and victims every day. Australia has begun the process of acquiring long-range missiles to protect overseas forces, allies and the mainland, include fitting out Australias naval fleet with advanced guided long-range weapons to defend against maritime threats and potentially buying a range of hypersonic missiles. Mr Dutton said the Australian governments first priority was continued peace in our region, but warned the country needed to have influence in the region to that end.

Loading Is the Australian Defence Force prepared for an action  whether its tomorrow, or in 10 years, or three decades time? Yes, I believe they are, he said. The focus has clearly been in Afghanistan for the last 20 years, but Defence has been very focused on our region and preparation in our region for a number of years, and that will continue. There are many approaches to Australia from the north and the west and clearly from the east obviously as well. So we need to make sure we are in a position to defend those waters, we need to make sure that were in a position to deal with criminal actors who are sophisticated using major naval assets in our waters so protection for our borders and our waters ot the north and west remains a clear priority. Labors defence spokesman Brendan OConnor said Mr Pezzullos comments last week were not particularly helpful. If indeed there is a need to say such things  then they should have been said by a minister, he told the ABCs Insiders program on Sunday.
As the dust settles on proposed changes to the national curriculum, gears must shift from debating the political to a focus on advancing educational practice.

Public consultation opened last week on the long-awaited Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) draft review of the national curriculum  just its second since the authority was launched over a decade ago.

The national curriculum must embrace evidence-based practice. Credit:Simon Schluter

Much ink has already been spilled, with heated reactions to its surprisingly radical proposed changes. Detractors have taken aim at a perceived snubbing of elements of Western civilisation, some (arguably) provocative language concerning Australian history, and an elevation of sensitive content to the national remit.

Federal Education Minister Alan Tudge has sounded disapproval while state and territory ministers  who also must sign off on the proposal  are believed to share misgivings. ACARA itself has been divided over key changes, with its board reportedly rejecting preliminary drafts. The controversy has even resulted in calls for ACARA to be disbanded.
Theyre in four in five Victorian schools and they have a critical job: to help students catch up from almost two terms of remote learning during COVID.

They are tutors, about 5700 of them across the state. Education Minister James Merlino says small-group tutoring is the most critical thing the government is doing in schools this year.

Meadowglen Primary School learning specialists Jenny Devlin and Caroline Gorrell will help students catch up from COVID shutdowns. Credit:Justin McManus

More than 1800 Victorian schools  all government and just under 250 private schools  have employed tutors this year. Some have dipped into their equity funding to pay for them.

We estimated some 200,000 students needed catch-up support. The Tutor Learning Initiative is our response, Mr Merlino told The Age Schools Summit on Tuesday.
A precursor of sorts View(s):

My dear Harin,

I thought I must write to you this week even though you are in hospital, recovering from a sudden illness while there is a lot of speculation that moves are afoot to detain you. I thought it will be much easier to write to you while you are in hospital, rather than writing to you if you are in remand!

It is not surprising that you are being treated this way. Over the past few years, you demonstrated that you are one of the rising stars  and one of the few left  in what was then the Green party. Sadly, the Greens are a write-off these days, but you had the good sense to switch sides to the telephone party.

Your skills were first noticed, not when you first entered Parliament as a young man of just over 30 years of age, but when you resigned your seat to run for Chief Minister of the Uva Province. It was a bold move because your party was in the opposition and Uva was not your home turf.

Moreover, you were taking on a member of the R clan who was Mahinda maamas nephew. I dont know whether you expected to win that race, but you didnt. You came a close second. However, that election signalled to everyone that Mahinda maama and the Blue party were not invincible.

The rest, as they say, is history. Cheerio Sirisena ousted Mahinda maama a few months later. When you returned to Parliament winning the most number of preferences from Badulla, the Green Man recognised your contribution, rewarding you with the only Cabinet post for those of your generation.

As we all now know with the benefit of hindsight, yahapalanaya wasnt what it was meant to be. The differences between Cheerio Sirisena and the Green Man led to both of them squandering a historical opportunity to abolish the Presidency, eliminate corruption and get rid of crooks and thugs.

Cheerio Sirisena sacked the Green Man and re-instated his nemesis Mahinda maama. That was followed by the Easter attacks, and by the time yahapalanaya ended, the Green party was in ruins with young Sajith breaking away and forming his own telephone party.

Your next moment of fame came during the Easter attacks when you told the media  while the attacks were still going on  that your late father had advised you against going to church that Sunday. Although that got you lots of publicity, it also raised many questions about who knew what and when.

In a sense, that let the proverbial cat out of the bag suggesting that there was some information about the Easter attacks available beforehand but that it was not circulated widely enough. It also raised the possibility that, had that been done, the attacks could have been prevented and many lives saved.

The Green party and the yahapalanaya had to pay the price. Gota maama cashed in, declaring soon after the attacks that he was offering himself as the candidate so he could save Paradise from terrorism  for a second time.

Much has happened since then. Cheerio Sirisena has decamped and is back with Mahinda maama, at least on paper. The Commission he himself appointed has said he should be charged for negligence. The Cardinal is also breathing down the neck of the powers that be, asking that justice be done.

It is into this controversy that you decide to wade in, Harin. You made some startling revelations in Parliament, suggesting that more people knew about the Easter attacks than previously thought. You seem to be also hinting that the attacks were designed by someone with a specific objective in mind.

Then there was the time when you talked about Nandasena. Gota maama wasnt very pleased with that. While you are saying all this, however, we wonder why your telephone chaps are not speaking with a single voice and raising more concerns about how the Covid-19 crisis is being dealt with.

There is Sajith, saying that whatever said and done it was Cheerio Sirisena who gave him the chance to get work done when he was a minister. On the other hand, the Field Marshall is lambasting Sirisena for his claims that he was not informed of intelligence reports on the Easter attack beforehand.

The more worrying question is why the telephone chaps are happy enough to engage in watchful expectation and masterly inactivity while the powers that be are busy mismanaging the pandemic, detaining parliamentarians and anyone else who raises their voice, and selling ports to the Chinese.

The telephone chaps think the pohottuwa fellows will mess things up so much that the people will be so fed up with them by the time of the next big elections, that they can come to power easily. Voters thought so six years ago and ended in a bigger mess. I dont think they will do so again, Harin.

Yours truly,

Punchi Putha

PS: We heard an undertaking being given that you wont be arrested at least until July. We also heard you asking for permission for Ranjan to attend Parliament while in prison. If you do join Ranjan and Rishard and this trend continues, the telephone chaps can soon have their meetings in prison!
At least 11 states and union territories have imposed some form of restrictions to try and stem infections, but Prime Minister Narendra Modis government is reluctant to impose a national lockdown, concerned about the economic impact. In my opinion, only a national stay at home order and declaring medical emergency will help to address the current healthcare needs, Bhramar Mukherjee, an epidemiologist with the University of Michigan said on Twitter. A COVID-19 patient rests on a bed at a makeshift hospital in Delhi. Credit:AP The # of active cases is accumulating, not just the daily new cases. Even the reported numbers state there are around 3.5 million active cases. The spike in infections is Indias biggest crisis since Modi took office in 2014. Modi has been criticised for not taking steps earlier to curb the spread and for letting millions of largely unmasked people attend religious festivals and crowded political rallies in five states during March and April.

A forum of scientific advisers set up by the government warned Indian officials in early March of a new and more contagious variant of the coronavirus taking hold in the country, five scientists who are part of the forum told Reuters. Despite the warning, four of the scientists said the federal government did not seek to impose major restrictions to stop the spread of the virus. It remains to be seen how his handling of the crisis might affect Modi or his party politically. The next general election is due in 2024. Modis party was defeated in Indias West Bengal state in results declared on Sunday, although it won in the neighbouring state of Assam. Leaders of 13 opposition parties on Sunday signed a letter urging Modi to immediately launch free national vaccination and to prioritise oxygen supply to hospitals and health centres.

Several states have postponed widening a vaccination drive for adults that was to start on Saturday due to a lack of vaccines. The national health ministry says states have 10 million vaccines stockpiled and 2 million more coming in the next three days. Despite being the worlds biggest producer of vaccines, India does not have enough for itself - undermining a plan to ramp up and widen inoculation from Saturday. Only about 9 per cent of its 1.4 billion people have had a dose. India has struggled to increase capacity beyond 80 million doses a month due to lack of raw materials and a fire at the Serum Institute, which makes the AstraZeneca vaccine. Pfizer is in discussions with the Indian government seeking an expedited approval pathway for its COVID-19 vaccine, its chief executive Albert Bourla said on Monday, announcing a donation of medicines worth more than $US70 million. Unfortunately, our vaccine is not registered in India although our application was submitted months ago, he said. We are currently discussing with the Indian government an expedited approval pathway to make our Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine available for use in the country.

The current devastating second wave has also led to a shortfall in medical staff. Kotak also said healthcare workers may not be able to tackle the influx of patients, given the escalating caseloads, and they need reinforcing. International aid has been pouring into India. Britain will send another 1000 ventilators to India, the government said on Sunday. Prime ministers Boris Johnson and Modi are scheduled to talk on Tuesday. The Indian COVID-19 variant has now reached at least 17 countries including Britain, Switzerland and Iran, leading several governments to close their borders to people travelling from India. The Indian Express newspaper reported on Sunday that the countrys COVID-19 taskforce has advised the federal government to impose a national lockdown.

The eastern state of Odisha and northern industrial state Haryana became the latest to announce new lockdowns on Sunday, joining Delhi, Maharashtra, Karnataka and West Bengal. Other states, including Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Assam, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan have either imposed night curfews or weekend lockdowns. Modi suffered a resounding defeat in a key state election on Sunday, indicating his Hindu nationalist partys political strength may be slipping amid the pandemic. Modis Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was unable to dislodge West Bengal states firebrand chief minister, Mamata Banerjee, after a hard-fought campaign. His party also failed to win in two southern states, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. But the BJP secured a second term in the north-eastern state of Assam and an alliance with regional parties led it to victory in the union territory of Puducherry.
The idea was simple: Why throw away used rapid antigen test kits for the coronavirus when they could be used again and again?

All it took was washing the cotton swabs used to take nasal samples, repackaging them as if they were new and reusing them on other people.

A man reacts as a medical worker collects his nasal swab samples during a test for coronavirus at North Sumatra University Hospital in Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia. Credit:AP

The fraud unravelled this week when five laboratory workers were arrested in the Indonesian city of Medan and accused of reusing nasal swabs in administering as many as 20,000 tests. They face up to six years in prison for violating consumer protection, medical waste and contagious disease laws.

Authorities said they were investigating whether any people were infected with the coronavirus as a result of the contaminated tests given at an airport testing site operated by Kimia Farma, a giant state-owned company.
In New Delhi, people are waiting for hours at crematoriums to perform funeral rites for their loved ones. Dozens of pyres are being packed closely together in scenes that are without precedent. Every day people are dying outside hospitals, unable to access care. Anthony Fauci, the Biden administrations chief medical adviser, urged India to explore ways its military could help alleviate the calamity, saying the situation is like a war in an interview with the Indian Express newspaper. He also strongly advised India to implement a nationwide shutdown. No one likes to lock down the country, he said. But a temporary lockdown could have a significant impact on the dynamics of the outbreak. India had announced that it would open its vaccination program to all adults over the age of 18 starting Saturday, but in many parts of the country there were not enough doses available to expand the program. Several state governments said they did not know when they would obtain the necessary supplies. The oxygen shortages and the chaotic rollout of the latest phase of the vaccine drive are adding to a deepening sense of crisis. Epidemiologists have said that the number of daily cases in India could reach 500,000 within weeks.

India has reported more than 300,000 new cases each of the past 10 days, bringing its total number of infections in the pandemic to 19 million. More than 3500 people died in the most recent 24-hour period, according to data from the Health Ministry on Saturday. The figure is an undercount, experts say. Recent reports from crematoriums and cemeteries in different cities and states indicate that a significant number of COVID-19 deaths are missing from official statistics. Several hard-hit areas of the country - including Delhi and the state of Maharashtra  have already announced lockdowns. On Saturday, the Delhi government said it would extend its shutdown for a third week. In a nationwide address on April 20, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that such measures were a last option that should be avoided. On Friday, Modi met with his cabinet of ministers, which released a statement saying that the situation was a once in a century crisis. The cabinet reviewed measures to ramp up hospital beds, oxygen supply and stocks of essential medicines. Two military transport planes carrying oxygen cylinders, rapid diagnostic tests and medical-grade masks from the United States arrived in Delhi on Friday. More aid is on its way, both governments said.

In a sign of the desperation in Indias capital, a lawyer named Amit Sharma submitted a petition to the Delhi High Court pleading for help finding a bed in an intensive care unit for his severely ill brother-in-law. In the middle of the hearing on Friday, Sharma told the judges that his brother-in-law had died and no more efforts would be required. I have completely failed, Sharma said, according to media reports. Loading No, the state has failed, one of the judges replied, after a moment of stunned silence. We all have failed. Volunteers are attempting to do what they can. Srinivas BV, president of the youth wing of the opposition Congress party, is leading an effort to answer distress calls on social media and the messaging platform WhatsApp. A couple of weeks ago, his group was still managing to help patients get beds in government hospitals. Now that, too, is proving nearly impossible.

People are dying not because of [the virus] but because theyre not getting basic treatment in time, he said. One of them was Raja Ram Tiwari, a 64-year old retiree who used to work for Indias state broadcaster. His condition worsened on April 25. His son Shantanu spent hours the next day running around the city trying to secure an oxygen cylinder on the black market, where he was told it would cost $US800 or more. Loading That evening, after calling dozens of hospitals, the family found a facility willing to admit Tiwari in a neighbouring state, 100 kilometres away. Shantanu withdrew his fathers life savings to pay for the treatment and took his mothers gold jewellery to sell in case more was needed. He got his father into a taxi but five minutes into the ride Tiwari started to have trouble breathing. They went directly to the nearest hospital. It was too late: Doctors came outside to see Tiwari and told Shantanu his father was dead.
Seoul: North Korea has lashed out at the United States and its allies in South Korea in a series of statements saying recent comments from Washington are proof of a hostile policy that requires a corresponding response from Pyongyang.

The statements were carried on state news agency KCNA on Sunday after the White House said on Friday US officials had completed a months-long review of North Korean policy. They underscore the challenges US President Joe Biden faces as he seeks to distance his approach from the failures of his predecessors.

A banner attached to a balloon with images of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, the late leader Kim Il-sung, and Kim Yo-jong, released by Fighters For Free North Korea in Hongcheon, South Korea, in 2020. The North has repeatedly warned it would retaliate against leaflets and other information being distributed over the border. Credit:AP

In one statement, a Foreign Ministry spokesman accused Washington of insulting the dignity of the countrys supreme leadership by criticising North Koreas human rights situation.

The human rights criticism was a provocation that showed the US was girding itself up for an all-out showdown with North Korea, and would be answered accordingly, the unnamed spokesman said.
London: Britains royal family has released a photograph of a smiling Princess Charlotte, one of the Queens great-grandchildren, the day before the princess celebrates her sixth birthday.

Princess Charlotte, in a picture taken by her mother, Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge. Credit:AP

Charlotte is fourth in line to the British throne and is the only daughter of Prince William, the Queens grandson, and his wife Kate, Duchess of Cambridge.

In the picture Charlotte is shown wearing a blue dress with a pink floral pattern and pink buttons, and she stands with her arms stretched out and her hair falling over her shoulders, smiling at the camera.

The photograph was taken by Kate earlier on Saturday in Norfolk, eastern England, where the family currently live.
PHILIPSBURG:--- In April 2021, discussions were opened by the Minister of Justice, Ms. Anna E. Richardson with community council representatives regarding the safety and security of community residents. These discussions were held to identify issues that are being experienced in the neighborhoods and to find ways in which they can be addressed.

Minister Richardson has expressed the commitment and service of the Ministry of Justice in supporting the communities in combatting issues being faced.

Based on the reports of the community council representatives of the various districts, Minister Richardson was able to gain a better understanding of the different issues, frustrations, and grievances that were expressed. The discussions made it clear that it will require the efforts of all agencies which fall under the Ministry of Justice to tackle the diverse issues. As structured, the wide range of issues and crime-related activities that occurs in and around neighborhoods are all classified by jurisdiction, which is what makes it essential for residents to know which authorities should be contacted for specific responsibilities.

Minister Richardson proposed the implementation of an awareness campaign as a way to properly inform and educate residents on how to address any issues faced and how they too can contribute to a safer community. Community safety cannot be achieved by an independent effort by its residents nor by the authorities. We must begin to work together, not as separate communities but as one; including the support of the Ministry of Justice. Together we can accomplish our common goal: a safer and more secure community.

We urge all residents of our communities to report any crime related activities to the respective authorities. And we ask your assistance in raising awareness throughout the communities by sharing this flyer. Listed are the 24/7 hotlines for the various agencies along with their responsibilities. A SAFER COMMUNITY, TOGETHER!

Steps to a safer community:

- Keep close contact with your community council

- Report crimes to the right authorities

- Raise community awareness

- Familiarize yourself with your neighbors

- Join neighborhood watch

- Notify neighbors of any suspicious activities

- Know and contact your Community Police Officer (CPO).
PHILIPSBURG:--- Well-known sportsman and volleyball player Ivano Richardson lost his life today Saturday after being involved in a fatal accident. The young mans death has left many persons on the French side of the island in a state of shock. The victim is also an employee of EDF St. Martin.

Police Spokesman Joe Josepha said in a press release that the accident occurred around 01:00 on Saturday, May 1st, 2021 on Airport Road.

Police are investigating an accident that left one person dead. The accident occurred on Airport Road around 1:00 am Saturday, May 1.

From the preliminary investigation, it appears that the driver of a dark blue Volkswagen Jetta with license plate 9291AAC was driving towards the Causeway roundabout and for some unknown reason lost control of his vehicle. He hit the guardrail on the opposite side of the road and landed upside down in Simpson Bay lagoon.

With the assistance of several members of the public, the driver and passenger were freed from the vehicle.

The passenger suffered only minor injuries and was treated at the scene by ambulance personnel and later transported to SMMC for observation.

The drive with initials I.R. suffered severe chest injuries and was rushed to the SMMC in critical condition. Police later learned the driver had passed away from his injuries. This investigation is still ongoing.

The Sint Maarten Police Force expresses condolences to the family and friends of the deceased.
~Islandpreneur Live 2021 focuses on smart, digital, & global strategies for island-based entrepreneurs~

PHILIPSBURG:--- On June 3-4, 2021, the Produce Wealth Revolution (PWR) Agency will be hosting its signature annual virtual summit: Islandpreneur Live 2021. This event launched in 2020 with over 650 registrants from more than 35 countries around the world in response to the global pandemic to connect island-based entrepreneurs, stakeholders, and allies. Designed to inspire greatness in island-based entrepreneurs and equip them with tools for global entrepreneurial success, Islandpreneur Live is the largest event to support islandpreneurship hosted on St. Maarten.

This year Islandpreneur Live focuses on equipping island-based entrepreneurs to build smart, digital, and global businesses as a means to build economic resilience. Entrepreneurs and experts will provide actionable insights on topics such as design thinking, export, innovation, global strategy, tourism, and digital transformation.

In addition, Islandpreneur Live serves to help raise funds for two (2) important causes: a) disaster relief efforts for the people of St.Vincent and the Grenadines due to effects of the volcanic eruptions and b) launch of a regional virtual accelerator focused on e-commerce.

As someone who has been displaced twice due to the effects of natural disasters, most recently that of hurricane Irma, and having key relationships with persons from St. Vincent & Grenadines, we have an opportunity and a duty to better support our brothers and sisters in the region. Our company is impact-focused and that includes helping those in need in a tangible way, especially when they are affected by natural disasters. Also, as we continue to advocate for digital entrepreneurship as a means of building resilient island economies, launching an accelerator that takes the islandpreneur from idea to revenue-generating online business in 15 weeks is critical to our survival in these uncertain times. Ife Badejo, founder of the PWR Agency and executive producer of Islandpreneur Live.

This year more than 15 experts from the island and around the world are featured. Some of these speakers at include Megan Conyers (USA), international business growth and strategy executive focused on growing international trade through education and advocacy; Daniella Genas (JA/UK), an Award-winning entrepreneur originally from Jamaica who works with entrepreneurs to build profitable businesses by streamlining business processes, and business partners Raymond Hannes and Paul Kunnemans (NL/CUR) entrepreneurial leaders with experience in entrepreneurial education, content creation, and venture capitalism.

Two unique elements that have been included this year is a live recording of the Islandpreneur Podcast with a surprise international guest, who is one of the worlds leading youtuber and the Islandpreneur Awards & Roundtable which recognizes five (5) persons for their work and commitment to growing and supporting island-based entrepreneurship.

Hosted at TelEm N.V., the official telecommunications provider, Islandpreneur Live 2021 promises to be a memorable experience with virtual networking, celebratory toast, and live masterclasses with Q&A. To get the full experience, the public is encouraged to get their access passes which are now available. In commemoration of Small Business Week (May 2-8), attendees can benefit from 21% savings on either pass all this week with coupon code: SBW21.

To find out more about Islandpreneur Live 2021 visit https://islandpreneur-live-21.heysummit.com/. For more information about PWR Agency and inquiries, visit www.experiencepwr.com, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , or whatsapp +1-721-524- 8484.
PHILIPSBURG:--- As part of giving back to communities during a disaster period, the board of the Sint Maarten Lions Club unanimously approved to send US$ 2,000 to assist the people of St. Vincent as they deal with the effects of the La Soufriere Volcano eruption.

The Sint Maarten Lions Club has partnered with the St Vincent South Lions Club who will handle the purchase of goods for persons or families on St Vincent. Both clubs are part of Lions Club International and fall under District 60B. District 60Bs District Governor Lion Maureen Graham PMJF is based in Barbados. Barbados and other neighboring islands were also affected by the ash fall from the volcano over the last few weeks.

This US$2,000 is to assist persons on the island mainly in shelters who were displaced by the violent eruption of the La Soufriere Volcano on St. Vincent which started in early April 2021. The donation helps families immediately who need daily supplies, basic toiletries, food, water, and sanitary items.

President of the Sint Maarten Lions Club Alphons Gumbs stated: Every year our club puts monies on our budget for our disaster fund. Last year was a tough year and we could not hold our biggest fundraiser, the Lion Wally Havertong Christmas Bingo in December due to Covid restrictions. We are still very happy that this being our 50th Year Anniversary, the people of St. Maarten/St. Martin helped to make the recently held Easter Car Raffle a great success and some of these monies could immediately be used to assist the people of St. Vincent during this unfortunate disaster period. Thanks again to our St. Maarten community for giving back.

The US$ 2,000 is just the initial assistance that the Sint Maarten Lions Club will be giving to the people of St. Vincent. The club has already reached out to other clubs and NGOs to partner with them to send goods and supplies to St. Vincent in the near future.

Persons or businesses that would like to assist the people of St. Vincent can donate to the Sint Maarten Lions Club via Windward Islands Bank US$ account # 62710104 or NAF account # 62710106. Persons can also donate via their credit card by using the following secure link: https://sxmlionsclub.org/makeadonation
BASL will resist any attempt to withdraw criminal actions based on PCOI report View(s):

One of the first steps that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa took after he took office in November 2019, was to appoint a Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCOI) to inquire into acts of political victimisation committed during the tenure of the Yahapalana Government.

Retired Supreme Court Judge Upali Abeyratne, was appointed to head the Commission, which submitted its report after one year to the President. The Commissions report has thereafter been presented to the Cabinet, which in turn has approved the implementation of the recommendations in the report.

According to news reports the PCOI has made recommendations in respect of 78 complaints. Subsequently a resolution has been presented to Parliament by the Prime Minister to give effect to the Cabinet decision.

Many of the allegations in respect of which political victimisation have been made are before the Courts while some cases have already been concluded. All these cases have been filed after intensive investigations and examination of the evidence by the Attorney Generals Department.

Where such cases have been concluded they have gone through the judicial process in the country. Any reversal of these decisions except through judicial proceedings will result in an erosion of confidence in the administration of justice and the Attorney Generals Department.

Indeed if any injustice has been caused to anyone the Sri Lankan judicial process has enough provision to address such issues.

Justice C. V. Wigneswaran has given a fitting answer to those who seek to invoke the mechanism of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry in respect of political victimisation.

Speaking in Parliament in the debate on the PCOI Report the former Supreme Court Judge said: But if individuals or their attorneys-at-law felt that evidence had been manufactured against them or that they have been politically victimised they have numerous avenues open to them to vindicate their rights through the judiciary.

First, a person can raise the objections in the criminal case itself. They can invoke the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court in terms of Article 126 of the Constitution for the violation of their fundamental rights. They can invoke the writ jurisdiction of the Court of appeal in terms of Article 140. They can institute proceedings for malicious prosecution and seek damages. The powers of the Judiciary are so wide that injustice can be prevented and damages awarded. The Executive and the Legislature simply have no role to play at the individual level. Individuals must seek the assistance of the Judiciary.

The Governments unprecedented move whereby the Legislature seeks to set aside or frustrate the process of judicial action by adopting a resolution of Parliament is unheard of in any democracy.

Not surprisingly the Governments moves have raised alarm bells among the legal fraternity as well as human rights activists. Eleven Presidents Counsels including the immediate past Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) President Kalinga Indatissa and current President Saliya Pieris have expressed serious concern that the contents of the report of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into Political Victimisation may undermine the rule of law in this country, impair independence of the judiciary and erode impartial and efficient functioning of the Attorney Generals Department.

In a letter to the BASL Secretary in early March 2021, they have urged the BASL Secretary to obtain from the Presidents Secretary, a certified copy of the entirety of the proceedings of the Commission along with the report submitted by it and make it available for their perusal and by any other members of the BASL who may be similarly concerned.

The letter has been signed by President Counsels, K. Kanag-Isvaran, Ikram Mohamed, Faisz Musthapha, Upali A. Gooneratne, Geoffrey Alagaratnam, Romesh De Silva, Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, U. R. De Silva, Nihal Jayamanne, Upul Jayasuriya and Saliya Peiris.

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka in a statement issued on April 17, 2021 has said neither has a copy of the PCOI report been made public nor a copy given to the BASL despite a request for it. The statement goes on to express the concern of the Executive Committee with regard to the manner and timing in which the motion has been placed on the order paper of Parliament and the fact that steps are being taken to implement certain findings and recommendations in the report without the report itself being released to the people.

The BASL statement also points out that the motion, if passed by Parliament, would be inimical to the doctrine of separation of powers and an affront to the rule of law, the independence of the Judiciary and would set a bad and unhealthy precedent with regard to due process.

The BASL is also of the view that even if the motion is passed by Parliament it will have no effect on the Courts, the Attorney Generals Department or the Commission to investigate allegations of bribery and corruption.

In its statement the BASL also warns that it will firmly resist any attempt to use the said motion to withdraw any criminal action pending before any Court of Law and urges the Prime Minister to refrain from pursuing with the motion.

With reports that the Attorney General too is not amenable to withdrawing criminal actions that he himself has filed, the Government may not have its way in pursuing a course of action that no democracy worth its salt will even contemplate pursuing. (javidyusuf@gmail.com)
Andrew S. Hughes

South Bend Tribune

If things had gone according to plan, the South Bend Symphony Orchestra would be on the cusp of completing its three-season cycle of Beethovens nine symphonies.

Instead, pandemic hit in March 2020 and shut down live performance for more than a year.

Now, the SBSO is preparing to resume the cycle two-thirds of the way through with Saturdays concert-finale performance of Symphony No. 8 in F major. The Fifth follows two weeks later, while the Ninth will have to wait until the 2022-23 season.

And just as this fast-paced, every-other-week concert season represents a new beginning for the orchestra, the Eighth brings SBSO Music Director Alastair Willis back to one of his beginnings: Its the first Beethoven symphony he ever conducted, in 1992, when he was at university in England.

For a start, its so cheerful and happy, Willis says, and this was at a time of his life when his life was anything but.

The symphony comes straight out of the gate with joy and energy, he says, and rarely lets up  there isnt a slow movement, which was unprecedented at the time. This is a mature and inspired masterpiece.

At an average performance time of about 26 minutes, it may be one of Beethovens shortest symphonies, Willis says, but its also one of the composers most compelling.

Unfortunately, its sandwiched between the Seventh and Ninth symphonies, both of which overshadow it.

So Willis poses an intriguing hypothetical about the Eighths reputation: What if Beethoven hadnt composed the Ninth and this was his last symphony? How would contemporary audiences view it then?

Its just so inventive, Willis says. Hes trying so many cool things in this symphony.

In the fourth movement, in particular, hes playing with tonalities that he hasnt before and taking us on wild tonal adventures, Willis says. The ending is bigger and more epic than weve seen before. Its like hes reforming the symphony right in front of our ears.  If it was his last symphony, I think we would appreciate it more and play it more.

The concert, however, begins with Reflections on a Memorial by Quinn Mason, a 25-year-old American picked by Willis as the concerts Living Beethoven, a contemporary composer whose works the conductor believes have the potential to still be performed 200 years from now.

The SBSO previously gave the world premiere for Masons Passages of Joy at its 2019 Martin Luther King Jr. Day concert and has a third work by him scheduled for the 2021-22 season.

Hes very, very young but remarkably mature already, Willis says. I was struck by how he understands orchestral colors and how to build to a climax, which usually takes years. Theres a transparency. His music has a lightness and clarity that appeals to me and my ears. It very much appeals to me.

According to his website, Mason wrote Reflections on a Memorial as a meditation that can be used to contemplate the death of any person or reflect on a tragic event.

Sure, its Reflections on a Memorial, so theres a tragic element to it, but its not overly sad, Willis says. Its not like Barbers Adagio. Its a searching piece. The climax is an enlightening one. We can sense the light in the darkness. Theres a lot of hope in this piece, which we very much need now.

Between the Mason and the Beethoven, the program features SBSO concertmaster Brendan Shea as the soloist for Mozarts Violin Concerto No. 3 in G major, which he wrote when he was 19.

As with the Beethoven for Willis, the Mozart takes Shea back to his youth: Its the first concerto he ever played all the way through, at 7 or 8 years old.

Its one people play a lot when theyre younger and you assume its easy, he says. But then you go back to it, and like all of Mozart, you discover its very difficult. You go, I cant believe I played this as an 8-year-old.

Mozarts fourth and fifth violin concertos may be his most famous, Willis says, but the third has a charm about it, especially the third movement, where Mozart takes a couple of diversions, including into the rhythm of a gavotte dance.

Its like Mozart is saying at 19 that Im always going to keep my listeners on their toes, the conductor says. Its so much fun.

A member of the Euclid Quartet, Shea also points to an aside in the third movement that Jameson whiskey used in its Legend television commercial and to the movements rondo, which, he says, is like a minuet from 100 years before. It feels like a flashback to another era.  Youre playing Mozart, and all of a sudden, we have wigs on. How did we get here?

When he and Willis discussed which concerto they should program for this concert, Shea says, he settled on Mozarts third as the most upbeat he could find.

What would be the short concerto I would want to hear for the first concert in a year? he says about his considerations. The other would be Mendelssohn, but I think its Mozart. Its springtime. Were, hopefully, turning a corner as a country in terms of going to live events. I thought theres no better concerto for returning to live events.
Mary Shown

South Bend Tribune

This story was originally published May 2, 2021 in the South Bend Tribune.

A locally owned restaurant and distillery in Niles will be undergoing an extensive expansion project thanks in part to a statewide grant.

Iron Shoe Distillery, 3 N. Third St., was one of 21 businesses across Michigan awarded up to $25,000 through the Match on Main grant provided by the Michigan Economic Development Corp. Owner Laura Tuthill said the business will use the money to expand the restaurant about 2,000-square feet of space for the kitchen, indoor dining area and to add more outdoor seating that includes a rooftop patio.

Theres so many days when we reach our capacity with food orders, said owner Laura Tuthill. So we are excited to essentially double how much food were able to make at a given time to better meet the demand.

Iron Shoe Distillery opened in April 2019 and has since been a core part of Niles downtown dining scene, with owners spearheading local events like Niles Restaurant Week and collaborating with other local businesses. With the coronavirus pandemic, the distillery temporarily pivoted to creating hand sanitizer until it was able to reopen for carryout services and, just recently, indoor dining. The distillery makes small batch spirits such as limoncello, orangecello, whiskeys, creme liqueur, rum and vodka while the restaurant is known for its burgers and fresh salads.

With the expansion, Tuthill said, the indoor dining space will be added in order to accommodate private parties and events. An expansive outdoor seating area will be added, along with a rooftop patio placed over the indoor seating space on the corner, where owners plan to host live music.

Owners will have to match the grant contribution, meaning the entire project will cost about $50,000. Construction is expected to begin this week, and owners plan to keep the restaurant open during construction. There may be a brief period in early summer that the restaurant may have to close for a week, but Tuthill said updates will be provided on the restaurants social media pages. Tuthill said she anticipates the project to be finished by the end of summer.

Have you heard?

Beloved area veteran bartender Wally Ruston is back behind the bar. The 63-year-old bartender initially stepped away from bartending out of concern of exposure risks with the coronavirus. Now, fully vaccinated, Ruston is working at Fatbird in downtown South Bend.  Kabelin Ace Hardware in Granger has added a UPS store inside the hardware store at 12820 Adams Road. The service allows customers to pack and ship items, return orders including Amazon orders and AT&T and Comcast equipment returns. It also provides additional mailboxes for mail or package delivery. Operators say they are planning to build a pole barn next to the store for additional storage for the new venture. This will be the third UPS store inside a Kabelin Ace Hardware, with locations already inside stores in Michigan City and LaPorte.  The McDonalds on Indiana 23 in Granger will undergo a remodel, according to a construction design release. The fast food restaurant at 12880 Indiana 23 will have its exterior remodeled and a timeline of the construction was not immediately known.  The Taco Bell at 59661 Bremen Highway across from Meijer in Mishawaka is tentatively scheduled to open July 1, barring any construction delays. The location is currently hiring for 50 positions at the new Mexican fast food restaurant.  Mothers Day is only a week away on May 9, and many local restaurants are offering special menus and events to celebrate the day. You can find what your favorite restaurant might be offering by checking out their social media, websites or by calling.
Lincoln Wright

South Bend Tribune

Jacob Sandock remembers reading his writing in classes with Frances Sherwood at IU South Bend. Students sitting around a table, Sherwood with her elbows planted, listening and processing every word her students read.

It was like studying with a true master, Sandock, who studied creative writing with Sherwood in the early 2000s, said. You could feel the depth of her understanding.

Sherwood, an award-winning fiction writer and former English professor at IU South Bend, died Tuesday at the age of 80. She wished to not have a public service. What you can do in her memory is preform an act of kindness or plant a tree, her husband, Fred Slaski, said. Do something good for others, he said. Thats something she would have liked.

Sherwood was hired as an assistant professor of English at IUSB in 1986, and was made a professor of English in 1994.

Sherwood has been quoted saying she considered herself a new historical novelist, a writer who displaces current political and psychological issues onto earlier times. Among her published works are four books, Vindication, Green, The Book of Splendor, and Night of Sorrows. Vindication, a fictionalized account of the life of 18th-century British feminist author Mary Wollstonecraft, earned her honors as a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle award in 1993.

Sherwoods writing was about giving a voice to people who had been silenced in the past, said Joseph Chaney, a professor of English at IUSB and former colleague of Sherwoods. Her writing specifically focused on giving a voice to women who in their own time would not be able to tell their own story.

For her fans, the attraction was her ability to imagine women in the past whose stories were buried, Chaney said. Frances wanted to make that person real again to people, and I think for her readers that was invigorating.

What stands out for Sandock with Sherwoods work was her ability to create a powerful voice for her characters. She had no fear in what she was going to write about, he said.

While Sherwood was a success herself as a writer, as a teacher it wasnt something she would bring up. Her focus was her students, Sandock said.

She never talked about her work and her most recent award, he said. She took great pleasure and interest in her students work.

Slaski said his wife brought a love and learning and the love of creating, to her students. She thought everyone had a story to tell, he said, and everyone has a story to write.

She was a gifted teacher, he said.

While an inspiring writer and mentor and popular with students, both Sandock and Chaney said, Sherwood wasnt an easy teacher. She treated everyone as serious writers.

She was challenging, Chaney said. She did not make things easy for students.

But that teaching style came from a place of caring, Sandock said.

It mattered to her that she helped you find your voice, he said. She treated everyone the same and she wanted everyone to do their best work, and I think that is so important.

And Sherwood supported all forms of expression and creativity, not just writing, her husband said. She loved modern dance, and Slaski, a fan of jazz music since high school, also made her a fan. She loved a great piano player, he said.

She just truly enjoyed life, he said. She would marvel at everything we saw.

It was her love of life and kindness that drew Slaski to Sherwood. The couple got together later in life. They married in the summer of 1995 when Sherwood was 55 and Slaski was 41. But every year got better and better.

For me she was always a bright star, he said. We were lucky that we were so in love.

Beyond her own personal accomplishments as a writer, what Sherwood was able to achieve in life, in the classroom, and how she has touched people will have a lasting impact. Not only her ability to help people harness their talent, Sandock said, but to help them find the same joy in writing that she found.

Her work lives on and her memory lives on, he said. You cant quantify the effect a person like Frances Sherwood had on people.
Christian Sheckler

South Bend Tribune

SOUTH BEND  Anthony Gianoli doesnt remember if he voted for the South Bend School Corp.s $220 million referendum last year, but he said school officials led him to believe the measure would have little impact on his property taxes.

So Gianoli, 69, was shocked when he opened a letter from the county treasurers office this spring and found the referendum tacked on $324, helping drive a 35% spike in his overall property tax bill.

They said it will be a minimal increase, maybe $10 or $15, Gianoli said. I think we were misled on this thing.

Gianoli is not alone.

Staffers at the St. Joseph County Auditors office have been taking non-stop phone calls from taxpayers demanding to know why they owe hundreds more dollars this year, office manager Kathy Gregorich said, with most of the calls focusing on the impact of the ballot measure that raised money for the school district.

A lot of people felt they were well-informed when they voted on it last year, and no one thought it was going to make a very significant impact on their taxes, Gregorich said. And once they got their tax bill, that was not the case. It was significantly larger than they expected.

Kareemah Fowler, the school corporations chief financial officer, said district officials tried to explain the referendum would ask people to keep funding the schools at 2019 levels by giving up tax breaks that went into effect in 2020.

We tried to put it in laymans terms, Fowler said. We basically said, were asking you to keep your taxes where they are.

The tax hike for the school corporation comes a year after Indianas property tax caps took full effect in St. Joseph County, creating big savings for many property owners. After the lower taxes many residents paid in 2020, this years hike seemed even bigger.

The swing from a tax decrease one year to a big hike the next is among a mix of factors that may have contributed to the shock and confusion over this years bills.

Because it fell off last year, and now its going back up, it appears we told them something wrong, Fowler said, but we did not.

At the same time, many taxpayers saw the assessed value of their property rise sharply, meaning there is more value to tax, even with the state caps limiting the total bill to 1% of a homes assessed value. St. Joseph County Assessor Rosemary Mandrici has attributed those increases to the hot real estate market.

Some residents also may have believed the 1% tax caps, also known as the circuit breaker, would prevent a big hike from the school referendum. But in fact, the taxes collected from referenda are exempt from the caps.

Ive had a few people tell me they were under the impression the circuit breakers would take effect and save them from seeing a huge increase, Gregorich said.

Money for salaries, expenses

The schools referendum is meant to collect about $20.5 million a year for eight years, to be used for teacher salaries and other operating expenses, plus $54 million for building improvements. The measure passed during the June 2020 primary election, winning about 60% of the vote.

To collect that amount, school officials said, they would need to tax property owners at a rate of about 40 cents per $100 in net assessed value  the taxable value of a property after deductions.

School officials said the increase would restore about 38 cents per $100 that the school corporation expected to lose because of the circuit breaker, plus provide an extra 2 cents per $100.

That rate of 40 cents per $100 didnt change. But some taxpayers say school officials gave an inaccurate portrayal of how much that rate would actually increase a tax bill.

Leading up to the referendum last year, the school corporation provided an online calculator for people to see how their tax bills would change under the proposed hike. But instead of comparing 2020 tax bills with the projected increase in 2021, the school corporation based the calculator on 2019 bills.

The conditions in 2019 were similar to those taxpayers would encounter in 2021, if the referendum were to pass.

Thats because 2019 was the last year in which Indianas constitution allowed the school corporation to collect $16 million in taxes, exempt from the circuit breaker, to pay off debt that was incurred before the tax caps were added to state law.

Such exempt rates are added to a property tax bill after all deductions, including the tax caps, are factored in. So even a homeowner whose tax bill hit the cap of 1% would have to pay the additional rate of 38 cents per $100 of net assessed value, in the case of the school debt.

In 2020, property owners for the first time saw that exempt rate of 38 cents per $100 wiped from their tax bills.

By using the 2019 conditions to calculate the referendums effect on taxes, the school corporation obscured the fact property owners would see big savings in 2020, only to lose them again the next year, said Gianoli, a retired CPA.

Those things finally rolled off in 2020 and we saw the real relief we were supposed to be getting from the tax caps, Gianoli said. And the school board basically came in and snatched that away.

Sticker shock

Gianolis total property tax bill decreased to $1,534 last year, compared with $1,826 in 2019, due largely to the tax caps. This year, his bill shot up to $2,069. If not for the referendum, the circuit breaker would have limited his bill to $1,745, based on his homes assessed value of $174,500.

Gregorich, with the auditors office, said she heard from some property owners whose bills increased by $900 or more from the referendum alone.

Larry DeBoer, a professor emeritus at Purdue University and one of the states experts on property taxes, said the sticker shock for St. Joseph County taxpayers shows how two different starting points, while both valid, can lead to wildly different conclusions.

School officials essentially asked taxpayers to keep paying at their 2019 rates to replace the lost revenue after 2020, but property owners naturally compared the impact of the referendum to the low bills they got last year.

The school corporation basically said, Hey, can you give us some of that tax break that you got, DeBoer said. If you compared it to 2019, it wouldnt look like such a big increase, but if you compared it to 2020, memories are short, and the increment looks bigger.
Brian Howey

South Bend Tribune

Your odds of being killed in a car crash are one in 102; being struck by lightning, one in 15,300; dying in a plane crash, one in 205,000; being eaten by a shark, one in 4 million; or dying in a tornado, one in 5.6 million.

Your odds of developing a blood clot by taking the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine: Extremely unlikely. According to Reuters, out of more than 8 million J&J vaccines given, only 17 developed a clot.

I go over these morbidity figures as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported last week that just 25.4% of Hoosiers have been vaccinated, ranking 45th in the United States, while the Indiana State Department of Health puts it at 26.4%. Neighboring Michigan has turned into a COVID hotspot, with emergency rooms swamped with younger patients. Its encroaching into northern Indiana, with hospitals in Elkhart and Goshen at capacity, while statewide hospitalizations were up 50% since March.

Late last year, Indiana health officials were giddy over what has become a modern scientific breakthrough on the scale of the World War II Manhattan Project, Jonas Salks polio vaccine or putting an American astronaut on the moon eight years after President Kennedy issued the challenge. That breakthrough was the COVID-19 vaccination, coming within a year. Nobel Prizes will be awarded for this achievement.

The more of us who get it means the days of social distancing, mask wearing, fanless stadiums and closed schools and businesses would soon be over. Gov. Eric Holcomb frequently noted that we were seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

On Wednesday, there was a pall over their weekly press conference. Demand for the vaccine is in steep decline here in Indiana as well as states like Alabama and Texas. Indiana Health Commissioner Kris Box explained, Hoosiers, COVID is still here and it is not going away any time soon. Please stay vigilant. Please dont let your guard down. And the states top health officer, Dr. Lindsay Weaver, added, Were trying to do everything we can to get vaccine out, to look at different avenues, to continue the conversation, to continue the education. The bottom line is we have a lot of work to do.

The state has made this free vaccine available to everyone, at mass vaccination sites at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Gary Roosevelt High School, at Ivy Tech at Sellersburg, and have sent mobile units into Elkhart and Warsaw, while outreach is underway in many Black and Latino communities. You can call 211 on your cellphone to set up an appointment or just walk into many pharmacies, Walmarts and Meijers.

KPC News reporter Steve Garbacz reported a few weeks ago that the vaccine is having significant results: Approximately 74% of Hoosiers age 80 and older have been vaccinated and new cases in March and April 2021 were down 88.1% in that demographic compared to June-December 2020. For those in their 70s, vaccine uptake has hit 77% and new cases have dropped by 81.6%. For those in their 40s, some 33% of those vaccinated resulted in a 58.6% decline.

So whats going on?

Part of it may be the politicization of the pandemic by former President Trump, who didnt embrace face masks that CDC officials said at the time were the most effective way to prevent the COVID spread. It probably cost him the election. According to Trump pollster Tony Fabrizio in a post-election autopsy, the pandemic became the top issue, but he noted that Joe Biden won the coronavirus voters, which was a bigger share.

This comes as Politico reported that aides to Trump look back at the end of his term as a major missed opportunity to encourage his supporters to get vaccinated. If he spent the last 90 days being the voice  and taking credit because he deserved to for the vaccine  and helping get as many Americans get vaccinated as he could, he would be remembered for that, a former senior administration official said. Top White House aides planned for Trump to receive the vaccine on camera. Trump refused, while former Vice President Mike Pence and Holcomb did.

According to WIBCs Eric Berman, the lowest rates of COVID vaccination (at least one dose), by county: LaGrange 23.1%, Newton 24.5%, Switzerland 25.3%, Franklin 25.7%, Daviess 27.1%, Carroll 29.2%, Parke 29.2%, Starke 29.6%, Miami 29.8% and Crawford 30.5%. This corresponds with support for President Trump in the 2020 election: LaGrange 76.3%, Switzerland 75%, Newton 75%, Franklin 80.8%, Starke 72.6%, Parke 77%, Carroll 74.5%, Daviess 80%, Crawford 70.4% and Miami 75.5%.

Donald Trump has always seen himself as a master brander. So he missed a huge branding opportunity when he could have deployed some 70 million often ardent supporters who could have been walking advertisements with Trump face masks, all while tamping down what turned out to be skyrocketing hospitalizations and death rates just as voters started going to the polls last October and November.

Memo to Holcomb, Box and Weaver, and Republicans in Congress, the General Assembly, the county courthouse and city hall: Reach out to these Trump voters if you want the population to reach herd immunity and a return to normal times.
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Medford, NJ (08055)

Today

Foggy this morning followed by scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. High 89F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with more showers at times. Low 69F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.
On the honking of horns in protest and absurdities of a state gone berserk View(s):

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, I suppose, must count himself incredibly fortunate that a foreign visitor to Sri Lankas shores was not passing by when, as an opposition parliamentarian, he was ferociously blowing on a trumpet during the famous JanaGosha protest (1993).

Making local and international law a mockery

If so, he may also have been arrested, like that hapless youth from Battaramulla who was charged this week for obstructing the duties of police officers by honking car horns when a convoy carrying the visiting Chinese Defence Minister swept by a Colombo roundabout holding up local traffic. But this goes far beyond one spontaneous protest. Firstly, this incident, captured on individual cameraphones and circulated among amused Sri Lankans, did not, in any way, either obstruct the police or the passing convoy, let us be clear.

Second, the police spokesperson has, for reasons best known to himself, dragged in the Vienna Convention to justify the arrest. This is piling absurdity upon stupidity. Not content with making the Sri Lankan law a mockery by proposing that Parliament set aside convictions entered into by competent courts of law as pointed to with justifiable wrath in last weeks column spaces, must local potentates of law enforcement perforce make international law a laughing stock as well? This Convention (1969) is essentially a codification of existing customary law, applicable strictly within the confines of written treaties between states, governing how their clauses are applied, interpreted, operated and amended.

By no stretch of the most fertile imagination can the Vienna Convention be used to justify acting against a few citizens entertaining themselves in a harmless protest at being momentarily held up for the benefit of a high profile visitor. The very notion is scandalous, much like quoting the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to justify arrests of critics under a local law that subverts the meaning of that renowned international instrument. Indeed, how many of our local politicians have thoroughly embarrassed visiting dignitaries including from the United Nations far more seriously than merely honking horns? All of these characters should have been arrested on that police logic or absence thereof.

Stalin and the featherless chicken

Where the instant incident is concerned, the matter does not end there. The hapless protestor apologised and said that he was very sorry for the inconvenience caused to the police. This indicates the extent to which the very notion of citizenship has been degraded. It reminds me of that probably apocryphal (or maybe not) story of Soviet leader Josef Stalin who used to terrify his compatriots by plucking feathers off a live chicken and then tossing some food to his feet so that the creature crawled, barely alive, to eat. This example has been famously used to show how a dictator is enabled by the very people whom he terrorises, so long as they believe that their survival can only be through him.

This is peculiarly apt for us. True, it is important to critique the extent to which the political establishment is responsible for the tragedy that Sri Lanka has become today. But it is perhaps more important to ask what part have we played as citizens (or as chickens with our feathers ripped off) in the abysmal deterioration of our public service, our judiciary and our education systems thus enabling our own destruction? This goes to a far more searching inquiry than merely blaming politicians. As Peradeniya don and contemporary literary theorist Liyanage Amarakeerthi asks in a recent public comment on last weeks column, (An Extraordinary Resolution in Parliament that scoffs at Sri Lankas Courts (Sunday Times, April 25th 2021), where have we failed as a nation, as the products of free education?

Amarakeerthis trenchant critique of individual responsibility is interesting in the deviation from politically strategised commentary that usually passes for public narrative. Arundathi Roy asks that same question in her most recent scorchingly critical essay on Modi the magician who took a bow for saving 1.3 billion of Indian humanity by containing covid when it turned out that it was not contained at all, (We are witnessing a crime against humanity, The Guardian, April 28th 2021). As she writes, the system has not collapsedthe system barely existed as the government  this one, as well as the Congress government that preceded it  deliberately dismantled what little medical infrastructure there was in India.

The Government must be held responsible

But where were the critics who should have held all Governments responsible rather than affording selective treatment depending on whether favorites were in power or not? That failure to critically question without bias allows the State to treat citizens like featherless chickens. And directly impacts upon lives as we see in India, the risks of which Sri Lanka is also courting. It is a commonly accepted fact that this so-called strain causing the third covid wave was known to have proliferated here from the start of last month. Yet, no restraints were imposed on Avurudu celebrations, allowing the virus to run rampant. Now, the police spokesman solemnly warns against breaching quarantine laws and hundreds of people are arrested.

Yet for several weeks, the Government held several public events sans health protocols and politicians with their crowds paraded hither and thither without face masks. So it is the Government which should, if only the criminal law ever permitted such a wonderful thing, be collectively put behind bars. That said, how does the law operate? Trustees of a Jaffna kovil are arrested for violating the quarantine laws, but municipal authorities of Nuwara Eliya who permitted Avurudu festivals without safety protocols, are only inquired into. At some point or another, these inequities will come back to haunt us. In the South, numbers of covid afflicted persons unable to be transferred to hospitals due to delays are increasing.

Stories have begun to emerge of loved ones dying in their homes after developing breathing difficulties and before overburdened hospital staff could get to them. Heaven and earth had to be moved, their relatives say, before the bodies could be taken for the administering of the traditional Buddhist rites. Yet what about all those scores of Muslim bodies who were cremated in heedless acts of cruelty before that policy was reversed? Is the rationale that all Muslims have to pay for the sins of jihadists on Easter Sunday (2019) and all Tamils have to atone for what liberation fighters did in the name of Tamil Eelam during past decades? If so, we may console ourselves that the collective agony which the Sinhalese are going through now is retribution for all the atrocities committed by our political leaders. And for the wrongs that we ourselves have committed as citizens by looking away from injustice.

Catastrophic consequences of stifling dissent

For it is not that the Government is not aware that what they do, from locking up a honking protestor to privileging their business cronies to earn obscene profits from poisoning citizens, are contrary to law. It is simply that it does not care. Neither does it care for national sovereignty despite preaching that intoxicating mantra to come into power. Each time it acts, that is obvious whether it is in regard to the proposed Port City which creates a layer of the ultra-privileged with the Chinese or travel bubbles with covid stricken India, which operates only to the benefit of Indian tourists fleeing that nightmare.

Finally however as the Supreme Court has cautioned on more than one occasion, stifling of dissent today will have catastrophicconsequences tomorrow. The Court upheld the right of Prime Minister Rajapaksa to protest in 1993 precisely on that basis. Across the Palk Straits, a generally compliant Supreme Court of India has at last bestirred itself to warn the Indian Government against any move to stifle protests on social media.

We hope, for all our sakes, that our Governments will listen to these warnings.
GOSHEN  A car collided with a pregnant moose in Goshen Saturday night on Hall Meadow Road, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said.

John Barbagallo, Norfolk public information officer, said the collision sent three of the five people in the car to the Charlotte Hungerford Hospital in Torrington. At the same time, the crash killed the moose and the unborn calf.

Troopers said the vehicle, a 2011 Subaru Legacy, was traveling north on Route 272, also known as Hall Meadow Road, in Goshen when a Moose appeared in the roadway, causing the crash. The driver was not found at fault for the accident.

DEEP officials said the fire department, EMS and DEEP Troop B all responded to the scene. The moose was turned over to the DEEP Wildlife Division for study. Connecticut State Police Troop B is investigating the motor vehicle accident.

Human contact with mooses in Connecticut is relatively low, according to the DEEP statistics.

According to DEEP records, there have been six reported moose sightings in Connecticut this year. The sightings were reported in Norfolk, Hartford, Barkhamsted and West Hartford.

DEEP said in a fact sheet that its unclear if moose are indigenious to Connecticut, but the population has grown since early reports through the 1980s and 1990s. DEEP estimates the population is more than 100 animals.

Moose can present a serious threat to public safety under some circumstances. Although usually shy, moose can feel threatened and become aggressive during the rutting season or after calving. They also may demonstrate unpredictable behavior if they wander into populated areas, DEEP said in the fact sheet.

The greatest danger appears to be from car accidents involving moose. DEEP said that based on information from other states, a vehicle colliding with a moose is 30 times more likely to kill someone in the vehicle.

The DEEPs primary concern regarding moose is public safety. Each moose observed in the state is monitored, the department said in the fact sheet.
Contributed / Getty Images

HARTFORD  Police said no arrests have been made after a 2-year-old boy was killed in a tragic accident involving a motor vehicle at a home Saturday afternoon.

Patrol officers responded to a local hospital around 1:25 p.m. after the injured boy was reported, police spokesman Lt. Aaron Boisvert said.
Every April 24, Armenians around the world gather to honor their ancestors who perished at the hands of the Ottoman Turkish state in the genocide of 1915 to 1923. Armenian Americans anxiously await the annual proclamation from the White House marking this date. They are anxious because, despite much effort on the part of Armenian Americans and their friends, no American president had used the word genocide to properly name this crime against humanity.

Starting with George H.W. Bush, euphemisms such as tragedy, massacres, annihilation, mass killings and great atrocities have peppered these annual proclamations. Barack Obama and Donald Trump adopted a transliterated Armenian word, Meds Yeghern, to identify this crime  a word often mistranslated as the great calamity, thus removing all agency from the concept.

Armenian Americans will now no longer approach April 24 with anxiety and frustration. President Joe Biden used genocide in his proclamation, not once but twice.

This long-practiced omission of the correct word was a reflection of a geopolitical calculus to placate the sensitivities of our erstwhile yet untrustworthy NATO partner, Turkey. As most genocide and Holocaust scholars know, Raphael Lemkin, the Polish Jewish jurist who created the word genocide, was initially motivated by the fact of Turkish impunity for their crimes when he sat down to craft an international law to prevent and punish genocide. For Lemkin, the annihilation of the Armenians was a preview of what was to come in the Holocaust. He freely used the term genocide  this crime of crimes  to describe the fate of the Armenians. Yet ironically, American presidents continued to dance around the word for more than 30 years.

Joe Biden was the first president who ended this charade of obfuscation. As a senator he had no hesitation in characterizing the extermination of the Armenians as genocide. After Congress overwhelmingly voted to recognize the Armenian genocide in December 2019, the White House was bolstered in its effort to speak the truth, a value that Biden has taken as a mantra of his administration.

Yes, the autocratic Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his surrogates have complained most vociferously, pointing to American hypocrisy with regard to our own ill-treatment of African Americans and Indigenous peoples. But unlike Turkey, the United States has constructed on Washington, D.C.,s National Mall museums of African American History and Culture and of the American Indian. Included in their halls are exhibitions that do not whitewash American oppression of these groups.

Unlike in Turkey, the word genocide is not censored in displays that describe the destruction of Native peoples. Yes, our journey of coming to terms with our history has only begun, but Turkey has done the opposite, continuing on the path they began in 1915.

Impunity and genocide denial have contributed to cycles of violence perpetrated by the Turkish state and their ultra-nationalist partners both domestically and internationally. Within Turkey, the destruction and oppression of minorities  including Greeks, Assyrians, Alevi Muslims, Kurds and most recently the LGBTQ community  continues to this day. President Erdogan has now exported violence across international borders into Syria, Iraq, Libya, and the Caucasus.

The 44-day war of aggression in the fall of 2020 by Turkey and Azerbaijan against the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) continues this cycle of violence. The anti-democratic and authoritarian regimes of Erdogan and Azeri president Ilham Aliyev make no pretense that their goal is the elimination of all Armenians from their indigenous homelands.

If President Biden is truly committed to combating authoritarianism and strengthening democracy abroad then he could have found no better place to start than by speaking the truth about the Armenian Genocide. We applaud him for having done so.

Armen T. Marsoobian is first vice president of the International Association of Genocide Scholars and a professor of philosophy at Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven.
Milton, PA (17847)

Today

Rain showers early with scattered thunderstorms arriving for the afternoon. High 86F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Variable clouds with showers and scattered thunderstorms. Storms more numerous this evening. Low near 65F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.
Hazleton, PA (18201)

Today

Showers this morning then scattered thunderstorms developing during the afternoon hours. High 84F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 66F. Winds light and variable.
Resurgence of COVID serious threat to Sri Lankan economic recovery View(s):

The resurgence of COVID is a serious threat to the expected global economic recovery and the revival of Sri Lankas flagging economy.

Global resurgence of COVID

The resurgence of COVID in several regions of the world and an imminent third wave of COVID in Sri Lanka are severe setbacks to the expected global economic recovery and the revival of the Sri Lankan economy.

The resurgence of the COVID-19 at a turning point in its containment with the use of the vaccine is a severe setback to global economic recovery.

The renewed surge in COVID-19 infections is threatening to de-rail global economic growth. If the fresh outbreaks of new mutations of the virus spread and if key sources of demand for Sri Lankas exports falter, the economy would be in a perilous state.

Availability of vaccines

The uneven availably and access to vaccines would further accentuate the divide between the rich and poor countries and between the rich and poor within countries. Even more horrendous is the exponential growth in unemployment, poverty and hunger.

Last week

More people were diagnosed with COVID-19 last week than in any other since the pandemic began. Last week the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned that new infections are increasing everywhere except Europe, led by rocketing numbers in India, Argentina, Turkey and Brazil.

Global economic rebound

The resurgence is casting a shadow over a previously expected global economic rebound due to the failure to control the virus or get vaccines distributed evenly. There are increasing risks owing to new mutations, first in developing countries and then in developed nations that had been containing the pandemic by vaccines.

The IMFs upward revision of global economic growth of March this year would have to be revised downwards as global trade and travel would be adversely affected during the upcoming months owing to the resurgence of COVID in many countries, economic lockdowns and global travel restrictions.

Third wave

This third wave is a more severe and virulent mutation that could increase fatalities and cripple economies more drastically than in 2020. Lockdowns in the UK, European countries, Saudi Arabia and North America will slow down these economies. Lockdowns to contain the spread of the virus would reduce production and weaken supply chains.

Worst impact

The most detrimental impact would be the reduction of employment and incomes and increased inequality and poverty. All these are serious setbacks to our export dependent economic recovery that is in turn much dependent on global economic development.

Expectations of recovery

The hopes and expectations of an improvement in the external finances lay in an improved balance of payments this year.

A balance of payments surplus of over US$ two billion was expected mainly from a growth in exports, revival of tourism later in the year, increased earnings from ICT services and a continued inflow of workers remittances, despite a higher trade deficit than that of last year owing to increased import expenditure.

Trade deficit

As import expenditure is bound to increase this year, the trade deficit was expected to be contained by a growth in exports. Now this is an unrealistic expectation, If there is a serious setback to the global economic recovery.

The export growth that was expected at the beginning of the year, is unlikely due to decreased demand for our manufactured exports. The prospect of a revival of tourism later this year is also diminishing. This is a serious blow to the balance of payments that expected about US$ 1.5 billion from tourism.

Furthermore, the continued set back to tourism means the deprivation of employment and incomes of a large number of those dependent on tourism, directly and indirectly.

Containment of COVID

Most important for the countrys economic recovery is the containment of COVID within the country as there are definite signs of a resurgence after the relaxation of restrictions during the new year period and increased foreign travel.

Disruption

Lockdowns in certain regions of the country and curfew and travel restrictions would disrupt production of especially industries. Industrialists are currently devising ways and means of minimising attendance of their workforce and disruption of supplies.

Key economic activities that would be retarded are merchandise exports, ICT services and earnings from tourism. All of which would make a dent in the balance of payments.

Exports

The signs of export growth in the first two months of the year that was expected to gain momentum later in the year are now in doubt. Among the exports expected to benefit were the countrys pre-COVID main export-apparel. Rubber goods and ceramics exports too were expected to increase. Meanwhile COVID induced exports of surgical gloves, other gloves and personal protective garments too were expected to continue.

Furthermore, with the commencement of international travel, the exports of heavy duty tyres that were adversely affected by lesser air and heavy goods transport were expected to recover.

These expectations led to a higher export earnings of US$ 15 billion than the Export Development Board (EDB) target of US$ 12 billion. If the global conditions for trade deteriorate then even the EDB target may not be achieved.

Spread of COVID, a severe threat

Increased domestic travel and the intermingling of people without adequate safety precautions during the festive season spread the virus, as expected by the health authorities. Furthermore, international travel has introduced new strains of the virus. These are severe threats to the economy. Consequently, once again lockdown in factories and travel restrictions within the country could reduce the countrys production and export capacity.

Summing up

The resurgence and spread of COVID around the world is a serious threat to the expected global economic recovery. Sri Lankan exports that were expected to surpass the pre-COVID earnings could slump. On the other hand, import expenditure will increase owing to increased international prices of fuel, fertiliser and other raw materials.

The curtailment of these imports would aggravate difficulties in production of essential food, increase the cost of essential consumer items, especially food and cost of production of export industries. This would in turn widen the trade deficit.

The expectation of a revival of tourism later this year is unlikely owing to the spread of COVID and restrictions of international travel.

Conclusion

The resurgence of COVID is likely to impact adversely on the economy in many ways. The third wave of the epidemic in the country would curtail economic activity and aggravate the concerns in export manufactures.

Therefore, containing the spread of the virus is of utmost importance to reduce its economic impacts. Of particular significance is the need to restrict international visitors to the country. Any haste to relax restrictions to boost economic production could be counter-productive.
ST. CHARLES  A St. Louis County man and a teenage girl were arrested Friday evening after allegedly throwing Molotov cocktails in a St. Charles neighborhood, and then at a restaurant.

Shortly after the incident at the St. Charles location of Sauce on the Side, a calzone restaurant, police arrested Rashaad Cotton, 23, along with a 16-year-old girl from St. Charles, who police did not identify.

Cotton was recently fired from Sauce on the Side and "was angry over his termination," according to St. Charles police.

Police said the fiery course of events began around 6:15 p.m., when witnesses reported seeing Cotton throw a Molotov cocktail in the 3400 block of Greiner Drive, in St. Charles. Reports state that Cotton threw one of the exploding devices in the street, causing damage to a residential front yard. He then drove off in a silver Hyundai Elantra with the 16-year-old girl and another woman, police said.

Police say that initial toss was done "merely to test the Molotov cocktail."

About 20 minutes later, "the same subjects" threw a Molotov cocktail at the St. Charles restaurant, police said, injuring a woman, 29, seated on the patio, who suffered a minor burn to her thigh.
The categories are broad. For example, housing stabilization could include money for demolishing abandoned buildings, help paying for repairs so residents can stay in their homes, rent assistance or help with landlord-tenant disputes. Economic development could include child care and job training.

The COVID-19 emergency fund would be used to avoid tax increases, said Mark Harder, R-7th District. The program management fund would be used to pay the costs of administering the federal money.

The county will have three years to use the money. Local governments are prohibited from using the money for pension obligations or tax cuts. Other requirements are expected by mid-May from the Treasury Department.

Aiming to coordinate

At the start of the St. Louis city groups virtual discussion Saturday, Mayor Tishaura O. Jones emphasized that the goal is to equitably invest the money for maximum transformational impact in the community. She asked for early direct relief to be finalized by June.

We need to move forward with direct relief as soon as possible, Jones said.
GREEN BAY, Wis.  A gunman killed two people at a Wisconsin casino restaurant and seriously wounded a third before he was killed by police late Saturday, in what authorities said appeared to be a targeted attack.

Brown County Sheriff's Lt. Kevin Pawlak said investigators believe the gunman was seeking a specific person he was angry at.

He was targeting a specific victim who was not there, but he decided to still shoot some of the victim's friends or co-workers, it appears, Pawlak said.

Neither the gunman nor the shooting victims were immediately identified.

Pawlak wasnt sure if the shooter was a former employee of the restaurant, but said it appears theres some relationship that had to do with employment.

Whether or not they all worked there, were still working on, he said.

The wounded person was being treated at a Milwaukee hospital, Pawlak said.

The attack happened around 7:30 p.m. at the Oneida Casino, operated by the Oneida Nation on the western side of Green Bay, with the casino tweeting that an active shooter was on the scene.

Jawad Yatim, a witness, said at least two people were shot.
Will Chop Suey be our CJ some day? View(s):

That was a real clanger. Dropped right there where justice presides at the top of the judicial pile. And before five justices of the Supreme Court! Alas, it fell on the feet of political leaders some of whom are prone to foot-in-the-mouth disease.

They were the ones who have been preaching to us  more to the world really  on Sri Lankas constitution, more specifically since 2017 when the screws were being tightened over human rights issues.

They were the constitution makers and breakers who said from political platforms and elsewhere that our constitution does not permit all sorts of riff raff from outside our territorial waters  nay from our larger economic zone  from holding high office in the Resplendent Isle.

Even some of those who readily co-sponsored the 2015 UN Human Rights Council Resolution 30/1 and were not averse to having hybrid courts a la Zeid Raad Al Hussein, the high commissioner for human rights at the time, back tracked two years later when the heat at home got too hot-politically  even for the thick skinned.

Some might recall the Zeid Al Hussein report released at the time recommended the setting up of a hybrid special court integrating international judges, prosecutors, lawyers and investigators as an intrinsic move towards providing justice.

As I recall democrats, autocrats, booroocrats, socialists, nationalists, ultranationalists newly ordained nationalists and assorted others blasted High Commissioner Zeid for his gall in trying to dump all sorts of legal leftovers on Sri Lankan soil to trump up cases against Sri Lankan heroes who only did their national duty standing up to enemies determined to divide the country but even sacrificed their lives.

It was some time in 2017 as I remember (correctly I hope) that then prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, one of the architects of co-sponsorship, who, having realised the mounting opposition to a hybrid court to hear accountability trials, claimed that the constitution did not permit the participation of foreign judges and prosecutors.

Wickremesinghe had quickly engaged the reverse as President Sirisena had done before claiming that nobody had told him that the government was following the co-sponsorship route. Poor President Sirisena, nobody seems to tell him anything, not even pass on intelligence about impending terrorist attacks on Easter Sunday. But thats another story.

Right now one must return to the high drama in the Supreme Court where the Colombo Port City Commission Bill was challenged by numerous petitioners. Counsel for the petitioners raised a variety of reasons why the Bill was unconstitutional, violating the countrys sovereignty, discriminatory as it drew a distinction between Sri Lankan citizens and foreigners investing in the Port City and worst of all that it will be turned into a Chinese colony.

Moreover, they said, this land raised from the seabed off Colombo would eventually be Chinese territory as the years roll by with foreign nationals, principally Chinese, sitting on the Commission that runs the Port City and dictating to the Sri Lanka government.

Amidst all this legal brouhaha, one of the black-coated fraternity dropped a bombshell. Making his submissions as Counsel for P.B. Jayasundera, Secretary to the President of Sri Lanka Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Presidents Counsel Romesh de Silva argued that the countrys constitution does not bar foreign nationals from functioning as judges in Sri Lanka.

He went further. Counsel De Silva who was appearing for Secretary Jayasundera in his official capacity and not for Jayasundera, a private citizen, said that the constitution does not prohibit even the Chief Justice of Sri Lanka being a foreign national.

This issue arose because in the course of submissions made on behalf of petitioners the question of foreigners serving on the Port City Commission that would be appointed by Sri Lankas President would violate the constitution and related issues.

Counsel de Silva added that there was no impediment to foreign nationals being appointed to independent state institutions except the Urban Development Authority as the UDA Act expressly bars it.

Romesh de Silva, to my mind, is better known as a leading commercial lawyer than a constitutional expert. But right now he is also heading the constitution drafting committee. Appearing as he did for the Secretary to the President one could say he was making submissions on behalf of the government.

The counsels argument is not new. If I remember correctly it was made by Dr Nihal Jayawickrama some six years or so ago when the setting up hybrid courts to hear accountability and war related trials was first recommended by the then UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in a report on Sri Lanka and subsequently in the UNHRC Resolution 30/1 which the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government co-sponsored.

In the course of his article Dr Nihal Jayawickreme wrote: There is no constitutional impediment to the appointment of non-citizens to our highest court exercising criminal jurisdiction  the High Court. Nor is there any constitutional impediment to Parliament establishing any other courts of First Instance, or other tribunals or institutions to exercise judicial power.

In the latter days of the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government and from the inception of Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) now in government, they have vociferously maintained that our constitution does not permit foreign judges, lawyers, prosecutors and hybrid courts.

In fact, Dinesh Gunawardena as Chief Opposition Whip has taken up the same position that it violates the constitution of this country. The Joint Opposition of the day has maintained the same position.

This has been Sri Lankas principal argument in rejecting the UNHRCs call for a hybrid court with foreign judges to give it balance and impartiality.

That argument has now been negated  or at least challenged  by counsel for the governments senior official and the earlier cover blown. The fact is that the government will not allow accountability trials where charges alleging human rights abuses and war crimes would be levelled against soldiers in the front or those in command responsibility.

It would be interesting to see how the government would handle the new UNHRC resolution now that the constitutional cover would need to be discarded or relegated to the back burner. It must have evolved a new approach to its interchanges with the UN and multilateral organisations since it suffered a defeat at Geneva and its friends and allies are having second thoughts on Sri Lankas lurching foreign policy.

As has been pointed out China has a 99-year lease on its territory in the Port City. Operations in the reclaimed seabed will run for at least 40 years. This Chinese colony as detractors call it will not be fully operational until 2040.

What will happen in the world around us in the intervening years even our great soothsayers are unlikely to be able to predict? None of them predicted the corona pandemic. We only know it originated in Wuhan China from where it was gifted to the world, if one is to believe Donald as Trump.

Already critics say that before long CPC, as it is called, for convenience, will be yuan territory. Still others add derisively, and unfairly, that someday Sri Lankas chief justice would be named Foo Yoong Hai, which my culinary knowledge tells me, is a Chinese omlette

I would not go that far. Anyway many of us would not be around if and when that day dawns.

(Neville de Silva is a veteran Sri Lankan journalist who was Assistant Editor of the Hong Kong Standard and worked for Gemini News Service in London. Later he was Deputy Chief-of-Mission in Bangkok and Deputy High Commissioner in London.)
Regarding New conservative group would save Anglo-Saxon traditions (April 17): In April, Republican Reps. Paul Gosar of Arizona and Marjorie Taylor-Greene of Georgia were reported to be affiliated with the launch of an America First caucus, a political organization dedicated to the preservation of the Anglo-Saxon tradition through its hold on political power.

After a public outcry, both Greene and Gosar backed away from any direct involvement with the caucus. But their association with it, however indirect, furnishes perspective on the emerging ideology of core Donald Trump supporters and its possible impact on our democracy.
In early 2021 Norway and Germany finally concluded four years of negotiations over a barter deal. Germany is buying over a billion dollars worth of Norwegian NSMs (Naval Strike Missile) while Norway buys four German U212 submarines. Germany wants to build the NSM in Germany under license and jointly develop new features for the NSM. Ultimately the deal evolved into one worth $5.3 billion, including development and production of the NSM as well as the air-to-surface JSM (Joint Strike Missile) and the construction of six U212CD (Common Design) subs with four going to Norway and two for Germany. The deal involves the long-term cost of logistical support and training for maintenance and technical personnel together with spare parts. The CD version of the U212 includes several new features that Germany will offer to other export customers.

What delayed final agreement on the deal was difficulty in working out the details of the offsets (barter) provisions. Germany wanted new features on the JSM. While the NSM entered service in 2012, the first production model of the JSM did not show up until 2013 and by then the United States, Australia and Germany all wanted additional features on the JSMs they wanted to buy. One key feature of the JSM was it was able to be carried and launched from the internal bomb bay of the F-35 stealth fighter all four nations were purchasing.

While Norway was accustomed to granting production licenses to volume customers, new features of the JSM are still in development and each JSM export customer has slightly different needs. The deal with Germany was further complicated by the Norwegian demand for joint production of the submarines, with most of the production staying in Germany, where versions of the U212 type subs were first developed and U212 variants have been around for two decades.

Germany was accustomed to providing production offsets for its submarines, usually in the form of the export customer being assisted in assembling some of the subs locally and even providing some components from local manufacturers. The Norway/Germany missile/submarine deal was more complicated because both nations were providing locally developed weapons to the other and getting the parliaments of both nations to agree to the proposals took a long time.

Such offsets are more important to smaller nations like Norway because the NSM/submarine deal will have a larger impact on the Norwegian economy. The German economy (GDP) is 90 times larger than Norways so a deal like this means a lot more to Norwegian defense firms. German and Norwegian warships, submarines and aircraft use NSM and JSM in large quantities. Germany saves a lot of money by getting a contract for six U212CDs. This facilitates developing joint maintenance and logistics capabilities for the two navies.

Germany, and several other Western nations have been seeking replacements for their Cold War era anti-ship missiles and NSM was, in 2012, the first fifth-generation long range precision strike missile to enter service. NSM is a successor to the Norwegian Penguin anti-ship missile that entered service in 1972 and was due for a major upgrade. Development of NSM began in the late 1990s when Norway decided to create a new stealthy anti-ship missile design rather than just upgrade the Penguin.

The first NSM test firing took place in 2006 and mass production began in mid-2007. NSM proved to be very competitive and has been exported to the United States, Poland and Malaysia with Germany, Canada and Romania awaiting deliveries. Norway has always been responsive to customer requests for new features. For example, the Polish Navy wanted NSMs that would work with land-based coastal defense batteries as well as ships. NSM is now available for naval and land-based launchers and an NSM that can be launched from a submarine is part of the German deal. There was so much demand for an air-launched NSM that a unique NSM variant, the JSM, was developed. The JSM design required changes allowing the missile to be carried internally by the F-35, enabling that aircraft to get maximum use out of its stealth capabilities. JSM also required the ability to get target data from different sources and handle limited two-way communications after launch. Because the JSM was launched from the air, it had a longer range of over 500 kilometers from high altitude versus about 200 kilometers when launched from low altitude. The surface launched NSM has a rage of 180 kilometers.

NSM will be the standard ship-based anti-ship missile for new German warships as well as eventually replacing older missiles on existing ships when those ships undergo upgrades making it practical to install new launcher and fire control system changes needed for NSM. There is a similar but less time-consuming procedure from introducing JSM as a replacement for older air-launched missiles.

The NSM is 3.96 meters (13 feet) long and weighs about 407 kilograms (900 pounds). New versions of NSM have a range of over 200 kilometers and a guidance system using GPS/INS to get to the general area of the target as well as infrared (IIR) sensor for finding the target and homing in on it. Thanks to stealth design and use of passive (no outgoing signals to detect) homing, NSM is extremely difficult for the target ship to detect and defeat. Other missiles which use radar for terminal guidance always emit radar signals which can be detected by enemy radar warning receivers. With NSM there arent any emissions. New target selection technology provides JSM/NSM with a capacity for independent detection, recognition, and discrimination of targets and even their weak spots if there are any stored in an internal target database. NSM/JSM is also better able to detect defensive measures from the target and perform evasive maneuvers including coming around to re-attack if necessary. All this gives NSM/JSM higher hit probability than competing missiles. The 125 kg (275 pound) warhead is relatively small for anti-ship missiles but is more lethal because the guidance system is capable of hitting the target in its most vulnerable areas.

In Norway the four Type 212CD submarines are meant to replace six older Ula class subs. These were based on the German U210 design and are1,000-ton boats with a crew of 21, eight torpedo tubes and 14 torpedoes. Entering service between 1989 and 1992, these were the largest and most capable subs the Norwegian Navy had ever operated. The Ulas replaced fifteen smaller 435-ton Kobben-class subs that did not have room for all 24 crew members to sleep. That was because coastal-type subs were designed to stay at sea for a few days at a time and were meant to defend against an enemy attack on Norway. Kobbens entered service between 1965 and 1967 and were retired as the Ulas entered service. Both Kobbens and Ulas served over three decades and the 212CD is expected to do the same.

Type 212 entered service in 2005 with the German navy and are still being built for export customers. Later models of the 212 were among the first to use fuel cells (for AIP, or Air Independent Propulsion), which enable them to quietly operate underwater for weeks at a time. They still have diesel propulsion, but this is only used for surface travel when the batteries are recharged. The 212's are also very quiet, quieter than most nuclear boats in service. This makes them an even match for a current nuclear boat equipped with better sensors. The 1,450 ton 212's are much smaller than nuclear boats (57 meters/188 feet long, compared to twice as long and 6,200 tons for the new U.S. Virginia class SSNs). The nuclear boats are used for a lot more than hunting other ships and subs. The Type 212CDs will apparently be 1,600-ton boats with AIP and a new generation of sensors and fire control systems. Complete details have not been released. The first of the six Type 212CD boats will enter service in 2029 and Norway will get the first two, the Germany getting the third and last 2012CD, which will be delivered in the late 2030s. Germany and other export customers are expected to buy the Type 212CD or variants of it.

While the 212's are mainly attack boats, and well designed and equipped for it, they can, because of their AIP, be used for intelligence collection and landing commandos. While Germany is an American ally, their development of fuel cell technology for subs, and use of these boats in their own navy, helped this technology mature, and eventually become available to many more nations. These 212 boats are, expensive (about half a billion dollars each), but that's less than a third the cost of a nuclear boat. The Type 212CDs are more expensive, costing over $600 million each. All 212's are highly automated, requiring a crew of only 27. But with six torpedo tubes, and a dozen torpedoes (plus anti-ship missiles, launched from the tubes, as well as mines), they could be, in the wrong hands, a major threat to the U.S. fleet. Cheaper to buy and cheaper to run, because you don't need as many skilled sailors for the crew, the 2012s are very lethal. American admirals always pay attention to who the Germans export these boats to. Most of the exports are the less expensive Type 2014, which are 212s without a lot of the highly classified tech. For export customers, the 212s were reliable and worked as advertised.

The NSM/submarine deal creates a lot more strategic cooperation between Germany and Norway while also making tiny Norways defense industries more important internationally. Norway is doing what Israel has always done and concentrated on neglected areas of weapons technology and providing effective solutions first. Export potential will increase more for Norway than for Germany because of the NSM/JSM/U212CD joint effort. Germany las long been Norways largest trading partner and one of its closest allies.
Darren Kimura joins as COO, Padraig Stapleton as VP Global Engineering, Michael Pearl as VP Global Sales

Veteran open-source developer Dr. Dmitri Chiriaev to lead the European office

Momentum driven by growing European customer base and validates ZEDEDAs position as the disruptive orchestration solution for the distributed edge

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- ZEDEDA, the leader in orchestration for the distributed edge, today announced the hiring of three industry veterans to executive roles, along with the opening of its European headquarters in Berlin, Germany.

The moves come weeks after ZEDEDA closed a $12.5 million strategic investment round with an eye on expanding its global leadership in secure distributed edge computing. The company was recently named IoT Security Platform of the Year as part of the 9th Annual Compass Intelligence Awards, while CRN included ZEDEDA in its list of the 10 Coolest IoT Software Companies of 2021.

Since the launch of ZEDEDAs distributed edge orchestration solution in January, demand has far surpassed our expectations, said ZEDEDA founder and CEO Said Ouissal. The executives joining our team bring deep expertise in operating world-class organizations and will help ZEDEDA grow and scale. And, our new Berlin office opens access to top developer talent in Europe and a new support hub for our international customers.

Executive Team Adds Industry Veterans Darren Kimura, Padraig Stapleton, Michael Pearl

Darren Kimura, who previously served as President and CEO at LiveAction (a Network Performance Management software company) and pioneered MicroCSP (Micro-scaled Concentrating Solar Power technologies) as CEO of Sopogy, joins the company as Chief Operating Officer. With experience taking three previous companies from seed stage to exit, and as a venture capitalist, Kimura will drive ZEDEDAs go-to-market growth and strategy.

The growth that ZEDEDA has achieved is a testament to its vision, product excellence and execution, Kimura said. Im excited to join this amazing team, driving strategy and execution, with the goal to extend our leadership in the edge computing industry as we expand operations globally.

Padraig Stapleton brings senior management experience in both public and pre-IPO companies to his new role as ZEDEDAs VP of Engineering. Stapleton spent two years growing AT&Ts Big Data Development group and most recently served as chief of engineering at Mobileum. At ZEDEDA, Stapleton will coordinate the work of engineers worldwide, focusing on driving innovation and improving product quality.

Edge computing creates a complexity within organizations, from new challenges around security, availability, networking, and more, to an immense diversity of hardware, applications, data sources and destinations, and more.  Stapleton said. ZEDEDAs vision of an open framework that enables organizations to easily scale their edge deployments is industry-defining, and Im excited to join ZEDEDA to build and scale its worldwide engineering operations.

Veteran sales executive Michael Pearl joins ZEDEDA to grow sales and drive customer engagements. Prior to ZEDEDA, Pearl spent two years leading Ciscos Industrial IoT Americas sales team after previously serving in various IoT and networking sales and business development leadership roles at Cisco, Jasper and Axeda. Pearl brings extensive startup experience, with expertise leading OEM sales engagements and scaling sales organizations to drive rapid revenue growth.

As more organizations focus on automation, analytics and AI while utilizing multi-cloud capabilities, ZEDEDA is in a unique position to help companies secure and scale the distributed computing edge while providing future proof, long-term orchestration options to our customers, Pearl said. Im excited to join ZEDEDA at this pivotal stage and help define and execute on the companys vision for expanding its sales operations.

Berlin Office Actively Recruiting Open-Source Developers

ZEDEDAs European headquarters in Berlin, Germany, will serve as an R&D hub and support European-based customers and will be under the leadership of veteran open-source developer Dr. Dmitri Chiriaev. Initial efforts will build an extension of ZEDEDAs engineering team, focused primarily on the open-source development of EVE-OS within Project EVE in the Linux Foundations LF Edge organization. ZEDEDA contributed the initial code for Project EVE in 2019, with the goal of establishing an open, vendor-agnostic and standardized architecture and operating system that streamlines orchestration of cloud-native and legacy apps for distributed compute nodes. In this regard, EVE-OS can be thought of as the Android of distributed edge computing. ZEDEDA leverages EVE-OS as the edge foundation for its cloud-based orchestration solution to deliver visibility, control, and security to the distributed edge at scale.

Interested applicants should visit the ZEDEDA career page.

About ZEDEDA

ZEDEDA, the leader in orchestration for the distributed edge, delivers visibility, control and security for edge computing deployments. ZEDEDA enables customers the freedom of deploying and managing any app on any hardware at scale and connecting to any cloud or on-premises systems. Distributed edge solutions require a diverse mix of technologies and domain expertise, and ZEDEDA provides customers with an open, vendor-agnostic orchestration framework that breaks down silos and provides the needed agility and futureproofing as they evolve their connected operations. Customers can now seamlessly orchestrate intelligent applications at the distributed edge to gain access to critical insights, make real-time decisions and maximize operational efficiency. ZEDEDA is a venture-backed Silicon Valley company headquartered in San Jose, California, with offices in Bangalore and Pune, India and Berlin, Germany. For more information, contact info@zededa.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210428005094/en/

Treble

Michael Kellner

zededa@treblepr.com

Source: ZEDEDA
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Once again, early warnings ignored View(s):

The Government has been in that awkward, unenviable damned if you do; damned if you dont situation of not putting in place stricter lockdown procedures and thereby allowing the deadly COVID-19 virus to gallop away. It is receiving some deserved flak for dropping the ball by ignoring early warning signals of the presence of new mutants of the virus and a resurgence of the pandemic with greater ferocity.

It is steadfastly refusing to admit the obvious: COVID-19 is now well and truly community spread in Sri Lanka. The statistics speak for themselves even though official figures are questionably conservative. The numbers are greater, not lesser than what is given.

It was not long ago that the members of this Government pitched into, and rightly so, the previous Government for ignoring early warnings on the planned bombings of that fateful Easter Sunday of 2019. That same lethargy on the part of the current Administration has now come to bite back as early warnings of the presence of a new and decidedly more potent variant of the virus were prevalent early last month, and before the national new year holidays two weeks later.

Clearly, no lessons have been learnt on acting decisively and in time to avert looming disaster. Political expediency seems to have taken precedence despite availability of data and warnings in the media. Fearing a wave of unpopularity if they implemented lockdowns or in the least, restricted movements during the festive season, the authorities are now blaming the people for irresponsible behaviour.

Public Health Inspectors (PHIs) who have been in the forefront of the battle against the spread of the virus kept warning of a new wave of the virus spreading by May if action was not taken in April. These PHIs are in the lower spectrum of the hierarchy combating COVID-19. Politicians, the military and certain sections of the medical fraternity have been given precedence in the decision-making process. The new wave came sooner than in May. Meanwhile, the Education Ministry was irresponsibly trying to force students and undergrads to go back to schools and universities irrespective of the ground realities.

From claims in the early months of being among the Top Ten in the world in controlling the virus, Government policy slipped to asking the citizenry to look after their own safety, to now saying the vaccine is the only answer.

But the vaccine and the vaccination programme itself is mired in a global tangle and locally, politicisation. Sri Lanka got off to a slow start in acquiring the vaccine, but is now trapped in a web of intricate global imperialism and national self-interest aspects. Even when the limited stocks arrived, the authorities were unable to have a cohesive rational strategy. In the UK, where this new strain hit them hard, they had a planned vaccination campaign. Their Health Minister who is 42 years old had to wait his turn and got his jab only this week under the age-group category. At least domestically, they try and lead by example. Today, the UK is quietly coming out of its pandemic, while Sri Lanka is in danger of going under.

Upgrade Lankas migrant labour force

Another successive May Day celebrating International Workers Day came and went without the traditional fanfare due to the deadly COVID-19 virus taking a new, more virulent turn.

Trade unions are up in arms. They wait all year for this show of solidarity. Workers of the World Unite is their slogan. In reality it is anything but, at least in Sri Lanka. Workers march under different banners of political parties, one set of workers bad-mouthing the others.

The fact that it was the Army Commander who announced the ban on May Day rallies is what raised the ire of the unions. He may have done so as head of the Task Force NOCPCO combating the virus, but the optics were not good for a civilian Government already under criticism for the increasing trend of dependency on the military.

Workers Day for Sri Lanka is always a day to commemorate not so much the worker within the country, cash-strapped as they are given the skyrocketing Cost of Living and cuts in wages, but those Sri Lankan workers who went abroad, no doubt to better their lives, but who in turn remitted life-saving petro-dollars and other foreign currency to the national coffers.

And yet, this Government when faced with the pandemic, has dragged its feet in bringing them back, letting them fend for themselves in foreign lands, saying they may be a pandemic bomb if they returned; the same set who have no qualms in opening the borders for tourists to come from countries where the virus is raging defying logic. As of today, 60,000 Sri Lankan workers in the Gulf region are still languishing for a flight to come back home.

There is a sense of despondency that Sri Lanka has had to rely on the sweat, toil and tears of these poor workers in harsh and inhospitable environments to shore up its foreign reserves. Very little has been done to upgrade the workers from mere hewers of wood and drawers of water.

Take the Philippines for example and how it has turned housemaids to nurses, for instance, taught them English so they can work not only in West Asia or the Gulf but even in the United States, the UK and the industrialised countries in much more respectable and lucrative jobs. Today, they are hailed for being in the vanguard in the fight against COVID-19 as frontline workers earning the respect, and gratitude of local communities.

Successive Sri Lankan Governments have been content with the status quo of their workers doing backbreaking jobs in homes and construction sites as long as the remittances came pouring in. Meanwhile, thousands of Sri Lankans just want to go abroad in search of employment.

In 2019, there were 61,000 housemaids and more than 100,000 skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled persons who went abroad through the Foreign Employment Bureau alone. Thousands of professionals leave outside the Bureau. The proposed Port City Financial Centre is not going to be operational for at least two more decades and will never meet this demand for jobs.

However much the global economy is showing a downturn and taking a hit with the pandemic, it is going to take an upturn, and Sri Lankas working class is going to include the export of its human resources. In such circumstances, it might be wise for the Government to invest more heavily to transform its unskilled workers to at least semi-skilled or skilled workers if it wishes to reap better returns from its ever-growing working class.
Oswego, N.Y.  Firefighters rescued a man from a cold, fast-moving river early Sunday in the city of Oswego.

A passerby called 911 around 3:45 a.m. after spotting a man in the Oswego River. The Oswego City Fire Department rushed to the river, boating in from the harbor in Marine 1 and driving more boats on trailers to the riverside, firefighters said.

Firefighters launched a drone and  with the help of thermal imaging  found the man.

The man was quickly rescued from the water, firefighters said, and brought an ambulance. Hes expected to make a full recovery, firefighters said.

The young man was very fortunate that someone discovered him in the river, said Deputy Fire Chief Mike Zalewski said.

Firefighters were assisted by Menter Ambulance the Oswego City Police Department.

Staff writer Samantha House covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? Reach her at shouse@syracuse.com.
Ballston Spa, N.Y.  A New York man has admitted his role in the 2019 killing of a young woman who worked at an upstate deli and whose body was left in a shallow grave.

James Duffy pleaded guilty in Saratoga County Court to second-degree murder in the death of 22-year-old Allyzibeth Lamont, prosecutors said Friday.

Lamont went missing after an October shift the Local No. 9 deli in Johnstown and was found three days later in a marsh in the town of Malta, 30 miles (50 kilometers) east of Johnstown. An autopsy found she died of multiple blows to the head.

Duffy, the manager of the deli, was charged in the killing along with Georgios Kakavelos, who owned the deli. Kakavelos is accused of hiring Duffy to kill Lamont, The Recorder has reported.

Prosecutors have said the two attempted to conceal Lamonts body by covering it with concrete, branches, paving stones and fertilizer, the Albany Times Union reported.

Duffy will be sentenced on July 15. Kakavelos is scheduled for trial May 10.
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(Photo : Flickr/Thomas Pesquet) SpaceX Crew Dragon astronauts

On May 2, four astronauts plunged to a pre-dawn splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico after their trip to the International Space Station, or ISS, while aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule.

SpaceX Crew Dragon Back to Earth

Michael Hopkins, the Crew-1 commander, along with NASA astronauts Victor Glover and Shannon Walker, and Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi, disconnected from the space-facing port of the station's forward Harmony module at 8:35 p.m. EDT on May 1.

According to Space.com., this landing is recorded as the third nighttime landing in the history of NASA.

However, the Crew Dragon executed a textbook return to Earth, dropping out of orbit, deploying four massive parachutes, and settling to a gentle splashdown south of Panama City, Florida, at 2:56 a.m., finishing a mission spanning 2,688 orbits over 168 days since its launch in November 2020.

Also Read: SpaceX's Crew Dragon Resilience: How to Watch ISS Astronauts Take Their Shortest Interstellar Travel Yet

Despite landing at the dead-of-night, NASA's WB-57 tracking aircraft captured spectacular infrared views of the capsule as it descended through the dense lower atmosphere, while cameras on SpaceX's recovery ship showed the exact moment of the capsule's splashdown.

The SpaceX crew rushed to the Crew Dragon to make sure that the spacecraft is in one piece and haul it on board a company recovery ship, The New York Times reported.

The four astronauts remained inside, waiting for the capsule to be hauled aboard where personnel were standing by to help them all get out safely. There were even stretchers in case it is needed, and they began re-adjusting to gravity after five and a half months in space.

After the medical checks and phone calls home to friends and family, all four crew members were flown to shore by a helicopter and handed off to a NASA personnel for a flight back to the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Nighttime Landing

While mission managers prefer daylight landings, rough weather ruled out re-entry plans on Apr. 28 and May 1. With mild winds expected on May 2, both NASA and SpaceX agreed to target a pre-dawn return for the Crew-1 astronauts.

Unlike the first piloted Crew Dragon splashdown last August, when the spacecraft was quickly surrounded by boaters in the Mexican Gulf, the Coast Guard planned enforced a 10-mile-wide safety zone for this landing to keep any early morning onlookers away from the area.

The Crew Dragon's return completed a record-pace crew rotation requiring two launches and two landings with four different spacecraft in just three weeks to replace the International Space Station's entire seven-member crew.

The most recent nighttime water landing came in October 1976 when two cosmonauts in a Soviet-era Soyuz spacecraft, making an unplanned descent in blizzard-like conditions after a failed docking, were blown off course into a massive lake in Kazakhstan.

It took recovery crews nine hours to move the spacecraft to shore and rescue the cosmonauts, according to CNN.

The only other night splashdown came in December 1968 when the crew of Apollo 8 came home from a Christmas trip around the moon, and carried out a planned, uneventful pre-dawn landing in the Pacific Ocean.

Related Article: SpaceX Crew Dragon Spacecraft Glass Dome: Company Teases Panoramic Window for All-Civilian Spaceflight

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Sophie Webster

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Asian International Academy ( AIA) Ventures into World Recognised Engineering Programmes AIA was incorporated in 2011 to serve the educational needs of the country. View(s): View(s):

The mission of AIA has been to equip and empower the next generation to reach the highest goals in their chosen fields. AIA is one of the fastest growing educational groups in Sri Lanka and in keeping with our goals provide expert advice and counselling free of charge and have thus garnered a name for our integrity and ethical values.

At AIA we believe that education is the key to optimisation of human capital, and we are driven to offer a range of options that cater to the needs of every vision and dream. AIA maintains an array of educational affiliations which caters to every educational need beginning from pre-graduate level.

AIA offers options for studying in Sri Lanka, studying abroad or even studying online while being price sensitive.

The options to study in Sri Lanka include:

SLICM (Sri Lanka Institute of Credit management)

ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants

CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst)

US CPA (U.S. Certified Public Accountant)

B.I.E.T (British Institute of Engineering and Technology

Meu Labs

SLICM

SLICM is a qualification that has the seal of approval from a multitude of organisations in the Banking and Finance sector as well as non-banking companies. SLICM was started in 1988 and enacted by an Act of Parliament in the year 2000. SLIM is offered in Sinhala and English to ensure that learning is not restrictive, and we have trained over 3500 students. AIA is the exclusive tuition provider for SLICM.

ACCA and CFA

AIA together with Alpha Business School offer both ACCA and CFA, two of the most recognised and in-demand accounting qualifications in the world. Additionally, Alpha Business school students can read for a degree from Oxford Brookes University UK and have the option of following diplomas from Concordia International University USA. Ensuring a well-rounded teaching approach, job placements can be arranged during the study period. For further information www.alphabusiness.lk

US CPA

AIA offer US CPA programme in collaboration with Becker of USA. AIA is a Global Partner of Becker.

Engineering and Technology

BIET offers a B.Sc. in Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Project Management offered from the University of the West of England, Bristol. It also offers Diplomas in Construction Project Management, Higher Diploma in Engineering Technology, Higher Diploma in Mechanical Engineering and Higher Diploma in infrastructure and Networks along with a Foundation University Course.

At present all lectures are offered online. For further information www.biet.edu.lk

Project Based Learning

MEU labs together with AIA recently launched Sri Lankas first ever dedicated project-based learning programme. With the intention of ensuring that we shape creative thinkers and problem solvers, the MEU labs team have designed programmes that allow young students to be guided to improve their analytical and cognitive skills. The team comprises of members from University of Colombo, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Oxford University, University of Pennsylvania, and Imperial College London, who offer personal guidance through lab-sessions and group tasks, encouraging self-learning and collaborative thinking. For further information www.meulabs.org

Kaplan Study Materials

AIA through Systematics Education offer Kaplan study materials to Sri Lankan Students.

Study Abroad.

If your dream is to study abroad AIA has over 2700 universities in over 40 countries including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, UK, Malaysia.

Moreover, AIA is the exclusive agent in Sri Lanka for the Canadian University Application Centre (CUAC). CUAC has helped over 10,000 students to study in Canada from many countries around the world. Expert counselling and all our services are provided free of charge where University payments due to the respective universities are made directly to the Universities. For further information www.cuac.ca

AIA has also partnered with Acorn Group, in order to offer travel related services to the students. ACORN is a travel conglomerate operating in Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Thailand, encompassing multiple businesses and leading international brands in the travel and aviation industry. For further information www.acorn.lk

For further information on AIA you can visit www.aia.lk
New Braunfels, TX (78130)

Today

Thunderstorms in the morning, then skies turning partly cloudy late. High 92F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy early with increasing clouds overnight. Low 76F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.
Can charge a ticket for entering Diyatha Uyana Wetland Park? View(s):

Most wetlands in cities are designated as wetland parks, because of the dual roles they play in ecosystem maintenance and provision of social services such as relaxation and recreation. The cities depend on ecosystems beyond city limits, they also benefit from internal urban ecosystems (with environmental amenities) located within urban landscapes, which provide a range of ecosystem services to nearby residents.

In the past, the notion that wetlands were wastelands, a notion which had to do with both ignorance and misunderstanding of the value of the goods and services they provide, had led to their conversion into intensive agricultural, industrial and residential uses. Today, it is understood that wetlands are amongst the earths most productive ecosystems described variously as the kidneys of the landscape because of the functions they perform in the hydrological and chemical cycles and as biological supermarkets for the extensive food webs and rich biodiversity they support.

The Diyatha Uyana Wetland Park (DUWP) in Sri Lanka is today recognised as an important recreational site in the Greater Colombo area in Sri Lanka. The availability of food stalls, meeting points, walking paths, daily fairs offering different items, and small shops for purchasing day-to-day needs and places for relaxation are among its major attractions. While visitors to the Park expend money to enjoy the environmental services, their recreational value has not been estimated. The upkeep of DUWP entails a high maintenance cost on the part of the Government of Sri Lanka as it extends over a large area. It is argued that if the park generates more welfare benefits, at present the park levies no an entrance fee from visitors although the Municipal Council allocates a considerable amount of funds for the upkeep of the park.

Individual travel cost method was applied by our research team to assess the value of the welfare benefits in monetary terms that the visitors accrue by visiting DUWP. The study also examined the impact of imposing an entrance fee on regular visitors to the site and assessed the changes in welfare benefits with the imposed entrance fee, and the present value of non-market benefits provided to users if the authorities continue to preserve the site as a natural recreational area. This would greatly facilitate decision-making on effective resource allocation for recreation purposes as well as wetland conservation.

From the estimates, it can be said that an individual receives an estimated welfare benefit (satisfaction) of Rs. 512.82 in terms of consumer surplus (in economic terms). This finding confirmed that the amount of welfare benefits generated at DUWP is the motivation factor for visiting DUWP. Further, based on the estimated welfare benefits an entrance fee to a wetland park can be determined.

According to the economic theories, consumer surplus is defined as the difference between the total amount that consumers (here visitors) are willing and able to pay for a good or service and the total amount that they actually do pay.

Accordingly, DUWP generates an estimated welfare benefits of total Rs. 9358.90 million per year. These calculations represent the value of access to the site derived by measuring the recreational value that would be lost if the wetland park was to disappear or, equivalently in the case of recreation, if no recreational visitors were allowed to visit the park. However, the government would benefit from knowing the recreational value of the wetland park when making decisions regarding its future uses. This study measured the impact of a direct entrance fee. If an entrance fee is introduced (at Rs. 80.00 which is the fee levied at parks in Sri Lanka, the Government of Sri Lanka would earn Rs. 144.85 million annually. But the findings indicate that there would be a reduction in social welfare benefit with such a fee.

However, considering the estimated revenues to be had from such an entrance fee, the government would do well to think of possible alternative fund-generating strategies. As the imposition of an entrance fee is not practical given the multiple recreational sites (without precise boundaries) throughout the wetland, imposing a reasonable vehicle parking fee, facilities enjoying fee, and sanitation fee would be more appropriate which has the added benefit of reduced congestion and pollution. It is a fact that the DUWP has been deteriorating in quality as a recreational site owing to ineffective management during recent years. Hence, it is timely that the Government gives serious thought both to revenue generation and to providing funds to maintain the wetland. The total welfare benefits generated from the wetland would be far higher than Rs. 9358.90, if the other use- and non-use values were incorporated into it. But the findings also indicate that there will be a reduction in welfare benefits with such a higher fee. However, considering the estimated revenues to be earned from such an entrance fee, the government could think of possible alternative fund-generating strategies.

The calculations show that the present value of non-market benefits from preserving the park is Rs. 9358.90 million (or USD 46.79 million) per year at the 10% discount rate. This is equal to Rs. 234 million per perch, which is approximately 78 times greater than the existing land value of the area (at Rs. 2-3 million per perch). We measured the benefits in perpetuity assuming that the wetlands will be preserved in their natural state indefinitely. But it is worthy of note that the recreational benefit is just one of the numerous benefits provided by the wetlands and that we have not included the other use- or non-use values in the analysis. Including these benefits would undoubtedly increase the present value of the wetlands and strengthen the case for preservation over development. We were also not able to calculate the cost of open space, which is the value of services foregone by not allocating recreational land to other alternative land uses such as commercial

and residential.

Biography

Prof. Wasantha Rathnayake is a distinguished Professor in Environmental Management attached to the Faculty of Management Studies, Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka. He was the Dean of Faculty of Management Studies from 2011 to 2017. Prof. Rathnayake has made a great contribution towards the conservation and management of wildlife and natural resources in Sri Lanka covering the areas of strategic planning, policy formulation and protected area management. He served as a Deputy Director at Department of Wildlife Conservation before joined the University system. He served more than five years as the Focal Point (representative) of Sri Lanka for Ramsar Convention and Indian Ocean South East Asia Memorandum of Understanding for Turtle Conservation (IOSEA). Prof. Wasantha Rathnayake is an outstanding researcher, and he has published more than 80 research articles, book chapters, conference papers and abstracts, including articles indexed in Science citation index and social science index and refereed journals. The most important thing is that his research findings are not only important for academic purposes but also very useful for the national development in Sri Lanka.
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Fall-back qualifications: Undergrad and postgrad courses to be introduced View(s):

The University Grants Commission (UGC) will introduce early exit or fall-back qualifications for existing undergraduate and postgraduate programmes of study.

UGC Chairman Sampath Amaratunge told the Education Times this facility was recommended by the UGCs Standing Committee on Quality Assurance to be on par with international higher education guidelines.

At present when one is enrolled to follow a course of study in a university there is no way of exiting either due to financial difficulties faced by a student or to follow another programme that suits the students future career. Fall-back qualifications are meant to avoid the unfortunate situation where a student is compelled to leave a programme without any qualification despite several years of study and some significant level of achievement, the Chairman said.

Prof. Amaratunge said this policy was designed for students who have completed the minimum period of study required for the full qualification, but are unable to fulfill all the requirements for the full qualification to be awarded.

For example a level 10 MSc programme may have provision for exit with a level 9 Masters or a level 8 Postgraduate Diploma.

He said university vice chancellors, campus rectors and institute directors have been instructed to introduce early exit qualifications into the design of new postgraduate programmes and to include provisions for early exit and fall-back qualifications in the university by-laws for existing programmes.

The UGC has clearly mentioned that in designing such exit pathways, the expected programme, the expected outcomes or graduate competencies, the course structure , and the assessment strategy, including requirements for award of each qualification must be clearly specified, the Chairman said.

However, if a student is expelled from the university on disciplinary grounds then such a student may not be eligible for award of an early exit or fall-back qualification.

Early exit pathways are not recommended for undergraduate degree programmes to which students are admitted through the UGC. However, universities are able to introduce fall back qualifications at Sri Lanka Qualifications Framework (SLQF) Levels 3,4,5 for students registered for programmes leading to Bachelors Honours degrees, but who do not fulfill all the requirements to award the degree, Prof. Amaratunge said.

(NF)
Amid ongoing concerns about the safety of physically returning to classrooms in a pandemic, Louisiana schools vastly expanded remote-learning options this past year  and tens of thousands of students have taken advantage of them.

Next year may prove much different.

Some schools in the Baton Rouge area are retooling their online offerings to draw more children back to campus.

The shift comes as coronavirus infections trend downward and more Louisianans get vaccinated. It's also inspired by growing evidence that COVID's spread inside school buildings has been minimal.

Another motivating factor is fear about virtual education leaving many students behind  especially those from low-income families.

While many schools across the country went virtual when the pandemic started in spring 2020, the vast majority of Louisiana's have stayed on campus since early in the school year. According to the latest state figures, about 25% of Louisiana students are learning online every day or receiving "hybrid" instruction where they spend part of the week and the rest behind a computer. That's about half the level of online instruction from last fall.

+4 Louisiana students, teachers have mixed feelings on coronavirus-affected school year Istrouma High School senior Jol Nicole Johnson, who was "kind of scared" before school began, says taking classes amid the coronavirus pandemi

Still, for a host of reasons, many online-only families hesitate to give up on remote learning.

They point to Louisiana's relatively low vaccination rates, resurgence of the virus in other states and countries and the threat of new COVID variants reversing recent progress. They also tend to be highly critical of what they see as Louisiana's lax rules around mask-wearing and social distancing, as well as the near-absence of surveillance testing for the virus.

"It just feels like there are too many unknowns," said Erin Ralston, a parent of two children learning virtually this year through Dufrocq Elementary School in Baton Rouge.

Nevertheless, East Baton Rouge schools are moving aggressively. Specifically, the district plans to end most of its remote instruction, which now serves more than 12,500 students, or 31% of district students.

"It's important for us to get kids back in school, in person," Superintendent Sito Narcisse said at a March 31 press conference.

As justification, he noted how relatively few people  adults and children alike  have been testing positive for coronavirus.

"As we look at our rates, they are very low," Narcisse said. "We don't see kids or adults getting infected, so we feel that we are ready to make that announcement."

The most common mode of virtual instruction involves teachers working with kids in class as others watch remotely from home. It's a setup that can be very taxing on teachers.

For that reason, Narcisse said, "We will not do the split model. It will be in-person."

Start school in July? What's the thinking behind East Baton Rouge superintendent's plan? Students in East Baton Rouge Parish public schools will return to classes nearly two weeks earlier than normal next school year under a propos

For those who want to stay virtual, the school system is directing them to the tiny EBR Virtual Academy, a five-year-old virtual high school that serves about 30 students. Narcisse plans to announce more details next week on how to revamp the virtual school to accommodate more grades and greater demand. The school board is set to debate the idea when it meets at 5 p.m. Thursday.

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Ralston said she first heard in February she might need to transfer her children from Dufrocq to EBR Virtual Academy next year if she wants them to continue to learn remotely. She's been waiting in vain since then for more detail, she added, and is also unhappy that there's been no effort to find out what parents like her want.

"I've seen no data that they made any attempt to survey virtual families to see what's going on," she said.

One big unanswered question is whether students who enroll at EBR Virtual Academy would have to transfer out of their current school. It's of particular concern for students who attend popular magnet programs and worry about losing their spot if they left for virtual school.

During an April 20 town hall, Narcisse said the details are still being worked out. But he added that he's inclined to require those who want to continue learning virtually to transfer out of their home school.

"We can't have it both ways," he said. "We have to get schoolkids back in person."

In Zachary, the state's top rated school district, about 20% of students learn virtually these days. While down from earlier in 2020-21, Superintendent Scott Devillier said he's sure there will still be families in Zachary insisting on virtual instruction next year and he will work to accommodate them. His team is still deciding what it wants to do about virtual learning next year and is likely to have settled on an approach by late May.

There is nothing in stone," he said. "We're looking at all those different options."

Nevertheless, he said there will likely still be some school-based online instruction as well as students enrolling in Zachary's small virtual school. He sees virtual instruction as here to stay.

"Some folks have learned that maybe virtual learning is best for their child," he said.

Not all virtual-only students have suffered this past year.

Mari Rethelyi said her son, a second-grader at Baton Rouge Center for Visual and Performing Arts, or BRCVPA, has thrived. She credits the school's schedule of 45-minute classes and 15-minute breaks between. It reminds her of the way education was for her and her husband growing up in Europe.

"The virtual schedule at BRCVPA is so amazing" for Rethelyi's son, she said. "It's so developmentally appropriate for his age."

Consequently, she's loath to give it up for the more traditional American school schedule. Like Ralston, she's wary of possible COVID variants, especially ones that might prove more dangerous to children. But otherwise, she doesn't share that level of safety concern.

Rethelyi would also like her son to reacclimate to the school he loves. She's skeptical of EBR Virtual Academy and is nervous about losing her son's spot in the magnet program.

Other districts in the Baton Rouge region are tinkering with their virtual plans for the 2021-22 school year as well.

Ascension Parish on Friday sent a survey to parents, which, among other things, asks if they're satisfied with online education. Currently, about 3,100 students, or 13%, are learning virtually. A total of 762 are in a special virtual school, APPLe Digital Academy, which first opened in 2013. The rest are getting virtual instruction from their teachers in a classroom.

In Livingston Parish, Superintendent Joe Murphy said he hopes to have a 2021-22 virtual plan by the end of May  but its still a work in progress. Livingston has far fewer online students: 477, or about 1.8% of all students. Like Ascension, Livingston has offered online instruction through both a special school, LPLTC Virtual Program, which started last summer, as well as from classroom teachers.
The petrochemical industry has long battled with the river pilots who help steer ships up and down the Mississippi River, mostly over the large fees the pilots charge industrial firms for their services.

Most of the skirmishing has played out in obscure regulatory meetings, with occasional faceoffs in court. Now, for the first time in years, the battle will move to the Louisiana Legislature.

House Bill 650 pushed by the chemical and energy industries and sponsored by Rep. Thomas Pressly, R-Shreveport, would make sweeping changes to the regulatory boards and rules for pilots. It would add industry members to their oversight panel and require the notoriously nepotistic groups to make an annual report of pilots, including a list of how many are related to other pilots or public officials. The bill is scheduled for a committee hearing Monday.

The legislation comes after the Crescent River Pilots, which handles ships between Pilottown, at the mouth of the Mississippi River, and New Orleans, asked the regulator that handles rates for a significant pay raise. The request, which associations for oil and chemical industries are fighting at the Louisiana Pilotage Fee Commission, seeks to boost the pay for those pilots to an average of $697,000 a year. Crescent says the increase would put its pilots in line with the other two major pilot groups on the lower Mississippi River, adding that their pay is scaled to the amount of work done.

The river pilots have long been well-paid and politically connected, and they employ a host of powerful lobbyists. Longtime former state Sen. Francis Heitmeier has long represented the New Orleans Baton Rouge Steamship Pilots Association, or NOBRA, another of the major pilot organizations along the Mississippi. Its captains guide ships between New Orleans and the Capital City. Heitmeiers son, Cory, is one of six Heitmeiers who are NOBRA pilots.

Mississippi River pilots vs. John Bel Edwards: an inside look at heated legal and political clash Last week, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards announced hed appointed a son of John Alario Jr., a key political ally, to the board that regulate

The Crescent River Pilots sent an email blast to lawmakers on the House Commerce Committee, which is hearing the legislation, slamming Pressleys bill as a power grab by deep-pocketed corporate interests.

Big Oil and Big Chemical once more risk public safety to gain control of pilot organizations as outlined in HB650, the email said in part. Louisiana does not need companies responsible for Deepwater Horizon, Costa Concordia, Exxon Valdez, making decisions for public safety.

The Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association, which is pushing the bill, responded with a myth versus fact sheet saying the legislation creates a fair, transparent system by adopting several practices used by the Lake Charles pilots. That group is often on good terms with industry groups, unlike the Mississippi River pilots.

Tyler Gray, head of the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association, said the measure would reform the pilotage system to make it more accountable to the public interest. He said the pilot groups that would be affected by the bill have a lack of transparency.

The Bar Pilots and Lake Charles Pilots have been able to safely conduct their business in a transparent and fair manner, and it is time for the state governing authorities of the other pilotage associations to modernize this antiquated system, including opening up their ranks to qualified candidates regardless of race, gender or family ties, Gray said.

All three of the Mississippi River pilot groups have a state mandate to guide boats along the tricky lower river, with the aim of keeping giant ships, many from other countries and carrying dangerous cargo, from crashing into one another, or into wharves or levees. The petrochemical and oil companies that use the river must pay for their services.

The gig pays very competitively. The pilots who traverse the stretch between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, colloquially known as NOBRA pilots, made $500,000 to $700,000 in 2020, regulatory filings show. Most of the Bar Pilots that year made over $500,000. In 2019, the last year of available data, Crescent pilots made an average of $526,958.

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Pressly, HB650s sponsor, said hes met with pilot groups in recent weeks and is hoping negotiations turn into a compromise. He said hes hoping to add industry folks to the board overseeing the pilots so theyre not self-governed, and to make the qualifications for becoming a pilot widely known. Many of the pilots are closely related to other pilots, fueling complaints of nepotism.

It just adds some transparency and sunshine to the process, Pressly said.

+2 Outside groups continue to pour millions into bitter ad war to tilt Louisiana governor's race Attorneys, oil and gas interests and dark money groups have continued to funnel millions of dollars into Louisianas governors race since the

The bill would change the makeup of the boards overseeing the Crescent pilots and NOBRA pilots  the two groups most often at loggerheads with industry  by requiring one member to be appointed from a list of nominees selected by several business-based groups, including the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, LMOGA and the Louisiana Chemical Association. It would require the governor to appoint a businessperson selected from a list submitted by the Baton Rouge Area Chamber and Greater New Orleans Inc, as well as a licensed pilot nominated by the pilot groups.

While the bills biggest impacts would be on the Crescent and NOBRA pilots, it would add regulations about training and transparency that would apply to all the river pilot groups, including the Bar pilots and the Lake Charles pilots.

Jack Anderson, president of the Crescent pilots oversight board, said in a recent interview that the bill is dangerous and will threaten the safety of the citizens of Louisiana and traffic on the river on a daily basis. He said industry groups are trying to kneecap the pilots because they asked for a pay raise.

I dont understand how were going to give it to the guys who did Deepwater Horizon and put them on the safety board, he said.

Anderson said Thursday he met with Pressly and hopes to reach an agreement with him on the bill.

E. Michael Bopp, president of the Crescent pilots, said the oil and chemical associations are just trying to gain leverage in the ongoing battle over pay for pilots. He said his group has a sterling safety record and that the bill would jeopardize it. The oversight board doesnt belong to a group of corporate guys who are worried about profit, he said.

Asked about complaints of nepotism, he said pilots are no different than any other professionals. The Crescent group votes on which applicants to let into the association, and their ranks include many pilots from the same families.

Its just like a law office or anything else, Bopp said. Its not wrong for a son to follow in his fathers footsteps. If you were a blacksmith a long time ago, theres a good chance the son is going to be a blacksmith.

Casey Clayton, whom Gov. John Bel Edwards recently appointed to the Board of Examiners that oversees the NOBRA pilots, echoed those comments, saying children often see their parents as role models. Clayton  whose father was the former president of NOBRA  also said the bill would jeopardize safety by allowing industry to control state pilotage.

NOBRAs Board of Examiners was roiled by internal strife after Edwards nominated the son of former Senate President John Alario to the Board of Examiners for NOBRA, ousting Heitmeiers brother, Robert, in the process. Francis Heitmeier and Alario were longtime legislative allies.
NEW ORLEANS (AP)  Beaten and shackled by Louisiana state troopers, Black motorist Ronald Greene desperately tried to roll over in what may ha
Australians remain a reading people who have done better than readers in the United Kingdom and United States in keeping bookshops alive author David Malouf told the Sydney Writers Festival on Sunday night.

The 87-year-old Brisbane-born writer, who often uses a manual typewriter for his manuscripts, hand wrote his final address and delivered it at Carriageworkson the final night of the four-day festival.

Bookshops remain places where we share a village atmosphere. Bookshops are centres of a culture we take for granted ... but books are where writer and reader come together, he said.

Author David Malouf. Credit: Conrad del Villar

Theres a real magic that goes back to our childhood  a book is a magic box that takes us to another world, it is an experience akin to dreaming ... a necessary source to heal.
Technology allows me not to have to be there, he said. For much of the year, when theatres were closed and live performances banned, television was the only game in town for actors struggling to find work. Law & Order: SVU has been appearing as a credit in stage actors Playbill biographies for many years, but once Broadway shut down it became an even more integral part of their work diet  in part because flying in stars was complicated by quarantine rules, and in part out of a conscious effort to help the New York theatre community. When everything shut down, we were all like, What are we going to do? said Adriane Lenox, a Tony Award winner who played a judge on SVU just months after testing positive for the virus early in the pandemic. Lenox, like many other actors, said that she had to go on unemployment at one point and that she had tried to make ends meet by looking for jobs such as dog walking on websites like ZipRecruiter.

She was one of more than 100 local stage actors who were featured on the show this year, according to Warren Leight, its showrunner. I just made the call early on: Lets make this the year where the first pool of actors we go to is the Broadway actors, the off-Broadway actors, he said. It really does seem like the right thing to do. Logistically, its easier to hire locally. Ice-T and Jamie Gray Hyder on the set of Law & Order: SVU. Credit:Virginia Sherwood/NBC The effects of the pandemic have been felt most acutely in Los Angeles and New York, where, at least in pre-pandemic times, roughly two thirds of the countrys film, television and theatrical jobs were located. In New York City, for instance, officials have estimated that employment in the arts, entertainment and recreation sector fell by 66 per cent from December 2019 to December 2020. But there are signs of a rebound. By the end of last year, television shoot days in Los Angeles had recovered to roughly 62 per cent of what they had been in 2019, according to FilmLA, the official film office for the city and county of Los Angeles. After taking a hiatus during the winter as an outbreak hobbled California, TV production in the city is approaching normal, pre-pandemic levels, FilmLA reported last week, even as other sectors of the entertainment industry lag behind.

In New York, officials said that about 40 television shows were either in production or about to begin shooting again  similar to where things stood before the March 2020 shutdown. And in Georgia, which has become the nations third-largest production hub, officials have said that the industry appears to be bouncing back from a pandemic decline that saw spending on film and television projects in the state drop from roughly $US2.9 billion ($3.7 billion) in the 2019 fiscal year to $US2.2 billion in the 2020 fiscal year. Still, production in the pandemic has come with higher costs. Television producers said that they have had to test several times each week, hire orange-vested COVID officers and bring on extra cleaning companies  all of which have ballooned budgets by as much as 15 per cent. Eric Tomosunas, the head of Swirl Film, based in Atlanta, estimated that his company has administered close to 20,000 PCR tests since July. Even with the safety protocols, there have been outbreaks at properties owned by CBS, NBC, Paramount, Warner Bros., Netflix and various other companies. (Los Angeles County defines an outbreak at a non-residential setting as three or more laboratory-confirmed cases; the biggest outbreak it reported at a studio involved 26 cases on a Lionsgate production that was being shot at CBS Studio Centre in December.)

But spokespeople for many of the networks and production companies say that they have taken extraordinary steps to keep their workers safe. Data from the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers obtained by The New York Times showed that from September to the end of February, studios identified 1884 cases after conducting more than 930,000 tests. There have not been any coronavirus outbreaks at a set or studio in Los Angeles County since February, a spokeswoman for the Department of Public Health said. SAG-AFTRA, the television and film actors union, has worked with the Directors Guild, the Teamsters, other groups and employers to establish safety protocols. The agreement, which could soon be extended, paved the way for many members to get back to work, with some pauses, as when SAG-AFTRA called for a temporary hold on in-person production in Southern California this winter when a surge threatened to overwhelm Los Angeles hospitals. (Unions have sometimes struggled to find a balance between keeping workers safe and helping them earn a living: some members of Actors Equity, which represents theatre actors and stage managers, have complained that the unions safety rules have made it too hard to find work.) David White, the national executive director and chief negotiator for SAG-AFTRA, said he believed they had found a safe way forward. I feel like it was the right thing to do to press ahead, and I feel like this is a dramatic success story, he said.

Much like companies grappling with questions about what the return to the office should look like, television executives are now having to decide which innovations of the pandemic are worth holding onto. Should they allow voice actors to keep working from home? Does a pitch meeting or even an audition absolutely have to be in person? Loading American Idol is now in its 19th season, and for 18 of them, ecstatic young singers have burst out of a studios swinging doors and melted into the arms of their loved ones after being told the magic words: Youre going to Hollywood! But for this socially distant era, the shows engineers developed a new wrinkle: an enormous screen where contestants can see their parents, their friends or their co-workers reacting to their shifting fortunes. I find that we have more tears and emotion from that screen than ever we did with people standing outside the door, said Trish Kinane, the shows executive producer. So were going to keep that.
Victoria aims to cut its greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030 and all government operations  including metro trains, schools and hospitals  will be powered by renewable energy by 2025.

The government announced its long-delayed carbon emissions reduction targets on Sunday, saying it will cut greenhouse pollution by 28 to 33 per cent of 2005 levels by 2025, and 45 to 50 per cent by 2030.

The Yallourn power station will now close in 2028. Credit:Vince Caligiuri

These targets bring Victoria into line with jurisdictions such as South Australia, which recently announced its own plan to cut emissions by 50 per cent of 2005 levels by 2030. The (much smaller) ACT will reduce its emissions by 65 to 75 per cent in the same period and NSW has a target of 35 per cent cuts by 2030.

The Morrison governments pledge to cut 2005-level emissions by 26 to 28 per cent by 2030 remained unchanged after US President Joe Bidens recent climate summit.
Premier Mark McGowan says he will decide whether the city of Perth will go into lockdown on Sunday morning, after a hotel quarantine security guard and two of his housemates tested positive to COVID-19.

The Premier would also decide on whether crowds would be allowed at the Western Derby match between AFL teams West Coast and the Fremantle Dockers, which is set to take place at Optus Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

A man gets tested in Joondalup. Credit:Sharon Smith

He said information regarding the outbreak was coming through constantly, but the fact that the city had been subject to some COVID-19-related restrictions at the times the three people were infectious in the community meant that he would not make the decision to go into another lockdown during his snap press conference on Saturday afternoon.

But it is possible that this could change tomorrow ,or the day after, he said.
Opportunities in Japanese IT industry View(s):

The tendency to recruit foreign people for professional jobs in Japan has come out just recently. We foresee that the demand for foreign professionals, especially in the IT sector, will grow up rapidly in the coming years due to increasing demand for such skills and decreasing youth population. It is the right time for Sri Lankan youth to consider Japan as a new destination for IT jobs. But, dont forget! IT skill is not the only skill you need to develop a successful career in Japan. Go something beyond that, and grab Japanese language skills, plus a good understanding about the Japanese business practices. Key to a successful international career will be in your hand soon!

Specially the graduates from countries like Vietnam, China and India are getting the benefits of high demand in the country. Following table compares Japan with Europes largest economy and with Australia. In terms of safety, quality of life and in economic benefits Japan can be positioned as one of the best places to work. Therefore, professionals can expect a very safe working and living environment while enjoying a highly competitive salary. In average 7.5 million Yen per year.

Appreciating quality of work

In most of the ways Japan is one of the best destinations to start a professional career for a graduate. Working on time and being extra careful on quality of your work are basic qualities society expects from you all the time. This is not limited to the job you do, disposing garbage is also a skill you should improve gradually. But, once you get use to them, it will be a gift from Japan to have a better future.

Many Japanese companies still have the concept of life-time employment. Therefore, companies invest a lot on employee training. Initial training goes for many months for fresh graduates. If you are lucky to join a Japanese company as a fresh graduate, then you will be able to get this training. This training based on actual working experience is very effective, which you cannot find in any paid course programme. Even after this training, company gradually introduces the working culture and technology to the new employees during the first few years. Therefore, in few years, you will easily become a master in that domain of work and obtain a very good practical knowledge also. You cannot see the same practice in other countries, yet in Japan and in Japanese companies.

But, unfortunately, the language and cultural barriers have made entering to this job-market a painful challenge. Specially in a field like software engineering both language and cultural knowledge matter very much. Proper software development practices and extreme testing are essential parts in this environment. That does not mean opportunities are limited to a unique set of people. There is a large population of foreign IT professionals working in Japan. Once they get used to this working culture, it will be a good foundation to work anywhere in the world with confidence and discipline.

Japan has a well-shaped modern economy which has evolved for centuries. While protecting the ancient roots, country has been able to hold a leading place in global market. Following table shows how economy has changed over the last century.

Even though Japan is famous for its highly sophisticated manufacturing industry, that has never been the main contributor of their economy. Currently service-industry, where Information Technology plays a major part, accounts for 72%.

Within IT industry there is a big demand for experts in areas like Information Security, Big data, Artificial Intelligence in parallel to Japans Society 5.0 concept, A human-centered society that balances economic advancement with the resolution of social problems by a system that highly integrates cyberspace and physical space.

Japan expects to achieve a smarter and human friendly society through better utilization of computer science and cyber space. Lots of improvements and innovations are required in coming decades to achieve this goal. Therefore, even with the challenges of Covid-19, top Japanese companies plan to invest more in IT related projects.

Decrease of population

Population-decrease in Japan is a well-studied aspect in Japanese society. Lots of contemporary socioeconomic factors have contributed to this situation. But people tend to see many pros and cons of it. One of the main disadvantages to the country is the lack of work force to drive the countrys industry. This has become one of the biggest challenges to economic growth. Specially the booming IT industry suffers severely from this, creating a good demand for foreign experts.

Government of Japan has already taken many steps for this. One major step is to attract highly skilled foreign professionals from potential nations. For that they are also making bilateral agreements to make a conducive environment for the professionals to come inside the country.

Nearly 300,000 foreign software engineers were needed in year 2020 to fill the vacancies in Japanese IT industry. In year 2030 this number will pass 500,000.

Author: Mr. Koga Michio is the Chairman of Lanka Nippon BizTech Institute (LNBTI). He is also a founding member of the Metatechno Inc Japan a main software provider for many multinational companies in Japan including Canon Corporation. Metatechno Inc has a subsidiary in Sri Lanka since 2001, through which many Sri Lankan engineers joined with Japanese projects.

Source

https://ecodb.net/ranking/

https://www.globalnote.jp/post-1697.html

https://www.thelancet.com/action/showFullTextImages?pii=S0140-6736%2817%2930818-8

https://chikouken.org/report/9225/

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Technology/Japan-s-biggest-companies-plot-16-jump-in-tech-investment

https://www8.cao.go.jp/cstp/english/society5_0/index.html
A crew member of a foreign live exports carrier docked in Queensland who reportedly absconded on dry land and breached quarantine rules has handed himself in to police.

Queensland police on Monday morning confirmed the man had turned himself in at the Townsville police station on Sunday night after he disembarked the ship, Polaris 3, which was docked at the Port of Townsville.

The man disembarked the Polaris 3 carrier in Townsville and breached COVID-19 restrictions. Credit:Nine News

The ship arrived after a 17-day journey from Huanghua in China.

The crew member was reportedly a Pakistani national who was understood to be seeking asylum.
A man has been charged and had his licence suspended after he allegedly drove through a red light and crashed into a bus in Sydneys west, fatally injuring his female passenger.

Police were called to Argyle Street in Parramatta, near the intersection of OConnell Street, just after 8am on Saturday where they found a grey BMW sedan and a bus had collided.

The scene where a woman died after a car and bus crashed in Parramatta. Credit:TNV

The front-seat passenger in the BMW, a 46-year-old woman, was trapped in the wreckage and died at the scene. There were no passengers in the bus at the time.

Vision from the scene showed the bus and car had veered onto the footpath, with the passenger side of the car closest to the bus.
It has never been very clear, in political terms, what Scott Morrison believes. And so it was fascinating to watch him, in the early days of his prime ministership, work overtime to define himself. He did so not by stating beliefs, but by stressing certain traits: mostly, by talking about the Shire, where he lived, and about rugby league.

Politicians have always emphasised their hobbies in an effort to appear likeable. But this was a different technique entirely. Morrison was not telling us about his identity as a humanising addition to his beliefs and policies. He was telling us about his identity as a substitute for beliefs and policies. We knew he was a footy-loving bloke from the Shire, and that was enough.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison attends an NRL match in Sydney. Credit:David Hossack

Many recent weeks in Australian politics have been focused on a single issue  sexism, or vaccines. Last week was different because it seemed diffuse. But curiously, these various events, apparently disconnected, told a similar story about our national identity.

Most prominent was the governments decision to ban flights from India. This seemed briefly shocking. Our government decided that Australian citizens had to fend for themselves  a dramatic cleavage of citizens from what we had always thought of as the rights of citizenship. On Saturday, the government announced a further step: those who tried to get back from India anyway could face prison.
Most of these Australians are effectively trapped in a war zone because the Australian government failed to do what it promised and that was to have them all home by last Christmas. Instead of mass evacuation flights and spending money on permanent quarantine facilities, the government will punish these Australians who are fleeing for their life. This is a government that could do with some empathy training.

Greg Tuck, Warragul Drastic action results in dire jeopardy

Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said we have taken drastic action to keep Australians safe regarding the draconian penalties that the government has introduced for citizens who attempt to return to Australia from India. These people are also Australian citizens and the drastic action he is taking places them in dire jeopardy.

Reg Murray, Glen Iris Insular thinking is not justified

Being an island nation doesnt justify insular thinking. Dragging out the process of waiving intellectual property rights on COVID-19 technologies so poor nations will have better access to vaccine production and threatening to jail our own citizens for coming home, are the actions of a nation favouring the fears of a few over the needs of the many.

Matt Dunn, Leongatha

Crunching the numbers

The Prime Minister has on several recent occasions claimed that hotel quarantine is 99.99 per cent effective. Specifically I assume that means there has been about one quarantine failure in every 10,000 individuals who have been through hotel quarantine. In just recent weeks, media reports have listed between 10 and 20instances of COVID transmission sourced to hotel quarantine. Given the limitations on inbound travel from overseas, it would amaze me if in the same period there have been between 100,000 and 200,000 individuals put through hotel quarantine.

Ronald Burnstein, Heidelberg This cannot be allowed to stand

A basic and fundamental right of citizenship is surely that citizens must be allowed to return to and live in their own country. The Australian federal government has just made this right a criminal offence in some circumstances. This is the most autocratic and ruthless move of any Australian government in my lifetime and it cannot be allowed to stand.

Malcolm Fraser, Oakleigh South THE FORUM

Vaccinate us here

I am a 72-year-old Australian citizen who has been isolated in the north-east of Thailand for the past 16 months. I recently heard Dr Norman Swan, and later a representative of the Grattan Institute, talking on ABC radio and both agreed on the need for a policy reset to facilitate the in-situ vaccination of Australian citizens now overseas. This is really a no-brainer. It would minimise the perils all overseas Australians now face in flying home, and, likewise, the risks, and expenses to all of hotel quarantine. I did not apply for a repatriation flight after assessing the relative risks and expenses of both flights and hotels. Yet now, as the COVID-19 emergency is heading into its second and possibly third year with no end in sight, surely an innovative and safer initiative is called for. By all means replicate Howard Springs, but at the same time get our logistics moguls at work (minimising the need for such bunkers) shipping vaccines to embassy workers and expats. Once vaccinated, tested and retested, returnees may have a home quarantine option and thereby the risks and expenses to all will certainly be minimised.

Philip Nicholls, Sakon Nakhon, Thailand Catch-22 quarantine

As a result of the COVID-19 outcomes in April the federal government now wants to imprison travellers who manage to enter Australia from India.

We know that hotel quarantine is not effective and Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly told the Senate select committee into the governments response to the pandemic last Tuesday that We expect transmissions in quarantine, which might give one cause to wonder if they actually know what quarantine is and what it is intended to achieve. We have also seen two quarantine transmissions in Perth originating with travellers recently returned from India. So, by blocking travellers from India we can clearly see that Australia has Claytons Catch-22 Quarantine  Its the quarantine you have when you dont have quarantine and you can only be in quarantine if you dont need to be in quarantine.

Holger Lubotzki, Wundowie, WA Its still the norm

Excellent article from Sam Mostyn (Unlock womens goals to win, Comment, The Age, 1/5) connecting the success of AFLW (100 years after women started playing footy) to the challenges of achieving broader equity for women across society. But Simone de Beauvoirs woman as other is still the norm, as evidenced by the branding of the mens comp as AFL, with no gender tag meaning men by default. I call on the AFL Commission to rebrand the mens comp AFLM, and The Age to lead the way by making this change immediately in its articles.

Ann Nicholson, Clayton

Dont forget support staff

Yes, teachers need less time from teaching and fewer students (Teachers seek pay rise, smaller classes, The Age, 1/5), but they also need the education support staff to help in classrooms, in libraries, in the front office, with first aid, facilities maintenance and so much more. They deal with parents, students, staff and the wider community. Just like the teachers, they need a pay rise too. Just because they work behind the scenes doesnt make them any less important in the creation of the next generation. Lets not forget the importance of the support staff in schools.

Asa Smith, Montmorency Jumping at shadows with ...

With unerring aim and a bit of help from H.L. Mencken, Tony Wright has skewered Scott Morrison, the leader who, by believing in something new every week, turns out to believe in nothing (Master of deflection. Hey, look over there!, The Age, 1/5). The latest efforts of the PM and his minions to have us jumping at the shadows of threatened war with China is a particularly calculated version of the hobgoblin technique Mencken spoke of.

Tony Haydon, Springvale

... a deflection campaign

The masterful Tony Wright has nailed it again and clearly exposes the drums of war deflection campaign as a cover for domestic politics. This campaign is also evidenced in the Prime Ministers announcement about upgrading defence facilities and weapons training at the four military bases in the Northern Territory, while strangely, not being perturbed about the 99-year lease of the strategic Port of Darwin to a Chinese company. Fear and warmongering may have serious consequences. Australian farmers are already paying a high price for our lack of diplomatic finesse. The Chinese might not have Tony Wrights understanding of the domestic politics at play here andmight interpret the inflammatory language differently and at face value. Australia may well be edged towards a conflict that no one in their right mind wants. Time for the government to rein in the rhetoric, stop the deflection and deal with the domestic problems that are confronting us.

Anne Sgro, Coburg North

What else would you call it?

Alan Tudge, if First Nations people did not experience an invasion and dispossession of land, sea and sky (Tudge concern at teaching focus on First Nations, The Age, 1/5), then what did they experience? Liberation and salvation? Racism comes in many forms. Any attempt to rewrite this perspective in the draft national curriculum in the name of balance would be just one expression of it.

Colin Smith, Mount Waverley I give them a miss

Not so long ago reading the letters to the editor page in The Age was an informative and enlightening experience, but sadly those days appear over. No better example exists than the pile on over Scott Morrisons Christian beliefs and his laying on of hands. Recent polls have Mr Morrison far ahead of Anthony Albanese as preferred prime minister yet this paper only seems to publish a never-ending stream of usually disrespectful letters from the same tired old crew of perpetually outraged Morrison haters. I bet I am not the only one who lightly scans the letters page first and ignores any that mention the PMs name, safe in the knowledge that the correspondence will, often as not, be neither reasonable, clever or insightful but just another mindless attack.

Greg Hardy, Upper Ferntree Gully

Report makes it clear

So, you report (Power grid warnings spark calls for fresh wave of national reforms, online, 30/4) that federal Energy Minister Angus Taylor says he will leave it to the market to decide the mix of coal, batteries, hydro and gas used to back up renewables. Here it is  the frighteningly clear and open statement that it is big business that runs the country. Next election, people might think about electing a government to run the country, especially those people who are struggling to eat, put a roof over their head, send their children to schools that have all the basics needed for a good education, those who are on public hospital wait lists, and on and on  all so the rich can get richer. And the rich getting richer includes those very same non-governing, not-doing-their-job politicians.

Margaret Callinan, Hawthorn Its all about ethics

The Prime Minister goes on about moral beliefs. What is the difference between a moral v an immoral belief? Who is the judge? Just because a lot of people believe in a religion doesnt make their beliefs any more or any less moral than another persons. It becomes a popularity contest of what morality means.

I would rather that the Prime Minister concentrated a bit more on ethics which provides a much more thoughtful analysis of how best to live in a world of competing moralities.

John Rome, Mount Lawley, WA Outraged and ashamed

I am in my 70s. I was discussing with a friend the things that used to make us proud and grateful for being Australian. Things like our multicultural society, our welcoming refugee policy, our generous international aid program, our world-class health system, our care of the disadvantaged and our access to tertiary education that did not leave us with crippling debt. I am sure there are more. We also believed that if we were ever in serious trouble overseas our government would assist us.

Where are we now, with the exception of our multicultural society and our healthcare there appears to be nothing left to be proud of. Add to that Malcolm Turnbulls callous dismissal of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, Peter Duttons snarling demonisation and cruel detention of asylum seekers, the embarrassment of climate change inaction and the lack of a social housing policy. We now have the federal government threatening to jail our own citizens for wishing to return home.

I am outraged and ashamed. I urge everyone to think about what this government is doing to our once respected and admired nation.

Dorothy Lim, Moonee Ponds This has to stop

Surely the penny has dropped now for the federal government  privatisation by stealth has not worked and is downright dangerous in a pandemic. Hotel quarantine is an example  while benefiting the hotel owners it is not fit for purpose. Likewise the aged care homes run by private owners. And of course  worst of all  the letting of contracts to run the vaccination program. Its time the federal government shaped up to the responsibility entrusted to it by the people of Australia. The duck shoving has to stop, before we lose the advantage hard won by the programs run by the states to control COVID-19.

Doris LeRoy, Altona The colonial blip is nothing

I agree with federal Education Minister Alan Tudge (Tudge concern at teaching focus on First Nations, The Age, 1/5), we have to get the balance right in our teaching of Australian history. However, the blip that is Australian history since British colonisation is as nothing compared with the countless millennia of rich human culture in this great country of ours.

Craig Reichenbach, Briar Hill

AND ANOTHER THING Politics

How dare James Merlino suggest building a quarantine facility on Commonwealth-owned land. Surely there must be land available to purchase, at an exorbitant price, from a Liberal Party donor.

John Rosenbrock, Mount Martha Religion is the ultimate form of identity politics, Prime Minister.

Mike Puleston, Brunswick Should we be alert but not surprised by the governments newly resurrected Reds under the bed campaign? There must be an election around the corner.

Paul Chivers, Box Hill North Australia  from happy-go-lucky democracy to accidental theocracy?

Bernd Rieve, Brighton

Hopefully, federal Housing Minister Michael Sukkar understands that negative gearing and discounted capital gains tax are currently the main drivers of house price increases rather than irresponsibly just blaming the states (The Age, online, 1/5).

Peng Ee, Castle Cove, NSW A bus by another name

A tram with rubber wheels and batteries is a bus (Trackless and with rubber wheels, it may be our next generation trams, 2/5).

George King, Wheelers Hill India travel ban

Surely it is unlawful for the government to ban Australians in India from returning home and threatening fines up to $66,600 or five years in prison ?

Susan Munday, Bentleigh East Furthermore

Yes, Australia has a white/Christian/European history. Lets consider how that worked for Indigenous Australians.

Chris Boon, Nunawading Correction

The letter from Traecey Bremner, Kew, published on Saturday (1/5) should have read: Re vaccine hesitancy. Remember the possible blood clotting complications associated with the COVID-19 infection.

The mistake was made in editing.
As UNESCO puts it: While a UNESCO Global Geopark must demonstrate geological heritage of international significance, the purpose of a UNESCO Global Geopark is to explore, develop and celebrate the links between that geological heritage and all other aspects of the areas natural, cultural and intangible heritages. Its about acknowledging a communitys connection to country, and promoting that internationally. Exploring underneath the London Bridge rock formation in the Murchison. Credit:Sean Scott/Australias Golden Outback It is becoming an increasingly lucrative label, as geotourism increases in popularity globally. There are 169 UNESCO Global Geoparks in 44 countries, with China boasting the most at 39. While there are none in Australia, there is a movement building to change that.

Today, a national Australian Geoparks Network is being launched to help identify and advance emerging geotourism areas. And in April, the Australian Geoscience Council released a national geotourism strategy, which advocates for state and federal governments to create a clear approvals pathway for the development of geotourism projects such as geoparks. It is understood AGC will hold a meeting with government representatives this month to discuss the strategy. The advancements reflect a broader push for the development of geotourism areas, from at least half a dozen regional locations nationally and from various tourism, regional development and science-focused groups. Edith Cowan University honorary professor of tourism Ross Dowling, who is chair of the new Australian Geoparks Network, said it was an opportune time for the promotion of geotourism in Australia, as local tourists looked for new places to explore. Since the launch of the Murchison GeoRegion I have received a lot of feedback about how it is putting a spotlight on tourism in a regional area, which is what we desperately need during COVID, Mr Dowling said.

Australians are seeking new places to go and visit and this is helping to bring domestic tourists to the region. Once COVID restrictions stop, we will then start to attract international travellers familiar with geotourism into Australia. China has the most geoparks in the world and so they know this brand and they are looking for that when they travel. I have heard from China, Vietnam, Portugal and so many other places about how the creation of geoparks in a regional area has driven an increase in tourism into the region and as a result an increase in economic development. In China, a survey of eight geoparks showed that geotourism-generated revenue tripled in the first four years of their existence. The Yuntaishan UNESCO Global Geopark helped transform the economy of the Jiaozuo City region, with geotourism-related income increasing nearly 50 times between 2001 to 2012. Australia previously had one UNESCO Global Geopark  the Kanawinka geopark in South Australia and Western Victoria  between 2009 and 2012. It is understood confusion among some stakeholders about the nature of geoparks and teething problems with approvals meant the geopark only existed for its initial four-year accreditation period.

Ian Lewis, a former director of Kanawinka, said it was exciting geotourism areas were re-gaining momentum in Australia. There is no reason why we shouldnt have geoparks in Australia, he said. This new network is the kind of platform that could liaise with government at various levels about what geoparks are and that they are a positive thing for the nations tourism. The Archway at the Undara Volcanic National Park in QLD Credit:Undara Volcanic National Park Advocates from various groups are keen to ensure the process for establishing future geotourism areas is clear, and all relevant stakeholders understand the role and benefits of geoparks.

In its national strategy, AGC says there is an urgent need to clarify and clearly define the approval processes required for major geotourism project development in Australia. For a geopark to be established, it is understood it would need to gain both state and federal approval, before being assessed by UNESCO for accreditation. WA Regional Development Minister Alannah MacTiernan said the government was really beginning to understand how we can celebrate and promote our extraordinary geology and the landscapes it underpins. Promoting special geosites will foster tourism in some of our more remote towns and communities, supporting local jobs and bringing opportunities for Aboriginal business, she said. Last year the McGowan Government, through the Mid West Development Commission, supported the Murchison GeoRegion project, as a first step towards UNESCO recognition for the region as a geopark.

Earlier this month I met with Geoparks WA and have encouraged the group to apply for grant funding through our various schemes, including the Regional Economic Development Grants. Geoparks WA president Alan Briggs said there was potential for other regions to follow the Murchison in prioritising geotourism. Geoparks are founded on the geology of the area and geotourism is the driving business but it is about a lot more than geology, he said. It is about education, engagement with communities and most importantly in the rural areas, it is about growing local businesses and creating jobs, particularly where towns are losing population. When you think about what you do when you travel; you research attractions that appeal for you and the idea of geoparks appeals to a lot of people interested in landscapes and cultures.

Loading It is the geopark being marketed and promoted at an international level that catches peoples attention and regions like the Wheatbelt would benefit greatly from that. It is something Ms Morrissey, who is now the chair of the Murchison GeoRegion Working Group, hopes the area can achieve through championing its unique geology, biodiversity and culture. It has been proven again and again in other places around the world that when you establish a geopark you link into such a strong network of people willing to travel to see these amazing areas, that you shift your social fabric into a much stronger, happier set of circumstances, she said. Thats where we would like to get to.
Opposition leader Anthony Albanese has accused the Morrison government of abandoning Australians in India amid a ranging coronavirus health crisis, saying the threat of jail time for citizens wanting to return home is extraordinary policy.

The federal government has stared down criticism over its decision to criminalise attempts by Australians to return home from India, with citizens facing five years jail or a fine of up to $66,000 under temporary emergency measures signed off by Health Minister Greg Hunt last week.

Mr Albanese said the Commonwealth had a duty not to abandon Australians stuck in India, and questioned why similar measure had not been applied to other countries, such as the United States, at the height of its battle with the pandemic.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne defended the temporary ban on Australians returning from India. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

Australia has obligations to our citizens, to people who are Australians - not just to abandon them overseas, but then to threaten them is quite extraordinary action, Mr Albanese said on Sunday.
Parents with children in early childhood education no doubt breathed a sigh of fee relief when Treasurer Josh Frydenberg announced an additional $1.7 billion of investment in the childcare subsidy on Sunday. Although they likely inhaled sharply upon learning they wont access any of the savings until 2022.

Early childhood education out-of-pocket costs are wickedly high, as shown in last weeks Bureau of Statistics data. Today, mums and dads are forking out 23 per cent more than they were just six years ago and any benefit that arose from introduction of the current subsidy system in 2018 has already been eroded.

Major reform of childcare will deliver multiple benefits for the economy and the community.

However, the need for reform in early childhood education is greater than just fee relief. Ultimately the goal has to be universal access to high quality, early childhood learning and care for every child in Australia. That is where the full social and economic rewards will be reaped.

Universal access requires a properly supported and appropriately paid workforce. Fee relief will assist in boosting womens workforce participation but it doesnt address the broader issues around workforce, quality and consistency of early learning.
In the verdict, much was said about the grip he had on his victims, said Christian Chardonnet, a local politician with President Emmanuel Macrons party. But this grip extends to the entire town. Its a Mafiosi system that is replicated on all levels, said Francois Damerval, a local politician for an environmentalist party. Under French law, Trons decision to appeal means that despite his conviction, he can once again be presumed innocent until a final judgment by the highest court. His local conservative allies have seized on that loophole and rejected efforts to remove him from office. The French government - which under President Emmanuel Macron has declared a cultural battle against sexual assault - has not intervened, either. The Justice Ministry did not respond to a request for comment.

Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti cited the independence of the judiciary in March to explain why the government had not removed Tron as mayor. But before becoming Justice minister, Dupond-Moretti was one of the lawyers who defended Tron during the trial that resulted in his 2018 acquittal. Socialist Party Senator Laurence Rossignol raised questions over the ministers impartiality, saying he treated Trons victims as liars throughout the trial. A petition calling for the mayors removal has been signed by more than 35,000 people. In Draveil itself, though, outrage has been more muted. Standing across from a shoe store with the mayors letter plastered on its entrance, beneath trees neatly pruned into an aerial hedge, a small group of activists handed out anti-Tron leaflets on the main market square this past week.

Im not saying hes innocent, one woman walking by said to the activists. Still, she remained unconvinced that Tron should resign. After all, she said, the town is well managed. Loading Her voice was soon drowned out by a tense exchange on the other side of the market, where a man hurled a sexual insult at one of the activists. Its easy to destroy people, the man shouted. The louder he spoke, the more his face mask kept dropping. Alongside him was his wife, who claimed to have worked in the mayors office before her retirement without noticing suspicious behaviour. Withdrawing from the couple, the activist, Marion Hubert, was exasperated. Im ashamed that my country is so behind, she said. About half of the residents she speaks to continue to support the mayor.

To Hubert and other activists, the local resistance to the mayors removal from office is symptomatic of the challenges in confronting Frances patriarchal society, in which the lines between harassment and seduction have at times been blurred. But support for the mayor may also reflect Trons long-standing influence in Draveil. He has governed the town since 1995, managing to stay in power even as his foray into national politics was cut short by the accusations that have now resulted in his conviction. The mayor first came under investigation in 2011, one year after taking up an additional post as a junior minister for civil service under president Nicolas Sarkozy. Two former town hall employees accused Tron of making them submit to foot massages that transitioned into rape and sexual assault. Tron resigned from the cabinet. But he denied the accusations, saying he was merely interested in reflexology. And he continued on as mayor of Draveil, comfortably winning reelection even as judicial proceedings continued. The first court verdict, in 2018, was acquittal for Tron. Then, in mid-February, an appeals court overturned that decision in the case of one of the women, sentencing Tron to five years in prison, of which two were suspended.

The problem is, there are so many Trons in France, Elodie Tuaillon-Hibon, a lawyer who represented an advocacy group during the most recent trial, said in early March. She represents several women who have accused high-profile French figures, including actor Gerard Depardieu and Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, of sexual assault or rape. Loading Despite an ongoing investigation into whether there is any merit to accusations that Darmanin raped a woman in 2009, he continues to be the minister in charge of Frances national police force. Such close ties between officials accused of sexual crimes and authorities investigating those accusations have prompted accusations of bias from activists. When local demonstrators were distributing their leaflets in Draveil this past week, a police officer and two municipal employees appeared on the square, ordering them to move their protest off the market. It was the second time in five days that officers had interrupted the group.

After local opposition politicians questioned the legality of their request, and with journalists observing the back-and-forth, the municipal workers eventually left without enforcing their order. Hubert and other activists say the police interventions are attempts to intimidate them. Among the residents who are on their side, many tell them they are afraid to speak out for fear of losing their jobs or being otherwise disadvantaged. After 25 years of Tron as mayor, a fear of the unknown and of criticising the mayor is widespread in Draveil, said Gabrielle Boeri-Charles, a town council member. Tron and his allies have largely remained silent about those accusations. A secretary for the mayor said she would relay written questions to the imprisoned mayor, but there was no response. The mayors office also did not respond to a request for an interview with Richard Privat, the mayors deputy who has been handling day-to-day tasks in Trons absence.

Speaking to French television earlier this month, Privat said that until proof to the contrary, [Tron] is still mayor. Trons allies on the town council have rejected attempts by the opposition to remove him from office or to redirect his allowances to projects helping victims of sexual violence. Facing another such challenge last week, Trons supporters came up with a blunt response. They left the room, recalled Boeri-Charles. In video footage, an opposition member can be heard saying: This is a denial of democracy. Then, the lights are turned off and the opposition is left behind in the dark.
QIB Campus opens doors for foreign medical degrees (MBBS/MD) in achieving your dream of becoming a doctor View(s):

QIB Campus is a government-registered renowned institute opening its doors for the local students in achieving their dream of higher education. With experience spanning over 17 years, It has provided a trusted service with a well-established network of local and international universities and higher education institutes. It maintains branches in Australia, England, Russia, and Ukraine and has won many accolades in 2017, 2012, 2011, and 2009 winning recognition both locally and internationally.

QIB Campus is happy to announce that a team of Forty-five medical students who studied online from June 2020 left for Yerevan State Medical University (www.ysmu.lk) in the Eastern European country, Armenia in February 2021 for their medical degree. They will study for six years in English medium. The institute made arrangements for the students to learn online from June 2020, and it has paved the way for them to manage their money and time effectively. This factor also has enabled the institute to win the hearts and minds of the parents of the students. Another factor is the ability to complete the degree in 2026 that has boosted their confidence in QIB Campus.

The inception of Yerevan Medical University dates back to the year 1920 and is approved by the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC), University Grants Commission (UGC), World Health Organisation (WHO), European Union (EU), Australian Medical Council (AMC), General Medical Council of UK (GMC), United States Medical Council (USMC) and Canadian Medical Council (CAMC). It is one of the leading government medical universities in Eastern Europe.The university provides complimentary breakfast to students and teaches the French language from the first to the final year. Another noteworthy feature is that the students are directed to ERPM, AMC, and PLAB examinations from the third year by the university.

An education loan scheme with a repayment period of 12 years has been introduced for future doctors by the government banks for the first time in the annals of higher education history in Sri Lanka. The salient feature of this loan scheme is the ability to pay only the interest portion during the first eight years.

Students who complete the MBBS degree programme in six years and pass the ERPM exam have to work for another year as an intern to apply for an appointment in the Sri Lanka State Medical Profession. After a student gets appointed as a government medical professional, we can make arrangements to obtain another loan to settle the previous loan he/she has obtained under the above scheme, which will release the burden to a greater extent said an official of the QIB Campus.

We are happy to announce that a limited number of scholarships for students of the academic year 2021/2023 are available which they can reserve a place by registering before 17th of May 2021 added the official. Eligible students can register by logging on to www.qib.queensia.com website. They can contact 0787 855 855 or 0763 468 568 or log on to www.qibcampus.com / www.queensia.com websites for more information. For details about past scholars, they can visit www. youtube.com / qibcampus.

QIB Campus, with its experience and unblemished reputation of more than 17 years, has made arrangements to offer education scholarships in more than 100 other degree programmes in addition to medical as well.

Doctors and their children who have identified the specialty of QIB Campus has joined us confidently in becoming scholarship holders and to obtain the MD/MBBS degrees. You can get more details by speaking to them too.

Dr. Sirimanna 

0775 356 933

Dr. Wasantha Perera 

0773 485 052

Dr. Mohamed Shibry 

0717 244 757

Dr. Vineetha Caldera 

0715 177 533

Concluded the QIB Campus official.

For registration  www.qib.queensia.com

For more information  0787 855 855 or 0763 468 568

For past scholars  www. youtube.com / qibcampus

Naleef Kitchil
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Peterhead: In the historic fishing villages dotted along Scotlands north-east coast, the tide is turning in more ways than one. The new year has brought real pain for the fishermen working the trawlers that glide in and out of Peterhead harbour, the largest white fish port in Europe. The sea of opportunity they were promised under Brexit turned out to be a myth and the industry here is feeling the pinch. On top of a devastating pandemic, exports are down due to extra regulations and mind-boggling paperwork, and European boats are still able to fish in Britains waters. That is absolutely not what we were told would happen, says Mark Black, who works on a small trawler. We have been screwed over and people are really angry. Workers clean Lunar Bow, one of the largest trawlers in Peterhead harbour. Credit:Bevan Shields In a sign of the challenges, UK food exports plunged 75 per cent in January and 40 per cent in February compared to the same time last year. This is not a pandemic problem, this is a Brexit problem, says Scotland Food and Drink chief executive James Withers. In short, weve got a new system of selling to our biggest export market that is now more complex, more costly, and much slower. While most of the UK has moved on from Brexit, Scotland is a different story. Just 38 per cent of Scots supported leaving the European Union, and lingering resentment from Remainers  as well as Leavers who feel dudded by the difficult new trading environment  is contributing to a fresh push for independence almost seven years after the failed 2014 referendum.

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First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is promising another constitutional poll before the end of 2023 should the Scottish National Party win a majority at Thursdays Holyrood elections. If she falls short of a majority in her own right  as latest polls suggest  Sturgeons less convincing argument is that even a pro-independence parliamentary collection of the SNP and Greens would still constitute a mandate for a fresh vote. However Westminster would need to green light a new referendum and Boris Johnson  desperate to not go down in history as the Prime Minister who oversaw the break-up of the United Kingdom  is so far refusing. The pro-Union Tories and Labour say independence would be an economic disaster and distraction from the post-pandemic recovery and serious social problems facing Scotland. I think its quite insulting when people say that the general public cant think about more than one issue at the same time, says Karen Adam, the SNP candidate for the constituency that covers Peterhead and other fishing hamlets. Scottish National Party candidate Karen Adam in Peterhead. Credit:Bevan Shields Independence can go hand-in-hand in the recovery because at the moment a lot of things we do we are doing with one hand tied behind our back. Talking outside Peterheads Dolphin Cafe, Adam  a mother of six whose political ambitions were stirred during the 2014 referendum  cites health, education and the economy as key issues for locals this year but says independence is also a big factor behind how people will vote.

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The opposition often say we dont want to start up this debate again but the truth is the debate has never gone away. And wont. Wary of not wanting to be seen as ignorant to bread and butter issues, the SNP has insisted a fresh independence vote would not be held until after the pandemic subsides. The words independence and referendum dont even appear on the SNPs homepage. Former Tory prime minister Sir John Major has warned Johnson against dismissing Scottish ambitions and urges him to expose the reality of a split. Sturgeon wants an independent Scotland to rejoin the EU but has not yet offered clear answers on how long that would take, what a land border with England would look like and how a new currency would work. Loading Major says unionists have strong arguments to deploy against separation but the weakness is they touch on the wallet, not the soul. Scotland needs to know she is cherished as a vital part of the UK, he recently wrote. Unfortunately, after Brexit, the Westminster government is poorly placed to argue the value of the Union. It has taken the UK out of a union with Europe with the cry of Sovereignty and Take Back Control. Now it must argue against the SNP, which seeks to take Scotland out of the UK for precisely the same reasons.

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Scots voted 55.3 per cent to 44.7 per cent to stick with the UK in 2014 but polls last year picked up a lift in support so big that Downing Street started to panic. Johnson has even ordered the Union Jack to fly above all government buildings at all times rather than just special occasions. However a lot of that extra backing has dissipated over the past few months, with the six most recent polls showing support for independence ranging somewhere between 39 per cent and 47 per cent. Sir John Curtice, a professor of politics at Strathclyde University, suspects the recent fall in support is partly down to voters who last year thought Scotland would have handled the pandemic better as an independent state but have now changed their minds. Nicola Sturgeon on the campaign trail in Edinburgh. Credit:Getty Curtice is also not convinced Sturgeon will snare an SNP majority on Thursday but says it might make little difference to the independence agenda. If she doesnt get the overall majority her position in her party will be weakened and she will arguably be under even greater pressure to push independence, he says. Sometimes a wounded animal is more dangerous than one which has managed to escape the scars of battle.

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Sturgeon became First Minister in late 2014 after her mentor, Alex Salmond, resigned amid the ashes of the referendum defeat. She is not without detractors but is a relatively popular figure who has won fans from non-SNP voters for her handling of the pandemic. Glasgow barista Finella Millar says she disagrees with independence but respects Sturgeon personally. Shes the best woman for the job and there isnt really anyone else around who could obviously do better, Millar says. Most customers express similar views whenever talk in the cafe turns to politics, she adds. The First Minister was locked in a fight for her political survival earlier this year when she faced intense scrutiny over her governments handling of harassment complaints against Salmond. He was tried over a dozen alleged offences but was found not guilty, including to two counts of rape, in March 2020. Former first minister Alex Salmond has started his own party but will attract little support. Credit:Getty Sturgeon survived an inquiry into the saga but has lost some political skin. In a twist, Salmond has now started his own political outfit, the Alba Party, which is polling in the low single digits. The SNP needs 65 of Holyroods 129 seats to get a majority on Thursday, though the pandemic will delay counting and a final result will not be known until the weekend. Tony Blair believes a new referendum would fail, partly because voters are fatigued: Im not sure that even if the SNP win a majority in the Scottish Parliament that it necessarily means people want to go through the disruption of an independence campaign  I would frankly doubt that, the former Labour leader told ITV last week.

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Staff Reporter

Tim Gruver is a politics and public policy reporter. He is a University of Washington alum and the recipient of the 2017 Pioneer News Award for Reporting. His work has appeared in Politico, the Kitsap Daily News, and the Northwest Asian Weekly.
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Towanda, PA (18848)

Today

Partly to mostly cloudy with scattered showers and thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High around 85F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy. Low 63F. Winds light and variable.
A new female filmmaker to Lankan cinema By Susitha Fernando Najini Dikkovitas debut Ruhire View(s): View(s):

The first female who made a career of filmmaking in Sri Lanka was Sumithra Peries, the wife of the legendary filmmaker Lester James Peries. Thereafter Inoka Sathyanganie wrote her name in both local and international cinema with her debut Sulang Kirilli (Wind Bird). In between Sumithra and Inoka one or two female filmmakers tried to make a career in filmmaking.

Introduce to Sri Lankan cinema, the newest female filmmaker is Najini Dikkovita who is ready with her debut Ruhire. The film was to be released in April but the release has been postponed due to the ongoing pandemic.

A student of Gothami Balika Vidyalaya, Najini, from her school days wanted to become an artiste. From the age of seven, she acted and directed stage plays in her school. Following her Advanced Level studies she wanted to start a career in cinema, yet it was prevented by her parents who thought cinema was not a career for a girl.

Instead of arts she was forced select IT (Information Technolgy) and she graduated with Bachelor of IT degree from the Colombo University and worked as an IT auditor in two leading private companies.

I did not enjoy my job as my dream was elsewhere. Having an idea to be a filmmaker I started learning fashion designing,.

This helped Najini to find a role in cinema as a costume designer. Applying to a newspaper advertisement, she was selected to be the costumer designer of Guttila a film directed by the late Tissa Nagodavithana. However the film yet to be released.

With her talent for script writing, Najini started to join cinema as an Assistant Director (AD) to a number of films, teledramas and musical videos.

I somehow wanted to be a director and that was the only dream I had. So while working as an AD I also wrote scripts and improved scripts.

It was while she was working as an AD under another director she came across producer Udara Palliyaguru. Instead of the script proposed by the director, Udara had suggested his own story to which the director had refused.

Then Udara asked me whether I could write and direct the story he had in his mind and I grabbed the opportunity, says Najini elated the happy news.

This is going to be my life and future. I have learnt about cinema on my own and at present I am following a diploma on cinema at the National Film Corporation. Since we are in a smart world and there is ample opportunities to learn via online and it is not unachievable, says Najini.

However while working as an AD Najini said that she learnt a lot about cinema from those in the cast and the crew. I made it a point to learn something everyday, says the young filmmaker.

In whatever I do I wanted to present a good direction. It could be a teledrama, film or even even music video,

Najini is a great admirer of Indian filmmakers like Imithiaz Ali, Sanjaya Leela Bansali and Mani Rutnam.

I think what is more important in cinema is how you could touch the emotions of your audience. If you have a good story and a script, the major part of your direction is complet says Najini.

A director of the new generation, Najini strongly believes that the role of the director is to lead the audience to the online platforms, as the future of cinema is there.

At a time when filmgoers are leaving the traditional cinema, we can virtualize cinema hall too,.

Najini says that she is ready to take the risk of releasing her maiden film as soon as the pandemic is over.

Ruhire to be released as soon as the pandemic over Ruhire, (A story written in Blood), Sinhala horror thriller movie is to be released soon. It revolves around married man who gets lost in a mysterious affair. The story narrates around an educated upper-middle class couple. The wife, an archaelogist gets regular outstation assignments. She is accompanied by her husband. With the wife giving priority to her proffession, the relationship between the husband and wife is strained. During an outstation assignment, husband who is boared walks around the area and he comes across a strange woman. They starts talking and become friends. They meet on regular basis and starts an affair. Yet there are strange events taking place in the village including a number of murders. Oneday the police arrest the husband of the archaeologist. But he swears he is unaware about any murder. What could be the relationship between the husband and murders? What is the real identity of the lady with whome he started the affair? Will the police be able to find the mystery behind the series of murders? Ruhire will answer all these. The film stars Roshan Ranawana, Pabodha Sandeepani, Vishwa Lanka, Lalith Jayasinghe, Nilupul Liyanage, John Arawinda, Malithi Nanayakkara, Dayananda Hewage, Aberathna Manjula Koonara . In the technical crew cinematograph by Kapila Sugath Wijayarathn, Second cameraman Mahesh Ruwan Pathirana and camera assistant is Thisara Damith. Makeup and hair design by Sandamali Neli Ariyarathne, costume design by Shalini Silva and art director is Nilupul Liyanage. Production manager is Raveen Manjitha, visual effects by Nirodha Weranga, editor Indika Thushara, To the lyrics of Udara Palliyaguru vocal renditions for the playback songs are by Santhush Weeraman, Ashanthi De Alwis to the melody and composition by Bathiya Jayakody. Music arrangement is by Chamitha Cooray. To the production of U. A. Palliyaguru (Guththila Productions), Ruhire is directed by Najini Dikkovita. The film was shot in Colombo and at Riverston in Matale.
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Tim Lomperis is a Maryville resident, former military intelligence officer, author and political science professor emeritus at Saint Louis University. He worked in the Vietnamese Resettlement Program from 1975-76. Email him at tjlomperis@gmail.com.
Forest City, NC (28043)

Today

Mixed clouds and sun this morning. Scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 86F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 67F. Winds light and variable.
A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter flies over boats searching the area where a boat capsized just off the San Diego coast, in San Diego, on May 2, 2021. (Denis Poroy/AP Photo)

3 Dead, 27 Injured After Suspected Human Smuggling Boat Capsizes Near San Diego: Officials

At least three people died and 27 more were injured after a suspected smuggling boat capsized off Point Loma in San Diego on Sunday, authorities confirmed.

Crew members pulled 25 people from the water, said the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department on Twitter earlier on Sunday. Officials said that 23 were injured and two died.

Later, Jose Ysea, a spokesman with the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, told The Associated Press that 27 people were injured and three died.

Chief Patrol Agent Aaron M. Heitke said the capsized boat was part of a suspected maritime smuggling event.

Federal officials are still searching the water in vessels and aircraft for anyone else in the water, according to the fire department.

Border Patrol officials told KPBS that the boat, which overturned off Point Loma, is suspected of being part of a human smuggling operation. And a San Diego fire official also said the boat was suspected of being used by smugglers to bring people illegally into the United States, according to the Los Angeles Times.

It is very rocky over there, and the waves, while they werent too high, they looked pretty strong, Ysea told the Union-Tribune.

A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter flies over boats searching the area where a boat capsized just off the San Diego coast, in San Diego, on May 2, 2021. (Denis Poroy/AP Photo)

Several Coast Guard vessels were deployed and were searching for victims, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent Jeffery Stephenson told the paper.

San Diego City Councilmember Jen Campbell, who represents the district including Point Loma, wrote on Twitter that she was monitoring the situation.

While we wait for an official update, my thoughts are with those impacted and the many emergency personnel responding to the scene, she added.

On Thursday, border officials intercepted a panga-type vessel traveling without navigation lights 11 miles (18 kilometers) off the coast of Point Loma with 21 people on board. The crew took all 15 men and six women into custody. Agents determined all were Mexican citizens with no legal status to enter the U.S., according to a statement released by Customs and Border Protection. Two of the people on the boat, the suspected smugglers, will face federal charges, it said.

Border Patrol on Friday said law enforcement officials would be ramping up operations to disrupt maritime smuggling off the coast of San Diego this weekend.

As warmer weather comes to San Diego, there is a misperception that it will make illegal crossings safer or easier, the agency said in a statement.

The Epoch Times has contacted the Department of Homeland Security for comment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Bottles of Australian wine are displayed at a supermarket in Hangzhou, in eastern China's Zhejiang province on November 27, 2020. (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images)

Australian Wine Exports Grow in New Markets, Plummets 96 Percent in China

New data shows that Australia has successfully weathered the storm of Beijings economic coercion by finding alternative markets for wine exports, which has seen growth in Europe, the UK, and the United States.

Despite losses in exports to China, Australia still managed to sell $12 million worth of wine into that market between December and March, down significantly from $325 million (US$251 million) the same quarter the previous year.

Industry body Wine Australias new report revealed just how large an impact the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) onerous tariffs had on Australias wine trade to China.

But if the China trade numbers are excluded from these figures, Wine Australia CEO Andreas Clark said global exports actually grew 10 percent, with Europe (including the UK) receiving $710 million worth of Australian winethe highest in a decade.

There was also growth to North America, up 5 percent to $628 million, and Oceania, up 7 percent to $112 million, Clark said in the report.

When broken down by individual country, China remained the biggest market for Australia at $869 million, despite a 24 percent drop in trade, mainly due to the tariffs.

The UK jumped 33 percent, overtaking the United States to become Australias second-largest export market at $461 million.

This was followed by the United States (up 4 percent to $432 million), Canada (up 9 percent to $195 million), Hong Kong (up 55 percent to $148 million), and New Zealand (up 10 percent to $104 million).

Hong Kongs position as a trading hub for mainland Chinese consumers could partly explain the major increase in wine exports to the city.

Australian exports overall did decline 4 percent in the 12 months leading into March 2021, due to Chinas tariffs, but also harvest and supply issues.

In March, Beijings Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) slapped tariffs, ranging from 116 to 218 percent, on Australian wine exports.

The tariffs were the result of an investigation by MOFCOM into the alleged dumping of wine product by Australian businesses into the China market.

The Australian prime minister and trade minister have both strenuously denied this, and are considering taking the matter to the World Trade Organisation.

Trade diversification has been the focus of exporters after Beijing began to impose several restrictions on Australian imports into China, which experts and politicians have labelled as economic coercion. The CCP began to take these actions after the Australian government led the charge calling for an investigation into the origins of COVID-19.

The CCP implemented a series of tariffs and suspensions over the course of 2020 targeting Australian coal, beef, wine, barley, lobster, timber, lamb, and cotton exports.

According to an April report from the Lowy Institute, exporters were quick to find new customers and diversify trade away from China which has traditionally been Australias largest trading partner.

Between October 2020 to January 2021, exporters saw an overall drop in trade to China from $7.1 billion to $2.9 billion. However, exports to other countries increased over the same period from $7.5 billion to $12.2 billion.
Chinas Ban on Australian Exports Requires a Unified Response by Allies, Especially the US and Canada

Commentary

Allies really shouldnt throw each other under the bus when it comes to China. Just the opposite.

China banned Australian coal exports in October, and over the next five months, those exports dropped from over 3 million tons per month, to zero. American coal producers lifted some of those sales, with quantities sold increasing from about zero that month to 663,000 tons in March, according to Chinas customs data.

Chinas increased coal exports from the United States thus hit two birds with one stone. First, by punishing Australia, in part for rejecting Huawei (at Americas request, awkwardly), and second, by helping China meet its obligation to purchase another $52.4 billion of U.S. energy from 2020 to 2021, per former President Donald Trumps Phase One trade deal of January 2020.

Trump put America first with his trade deal, but ignoring Americas allies as Chinas punitive tariffs thrash each in turn like oxen on Beijings plow, making them suffer, and driving them in Chinas preferred direction. Where America was first with its allies, it could now come in last.

On April 28, Japan was the latest country to approve Beijings Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which excludes the United States. All of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, known as ASEAN (Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar, Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand), plus South Korea, New Zealand, and Australia, are also in the process of joining RCEP. The agreement is another step towards Beijings dream of hegemony in Asia, which would push U.S. military bases and trade completely out of the region.

President Joe Biden (L), with Secretary of State Antony Blinken (2nd L), meets virtually with members of the Quad alliance of Australia, India, Japan, and the United States, in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington on March 12, 2021. (Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images)

Canada also benefited from Australias loss. That cold nation to our north exported 2.2 million tons of barley to China from the 2020 to 2021 harvest. This more than doubled the 2019 and 2020 exports, according to the Canadian Grain Commission. Meanwhile, Australia lost about 15 percent in unmilled barley export revenues to China (A$90 million). Why? Chinas deep-cutting 80.5 percent anti-dumping duties levied against the back of Australian barley in May.

You can be sure that Australian barley and coal producers are screaming bloody murder to their elected representatives in Canberra (the ones that listen, because they get paid to). They will be asked exactly what Beijing wants them to be asked. Australia must cave to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)s wish list. Invite Huawei into Australian information networks. Stop being friendly to Taiwan. Stop complaining about genocide against the Uyghurs. Stop encouraging the United States through joint naval operations in places like the South China Sea. In other words, stop being Australian.

There is a better alternative to the kowtowing of Australian sovereignty to Beijing in order to sell it the coal it will use to power its industry, build its military, and claim hegemony over Asians, Pacific-Islanders, Aussies, and Kiwis. Not to mention, pollute the world into catastrophic environmental decline.

Allies like the United States and Canada, instead of throwing Australia under Chinas bus when its down and out, should support all their exporters, of whatever nationality, when they are sanctioned by Beijing.

The governments of the three countries, as well as other big allied exporters to China, like Japan, South Korea, Germany, Brazil, Vietnam, and Malaysia, should form a government-backed exporters confederation that guarantees the purchase of exports when those exports suffer due to sanctions from Beijing. This amounts to official insurance for exporters against the CCPs trade tantrums. It could be self-funding through minor international levies imposed on exports to China in good times. This would be an international sellers cooperative to pressure Beijing into being a reasonable international citizen, rather than an aspirant to hegemony, at no cost to taxpayers.

Next time China sanctions Australias barley producers, for example, the export federation would work to find alternative markets at the same or greater price as China would have paid. Failing which, the federation would guarantee to buy the barley outright, or make the farmers whole.

Barley harvest in Grenfell, New South Wales, Australia, on Nov 12, 2007. (Greg Wood/AFP via Getty Images)

This would remove a vector of Beijings influence on the governments of our democracies. No more would these barley producers be put in the unenviable position of needing to sinicize Australian government policies in order to ensure their barley sales.

Free the barley!

Anders Corr has a bachelors/masters in political science from Yale University (2001) and a doctorate in government from Harvard University (2008). He is a principal at Corr Analytics Inc., publisher of the Journal of Political Risk, and has conducted extensive research in North America, Europe, and Asia. He authored The Concentration of Power (forthcoming in 2021) and No Trespassing, and edited Great Powers, Grand Strategies.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping attends the opening ceremony of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) in Beijing on March 4, 2021. (Leo Ramirez/AFP via Getty Images)

Chinese Leader Xi Jinping Lays Out Plan to Control Global Internet: Leaked Documents

Chinese leader Xi Jinping personally directed the countrys communist regime to focus its efforts to control the global internet, displacing the influential role of the United States, according to internal government documents recently obtained by The Epoch Times.

In a January 2017 speech, Xi spoke about how the power to control the internet had become the new focal point of [Chinas] national strategic contest, and singled out the United States as a rival force standing in the way of the regimes ambitions, according to a government document relaying the speechs message.

The ultimate goal was for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to control all content on the global internet so that the regime could wield what Xi described as discourse power over communications and discussions on the world stage.

Xi articulated a vision of using technology to rule the internet to achieve total control over every part of the online ecosystem, such as applications, content, quality, capital, and manpower.

His remarks were made at the fourth leadership meeting of the regimes top internet regulator, the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission, in Beijing on Jan. 4, 2017. They were summarized in internal documents issued by the Liaoning provincial government, located in northeastern China.

These statements confirm efforts made by Beijing within the past few years to promote its own authoritarian version of the internet as a model for the world.

In another speech, given in April 2016, Xi confidently proclaimed that in the struggle to control the internet, the CCP has pivoted from playing passive defense to playing both attack and defense at the same time, according to an internal document by the Anshan city government in Liaoning Province.

Having successfully built the worlds most sprawling and sophisticated online censorship and surveillance apparatus, known as the Great Firewall, the CCP under Xi is turning outward, championing a Chinese internet whose values run counter to the open model advocated in the West. Rather than prioritizing the free flow of information, the CCPs system centers on giving the state the ability to censor, spy on, and control internet data.

Countering the US

The Chinese leader acknowledged the regime lagged behind its rival the United Statesthe dominant player in most internet-related fieldsin key areas such as technology, investments, and talent.

To realize the Partys ambitions, Xi emphasized the need to manage internet relations with the United States, while making preparations for fighting a hard war with the country over the world wide web.

American companies should be used by the regime to reach its goal, Xi said, without elaborating on how this would be done.

He also directed the regime to increase its cooperation with Europe, developing countries, and member states of Beijings Belt and Road global infrastructure plan to form a strategic counterbalance against the United States.

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a massive infrastructure investment project launched by Beijing to connect Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East through a network of rail, sea, and road linkages. The plan has been criticized by the United States and other Western countries as being a conduit for Beijing to increase its political and commercial interests in member states, while saddling developing countries with heavy debt burdens.

The BRI has also pushed countries to sign up for digital silk road projects, which involve information and communications technology infrastructure. At least 16 countries have signed memoranda of understanding with the regime to work as part of the initiative.

3-Pronged Strategy

Xi ordered the regime to focus on three critical areas in its pursuit of controlling the global internet.

First, Beijing needs to be able to set the rules governing the international system. Second, it should install CCP surrogates in important positions within global internet organizations. Third, the regime should gain control over the infrastructure that underlies the internet, such as root servers.

Domain Name System (DNS) servers are key to internet communications around the world. Those serverscomprised of a network of over 1,300 root server instances in the worlddirect users to websites they intend to visit. Of these roughly 1,300 root server instances, approximately 20 are located in China, while the United States has about 10 times that amount within its borders, according to the website Root-Servers.org.

If the Chinese regime were to gain control over more root servers, it could then redirect traffic to wherever it wanted, Gary Miliefsky, cybersecurity expert and publisher of Cyber Defense Magazine, told The Epoch Times. For example, if a user wants to go to a news article about a topic deemed sensitive by Beijing, then the regimes DNS server could route the user to a fake page saying the article is no longer online.

The minute you control the root, you can spoof or fake anything, he said. You can control what people see, what people dont see.

In recent years, the regime has made headway in advancing Xis strategy.

In 2019, Chinese telecom giant Huawei first proposed the idea for an entirely new internet, called New IP, to replace the half-century-old infrastructure underpinning the web. New IP is touted to be faster, more efficient, more flexible, and more secure than the current internet, and it will be built by the Chinese.

While New IP may indeed bring about an improved global network, Miliefsky said, the price for that is freedom.

Theres going to be no free speech. And theres going to be eavesdropping in real-time, all the time, on everyone, he said. Everyone who joins it is going to be eavesdropped by a single government.

The proposal was made at a September 2019 meeting held at the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), a U.N. agency responsible for setting standards for computing and communications issues that is currently headed by Chinese national Zhao Houlin. New IP is set to be formally debated at the ITU World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly, to be held in March 2022.

Miliefsky said the plan is unlikely to gain widespread support among countries, but may be readily adopted by like-minded authoritarian states such as North Koreaand later by countries that signed onto the BRI and are struggling to repay their loans.

This would accelerate a bifurcation of the internet, what analysts such as former Google CEO Eric Schmidt have dubbed the splinternet, Miliefsky said. The communist net and the rest of the world.

Huawei didnt respond to a request for comment.

Importing Talent

According to the internal documents, Xi ordered the Chinese regime to set up three ecosystemstechnology, industry, and policyto develop core internet technologies.

Having skilled workers was key to this plan, with Xi directing that talent be hired from around the globe. This would be done through Chinese companies, Xi prescribed.

He wanted Chinese firms to proactively invite foreign high-end talents to work for them, to set up research centers overseas, and to hire leading ethnic Chinese and foreign specialists.

Meanwhile, Xi asked the regime to set up a professional training system in China that could systematically develop a highly skilled workforce in the long run.

He directed officials in each level of government to guide Chinese companies to develop their business plans to align with the regimes strategic goals, and to encourage capable enterprises to take the lead in developing innovations in core technologies.

Enterprises were to be educated in having national awareness and safeguarding national interests, Xi said, according to the documents. Only then should the regime support and encourage their expansion.

Because talent and critical technology are concentrated overseas, the Chinese leader also ordered authorities to support the development of a group of multinational internet companies that can have global influence.

Turning the Internet Red

Xi described all online content as falling under three categories: red zone, black zone, and gray zone.

Red zone content refers to discourse aligned with the CCPs propaganda requirements, while black zone material falls foul of these rules. Gray zone content lies in the middle.

We must consolidate and expand the red zone and expand its influence in society, Xi said in a leaked speech from August 2013. We must bravely enter into the black zone [and fight hard] to gradually get it to change its color. We must launch large-scale actions targeting the gray zone to accelerate its conversion to the red zone and prevent it from turning into the black zone.

Inside China, the CCP maintains a stranglehold on online content and discussion through its Great Firewall, which blockades foreign websites and censors content deemed unacceptable to the Party. It also hires a massive online troll army, dubbed the 50 Cent Army, to manipulate online discussion. A recent report found that the CCP engages 2 million paid internet commentators and draws on a network of 20 million part-time volunteers to carry out online trolling.

Freedom House, in its 2020 annual report on internet freedom, labeled China as the worlds worst abuser of online freedom for the sixth straight year. Chinese citizens have been arrested for using software to circumvent the Great Firewall and punished for posting comments online unfavorable to the Chinese regime. In a now notorious incident, during the early stages of the pandemic, whistleblower doctor Li Wenliang was reprimanded by police for rumor-mongering after warning colleagues in a social media chat group about a SARS-like virus in Wuhan.

In Xis 2017 remarks, the leader told the regime to develop a larger group of red online influencers to shape users perceptions of the CCP. He also called for an expansion of the 50 Cent Army to operate both inside and outside of Chinas internet.

Since the pandemic, the CCP has sharply escalated its efforts to influence online opinion overseas. Using large networks of troll accounts on Twitter and Facebook, the regime has been able to propagate and amplify propaganda and disinformation on topics such as the pandemic, racial tensions in the United States, and the regimes oppression of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang.

A previous version of this article incorrectly described the number of root servers in the world. There are roughly 1,300 root server instances worldwide. The Epoch Times regrets this error.
Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) speaks during a news conference with other House Republicans at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Dec. 10, 2020. (Erin Scott/Reuters)

Congressman Predicts Rep. Liz Cheney Will Be Gone by End of This Month

Rep. Lance Gooden (R-Texas) predicted that Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) will be ousted from her GOP leadership position in May, amid growing Republican criticism against her after she made comments against former President Donald Trump.

Liz Cheney has promised she will campaign on impeaching Trump every day of the week. Good luck with that, Liz! PREDICTION: shell be out of her GOP leadership role by months end! Gooden wrote in a tweet over the weekend.

Gooden did not provide a reason for his claim. The Epoch Times has contacted Cheneys office for comment.

The Texas congressman may have been referring to an Axios report that House Republican leadership is considering ousting Cheney, the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, as the No. 3 Republican in the House.

Meanwhile, top Republicans such as House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) have raised concerns about her leadership.

This idea that you just disregard President [Donald] Trump is not where we are, Scalise told Axios on Friday. And frankly, he has a lot to offer still and has offered a lot. He wants to help us win the House back.

He noted that Cheneys anti-Trump rhetoric has proven to be divisive within the party, as Trump still remains an enormously popular figure in the GOP.

I do think weve got to focus on what its going to take to get the House back and present conservative alternatives to this far-left socialist movement were seeing. Those were the conversations we were having, Scalise added. We were very unified by the way.

Last week, Cheney told the New York Post that she believes Republicans can recapture the presidency in 2024, she believes that lawmakers who backed Trumps efforts to challenge the 2020 election should be disqualified.

I do think that some of our candidates who led the charge, particularly the senators who led the unconstitutional charge, not to certify the election, you know, in my view thats disqualifying, said Cheney.

Cheney also rebuffed a letter from Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) that proposed the GOP retain working-class voters, saying it is neo-Marxist.

Thats what we got out of Liz Cheney, which doesnt help us remain focused on that single goal, Banks told Axios in response. Her lack of focus on that, while being focused on other things, and proving her point, was an unwelcome distraction.

The sort of sideline distractions at the GOP retreat will only serve to hold us back from being focused on that nearly unanimous goal we have as a conference, Banks added.
Delightful Arangethram performance by Ishara View(s):

Ishara Wickremanayake presented her Arangethram on April 18 delighting the limited audience present (due to COVID restrictions) at the Elphinstone Theatre with her skill and graceful, expressive performance.

Just 15 years old, Ishara, a student of St. Bridgets Convent is a multi-faceted teenager who is a member of the school Rifle Shooting Squad, Debating Team and the Model United Nations. She has been in her school netball team and in the Eastern Band. Very much into music as well as dance, she enjoys taking part in musical shows organized by the school and has successfully completed the Trinity College London -Grade 8-Speech & Drama Examination and will be sitting for the Trinity College London Grade 8  Piano Music. She sings in four languages -Sinhala, English, Tamil and Hindi and also loves writing, with a few books that she hopes to publish.

The second child and only daughter of Hiranjan and Jayani Wickremanayake, Ishara was introduced to Bharathanatyam in 2007, at the tender age of two, by her mothers Guru, Smt.Thirupurasundari Yoganandham and began her formal training in Australia when she was four with Guru Smt. Mrs. Karthikar Ganesar. When in November 2010, the family came back to Sri Lanka and Ishara was enrolled in Grade 1 in 2011 at St. Bridgets where her mother too had schooled, she became a pupil of Natyapoorna  Kalaichelvi Guru Smt. Nirmala John.

Under her care and guidance,Ishara has successfully completed all four levels of the Certificate Course, of KalaiKaveri College of Fine Arts, Tamil Nadu, India, which is a prelude to a University degree.

Leading teacher and dancer

Bharathanatyam which originated in Tamilnadu is a composite art -the art of the stage, drama, music, poetry, colour and rhythm. It transcends the limitations of the physical, where the dancer while dancing forgets herself and becomes the character she portrays.

No student can shine without the nurturing of a dedicated teacher and Ishara found her mentor in Nirmala John, founder of Nirmalanjali-Academy of Bharathanatyam, who also teaches at St. Bridgets Convent.

Not only is she one of the leading Bharathanatyam teachers in the country but also the most senior performing artist with MFA and BFA degrees in Bharathanatyam and currently reading for her PhD in Performing Arts.

She has presented performances in many places worldwide and took part in the 21st Anniversary Festival of Indian Classical Dances at the venerated Nadarajah Temple in Chidambaram-India. She represented Sri Lanka at the World Conference of Tamil Studies in Kuala Lumpur-Malaysia and at the Golden Jubilee of Diplomatic Relations between Norway and Sri Lanka in Oslo, Norway. Japan honoured her with the Bunka Award.

Assimilating traditional Bharathanatyam with other traditional Sri Lankan dance form, Smt. John recently danced in the leading ballets Navarasa Virindu, Nrithya Sumangali and Sivakamiy in Sabatham together with her two daughters.
Former New York City Mayor and then-President Donald Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani drives by a march and rally for President Donald Trump in New York City, N.Y., on Oct. 25, 2020. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)

FBI Spied on Giuliani, Trump ICloud Communications During Impeachment Push: Giuliani

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani said that the FBI surveilled his and former President Donald Trumps iCloud chats during impeachment hearings in 2019.

In an interview over the weekend, Giuliani, whose home was searched by federal agents last week, said that his lawyer, Robert Costello, was told by the U.S. Attorneys Office in Manhattan that the alleged wiretapping took place.

He asked [the prosecutor] to repeat it because he couldnt believe it was true, he told WABC radio in New York. To me they just trashed the president of the United States.

When House Democrats launched their impeachment inquiry against Trump over his phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Giuliani, who had been Trumps personal attorney, said he was communicating with the president.

Meanwhile, the Justice Department, while Im defending him on that with others, invaded my iCloud, Giuliani said. I cant fathom that would be done to an ordinary citizen, he said. The president doesnt have any more rights than anybody else, but he doesnt have any less. To me, they just trashed the president of the United States like he has no constitutional rights.

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani speaks during a news conference held by U.S. President Donald Trump in the Briefing Room of the White House in Washington on Sept. 27, 2020. (Joshua Roberts/Getty Images)

Elaborating, Giuliani said he carried out a number of conversations with the president that could ostensibly be retrieved from the Apple-based system that backs up emails, text messages, photos, documents, and much more.

Unless these people have no ethics or any sense of what it means to be a lawyer, what you do when you do that, people who listen to this now say how can I trust talking to my lawyer, he said. The government may come in and start listening to it or might try to see text of memoranda.

The Epoch Times has contacted the Department of Justice (DOJ) for comment.

Last week, after agents searched his home and confiscated several electronic devices, the former mayor disputed allegations that he represented a foreign national.

I never represented a Ukrainian national or official before the United States government. Ive declined it several times. Ive had contracts in countries like Ukraine. In the contract is a clause that says I will not engage in lobbying or foreign representation. I dont do it because I felt it would be too compromising, Giuliani told Tucker Carlson on Fox News on April 29.

DOJ officials didnt immediately respond to a request by The Epoch Times for comment following the raid.

In late 2019, amid the first House impeachment inquiry against Trump about a conversation he had with Ukraines president in July of that year, prosecutors charged two alleged former associates to Giuliani, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, with unrelated crimes regarding alleged campaign finance violations. Giuliani had legally represented Parnas.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds addresses the virtual Republican National Convention on Aug. 25, 2020. (Photo Courtesy of the Committee on Arrangements for the 2020 Republican National Committee via Getty Images)

Iowa Governor Signs Law Letting Landlords Refuse Section 8 Vouchers

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has signed into a law a bill that prohibits the states localities from requiring landlords to accept federal rental assistance vouchers.

Both chambers of the states legislature approved the bill in March. The law states that counties cant enact laws that prohibit landlords from refusing to rent to a person because of the persons use of a federal housing choice voucher issued by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The Des Moines Register reported that the governor signed the bill. The state legislatures website didnt say whether the bill was signed, and the governors website didnt feature an update on the matter. The governors office didnt immediately respond to a request for an update.

More than 39,500 people in Iowa used federal housing choice vouchers in 2020, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The average voucher was worth $439, with an average household income for the beneficiaries being $12,577 annually.

Landlord groups advocated for the laws passage.

We try to train our members on the advantages of accepting Section 8, or housing choice vouchers, but our preference is that it would remain a voluntary program, Iowa Landlords Association Executive Director Andrew Lietzow told the Register.

The landlords argued that accepting the vouchers led to more inspections and trouble recovering the money spent on fixing damaged properties. Opponents of the law claim that its racist.

When you reduce the number of landlords that are willing to accept the voucher, that just creates one more hurdle for  our most vulnerable population, Des Moines Community Development Director Chris Johansen told the Register.

HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge claimed in an interview in March that fair housing is the law of the land and suggested that the Iowa bill is a violation of the law. Fudge said she may get the Department of Justice involved to challenge the Iowa measure in court.

It is a discussion that I would need to have with the Department of Justice, but I would clearly believe that we are within our rights to demand that these communities cooperate with what we are doing, Fudge told MSNBC on March 17. If they want to get into a fight about it, were ready to fight them about it.

According to the Register, three cities in Iowa currently have local ordinances compelling landlords to accept federal housing vouchers: Des Moines, Iowa City, and Marion.
Leaders Should Shut Up or Make Sense

Commentary

National leaders need to stop saying crazy stuff.

Less than two weeks ago, following the tragic police shooting of a fleeing Minnesota man named Duante Wright, Michigan Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib drew nation-wide headlines by calling for the total abolition of police. Duante Wright was met with aggression and violence, Tlaib tweeted accurately enoughbefore going on to refer to his death as a government funded murder and call for no more policing, incarceration, and militarization in the United States.

For good measure, the sitting Representative said that the accidental shooting of Wrightwho was killed by an officer who very clearly mistook her gun for a non-lethal weaponwasnt an accident. She went on to add the opinion that American policing is inherently and intentionally racist.

While bizarre, Tlaibs comments were hardly unique within the current political moment. Just a few days later (04/17/2021), Representative Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) flew into Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, where Mr. Wright was shot, and all but openly called for riots. Surrounded by a tense and angry group of (mostly peaceful) protesters and speaking hours after the citys official curfew, Waters demanded a specific verdict in the then-ongoing Derek Chauvin criminal case: Guilty, guilty, guilty.

When explicitly asked what protesters should do should the jury acquit, Waters encouraged young activists to stay in the streets, fight for justice, get more confrontational, and let them know we mean business.

Honesty compels me to note that this sort of nonsense is far from unknown on the political right. Former President Donald Trump engaged in a great deal of loose talk following the 2020 election, including not merely legitimate criticisms of media bias but also accusations that Democratic opponent Joe Biden stole the race, and a brief but real flirtation with attorney Sidney Powells kraken releasing claims about Dominion Voting Machines being involved in a complex plot begun under late Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez.

Mr. Trump eventually found himself impeached for a second time, his political opponents citing a speech that included phrases like fight like Hell as evidence he had a role in inciting the Jan. 6 breach of the Capitol.

All of this is bad. Leaving aside the obvious point that it is boorish and uncouth for elected political leaders to provoke brawls and street-fights, the macro-level effect of such talk is enhancement of the climate of anger and suspicion that currently defines mainstream American discourseand doing that has empirically measurable real-world consequences.

A number of well-done recent studies have come to the hard-to-duck conclusion that Americans are far more fearful of and angry about a whole range of phenomena than we logically should be. This is almost certainly due to the political and media climate of today, and it has real and unfortunate effects on human behavior.

In February of 2021, the heterodox but well-regarded Skeptic Research center conducted a large-N survey of Americans to see how many people citizens believe are shot and killed annually by the police.

The responses were staggering. Among those respondents who identified as very liberal, 31.4 percent thought the annual number of unarmed black men alone killed in this manner was roughly 1,000, 14.3 percent thought it was about 10,000, and more than 7 percent thought it was larger than that! The same figures for mainstream liberals were 26.7 percent, 6.7 percent, and 5.5 percent respectively.

During this same year, an entirely different study from the Manhattan Institute found that eight of ten black survey respondents and six of ten educated white liberals believe that young black men are more likely to be shot dead by police than to die in automobile wrecks.

In reality, of course, the total number of unarmed black peopleof both sexesfatally shot by police last year was 18. In contrast, 40,000-50,000 Americans die in car wrecks every year, with blacks represented among them about proportionately.

Such discourse-driven nonsense beliefs even influence the dead-serious conversations we are and need to be having about the COVID-19 pandemic. As the comedian Bill Maher pointed out in a darkly hilarious monologue, more than 40 percent of registered Democrats believe that a typical individuals chances of being hospitalized if infected with SARS-COV-2 are 50 percent or more, while another 28 percent put the same chance at 20-49 percent.

In reality, as Real Clear Politics noted in a piece on Mahers speech, the real figure is between one and five percentand it is generally closer to the lower end of that range. Order-of-magnitude mistakes like this obviously affect individual and group behavior: just ask any school-age children sitting around your house today while virtually learning!

In the context of what Tlaib and Waters were discussing, serious issues of policing and crime, radical or off-base statements are even more useless and dangerous than they might be elsewhere.

While defunding the police might sound like edgy fun to suburban and tenured radicals, one of the more robust findings in social science is that reducing effective policing within an area correlates highly with increasing crime. Major essays and indeed entire books have been devoted to this topic by Thomas Sowell, Mona Charen, and Heather MacDonald among many othersas was much of a chapter of Freakonomics, far from the political right.

The empirical evidence is clear. Between 1963 and 1993, driven largely by post-Miranda changes in policing during the social revolution of The Sixties, murders soared from 8,640 to 24,530 while rapes increased roughly five-fold.

Crime plunged sharply during the late-1990s era of tough Broken Windows Policing, but murders AGAIN rose by more than 3,000from 14,164 to 17,294during the Ferguson Effect period following the first wave of Black Lives Matter protests and riots. And, last year, they spiked again.

As vs. 2019, by no means a famously peaceful year, 2020 U.S. homicides surged by 42 percent during the summer and 34 percent during the fall, likely crossing the grim total of 20,000 for the full year.

Data contained within a serious 20-page report from the Commission on COVID-19 and Criminal Justice strongly indicates that the cause of this was the chaos following the death of George Floyd and resulting police pull-back, with the report stating that murders rose significantly beginning in late May and June of 2020. Mr. Floyd died May 25, 2020.

These are dangerous times, and interesting ones in the historical Chinese sense. And, for leaders on all sidesalthough perhaps particularly on the political leftthis would be a GREAT time to behave as leaders should. Keep calm, carry on, tell others to do the same, and try to avoid intentionally panicking or inciting your fellow citizens.

Wilfred Reilly is an associate professor of Political Science at Kentucky State University, whose research focuses on empirical testing of political claims. He is the author most recently of Taboo: Ten Facts You Cant Talk About.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
In this combination of photographs, damaged and vandalized buildings, and a hammer and slingshot found on a rioter, are seen in Portland, Ore., on May 1, 2021. (Portland Police Bureau)

May Day Rioters Carry Out Violent Acts in Portland, Seattle

A riot in Portland, Oregon, took place on May 1, a day that holds significance for communists and other far-left ideologues.

A group of more than 100 individuals, many carrying shields, gathered in Shemanski Park between 9 and 10 p.m. and marched to City Hall, where they began smashing windows and using spray paint to scrawl various messages on the building.

Police officers declared a riot and ordered the crowd to disperse, but the mob instead began marching in the streets, blocking traffic, and damaging private businesses. Some members of the crowd used umbrellas to obscure the crimes being committed.

Most of the group wore all-black with coverings obscuring their faces, a tactic commonly employed by far-left anarcho-communist group Antifa. Known Antifa accounts were promoting the direct action event on social media prior to it happening. Additionally, people who have been arrested at previous riots in Portland and people who have been linked to Antifa were at the riot on May 1.

Meanwhile, a group near the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in south Portland swelled to over 60 people just before midnight. As officers tried to make an arrest, a man in the crowd pulled out a knife. The officers used munitions, prompting him to flee. He was soon caught and arrested.

At least five people were arrested on charges including riot, criminal mischief, and disorderly conduct. One of the men was found to be carrying a hammer and a hand sling along with instructions for making a sling.

Kristopher Donnelly, who has been arrested at least four times at riots, was among those taken into custody. He was charged by federal prosecutors with civil disorder. The mans federal trial has been delayed twice by a judge, court records show; its currently scheduled to start on May 18. Conditions of his release stipulated that he not commit any other crimes.

We appreciate those who engaged in their First Amendment rights this afternoon in a peaceful manner. Once again, under the cover of darkness, several dozen people decided to damage and destroy multiple businesses in our downtown area resulting in a riot, Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell said in a statement.

The situation became extremely dangerous when a man brandished a knife at officers when officers were simply doing their job. The officers appear to have exercised restraint and professionalism and safely apprehended this suspect. I am proud of all of our employees who worked to minimize further damage and arrest some of the criminals involved.

In Seattle on May 1, police officers arrested 14 people for crimes ranging from property destruction to assault and reckless driving committed during violent demonstrations.

Rioters threw bottles, rocks, paint-filled eggs, and other objects at officers, and threw lit flares into the road, the Seattle Police Department said in an incident summary.

The department didnt identify anyone who was arrested, only giving their ages and the charges they face.

Correction: A previous version of this article misstated the number of times Donnelly has been arrested. The Epoch Times regrets the error.
Michael Adams, Accused Killer of Elijah Al-amin, Found Dead in Cell: Officials

Officials said that a man who was accused of murdering a teenager inside an Arizona convenience store in July 2019 was found dead in his jail cell last month.

The Maricopa County Sheriffs Office said last week that it launched an investigation after Michael Adams was found unresponsive by his cellmate at the 4th Avenue Jail in Phoenix on April 17, reported ABC Arizona and AZFamily. His cause of death has not been disclosed.

Adams was slated to go on trial in May 2021.

Adams allegedly killed 7-year-old Elijah Al-Amin inside a Circle K store in Peoria. Officials said Adams allegedly approached Al-Amin, stabbed him, and is alleged to have told officers that he killed Al-Amin because he was listening to rap music.

Adams stated rap music makes him feel unsafe, because in the past he has been attacked by people (Blacks, Hispanics, and Native American) who listen to rap music, court documents said in his case. Adams further stated, people who listen to rap music are a threat to him and the community.

Adams felt he needed to be proactive rather than reactive and protect himself and the community from the victim, the documents added. The documents said that Adams, who is white, said he didnt feel threatened by Al-Amin but only the music.

In prior court hearings, Adams attorneys argued that he had been also battling mental health issues.

Raheem Al-Amin, Elijahs father, told AZFamily that Adams death doesnt bring my son back.

Other details about Adams death were not disclosed.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un delivers a closing speech at the Sixth Conference of Cell Secretaries of the Workers' Party of Korea in Pyongyang, North Korea, on April 8, 2021. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

North Korea Says Biden Made a Big Blunder in Calling It a Serious Threat

A senior official from the reclusive communist regime in North Korea issued a statement on Sunday saying that President Joe Biden made a big blunder in a recent speech to Congress by calling Pyongyang a security threat.

In his first address to a joint session of Congress on April 28, Biden flagged the nuclear program in Iran and North Korea as serious threats to American security.

On Iran and North Koreanuclear programs that present serious threats to American security and the security of the worldwere going to be working closely with our allies to address the threats posed by both of these countries through diplomacy, as well as stern deterrence, Biden said.

Senior North Korean Foreign Ministry official Kwon Jong Gun issued a response to Biden on May 2 signaling that the North assessed Bidens remarks as hostile policy and warned of corresponding measures.

His statement clearly reflects his intent to keep enforcing the hostile policy toward the DPRK as it had been done by the U.S. for over half a century, Kwon said in a statement. DPRK stands for the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, the official name of the communist nation.

It is certain that the U.S. chief executive made a big blunder in the light of the present-day viewpoint, Kwon said. Now that the keynote of the U.S. new DPRK policy has become clear, we will be compelled to press for corresponding measures, and with time the U.S. will find itself in a very grave situation.

The direct criticism of the U.S. commander in chief is a sharp departure from the state of play during the administration of President Donald Trump, who fostered an unprecedented relationship with the leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Un. Trump and Kim had several face-to-face meetings, including a brief encounter on North Korean soil, a first for a sitting American president.

The relationship showed promise, especially after the two leaders signed a mutual understanding agreement in which Kim committed to denuclearization and working towards peace with South Korea. But progress stalled for roughly two years after the two leaders could not agree on how the United States would lift sanctions in response to the Norths steps toward denuclearization.

The Biden administration said on Friday that it had completed a review of its policy toward North Korea. The statement indicated that Bidens approach will seek a middle ground between Trumps grand bargain and Barack Obamas strategic patience approaches.

In January, Kim threatened to enlarge his nuclear arsenal and build more high-tech weapons targeting the U.S. mainland, saying the fate of bilateral ties would depend on whether it abandons its hostile policy. In March, he conducted short-range ballistic missile tests for the first time in a year, though he still maintains a moratorium on bigger weapons launches.

If Pyongyang agrees to working-level talks, the starting point of negotiations would be a freeze of North Korean testing and development of nuclear capabilities and delivery systems, Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, said. If, on the other hand, Kim shuns diplomacy and opts for provocative tests, Washington will likely expand sanctions enforcement and military exercises with allies.

Also Sunday, an unidentified North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman vowed a strong, separate response to a recent State Department statement that it would push to promote accountability for the Kim regime over its egregious human rights situation. He called the statement a preparation for an all-out showdown with us.

Kims powerful sister, Kim Yo Jong, also slammed South Korea over anti-Pyongyang leaflets floated across the border by a group of North Korean defectors in the South. The groups leader, Park Sang-hak, said Friday he sent 500,000 leaflets by balloon last week, in defiance of a new, contentious South Korean law that criminalizes such action.

She accused the South Korean government of winking at the leaflets. Seouls Unification Ministry responded later Sunday saying it opposes any act that creates tensions on the Korean Peninsula and it will strive to achieve better ties with North Korea.

Easley said the North Korean statements by Kwon and Kim Yo Jong show that Pyongyang is trying to drive a wedge between South Korea and the United States ahead of the May 21 summit between Biden and South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani speaks during a news conference at the Republican National Committee headquarters in Washington on Nov. 19, 2020. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo)

NYT, Washington Post, NBC Retract Reports That Giuliani Got FBI Russia Briefing

The New York Times, The Washington Post, and NBC News have retracted earlier reporting that incorrectly stated former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani was directly warned by the FBI that he was targeted by a Russian intelligence influence operation.

The stories came out after federal investigators executed a search warrant at the home and office of the former New York mayor. The searches were allegedly linked to Giulianis dealings in Ukraine, while Giuliani said he believes the search warrant was issued because he allegedly failed to file with the Department of Justice (DOJ) for representing a Ukrainian national or office. He has since denied any wrongdoing.

The Post was the first to report the incorrect information. It also incorrectly stated that One America News had also received a similar warning from the FBI.

This version has been corrected to remove assertions that OAN and Giuliani received the warnings, the correction appended on the article states.

The NY Times made its correction on a story about Giulianis alleged role in the 2019 recall of ambassador Marie L. Yovanovitch.

An earlier version of this article misstated whether Rudolph W. Giuliani received a formal warning from the F.B.I. about Russian disinformation. Mr. Giuliani did not receive such a so-called defensive briefing, the correction states.

Meanwhile, NBC News elaborated on why it corrected the story, saying that a second source disputed the assertions of the first source as the briefing was only prepared for Giuliani and not delivered to him. Both sources were anonymously cited in the article.

The report was based on a source familiar with the matter, but a second source now says the briefing was only prepared for Giuliani and not delivered to him, in part over concerns it might complicate the criminal investigation of Giuliani, the NBC News correction reads.

The press offices of The NY Times, the Post, and NBC News didnt respond by press time to The Epoch Times questions about the corrections. Giulianis office didnt respond to a request for comment by press time.

In two statements on Twitter, Giuliani called for the Post and NY Times to reveal their sources for the incorrect information.

On a Saturday, the Washington Post added this correction to their defamatory story about me, Giuliani wrote on Twitter. The Washington Post and the NYT must reveal their sources who lied and targeted an American Citizen. #msnbc, #cnn forgot to mention the corrections today. #fakenews #badpeople.

In a separate statement, he wrote: Where did the original false information come from? @MSNBC @CNN @nytimes I couldnt quite hear your apology?
Olympia Dukakis attends "Tales Of The City" New York Premiere at The Metrograph in New York City on June 3, 2019. (Theo Wargo/Getty Images)

Olympia Dukakis, Oscar-Winning Moonstruck Star, Dies at 89

MAPLEWOOD, N.J.Olympia Dukakis, the veteran stage and screen actor whose flair for maternal roles helped her win an Oscar as Chers mother in the romantic comedy Moonstruck, has died. She was 89.

Dukakis died Saturday morning in her home in New York City, according to Allison Levy, her agent at Innovative Artists. A cause of death was not immediately released, but her family said in a statement that she had been in failing health for months.

Dukakis won her Oscar through a surprising chain of circumstances, beginning with author Nora Ephrons recommendation that she play Meryl Streeps mother in the film version of Ephrons book Heartburn. Dukakis got the role, but her scenes were cut from the film. To make it up to her, director Mike Nichols cast her in his hit play Social Security. Director Norman Jewison saw her in that role and cast her in Moonstruck.

Dukakis won the Oscar for best supporting actress and Cher took home the trophy for best actress.

Actress Olympia Dukakis, winner of a Golden Globe for Best Performance in a Supporting Role and Cher, winner of the Best Performance by an Actress in a musical or comedy, hold the awards they received for performances in the hit movie Moonstruck during the Foreign Press Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, on Jan. 24, 1988. (Reed Saxon/AP)

She referred to her 1988 win as the year of the Dukakii because it was also the year Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis, her cousin, was the Democratic Partys presidential nominee. At the ceremony, she held her Oscar high over her head and called out: OK, Michael, lets go!

In 1989, her Oscar statuette was stolen from Dukakis New Jersey home.

Were not pretentious, her husband, actor Louis Zorich, said at the time. We kept the Oscar in the kitchen.

Dukakis, who was born in Lowell, Massachusetts, had yearned to be an actor from an early age and had hoped to study drama in college. Her Greek immigrant parents insisted she pursue a more practical education, so she studied physical therapy at Boston University on a scholarship from the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis.

After earning her bachelors degree, she worked at an understaffed hospital in Marmet, West Virginia, and at the Hospital for Contagious Diseases in Boston.

But the lure of the theater eventually led her to study drama at Boston University.

Her first graduate school performance was a disaster, as she sat wordless on the stage.

After a teacher helped cure her stage fright, she began working in summer stock theaters. In 1960, she made her off-Broadway debut and two years later had a small part in The Aspern Papers on Broadway.

After three years with a Boston regional theater, Dukakis moved to New York and married Zorich.

During their first years of marriage, acting jobs were scarce, and Dukakis worked as a bartender, waitress and other jobs.

She and Zorich had three childrenChristina, Peter and Stefan. They decided it was too hard to raise children in New York with limited income, so they moved the family to a century-old house in Montclair, a New Jersey suburb of New York.

Olympia Dukakis attends the The Infiltrator New York premiere at AMC Loews Lincoln Square 13 theater in New York City on July 11, 2016. (Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)

Her Oscar victory kept the motherly film roles coming. She was Kirstie Alleys mom in Look Whos Talking and its sequel Look Whos Talking Too, the sardonic widow in Steel Magnolias and the overbearing wife of Jack Lemmon (and mother of Ted Danson) in Dad.

Her recent projects included the 2019 TV miniseries Tales of the City and the upcoming film Not to Forgot.

But the stage was her first love.

My ambition wasnt to win the Oscar, she commented after her Moonstruck win. It was to play the great parts.

She accomplished that in such New York productions as Bertolt Brechts Mother Courage and Her Children, Eugene ONeills Long Days Journey into Night and Tennessee Williams The Rose Tattoo.

In 2000, she was on Broadway in Martin Shermans one-actor play Rose, and received a Drama Desk Award nomination for the role of an 80-year-old survivor of the Warsaw Ghetto during WWII.

For two decades she ran the Whole Theater Company in Montclair, New Jersey, specializing in classic dramas.

Zorich died in January 2018 at age 93.

Dukakis is survived by her children Christina, Stefan and Peter; her brother Apollo Dukakis; and four grandchildren.

By Brooke Lefferts
Provisional ballots in a postal service tray at the Gwinnett County Board of Voter Registrations and Elections offices in Lawrenceville, Georgia, on Nov. 7, 2020. Several counties in Georgia continued to count ballots even as news outlets have declared Joe Biden the winner of the race for President. (Photo by Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images)

Over Two-Thirds of Voters Cast 2020 Ballots Early or by Mail: Census Bureau

The Census Bureau says that more than two-thirds of voters cast their ballots by mail or before Election Day for the 2020 presidential election.

The bureau, in a new report, found that 69 percent of voters nationwide took advantage of the expansion of mail and early-voting options in numerous statesa significant jump over the previous election. In 2016, about 40 percent of voters cast their ballots through these nontraditional methods, according to figures released this week.

The survey, a supplement of the Current Population Survey, found that the increase in nontraditional voting was driven by mail-in voting more than doubling to 43 percent. Some states, such as New Jersey, mailed ballots to all eligible voters during the 2020 election. Such election regulation changes were reflected in the survey results where the percentage of voters opting for early or by-mail options increased exponentially to 92.3 percent in 2020 from 7.9 percent in 2016. States such as California and Vermont, which also mailed ballots to all voters, saw a 35 percent or greater shift to mail-in and early voting.

The data also found that the rate of nontraditional voting in Arizona, Texas, Montana, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, Maryland, and the District of Columbia was 82.9 percent or greater. But Colorado, Oregon, and Washington didnt see a significant shift in the rate, as those states had already allowed for all-mail elections in the past.

The change in voting behavior was partly driven by policies adopted to prevent crowding at polling booths amid the CCP virus pandemic. These policies, some of which were implemented at the last minute or without approval from state legislatures, became the subject of multiple lawsuits filed by President Donald Trump, his campaign, and a number of Republicans, who alleged that the changes were made in violation of the U.S. Constitution and resulted in numerous irregularities.

Several Republican states have since enacted or are considering legislative measures in an attempt to protect the integrity of the ballot box in response to the concerns raised during the 2020 election. Georgia implemented a number of changes to the way its residents vote, including requiring photo or state-approved identification to vote absentee by mail. The law also mandates that secure dropboxes be placed inside early voting locations with constant surveillance and it expands early voting across the state.

Similarly, Floridas legislature last week passed a similar law setting out guidelines for methods of voting, drop boxes, and preventing election officials from entering consent agreements.

The survey also found states that recorded an increase in nontraditional voting methods in 2020 also saw a larger change in turnout between the 2016 and 2020 elections compared to the remaining states.

The 2020 election will long be remembered for having taken place during a pandemic, the Census Bureau said in its release. As the above findings indicate, the methods of voting used by those casting a ballot were significantly different from prior elections, though the magnitude and nature of the changes varied from state to state.
(L-R) Adm. John C. Aquilino, Adm. Philip S. Davidson with Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley participate during at a Change of Command ceremony for the U.S Indo-Pacific Command, at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam west of Honolulu, Hawaii, on April 30, 2021. (Cindy Ellen Russell/Honolulu Star-Advertiser via AP)

Pentagon Chief Calls for New Vision for American Defense

NAVAL STATION PEARL HARBOR, HawaiiIn his first major speech as Pentagon chief, Lloyd Austin on Friday called for developing a new vision for American defense in the face of emerging cyber and space threats and the prospect of fighting bigger wars.

Reflecting President Joe Bidens promise to put diplomacy first in dealing with foreign policy problems, Austin said the military should provide leverage that diplomats can use to prevent conflict.

U.S. military isnt meant to stand apart, but to buttress U.S. diplomacy and advance a foreign policy that employs all of our instruments of national power, Austin said.

He chose to spell out his ideas at Pearl Harbor, at the center of U.S. military power in the Indo-Pacific region, reflecting U.S. concerns that the Chinese communist regimes rapid military modernization and growing aggression make it a powerful adversary. Notably, Austin in his speech did not explicitly mention China or North Korea.

In his first four-plus months as defense secretary, Austin has focused less on big policy pronouncements and more on immediate issues like the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and internal issues like extremism in the military, as well as launching broad reviews of defense strategy.

Speaking with the USS Arizona Memorial and the Battleship Missouri Memorial in the background, Austin cautioned that the U.S. military cannot be satisfied with believing it is the strongest and most capability military in the world todaynot at a time when our potential adversaries are very deliberately working to blunt our edge. He appeared to be referring to the Chinese regime, which other officials say has accelerated its military modernization and sped up its construction of a wide range of sophisticated weaponry while the United States was focused for two decades on combatting terrorist groups like al-Qaida in Afghanistan and, more recently, ISIS in Iraq and Syria.

Adm. John C. Aquilino and Adm. Philip S. Davidson with Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin arrive at at a Change of Command ceremony for the U.S Indo-Pacific Command, at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam west of Honolulu, Hawaii, on April 30, 2021. (Cindy Ellen Russell/Honolulu Star-Advertiser via AP)

Austin, who spent more than 40 years in the Army, including as the top American commander in Iraq during the last years of U.S. combat there, noted that he had spent most of the past two decades in the last of the old wars.

The way that we fight the next major war is going to look very different from the way that we fought the last ones, he said. We all need to drive toward a new vision of what it means to defend our nation.

He spoke at a ceremony marking the arrival of Adm. John Aquilino as the new commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, succeeding Adm. Philip Davidson, who has been outspoken in his concerns that the Chinese regime is proceeding with urgency to be in position to potentially take Taiwan by force within several years.

In his departing remarks at Fridays ceremony, Davidson repeated his assertion that the Chinese regime is using pernicious behavior to challenge U.S. dominance in the region and to remake the international order in its image.

Austin mentioned no specific potential flashpoints for conflict in the Indo-Pacific region but said the United States must develop a new vision of defense that takes greater advantage of new technologies, including quantum computing, artificial intelligence, and edge computing, which he described as a framework that allows data to be processed while its being collected, and to absorb and share it instantaneously.

Austin said U.S. defense will continue to rest on maintaining deterrence, which he described as fixing a basic truth within the minds of our potential foes: The costs and risks of aggression are out of line with any conceivable benefit.

To keep that deterrent effect, the U.S. military must use existing capabilities, develop new ones, and use all of them in new and networked wayshand in hand with our allies and partners. This should be accomplished in alignment with U.S. diplomatic goals and efforts, he added, in order to prevent conflict from breaking out in the first place.

Its always easier to stamp out a small ember than to put out a raging fire, he said.

By Robert Burns
Arrest of Bathiudeen brothers: Family lawyers mull fundamental rights petition By Sandun Jayawardana View(s): View(s):

Lawyers for former minister and All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) Leader Rishad Bathiudeen and his brother Riyaj Bathiudeen are drafting Fundamental Rights (FR) petitions to be filed in the Supreme Court against their arrest and detention under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).

Complaints over the arrests have also been lodged with the Human Rights Commission, said Rushdhie Habeeb, an attorney for the Bathiudeen family.

The former minister and his brother are currently being held by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for 90 days after they were taken into custody last week for aiding and abetting the Easter Sunday attackers. Mr Habeeb told the Sunday Times that the familys lawyers as well as members of the family themselves have been given access to the two men.

At the time of the arrests on April 24, Police Spokesman Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Ajith Rohana said the CID took the two suspects into custody under the PTA based on witness testimony, scientific evidence as well as circumstantial evidence that pointed them to having aided and abetted the Easter attackers.

We see this as an arrest and investigation rather than the usual investigation and arrest, Mr Habeeb observed, pointing out that the report of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the Easter attacks makes it clear that there is no evidence linking either Rishad Bathiudeen nor his brother of aiding and abetting the attackers.

The CoI, however, had noted irregularities in the issuance of scrap metal while Mr Bathiudeen was the Minister of Industry and Commerce, with an unusually high amount being issued to Colossus (Pvt) Ltd, which was owned by Easter Sunday bomber Inshaf Ahamed. Mr Habeeb pointed out that the CoI has said this matter should be forwarded to the Bribery Commission. That charge clearly does not fall under the PTA. As such, there is no basis for arresting them under the PTA, he stressed.
A group of police run down the street in the Bois de la Cambre park during a party called "La Boum 2" in Brussels, Saturday, May 1, 2021. (Olivier Matthys/AP Photo)

Police Break up Brussels Anti-Lockdown Party

BRUSSELSPolice fired water cannon and tear gas in a Brussels park on Saturday to break up an anti-lockdown party of several hundred people designed to defy coronavirus social distancing rules.

The crowd of mostly young people responded to a post on Facebook announcing the unauthorised party. It took place a month after police cleared 2,000 people who gathered in the same Bois de la Cambre park for la Boum (the party), an event that had begun as an April Fools joke.

The follow-up Boum 2 event on May 1, a traditional day for demonstrations, was held a week before the Belgian government allows cafe and bar terraces to open and lets groups of more than four people meet outside in relaxation of COVID-19 rules.

Police use a water cannon against protestors at the Bois de la Cambre park during a party called La Boum 2 in Brussels, on May 1, 2021. (Olivier Matthys/AP Photo)

A man is doused by a water cannon during clashes as people gather at the Bois de la Cambre/Ter Kamerenbos park for a party called La Boum 2 in defiance of Belgiums CCP virus disease (COVID-19) social distancing measures and restrictions, in Brussels on May 1, 2021. (Yves Herman/Reuters)

Prime Minister Alexander De Croo urged Belgians on Friday to stay united and not fall into this trap. Facebook also took down the Boum 2 post on Thursday after a request from Belgian prosecutors, who warned partygoers they risked being detained or fined.

Police said several hundred people still attended.

Emile Breuillot, a 23-year-old dental student, said he had come to see people enjoy themselves and to defend their rights to gather.

A woman hands a flower to a police officer as people gather at the Bois de la Cambre/Ter Kamerenbos park for a party called La Boum 2 in defiance of Belgiums coronavirus disease (COVID-19) social distancing measures and restrictions, in Brussels, Belgium, on May 1, 2021. (Yves Herman/Reuters)

After a calm start with groups chanting freedom, the police announced on social media that attendees were not observing public safety measures and that they would intervene. Many people were not wearing masks, a requirement anywhere in public in the Belgian capital.

Hundreds of people also marched in central Brussels and through the eastern city of Liege demanding a relaxation of coronavirus measures.

By Clement Rossignol and Philip Blenkinsop
Eddie, an OC Driven for Success scholarship recipient works alongside his supervisor at Fletcher Jones Motor Cars. (Courtesy of OC Driven for Success)

Program Helps Orange County Vets Find Success

Orange County military veterans and transitioning service members are being invited to participate in the first orientation of OC Driven for Success, a program providing paid training, mentoring, and job placement with Orange County auto dealerships.

Originally launched by the Orange County Automobile Dealers Association (OCADA), OC Driven for Success was initially aimed at developing highly skilled automatic technicians by providing county high school and community college students with training in the automotive sector.

Thanks to a newly formed partnership between OCADA, Orange County, the Orange County Workforce Development Board, and the Orange County Veterans Service Office, the program has expanded its services to members of the military preparing to transition back to civilian life and veterans looking for training and job placement opportunities.

Orange County has the fourth-largest population of veterans in Southern California, Supervisor Andrew Do said in a press release. Through this initiative, they will receive the proper resources and training to prepare them for a new career.

Our nation owes so much to every veteran who has served and risked their lives defending our democracy and values.

Opportunities Abound

According to an Orange County Automobile Dealers Association 2020 economic impact report, the countys 120 franchised auto dealerships employ upwards of 12,000 workers. More than 248,000 vehicles were sold in 2020, resulting in $11.3 billion in sales and $663 million in sales tax.

OCADA represents 120 vehicle dealerships in Orange County that employ more than 3,500 automotive technicians. The organization estimates an annual shortage of 350 automotive technicians annually. OC Driven to Success was developed as a way to mitigate workforce shortages while providing opportunities to military veterans.

In the past five years, 537 students in the OC Driven to Success program went on to attend community college to earn a certificate in automotive technology. It gave them the opportunity to apply for technology-driven positions, offering the potential of six-figure earnings, benefits, and job satisfaction.

Theres a lot of misconception that being a mechanic, you cant make a good living, said Alex, a high school senior who competed in an OC Driven for Success automotive competition, placing second and receiving a scholarship to attend a local community college.

Alex now works at a dealership during the day and attends college classes at night. He began his career as an apprentice technician and has worked closely with a mentor technician to become an expert.

I love what I do and I am excited to come to work every day, Alex said through a program testimonial. Not a lot of people can say that, but my day is fun, my day is my hobby.

OC Driven for Success will present an orientation on May 6, 2021. More information can be found online or by calling (714) 480-6500.
A Chinese laborer works at a construction site on reclaimed land, part of a Chinese-funded project for Port City, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Feb. 24, 2020. (ISHARA S. KODIKARA/AFP via Getty Images)

GOP Senators Propose Curbs on Low-Rate World Bank Loans to Beijing

WASHINGTONChina, the worlds second-largest economy, has been exploiting the World Bank by receiving low-cost loans meant for poor nations, and its time to stop this practice, a group of prominent China critics in the U.S. Congress say.

The Chinese economy has grown rapidly over the past four decades, yet the World Bank still considers China a developing nation and despite U.S. objections sends it development aid.

To cut Beijings access to low-rate debt financing, Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) reintroduced on April 30 the World Bank Integrity Preservation Act of 2021.

China has been lending development money outside its borders to extend its influence for years while taking in U.S. taxpayer dollars via World Bank loans, Grassley said in a statement.

The proposal would provide a short-term and longer-term means to take away the status that allows China to receive loans and halt loans to any country like China that exceeds the World Bank graduation thresholds or poses a risk to religious freedom, Grassley added.

According to World Bank policy, countries are eligible to borrow from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), an institution of the bank, until they reach a certain income threshold, which is called a Graduation Discussion Income threshold.

China reached that threshold in 2016 and was expected to reduce its borrowing from the bank since then. The World Bank shareholders agreed in 2018 that the loans to China would fall below a billion dollars a year. China, however, continued to receive more than $1 billion of financing annually for the fiscal years of 2019 and 2020, according to the IBRD data. And since the beginning of this year, China was already approved for a $600 million loan from the World Bank.

As of March 31, the banks cumulative lending to China was nearly $66 billion.

For too long, Beijing has been allowed to exploit the World Banks limited resources even though they should not qualify for assistance, Rubio said in the statement. This bill also reaffirms Americas continued commitment to religious freedom worldwide.

Similar legislation was introduced in December 2019 to block the World Bank from issuing more funding to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

The United States led other countries in the establishment of the IBRD in 1944, and today, its the largest shareholder of the World Bank Group.

Under no circumstances should American taxpayers be on the hook for World Bank loans to countries actively repressing religious minorities, especially to Communist China, which is committing genocide against Uyghur Muslims, Scott said in the statement.

China is also the worlds largest creditor, accounting for almost 65 percent of official bilateral debt.

In recent years, China has lured many poor countries into a debt trap through its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which is one of the worlds most ambitious and controversial development programs. Since its launch in 2013, the BRI has poured billions of dollars into emerging countries to help build massive infrastructure projects.

The Chinese Communist Party is engaged in an ongoing genocide against the Uyghurs. They exploit international finance for their human rights atrocities, Cruz said, according to the statement.

The World Bank has also contributed to the Belt and Road initiative, in which the Chinese Communist Party utilizes coercive debt traps to advance their interests.

Most BRI projects are financed mainly through a wide range of Chinese local government and state-controlled institutions. And some are co-financed by the World Bank and other multilateral development banks.

The World Bank has also funded projects in Xinjiang, such as the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Project.

The United States must urge the World Bank to end these loans, which are contrary to its own guidelines and the demands of justice, Cotton said in the statement. Every dollar loaned to China is a dollar spent on strengthening the CCPs grip over the Chinese people.

The Chinese Communist regime has come under fire for using debt as a tool to gain political and economic leverage over other nations and silence them about the regimes human rights violations.

In addition, a new study led by AidData, a U.S. research lab at the College of William and Mary, showed that Chinas loan contracts with emerging countries have uncommon secrecy provisions, collateral arrangements, and debt renegotiation restrictions.

Chinese lenders, for example, were given the freedom to cancel loans or accelerate repayment if they disagree with a borrower nations policies.

Through its so-called debt-trap diplomacy, the Chinese regime has also grown its influence on religious freedom and human rights overseas.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom in its annual report released on April 21 stated that Beijings economic and geopolitical influence overseas had negatively affected rights and freedoms in other countries.

Tactics include harassment, intimidation, and detainment of human rights activists, ethnic and religious minorities, and other critics and dissidents, the report said.
Citizen Volunteers Lead India COVID-19 Relief Effort as Cases Rise to Record Numbers

NEW DELHIA 3-month-old baby boy from Nagpur city in central India tested positive for COVID-19, leading his desperate parents to reach out on Twitter for help.

A team of volunteers called India Cares connected the parents with a volunteer pediatrician who virtually guided the parents, who were under quarantine. The child tested negative five days later.

Thank you for arranging the doctors call. Directions from Doctor were helpful. Babys second test came negative, the babys parents said in a message to Pallavi Kulshrestha, the Delhi-based India Cares volunteer who coordinates consultations with a team of 45 volunteer doctors who are attending to patients throughout India.

India Cares is a citizen volunteer group of 3,900 people that came together last year during the pandemic when distressed Indians under lockdown started to reach out virtually for help.

Experiencing the unprecedented pandemic and lockdown for the first time, volunteers who had never met began to gather on WhatsApp, Twitter, and Telegram, connecting resources to demand. They came from all walks of lifehomemakers, bureaucrats, students, doctors, engineers, and tradersfrom around India and from among the Indian diaspora abroad. As the group has expanded, so has its reach.

The group is needed now more than ever. In April, India began experiencing a second wave of COVID-19, setting several world records for the number of new cases in a single day, with 392,488 new cases on May 1. Along with the surge in new cases, theres been a spike in deaths, and some signs of panic in the population.

In response, India Cares started to rally again in response to the new rounds of desperate messages. But this time, the demands were unlike last years, when the calls for help were about obtaining food provisions, sending migrants home under lockdown, and coordinating hospital beds.

Though the pandemic is the same, the realities have changed. Keeping in mind the overwhelming need for oxygen, plasma, and hospital beds faced by certain cities in India, India Cares decided to focus on providing online medical consultation, coordinating hospital beds, encouraging people to donate blood and plasma, running an awareness campaign about vaccination, and linking up resources to provide medicine.

So when Dr. Bhavi Vipulkumar Shah, who is based in the small town of Deesa, in Gujarat on the western coast of India, was referred to the 3-month-olds case, she helped the young parents who had no idea how to test the babys oxygen saturation level.

And they were asking about whether breastfeeding should be continued or not, the pediatrician said, adding that both parents were COVID-positive. I advised them to continue breastfeeding if the mother is not too ill to feed.

Oxygen cylinder delivered to the lady  Woke up @kishandips at midnight for this task. Have no words to thank him. Not once he showed any reluctance. Also thanking @Choprarun for the help in locating a cylinder supplier at such odd hours. Great support indeed.@indiacares_2020 https://t.co/umFGSBet92  Arun Bothra (@arunbothra) April 27, 2021

Arjun Bir Sahi, a veteran of Indias army and a volunteer with India Cares, helps out with contacts and inputs. He said every volunteer at India Cares works pro bono, and the number is only increasing.

We have a volunteer in Kolkatta who coordinates the delivery of COVID medicine when people under lockdown reach out to us for help. He sources the medicine from pharma in his city, and Blue Dart couriers provide free shipping around India while people pay online, Sahi said.

He also has a team of professional designers working on social media campaigns, designing messages, and communication.

Dr. Nikunj Shah, 37, is based in the small city of Nandurbar in Maharashtra state on Indias west coast. He enrolled with India Cares during last years pandemic and continues to be available for teleconsultations during the current surge of cases, despite being in quarantine after testing positive on April 20.

Many times, people are really panicked. Theres a lot of hysteria. Theres also not much awareness about how the disease propagates. For example, people dont know that they should check their oxygen saturation level only after walking for six minutes, said Shah. He helps four to five people on most days, with the number peaking to eight to 10 people some days.

Shah said being a frontline worker, he had been vaccinated, and yet hes tested positive again.

This time, its mild symptoms. Having gone through it myself, I understand peoples concerns very well. Im continuing to help during quarantine because I cant go out. Im continuing in my way, he said.

Recently, Shah was put in touch with an infected senior couple in Delhi who was alone, as their daughter was in London. They were uncertain about whether to take the wife to the hospital or allow her to be at home. After speaking with them, Shah advised them to take her to the hospital as she needed oxygen.

Care India was able to locate a bed for her. Even when I can help a few people, Im satisfied, Shah said.

A patient breathes with the help of oxygen provided by a Gurdwara, a place of worship for Sikhs, under a tent installed along the roadside amid the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic in Ghaziabad, India, on April 26, 2021. (Sajjad Hussain/Getty Images)

Responding and Managing Trauma

Megha Jain, a 29-year-old student of chartered accountancy, is the founder of @TeamSOSIndia, a volunteer group that numbers 500 people from around the country. They came together on social media last year to connect pandemic resources with those in need.

We used to find distress messages on social media. And we used to see the distress and call them and tried to help them with whatever we could, said Jain, who is based in Mumbai.

Because when youre suffering and theres a patient in your family, youre in shock. At that moment, its not mentally possible for them to call each and every hospital when you have a shortage of beds and make sure the patient is admitted. So we used to make sure that were with them. Thats how we started, she said.

Jain has continued to attend to messages asking for help, despite the odds. Most of the messages during the current surge are coming from Delhi and the state of Uttar Pradesh in northern India; she says the group has now started getting calls from Kolkatta, a metropolitan area on Indias east coast.

Jain said her team believes in responding and in working together, rather than in complaining and blaming.

Because its a pandemic and no one knew whats happening. Even the health infrastructure of developed nations couldnt stand this pandemic, right? We know the reality of our country. Were a developing country; we have good infrastructure, but we still wont be able to take this much pressure, she said.

Right from the peon in a government office to the highest authority to every political party, the ruling and the opposition, everyone is working toward it.

When their group isnt able to respond to a case, they pass it on to other emergency responders and charities or to whoever can respond, she said.

Jain shared the story of a couple, Rasik Mehta and Kalpana Mehta from the state of Gujrat, who lost their son to COVID-19 last year. The couple had a fixed deposit of over $20,000 (15 lakhs) for their son in the bank.

Now they broke the FD of Rs 15 lakhs, to help lives of other COVID patients. They have also given their car to be used as an ambulance, Jain shared in a message on Twitter, telling The Epoch Times on the phone that its important to spread positive messages during the current crisis.

Rasik Mehta & Kalpana Mehta a couple from #Gujarat had a FD for the future of their Son, whom they unfortunately lost to COVID last year. Now they broke the FD of Rs 15 lakh, to help lives of other #COVID19 patients. They have also given their Car to be used as an Ambulance. pic.twitter.com/pCSJdJ7geM  Megha Jain (@dramebaz_woman) May 1, 2021

Like the Mehtas, many people have begun helping others, despite their own loss. The story of an 85-year-old COVID-positive man who gave up his bed to a young man after he saw that mans wife along with their crying children asking hospital officials for a bed, went viral on Indian media this week.

Jain said the last few days have been very hard for her team because there are limited ventilators, and every day theyre getting many calls for intensive care beds and ventilators.

Then people tell us the patient is no more. Thats very disturbing. We literally cry, said Jain, adding that every day, someone in her team has a breakdown.

Its not just the messages. We are having our own families in crisis as well. But yes, we are working! Every single person has a COVID crisis in the family. The day before yesterday, I lost my uncle, a very close person. We are still working. As many lives as we can save, we have to do that, she said.

Patients are seen inside an ambulance while waiting to enter a COVID-19 hospital for treatment, amid the spread of COVID-19 in Ahmedabad, India, on April 22, 2021. (Amit Dave/Reuters)

Pro-Bono Counseling

The Mumbai North Central District Forum (MNCDF) is a citizens forum of over 40 people that was founded to address various civil issues. After the COVID-19 pandemic began last year, MNCDF started to attend to all kinds of requests for help.

The forum has a 24/7 dedicated team of 20 volunteers who are encouraging people to donate plasma during this surge.

We are overwhelmed with calls and requests for bed admission, plasma, said MNCDF founder Trivan Kumar Karnani, 30. Karnani, a criminal lawyer at the Mumbai high court, is providing COVID patients with legal consultations pro bono during the current surgewhich includes helping people deal with inflated bills.

There are times when they need us to speak to the insurance companies or to put them under different government schemes that are available, said Karnani, adding that there are situations when the hospitals inflate the cost of COVID medicine that has been capped by federal and state governments.

A hospital had wrongfully withheld the discharge of a patient who died in the hospital, said Karnani about a recent case. The bills had been inflated, and the family was traumatized. I intervened up to the management level of the hospital and got an almost 40 to 50 percent reduction.

Karnani said MNCDF is also working with lawmakers in the civic authority and the state legislature to escalate intervention on critical COVID-19 cases, or cases that have gone unattended.

We have worked with the medical teams of a lot of elected representatives.

There are other volunteers and volunteer forums that The Epoch Times reached out to during the current surge. Many worked late nights with no time to attend to media requests for interviews.

Sorry! Not really in a state to talk with the media at this point. In the last 24 hours, lost 3 people. Left numb! said one India Cares volunteer.

There are forums providing psychological counseling by phone to traumatized family members that The Epoch Times couldnt talk to. A few individuals shared pictures of their workstationsone volunteer called his work station at home a war zone. Others shared screenshots of messages of gratitude or messages of tears and loss.
Scalise Very Open to Bipartisan Infrastructure Package That Does Not Raise Taxes

Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) said this week that he is open to working with Democrats to craft a package that would advance Americas infrastructure without raising taxes.

Scalise made the comments at a virtual Axios event on Friday where he urged President Joe Biden to fulfill his promise for unity and put the brakes on an advancing far-left agenda. His comments came after Biden delivered his 100-day speech to Congress earlier in the week.

Look, if theres any hope that we can work together it would be on infrastructure. What [Biden] laid out last night or the night before last was not really infrastructure, Scalise said. Hes talking about a lot of things that had very little to do with roads and bridges. And so I think theres a chance for President Biden to fulfill his promise by working with Republicans, but hes yet to do it so far.

He has been mostly spending trillions of dollars trying to advance the far-left agenda. And when you talk about raising taxes, killing American energy, running manufacturing out of this country, that might be a good agenda for China, [but] its not a good agenda for hardworking families here in America.

Republicans are fighting to slim down the multi-trillion dollar package they say contains provisions that are extraneous and have little to do with infrastructure. They are also apprehensive about rolling back Trump-era tax cuts, a key feature of Bidens plan. To pay for the infrastructure plan, the White House is proposing to raise the corporate tax rate to 28 percent from the current 21 percent.

There are a few different ideas that are being worked on by Republicans and Democrats in the hundreds-of-billions-of-dollar range, not the trillions of dollars, but the most important part is the plans that Ive seen that I like and would support would be plans that are fully paid for without new taxes, Scalise said.

And what I mean by that is reprioritizing existing federal dollars and there are some good plans that do that [but] once you start getting into deficit spending, and especially raising taxes on American jobs, making our country less competitive, and really hurting our middle class that was starting to come back, thats not something thats good for the country and its frankly its not what infrastructure is about.

So, if theres a plan where we can come together on things that actually make senseto build more roads and bridges and broadband and help our infrastructure without raising taxesthats something Im very open to, he added.

Other Republicans, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), are also wary of Bidens spending proposals, but have expressed an appetite for smaller bipartisan infrastructure solutions.

Last week, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and other Senate Republicans unveiled a $568 billion infrastructure counterproposal, which will focus on the traditional concept of infrastructure. The GOP plan includes $299 billion on roads and bridges, $61 billion on public transit systems, $20 billion on rail, $35 billion on drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, $13 billion on safety programs, $17 billion on ports and inland waterways, $44 billion on airports, $65 billion to expand broadband access, and $14 billion to address water shortages.

Scalise also warned against increasing taxes, noting that President Donald Trumps tax cuts helped bring millions of jobs back to America, resulting in historically low unemployment more people paying taxes.

Democrats dont understand that logic, but when we cut taxes we brought millions of jobs back to America. You saw so many companies relocating companies that had left America to go to places like Ireland or Canada that moved their headquarters back, that moved jobs back by the millions, he said.

And because of that you had more people working, paying taxes. Hardly anybody was unemployed. If you wanted a job, every company was looking for workers, and they were paying higher wages. So it was great for American hardworking taxpayers, but it was also good for the Treasury because we took in more money by cutting taxes.
Scott Petersons Sister-in-Law Alleges She Has Evidence to Overturn His Conviction

The sister-in-law of Scott Peterson, who was sentenced for the killing of his pregnant wife, claimed that she has evidence to overturn his conviction17 years after he was convicted of the crime.

Janey Peterson previously claimed police officers ignored information surrounding the death of Laci Peterson, including a burglary across the street from their house in Modesto, California.

There is no series of circumstances that fits the evidence where he could possibly have done it, Peterson told CBS13 in Sacramento. She continued: The justice system has failed here, and a lot of aspects have failed. And it started with the Modesto Police Department. And it started with the fact that they didnt follow up on evidence that showed Laci was alive the morning of December 24.

Janey Peterson further alleged that she has evidence of neighbors who saw Laci when on the day she disappeared in late December 2002. She said it is possible that Laci witnessed the break-in, approached the suspects, and was then kidnapped.

There was an anonymous tip that came in that named five people being involved in the burglary, but only two of those people were arrested and questioned, Janey Peterson said.

She added: A Lt. Aponte who worked at Norco Prison in California called the Modesto police in January and said they had an inmate at their prison who was overheard discussing exactly that, that Laci had confronted the burglars at the Medina home.

Authorities have previously said that the break-in occurred two days before Laci Peterson was killed. Prosecutors have said her timeline doesnt add-up, CBS13 reported.

Scott Peterson, meanwhile, recently appeared in court regarding his death penalty conviction.
The U.S. Embassy, shortly after half its personnel suffered an alleged sonic weapon attack, in Havana, Cuba, on Sept. 29, 2017.. (Adalberto Roque/AFP/Getty Images)

Senate Intel Leaders: Mystery Havana Syndrome Attacks on US Officials Increasing

Republican and Democratic Senate leaders said that incidents similar to the suspected directed radio frequency attacks on U.S. diplomats in recent years appear to be increasing.

Sens. Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) said theyve been aware for nearly five years about mysterious attacks targeting U.S. government officials in Havana, Cuba, and elsewhere. Some have speculated that it may be a type of sonic weapon, and victims are said to develop illnesses known as Havana syndrome.

This pattern of attacking our fellow citizens serving our government appears to be increasing. The Senate Intelligence Committee intends to get to the bottom of this, the two senators said. Both senators are chairman and vice-chairman, respectively, of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

In 2016 and 2017, the so-called Havana syndrome attacks affected about 50 diplomatic personnel, who reported strange symptoms including vomiting, concussions, extreme nausea, and chronic headaches.

The Senate Intelligence Committee intends to get to the bottom of this. We have already held fact finding hearings on these debilitating attacks, many of which result in medically confirmed cases of Traumatic Brain Injury, and will do more, Warner and Rubio said, adding, We will focus on ensuring we protect our personnel and provide the medical and financial support the victims deserve. 

Their statement on April 30 came as CIA Director William Burns renewed research on the alleged attacks.

Cuba wasnt the only country where personnel reported the symptoms. In 2018, the United States removed several diplomats from China after employees working in Guangzhou in Guangdong Province reported subtle and vague, but abnormal, sensations of sound and pressure.

Last year, a report from the National Academies of Sciences found that the neurological symptoms experienced by American diplomats in China and Cuba are consistent with directed microwave energy.

The committee felt that many of the distinctive and acute signs, symptoms and observations reported by (government) employees are consistent with the effects of directed, pulsed radio frequency (RF) energy, the report said. Studies published in the open literature more than a half-century ago and over the subsequent decades by Western and Soviet sources provide circumstantial support for this possible mechanism.

The report noted there was significant research in Russia/USSR into the effects of pulsed, rather than continuous wave [radio frequency] exposures, saying military personnel in Eurasian communist countries had been exposed to non-thermal radiation.

The mere consideration of such a scenario raises grave concerns about a world with disinhibited malevolent actors and new tools for causing harm to others, as if the U.S. government does not have its hands full already with naturally occurring threats, the report added.
In this image made from NASA TV video, the SpaceX Dragon capsule floats after landing in the Gulf of Mexico near the Florida Panhandle early Sunday, on May 2, 2021. (NASA TV via AP)

SpaceX Returns 4 Astronauts to Earth; Rare Night Splashdown

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.SpaceX safely returned four astronauts from the International Space Station on Sunday, making the first U.S. crew splashdown in darkness since the Apollo 8 moonshot.

The Dragon capsule parachuted into the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Panama City, Florida, just before 3 a.m., ending the second astronaut flight for Elon Musks company.

It was an express trip home, lasting just 6 1/2 hours.

The astronauts, three American and one Japanese, flew back in the same capsulenamed Resiliencein which they launched from NASAs Kennedy Space Center in November.

We welcome you back to planet Earth and thanks for flying SpaceX, SpaceXs Mission Control radioed moments after splashdown. For those of you enrolled in our frequent flyer program, youve earned 68 million miles on this voyage.

Well take those miles, said spacecraft commander Mike Hopkins. Are they transferrable? SpaceX replied that the astronauts would have to check with the companys marketing department.

In this image made from NASA TV video, the SpaceX Dragon capsule lands into the Gulf of Mexico near the Florida Panhandle early Sunday, on May 2, 2021. (NASA TV via AP)

Within a half-hour of splashdown, the charred capsuleresembling a giant toasted marshmallowhad been hoisted onto the recovery ship, with the astronauts exiting soon afterward. NASA and SpaceX managers marveled at how fast and smooth the operation went. The companys senior adviser, Hans Koenigsmann, said it looked more like a race car pit stop than anything else.

Hopkins was the first one out, doing a little dance as he emerged under the intense spotlights.

Its amazing what can be accomplished when people come together, he told SpaceX flight controllers at company headquarters in Hawthorne, California. Quite frankly, you all are changing the world. Congratulations. Its great to be back.

NASA astronauts Shannon Walker (L), Victor Glover, Mike Hopkins, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Soichi Noguchi (R) are seen inside the SpaceX Crew Dragon Resilience spacecraft onboard the SpaceX GO Navigator recovery ship shortly after having landed in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Panama City, Fla., on May 2, 2021. (Bill Ingalls/NASA via AP)

NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins is helped out of the SpaceX Crew Dragon Resilience spacecraft onboard the SpaceX GO Navigator recovery ship after he, NASA astronauts Shannon Walker, Victor Glover and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Soichi Noguchi, landed in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Panama City, Fla., on May 2, 2021. (Bill Ingalls/NASA)

The 167-day mission was the longest for a crew capsule launching from the United States. The previous record of 84 days was set by NASAs final Skylab station astronauts in 1974.

Saturday nights undocking left seven people at the space station, four of whom arrived a week ago via SpaceX.

Earthbound! NASA astronaut Victor Glover, the capsules pilot, wrote on Twitter after departing the station. One step closer to family and home!

Hopkins and Gloveralong with NASAs Shannon Walker and Japans Soichi Noguchishould have returned to Earth last Wednesday, but high offshore winds forced SpaceX to pass up a pair of daytime landing attempts. Managers switched to a rare splashdown in darkness, to take advantage of calm weather.

SpaceX had practiced for a nighttime return, just in case, and even recovered its most recent station cargo capsule from the Gulf of Mexico in darkness. Infrared cameras tracked the astronauts capsule as it re-entered the atmosphere; it resembled a bright star streaking through the night sky.

All four main parachutes could be seen deploying just before splashdown, which was also visible in the infrared.

Apollo 8NASAs first flight to the moon with astronautsended with a predawn splashdown in the Pacific near Hawaii on Dec. 27, 1968. Eight years later, a Soviet capsule with two cosmonauts ended up in a dark, partially frozen lake in Kazakhstan, blown off course in a blizzard.

That was it for nighttime crew splashdownsuntil Sunday.

Despite the early hour, the Coast Guard was out in full force to enforce an 11-mile (18-kilometer) keep-out zone around the bobbing Dragon capsule. For SpaceXs first crew return in August, pleasure boaters swarmed the capsule, a safety risk. Leisure boats stayed away this time.

Once finished with their medical checks on the ship, the astronauts planned to hop on a helicopter for the short flight to shore, then catch a plane straight to Houston for a reunion with their families.

Its not very often you get to wake up on the space station and go to sleep in Houston, chief flight director Holly Ridings told reporters.

The astronauts capsule, Resilience, will head back to Cape Canaveral for refurbishment for SpaceXs first private crew mission in September. The space station docking mechanism will be removed, and a brand new domed window put in its place.

A tech billionaire has purchased the entire three-day flight, which will orbit 75 miles (120 kilometers) above the space station. Hell fly with a pair of contest winners and a physician assistant from St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital, his designated charity for the mission.

SpaceXs next astronaut launch for NASA will follow in October.

NASA turned to private companies to service the space station, after the shuttle fleet retired in 2011. SpaceX began supply runs in 2012 and, last May, launched its first crew, ending NASAs reliance on Russia for astronaut transport.

Boeing isnt expected to launch astronauts until early next year.

By Marcia Dunn
A screenshot of Susan Wright. (Susan Wright for Congress/Screenshot via NTD)

Texas Republican Susan Wright Advances to Runoff in Race for US House Seat

The widow of a U.S. representative who died earlier this year has advanced to a runoff in the race to fill the seat he held.

Susan Wright received enough votes to advance to the runoff, getting 19.2 percent of the tally.

Wright entered the race following the death of Rep. Ron Wright (R-Texas), who died after testing positive for COVID-19 in February.

Wright released a short statement late Saturday, writing on Twitter, Lets go win this! She used the hashtag for Make America Great Again, President Donald Trumps 2016 campaign slogan.

Trump endorsed Wright last week, telling supporters that she will be strong on the Border, Crime, Pro-Life, our brave Military and Vets, and will ALWAYS protect your Second Amendment.

Trump said Wright would be a terrific Congresswoman.

Either Republican candidate Jake Ellzey or Democrat Jana Sanchez will join Wright in the runoff. Ellzey had garnered 354 more votes with virtually all precincts reporting, according to the tally early Sunday.

A runoff is triggered when no candidate gets a majority of the vote.

Volunteer Al Green looks at his phone as he takes a break from holding a sign supporting his candidate in a local election outside an early voting location in Mansfield, Texas, on April 27, 2021. (LM Otero/AP Photo)

The race to fill the vacant seat representing the Texas 6th Congressional District drew 23 candidates. Each one drew at least 102 votes.

Republican Brian Harrison was in fourth with 8,476 votes, while Democrat Shawn Lassiter garnered just under 7,000.

The seat has been held by Republicans for decades, but Democrats hoped to flip it after Trump drew a smaller margin of votes in the district in 2020 than in 2016.

Democrats have seen their majority in the House of Representatives dwindle considerably, after Republicans flipped 15 seats in the lower chamber in the 2020 election.

Republican Julia Letlow, whose husband died before being sworn into Congress, recently won the seat he would have held. After she was sworn in, the House stood at 218 Democrats and 212 Republicans, with five seats vacant.

But Troy Carter, a Democrat, last week won the special runoff election for a seat vacated by former Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.). Once he is sworn in, Democrats will see their edge grow.
A staff member removes the Iranian flag from the stage after a group picture with foreign ministers and representatives of the U.S., Iran, China, Russia, Britain, Germany, France and the European Union during the Iran nuclear talks at the Vienna International Center in Vienna, Austria, on July 14, 2015. (Carlos Barria/Reuters)

US Denies Irans Claims of Prisoner, Cash Swap; UK Downplays

DUBAI, United Arab EmiratesThe United States on May 2 immediately denied a report by Iranian state-run television that deals had been reached for the Islamic Republic to release U.S. and British prisoners in exchange for Tehran receiving billions of dollars.

Even after an initial American denial, an anchorwoman on Iranian state TV still repeated the announcement.

Some sources say four Iranian prisoners are to be released and $7 billion are to be received by Iran in exchange for releasing four American spies, the anchorwoman said. She described the claimed deal as coming due to congressional pressure on President Joe Biden and his urgent need to show progress made in the Iran case.

State TV didnt identify the Iranians that Tehran sought to be freed.

State Department spokesman Ned Price immediately denied the Iranian state TV report.

Reports that a prisoner swap deal has been reached are not true, Price said. As we have said, we always raise the cases of Americans detained or missing in Iran. We will not stop until we are able to reunite them with their families.

State Department Spokesman Ned Price speaks ahead of an address by Secretary of State Antony Blinken during the release of the 2020 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, at the State Department in Washington on March 30, 2021. (Mandel Ngan/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

Bidens chief of staff Ron Klain told CBS Face the Nation that unfortunately, that report is untrue. There is no agreement to release these four Americans.

Were working very hard to get them released, Klain said. We raise this with Iran and our interlocutors all the time, but so far theres no agreement.

Tehran holds four known Americans now in prison: Baquer and Siamak Namazi, environmentalist Morad Tahbaz and Iranian-American businessman Emad Shargi. Iran long has been accused of holding those with Western ties as prisoners to be later used as bargaining chips in negotiations.

Despite the American denials, there have been signs that a deal on prisoners may be in the works based on Iranian officials remarks in recent weeks.

Although no formal proposal for a swap has yet been presented to officials in Washington, let alone been signed off on by the White House, the specificity of the reports from Iran suggested that working-level consideration of a deal is at least underway.

Iranian-British aid worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is seen in an undated photograph handed out by her family. (Ratcliffe Family Handout via Reuters)

State TV also quoted sources as saying a deal had been reached for the United Kingdom to pay 400 million pounds ($552 million) to see the release of British-Iranian woman Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.

British officials downplayed the report. The Foreign Office said the country continues to explore options to resolve this 40-year-old case and we will not comment further as legal discussions are ongoing.

Last week, Zaghari-Ratcliffe was sentenced to an additional year in prison, her lawyer said, on charges of spreading propaganda against the system for participating in a protest in front of the Iranian Embassy in London in 2009.

That came after she completed a five-year prison sentence in the Islamic Republic after being convicted of plotting the overthrow of Irans government, a charge that she, her supporters, and rights groups deny.

While employed at the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of the news agency, she was taken into custody at the Tehran airport in April 2016 as she was returning home to Britain after visiting family.

Richard Ratcliffe, the husband of Zaghari-Ratcliffe, told The Associated Press he was not aware of any swap in the works.

We havent heard anything, he said. Of course, we probably wouldnt, but my instinct is to be skeptical at present.

Richard Ratcliffe, husband of British-Iranian aid worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, and their daughter Gabriella protest outside the Iranian Embassy in London on March 8, 2021. (Andrew Boyers/Reuters)

Earlier on May 2, UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told the BBC that he believed Zaghari-Ratcliffe was being held unlawfully by Iran.

I think shes been treated in the most abusive, tortuous way, Raab said. I think it amounts to torture the way shes been treated and there is a very clear, unequivocal obligation on the Iranians to release her and all of those who are being held as leverage immediately and without condition.

The announcement by state TV comes amid a wider power struggle between hardliners and the relatively moderate government of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. That conflict only has grown sharper as Iran approaches its June 18 presidential election.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who pushed for the 2015 nuclear deal under Rouhani, has seen himself embroiled in a scandal over frank comments he made in a leaked recording. Zarifs name had been floated as a possible candidate in the election, something that now seems unlikely as even Irans supreme leader has apparently criticized him.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif listens joint statement at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, on Dec. 18, 2018. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP)

Tehran is now negotiating with world powers over both it and the United States returning to the nuclear deal, which saw it limit its uranium enrichment in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. Iran has not held direct negotiations with the United States during the talks, however.

Iran says $20 billion of its oil revenue has been frozen in countries like South Korea, Iraq, and China under U.S. sanctions since 2018.

U.S. National security adviser Jake Sullivan said on May 2 that no deal had been reached with Iran in Vienna.

There is still a fair distance to travel to close the remaining gaps, he said on ABCs This Week program. And those gaps are over what sanctions the United States and other countries will roll back. They are over what nuclear restrictions Iran will accept on its program to ensure that they can never get a nuclear weapon.

As the negotiations continue, Iranian diplomats there have offered encouraging comments, while state TV quoted anonymous sources striking maximalist positions contradicting them. That even saw Abbas Araghchi, the Iranian deputy foreign minister leading the talks, offer a rebuke on Twitter last week to Iranian state televisions English-language arm, Press TV.

I dont know who the informed source of Press TV in Vienna is, but s/he is certainly not informed, Araghchi wrote.

By Jon Gambrell, Isabel Debre and Matthew Lee

Reuters contributed to this report
CEB engineers pull switch off US companys bid for Kerawalapitiya By Namini Wijedasa View(s): View(s):

A proposal by the United States-based energy company M/s New Fortress Energy (NFE) to acquire the Governments shares in West Coast Power (Pvt) Ltd (WCPL), owner of the Kerawalapitiya Yugadhanavi power station, has been shot down by Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) engineers. With the surfacing of this proposal by NFE, we see a great danger in successful implementation of the well-structured plan of the deployment of LNG for power generation in Sri Lanka, warns a letter from the powerful CEB Engineers Union (CEBEU) to Power Minister Dullas Alahpperuma.

NFE first entered the scene with another American entity, General Electric (GE), when they forwarded a project proposal through US Ambassador Alaina B Teplitz for a liquid natural gas (LNG) solution to Sri Lankas emergency energy requirements.

The Ambassador had met Minister Alahapperuma before the parliamentary election in August 2019 and expressed the interest of the Government of the United States of America in promoting this project that offers power at US$ 0.099 [Rs 18.29] per kilowatt hourfor a period of five (5) years.

That proposal has now evolved with NFE writing to the Treasury Secretary early last month with an offer to invest in about 27 percent of shares of WCPL, subject to agreement on the price. NFE is also willing to acquire a higher percentage of shares of WCPL, if such shares are available for purchase, the letter, seen by the Sunday Times, states.

Since Yugadhanaviwhich now runs on oilis designed and built to operate on LNG, NFE has proposed that it be converted to operate on gas which is cheaper. As the company has access to supplies, NFE can provide LNG to Yugadhanavi within 12 months from the date on which it receives necessary regulatory approvals and rights of way.

NFE has also undertaken to provide a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) and to build the related gas pipelines for LNG supply to Yugadhanavi at the companys cost and expense. The gas will be supplied at a mutually agreeable price, the letter states.

NFE envisions the cost of generation to be approximately USD 9.9 cents/kWh when the plant is running on NFE gas, it says, adding that it was lower than the levelised tariff quoted by Lakdhanavi Ltd for its planned new 300mw dual-fuel power plant to be constructed at Kerawalapitiya.

But the NFEs offer comes not long after the CEB called for international proposals for the development of the FRSU at offshore Kerawalapitiya on a build, own and operate basis, along with a compatible mooring system on build, own, operate and transfer basis. It will supply regasified LNG for power plants located in Kerawalapitiya and Colombo. The deadline for submissions is June 18 this year.

The CEBEU maintains that it, along with the Power Ministry, developed the road map and the methodology for the deployment of LNG for power generation through a comprehensive feasibility study. And that one of its recommendations was to adopt international competitive bidding LNG supply and infrastructure.

It was also decided to introduce LNG initially for Colombo-based existing and future power plants including Yugadhanavi, the CEBEU points out. Right now, Sri Lanka only needs one LNG import facility comprising FSRU, other seaside infrastructure and related pipelines, etc, for gas deployment.

The demand forecast of LNG for Colombo-based existing and future power plants has been decided based on the CEBs long term generation expansion plan, which includes the requirement of LNG for 300MW Yugadhanavi power plant as well, the union insists. It is also learnt that sixteen prospective bidders including an NFE partner have obtained bidding documents for these tenders so far.

If the NFE proposal is entertained, it cautions, the entire process initiated by the Government for LNG power generation will be completely jeopardized. The competitive bidding process will be badly hampered and the country will be deprived of the opportunity of harnessing the benefit of competitive prices.

The CEBEU urges that the CEB-Ministrys own roadmap and methodology for LNG deployment be implemented in its entirety to avoid a huge loss to the country.
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) speaks to reporters at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Sept. 21, 2020. (Stefani Reynolds/Getty Images)

Utah GOP Votes Against Censure of Romney Over Impeachment Votes

The Utah Republican Party voted narrowly on May 1 against censuring Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) for his votes to convict former President Donald Trump on impeachment charges in 2020 and 2021.

According to a final tally shared by KUTV reporter Michael Locklear, 711 delegates to the Utah GOPs organizing convention voted to censure Romney, while 798 voted against.

The U.S. Senate acquitted Trump at the conclusion of both trials. Romney was the only Republican to vote for impeachment during the first trial, and was one of seven Republicans to do so in the second impeachment trial.

Earlier in the day, Romney was booed when he appeared on stage during the convention. In a video shared by The Salt Lake City Tribune, Romney was met by a raucous crowd of mixed cheers and boos upon walking up to the podium.

So, what do you think about President Bidens first 100 days? Romney said, before pausing and thanking the crowd repeatedly as the competing cheers and jeers continued.

The booing ramped up after Romney said he wasnt a fan of Trumps character issues, prompting Romney to ask arent you embarrassed? Utah GOP Chairman Derek Brown eventually walked up to the mic to ask the crowd to be respectful.

I understand that I have a few folks who dont like me terribly much. Im sorry about that, but I express my mind as I believe is right. I follow my conscience as I believe is right, Romney said before proceeding to criticize President Joe Biden.

The resolution was titled Resolution Thanking Senator Mike Lee and Representatives Chris Stewart, John Curtis, Burgess Owens, and Blake Moore and Censuring Senator Mitt Romney.

Mitt Romney voted to proceed with the unconstitutional impeachment and convict President Trump despite the lack of evidence and due process, the resolution states. The Utah Republican Party censures Mitt Romney for his votes to convict President Trump in two U.S. Senate impeachment trials which denied the President due process, allowed falsified evidence, did not provide adequate time for an investigation, and did not follow the U.S. Constitution which states a President may only be impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors.

Trump has vowed to mount primary challenges against the Republicans who voted to impeach and convict him. Romney isnt up for reelection in 2022.
Voters Advance 2 Republicans, No Democrats in Texas Special Election Runoff Race

Two Republicans will advance to a runoff as the top two vote-getters in the race for Texass 6th Congressional District, after no one in the 23-candidate field won an outright majority of votes on May 1.

Republicans Susan Wright, wife of the late Rep. Ron Wright, finished with 19 percent of the vote, while Jake Ellzey garnered 14 percent. Democrat Jana Lynne Sanchez finished third with 13 percent and conceded on May 2.

The development will ensure that a Republican will win the seat to represent the northern Texas district following Ron Wrights death earlier this year. The date of the runoff hasnt yet been announced.

The district covers some southeastern parts of Fort Worth along with some rural areas. The race was seen as the first competitive federal election since President Joe Biden took office.

Democrats have come a long way toward competing in Texas but we still have a way to go, Sanchez said in a statement. Unfortunately, tonight we came up short, and two Republicans will be competing to represent this Congressional district.

On May 1, Wright issued a statement after her victory: Lets go win this! She also used a hashtag for Make America Great Again, Trumps campaign slogan.

On Feb. 7, then-Rep. Ron Wright died of COVID-19 complications, although he had battled cancer for years.

Its been challenging at times, but the work goes on and he would want me to do what he did, which is engage with voters, hear what they have to say, and talk to them, so that is what we are doing, Susan Wright said, according to local media, referring to her late husband.

Trump had endorsed Wright, telling supporters she will be strong on the Border, Crime, Pro-Life, our brave Military and Vets, and will ALWAYS protect your Second Amendment.

Democrats had hoped to flip the seat after former President Donald Trump drew a smaller number of votes in the district than he did in 2016. Trump won the district by 3 points in 2020, down from 12 points in 2016.

Although a Democrat is not advancing to the runoff, yesterdays incredibly close margins showed that voters are invested in electing Democrats, and are fighting for the representation their communities deserve, Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa said in a statement on May 2.

The new Democratic South is rising, and we will continue to rally our movement to take back our stateincluding as we look toward the 2022 governors race, Hinojosa added. Were ready to build Democratic power, ready to defeat Texas Republicans, and ready to elect leaders who defend our rights and put Texans first.
President Joe Biden addresses a joint session of Congress in the House chamber of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, on April 28, 2021. (Jonathan Ernst-Pool/Getty Images)

White House Chief of Staff: Surge in Illegal Immigration Not Bidens Fault

White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain said Sunday that President Joe Biden is not responsible for a surge in unaccompanied children crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.

People who are sending their children here unaccompanied, children as young as 6, 7 years old, coming here with no adult who are sent on a dangerous journeyI dont think that is because of a speech Joe Biden gave, Klain told Face the Nation in an interview. I think it is because of horrible conditions in El Salvador and Guatemala and Honduras.

Republicans, however, have blamed Biden for the surge in recent months, saying his rhetoric and his executive orders to rescind Trump-era immigration policies are the reason behind the recent surge of people crossing illegally.

Were working hard to get those children reunited with family members here in the U.S., he said. The number of children we have stuck in our border patrol stations are down 84 percent in the past month. Were making progress on resolving this problem.

Nearly 5,000 children are in Border Patrol custody and more than 13,000 children are currently in custody with Health and Human Services.

During the month of March, Border Patrol apprehended 172,000 illegal aliens, according to statistics released on April 8 by Customs and Border Protection (CBP). An additional 1,000 per day are evading capture. In February, border agents apprehended 101,000 people.

Since he took office, Biden ended the construction of the border wall, ended the Migrant Protection Protocols, and limited Immigration and Customs Enforcement enforcement priorities. The Department of Defense last week canceled wall projects that were paid with funds that were initially allocated for the military.

The Department of Defense is proceeding with canceling all border barrier construction projects paid for with funds originally intended for other military missions and functions such as schools for military children, overseas military construction projects in partner nations, and the National Guard and Reserve equipment account, said Jamal Brown, a spokesperson for the Pentagon, in a statement on April 30.

The Department of Homeland Security announced on the same day that it would take steps to address physical dangers resulting from the previous administrations approach to border wall construction.

During a recent interview, Biden claimed that his administration has now gotten control of the surge of illegal immigrants at the Southern Border.

It is getting urgent action now, Biden told NBC News last week. For example, a month ago, we had thousands of young kids, in custody in places they shouldnt be and controlled by the Border Patrol. We have now cut that down dramatically.

Charlotte Cuthbertson contributed to this report.
Woman and Two Children Found Dead in Alabama Lake, Suspect Charged

A woman and two children were found dead inside an Alabama lake last month, and a suspect in the case has been identified, officials said.

According to court documents on Friday, Remona Hudson of Cuthbert, Georgia, and her two sons were first shot before their vehicle was submerged in Alabamas Walter F. George Reservoir, located on the Alabama-Georgia border.

Warrants allege that Demetrius Devonte McGhee, 26, of Clayton, Alabama, was responsible for their deaths and was charged with capital murder, reported the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Authorities told WVTM that a passerby found the van containing the victims bodies late last month.

McGhee was taken by air ambulance to Southeast Health in Dothan after a passerby found the bodies. Police in Alabama and Georgia worked on the case, a news release said.

Kiarrica Favors, the mother of McGhees 3-year-old daughter, told WSFA that McGhee recently starting showing signs of mental illness.

Dont get it wrong, Im not trying to protect him in anyway, but one thing about it, after that situation happened, Demetrius was starting to change, said Favors. We had a previous relationship of five years, and I am a survivor of domestic violence. He has told me that Im trying to kill him. He thought that I was trying to set him up with the police to get him assassinated. That boy was looney as hell.

Investigators have not revealed McGhees relationship with Hudson or the two boys. Court records were not available to show whether McGhee had a lawyer who could speak on his behalf.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with special menus, drinks and parties at these Connecticut restaurants and bars. All events are on May 5 unless otherwise noted.

Camacho Garage, 36 Fountain St., New Haven, hosts Five Days of Cinco from May 1 to 5, with specials like a $6 blood orange margarita, assorted taco specials ($6 to $8) and a takeout package ($135) with a quart of guacamole, a quart of polpo ceviche, a smugglers dozen (13) of Chicken Wings, a build-your-own taco kit (choice of chicken, steak or carnitas), a quart of rice, a quart of beans and half-tray of tres leches. Margarita kits ($49 to $99 for 8 to 16 drinks) can be added on. The package must be pre-ordered 24 hours in advance.

On May 5, Camacho Garage hosts an outdoor pig roast. 203-691-1969, camachogarage.com.

Geronimo Tequila Bar and Southwest Grill will be celebrating the Five Days of Cinco from May 1 to May 5 at both its Fairfield and New Haven locations, with food and drink specials including birria and carnitas tacos ($6 to $8) and $6 specialty margaritas.

On May 5 only, Fairfield will host an outdoor pig roast, as well as a live mariachi band from 5 to 8 p.m. New Haven will also host an outdoor pig roast, in addition to a live mariachi band from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. and a visit from Cuco the Donkey from 5 to 7 p.m. geronimobarandgrill.com.

Shell & Bones, 100 S. Water Street, New Haven, offers its Geronimo Margarita for $6 on May 5 only. 203-787-3466, shellandbones.com.

Bartaco, with locations in Stamford, West Hartford and Westport, is offering a Cinco package that feeds four to six, with two taco fillings (makes 16 tacos), 3 sides, salsa verde and chips. Choose from veggie or carne options ($77 to $88.) Each kit comes with a swag bag, including a reusable tote, koozies, sunglasses, cups, a sticker sheet and temporary tattoos. Margarita kits are available as an extra add-on. All orders must be placed by the end of the day on May 4. bartaco.com.

El Segundo, with locations in New Haven and South Norwalk, plans Cinco festivities all weekend, with food and drink specials, and parties on May 5 with live music and global street food. elsegundorestaurants.com.

Margaritas, with locations in East Hartford and Mystic, starts its celebrations May 1, with the chance to win free dinner for a year. Other festivities include a launch for its summer drinks on May 2 and a sizzle and shake promotion May 4 with a $24.99 deal on fajitas with any original margarita. A Cinco fiesta on the 5th includes swag and giveaways. margs.com.

Judys Bar + Kitchen, 927 High Ridge Road, Stamford, offers Cinco specials, including soft tacos, nachos, quesadillas, tres leches cake and happy hour prices all day on classic margaritas, Corona and Corona Light beers and red and white sangria. Specials are available for both dine-in and takeout. 203-890-9999, judysbarandkitchen.com.

Black Rock Social House, 2895 Fairfield Ave., Bridgeport, features a global food culture series with Mexican spotlighted during the month of May. Food specials include carnitas sopes, rock shrimp tacos, Mexican dips, birria tamales, posole and tres leches, and drink specials include a Michelada and honey Paloma. 203-549-8333, blackrocksocialhouse.com.

Hoodoo Brown BBQ, 967 Ethan Allan Hwy, Ridgefield, promises a special menu of Tex-Mex flair for Cinco de Mayo. 203-438-6033, hoodoobrownbbq.com.

SolToro at Mohegan Sun offers Cinco specials from 4 to 9 p.m. on May 5, including a seafood platter for $34 (citrus fresco mahi-mahi ceviche, fresh oysters, littleneck clams, pico de gallo, PEI mussels, spicy cocktail sauce); and an entree of parrillada (surf and turf) for $38, featuring chimichurri marinated skirt steak, grilled vegetables, tocino, jumbo shrimp, and guajillo tomatillo salsa with flour tortillas, rice, beans and guacamole. A Paradise Punch drink special ($12) features spicy tamarind vodka, mango brandy, mango puree, pineapple and lemon. soltororestaurant.com.

Tacomida, 50 Bridge St., Shelton, offers takeout taco-bar trays ($45) with BBQ beef, chicken or pork; sides and dessert, along with batches of margaritas and sangria. 203-712-7557, tacomidashelton.com.

Wood-n-Tap, with 9 locations across Connecticut, offers $3 margaritas all day May 5. woodntap.com .

Que Whiskey Kitchen, 461 Queen St., Southington, offers a $5 prickly pear margarita with Cazadores Reposado and a black sea salt rim on May 5. qwhiskeykitchen.com.
NEW CANAAN  Children and parents participate in the Healthy Kids Day event at the New Canaan YMCA Saturday.

The event was full of fun activities that celebrate kids that included Family Fitness & Water Safety Demo, Family Bootcamp, Nine-Square in the air, Family Zumba, Vegetable seed planting and flower pot decorating.
Four MidMichigan Health medical centers received top safety grades, according to a recent report.

Centers in Midland and Alpena both received "A" grades for the second consecutive reporting period, while MidMichigan Medical Center - Gratiot in Alma earned a "B" for the second straight time.

In addition, the MidMichigan medical center in West Branch improved its rating from a "C" last fall to a "B."

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MidMichigan facilities in Clare and Gladwin were not graded because they "they do not meet volume thresholds for scoring or are not critical access hospitals," MidMichigan Health Public Relations Manager Millie Jezior stated in a press release.

The report was released by The Leapfrog Group, an independent national organization, which, according to its website, bills itself as a "nonprofit watchdog organization that serves as a voice for health care consumers and purchasers , using their collective influence to foster positive changes in U.S. healthcare."

It collects, analyzes and disseminates data to "inform value-based purchasing and improved decision-making" for patients and their families.

"It is the only program that rates exclusively on how well a hospital prevents medical errors and other harm to patients in their care," Jezior said.

Of the hospitals scored, 33 percent received "A" grades, 24 percent "B," 35 percent "C," 7 percent "D" and less than 1 percent "F."

"The annual recognition from Leapfrog continues to have a special meaning to all of us here at MidMichigan Health as our teams across the system continue to encounter challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic," President and CEO Diane Postler-Slattery stated in the release. "We continually review best practices in patient safety to strengthen our quality and performance measures. It's a commitment we look at each and every day and we won't let up on it no matter what's in front of us."

According to the safety survey, since the fall of the 2020 grading period, several areas of progress were made at all MidMichigan medical centers. Those include improvements in patient experience scores and infection rates, and reductions in pressure ulcers and surgery-related complications.

"Each scoring period we learn through Leapfrog how our performance compares to the best in the nation," Postler-Slattery said. "Our efforts for improvement results in better outcomes for our patients which shows by our improving Leapfrog performance."

In compiling the safety report, Leapfrog uses up to 27 measures of publicly available hospital data to assign grades to more than 2,700 acute-care hospitals in the U.S. twice a year.

The entire report is available at www.hospitalsafetygrade.org.

+4 For concert fans, signs of hope are surfacing -- cautiously During a recent Zoom call, ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons spoke of checking out a recent show by some friends in Austin, Texas.

+4 Breckenridge Community Schools earns Best of the Best Teacher honors Whether its a big smile from a student, a compliment from a parent or a thank you from a graduate, there are many ways families can acknowled

Number of Americans fully vaccinated tops 100 million DALLAS (AP)  Disneyland reopened on Friday and cruise lines welcomed the news that they could be sailing again in the U.S. by midsummer, as the number of Americans fully vaccinated against COVID-19 reached another milestone: 100 million.
COVID-19 UK variant spreading countrywide View(s):

The UK variant of COVID-19 is taking a heavy toll in Medirigiriya, Galle, Hikkaduwa, Vavuniya, Kalutara and Kurunegala forcing the Government to adopt countrywide measures, according to Dr Chandima Jeewandara, Director of Operations and Clinical Services of the Allergy, Immunology & Cell Biology Unit of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura.

The UK variant (B1.1.7) of COVID-19, which has now been identified in the country, is 50 percent more transmissible and has a death rate of 55 percent more than the normal variant of the virus.

The Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara districts are among the regions where high numbers of COVID-19 cases are being reported.

The biggest cause for concern, health officials found yesterday, are fears of a bed shortage in state hospitals. According to Health Services Deputy Director S.M. Arnold, the capacity in state hospitals is 12,789. However, the number of patients so far has reached 11,504, he said.

Notwithstanding his remarks, others in the health sector warned a crisis was still inevitable since the numbers were rising rapidly. This is confirmed by the incremental rise in daily figures since last Monday.

The Army is now manufacturing 10,000 beds urgently, Army Commander Shavendra Silva, head of the anti-COVID19 Task Force said. He added that they were now identifying new buildings, including hotels in Colombo, as an emergency measure. They would be converted to treatment centers, he said.

Earlier this week, the health authorities confirmed that the latest surge in COVID-19 infections was due to the B.1.1.7 variant of COVID-19, first detected in the UK. The variant was detected from samples collected in Colombo, Kurunegala and Boralesgamuwa. The new variant spreads faster and infects far more people, causes more severe symptoms and is also airborne, health officials warned. They warned that the virus was infecting younger people, with more patients requiring treatment in Intensive care units (ICUs).

A total of 1304 new COVID patients were detected as of 5 yesterday; the fifth straight day that the country recorded more than 1000 new infections.

Eleven COVID deaths were reported on Friday, taking the overall death toll to 678.

The gravity of the situation was underscored by a host of new restrictions imposed by the authorities yesterday. Army Commander Shavendra Silva announced that activities such as parties, social gatherings and other events at hotels, pubs and nightclubs were banned for two weeks from 10 pm yesterday. Weddings, public gatherings and other ceremonies too would be banned for two weeks from Tuesday (4).

The Health Ministry announced that cinema halls and childrens parks too would be closed until further notice.

Meanwhile, schools and Dhamma schools will remain closed until further notice.

Seven Grama Niladhari (GN) Divisions in four districts were added to the list of isolated areas yesterday. Accordingly, isolated from last morning were two GN Divisions in Colombo, two in Galle, two in Ampara and one in Ratnapura.

The Motor Traffic Departments Narahenpita and Werahera offices will be closed for one week from tomorrow after several employees tested positive for COVID-19.

Police have also intensified operations against those flouting COVID prevention guidelines. Police inspected 2,881 institutions on Friday and found that 2,023 of them were not properly observing COVID prevention guidelines, Police spokesman Ajith Rohana stated. Legal action would be taken against these institutions, he added. Police yesterday also arrested 264 people for not wearing masks, making it the largest such number arrested in a single day so far.
Over 3,400 cases of coronavirus were cited by the state of Michigan on Saturday evening after it was delayed in releasing its daily coronavirus totals on Saturday, according to its website.

There were 3,431 cases and 131 new deaths due to the virus, which puts the state at 844,385 cases and 17,754 deaths, in total, since the pandemic began last March.

At least 98 of the 131 new confirmed deaths on Saturday were identified during a vital records review, which are conducted regularly by the state.

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These counts exclude probable cases and deaths linked to COVID-19 and include only confirmed cases and deaths.

Michigan typically releases its daily update around 3 p.m.; however, it released its update closer to 6 p.m. on Saturday.

No update was posted to the Michigan state government Twitter at @migovernment.

Health officials have also been tracking results of statewide testing. So far, 12,915,990 diagnostic tests have been conducted.

As of Friday, a total of 660,124 Michiganders have recovered from COVID-19 (30 days out from onset of illness), a total which is updated by the state every Saturday.

Number of Americans fully vaccinated tops 100 million DALLAS (AP)  Disneyland reopened on Friday and cruise lines welcomed the news that they could be sailing again in the U.S. by midsummer, as t

The United States hit the milestone of 100 million people fully vaccinated on Friday night, likely adding to the total on Saturday.

The total U.S. population was about 329.48 million people in 2020, putting the country at about 30.35 percent of the population which is currently fully vaccinated.

According to the state of Michigan, at least 50 percent of the state's population had been vaccinated as of Saturday, or 4,044,710 residents.

Macomb County had 348,351 residents vaccinated, Oakland had 604,780, Wayne had 478,743 and the city of Detroit had 160,347.

There were also 6,914,699 vaccine doses administered, in total, in the state as of Thursday.

Pfizer vaccines make up 3,744,931 of that total, Moderna vaccines account for 2,945,030 and Johnson and Johnson vaccines are about 224,738.

In Oakland County, 1,026,620 vaccine doses have been administered, passing the 1-million-dose mark this week, in Macomb County, 578,435 and in Wayne County, 801,560. The city of Detroit also had 266,136 doses administered.

The state's coronavirus vaccine section on its webpage explains the coronavirus vaccine and displays a dashboard to give an overview on vaccine distribution in Michigan.

According to Johns Hopkins University, worldwide on Saturday, the number of global cases reached over 151.6 million with deaths at over 3.18 million.

In the United States, over 32 million cases have been reported with over 576,000 deaths tied to the disease.

Michigan ranks as the ninth state in the U.S. with the most total number of deaths, with California as first.

The state is also 11th in the the nation in cases, Johns Hopkins says, with California as first.

Oakland County had the most new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday with 447, as well as 20 new deaths. In total, this brings the county to 97,058 cases and 2,084 deaths.

Macomb County was next with 381 new cases and 25 new deaths, totaling 87,446 cases and 2,135 deaths.

Then, Wayne County followed with 347 new cases and 11 new deaths, making 96,622 cases and 2,345 deaths.

The city of Detroit was last with 258 new cases and 7 new deaths, 47,227 cases and 2,031 deaths in total.

Mid-Michigan had 39 new cases and no new deaths in Isabella County on Saturday, putting the county at 5038 total cases and 83 total deaths.

Gratiot County reported 17 new cases and no new deaths, increasing its total to 3,007 cases and keeping it at 108 total deaths.

Clare County also cited 10 new cases and no new deaths, totaling 1,909 cases and 73 deaths.

And, the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) had 25,702 cases and 150 deaths in total, after reporting 11 new cases and no new deaths.

Kent County, finally, had 332 cases and 9 new deaths, quoting 64,251 cases and 731 deaths in total.

Meijer, Rite Aid announce walk-in COVID vaccine availability Two of the larger pharmacy chains in Michigan  Meijer and Rite Aid  have announced the availability of receiving the COVID vaccine on a walk

Oakland County schedules its first 2 walk-in COVID vaccine clinics The Oakland County Health Division will hold its first two walk-in COVID vaccination clinics on May 7 and 8. No appointment needed.

Michigan restaurants can apply for federal American Rescue Plan funds Michigan restaurants, which have taken a big financial hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, can start the application process today to receive fu
LANSING, Mich. (AP)  Republican legislative leaders on Friday welcomed Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's metric-based approach to further relaxing coronavirus restrictions, but they questioned what will happen if Michigan's COVID-19 vaccination rate falls below targets.

Their comments came a day after the Democratic governor announced four benchmarks that will trigger additional economic reopening  when 55%, 60%, 65% and 70% of people ages 16 and up get at least one shot. About half have done so to date. The state, where the seven-day infection rate remains highest in the U.S. but is dropping, now needs at least two of every five unvaccinated residents to receive a dose.

"I think that we need a little more of a discussion on this metric of vaccines alone. I believe there's a little more breadth that needs to be taken into consideration there, especially if we run into resistance and reluctance that causes us to plateau below the numbers that have been indicated," Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, of Clarklake, said during a virtual event sponsored by the Detroit Regional Chamber. It included all four legislative leaders.

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House Speaker Jason Wentworth, of Clare, applauded Whitmer for providing people "some sense of hope" and said both the vaccination rate and vaccine accessibility are important.

"If we were to plateau, what are we going to look at in terms of infection rates and other things to help us not go backward (and) continue to look ahead?" he said in the forum, suggesting the GOP-Legislature should be involved. The governor has declined to say what will happen if the vaccine milestones are not reached.

"We are confident Michiganders will make the choice to get vaccinated to protect themselves and their communities," spokesman Bobby Leddy said.

Wentworth noted the possibility of additional coronavirus variants and said people who were infected and made antibodies to the virus may not want the vaccine. Shirkey, for instance, has not been vaccinated since battling COVID-19 late last year but strongly encouraged anyone who "desires" a shot to get one.

House Minority Leader Donna Lasinski, a Democrat from Washtenaw County's Scio Township, said if vaccine hesitancy continues to be an issue, legislative leaders should work together to share facts so that residents are informed, potentially through public service announcements.

"As we look at that risk assessment, we need to remember that we're not just putting ourselves at risk when we choose not to be vaccinated," she said, urging people to think about "those who are around us."

Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich, of Flint, expressed confidence that the 70% target will be met. A segment of the population is hesitant but open to being vaccinated, he said.

"I think if we can inspire, we can reach that number," he said.

Ananich and Lasinski are fully vaccinated. A spokesman did not say if Wentworth is vaccinated but said he recently hosted a Capitol vaccine clinic for legislators and staffers. A left-leaning advocacy group has called on GOP lawmakers to encourage people to get vaccinated.

The legislative leaders spoke as the Legislature starts to propose ways to spend nearly $5.7 billion in federal pandemic relief funding over which the state has discretion. Shirkey said high priorities include bridges and dams, which the government has trouble maintaining on an ongoing basis.

"They always get Band-Aided. When you do fix them properly, like we can do now with this kind of money, their maintenance costs actually go down," he said. He also mentioned roads, water and sewer systems, broadband, education and business recovery.

The state on Friday reported 36 additional deaths and more than 3,400 new confirmed cases. The seven-day daily average was more than 3,700, which was down from around 7,000 two weeks earlier. The number of adults hospitalized with confirmed infections fell below 3,000 after peaking above 4,100 early last week. The seven-day death rate, 2.5 per 100,000 residents, was third-highest among states.

Meijer, Rite Aid announce walk-in COVID vaccine availability Two of the larger pharmacy chains in Michigan  Meijer and Rite Aid  have announced the availability of receiving the COVID vaccine on a walk

Oakland County schedules its first 2 walk-in COVID vaccine clinics The Oakland County Health Division will hold its first two walk-in COVID vaccination clinics on May 7 and 8. No appointment needed.

Michigan restaurants can apply for federal American Rescue Plan funds Michigan restaurants, which have taken a big financial hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, can start the application process today to receive fu
The Rochester Hills man missing since Friday has been located and was hospitalized, according to the Oakland County Sheriff's Office.

At about 4:30 p.m. Sunday, someone in a Shelby Township bar recognized him and phoned police.

"The Shelby Township police officer transported the missing back to his residence in Rochester Hills where a deputy met them," the sheriff's office said. "It was determined that he needed to be taken for medical and mental health treatment. The missing was transported to the hospital and a petition was completed."

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From earlier: The Oakland County Sheriff's Office is seeking help finding Raymond Norman Champagne, a 68-year-old Rochester Hills man with a traumatic brain injury who has been missing since Friday afternoon, according to a press release.

Champagne, who lives in a townhouse at the 400 block of Kensington Drive in Rochester Hills, was last seen leaving there on Friday, possibly riding on a dark-colored 10-speed bicycle.

He last spoke with his caregivers around 4 p.m. on Friday, then left, leaving behind his cigarettes and cell phone, which the caregivers said was unusual, the sheriff's office reported.

Sheriff's deputies were not alerted to the fact that he was missing until 11:30 p.m. Friday.

Police conducted an extensive search of the area on Friday and Saturday, with the sheriff's K-9 unit, aviation unit, dronem, and search and rescue team attempting to find Champagne.

They also knocked on doors and and checked local hospitals, motels and hotels but didn't find him.

Champagne's wife died in March, with a memorial service held on Friday in Royal Oak; therefore, Royal Oak police searched the cemetery there but didn't find him.

"Please be on the lookout for Mr. Champagne, who has been missing for more than 24 hours," Sheriff Michael Bouchard said in the release.

"If you spot him, please call 9-1-1 immediately. An extensive search today was unsuccessful."

Police described Champagne as a white male with green eyes, balding with a gray or brown ponytail, 6' tall and about 170 pounds.

He is supposedly wearing a blue flannel shirt, jeans and white and blue Nikes.

Contact police if you have any information on Champagne's whereabouts.

+3 Royal Oak will bloom again for Mothers Day with thousands of flowers, people Royal Oak in Bloom, a nearly three-decade Mothers Day tradition in the city, is returning after being sidelined by the COVID-19 pandemic last year.

Police: Teen steals Jeep after test drive, totals it in crash A 16-year-old male from Detroit who allegedly took a vehicle on a test drive in Troy recently, then stole it and totaled it in a crash, was ar
A 65-year-old Northville Township man reportedly crashed and rolled his car while drunk Tuesday afternoon, trapping himself inside.

The driver was admitted to an area hospital in stable condition, the Oakland County Sheriffs Office said.

The crash occurred near 8 Mile and Currie roads in Lyon Township where the vehicle had struck a construction barrel and was on its roof when deputies and crews from local fire departments arrived at around 3:10 p.m., the sheriffs office said.

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The driver was extracted by firefighters and told deputies he had fallen asleep at the wheel after drinking, the sheriffs office said.

Charges are pending blood test results.

ALSO SEE:

Holly man jailed after allegedly ramming another with pickup truck, with video A 52-year-old Holly man is held in the Oakland County Jail, accused of intentionally ramming a pickup truck into the brother of his former gir

Suspect at-large after teen reportedly shot in back on Pontiac street A teenager is hospitalized after being shot late Tuesday night in Pontiac while the suspect, identified by the Oakland County Sheriffs Office

Troy police find body floating in pond Troy police searching for a missing 19-year-old resident found a body floating in a pond Wednesday morning.

+2 More charges for defendants in alleged Whitmer kidnapping case New charges have been added against three defendants in a case alleging a conspiracy to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer last year.
UN fails to agree on Myanmar statement, diplomats blame China, Russia

WORLD: The UN Security Council failed to agree Friday (Apr 30) on a joint statement on the crisis in Myanmar after a closed-door meeting, with diplomats blaming Beijing - the juntas main backer - and Russia for raising objections and putting forward their own competing text.

MyanmardeathmilitarypoliticsChineseviolence

By AFP

Sunday 2 May 2021, 12:15PM

UN Special Envoy to Myanmar Christine Schraner Burgener met with Myanmar junta leader Gen Min Aung Hlaing on the sidelines of an Asean meeting. Photo: AFP.

The session was convened by Vietnam to present the conclusions of a recent Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit in Indonesia. Asean is to appoint an envoy to help resolve the crisis sparked by the Feb 1 coup by the Myanmar military.

During the meeting, the UN Special Envoy to Myanmar, Christine Schraner Burgener, who is currently touring the region, gave a report on her long meeting with Myanmar junta leader General Min Aung Hlaing, held on the sidelines of the Asean meeting.

Diplomats said the envoy, who is currently based in Bangkok, once again had her request for a visit to Myanmar denied.

During the meeting, Brunei, which currently holds the presidency of Asean, floated the idea of a joint visit to Myanmar by the UN envoy and her future Asean counterpart.

A draft Security Council declaration, drawn up by Britain, failed to win full endorsement as it stood.

A copy obtained by AFP showed that it planned to give full support for the central role of Asean and to encourage a visit to Myanmar by Schraner Burgener as soon as possible.

It said that members of the Security Council once again strongly condemned violence against peaceful protestors and reiterated their call on the military to exercise utmost restraint.

But diplomats said China and Russia objected to the British draft and proposed their own short competing text, which proved unacceptable to the majority of the Security Council.

Discussions were still underway for a merger of the two draft statements yesterday, diplomats said.

Nearly 760 civilians have been killed by police and soldiers in the past three months, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP).

The junta puts the death toll at 258 dead by April 15, calling the demonstrators rioters who engaged in acts of terrorism.
Underwater object found near Phuket not a bomb

PHUKET: A round object found underwater by local fishermen off the southern end of the island province has been examined and found not to be an explosive, according to Third Naval Area commander Vice Admiral Choengchai Chomchoengphaet.

marineSafety

By Bangkok Post

Sunday 2 May 2021, 07:25PM

An object is found on the seabed off Phuket by fishmermen on Saturday. Photo: Achadtaya Chuenniran / Bangkok Post

V/Adm Choengchai, who is also director of the 3rd Area Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre (Thai-MECC), said on Sunday that a Phuket-based Thai-MECC office was told by a local fishermens group on Friday (Apr 30) that an unidentified object had been found underwater west of Koh Ael island, reprts the Bangkok Post. Naval officers from an explosive ordnance disposal unit of the Third Naval Area went to the spot to investigate yesterday. They found it was a round aluminium-like hollow object about 45 centimetres in diameter. It was 6 metres below the surface, about 20 metres west of Koh Ael. It was determined that the object was not an explosive device. Further investigation was underway, V/Adm Choengchai said.
Southern Pines, NC (28387)

Today

Showers this morning then scattered thunderstorms developing during the afternoon hours. High 84F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy with showers and a few thunderstorms. Low 69F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
Crucial questions as third wave rampages through country By Kumudini Hettiarachchi and Ruqyyaha Deane View(s): View(s):

A COVID-19 tsunami is engulfing Sri Lanka and numerous life-and-death questions are on the minds of the people.

The Sunday Times raised some of these crucial questions with regard to the third wave which is rampaging through the country, at a media briefing on Thursday.

The answers would be essential for serious decision-making such as whether there should be a countrywide lockdown or area lockdowns; stringent travel restrictions; whether quarantine regulations need a change; whether Sri Lanka needs to temporarily stop tourism; and whether the patient profile has changed from what it was earlier; etc.

One year into the pandemic which has had a heavy toll on all sectors in Sri Lanka, an issue dogging not only clinicians but also those working at ground level has been the lack of data.

The Sunday Times has heard at many fora about this issue. A recent meeting of the highest health technical body in the country, the National Advisory Committee on Communicable Diseases (NACCD), had been the scene of heated arguments over the lack of data, with a high-level official outside the Epidemiology Unit being tasked with acting as the conduit, it is understood. A statement issued by Medical Specialists also focuses on this.

Here are questions the Sunday Times (ST) asked Chief Epidemiologist Dr. Sudath Samaraweera at Thursdays media briefing and his answers. The briefing was also attended by the Health Ministrys Deputy Director-General (Public Health Services I), Dr. S.M. Arnold; the Deputy Director-General (Laboratory Services), Dr. Sudath Dharmaratne; and the Director of the Health Promotion Bureau, Dr. Dinesh Koggalage.

ST: The disease (COVID-19) has not been controlled and we have had more than 1,400 infections yesterday (April 28), so we have failed? Was the Epidemiology Unit told that there could be a new variant on April 8 and what did they do about it?

A: I very much appreciate if somebody thought unemotionally because this is a forum for educated people.

ST: This is an emotional forum because people are dying and we are the ones who are taking the message to the public.

A: That emotion will not serve any purpose.

ST: Okay, very unemotionally, were you all informed that there was a problem on April 8 in Boralesgamuwa?

A: There were S drop cases. Even before there were cases with the S drop gene and right from the beginning, the disease control measures were taken. If you take the global scenario, you can see how this virus is behaving and what is happening. It cant be different in Sri Lanka. We were doing the maximum possible to control the disease, also to identify the cases and quarantine processes.

ST: If there was an S drop indication that there was a new variant, whatever the new variant, what precautions were taken for the New Year?

A: It is not necessary because when the UK variant was increasing and spreading, from the first day itself, we took all necessary precautions as a country. When the country opens up, to prevent infection in the country, to safeguard the citizens, reduce those falling ill, etc, this is an all-of-government task and the responsibility of everyone. The hospitals, doctors and all stakeholders are prepared for any eventuality. When we compare to other countries, we can be satisfied about the control in Sri Lanka with its limited resources.

Anyone can look from different angles. Someone can look from that persons angle and say kujeetha wela (gone to rack and ruin), but that is from the angle that person looks.

When looking at the world indicators, we are in the top 10 of controlling COVID-19. We have a system in place, however, in the time of a pandemic, the situation can change whenever. A year has gone, and COVID-19 is still here because it is continuously changing.

ST: Have we traced how the UK variant came to Sri Lanka?

A: from Dr. Sudath Dharmaratne  To investigate the source of the infection, we have to say that the University of Sri Jayewardenepura are investigating this.

A: from Dr. Sudath Samaraweera  To find out from where the UK variant is, is not an easy task. We have to study it for a long time and that is what we are doing right now. This is a troublesome process. In October, when the second wave started, we had to have an in-depth investigation to find the source and even then we came only to a plausible decision of what the source was. We can find the source only after looking at the big picture.

ST:Has there been a data analysis from March last year to March this year? Is there a predictive model for how many patients we will have by next week at this time? Where are the age categories of the infected people, the deaths?

A: The Epidemiology Unit uploads daily situation reports on our website since the beginning of the pandemic. There is a lot of helpful information on that that can be accessed. We are doing a data analysis and we will be using the analysis for the management.

ST: Why is it not available to the public?

A: The necessary information is available in the situation report, so you can look at that.

ST: The age categories for infections are not available?

A: The age categories, we have from time-to-time published it. We have given it. We are dealing with a pandemic and we are working on that, so at the same time we are gathering data, we are using it to control the disease.

ST: You all are telling us over and over again that we have enough oxygen currently, enough ICU beds, etc. By next week at this time, will we have that confidence? Have we got a predictive model to indicate how many patients will be there on Thursday next week? You are telling people to be careful and asking the media to give the message to the public, but assaya duwala evarai (the horse has bolted).

A : from Dr. Sudath Samaraweera  When the pandemic first started, everyone spoke about predictive models and none of those was relevant. We are currently looking at the worst-case scenario and building an assessment according to that. We look at how many beds, medicine are needed, etc., and we get ready for that by looking at the worst-case scenario and the precautionary steps we need to take.

ST: How many ICU beds are occupied currently with COVID-19 patients and what happens to other people who have very serious illnesses?

A: Dr. S.M. Arnold  ICU capacities for COVID-19 patients  we have 15 ICUs and 146 ICU beds. The number of people in the ICU for COVID-19 as of 10 p.m. on Wednesday (April 28) is 44. We have 102 ICU beds vacant giving us a 30.14% occupancy.

ST: There are allegations that there are 150 patients in Gampaha waiting to be taken to either hospitals or intermediate care centres (ICC). Is this true?

A: Dr. Sudath Dharmaratne went onto give details of improvement of facilities during the second wave .On October 3, if the Health Ministry had not done anything the country would not be in this position. When the virus mutates, the best precaution we can take is to get ready beforehandthere are steps taken to bring enough oxygen and have adequate ICU beds. (Note: But whether there were patients in their homes awaiting transport in the third wave was not answered)

ST: No one is saying that the health sector has not worked. I know the work put in by the clinicians, the PHIs and the MOHs. My argument is that since we have been dealing with this pandemic for over a year, we should be better prepared. Confirm whether the Gampaha issue is true or false. Further, more and more are becoming symptomatic with the UK variant. There is transmissibility of 50% more and there is a death rate of 55% more. Are we ready?

A: Dr. Sudath Dharmaratne  This is a new virus and it is evolving. We need to look at it practically and we know the facts and figures. We do respect what you are saying. While we take some example from other countries, the situation in our country is different.

ST: The infection pattern has changed with more young adults infected?

A: Dr. Sudath Samaraweera  There is a misconception here because all this time in Sri Lanka, only less than 10% of adults were infected and 90% were young adults. Currently, we do see that the young adults need more critical care  that is the change.

ST: When will the vaccines arrive? We need 600,000 more COVISHIELD vaccines to vaccinate the people who have already got one dose. (What is available now, around 300,000 will be for the healthcare workers.)

A: If I can predict when the vaccines would be coming, I would be the happiest. But we know that the COVISHIELD vaccines from the Serum Institute, India, are going to be delayed because of Indias current COVID-19 situation. The due date is unpredictable. Furthermore, the COVAX facility (he described what COVAX is), is unable to obtain doses especially of COVISHIELD which we need. The government-to government negotiations are ongoing.

ST: What would happen if we do not get the vaccines on time for the second dose?

A: The WHO has recommended that the doses be taken 12-14 weeks apart.if this does not happen there is a problem. If so, we will look at mixing and matching vaccines.

ST: How many Indians have arrived in Sri Lanka in the past two weeks and how many have been infected?

A: From foreign countries there are tourists and their movement is restricted within the tourist bubble. We monitor the situation daily and if required, we will stop the process of bringing tourists. If there is a risk we will stop it. (Note-The original question was not answered)

ST:How many vaccinated people have been recently infected?

A: Dr. Sudath Samaraweera  around 65 to 75 people.

The ground situation The Sunday Times checked out the ground situation in some of the dedicated COVID-19 hospitals. n The National Infectious Diseases Hospital (NIID or IDH), Angoda  Two-third (75%) of the admissions are in the age-group 30 to 50 years; two-third (75%) of the admissions are symptomatic patients; and 20% of the daily admissions need oxygen. On Wednesday, among the symptomatic patients in the wards, 8-10% needed oxygen. A total of around 18-20% including ICU patients need oxygen. n The Homagama Base Hospital  The 6 ICU beds are occupied. Of the 180 ward beds, 30 are kept on hold for children and pregnant mothers. Of the balance 150 beds which are all occupied, about 34 patients in the high dependency unit (HDU) are being given wall oxygen through masks, but some need ICU facilities including high-flow oxygen. Meanwhile, the Lady Ridgeway Hospital (LRH) for Children which is not a COVID-19 hospital usually detects about 1-2 positives per week but now it has risen to five, Director Dr. G. Wijesuriya said. The Sunday Times learns that at a top-level meeting on Wednesday, the Head of the National COVID-19 Prevention Centre, Gen. Shavendra Silva and the Director-General of Health Services, Dr. Asela Gunawardena assured that warehouses would be converted to hospitals to accommodate the large inflow of patients. These assurances had come when clinicians gave the ground reality that no beds were available in many of the COVID-19 hospitals. The discussion had also centred round the exhaustion of healthcare staff who have been carrying the burden for a long time, with suggestions being made that a hospital in each district should have a ward for COVID-19 patients. The other matters that had come up had been whether stocks of essentials such as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) were adequate.
With this support, we now look forward to resuming operations as soon as safe travel is possible and travel restrictions can be lifted, stated Jean-Marc Eustache, President and Chief Executive Officer.
The late Jane Jacobs left a lasting impression on the architecture and urban-planning industries, and its time to celebrate her legacy where it all started: her hometown of Scranton.

The new Observe Scranton festival  taking place Tuesday, May 4, through Saturday, May 8  will honor Jacobs and her influential ideas on preserving vibrant, diverse neighborhoods and cities. Its name comes from Jacobs innate ability to view her surroundings and figure out how they connect and relate to each other, explained Maria MacDonald, a Marywood University architecture professor and executive director of the Center for the Living City. When MacDonald took over as director of the CLC, a national nonprofit advocacy organization founded in collaboration with Jacobs in 2005, the organization moved to Scranton  back where it belongs, she said.

It all started here, MacDonald added. Jane Jacobs is from here. Everything she did was informed by growing up in Scranton, and were celebrating that. ... In the last year, Scranton is at the forefront of everyones minds. The president (of the United States) is from here. Its all eyes on Scranton right now. We might as well give them something exciting to look at.

Born Jane Butzner in 1916, Jacobs grew up in Green Ridge and later Dunmore. A graduate of Scranton Central High School, Jacobs began her career as a journalist in the early 1930s at the Scranton Republican, a precursor of the former Scranton Tribune. Then, at 21, Jacobs moved to New York City, got married and wrote several books, including the groundbreaking The Death and Life of Great American Cities.

Renowned worldwide by architects and city planners, Jacobs redefined views of urban life, leading to revolutionary changes in how urban planning is taught and practiced. She also advocated for the preservation of dynamic, tight-knit neighborhoods, MacDonald said, and believed that education, sustainability, diversity, arts, culture and giving back were keys to a thriving city.

The festivals logo features Jacobs signature black eyeglasses, which represent the overarching theme of Jacobs mission to urge residents to view their communities and determine what they love about them, what they could do better, who they could help and how they could create change for the better. A giant replica of Jacobs black eyeglasses  created by Marywood interior architecture majors, headed by fourth-year students Brenna Heller and Angela Sanchez  will sit on Lackawanna County Courthouse Square. People can take photos with the glasses and share them with the hashtag #ObserveScranton for a chance to win a prize.

Looking through the glasses also is a way to see Scranton through Janes eyes, MacDonald said.

(Jacobs) was all about making our community a better place and really looking at it for what it is, she said. When people are standing behind the glasses and viewing the Electric City sign, I hope they can see Scranton and its place in the world. We hope it makes them feel proud of Scranton.

The festival will feature a full schedule of activities around the city and beyond. Starting May 4, which would have been Jacobs 105th birthday, the festival kicks off with a flag-raising ceremony at City Hall, where Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti will proclaim the inaugural Jane Jacobs Day.

While Jacobs died in 2006 in Toronto, her formative years in Scranton laid the foundation for her ideas, MacDonald said. Not much is known about Jacobs time growing up here, making the book Jane Jacobss First City: Learning from Scranton, Pennsylvania, by author Glenna Lang, so important, MacDonald said. A book launch will take place and be streamed online May 4 at 6:30 p.m. at the Theater at Lackawanna College, 501 Vine St. Lang also will give readings and more at other times during the festival.

The festival also features a walking tour of significant places in Jacobs life and 13 art exhibitions throughout the city, viewable during the First Friday Art Walk on May 7 from 5 to 9 p.m. and on Saturday, May 8, from noon to 8 p.m. The works by Marywood architecture students not only delve into architectural principles but also explore themes of racial injustice, sexual identity, mental health, gender equality and more.

Celebrating Inclusion: A Retrospective and How Can Future Designers Empower Youth Through These Four Lenses? Racial Injustices, Sexual Identity, Mental Health, Gender Equality, will both be on display at 518 Lackawanna Ave. They look at the work of Black architects and designers and aim to promote diversity, inclusiveness and equity in the field, said Rebecca Dolgas, a fifth-year architecture student.

Art of Living v.09, at the Leonard Theater, 335 Adams Ave., showcases works by second-year interior architecture students who referenced their own bodies and experiences to develop prototype furniture concepts. Jacobs never believed in one-size-fits-all for anything, student Enzo Cicco explained.

Thats all in line with Jane and how she saw the world, he said.The exhibit Electric Jane, on display at 233 Oakford Court, demonstrates plans to revitalize Scrantons residential neighborhoods by filling vacant lots with affordable, net zero-energy rowhouses and providing safe, functional and sustainable homes for families, fourth-year architecture student Olivia Tobia said. This exhibit also was recognized in the U.S. Department of Energys Solar Decathlon collegiate competition.

One of the judges ... when (he) heard where we were from, he was so excited because (Scranton is) where Jane Jacobs grew up, Tobia said. It was surreal. Shes such a big deal in this industry and from right here in Scranton. ... We hope (the festival) shows everyone the impact shes had.The week culminates with the Scranton StorySlam with Scranton Fringe, a storytelling competition happening outside Radisson at Lackawanna Station hotel, 700 Lackawanna Ave., Scranton. This event carries the Observing Scranton theme and includes storytellers Amber Viola, a veteran and the City of Scrantons human resources director; Times-Tribune columnist Chris Kelly; Glynis M. Johns, CEO of the Black Scranton Project; Scranton City Councilwoman and physical therapist Dr. Jessica Rothchild; content creator and educator Dan Kimbrough and more. Tickets cost $12 and can be purchased at eventbrite.com.

Jane believed in sharing ideas and stories with each other as a way to connect us all, so having something like the StorySlam as part of the festival really encompasses everything Jane was about, MacDonald said.

The support the event has received so far, including from sponsors such as the Hawk Family Foundation, has blown away MacDonald, with groups jumping at the chance to participate. Its fitting, MacDonald said, as Jacobs stressed the importance of the entire community coming together for the greater good.

This festival is a beautiful showcase of everything Scranton has to offer, and its the perfect tribute to Jane, who was always urging community members to get involved and get to work, she added. Everyone has been amazing, and we should all be so proud to watch this come together. Look what we can do when we work together. Its incredible.
Take just one bite of Claudia Espositos homemade food and you can feel the love.

Espositos family inspired her passion for cooking, and she learned dozens of recipes from her mother and aunts. They always created meals and goodies from scratch, Esposito said, and she watched them intently until she was old enough to begin helping herself. Once she started, she never looked back. And she knows its because its in her blood.

Were Italian, Esposito said on a recent day from her Old Forge home. That says it all.

One recipe they passed down is for biscotti, which Esposito still makes to this day. The beauty of this recipe  which earned her a $50 gift card to Riccardos Market, 1219 Wheeler Ave., Dunmore  is its versatility.

While she shared her Chocolate and Walnut Biscotti recipe with Local Flavor, shes also known to make the treat with cranberries or almonds. If bakers want to create those variations, instead of adding 1 cup chocolate chips and  cup walnuts, Esposito recommended swapping in either 1 cup of cranberries or 1 cup of almonds. For the latter, bakers also should add some almond extract to the mixture to give the biscotti that rich almond flavor, she said.

Her next endeavor will be a lemon-flavored biscotti.

Im a lemon lover, she said. I have a lemon cookie recipe I like to make, so I think (the lemon biscotti) will be good.

No matter their flavor, the crunchy and sweet treats taste great in the mornings with coffee or in the afternoons as a snack. Esposito eats them whenever, though, which she joked is dangerous.

I love to give my (cooking and baked goods) to others, because if not, Ill eat it all, she said, laughing.

Esposito, who regularly works out, tries to keep meals on the healthier side with different soups and salads to keep things fresh. Though, she still sticks to her Italian roots with homemade sauce and pastas. Shes also experimented with different dishes lately, including turkey breast or chicken stuffed with spinach and rolled up like a jelly roll.

Every day Im making or trying something different, she said, noting that her brother, Frank, lives with her and tests out her new recipes. He enjoys it. Hes always eating something good.

Esposito loves to share her recipes with friends and also sells her homemade goodies, and shes received great feedback about them. When creating something from scratch, it comes from her heart, too.

Im always making something homemade, and people can tell you put your all into that, she said. If Im making it, Im doing it with love.
Knoebels Amusement Resort opened for its 95th season last weekend.

The family-owned resort, a hidden gem and vacation mainstay of Northeastern Pennsylvania, is celebrating the milestone while still facing the COVID-19 pandemic, its greatest challenge since World War II.

It will be a low-key celebration with a commemorative logo and maybe an in-park parade on July 4, said Stacy Yutko, public relations director for Knoebels. Were going to save the big celebration for our 100th in five years.

Formerly Stacy Ososkie, she married Robert Yutko, a lifelong fan of Knoebels, on Dec. 26, 2020. Their marriage was a year to the day after Robert proposed to her, and two years to the day after their first date.

He plans on making an opening day visit a yearly tradition to get a coffee and loaded baked potato, and take a ride on the Phoenix, she said.

As was the case during the parks 2020 season, masks are required at the park. Knoebels will only be open to 75% capacity, and attractions where its impossible to maintain social distancing, such as the ball pit and the Spacewalk bouncy house, are closed.

While the fallout from COVID-19 has dominated the circumstances of the opening, Knoebels has much more planned.

A new ride, Tornado, is expected to open at the end of May. Tornado is a family-friendly thrill ride. Guests will be able to control how fast the ride spins. Scheduled to open last season, Tornado was postponed due to COVID-19 related project delays.

Knoebels will also celebrate Autism Awareness Day on June 6. After partnering with the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards, 2021 will be Knoebels first year as a Certified Autism Center.

Staff at Knoebels received training to better accommodate guests on the autism spectrum.

For more information  including about opening weekend, prices and hours  visit knoebels.com.
As restaurants continue to struggle to hire employees, McDonalds has been offering higher wages and other perks as incentives.

Signs outside McDonalds drive-thrus in Wilkes-Barre, Plains Twp., Dunmore and other locations advertise smiling faces wanted at a starting wage rate of $17 an hour.

Pat Stella, who owns nine McDonalds locations in Northeast Pennsylvania, said this is the starting wage rate for department managers.

Day shift employees at her restaurants are being paid a starting wage of $12 an hour. Employees who open or close the restaurants start at $13 an hour and maintenance workers start at $14 an hour, Stella said.

McDonalds has been paying higher wages as staffing shortages continue and as Gov. Tom Wolf has been pushing to raise the minimum wage to $12 an hour with a pathway to $15 an hour by 2027.

In addition to higher wages, the help-wanted signs at the McDonalds restaurants Stella owns also advertise a variety of other benefits for employees.

These perks include flexible schedules, free food every shift, a 30% off family discount, scholarship opportunities, leadership and growth opportunities, free online high school diplomas, free English as a second language classes, discounts to a variety of companies, paid time off, yearly raises and tuition reimbursement up to $3,000 a year.

As another perk, employees who have perfect attendance during their biweekly pay period can receive $1 more an hour, Stella said.

Stella said its important for her to pay employees higher wages because they are the heart of our business.

Despite paying higher wages, she said price increases for customers at McDonalds have been minimal.

In addition to McDonalds restaurants on East Northampton Street in Wilkes-Barre, Plains Twp. and Dunmore, Stella also owns locations on Kidder Street in Wilkes-Barre, Edwardsville, Luzerne, Pittston Twp., Hamlin and Lake Harmony.

Stella said McDonalds needs to hire more workers as it gears up for summer and gets ready to open for indoor dining. She doesnt know yet when dining rooms will open again.

A struggle to hire

Hiring workers has been a challenge for fast-food chains throughout Northeast Pennsylvania as well as small business owners.

Grotto Pizza in Edwardsville recently announced it would close Tuesdays because of a staffing shortage.

The Avenue Restaurant in Wyoming announced it would close early on Tuesday because there was not enough staff to open.

Hiring struggles also recently delayed Burger King from opening its drive-thru at its new location on Wilkes-Barre Twp. Blvd.

Joe Steininger, director of operations for the new Burger King and other local locations, declined to say employees starting wage but he said its above minimum wage and it varies based on a persons experience and what shifts they work.

Several help wanted ads could be found online for Burger King locations throughout Northeast Pennsylvania as well as other fast food chains.

In the meantime, debate has ensued about the reasons for the labor shortage.

Some business owners have said that unemployment benefits and stimulus checks have been a catalyst for people to stay home.

Gov. Tom Wolf, however, has said if employers want their staff to come back, pay them more.

The minimum wage in Pennsylvania has been stuck at $7.25 an hour since 2009 and Wolf said it is far from a livable wage.

Pennsylvanians deserve better, Wolf recently posted on his Facebook page. Tell your legislators its time to raise the minimum wage.

Last week, Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry Acting Secretary Jennifer Berrier called for an increase to Pennsylvanias minimum wage to $15 per hour to benefit women of and persons of color.

It is long past time to raise Pennsylvanias minimum wage and pay every worker a living wage, Berrier said.

Opposition to $15 minimum wage

Some fast-food chain parent companies have opposed raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour.

They include Inspire Brands, which owns Arbys, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin, Sonic and Jimmy Johns. The company lobbied to exclude a $15 minimum wage from President Joe Bidens recent COVID-19 relief bill.

Mexican restaurant chain Chipotle chief financial officer Jack Hartung recently said on a quarterly earnings call that Chipotle executives would need to raise menu prices if the government mandated a $15 per hour minimum wage.

Chipotle, which has locations in Wilkes-Barre Twp. and Dickson City, employs nearly 90,000 people at its restaurants.

The National Restaurant Association, which represents restaurants around the country, has been a staunch opponent of federal efforts to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour and lobbied against the Raise the Wage Act.

Officials at the Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Association recognize the need to update the minimum wage and have expressed an interest in working with state and federal legislators on a modernized package, said John Longstreet, president and CEO of the association.

Longstreet said they want to ensure that any package considered doesnt have the unintended consequences of hurting tipped employees, however, he said.

When the tipped wage was dramatically increased or eliminated in Maine and Washington, D.C., he said tipped employees successfully petitioned to return to the tipped wage upon losing a significant amount of income in lost tips.

Moderate legislators of both parties at both the state and local levels have proposed reasonable, gradual increases that protect the tipped wage and are less likely to eliminate jobs than extreme proposals, Longstreet said. Common ground can be found and we look forward to working with them on these proposals.

Walmart average hourly wage exceeds $15

As restaurants continue to try to attract workers, retail giant Walmart also has been hiring and advertising job openings in the area.

Walmart pays workers a starting wage of $11 an hour but that can vary by market, position and other factors, said Charles Crowson, location communications director for Walmart in the Northern U.S.

Walmarts average hourly wage in the U.S., however, exceeds $15, he said.

In February, Walmart announced raises for 425,000 digital and stocking associates across the U.S. and Crowson said these are the retailers two fastest growing roles.

The starting wages for digital and stocking associates at Walmart now range between $13 to $19 an hour, he said.

They are important to the future of retail because they support a great pickup, delivery and in-store experience which is how customers want to shop, Crowson said.

With these investments, Crowson said the average wage for Walmarts hourly workforce in the U.S. is at least $15.25 an hour.

We will continue to invest in our associates to help them gain experience, reach their goals and build careers at Walmart, he said.
Allied Services Integrated Health System





Jennifer Ambrosino, MS, OTR/L, was announced as director of rehabilitation at Allied Services Rehab Hospital in Scranton. Ambrosino joined the health system as an occupational therapist after graduating from Tufts University in 1997 and has served in a variety of positions at the inpatient facility, including supervisor and assistant director.

Along with helping patients regain their independence following an injury or illness, Ambrosinos new role includes supervising and managing inpatient rehab services provided by occupational, physical and speech therapy, along with the counseling department.

The health system welcomed Chris Fazzini, MHA, NHA, as administrator of the Transitional Care Unit in Scranton. Fazzini earned his Bachelor of Science in business administration degrees in management and human resources management from Kings College in 2018, followed by his Master of Science in health care administration in 2019.

Before joining the health system, Fazzini was the administrator of a long-term care facility in the Lancaster area.

The health system welcomed Andrea Sokolowski, MS, CCC/SLP, as a new member of the therapy team at its Scranton-based outpatient rehab center. Sokolowski earned both her Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in speech-language pathology from East Stroudsburg University.

Prior to joining the health system, Sokolowski was a school-based speech therapist in Bethlehem, working with students in a variety of classrooms, including autistic support, hearing support, life skills, emotional support and partial hospitalization.

The health system announced Kimberly Yablonski, R.N., as the new director of nursing at the health systems Meade Street Skilled Nursing Center in Wilkes-Barre. Starting her nursing career as a licensed practical nurse, Yablonski went on to become a registered nurse, graduating from Luzerne County Community College with an Associate in Applied Science degree, and brings more than 25 years of nursing experience to her new role.

Prior to accepting the position in Wilkes-Barre, Yablonski served as the assistant director of nursing, unit manager and Alzheimers specialist at Allied Services Skilled Nursing and Rehab Center in Scranton.

FNCB Bank

The bank announced the appointment of five new staff members to their community office and commercial lending teams.

Danithza Farrell, assistant vice president, community office manager, will be responsible for the administration and efficient daily operation of the Dickson City community office.

She has more than 20 years of experience in banking. Most recently, she was an assistant vice president/branch manager for Landmark Community Bank. She obtained her American Bankers Association Branch Manager Certificate and participated in the ABAs BSA/Compliance and Marketing & Communication training courses. She is a member of the Rotary Club of Scranton and resides in Clarks Summit.

Michael Darter, community office manager, will be responsible for the administration and efficient daily operation of the Hazleton community office.

He has more than 25 years of experience in banking and sales training. Most recently, he was a branch manager for Santander Bank in the Boston area. He resides in Drums.

Christopher Moshinskie, assistant community office manager, will be responsible for coordinating the daily operation of the downtown Scranton Community Office.

He has been in banking since 2017 and most recently served as a licensed relationship banker for Citizens Bank. He is a graduate of Bay Shore High School (N.Y.) and the University of Phoenix, Philadelphia, with a B.S. in accounting. He resides in Jessup.

Heather Nunemacher, assistant vice president, commercial officer/small business lender, will be responsible for the growth and development of new business relationships.

She has 24 years of experience in the banking industry. Most recently she was a business banker with Truist Bank in Hazleton. She resides in Tamaqua.

Daniel Boote, assistant vice president, commercial officer/small business lender, will be responsible for the growth and development of new business relationships.

He has more than 10 years of experience in banking and most recently held the position of assistant vice president, branch manager with Community Bank NA. Active in the community, he is a member of the board of directors for the Freeland YMCA, Northeast Counseling Services, White Haven Chamber of Commerce and Shots for Tots Foundation. He is also a member of the CANDO Economic Development Committee. He earned a BA in political science from Bloomsburg University. He resides in Wilkes-Barre.

Hourigan, Kluger & Quinn PC

Attorney Nicole M. Santo, a partner in the Kingston firm, remotely co-presented with attorney P. Timothy Kelly, Needle Law, Pursuing Liability Claims Against Property Owners, to the Northeastern PA Trial Lawyers Association (NEPATLA) on April 22.

Santo, a member of the personal injury team, joined the firm in 2010. Her practice is focused on litigating all types of personal injury claims, including medical malpractice claims, motor vehicle accidents, underinsured/uninsured motorist claims, insurance bad faith, trucking accidents, products liability and crashworthiness claims. She has been named to the Super Lawyers Rising Stars list for the past four years and has been named to the Best Lawyers in America list for the last three years. She was also recognized as a Top 10 Under 40 Attorney in Pennsylvania by the National Academy of Personal Injury Attorneys in 2018, 2019 and 2020.

She resides in Shavertown.

Rosenn Jenkins & Greenwald LLP

Attorney Kieran M. Casey, a partner with the firms labor and employment practice group, recently presented during a continuing legal education seminar titled The Paycheck Protection Program in 2021.

The Pennsylvania Bar Institute sponsored the seminar, which focused on recent developments to the Paycheck Protection Program, permissible uses of loan funds and loan forgiveness.

Business leaders who are still interested in pursuing a PPP loan or have concerns about how to spend loan funds properly may contact Casey at kcasey@rjglaw.com or call 570-826-5667.

SUBMIT PEOPLE ON THE MOVE items to business@timesshamrock.com or The Times-Tribune, 149 Penn Ave., Scranton, PA 18503.
SCRANTON  With Republican candidate Chris Chermak a no-show, three state Senate candidates debated policing, voting rights, open primary elections and other issues Saturday morning at the University of Scranton.

In the schools Loyola Science Center, the debate went on with Libertarian Party candidate Nathan Covington, state Rep. Marty Flynn, the Democratic nominee, and Green Party nominee Marlene Sebastianelli.

Reached by telephone later, Chermak said he had to meet with Monroe County voters helping him organize his campaign, but also had to arrive early to help prepare a Lackawanna County-sponsored afternoon event remembering COVID-19 victims.

We had that event today at the courthouse, which I had to make sure was perfect. And, you know, if Im there, I just cant be everywhere. And I told those folks, I said I cant do it. I dont have enough time, Chermak said. I have two weeks left, like two weekends left to campaign, and do my job. So what where I was, I was working as a commissioner, and Im trying to be in three counties doing a campaign.

League President Diana Dakey said she and other league officials never heard from Chermak.

He didnt tell us he wasnt coming, Dakey said. I dont know if he talked to someone else he thought was in the league. People generally tell us if theyre not coming.

In his closing statement, Flynn, accused in a Republican groups television commercials of being a fraud, needled Chermak for his absence by thanking Covington and Sebastianelli for showing up.

Theyre fighters in the political arena. There are no frauds here, he said. The only fraud didnt show up.

Chermak declined to comment on that. He and the other candidates responded to questions about issues in a story published today in The Sunday Times.

The four candidates seek the 22nd Senate District seat vacated by former Sen. John Blakes resignation. Theyre running in a special election that coincides with the May 18 primary election. The winner will serve the rest of Blakes term, which ends Nov. 30, 2022.

On the issues

To a question on counting votes before Election Day or supporting other voting law changes, Flynn said he favors pre-election counting and exploring ways to make voting easier, including same-day voter registration and online voting.

All across this country, including in Pennsylvania, theres a movement right now to limit access to the ballot box and make it harder for people that dont look like us, that are minorities, to vote, Flynn said.

Sebastianelli, a nursing home consultant, winery owner and former nursing home administrator, agreed with expanding voting access.

I think its important for us to be advocates to get our constituents out there to vote, because sometimes they dont feel that theres always a reason to go out and vote and that their voice is not always heard, she said.

Covington, owner of web design, cleaning and construction businesses, wants to encourage more voting, but also transparent elections.

I think its important also that we keep our elections as fair and transparent as possible, and really not give any wiggle room to people to question it, he said. We need to keep people on board with the elections. If people dont believe that theyre fair, then thats a problem.

All three favor allowing open primary elections where voters who arent registered as Democrats or Republicans can also vote.

Covington also said allowing nonpartisan primaries could give a boost to smaller parties like his.

Sebastianelli said barring independent and third-party voters from primary voting often leads to low voter turnout.

Flynn said elections should focus on candidates, not parties, and everyone should have open access to the ballot box in a primary or general election.

On police reform, Sebastianelli said she supports more training and mental health screenings for police officers.

Saying he wants to spread peace and love, Covington said hed like to work toward less reliance on police if more people live in love and harmony.

Right now, we cant really get rid of police, he said.

Flynn said he opposes defunding police and ending qualified immunity, which prevents cops from being personally liable for on-duty behavior.

I dont believe in defying the police. I think cameras have now brought to light a lot of the bad policing thats happened over the years, he said. But I think more access ... to cameras for police departments to root out the 1% or 2% bad apples ... in our police departments across the country is going to help solve the problem.
May 2, 1971

Loyalty Day parade held in Dunmore

A Loyalty Day was held in Dunmore on May 1. The parade was organized and sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Thousands lined the streets of Dunmore to watch eight divisions filled with marching bands and civic organizations march by.

Loyalty Day was started in 1921 to confront the rise of socialism in the United States.

In 1955, with the ongoing Cold War, President Dwight Eisenhower proclaimed May 1 as Loyalty Day. Three years later, Congress passed legislation making it an official recurring holiday.

Plane wreckage found near Tunkhannock

Easton Bird, a pilot, discovered the wreckage of a plane that crashed in February.

Bird, of Springville, spotted the wreckage from the air when he was returning to the Tunkhannock Airport the afternoon of May 1. Upon landing at the airport, he immediately phoned the state police substation in Tunkhannock to inform them of his discovery.

Search crews found the wreckage on State Game Land 35 near Great Bend.

The wreckage was believed to be that of a plane and its three passengers that went missing on Feb. 17. The plane, a white Piper Cherokee, left the Broome County Airport with passengers Ben Doktor, his son Robert and the pilot, Kenneth Granger. The three men were flying to the Teterboro Airport in New Jersey.

Ground and air searches were conducted after the plane went missing in February, but snow hampered the search efforts.

Another aerial search was conducted on April 17 and 18, but they did not spot the wreckage.
Last year, Raeann Trakas had to watch Eastern Orthodox Easter services on TV.

This year, she needed to make reservations to attend services at SS. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral, offered in both the church and the hall.

Trakas, a Greek Orthodox convert, said she is just happy to be able to return for Easter, or Pascha, services this year after last year, when Holy Week services could be seen only on a virtual basis.

She, her husband, Tom, and children Zoe and Theo attended First Resurrection services on Saturday morning at SS. Constantine and Helen Cathedral in Merrillville.

Easter for Eastern Orthodox Christians is held today, a month after other Christians, because Orthodox faithful follow the Julian calendar rather than the more modern Gregorian calendar, said the Rev. David Bissias, priest at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Hammond.

Local Eastern Orthodox faithful gathered on Saturday night at a service that continued to midnight, when candles were lit and parishioners sang "Christ Has Risen; Christ Has Risen Indeed."

Agape vespers were held at a morning service today.

Why do Eastern Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter on a different date?

"The complicated rule to calculate the date of Easter in both traditions  the first Sunday on or after the first full moon following March 21  means that the Orthodox might celebrate on the same Sunday as all others, or may be separated by nearly five weeks," Bissias said.

Parishioners at St. Demetrios were required to make reservations for Easter and Holy Week services, as has been the case since the church reopened for services late last summer.

Parishioners also have been required to wear face coverings and follow social distancing guidelines.

"While safety dictates limitations on the number we can have, we are most grateful to be celebrating in our churches this year, having canceled last year due to the pandemic," Bissias said.

And on Saturday night some parishioners, who weren't able to RSVP in time, attended services outside the church.

"Although limited indoors, we do expect many more people to join us outside (we have external audio speakers)," Bissias said Friday.

Reservations also were mandatory at SS. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral this year because of the still remaining safety concerns of COVID-19, said the Rev. Ted Poteres, priest at the cathedral.

"We won't have full capacity. It's not business as usual. They call to reserve," Poteres said before services.

The capacity at the cathedral is about 1,200, but this year, due to social distancing concerns, parishioners were asked to attend services in the hall, once the church was filled, Poteres said.

Priests were assigned to both the church and the hall.

Not all Eastern Orthodox Christians had to RSVP for services, including at the Protection of the Virgin Mary Orthodox Church in Merrillville.

"We are having all our normal services, but we are taking precautions," said the Rev. Jacob Van Sickle, priest at the church.

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Parishioners were asked to wear masks and stay 6 feet apart.

"We have quite a bit of room, and we have an overflow area in the hall," Van Sickle said earlier in the week.

Quite a few parishioners still are remaining home so the Protection of the Virgin Mary Orthodox Church, like most churches in the area, still livestream services, Van Sickle said.

Coffee hour, after morning services, was reinstated six weeks ago with seats set up apart and masks removed only when dining.

"Following the Easter service on Saturday night, we will be breaking the fast by going into the hall," Van Sickle said.

Typically parishioners will bring their own baskets of food, including sausages, pierogi, prime rib sandwiches, wine and vodka.

Historically, church parishioners at Protection of the Virgin Mary Orthodox Church are of Russian descent with about half that percentage today, Van Sickle said.

"Services are in English," Van Sickle said.

Similarly, there was no need to call and RSVP during Easter for parishioners at SS. Peter and Paul Macedonian Church in Crown Point, according to the Rev. Georgij Gligorov, priest at the church.

"We will have regular services. There are no restrictions. We recommend parishioners wear masks and practice social distancing. We are not playing cops," Gligorov said. "We don't have reservations."

There is hope that things are getting safer given that a vaccine is readily available to most people.

"People are getting the shots. And in the past year we didn't have many cases. Our community was preserved," Gligorov said.

For Trakas, making reservations for church services at SS. Constantine and Helen was a small price to pay for being able to attend church services in person.

"It's the reason for Easter and the importance of family. These holidays need to be spent with families," Trakas said.

Trakas also celebrates the so-called American or earlier Easter with her parents, which also includes a dinner and Easter egg hunts.

But the Orthodox Easter for her is what brings about the true religious meaning of Easter.

"When I became an Orthodox Christian it took on a whole new role for me. It means a whole lot more," Trakas said.

Easter Sunday for Trakas today will entail having about 16 to 18 family members at her Porter home. Guests will dine on lamb and other Greek specialties and take turns cracking pre-colored deep red eggs, the color of which represents the blood of Christ.

"I'm excited because we will all be together this year and celebrate properly," Trakas said.

ICYMI: Here are the most-read stories from the past week
Elephants kill more farmers in fightback for land By Wasantha Ramanayake View(s): View(s):

Pemadasa, a farmer in Gongangara, Buttala, was on his way to stand guard over his plot on Wednesday evening when he was suddenly attacked by a wild elephant on the Waguruwela Temple road.

The father of three was rushed to the local hospital and then to the Moneragala District General Hospital but died of his injuries the following morning.

Some two weeks earlier, 61-year-old Anura Gunaratne and a fellow farmer were trying to chase an elephant away from a night-time incursion into a chena farm near Okkampitiya in Moneragala when the animal struck back, killing him on the spot.

The two incidents bring to 44 the number of human lives lost in the unending conflict with elephants since the start of this year  and the cost to elephants is much greater, with possibly 100 killed by humans, partly due to an alarming increase in illegal cultivation in forests.

This weeks news could be mundane to many of us who have been so conditioned to such deaths over decades but for rural villagers who live close to the jungles it is a living death, conservationist Hemantha Vithanage said.

He mourned the loss of elephant life in the daily struggle for access to food and water as humans encroach into wilderness.

The number of elephant deaths this year is sure to hit record levels as a result of illegal land-grabbing and habitat destruction, Mr. Vithanage predicted.

Decades of illegal clearing of thousands of acres of forest land, and erecting fences to deter elephants from using their age-old routes, has culminated in the human-elephant conflict the country sees today, he observed.

Mr. Vithanage believes 60,000-80,000 hectares of forest have been razed for chena cultivation in the Monaragala District alone since the 1980s.

The extent of electrified fences in illegally-acquired forest lands had caused wild elephants seek alternative routes to migrate between Gal Oya, Yala, Kumana, Udawalawa and Lunugamwehera National Parks.

Politicians encouraged poor farmers to live closer to the jungle. Some built houses for them inside reserves without any proper assessment of the suitability for such purpose, endangering both human and animal lives, Mr. Vithanage said.

According to the Wildlife and Forest Conservation Ministry Secretary Somaratne Vidanapathirana, there have been 117 wild elephant deaths so far this year, only three of them natural deaths and seven others due to fighting between elephants.

Of the remaining 107 deaths, 39 are being investigated to determine causes but the rest  the bulk  were due to crimes by humans.

The majority of the deaths are caused by human activities: shooting, electrocuting and hakkapatas or explosive baits that blow up inside elephants mouths, Mr. Vidanapathirana said.

Most of the elephant deaths were reported from the Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa districts and the Eastern Province.

The main reason for the conflict is the limited amount of land for agriculture and consequent encroachment into elephant habitat, Mr. Vidanapathirana noted.

We have an action plan, with priority given to construction for electric fences around villages that are highly vulnerable to elephant attacks.

The work involved reconstruction of about 1.500km of existing permanent fences. We have had some setbacks due to the pandemic but will complete it before next year, Mr. Vidanapathirana said confidently.

He said the ministry had implemented alternative projects such as planting of thorn-bushes around settlements and encouraging farmers to take up less invasive projects such as bee-keeping but these did not show a successful result as quickly as building electric fences did. That is why the villagers are happy with these fences, he said.

Conservationist Vithanage contends electric fences are the least effective mitigator of conflict as they are not based on scientific observations of elephant movement.

There are virtually hundreds of kilometers of ad hoc electric fences erected by private individuals, sans any study, right across paths trod by elephants in the middle of jungles. These are illegal and aggravates the conflict, he pointed out.

In the Somawathiya and flood plains national parks there are a large number of enclosures, some for cattle.

He said there was an alarming increase in illegal squatting inside national parks, sanctuaries and reservations, with the clear backing of politicians.

Traditional elephant habitats are clearly disturbed, compelling these animals to come out into villages and into open conflict with farmers more often, even in broad daylight, Mr. Vithanage pointed out.

The villages inside parks should be removed and the people should be settled elsewhere if a lasting solution to be found, he emphasised.

He also called for more wildlife officers to be recruited, saying the need to deploy large numbers on elephant management caused the neglect of other wildlife needs.

In 2019, 405 elephants were killed in Sri Lanka  the worlds highest toll that year  while 121 people were killed by elephants that year  the second-highest toll in the world.
A random accident during a coal mining stoppage in 1949 piled on an unspeakable family tragedy, killing two brothers while the family mourned the death of a third killed in World War II.

On March 16, 1949, the Kerrigan family packed Holy Cross Church in the Bellevue section of Scranton for a requiem Mass for Edward Kerrigan. The paratrooper was killed March 24, 1945, in a combat jump as troops crossed the Rhine River in Germany.

Two other Kerrigan boys, 37-year-old James and 38-year-old Gerard, both of Scranton, were working as the rest of the family mourned Edward.

Both brothers worked for their father, who had launched a coal delivery company 40 years prior. A coal mine stoppage led to a shortage of coal, especially in the Scranton area. So Gerard and James Kerrigan went a little further afield that morning in a bid to fill customer orders.

They had almost made it to Waddell Coal Co. in Winton, part of modern-day Jessup, when their coal truck was struck by a New York, Ontario and Western Railroad freight train. The impact sent the truck careening into a switch standard at the railroad crossing, ripping off the trucks door and hurling their bodies onto the tracks. The truck was dragged about 200 feet before the train could be halted.

James Kerrigan was killed instantly; Gerard was taken to Mid-Valley Hospital, where he died hours later.

Coal company officials said apparently James was driving when their truck was rammed at the right rear by the diesel engine of a northbound freight, a March 16, 1949, Scranton Times story reported.

Another brother, Robert, was waiting at Waddell when the deadly wreck occurred. The rest of the family was still at the Mass when they learned about the tragedy. The father, John Kerrigan, collapsed when he learned what happened and had to be transported back to his home.

The Kerrigans sister, Catherine Hogan, laid the blame directly at the feet of John L. Lewis and his two-week memorial mine work stoppage order for the deaths.

If the mines were working, this wouldnt have happened, she told The Scranton Times. Its the little people who always get hurt. Lewis will never hear of us, but its his fault.

The train, which had about 15 cars, was heading toward O&Ws yards in Mayfield when the collision happened. Waddell President Peter Brojack said there was no watchman on duty when the wreck happened because the crossing was used largely by coal hauling firms and Waddell employees.

At the brothers funeral five days later, mourners packed Holy Cross Church and overflowed to the street outside. James Kerrigan, the father of six, and Gerard Kerrigan, the father of five, are both buried in Cathedral Cemetery.
If affordable child care, universal pre-K and paid leave become law, it would be difficult to undo.

Conservatives beware: If the main elements in President Joe Bidens American Family Plan become law, theyll be very hard to repeal. Why? Because theyll deliver huge, indeed transformational, benefits to millions.

I mean, just imagine trying to take away affordable child care, universal pre-K and paid leave for new parents once theyve become part of the fabric of our society. Youd face a backlash far worse than the one that followed Republican attempts to eliminate protection for coverage of preexisting health conditions in 2017. And that backlash quickly gave Democrats control of the House and set the stage for their current control of the Senate and White House as well.

So whats the Republican counterargument? Well, much of the party appears uninterested in debating policy, preferring to lash out at imaginary plans to ban red meat or give immigrants Kamala Harris childrens book.

The official GOP response to Bidens speech Wednesday, by Sen. Tim Scott, seemed low-energy; Scott complains about big government and denounced Biden for spending money on things other than roads and bridges. The closest thing to a real argument was the claim that Biden proposes the biggest job-killing tax hikes in a generation  presumably a reference to Bill Clintons tax increase in 1993.

Indeed, Biden intends to pay for his proposals with higher taxes on corporations and high-income individuals, including a dastardly plan to give the IRS enough resources to crack down on wealthy tax cheats.

Its important, then, to realize that the family plan would, if enacted, be a major job creator. That is, it would increase the number of Americans  women in particular  in paid employment substantially, probably by several million.

Consistently wrong

To understand why, you need to know that while Republicans always claim that raising taxes on the rich will destroy jobs, they have never yet been right. Scotts rejoinder to Biden appeared to suggest that the 1993 Clinton tax hike killed jobs; in reality, the United States added 23 million jobs on Clintons watch. People also seem to forget that Barack Obama presided over a significant hike in high-end taxes at the beginning of his second term; the economy continued to add jobs rapidly, at the rate of about 2.5 million a year.

Oh, and employment in California boomed after Jerry Brown raised taxes on the wealthy in 2012, defying conservative declarations that the state was committing economic suicide.

Its also instructive to compare the United States with other advanced countries, almost all of which have higher taxes and more generous social benefits than we do. Do they pay a price for these policies in the form of reduced employment?

Many Americans would, I suspect, be surprised to learn that the truth is that many high-tax, high-benefit countries are quite successful at creating jobs. Take France: Adults between the ages of 25 and 54, the prime working years, are more likely to be employed in France than they are in America, mainly because Frenchwomen have a higher rate of paid employment than their American counterparts. The Nordic countries have an even larger employment advantage among women.

How can employment be so high in countries with lots of job-killing taxes? The answer is that taxes dont visibly kill jobs  but lack of child care does. Parents in many rich countries are able to take paid work because they have access to safe, affordable child care; in the United States such care is prohibitively expensive for many, if they can get it at all. The reason is that our government spends almost nothing on child care and pre-K; our outlays as a percentage of GDP put us somewhat below Cyprus and Romania.

Big employment impactThe American Family Plan would completely change this picture, providing free preschool for all 3- and 4-year-olds while limiting child care costs to no more than 7% of income for lower- and middle-income parents. If this raised employment of prime-age American women to French levels, it would add about 1.8 million jobs; if we went to Danish levels, we would add 3 million jobs.

Just to be clear, making it possible for more women to take paid jobs isnt the principal point of this plan  and theres nothing wrong with parents choosing to stay at home and care for their kids. Instead, its mainly about improving the environment in which children grow up, partly as a matter of social justice, partly so that they eventually become healthier, more productive adults.

But higher employment  jobs generally expand to meet the available workforce  would be a significant and more immediate side benefit. And it would also offer a partial fiscal offset to the direct cost of child care and pre-K, both because newly working Americans would pay taxes and because they would be less likely to need support from safety-net programs like food stamps. No, Bidens spending plans wont pay for themselves. But theyll cost taxpayers less than the headline numbers might suggest.

If these plans improve life for millions of Americans, will anyone besides professional ideologues care if theyre big government?

PAUL KRUGMAN writes for The New York Times.
In his straightforward address Wednesday, President Joe Biden made a compelling case for his proposed large-scale federal investments in physical and social infrastructure. But more important, he appealed for revitalization of something even more valuable  American democracy.

Can our democracy overcome the lies, anger, hate and fears that have pulled us apart? he asked. Americas adversaries, the autocrats of the world, are betting we cant. But we have to prove them wrong. We have to prove democracy still works, that our government still works, and we can deliver for our people.

A worthy goal to be sure. But Bidens appeal came amid a week in which:

The chairman of the Berks County Republican Committee declared that Democrats were imbued with the same evil that motivated Adolph Hitler and Japanese Prime Minister Hideki Tojo during World War II. What, no Mussolini?

 Several congressional Republicans spread the lie that Bidens climate plan included limiting Americans to consuming four pounds of meat per person per year. The climate plan makes no such reference. A British tabloid had made the assertion based on a hypothetical question rather than the administration climate plan. The New York Post pulled its version of the story after a reporter resigned, saying that she had been forced to write it.

 Republican Rep. Scott Perry of York used a House committee meeting, and Fox TV entertainer Tucker Carlson used his platform, to spread the ugly white supremacist conspiracy trope known as replacement theory, holding that immigration is a plot to replace native culture.

Biden is right that anti-democratic autocrats revel in such divisive claptrap. But its clear that the most serious threat is not from afar, but from within.
The London stock market has for generations played host to some of the biggest and best-known companies in the world.

Yet the UK cannot boast a single name in the superleague of the world's top 20 most valuable businesses, which were ranked in the FT last week. This should be a concern to millions of savers.

Putting money into the FTSE 100 index or a tracker fund has been considered a gold-plated option for British small investors  now it has a distinct air of second division.

Downward spiral?: Putting money into the FTSE 100 index or a tracker fund has been considered a gold-plated option - now it has a distinct air of second division

Stashed as it is with 'old economy' banks, oil companies and mining conglomerates, the Footsie no longer looks a good choice for a stake in the new world order.

The blue chip index is up by more than 18 per cent over the past year. But the popular Scottish Mortgage investment trust, heavy in US tech stocks, has increased by more than 90 per cent over the same period  and that is after some recent setbacks.

The pandemic threatens to make the UK's leading share index look even more outmoded. Post-Covid, there is likely to be even more of a tilt towards fintech, green tech and online shopping, all of which are fairly conspicuous by their absence.

The lumbering UK banks, with their legacy branch networks, look unappetising, as do the oil giants, BP and Shell, which are re-inventing on greener lines. Miners have bounced back because of the demand for commodities but they also face multiple challenges on the now all-important environmental, social and governance front. The UK's most valuable listed business is Anglo-Dutch consumer goods giant Unilever. Soberingly, we almost lost that company because it wanted to shift its primary listing away from London to Rotterdam.

One of the motivations was that, after fighting off a hostile takeover from Kraft Heinz, the management wanted greater protection from unwanted bidders.

It is a mercy the move never happened, as it would have deprived the FTSE of one of its best constituents. Only a campaign prevented the defection.

Apple, the world's biggest company, is worth around 1.6trillion, which dwarfs Unilever at 111billion and is not far behind the entire market cap of the FTSE 100 of around 1.86trillion.

There is no inherent reason the UK shouldn't create its own trillion dollar tech businesses. Brainpower at Cambridge can rival anything at Stanford in California. The fenland town plays host to a thriving community of innovative businesses including Alphawave, an Anglo-Canadian chip developer planning a London float, which intends to set up a research centre nearby.

Cambridge is also home to Darktrace, which made its debut last week and got off to a flying start. AstraZeneca, our second largest company by market value, has research facilities there too.

A review by Lord Hill has looked at ways of attracting more tech listings. That may help, but there is another, possibly bigger problem as the Unilever experience shows.

It is too easy for UK listed businesses to be picked off by predators. Arm Holdings, another Cambridge company and the closest thing the UK had to a tech champion, was sold to Softbank of Japan in 2016. Softbank presented as a long-term investor but wants to sell on to Nvidia of the US.

That deal will now be examined by the Government, but even so, managements are often too eager to roll over to the first plausible bidder who comes their way.
Final journey of ex-IGP Balasuriya View(s):

The funeral of Mahinda Balasuriya, Sri Lankas 33rd Inspector General of Police (IGP) was held last evening at the General Cemetery, Borella. He passed away on Thursday at the age of 68.

Mr Balasuriya joined the Sri Lanka Police as a Probationary Assistant Superintendent of Police in 1978 and held various multiple positions in the Police.

During the terror uprising of the LTTE, Mr Balasuriya was placed in charge of policing the North and East.

In addition, the late Dr. Balasuriya introduced the 119 Police Emergency Hotline system across the country.

Following his retirement, he served as Sri Lankas envoy to Brazil and the United Arab Emirates and in 2014 he was appointed Secretary to the Ministry of Law and Order. - Pix by Nilan Maligaspe
He has taken a battering for changing the name of FTSE100 funds giant Standard Life Aberdeen to Abrdn.

But last night, chief executive Stephen Bird hit back, telling The Mail on Sunday that traditional fund management is 'in decline'  and revealing that the rebrand is part of a major strategy shift.

The fund group, which manages 535billion, was mocked last week when it unveiled Abrdn.

Rebrand: Chief executive Stephen Bird's controversial new look, devised by consultants Wolff Olins

Critics joked that the name, pronounced 'Aberdeen', read like 'a burden' and looked as though it contained spelling mistakes.

But Bird said the renaming, devised by consultants Wolff Olins, reflects his attempt to modernise the company and shift it away from mainly selling investment funds and towards wealth management for individuals and digital services for financial advisers.

He said: 'The old traditional asset management industry is in decline. There are too many people living off fees just by sitting on assets. That's not the future, there has to be change that benefits customers. Better value, performance and service.'

Bird said they had expected some criticism, explaining: 'We actually had prepared our board by doing a bunch of brand case studies and virtually every one without exception got slated on day one.

' I remember the headlines 'Aviva kills Norwich Union' and the flak that created. So we were prepared for that. It's about more than the brand, it's what we deliver to our clients.'

Abrdn is undertaking a major overhaul of its Wrap and Elevate websites, which are used by half of the UK's financial advisers to manage their clients' money.

Bird said work should be complete by the summer, adding: 'We've got a brand new release coming in August which is utterly transformational.

'Today, IFAs [independent financial advisers] need to phone our call centres too often, do paper transactions and customer verifications  the new system digitises all of that.'

The asset manager was formed after rivals Aberdeen and 196-yearold Standard Life struck a 11billion merger in 2017. The group sold the Standard Life name to insurance giant Phoenix in February. But like other asset managers, it has suffered from outflows as investors turn to cheap robot funds. Investors pulled out 3.1billion from Abrdn last year.

After selling the Standard Life name, the company was left with the brand Aberdeen  but Aberdeen.com is owned by another firm.

Bird said it would have been 'insane' to let go of the Aberdeen name. 'So this idea of short form Abrdn, protected in digital, is the most rational way to do it.'
Boat-spotters on the banks of the Clyde will this weekend be witnessing the spectacle of the vast HMS Glasgow being pieced together.

The submarine-hunting warship, the first of three in a 3.7billion contract, has been built in two halves by defence giant BAE Systems and is due to go into Royal Navy service in the mid-2020s.

Programme director David Shepherd tells me: 'Britain was once the centre of the world in shipbuilding.

Submarine-hunting warship has been built in two halves by defence giant BAE Systems

'We are now starting to put ourselves back on the map with high-end warships at the pinnacle of it. This is a platform for the next century.'

Shepherd points out that the 'floating city', which has a dentist and a hospital, is capable of aiding humanitarian efforts too.

With BAE chief Charles Woodburn facing a potential revolt over his pay packet at this week's AGM, BAE certainly has plenty of choppy waters to navigate.

One of Britain's oldest chemical companies has come under the spotlight amid talk it has attracted a fresh suitor mulling a 1billion takeover bid.

Class action suit

Keep an eye out for Anglo American's annual meeting this week.

The City has been focused on the mining company's demerger of its South African coal assets, propelling shares higher.

But law firms Mbuyisa Moleele and Leigh Day have been lobbying shareholders to quiz the board over its response to cleanup efforts in Zambia.

The lawyers - who are behind a class action lawsuit - allege that Anglo has failed to prevent lead pollution in the town of Kabwe, in central Zambia and want the company to establish blood lead screening in children and pregnant women.

Anglo argues that its involvement in the mine ended in the 1970s, and says that it never owned or operated the site.

Bullish on India

Investors could be forgiven for backing away from India with the Covid crisis there, but David Cornell remains bullish.

He heads Ocean Dial's India Capital Growth Fund and has seen the small to mid-cap fund rise 110 per cent in the past year.

After the team was revamped in 2019, it has made strong gains in banks as financial services evolve and Indian manufacturers benefit from better infrastructure.

Cornell says: 'It's a terrifying Covid surge and the situation is heartbreaking, but we think the markets are looking through this spike and at the potential growth in India over the next three to five years.'

He adds that Covid has fast-tracked digitisation in a nation already dominated by smartphone usage.

Sorrell vs WPP

The tussle between Sir Martin Sorrell and his former WPP empire has reached fever pitch, with the ad firm blocking some of his share options over media leaks.

It was still a healthy week for shares in WPP, where Sorrell remains among the largest individual shareholders. Sources point out, however, that the stock is down 25 per cent since his tumultuous 2018 exit.

Sorrell's new venture, S4 Capital, reports on trading this week. Expect more fireworks.
Britain's largest secondhand book retailer has been put up for sale.

City sources said Bridges Fund Management has appointed bankers from Baird to find a buyer for World of Books.

Bridges Fund Management was founded by one of Britain's best known venture capitalists, Sir Ronald Cohen, to focus on 'sustainable' and 'impact' investing.

Britain's largest secondhand book retailer has been put up for sale.

World of Books obtains old books from charity shops and readers via an application called Ziffit, sells the books to consumers and then recycles the rest.

The business was founded by Simon Downes, Ben Maxfield and Michael Laundon.

They came up with the idea when they bought books at a car boot sale and then auctioned them on eBay.

Bridges invested in World of Books in 2016, paying 13million for a majority stake in the business. Sources said the company might be sold for more than 100 million.

Sir Ronald is known in the City as the 'father of venture capital and social investment'.

He was a co-founder of Apax, one of the City of London's largest buy-out firms, which has invested in AOL, Virgin Radio and Waterstones.

A spokesman for Bridges Fund Management declined to comment.
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Frontline Samurdhi officers face flak over relief omissions By Nadia Fazlulhaq View(s): View(s):

Samurdhi officers continue to face assault and threats by people puzzled and resentful that they are excluded from the Rs. 5,000 hardship benefit being handed out to sections of the community.

Many people are confused about why they have not received the allowance this time when they received it during previous occasions, Samurdhi Development Officers Union Secretary Chamara Madduma-Kaluge said.

The wife of a Samurdhi officer attached to Kudalunuka area in the Rideemaliyedda Divisional Secretariat was assaulted by a woman who came to the officers house to demand the Rs. 5,000 allowance. The woman had attacked the couple with bricks, and the officers wife had to be admitted to Mahiyanganaya base hospital for treatment to injuries.

Attanagalle Acting Magistrate warned and released three people on personal bail of Rs. 50,000 each for threatening a Samurdhi officer in the Hiriwala area.

In Pallewelela, police arrested two females and one male and produced them in court after a female Samurdhi officer was shouted at and threatened.

The distribution of the allowance commenced on April 10 after a circular was issued by the Prime Ministers Office announcing disbursement of a one-off Rs. 5,000 relief allowance to Samurdhi families, families identified as low-income earners, beneficiaries of the senior citizens allowance and disability allowance, families with kidney patients, families with elderly members above the age of 100 and low-income families that have submitted appeals. The circular mentioned that the previous 10 categories of recipients of the allowance had been reduced to seven categories.

Some people come a long distance, only to be told that they do not qualify for inclusion on the list. Some Samurdhi banks have not received sufficient funds so officers have to send away those who come seeking money, Mr. Madduma-Kaluge said.

Many people come demanding the Rs. 5,000 despite not being named on the low-income families list. This has clearly caused a rift between Samurdhi officers and the public: in a pandemic situation most people have lost jobs and are going through financial difficulties, so it was a hard task identifying low-income families, he said.

The union official said Samurdhi officers faced additional difficulties because grama niladharis have shunned the disbursing process and involvement in the selection of low-income groups in their areas.

The government did not give a clear explanation on how the funds were obtained to pay billions of rupees. If it is taking it from the Samurdhi Fund it is the poor mans savings and profits that are being used, Mr. Madduma-Kaluge alleged.

The Director-General of the Department of Samurdhi Development, Bandula Tilakasiri, denied union allegations that the Samurdhi Fund was being misused, stating that the Rs. 14 billion allocated for the relief payment had been issued by Treasury through the two main state banks to more than 1,000 Samurdhi banks.

Of the total, Rs. 13.5 billion has already been distributed to 2.7 million of 3 million people earmarked for the allowance, Mr. Tilakasiri said. Those on the appeal list were still being processed.
Graveside services for Johnny Rack Whiddon, 76 of Thomasville will be held at 11:00 am, Wednesday, June 9, 2021 at Laurel Hill Cemetery. Rev. Gerald Horne will officiate. Mr. Whiddon passed away June 5, 2021 at his residence. Born February 3, 1945 in Cairo, he was the son of the late J.C. Wh
ROGERSVILLE  Although many people were inspired to take home a shelter pet during the pandemic, unfortunately for the Hawkins County Humane S
India struggled to contain one of the worlds worst coronavirus outbreaks with nearly 400,000 new infections reported Sunday, as more international aid arrived in the South Asian nation to help end the crisis.

Surges in Brazil and Canada also highlighted the persistent threat of the pandemic, with the Covid-19 death toll approaching 3.2 million even as many nations ramp up vaccination drives.

India expanded its vaccination programme to all adults on Saturday, but many of its states are struggling with shortages despite an export freeze for shots produced in the country.

Long queues were seen at vaccination centres in cities across the nation at the weekend, with people desperate to be inoculated against a disease that has overwhelmed the healthcare system and even crematoriums and graveyards.

We are here early in the morning to get vaccinated I left my three-year-old at home to get vaccinated, said Megha Srivastava, 35, at a private immunisation centre in the capital New Delhi.

It is a necessity now. We are seeing so many people testing positive.

Social media platforms have been flooded with desperate pleas from people looking for oxygen cylinders, medicines and hospital beds as the Covid-19 wave causes widespread shortages.

India reported more than 392,000 new cases and nearly 3,700 Covid-19 deaths on Sunday.

The dire situation prompted many nations including the United States, Russia and Britain to send emergency supplies including oxygen generators, face masks, and vaccines.

Aid from France reached India on Sunday, including eight oxygen generator plants and 28 ventilators, adding to the 120 ventilators from Germany that arrived a day earlier.

New Delhi, one of the hardest-hit parts of the country, extended its lockdown by a week on Saturday, and the eastern state of Odisha has also ordered a shutdown.

Anthony Fauci, the top US pandemic advisor, said in comments published Saturday that the whole of India should go into lockdown to fight this wave.

Prime Minister Narendra Modis government has resisted imposing a national shutdown but many states have imposed heavy restrictions.

A growing list of countries have cut flights from India, with Nigeria on Sunday banning entry to all travellers who have been in the country in the last two weeks, though Nigerians and those transiting in India will be exempt.

Alarm bells are also ringing in other countries in densely populated South Asia.

In Sri Lanka daily infections hit a record on Saturday, with authorities imposing further curbs on movement and activities in parts of the island nation.

We could face an India-type crisis very soon unless we arrest the current trend of infections, chief epidemiologist Sudath Samaraweera said.

 Were tired and exhausted 

Known global infections are approaching 152 million, and fresh waves have also shaken many countries in the Americas.

Brazil, the worst-hit Latin American nation, has crossed 400,000 Covid-19 deaths  second only to the United States  with many of its hospitals pushed to the brink of collapse.

And in Canada, the epicentre is in the most populous province Ontario, where the surge has been so intense that the government sent in the military and the Red Cross to help care for critical patients.

Ontarios healthcare system is near breaking point, said intensive care nurse Farial Faquiry at Torontos Humber River Hospital.

Were stretched thin, Faquiry told AFP.

Were tired and exhausted. Just exhausted.

Many health professionals and caregivers are also frustrated with citizens who have not followed precautions.

I think we all feel we have been let down a little bit by society, said physician Jamie Spiegelman.

Canadas vaccine roll-out has also stumbled because of supply issues, unlike its southern neighbour the United States which has given at least one dose to more than half its adult population.

But concerns are growing there too about the inoculation programme hitting a wall  the people most eager to get their shots have already done so.

 Protests against restrictions 

Despite the Covid-19 threat in sharp focus because of the outbreaks in Brazil and India, populations in many parts of the world are growing weary of virus measures.

Anti-restriction protesters gathered in several European countries on Saturday, including Finland, Sweden, Belgium and Germany.

Many protesters are worried about the effect of curbs on the economy, with the tourism and hospitality industries particularly hard hit.

Several countries have tried to jumpstart battered tourism sectors by setting up travel bubbles with other locations that are relatively Covid-free. But keeping them alive as virus cases re-emerge has proved a challenge.

New Zealand on Sunday agreed to reopen a bubble with Western Australia, 24 hours after grounding flights when three people in Perth tested positive.

It was the second disruption to the ground-breaking arrangement in the two weeks since it opened.

SOURCE: AFP
Jaw-bomb success story shines as Wild Lanka treasures By Malaka Rodrigo View(s): View(s):

For three months, a young elephant that had its mouth blown apart with a cruel hakkapatas (explosive bait) was fed buckets of fresh juice and crushed grass through a tube inserted through a slit in its neck until its mouth healed.

The animals life hung by a thread.

Eventually, success followed the work of the veterinary surgeons and support staff at the wildlife departments Elephant Transit Home (ETH) in Udawalawe, and the wounded elephant recovered and was released back into the wild.

It was among three of 13 elephants maimed with hakkapatas that have recovered after treatment at the transit home.

Scores of elephants, most of them young animals under the age of 10, are killed with these explosive devices disguised in fruit when they inquisitively nose them out among the litter on the jungle floor. The jaw-bombs have killed at least 425 elephants between 2010-18.

The veterinary procedures taken to save the tragically few elephants that survive have been recorded in a scientific paper presented by Dr. Vijitha Perera and his team of wildlife officials at the recent WildLanka symposium.

Scientists applauded the fact that symposium provided the opportunity for such valuable information to be shared and used elsewhere in the world instead of the vets heroic efforts being confined to the log books of the wildlife department and forgotten.

WildLanka is the annual symposium of the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC), bringing together the countrys wildlife researchers and administrators. Its most recent session, on April 6-7, was held as an online forum.

A total of 62 research papers were presented, with four keynote speeches delivered by veterans of the subjects. The symposium is the crown jewel of the departments scientific journal, WildLanka, launched in 2005.

People just see the DWC as an agency whose job is just chasing elephants and doing trouble shooting managing wildlife human conflicts, but there are more technical things that we do behind the scenes in achieving conservation goals.

Knowledge of these efforts were not being shared with the public and other experts, so we started the WildLanka journal to fill this gap, the departments Director of Operations, Ranjan Marasinghe, said.

When the journal started in 2005, WildLanka was a biannual publication that received 50 papers, mainly from the scholars of universities that research wildlife. Now we are getting more papers, so we publish four issues annually, Mr. Marasinghe said.

In 2014, we started WildLanka Symposium to provide a platform for DWC officers and researchers to interact with experienced experts in wildlife locally and internationally.

WildLanka is a peer-reviewed journal with both Sri Lankan and international experts scrutinising the research papers submitted, chief editor Nilanthi Rajapakse said.

It has been challenging to put on such symposiums during COVID-19 but the pandemic also had its silver lining. For example, we used to get down foreign experts, spending a lot of money for air tickets and accommodation, but COVID forced us to go online and we can now get more experts involved in the symposium, which provides us with more opportunities, Ms. Rajapakse said.

Professor Devaka Weerakoon of the Department of Zoology of the University of Colombo said the journal and symposium provided a means to illuminate the significant high-level scientific knowledge possessed by wildlife staff.

She said it was especially beneficial to the field when papers saw collaboration between department experts and researchers at universities. Papers presented at the WildLanka symposium last month covered subjects ranging from a project on individual identification of the leopards of Yala, mangrove diversity at the Vankalei sanctuary, the population decline of sawfish, freshwater fish diversity in some parks, the grading system of bungalows in wildlife parks and many aspects of human-elephant conflict.

For more success stories of the Department of Wildlife Conservation go to http://journals.dwc.gov.lk/ to browse past issues of WildLanka online. Printed issues are available at the department for anyone to purchase.
VALATIE - Following a nearly three-year hiatus, the Valatie Falls Hydro power plant last week started once again generating electricity.

The plant was closed for almost three years, said John Doran, who purchased the facility from a company that had planned to use the plant to generate power for a cryptocurrency mining operation but never did.

Doran operates PlugIn Stations Online, which sells and installs electric vehicle charging stations across the Northeast.

He purchased the dormant plant in April 2020. It generates continuous hydroelectric power of 160 kilowatts, relatively small, but he is selling the power into the grid through National Grid.

Eventually, he plans to feed the power into the village of Valatie, as well as for local electric vehicle charging stations.

Doran worked with former owners Fred and Bob Munch, and Clevenstine Engineering.

Its unclear why the previous buyers of the plant, a Las Vegas-based investment firm, didnt run the facility.

Cryptocurrency miners use high-powered purpose-built computers to unlock the complex mathematical formulas that create cryptocurrency, or on-line money such as Bitcoin. The cryptocurrency can be sold for real dollars.

Crypto mining has become controversial with environmentalists because of the high levels of electricity needed to power the computers. Miners are constantly on the lookout for sources of low-cost power.

Last year, for instance, a natural gas power plant in the Finger Lakes community of Dresden, Greenridge Generation, installed a crypto mining operation at the facility. That way, they are able to use their own power to run their computers.

And three years ago, a number of cryptocurrency miners set up shop in Plattsburgh, to take advantage of they citys low-cost power thanks to an allotment from the quasi-public hydroelectric dams that operate in northern New York. Cryptocurrency miners also operate in the Buffalo area, which has access to low cost hydropower as well.
ALBANY  State Supreme Court Justice Scott J. Delconte dismissed a Republican-led court effort to invalidate the endorsement slate of the Albany County Working Families Party.

The WFP is a progressive party that often overlaps with candidates who also run as Democrats in the state. In New York, candidates are allowed to appear on more than one party line. Republicans around the Capital Region have engaged in some creative electoral tactics surrounding the WFP, attempting to co-opt their ballot line as their own.

In that vein, Republicans have sued in a number of counties to try to deny Democrats from being listed as WFP-endorsed candidates on the ballot. In Albany County, they argued that the process used by the party officials to sign documents electronically with a notary was improper.

Supreme Court Justice Dianne Freestone dismissed a suit in Saratoga County, filed by former Republicans who recently switched their affiliation to the third party, because their attorney failed to name the Working Families Party in the court filing.

Delconte in the Albany County decision, released April 30, said the Republican legal argument failed to identify a compelling reason that the WFP endorsements should be thrown out, and he said that that WFP had properly followed state law for its electronic signatures anyway. Delconte dismissed the case with prejudice, meaning Republicans can't bring it back to court.

On April 21st, Judge Richard Platkin also denied in all respects a petition brought by Colonie GOP leaders attempting to remove Democratic

Town Justice David Green and Democratic Town Board candidate Jessica Mahar from the ballot.
Will Waldron/Albany Times Union

BETHLEHEM - A Delmar man wearing a ski mask and soft body armor and armed with a Taser was arrested after he was found unconscious on the Albany County Rail Trail in the early morning hours last Sunday, town police said.

The 23-year-old man had an apparent head injury and was found by people on the trail who offered assistance. When the man awoke and realized that EMS and police were responding to assist, he pulled out a Taser electric shock device and fled, according to police.
When John Trimble launched Hot Crispy Oil last year, he did not anticipate the condiment would make a splash in all the ways it did.

After the Times Union published a story in July on Hot Crispy Oil and Trimbles turn from closing La Serre, his familys 43-year-old French restaurant in downtown Albany, to starting a condiment business, sales for Hot Crispy Oil soared. The blend of oil with spices and hot peppers has sold 50,000 jars since its launch last summer.

Criticism that Trimble, a white man, was stealing ideas from Chinese culture rose, too. A letter to the editor that appeared in the Times Union said Trimbles product, and the way he described it, appropriated a traditional Chinese chile oil by taking the idea and commercializing it for profit without crediting the Asian culture that the oil derives from.

Attacks on Hot Crispy Oil were rampant on social media as well, with many Facebook users claiming Trimble was stealing from Chinese culture. On Instagram, parodies of Trimbles apologies to those aggrieved by the language he used when differentiating his product from Chinese chile oils were shared dozens of times.



Im of the strong belief that nothing is created in a vacuum, Trimble said in a recent phone interview. While Asian chile oils and chili crisps gained popularity in food media in recent years, there are versions of hot peppers steeped in oil made across the globe, many of which Trimble tasted in his travels and informed his recipe for Hot Crispy Oil. Im operating a business in America, Im an American, and Hot Crispy Oil is a result of that, he said.

Trimbles attempts to explain the origins of Hot Crispy Oil and engage with his critics did little to lessen the cries that he was engaged in cultural appropriation in food, and none of his detractors were willing to converse with him privately. Similarly, none of the online critics would be interviewed for this story.

"Appropriation" has grown in usage as people become more aware of the links between a food, its culture and who makes and promotes it. Cultural appropriation is defined as the adoption of elements of a culture or identity by members of another culture or identity without permission. The term is typically applied to white people taking ideas (in this case, cuisines and recipes) from a minority or marginalized group and using the ideas for profit.

There is no distinct line where you cross from appropriation to appreciation, said Jinah Kim, owner of Sunhees Farm and Kitchen in Troy, where her family makes food based on their Korean heritage. There isnt a single factor that determines appropriation, she said, adding the caveat that regardless of how it is determined, the people of the disadvantaged or minority community making the claim need to be heard and respected for their feelings to keep appropriation from mirroring colonialism or white supremacy.

Travon Jackson, executive director of the African American Cultural Center of the Capital Region in Albany, places a more firm boundary around appropriation. Appropriation happens when there is money to be made and tailoring to a group you dont belong to, he said.

He qualifies that definition as economic appropriation of a culture, which is seen across clothing, art, music, dance and food. Jackson used the example of fried chicken. It is not unique to the story of the American South, he said, as it can be found in cuisines around the world. I think the key to that is everybody likes fried chicken. In and of itself, fried chicken is not racial, Jackson said.

However, the context given to the story of fried chicken is what becomes contentious and can draw ire. Fried chicken was consumed by both white slaveholders and enslaved Black people in America, but the reason why those distinct groups ate fried chicken contemporaneously is different.

Just because the food was the same does not mean the circumstances were the same, Jackson said, noting that fried chicken was served to white people in an act of servitude to their whiteness, while enslaved people consumed the food because it was born of ingredients, time and resources made available to them when they had little agency to form their own cuisines.

That history does not exclude white customers from being able to enjoy fried chicken, but doing so avoids falling under appropriation only when the historical context of why the food exists is exhibited, according to Jackson.

White people presenting soul food as a celebratory culture and shared dining experience is a signifier of the oppression of the people who made it, Jackson said. Naming the food is important, because 'soul' is a moniker we use for Black culture in this country, he said. For a white restaurant to call its offerings soul food removes the food from its context of struggle, disenfranchisement and oppression, Jackson said.

Trimble, Kim and Jackson were participants in a Times Union virtual panel that discussed how appropriation infiltrates the local food scene. Other panelists were Aneesa Waheed, chef-owner of Tara Kitchen restaurants in Guilderland, Schenectady and Troy; Eric Li, co-founder of the three local Kuma Ani restaurants, with one forthcoming in Troy; Jude Jerome, former executive chef at the University at Albany and owner of Range Caribbean Fusion food truck, based in Brunswick; and Dale Davidson, owner of Umana Restaurant & Wine Bar in Albany. The panel discussion may be viewed below.

At Umana, Davidson expresses her Guyanese heritage with her menu. She offers dishes with roots in the African, Chinese and Indian culture because those nationalities populate Guyana, and their foods are collectively shared across Guyanese culture. These are the foods of that experience, she said of her menu. While she is Afro-Guyanese, she said, she is able to serve the foods of India and China without appropriation because she makes the historical context clear.

People ask questions about the food being genuine or authentic, but thats when I can insert myself and explain the history of the food, Davidson said.

Li draws a clear line around appropriation, saying, Its as simple as letting another race or culture describe or explain something from your culture. Li is Chinese but owns Japanese-focused restaurants. He said he believes that it is acceptable for any group to make and sell a cuisine as long as the origin of the food is explained.

For people to like your food, Li said, you have to cater to their tastes and find ways to market the food beyond the culture it hails from. He used the example of a California roll in sushi restaurants. An American creation of rice wrapped around crab, cucumber and avocado, the California roll helped popularize sushi in America. Most sushi restaurants in the Capital Region are not owned by Japanese descendants, but that does not make the food inauthentic, because it reflects true Japanese technique and origin, Li said. The definition of the food is more important than who is making it, but people are so concerned with authenticity they forget that food is creative, as well, he said.

Jerome expanded on Lis ideas, saying that there needs to be passion behind food for it to avoid appropriation, and sometimes white ambassadors for a cuisine help it become mainstream and more profitable for the culture it originates from. Jerome, who is Haitian, makes food from other Caribbean cultures. Some customers are dubious that he can create true Caribbean cuisine, he said, but because he has learned the history, cultural context and techniques of the food, he earns the approval of his customers from those cultures.

It never occurred to me I might be doing something inappropriate, said Waheed, an Indian woman who has found wide success making Moroccan food. Waheed is a frequent traveler to Morocco and has taught herself the nuances of the countrys food. Ultimately, she said, her only measure of success in showing appreciation comes from community feedback. How do people from Moroccan culture feel about what I am doing? she said. The ignorance of some members of the public who believe Indian and Moroccan food are similar  India and Morocco are 5,000 miles apart and on different continents  can be problematic to her mission, she said, but it also allows her to introduce Moroccan ingredients and recipes to a new audience, bridging the gaps between eating and understanding.

Jackson said that informed customers are usually what create profit for companies, but in the case of food, blithely enjoying a meal without attention paid to the context in which the food exists is a dirty trick perpetuated by restaurants that uphold notions of appropriation. Appreciation for the story of food and acceptance of the people who create it are part and parcel in being a good eater when enjoying food from outside your native culture, according to Jackson.

Kim argued that as long as minorities are seen as other and non-American, their food will never fully integrate in its true form into the American recipe book. Unless it does, the question of who food belongs to and who is allowed to make, sell and eat it will be as necessary to our dining experiences as the food itself.

Watch the entire panel

Deanna Fox is a food and agriculture journalist. www.foxonfood.com @DeannaNFox
ALBANY  Medical buildings crowd the blocks south of Albanys Washington Park, where Albany Stratton VA Medical Center and Albany Medical Center face each other across New Scotland Avenue.

The road between the two is a conduit for sick patients and supplies, but also a frontier between federal and state jurisdictions. For the rare moments when New York and federal law disagree  which now include the legality of recreational and medical marijuana  that border matters.

If theres drug testing involved, then the federal law is the primary law that we follow, said Peter Potter, the VA Medical Centers spokesman. For federal employees on his side of the road, cannabis use is still illegal in all cases and won't be prescribed by VA doctors for medical purposes.

The state's recently enacted Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA), which legalized recreational cannabis use for adults, includes a provision preventing employers from disciplining or discriminating against their workers for using the drug on their personal time off of the employers premises and without use of the employers equipment or property.

But the new labor rights have limits. Workers cant be impaired while on the job, and employers have to follow other specific state and federal mandates. And an employer cant be forced to violate federal law or risk losing a federal contract or funding.

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This law will not apply to federal employees, period, said Scott DeLuca, a lawyer with Kavinoky Cook who has represented both public and private sector employers. DeLuca added that jobs covered by federal safety regulations, like pilots or long-haul truckers, would also be bound by federal rules.

Ever since the Nixon-era Controlled Substances Act, marijuana has been a Schedule I drug under federal law, defined by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.

There are 113,900 federal workers in the state of New York, according to the state comptrollers office, with nearly 7,000 in the Capital Region. They include postal workers, law enforcement officers, doctors, computer technicians, court employees and maintenance crews.

The rights of non-federal employees are less clear, and many employers and labor unions are still reviewing the guidelines to see what will be allowed.

Albany Medical Center, the VA hospital's neighbor, believes its federal contracts require a drug-free workplace and classrooms, similar to those of the colleges and universities that plan to still prohibit pot on campus. But in other areas, the hospital follows state rules  including prescribing medical marijuana to patients  unlike the neighboring VA hospital. So if staff members want to use cannabis on their own time and property, they could now turn to the law for protection.

At this time, Albany Meds employment policies and procedures have not changed, hospital spokeswoman Susan Ford told the Times Union. We will comply with the law and are actively engaged in conversations about what it means for our employees and patients.

Geoffrey Mort, a labor attorney with Kraus & Zuchlewski and a member of the state bar associations Cannabis Law Committee, said it will be key to see how the law plays out in courts, unless the Legislature provides more explicit exceptions. He said certain occupations are likely to face repercussions for cannabis use more quickly than others. Then, if an employee gets fired for a positive drug test, it will be up to them to bring a lawsuit.

Anybody who's in a position where, if they were impaired, they might endanger themselves or others, those are the people who are most vulnerable to prohibition of cannabis use off-the-clock, Mort said.

The line between recreational use outside the workplace and coming to the office impaired is a blurry one. According to Joe Reilly, president of National Drug Screening Inc., which offers workplace testing, New Yorks employers will need to rely more heavily on symptom assessment if they want to consider disciplinary action. Urine drug testing, the most common method, doesnt test a persons current intoxication  it can turn out a positive result for someone who used cannabis several days or even weeks ago.

These laws are definitely saying you cant be high at work, Reilly said. But theres nothing mass market throughout the United States that has  any type of certification or licensure that can prove impairment on marijuana. Whereas with alcohol, a breathalyzer machine or a blood test, either one will do the trick.

Major labor unions are still working on guidance for their constituents.

Were going to have to take time to figure out how the law impacts different workers differently, said Mark Kotzin, a spokesman for the Civil Service Employees Association, the state's largest labor union. But he said there may be concerns for people that have to maintain federal licenses, including commercial drivers licenses or those who carry a firearm. The Public Employees Federations Rob Merrill agreed, saying that a lot of details need to be worked out.

Other unions  such as the Police Benevolent Associations (PBAs) for both state troopers and corrections officers  are more certain their constituents wont be allowed to use cannabis.

To me, its a no-brainer, Tom Mungeer, president of the New York State Troopers PBA, told the Times Union. A couple of weeks after the legislation was passed, he wrote an email to fellow members saying that since cannabis was still illegal at the federal level, we, as New York state troopers, cannot possess or use it.

Its really quite cut and dry, we are police officers 24/7, said Mike Powers, president of the New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association. So with that being said, at no time are we allowed to partake.

In contrast, Matt Hamilton, a spokesman for New York State United Teachers, the state's largest teachers union, said the legal activities of members during their personal time is their business, as long as they are not engaging in conduct that impacts their ability to carry out their jobs or professional duties.

Still, many school districts are just beginning to research the implications of legalized marijuana use and whether it can be regulated or restricted through policies or labor contracts.

In other states where cannabis is legal, teachers behavior has been a hot-button issue. Florida, Connecticut and Texas are among the states that have seen legal proceedings in recent years after teachers were penalized for out-of-office cannabis use, both medical and recreational. In the Texas case, school officials threatened suspension for a teacher who tested positive after admitting to using pot in Colorado, where it has been legal since 2012. An administrative judge later sided with the educator.

Adam Ross, an employment lawyer who has represented both teachers' unions and school districts, said he expects the new rights to apply to school employees. But he thinks theres a possibility that some schools will discipline teachers for behavior related to recreational pot use without arguing the act is illegal.

Teachers can be disciplined for doing things that are lawful if they are done in a way that portrays them as a poor role model for students and representative of the school, Ross said. He pointed to disciplinary action a teacher could potentially face for publicly drunken behavior, depending on the circumstances.

New York courts havent considered similar cases of teachers penalized for cannabis use. But Mort pointed to a state Supreme Court case from January, before the MRTA was passed, which he called a harbinger of how the states courts will treat future cannabis employment cases.

In Gordon v. Consolidated Edison, Inc., the judiciary sided with an employee  Kathleen May Gordon  who was fired from her financial analyst job after a positive cannabis test. Soon after, she got a medical marijuana prescription for treatment of her inflammatory bowel disease symptoms. The court found that her job status was protected under state Human Rights Law  even though she had used the drug before receiving her prescription  since her status as a medical marijuana patient constituted a disability.

Writing for the New York Law Journal in March, Mort said: Gordon suggests that the harsh approach to workplace drug testing cases taken by courts in many states over more than two decades is unlikely to be repeated in New York.
Give credit where its due: The state Joint Commission on Public Ethics finally did something right. One can almost hear Gov. Andrew Cuomo and his operatives  pardon us, appointees  saying, Nothing more to see here. Move along.

Which is exactly the point: what the public doesnt get to see. Built-in secrecy has always been a problem with JCOPE, and as we learned this past week, its only getting worse.

What JCOPE did get right was certainly noteworthy. On Tuesday, the commission announced the hiring of a new executive director, Sanford Berland, the first person to hold that job in the agencys 10-year existence who didnt once work for Mr. Cuomo. Mr. Berland is a former Court of Claims judge and state Supreme Court justice who also spent some years in the private sector.

Thats potentially positive, having an executive director whose loyalties dont appear divided between JCOPEs mission and the chief executive of the government JCOPE is supposed to be keeping an eye on.

But that still leaves, well, JCOPE  a body dominated by the governors appointees and full of rules driven by partisan politics that seem designed to ensure that no one, except those whom Democratics and Republican legislative leaders and the governor are all willing to throw under the bus, would ever be even investigated by the commissions staff, let alone disciplined. And because so much of JCOPEs proceedings are, under law, secret, the public cant readily see exactly how investigations are blocked  that is, how the strings are pulled by the governor and legislative leaders. But over the past decade, weve gotten a pretty good idea from, if nothing else, all the misconduct that JCOPE missed or overlooked that federal prosecutors didnt.

As if all that manipulation and secrecy arent enough, now comes a new twist from JCOPEs chair, Camille Joseph Varlack: a procedural move to rearrange the commissions meetings so that new and other business is discussed only after the typically lengthy executive sessions are done.

This is more than a minor process change. The new and other business portion is when particularly controversial matters come up. To put it at the end of the meeting means that journalists and other members of the public would have to sit around often for hours waiting for the moment when the commission returns from behind closed doors. And if Tuesday is any indication, there may not be much time for discussion even then: Ms. Varlack tried to cut the meeting off nine minutes after the executive session ended, citing first a technical problem that didnt seem to really exist, then a medical appointment. She eventually gave in when other commissioners objected.

It should come as no surprise that Ms. Varlack is a veteran of the Cuomo administration whose assignment was to suppress negative information and keep it from being publicly known.

This charade has gone on far too long. Its time that New York had a real, independent ethics watchdog.

Which is why were somewhat encouraged the Legislature is drafting a constitutional amendment to create one that would greatly diminish the governors influence. One proposal would have only two members of the future body appointed by the governor and four by legislative leaders, with another seven appointed by the states chief judge and presiding justices of the appellate courts. Investigations could be initiated by a simple majority rather than the current partisan formula.

After 10 years of JCOPE, it certainly is tempting to imagine anything would be an improvement. But given that the panel was, after all, a creation of the Legislature, too, New Yorkers had best read the fine print when it comes.
Eduardo Medina

Upon learning of the abrupt and violent removal of Black Lives Matter protesters from their encampment on Arch Street in Albany, I rushed to the Grand Street police barricade in hopes of helping to prevent further escalation. Of all the confrontation's complex ingredients, I want to focus here on an especially troubling one: most of the 30-40 Albany Police Department officers had obscured their badge numbers, some by using duct tape and others by strategically placing riot gear over their badges.

What disturbed me most was the menacing message the officers sent to the protesters: If you push us too far, you are going to regret it and there's nothing you can do about it because you won't be able to prove who did it to you.
May Day: No big rallies, but small meetings streamed online Ruling SLPP and UNP cancel their workers day events View(s): View(s):

Most major parties did not conduct large scale political rallies and meetings to celebrate International Workers Day or May Day yesterday, but some of them held smaller meetings in their party offices.

This was the third consecutive time the political parties had to conduct their May Day meetings without major processions or rallies.There were no May Day posters on roadsides and there were no big gatherings.

The ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) and the United National party (UNP) cancelled their events for May Day.

The main opposition party, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), held its May Day meeting at its headquarters in Ethul Kotte. The event was held online, and the members and the leaders of the party addressed the event.

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) held small events to mark May Day. It paid a floral tribute to the late Minister T. B. Ilangaratnes statue at Sri Utharananda Mawatha near Temple trees yesterday morning. Mr Illangaratne had played a key role in setting up the Employees Provident Fund (EPF), the Cooperative Wholesale Establishment (CWE), cooperative societies and the Peoples Bank.

The SLFPs Chairman and Former Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, Party General Secretary Dayasiri Jayasekara, United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) General Secretary Mahinda Amaraweera and Democratic Left Front Leader Wasudewa Nanayakkara took part in the event.

The SLFP also handed over to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa 21proposals made by trade unions affiliated to the party.

The proposals included, increasing the wages of both public and private sector employees by Rs 5000, recruiting permanent staff for various professions instead of employing them on a contract basis, implementing a Parliament approved proposal of increasing the retirement age of all employees to 60 years and avoiding the privatisation of companies which directly contribute to the countrys economy.

Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa addressing the people via a live video streamed from the party headquarters said even though some people considered that the back bone of Sri Lankas economy was business, yet the true core of the economy were the working people.

He said many people spoke of economic growth but few of them spoke of the workers economic growth. Yet he believed that when the economy grew the workers economy too should improve.

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) too held its May Day event at its party headquarters yesterday, under the theme defeat capitalism and create peoples power for socialism.

The JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said they had to celebrate the 132nd workers day under special conditions. He said they wanted to have a big rally but were forced to have the event at the party office and broadcast it via Internet.

Both the major parties and socialist parties marked the International Workers Day with limited crowds, and they streamed their events online.

The Communist Party and the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) held their events according to social distancing regulations and other COVID-19 preventive measures.

The event which was held at the Communist Party headquarters was attended by party leaders and a small number of supporters. The party members were clad in red T-shirts, caps and face masks.

Some of the May Day resolutions made by these parties were: Provide pensions for state sector employees who were denied of their pensions, the minimum private sector payments should be Rs 15,000 and an additional allowance of Rs 5000 should be added to it, provide jobs for the jobless and allow various companies to form unions, including contractors.

The meeting was addressed by LSSP General Secretary Thissa Vitharana and CP General Secretary G. Weerasinghe.
Farmington, WV (26555)

Today

Rain showers this morning with isolated thunderstorms developing during the afternoon hours. High 76F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

An isolated thunderstorm possible this evening, then occasional showers overnight. Low 66F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.
[May 02, 2021] BrainChip Talks with Rob Lincourt of Dell Technologies in Latest Monthly Podcast

BrainChip Holdings Ltd. (ASX: BRN), a leading provider of ultra-low power high performance artificial intelligence technology, today announced that Distinguished Engineer Rob Lincourt of Dell (News - Alert) Technologies joins BrainChip Vice President of Worldwide Sales Rob Telson on the latest "This is our Mission" podcast episode designed to provide insight on the Company's strategy and progress. The 24-minute podcast will be available through the Company's website, https://brainchipinc.com/brainchip-podcasts/, as well as across all major podcast platforms May 4, at 4:00 p.m. U.S. PDT. A technologist who seeks to create unique solutions to complex problems, Lincourt works as part of the global CTO office at Dell to identify and understand emerging technologies and their impact on the industry, society and the company itself. In the sixth episode of the series, Lincourt and Telson discuss a wide range of topics including how people will consume AI in the near future, how devices at the Edge can process data without being attached to the network, how neuromorphic computing will affect industries such as manufacturing, and security of devices and applications. "In our latest podcast, we wanted to build on our previous episode by continuing with our 'outside-looking-in' theme, so we are extremely grateful to Rob for providing us with insight into the human dynamic that will occur as AI becomes more prevalent in our lives" said Telson. "As someone who examines technology trends and the potential effects those changes mean to Dell's business, Rob brings a real humanity to the equation and offers up a unique look at how to navigate our increasingly data-driven world. What an exciting opportunity to talk about the Akida processor, IP and all the ways it can be used in applications including Smart Home, Smart Health, Smart City and Smart Transportation."



Akida brings artificial intelligence to the edge in a way that existing technologies are not capable. The solution is high-performance, small, ultra-low power and enables a wide array of edge capabilities. The Akida (NSoC) and intellectual property can be used in applications including Smart Home, Smart Health, Smart City and Smart Transportation. These applications include but are not limited to home automation and remote controls, industrial IoT, robotics, security cameras, sensors, unmanned aircraft, autonomous vehicles, medical instruments, object detection, sound detection, odor and taste detection, gesture control and cybersecurity. The BrainChip Podcast is a monthly event intended to provide company and industry insight for the engineering community in target markets, as well as analysts, technical and financial press and investors.

About BrainChip Holdings Ltd. (ASX: BRN) BrainChip is a global technology company that is producing a groundbreaking neuromorphic processor that brings artificial intelligence to the edge in a way that is beyond the capabilities of other products. The chip is high performance, small, ultra-low power and enables a wide array of edge capabilities that include on-chip training, learning and inference. The event-based neural network processor is inspired by the spiking nature of the human brain and is implemented in an industry standard digital process. By mimicking brain processing BrainChip has pioneered a processing architecture, called Akida, which is both scalable and flexible to address the requirements in edge devices. At the edge, sensor inputs are analyzed at the point of acquisition rather than through transmission via the cloud to a data center. Akida is designed to provide a complete ultra-low power and fast AI Edge Network for vision, audio, olfactory and smart transducer applications. The reduction in system latency provides faster response and a more power efficient system that can reduce the large carbon footprint of data centers. Additional information is available at https://www.brainchipinc.com. Follow BrainChip on Twitter (News - Alert) : https://www.twitter.com/BrainChip_inc

Follow BrainChip on LinkedIn (News - Alert) : https://www.linkedin.com/company/7792006 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210502005045/en/

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An alleged criminal scheme turned deadly and the aftermath involves legal payback in addition to losing crime buddy amid a botched robbery of a homeowner packing heat.

Read more . . .

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A Kansas City man who admitted to taking part in Independence robbery has been charged in the fatal shooting of his accomplice. Antonio D. Johnson is charged with 2nd Degree Murder, Attempted Robbery and Armed Criminal Action. Also charged is Andre D. Mays, Jr.
Dead-Tree media offers zoning hot mess debacle that will continue to thwart progress on a new jail . . . More info for subscribers:

When Joy Ufford and her late husband moved into Heart Village mobile home park in 1970, Joy was turning 40, their son was 6 or 7 and their two-bedroom trailer was brand spanking new. Joy is 90 now and still lives in the same double wide.
For right now we'll forgo our typical Saturday night pontificating and update more relevant Kansas City information for night owls and early birds.



The news cycle focused on this deadly gunfire end game for Saturday night . . .



MSHP confirmed Saturday night that the person killed by KCPD officers was 25-year-old Hanad A. Abdiaziz. On Saturday afternoon KCPD said a judge signed a warrant for Abdiaziz in the homicide of 16-year-old Abdulwahid Abdulaziz and 14-year-old Abdirahman Abdulaziz. Police say the teenage brothers were killed Friday night outside their home at 8th and Olive after returning from a Ramadan service.



MSHP said Abdulaziz was shot near Missouri Street Maple Blvd Saturday evening. MSHP initially did not identify him but said the shooting stemmed from their continued investigation into a double homicide at 8th and Olive Friday night.

According to MSHP, officers attempted to make contact with Abdulaziz , but the suspect presented a short barreled rifle.



An officer fired his service weapon, striking Abdulaziz.



Officers immediately performed life saving measures, a spokesperson for MSHP said. Abdulaziz was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased.



And so, this story is complete as the cycle of local violence continues . . .

Check the links . . .

Northeast News: Double homicide suspect killed by KCPD

KMBC: MSHP - KCPD fatally shot suspect while investigating homicide of teen brothers

Fox4: Family mourns loss of teenage brothers killed in shooting late Friday night

Developing . . .
Now its the UK variant, 50% more transmissible and causing 55% more deaths By Kumudini Hettiarachchi and Ruqyyaha Deane View(s): View(s):

The rapidly spreading variant of the COVID-19 virus in Sri Lanka which is also causing more severe disease than usual is the United Kingdom (UK) variant  B.1.1.7.

This was revealed on the morning of Wednesday (April 28) along with the information that the Epidemiology Unit had been informed on April 8 about an S drop (an S gene target failure) which indicated a new variant in Boralesgamuwa.

On Wednesday, the Director of Operations in Clinical Services  Allergy, Immunology & Cell Biology Unit of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Dr. Chandima Jeewandara said: We can now confirm after genetic sequencing, that the variant found in the 43 samples from Boralesgamuwa, Colombo and Kurunegala is the UK variant. It is 50% more transmissible and causes 55% more deaths.

Pointing out that it was the first time that they had detected the UK variant from the community, he told the media on Wednesday at a briefing organised by the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) on New variants of COVID-19 and its implications that there were 8 cases from a construction site in Boralesgamuwa.

When asked whether there was any indication about the origin of the infection, he said the Health Ministry would investigate that aspect of it.

There has been some discussion over whether the variant causing the rapid spread of COVID-19 is from India (the double mutant), but now we know for sure that it is the UK variant. It is also causing lots of trouble in places such as Delhi and Punjab, he said, pointing out that earlier in Sri Lanka, this variant was found only in quarantine centres.
There's a myth that deadly rising crime is confined to the urban core and only confronts communities of color.

Reality check . . .

Life is becoming increasingly disposable in the metro and throughout the nation.

Reactionaries will claim otherwise but a decent apartment complex in a nice Johnson County neighborhood is now a homicide scene.

Check the links . . .

KCTV5: Foul play responsible for death of man in Prairie Village, police say

Fox4: Prairie Village police investigate death at Deauville Apartments, believed to be foul play

KMBC: Prairie Village police investigating suspicious death

Developing . . .
Terre Haute, IN (47803)

Today

Showers this morning then scattered thunderstorms developing during the afternoon hours. High 82F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 68F. Winds light and variable.
Canton, GA (30114)

Today

Showers this morning then scattered thunderstorms developing during the afternoon hours. High around 85F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with more showers at times. Low 69F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.
Pandemic or no pandemic, its business as usual for drug smugglers despite arrests and detection By Chrishanthi Christopher View(s): View(s):

Last years countrywide lockdowns and travel restrictions did not lead to a decline in narcotics-related arrests, National Dangerous Drug Board statistics show.

The figures indicate that in the first six month of last year alone, 45,013 arrests were made for drug-related crimes. Of them 23,203 people were arrested for heroin-related offences and 20,640 for cannabis-related offences. The figures more or less correspond to the 2019 statistics.

In 2019, the total number of drug related arrests was 89,321. Of these arrests, 40,970 were heroin related and 45,923 were cannabis related. These arrests were made while the previous government launched a major drive to eliminate illegal drugs from the country and took drastic measures to control the menace. The then President Maithripala Sirisena in June 2019 even signed the death warrants for four drug convicts, signalling a break in the 43-year-old moratorium on capital punishment. He believed such drastic action was necessary to combat drug-related crimes.

The new government that came to office last year also launched a major campaign against drug criminals, despite the outbreak of the pandemic.

The pandemic may have restricted the movement of people but not the drug smuggling which seemed to find new routes into the country.

NDDCB figures indicate a shift in the demand for the synthetic psychotropic drug methamphetamine, also known as ICE and crystal meth. According to the NDDCB, only about 35.4 kilograms of ICE were detected in 2019, but in 2020, around 856 kilograms were detected.

According to the Sri Lanka Customs, there is an increasing use of postal and courier services to smuggle narcotics drugs to the county.

Spokesman Sadatta Silva said that several courier parcels had been intercepted and found to have drugs concealed inside.

On April 27, five courier parcels containing Kush (cannabis from the Kush Hindu mountains) and ICE were detected. The drugs with a street value of Rs. 7 million had been sent from the United States, England and Germany. They have been posted to addresses in Homagama, Ahangama, Werahera and Kandy.

Also last month, Customs officials found 4,962 synthetic narcotic pills in a package that had come from Paris via Dubai, while the Police Narcotics Bureau seized two parcels of narcotic pills sent from Dubai.

In 2020, the Customs detected parcels carrying drugs worth Rs. 250 million.

In February the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) seized 400 kilograms of heroin and 100 kilograms of ICE from a boat in Sri Lanka waters. The detection came two months after Excise Department officials arrested four suspects and seized 100 kilograms of meth and 100 kilograms of heroin during a raid in Marawila.

Post Master General Ranjith Ariyaratne said that going by the recent detections they could see a shift in the type of drugs being smuggled in and the modus operandi. Previously it was heroin but now meth and psychotropic drugs abound because of the big profit involved and the convenience in packing. A pill is easily sold at Rs. 4,000 to Rs. 5,000 he said.

This year alone more than Rs. 100 million worth of illegal drugs had been detected at the Central Mail Exchange, the PMG said, adding that private courier services were also being used to smuggle in drugs.

Explaining how they make detections at the Central Mail Exchange, Mr. Ariyaratne said they worked in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Customs which has its own offices in mail exchange centres in Colombo, Kandy, Galle and Jaffna. The premises are equipped with cctv cameras and scanners while they also use sniffer dogs to make the detection.

When a suspected parcel was spotted, it would be retained and a notice sent to the address sent to the intended recipient, the PMG said, pointing out that often, the addresses in the parcels were fake. Asked why the postal services were still the favoured route of the drug smugglers, Mr. Ariyaratne said they suspected that drug traffickers operated with inside help. They learnt of detection no sooner they were made and would not turn up to collect the parcels.

Meanwhile, heroin and cannabis are continued to be smuggled in through the sea route. Last week, in a mid-sea operation, nine Iranians were arrested with 107 kilograms of heroin in their trawler.

In March, the Indian media reported that a trans-border racket had been busted by Indian coast guards when they intercepted three Sri Lankan boats carrying 300 kilograms of heroin worth Indian Rs. 3000 cores off the coast of Trivendram.

Meanwhile, NDDCB Chairman Dr. Laknath Welagedera said that meth had been in use in Sri Lanka for long time, but only now it was being detected more frequently. Meth was more harmful than cocaine, because of its high strength, he said, warning that youngsters should refrain from experimenting with the drug.

Users can get easily addicted. Once they get hooked to it, it will be hard to rehabilitate them, he said. Those who need rehabilitation should contact the NDDCB hotline 1927.
Hi all,

I was wondering if anyone (particularly Australians, not so much Americans as they seem to get better treatment lol) had any experience with bookings made on Emirates back in 2019 and getting refunds

Im in Australia, booked end of December just days before Covid started to rumble, so to speak. My flights were for May/June 2020 to France, cheapest tickets as per my usual, partly paid with miles but still about $1600. All my flights were cancelled, naturally.

Emirates at the time stated too bad, no full refunds on money *or* miles used even if your flights were cancelled, but we will extend validity of your ticket to 24 months from issue. I am not sure what exact date that means when it will expire ( can I book in December for travel at the end of next year?) but its kind of moot as it doesnt seem there will be free travel from Australia anytime soon. The refundable part of my ticket is- as far as I can figure out- only about $500. I was content to hold on to my future credit as at the time, whod have thought 2 years wouldnt be enough time? but future travel planning looks bleak from here.

Any other Australians had luck getting a decent refund from Emirates especially on the cheapest ticket category? Anyone got any info on whether theyll extend the credit? I just dont have the mental will to call them as I think Ill be disappointed... and no, travel insurance didnt cover it, because it covers nothing pandemic related.

Its infuriating that people booking NOW get guarantees of refunds but people who booked when it wasnt even a thing are getting shafted:(

Thanks in advance:)
We are planning to visit Italy this summer, and I am getting so many mixed messages about travel. We have family there, and would be visiting them. My husband is desperate to see his 80 year old mother. Everyone is vaccinated. I know none of you has a crystal ball, but will Sicily be open for tourist-like travel? I love Italy, but government can be fickled. Anybody with any inside/live here insight? My brother-in-law, who is in Milan says restaurants opened Monday, and that summer Italy will be open for business. What do you travel experts say? Thanks in advance.
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As we recognized April as autism acceptance month, let's celebrate our differences
Trumbull High School alumni were reeling in grief again this past week after finding out that another former classmate had passed away.

Police said Nicholas Nick Sicilian, 27, died from injuries he sustained in an accident that happened around 10:30 p.m. on Pumpkin Hill Road Friday, March 4.

According to a report, the 2007 THS graduate was was found lying next to a silver SUV that had come to rest in the yard of a residence located at 18 Pumpkin Hill Road  a headline that drew an outpour of strong emotions on Facebook from residents and former Trumbull students, who just last week read about a fatal accident in Maine that took the life of 26-year-old THS graduate Cailin Currivan.

In recent months, our community of Trumbull has been filled with great sorrow, said Rachael Francesca Marinaccio Monday, March 7. The awful news to hear another classmate has been taken from our Trumbull High School alumni is becoming too common.

Trumbulls alumni are in complete dismay over the loss of several classmates in such a brief time period, she added. The hearts of THS alumni are filled with agony and despair.

Marinaccio recalled Sicilians keepin it real personality and said he would be greatly missed by those who knew him.

Every conversation Nick was engaged in he would be in charge of administering laughs and smiles for days, she said.

An obituary submitted to The Times said the 27-year-old Trumbull native was working at B & G Construction Renovation in Monroe.

He enjoyed boating, snowmobiling and snowboarding, and showed a special interest in motorcycles, dirt bikes, and firearms, the family wrote. Above all, he enjoyed spending time with his family and friends, and will be truly missed by all who knew him.

The Trumbull police traffic division and detective bureau continue to investigate the accident.

The fatal crash Friday is still being investigated and we are trying to reconstruct the sequence of events up to and including the accident, Lt. Leonard Scinto told The Times Monday.

According to a report, Sicilian had sustained serious injuries and the officers reported he was not breathing and did not have a pulse.

Efforts were initiated to resuscitate Sicilian, who was transported to St. Vincents emergency room but was declared deceased a short time later, Scinto said in a press release.

Scinto added that a 28-year-old female passenger was on the scene when police arrived, but she was not injured in the accident.

Less than two days after Sicilian's death, the Trumbull High School alumni community lost another recent graduate when 24-year-old Vincent Pezzella was struck and killed in Milford early Sunday morning.

That accident is also still currently under investigation.
BRANFORD  Imagine going to a folk festival thinking you knew why you were there and who you wanted to see, then suddenly discovering a fresh new artist so talented, so deep, so profound that the experience changes you  and how you look at music, or life  for decades to come.

Imagine stumbling upon a 19-year-old Bob Dylan, without knowing who he was. Imagine hearing him perform, unannounced, for a few dozen like-minded friends, most of whom had never seen him or in many cases even heard his name.

It happened  60 years ago Thursday  in Branford, of all places, on May 6, 1961, at the Indian Neck Folk Festival.

And it remains significant because it was one of the first times people outside Greenwich Village or his hometown of Hibbing, Minn., ever saw or heard Dylan perform, according to people who were there.

And nearly six decades later, long after most of the world forgot it ever happened, multiple people posted recordings of it on YouTube and it all came rushing back.

Stephen H. Fenerjian / Contributed

Dylans historic appearance at the Indian Neck Folk Festival was one of the earliest recordings ever made of him  and he wasnt even on the announced bill. He played a three-song set  three Woody Guthrie songs, no less  at an after-party at the ramshackle old Montowese House hotel in the Indian Neck section, the day after the official concert at Woolsey Hall in New Haven.

After the concert they had, they all came back to the hotel, and they were playing all night, said Stephen H. Fenerjian, now 87, who was there.

No one got to sleep that night, Fenerjian said.

I think Indian Neck was kind of a seminal thing in a lot of Northeast musical circles, said Woodstock, N.Y., musician Happy Traum, who also was there  and also wasnt part of the announced lineup.

The announced lineup included Judy Collins, Jim Kweskin, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Carolyn Hester, Sandy Bull, Rodger Sprung, Lionel Kilberg, The Greenbriar Boys, Ted Alevizos, Robin Roberts, The Gardners, Molly Scott, Harry and Jeannie West, Fiddler Beers and Evlyn, Sonia Saveg, The Grey Sky Boys, Cynthia Gooding, Borden Snow, Lori Holland, Angus Godwin, Annie Bird, Ric Von Schmidt and others.

Stephen H. Fenerjian / Contributed photo

Those others included Dylan and Traum.

For whatever reason, the event has largely faded into obscurity over the years, taking a back seat far behind another historic Dylan performance, when he shocked the folk world by going electric with members of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival.

While Indian Neck, organized by a Yale University folk society and billed at the time as the largest folk get-together in the East, continues to be talked about in discussion groups and on blogs among hardcore Dylan aficionados and committed folk music fans, most people who live in the area dont even know it happened.

But it did happen  and luckily someone recorded it.

While its billed in one YouTube posting as Bob Dylans First Recorded Concert, thats probably not the case, said Dylan experts Richard Thomas, a classics professor at Harvard University who teaches a class and wrote a book on Dylan, and Sean Latham, director of the Institute for Bob Dylan Studies at University of Tulsa, home of the Bob Dylan Archive.

There are earlier tapes made before Dylan left Hibbing, as well as an acetate he made with his early band, said Latham.

Stephen H. Fenerjian / Contributed photo

But that doesnt take away from the historic nature of the festival and performance, which came just 141/2 weeks after Dylans Jan. 24, 1961, arrival in New York City and just 25 days after his first major New York gig, opening for blues great John Lee Hooker at Gerdes Folk City in Greenwich Village.

Dylans performance has been frozen in amber in multiple audio recordings made by people who used modern software to clean up old bootlegs and posted them on YouTube. The guy who made one original recording spelled Dylans name DILLON on the box, according to Bob Hartman-Berrier, whose late wife, Jay, took over the festival in the mid-60s.

It also was captured in photographs taken at the time by at least two photographers who were in the right place at the right time.

Fenerjian, now of Sharon, Mass., was one of those photographers, and he took what in retrospect were some breathtaking photos, along with the late Joe Alper.

Fenerjian, who at the time was a 27-year-old employee at Harvards Cambridge electron accelerator, documented the Cambridge folk scene as a hobby. At Indian Neck, he took photos of Dylan and other musicians who were there. The others included a young Collins  who was five days past her 22nd birthday  Jim Kweskin, Bob Neuwirth, Mark Spoelstra and the Rev. Gary Davis.

I remember it well  in fact, I have the original advertisement, Fenerjian said. Bob Dylan was not invited to this. He came as a guest of someone who was there.

... Jim Kweskin was the one who actually came running to me and said, Youve got to take pictures of this guy, he said.

Stephen H. Fenerjian / Contributed photo

Fenerjian, like many from outside the Greenwich Village scene, had never heard of Dylan, born Robert Zimmerman, who had only recently taken his stage name as a tribute to Welsh poet Dylan Thomas.

Matter of fact, when I took his picture I asked him, Is it Dillon? and he said, No, I think its Dylan, Fenerjian said.

They were singing all these Woody Guthrie songs  Jim Kweskin and all those guys that were singing with him, Fenerjian said. I was impressed that he would go into the harmonica, too, when he was playing. I never saw anyone doing that.

As far as his voice, I was not impressed with that, he said.

For Fenerjian, while Dylan  the future winner of the 2016 Nobel Prize for Literature  was impressive, he wasnt all that different from any of the other musicians.

Stephen H. Fenerjian / Contributed photo

You never know how things blossom, he said. Who knew when he took the stage at Newport, or at Yale University where I first met him, that he was going to be what he was?

While the formal concert took place at Woolsey Hall, the performers, and some of the organizers, stayed and were treated to free food  and lots of free beer  at the hotel, said Fenerjian, who came to the festival after Eric von Schmidt, the iconic Boston-area folk musician and author, had to go to Florida and so gave Fenerjian his invitation, he said.

While hes not a professional photographer, some of Fenerjians hundreds of photos from that era have since been used in a book documenting 50 years of Harvard Square, the legendary Cambridge music venue Club 47 (which later became Club Passim) and in the case of the Indian Neck photos, Martin Scorseses No Direction Home documentary.

Courtesy of Stephen H. Fenerjian / Contributed

Judy Collins , another musical icon, remembers the show  which in her case was a scheduled and announced appearance. It wasnt the first time Collins met or saw Bob Dylan, either.

I dont remember the concert at Woolsey Hall  although I know I was on it, Collins said by phone from her home in New York City. But she absolutely remembers seeing Dylan play there. Collins, who met Dylan in Colorado in 1959, also vividly remembers that it was raining that day.

And when she heard Dylan play  Guthries Talking Columbia, Hangknot, Slipknot and Talking Fish Blues, according to the setlist posted on Dylans website  unlike many of the folks there, Collins wasnt all that impressed.

At that point in time, Dylan bored the hell out of me, Collins said. He was singing old Woody Guthrie songs  I thought, badly.

Then of course, a few months later, there was printed in Sing Out (Magazine) his song called Blowin In The Wind, Collins said. I saw his name at the bottom and I thought, There must be some mistake.

She was blown away by the quality of the lyrics.

Now I dont know what happened, Collins said. He had just come to New York and he was sleeping around without a regular place to live. He was still homeless and still singing Woody Guthrie songs, she said. He must have been writing (his own songs) but he wasnt performing them.

Since then, after Collins began hearing Dylans own songs, she has been a Dylan fan and they still speak from time to time, she said. Collins said she was present when Dylan was writing Mr. Tambourine Man in 1964, following a party at the home of his then-manager Albert Grossman.

Im a great Dylan fan, Collins said. ... Ive always had some song of his in my repertoire.

Traum, who later recorded several songs with Dylan, said theres a lot he doesnt remember about Indian Neck these 60 years later, but I remember being there.

Nevertheless, I dont remember Dylan there because I didnt know him at the time. I didnt meet him until probably 1962. The main thing that stands out in my mind was Jim Kweskin, the Boston-area folk musician who went on to form Jim Kweskin & The Jug Band.

He was just so dynamic ... and ... he was playing things that amazed Traum, he said.

It was totally unpaid, Traum recalled. It was not a gig. It was more of a gathering.

Hartman-Berrier, who now lives in Cape Breton, Novia Scotia, later became the festivals president and has continued it all these years as a private, invitation-only event elsewhere in Connecticut.

The first several festivals took place at the Montowese House  often misidentified in online accounts, including on Dylans website, as the Montowesi Hotel  but the hotel burned down in 1963, Hartman-Berrier said.

Thomas, the Harvard professor, who wrote the book, Why Bob Dylan Matters, published in 2017, said the Indian Neck Folk Festival is significant as Dylans first performance outside New York City after arriving there from Minnesota.

I dont think he had really been out of New York City since he arrived, said Thomas, a native of New Zealand. He said that while researchers cant be positive, the canonical date for Dylans arrival in New York has long been Jan. 24, 1961.

I guess the Indian Neck Festival ... is sort of symbolic because hes venturing north of New York City, Thomas said. In short order after that, He gets up and he plays at Club 47, the folk scene where Baez is playing ... and thats where he meets some of the Cambridge folk people.

Blackstone Library collection / Contributed

Neuwirth, who later become Dylans friend and tour manager but is known for co-writing Mercedes Benz with Janis Joplin, told Eric Von Schmidt and Jim Rooney for their 1979 book, Baby Let Me Follow You Down, that he remembered running into Dylan for the first time at Indian Neck because he was the only other guy with a harmonica holder around his neck.

I remember standing around the beer barrel, and Kweskin and Robert L. Jones and I were singing some Woody Guthrie song, Neuwirth said. Bob came up and started playing along with it, and he had another Woody Guthrie song, and it went from there until dark  obscure Woody Guthrie and Hank Williams songs.

Neuwirth and Dylan enjoyed each others company, he said in the book, explaining that they laughed all day. Laughed so hard. That was when Dylan used to get on stage and talk a lot. Hed do a lot more talking than playing, Neuwirth said. And he was really great. I told him at Indian Neck that he should really come up to Cambridge.

mark.zaretsky@hearstmediact.com
Shipments turned away; Govt. pushes ahead with chemical fertiliser ban By Chris Kamalendran President insists on switch to organic variety; but farmers fear shortage; expert suggests gradual process View(s): View(s):

The Government has turned away two shipments from China and suspended the issue of letters of credit (LC) to import chemical fertiliser to the country in a bid to give way to the new policy of converting to organic fertiliser.

Two shipments from China carrying 18,000 Mt of chemical fertiliser for paddy and other crops are among the shipments which have been cancelled in keeping with the directive from President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to switch over to organic fertiliser with immediate effect.

Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage told the Sunday Times that banks had been directed not to open any more LCs while the decision had been conveyed to companies importing chemical fertilizer.

We will be able to manage with available stock of fertiliser for this season and it will last for the next few months, he said.

But, across the country, farmer organisations said they were already experiencing a shortage of fertilisers for the current Yala season although the authorities claimed adequate stocks were available.

On Friday, the Agriculture Minister met private companies representatives to discuss ways of producing organic fertiliser required for the next season.

The Sunday Times learns that company representatives had pointed out that production of organic fertiliser required for all crops may not be possible immediately and it would take a long time to produce the required quantities.

The Agriculture Ministry said it secured Cabinet approval to convert the state-owned Ceylon Fertiliser Company Ltd. into an institution that would produce, supply and distribute organic fertiliser in association with local government institutions.

In addition, arrangements are being made to establish a chemical fertiliser company jointly with the Lanka Phosphate Company operating under the Ministry of Industries along with a proposal to manufacture Single Super Phosphate as a substitute to Triple Super Phosphate (TSP) by using Apatite of Eppawala Deposit, according to a ministerial note.

Noting that at present, 95,000 metric tonnes of TSP are imported annually at the cost of USD 38 million (Rs 7 billion), the Ministry said its target was to increase the use of organic fertiliser up to 30 percent within the next three years under the Saubagyaye Dekma project.

According to the Agriculture Ministrys National Fertiliser Secretariat, 574,705 metric tonnes of fertiliser were imported last year while the total requirement was 1.2 million metric tonnes. The rest was imported by the private sector.

Farmer associations also raised concern about the sudden announcement, claiming that move was likely to affect the production this season as organic fertiliser was not available in large quantities.

Dr Hemakumara Nanayakkara, who holds a doctorate in organic fertiliser said that although the Governments decision was in order, such policy decisions could not be implemented hurriedly and there should be a gradual process followed.

President Rajapaksa has defended the move to stop the use of chemical fertiliser on the grounds of the negative consequences to human lives through pollution of lakes, canals and the groundwater while the impact on the health sector outweighs any benefits. He has stated that Sri Lanka is the first country in the world to stop the import of chemical fertiliser.
The Health Minister says the vaccination site at the Divali Nagar is not only to be used for the vaccination of those in the manufacturing sector.
Mumbai, May 1 (UNI) Despite the financial crisis in the state, the Maha Vikas Aghadi government has decided to provide free vaccination to all persons above 18 years of age, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president Nana Patole said here on Saturday.

He appealed to the Congress workers to support the decision of the state government and adopt the poor families in their neighborhood and bear the cost of vaccinating themselves and their families and deposit the amount in the Chief Minister's Assistance Fund.

On the occasion of Maharashtra Day, the flag was hoisted by Mr Patole at Congress Headquarters here.
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SLPI joins hands with Hilton to launch the Press Club View(s):

The Sri Lanka Press Institute (SLPI) has partnered with the Colombo Hilton to launch the Press Club.

SLPI Chairman, Kumar Nadesan and Colombo Hilton General Manager Manesh Fernando signed the agreement last week.

Colombo Hilton will be the host-hotel for the Press Clubs activities, which will include arranging for media-related events concerning visiting dignitaries and local personalities on current topics of national and international interest.

The Press Club will function under the SLPI whose constituent partners are the Newspaper Society of Sri Lanka (NSSL), The Editors Guild of Sri Lanka (TEGOSL), the Free Media Movement (FMM), the Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association (SLWJA) with its affiliated partners: Federation of Media Employees Trade Union (FMETU), Sri Lanka Muslim Media Forum (MMF), Tamil Media Alliance (TMA), and South Asia Free Media Association (SAFMA)
Whats Working, a series exploring solutions for New Hampshires workforce needs, is sponsored by the New Hampshire Solutions Journalism Lab at the Nackey S. Loeb School of Communications and is funded by Eversource, the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, the New Hampshire College & University Council, Northeast Delta Dental and the New Hampshire Coalition for Business and Education. Contact reporter Michael Cousineau at mcousineau@unionleader.com. To read stories in the series, visit unionleader.com/whatsworking.
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
Unmasked perpetrators Pix and text by Akila Jayawardana View(s): View(s):

In spite of the tightening restrictions imposed in the country, people could be seen being reckless and not following health guidelines in the face of the surge in Covid-19 infections.

When the whole country is struggling amidst the third wave, the public has lost interest in obeying quarantine rules imposed by the police.

Despite strict guidelines, many people are seen in big groups in markets. Authorities have advised that masks should completely cover the nose and mouth and fit snugly against the sides of the face without gaps, but many people are seen wearing the masks inappropriately.

Around Colombo, many people are seen in public spaces, some of them wearing masks incorrectly. Some people were not covering their nose with the mask or leaving the mask under their chin.

Wearing a mask when traveling on a bus, train, or any other form of public transportation, and in transportation hubs such as bus and railway stations, is a must, but sadly plenty of people could be seen not wearing the masks or maintaining social distancing.

Even though many cases were booked against people who were not wearing masks in public places and a minimum Rs3000 fine was imposed for disobeying quarantine rules, people are still not being cautious.

Everyone will still be required to mask up even though theyre travelling in their own vehicle.

As the number of infected people in the country has started trending upward again and a significant number of districts are reporting more than 3% of Covid-19 tests returning positive, every citizen in the country has a responsibility to not to make Colombo another Delhi.
Two students and three faculty members were recently announced as recipients of prestigious Fulbright Awards. The awards will allow these five Mavericks to pursue educational and research opportunities around the globe during the 2021-2022 academic year.

The group of students, which includes one recent alumna, and faculty also share in common that they are part of UNOs College of Public Affairs and Community Service (CPACS). They are:





The prestige of the Fulbright awards is an impressive and fitting recognition for these faculty and students," CPACS Dean John Bartle said. "But they are much more than an award. They are an unparalleled opportunity to exchange and grow knowledge across the world. With these five Mavericks going to four continents, they will take their knowledge and expertise to share, but they will also bring back ideas, insights and new practices that they will share with Nebraskans for many years to make our communities better.

Each year, the Fulbright U.S. Student Program offers research, study and teaching opportunities in over 140 countries to recent graduates and graduate students. While thousands apply, only a small number receive funding.

For more information about the Fulbright U.S. Student Program contact Morrison and the Office of National Scholarships at unoonsf@unomaha.eduor by phone at 402.554.2696.





Annabelle Abisset

A Juneau, Alaska, native, Annabelle Abisset grew up in Omaha and quickly found her way to UNO for not just one but two degrees. After earning an undergraduate degree in international studies and Spanish she immediately went into the Master of Public Administration program with a specialization in nonprofit management. She will be earning her degree in May and then heading to Argentina to help teach English.

"I decided on Argentina because, in a way, it represents who I am," Abisset said. "My mom is from Peru and my dad is from France, and Argentina was the first country I had heard of that combined South American and European roots. The idea really excited me, and I did a lot of research on Argentine history, culture, and language. It felt like an easy and natural choice."

Abisset's fascination with international experiences isn't new. She's also took a Spring Break trip to India in 2018 and studied in Norway in 2019 as part of her master's program. It was during her India trip that she became familiar with the Fulbright process.

"Applying for the Fulbright seemed like the perfect opportunity to realize my dream of living in a Spanish-speaking country and applying my experience of teaching English I got from UNO and volunteer opportunities."

As she looks to continue her nonprofit work and study for TESOL certification, Abisset says that her UNO experience has helped her hone in on ways to turn her passion in to a career.

"To me, being a Maverick means being a part of your community. I think this has helped me understand the nonprofit organizations I have been involved in or worked with and it will help me as a Fulbright scholar in a place I have never been. Being a Maverick has helped me create and foster so many relationships and I plan to bring that mindset as an English Teaching Assistant and representative of Omaha, Nebraska, and the U.S."

Samantha Salvatori

Samantha Salvatori is one of the newest members of the Maverick alumni family, graduating in December 2020 with a Bachelor of Multidisciplinary Studies degree with a focus in political science. An Omaha native, Salvatori says she's been interested in international affairs for years.

"Once upon a time, I thought I was going to be a journalist and foreign correspondent. That career path has never come to pass, but I have had opportunities to work with refugee, immigrant, and international populations in Omaha."

Salvatori says despite her experiences working with a wide and diverse range of people through opportunities in Omaha she's never had a chance to travel abroad. Now, with the Fulbright, she's headed to Kyrgyzstan, which is centrally located in Asia between China and several other former Soviet bloc countries.

"I chose Kyrgyzstan because I knew I wanted to travel to somewhere that was maybe a little unexpected and would have really excellent cultural and language immersion and enrichment," she says. "Im a political scientist and educator at heart so the overlapping historical, political, and cultural influences of Kyrgyzstan were intriguing to me from the start."

While in Kyrgyzstan, Salvatori will be an English language teaching assistant. She hopes the experience will help build a resume allowing her to work in the U.S. Department of State.

While Salvatori says her academic career - and path towards her goal of international experiences - hasn't exactly been linear, it's because of UNO she's been able to live her dream.

"To me, being a Maverick means taking chances and going after what you want despite challenges with tenacity.I am both honored and humbled to be able to represent the academic and professional excellence of UNO as a Fulbright grantee."

Robert Blair

Robert Blair, Ph.D., is a professor emeritusof public administration and will be using his Fulbright to travel to Montreal, Canada, as part of a fellowship at the Pierre Elliot Trudeau Foundation and teaching positionat McGill University. There, Blair will focus on multiculturalism and multilingualism in city governments.

"I hope to gain a deep knowledge of Canadian public policy processes and the practice of city management. I have done work at two of UNOs sister universities in Norway and Lithuania and want to expand my work in comparative public administration and city management. Also, since Montreal is French speaking, I am studying the language and will be working with a tutor."

Blair said while the process was lengthy, submitting his application last fall and not being guaranteedplacement, it was worth it.

"Fulbright was something that I was always interested in, but never had the time to prepare and application, as I almost always taught summer school which was very time consuming. After I retired I decided to apply. I was not sure if they would accept applications from emeritus professors, but I went ahead anyway."

Blair said he is looking forward to traveling to Canada later this year and getting involved quickly.

"I am very excited about this opportunity and want to thank my colleagues at the College for their support, especially Dean [John] Bartle, and two retired colleagues, Jerry Deichert and Dale Krane. Fulbright Fellows are representatives of the U.S. government, and, in my opinion, representatives of their home university. I will represent UNO as well."





Tara Bryan

Tara Bryan, Ph.D., is an associate professor of public administration and will be traveling to the Czech Republic for her Fulbright, where she will be working at the Centre for Nonprofit Sector Research at Masaryk University.

She said she applied because of the opportunity to see what differences exist between the U.S. and other countries when it comes to the public sector.

"The opportunity to live and research in a different political and social context was exciting. Also, I wanted to build new professional relationships with international colleagues that can foster future research collaborations."

While in the Czech Republic, Bryan will study ways the country's nonprofit managers and staff handle accountability. This will involve a field survey, qualitative interviews, and consultations with local nonprofits. She will also be able to teach classes at her host university.

"From a personal perspective, I want to learn about Czech culture, traditions, and history, and experience living in a different country for an extended period of time. I will also benefit from the time and space to reflect on my future trajectory as a researcher and teacher."

Bryan says she hopes the experience will not just benefit her own research, but UNO as well.

"The opportunity to travel, learn, and serve in the Czech Republic is a privilege. The Fulbright experience will undoubtedly open the door to new connections to international scholars in the field who can contribute to UNOs growing international partnerships, teaching, and research opportunities.

Anne Hobbs

Anne Hobbs, J.D., Ph.D., is the director of UNO's Juvenile Justice Institute within the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice. As part of her Fulbright, Hobbs will spend a year in Singapore to study prisoner reentry trends and the ways the country supports released individuals as they reenter society.

"I am most interested in which factors lead some individuals out of the criminal justice system, while others become deeply entrenched in our criminal justice systems. Really, I am simply fascinated by Singapores reentry process, because it is organized along racial and religious lines."

Hobbs said she was inspired to apply for the Fulbright to Singapore after traveling there for a conference in 2018.

"I was initially apprehensive, thinking it would be the last place I would find creative solutions to criminal justice problems ... because Singapore is known for harsher criminal justice penalties and restrictive laws," she said. "After experiencing the country first hand, I left with a better understanding of how the law can create healthy boundaries that promote respect across cultures and a holistic society. It seems clear that some countries, like Singapore, have found the balance between releasing persons charged with a crime and maintaining a safe community."

Hobbs said that the Fulbright process was one that involved a lot of work because proposals need to identify the focus area, what partnerships could be leveraged, and why that country is vital to the research being proposed. Now that she has been awarded the grant, the next step is preparing for what will be a significant culture shift.

"Singapore is the third-most densely populated country in the world, and is one of worlds most multiracial and multicultural societies. I live in Denton, Nebraska, a town of 120 people. I am so excited to experience a completely different world."
ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 03rd May, 2021) As part its mission to honor the memory of the Founding Father, late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and to reflect his pioneering humanitarian approach, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre has collaborated with the Armed Forces Officers Club & Hotel - the strategic partner of the Centre - on an initiative to distribute 15,000 Iftar meals per day during the holy month of Ramadan, for companies staff in labor sites located in different parts of Abu Dhabi.

This is a message that reflects the values of giving instilled by the founding father of the UAE to the world, and promotes the values of tolerance championed by the Islamic religion that does not differentiate between human beings in humanitarian action.

This initiative translates the Centre's commitment to social responsibility, represented in embodying the concepts of giving that Zayed instilled in the UAE society, which became an example of giving to everyone without discrimination, through programmes and initiatives that are implemented throughout the year, especially during the month of Ramadan, to represent a model for spreading the acts of goodness among members of society.

Iftar meals are prepared following the highest standards of food health and safety, in cooperation with the Armed Forces Officers Club & Hotel, which is a key supporter of this project, and distributed in direct coordination with the Specialised Economic Zones (ZonesCorp), in support for humanitarian efforts and actions taken by the UAE leadership and philanthropic institutions aimed at minimising the effects of COVID-19 pandemic. To ensure the quality of distributed meals, thee meals are transported by trucks equipped and certified by the Abu Dhabi Agriculture & Food Safety Authority, under the necessary precautionary measures to prevent the spread of Coronavirus.

Shaikha Al Kaabi, CEO of Armed Forces Officers Club & Hotel, said: "This initiative by the Armed Forces Officers Club & Hotel embodies the images of the Humanitarian cooperation to promote the values of coexistence and tolerance in the country, through the preparation and delivery of Iftar meals throughout the holy month of Ramadan, in direct cooperation and coordination with the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre, to people of different cultures in a number of labor sites located in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

'' ''These efforts revive the values of the Founding Father, who was known for his infinite generosity, that went beyond the country to extend to the entire world, reflecting the lofty principles of brotherhood and giving, implanted by him and established by our wise leadership afterwards. This initiative also reflects the culture of giving on which the country was founded, based on its Arab and Islamic identity.'' The Armed Forces Officers Club provides throughout the month of Ramadan 15,000 Iftar meals, prepared by a team that includes 90 chefs and 145 workers, who work around the clock and in shifts, to prepare meals for the day and meals for the following day.

Amal Bamatraf, Director of the Cultural Communication Department at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre, said: "The efforts of the Centre, in coordination with the Armed Forces Officers Club & Hotel, to offer charitable and humanitarian initiatives that promote human understanding among members of society of different cultures, is a reflection of what the founding father of the UAE has established in the society, who never discriminated between cultures. As we take a moment to remember all the humanitarian achievements of the founding father, we stand witnessing a march of great grace and giving that has brought about the harmony the has made the UAE an example of the initiating generosity and the act of giving."

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre, which is affiliated to the Ministry of Presidential Affairs is sponsored and followed up by H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs. The Centre was established to be a nucleus for a cultural and intellectual movement focused on the Mosque. This is based on the cultural and national values expressed in the concepts and values established by late Sheikh Zayed. These values are deep-rooted in sentiment and consciousness and form an extension of the national identity inspired by the teachings of our tolerant religion.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

LONDON, May 2 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 2nd May, 2021 ) :A Muslim member of the UK parliament has written a letter to French President Emmanuel Macron, expressing concerns over his treatment of French Muslims and rising Islamophobia.

"I write to you as a British Muslim Parliamentarian deeply concerned over the growing Islamophobia on display in France, which, in some instances, is being legally reinforced. Recent legislation passed by the French Senate to ban the hijab for girls under the age of 18 risks encouraging religious hatred against Muslims and the fostering of vile Islamophobia," wrote Afzal Khan, representative of Manchester, Gorton.

"While banning the hijab for under-18s, there are a number of other provisions within the Bill which are deeply concerning to Muslim communities in France and beyond. This includes the prohibition of parents wearing visible religious symbols while accompanying children on school trips, the wearing of the "burkina" (full-coverage swimsuits), and a ban on "prayers on university premises and the display of foreign flags at weddings." he added.

Khan, as vice chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims (APPG), brought the attention to official definition of Islamophobia created by the APPG in 2018 and described the term as being "rooted in racism" and a "type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.

" The official definition, Khan added, is supported by all parties and civil groups across the UK political spectrum.

In his letter to Macron, the MP also acknowledged the rising Islamophobia across the world and referenced a report that was cited and used by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres which discovered that suspicion, hatred and discrimination towards Muslims has risen to "epidemic proportions." Moreover, Muslim women are discriminated three times more than men due to their gender and ethnicity.

"I fear that France is on a dangerous trajectory that risks alienating its sizeable Muslim population. In the spirit of "Liberte, egalite, fraternite" I urge you to tackle the issue of Islamophobia in France to ensure liberty and equality for all French citizens."Earlier this year, a coalition of international NGOs and civil society groups submitted a formal complaint to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in response to the heavy-handed crackdown against Muslims by the French government.

In March 2021, a coalition of international organizations and civil society groups submitted a formal complaint to Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, regarding the French government's hostile policies towards its nation's Muslim citizens.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

Washington, May 2 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 2nd May, 2021 ) :Shut out of the White House and desperate to reclaim power in Congress next year, Republicans are locked in an internal battle over their party's direction, and whether to embrace or jettison the divisive politics of Donald Trump.

One hundred days after Trump's turbulent term gave way to Democratic rule in Washington, Republican lawmakers spent part of the last week in closed-door soul searching at their annual retreat in Florida, struggling to tamp down their conference's extremist personalities and highlight conservative policies they believe will resonate with voters.

The party of Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan is scrambling to forge a path out of political limbo in the run up to the 2022 midterm elections and ultimately the next presidential race in 2024.

Even if there is GOP appetite for ditching the rhetoric of nativist grievance and moving on from Trump, many Republicans still see him as their party's de facto leader -- although an NBC news poll this week showed Trump's support among Republican voters is slipping.

Trump himself told Fox News last week he is "beyond seriously" considering another White House bid to challenge President Joe Biden, or another Democrat, in 2024.

Such statements are likely to freeze the Primary field until Trump announces his political plans, denying the party opportunities to vet and debate the candidates who would otherwise step forward to challenge Democrats for the White House.

Republican strategists and lawmakers themselves acknowledge the party is grappling with how much distance they need to take from Trump and who can lead them back to power.

"Any party that loses a presidential election goes into the wilderness for a while," Matt Mackowiak, a Republican consultant in Texas, told AFP in a Friday interview.

"When you're in the wilderness you don't have one unified leader," he explained. "But the difference with us is we do have one leader, and it's Trump." The ex-president however is weighed down with baggage. His approval ratings have slid, he faces mounting legal woes, and his former personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani is under Federal investigation.

"But Trump's agenda was successful," Mackowiak said.

"There's an emerging consensus that Trumpism without Trump may give us the best opportunity to win in 2024.

" Eager to appear as the party of inclusion, especially following the guilty verdict in the trial of the white ex-police officer charged with murdering George Floyd, Republicans appointed Senator Tim Scott, the chamber's only Black Republican, to deliver the rebuttal to Biden's Wednesday address to Congress.

In a 15-minute response, Scott made an open-armed plea for Americans of all political stripes to reach "common sense and common ground." The choice of Scott was ideal, Mackowiak said, because his approach to policy and engagement has "the broadest appeal" within the party.

But even as Scott sought to assure that "America is not a racist country," members of his own GOP have used nativist rhetoric as the party struggles with its populist impulses.

Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who once publicly embraced QAnon conspiracy theories and is a fierce Trump defender, was among a handful of conservatives reportedly backing a platform that advocated "Anglo-Saxon political traditions." Congress's most powerful Republican, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, has made clear he opposes such rhetoric.

He refused to latch himself to Trump, an election loser who fueled conspiracy theories about voter fraud and was impeached for inciting a deadly riot at the US Capitol in January.

But in April the former president eviscerated McConnell before well-heeled donors at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club, where he reportedly called the veteran senator "dumb".

As Republicans craft their 2022 midterms strategy, an ugly rift emerged at the retreat between top House Republican Kevin McCarthy and conference chairwoman Liz Cheney -- a breakdown the GOP was hoping to avoid as it urges internal unity.

Cheney, among 10 Republicans who voted for Trump's impeachment in January, said politicians who challenged the election results should be disqualified from running for president.

McCarthy shot back saying discussing such issues at a retreat focused on policy was "not being productive."Cheney, who caught flak within her own party for fist-bumping Biden before his speech to Congress, has not ruled out running for president.

But her political future would likely be hamstrung until and unless the Republican Party breaks with Trump, who has repeatedly attacked Cheney in recent statements.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Interfaith Harmony Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi on Saturday said there would be no compromise on the blasphemy laws, as all the Ulema and religious leaders rejected the resolution passed by the European Union in the regard

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 1st May, 2021 ) :Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Interfaith Harmony Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi on Saturday said there would be no compromise on the blasphemy laws, as all the Ulema and religious leaders rejected the resolution passed by the European Union in the regard.

Addressing a press conference here at the Muthida Ulema board Seerat academy, he said the stance of Prime Minister Imran Khan on Islamophobia was that of the entire Muslim World.

No one could be allowed to blasphemy of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be upon Him) in the name of freedom of speech or religion and any violence in that regard was also not tolerable, he added.

A negative discussion continued in the European Union regarding Islamophobia and blasphemy, Ashrafi said.

The SAPM said no body in Pakistan was allowed question the non-Muslims about their religion. "Our courts take decisions on the basis of facts, law and justice," he added.

He invited the European states' ambassadors to review the baseless reports about Pakistan as some elements wanted to play with its integrity and solidarity, and the sentiments of its people.

Ashrafi said the international propaganda on forced conversions in Pakistan was baseless. If some elements were found involved such activities, they would be sentenced, he added.

He said complaints of forced religious conversion of many of girls had been lodged, but no evidence was provided in the courts.

To a question, he said the law would take its due course without any discrimination against the followers of any religious school of thought involved in violence.

Ashrafi said Prime Minister Imran Khan would visit visit Saudi Arabia in the last 10 days of Ramazan.

He urged the masses to follow Standard Operating Procedures for their protection from COVID-19 and prayed for early elimination of the pandemic.

He said talks could not be resumed with India without ending the reign of terror and brutalities in the Indina Illegally Occupied Jamm & Kashmir. He urged the world to force India to change its attitude regarding Kashmir.

Ashrafi said Eidul Fitr would be celebrated on one same day in the country like the holy month of Ramazan.
NOUAKCHOTT (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 03rd May, 2021) Sixteen soldiers were killed in an armed attack in western Niger, while two more were kidnapped, a source in the country's security forces told Sputnik on Sunday.

"Sixteen Nigerian soldiers were killed in an armed attack on a military unit stationed in Tillia village," the source said.

He also stated that two people were kidnapped by unknown assailants.

The Sahel is one of the most problematic regions in Africa, plagued by terrorist activities and illegal migration. Since 2014, France has been leading a 5,000-strong Operation Barkhane in order to curb the jihadist threat in the area. The armies of the so-called G5 Sahel bloc, which includes Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, Niger, and Mauritania, also participate in the operation.
(@FahadShabbir)

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 02nd May, 2021) Jordan now has three confirmed cases of the Indian variant of COVID-19, according to the country's Health Minister Feras Al Hawari.

"Two cases were registered in Amman and one in Zarqa in people who did not travel," Al Hawari said as quoted by Al-Mamlaka tv.

According to Jordan's Health Ministry, the country has more than 712,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and the COVID-19 death toll stands at over 8,870.

The so-called "double mutant" strain of the coronavirus detected in India in March has already spread to a number of other countries, including France, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, and the UK. The Indian variant (B.1.617), as well as B.1.618, another lineage of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has prompted some countries to impose temporary travel limitations restricting passenger traffic with India.
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 02nd May, 2021) A plane carrying doses of Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine lands in Mongolia, the drug's official Twitter account announced on Saturday.

"Sputnik V arrives in Mongolia today," the post reads.

Mongolia's Health Ministry registered Sputnik V through an accelerated procedure in February this year.

In April, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Mongolian counterpart, Khaltmaagiin Battulga, pledged to strengthen cooperation between the two countries on fighting the pandemic.

Earlier in the day, the first batches of the Russian vaccine were delivered to India and the Philippines. Currently, Sputnik V is approved in 64 countries with the total population of 3.2 billion people, becoming the second top vaccine in terms of approvals across the world.
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 02nd May, 2021) A gunman was fatally shot and two of his victims died in a shooting at Oneida Casino in the US state of Wisconsin, a police spokesman said on Saturday night.

"The suspect is deceased. The police have shot the suspect, so there is no threat to the public," Lt. Kevin Pawlak of the Brown County Sheriff's Office told a news conference.

Officers responded to a shooting incident inside a First Nations' casino in the village of Ashwaubenon shortly before 7:30 p.m. (00:30 GMT Sunday).

Pawlak said it appeared to be a targeted event, rather than a random shooting.

"He was targeting a specific victim who was not there, but he decided to still shoot some of the victim's friends or coworkers, it appears," the officer said.

Two people were shot and died of their wounds. Another victim was seriously wounded and airlifted to a hospital in the Milwaukee area.
HAMMOND  A caravan of Trump supporters traveled hours from Evansville to Hammond to drive by Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr.s house Saturday afternoon in response to a spat over a flag being flown outside a resident's home.

The group, Young Conservatives of Southern Indiana, had made the trip from southern Indiana to the mayors home in response to McDermotts condemnation of an anti-Joe Biden flag containing an expletive.

The flag, which was placed on a residence that sits across from a park, violated a Hammond ordinance banning public display of "obscene" material because it contains two uses of the F-word, McDermott argued.

Locals joined in on Saturday's protest, such as Dee Trojak, of Hebron, who had heard about the event from a social media app and said she was angry at the situation with the flag.

I was appalled, Trojak said. For all the good the mayor supposedly did, why is he against Trump?

McDermott had threatened to send code enforcement officers to go after the resident, Roy Steffan, for any potential violations. The mayor has since met with and apologized to Steffan, and noted he has not been cited by code enforcement for anything.

Steffan said he had no connection to the protest that occurred Saturday, the Young Conservatives of Southern Indiana group that organized it, and no one from the group contacted him about attending or participating.

The caravan gathered at the Walmart parking lot on Cabela Drive and the vehicles, embellished with Trump flags, headed to McDermotts Hammond home, where a group had gathered to show support for the mayor.

McDermott said he estimates there were about 50 people who had gathered. He said they waved and welcomed the group into Hammond, and the caravan drove by without incident. There were no issues or confrontations between either of the groups.

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Hammond police facilitated the caravan for traffic safety.

It was like having a parade coming right to my neighborhood, McDermott said. It was bigger than I thought, more cars, but everyone was nice and my supporters who were in my driveway were really nice.

Before the caravan left the Walmart parking lot, members with bullhorns addressed the group, expressing that their First Amendment rights were under attack. Members advised the group that they should remain peaceful and warned against the potential of leftist mobs in the city.

The group that was waiting at McDermotts home included his friends, family and Region residents who wanted to gather as an antithesis to the Trump caravan. John Cantrell, who lives in the neighborhood, said he doesnt understand what the groups purpose for driving by was.

I think its crazy to drive five hours here and five hours back for this, Cantrell said. There are just so many better things to do with your time then spend 10 hours on that.

North Township Trustee Adrian Santos was among those at McDermotts house.

We welcomed them into the city and waved hello, Santos said.

Santos said that he sees the issue regarding the Hammond residents Biden flag as being one of abiding by local ordinances rather than one of free speech. He said that he believes those in the Trump caravan would take issue if a sign or flag was put in their community by a church or park that had expletives or vulgarity on it.

I respect the fact that if that is what they want to do, they can do it; but I think its all uncalled for, said Santos. I think they are not seeing how the words on the flag has an effect on kids, who play at the park across the street. Theres an ordinance against the displaying of obscene or vulgar material. If they are supposedly law-abiding citizens supporting Donald Trump, they think the rules dont apply to them. We have the right to care about what kids see in our community.

Gallery: Recent arrests booked into Lake County Jail
Vaccine talks with other countries as hopes fade for Indian supplies By Damith Wickramasekara View(s): View(s):

The Government has started talks with several countries, including the United States and Australia, to purchase Oxford AstraZeneca vaccines as hopes for a quick delivery of fresh batches of the vaccine from India are fading.

Presidential advisor and vaccine task force chief Lalith Weeratunga told the Sunday Times that talks were underway to obtain vaccines to meet the shortfall when administering the second dose of the vaccine to those who have already received their first jab. Mr Weeratunga said that with COVID-19 cases surging in India, it would be difficult to expect a quick delivery of the AstraZeneca vaccines due to the high demand for vaccines in India.

The Sunday Times on March 14 exclusively reported that the Indian manufacturer of AstraZeneca , the Serum Institute (SII) had reneged on an agreement to deliver a consignment of vaccines due to other commitments. Mr. Weeratunga said the Government was confident that SII would still meet its commitment to supply the 1 million doses ordered by Sri Lanka earlier.

According to the latest data, there can be a gap of up to 16 weeks between the first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine and the second one, Mr Weeratunga said. Therefore, we are still hopeful we will get the required stocks either from India or other countries to give the second shot within the time frame to those who have received the first dose of the vaccine.

The Governments main focus as of now, however, is on the Russian manufactured Sputnik V vaccine, of which Sri Lanka has ordered 13 million doses. The first batch is scheduled to arrive in the country next week and will enable health authorities to resume the countrys COVID vaccination drive, according to Mr. Weeratunga. As per the agreement signed with the manufacturer of the Sputnik V vaccine, there would be a continuous supply of the vaccine in batches until all 13 million doses were delivered, he said.

He added the Government was also hopeful that the World Health Organisation (WHO) would soon approve the use of the Chinese made Sinopharm vaccine, enabling the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) to approve its usage in Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile, the Government is also holding talks on buying 5 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine. This agreement is yet to be signed and any delivery of that vaccine will take at least three months, Mr Weeratunga added.

Meanwhile, as the country grapples with a more severe third wave of the virus, the health authorities are also looking to increase oxygen stocks in state hospitals.

Only 66,000 litres of oxygen is manufactured in the country on a daily basis. Hospitals use about 27,000 litres a day, an official from the State Ministry of Pharmaceutical Production, Supply and Regulation, told the Sunday Times. We have asked the two companies manufacturing oxygen to ensure continuous supply of oxygen to General and Teaching Hospitals on a daily basis to ensure there is no shortage, the official said.

The Government is also looking at the possibility of ordering 400 jumbo oxygen cylinders from India to add to about 27,000 such cylinders available locally, the official added.

He also urged people not to panic and go searching for oxygen cylinders. We have heard some people are already doing that. One should not be hoarding oxygen cylinders at home and it is also dangerous to administer oxygen without medical supervision as too much oxygen can lead to serious medical side-effects, the official warned.
CHARLOTTE, N.C.  The United Nations-supported tribunal in Cambodia went through another round of internal wrangling in April when international and Cambodian court members again publicly disagreed over a decision to try the former Khmer Rouge Navy Commander Meas Muth. Legal experts said the renewed divisions signal that the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) is unlikely to proceed with the remaining case against Meas Muth and the case against a former commander named Yim Tith, despite the international prosecutors claims to the contrary. The ECCC, a hybrid tribunal that started in 2006 and has cost some $300 million, sentenced torture center chief Comrade Duch in 2010 and completed a full guilty verdict against top leaders Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan in 2018.

For many years, however, proceedings in the cases against three other ex-Khmer Rouge commandersMeas Muth, Yim Tith and Ao An, who are all in their 80sfaced procedural deadlock. As international judges and prosecutors at the tribunal attempted to proceed with the trial, while their Cambodian counterparts tried to dismiss the cases. Most observers believe the Cambodian court members position mirrors the Cambodian governments public position that the trials should be limited to the convictions of the very top leaders Khieu Samphan, Nuon Chea and Duch (the latter two died in 2019 and 2020, respectively). Split decisions in Case 003 Recently, on April 7, the ECCC issued a statement explaining that the Pre-Trial Chambers international judges, Olivier Beauvallet and Kang Jin Baik, decided to indict Meas Muth in Case 003, while the Cambodian judges, President Prak Kimsan, Ney Thol and Huot Vuthy, wanted to archive the case. As a formal decision on whether to dismiss or proceed with the trial can only be made when at least four of the five judges agree, Case 003 faces continued procedural deadlock. On April 14, in a reaction to the Pre-Trial Chamber judges decisions, the ECCCs National Co-Prosecutor Chea Leang followed the Cambodian judges and indicated that the trial against Meas Muth cannot proceed, while International Co-Prosecutor Brenda Hollis stated that the Pre-Trial Chamber split statement indicated it could. Meas Muth told VOA Khmer in a brief telephone call in late April that he was unaware of the latest developments in his case. Previously, he denied to VOA Khmer that he held any responsibility for the countless crimes and some 1.7 million deaths caused by the 1975-79 Pol Pots regime. The wrangling in Case 003 follows a similar pattern of years of internal court disagreements in Case 004/02 against Deputy Secretary of the Central Zone Ao An, and Case 004 against Yim Tith, commander in the Southwest Zone and later Northwest Zone. Ao Ans case was ultimately dismissed by the ECCCs Supreme Chamber in August 2020, while Yim Tiths case awaits further ECCC proceedings. A final ECCC decision is also expected in the weeks ahead in the appeal in the case against Khieu Samphan, which has not been affected by internal disagreements.

Dismissal likely Legal experts and lawyers of victims said they had little hope that the ECCC would succeed in starting trails in the remaining two cases against Meas Muth and Yim Tith, and they criticized the U.N.s continued involvement in the protracted judicial quagmire at the tribunal. There is presently no indication that Case 003 [against Meas Muth], and the remaining Case 004 [against Yim Tith], will end any differently than Case 004/2 [against Ao An] - which has aligned with the Cambodian government's public statements calling for these investigations to be quashed, Daniel McLaughlin, senior staff attorney at the Center for Justice & Accountability, told VOA Khmer. In a January 2020 analysis, the Open Society Justice Initiative wrote that internal ECCC disagreements follows a decade-old, unbroken pattern that supports a conclusion that the Cambodian officials are following the express or implied instructions of a government with complete control over its judiciary. The organization said this political interference breached the 1997 agreement between the U.N. and Cambodia that established the ECCC. UN criticized Legal experts and lawyers suggested that the U.N. should formulate a transparent exit strategy, ensure public access to all court documents, and conduct outreach to victims and the Cambodian general public in order to explain why the ECCC convicted only three defendants for the numerous crimes of the Khmer Rouge regime. The U.N. and ECCC donors silence has been disappointing and a true disservice to the victims who have entrusted their stories and hopes in the ECCC continuing to function as a neutral and independent body, said McLaughlin, whose NGO helps Cambodian-American victims fight for justice. Peter Maguire, an American law professor and author of Facing Death in Cambodia, said, When the Cambodians refused to investigate these new cases, much less carry out arrest warrants, the United Nations should have completed their existing caseload and announced a departure date. Instead, the UN and their allies in the human rights industry challenged [Prime Minister] Hun Sen without success. McLaughlin said while the ECCC would not provide further justice and accountability for Khmer Rouge victims, there could conceivably still be such opportunities in the national judicial system in the future, as the ECCCs recent decision left open this option. While most would agree that the circumstances in Cambodia today are not opportune for these types of prosecutions, I think its important to note the possibility as a potential future goal, if that reflects the wishes of victims, he said.
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Like other Europeans, French closely tracked the trial and conviction of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, found guilty last week of killing George Floyd. Reports of police violence and racial injustice resonate especially strongly in France, with its large population of ethnic Africans.
The Zimbabwean government has ordered private companies and schools to hire vehicles registered under the state-controlled Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (Zupco), amid concerns that some operators are losing millions of dollars in potential revenues.

Local Government Minister, July Moyo, told the Sunday Mail that no vehicle would be allowed to operate in the country unless it is under the parastatal, which is allegedly making huge loses.

Moyo is quoted as saying, Zupco affiliated commuter omnibuses are the only ones allowed to operate, that is the policy in place and it has not changed. Anybody who have their own buses and want to operate must go and register with Zupco. This is to ensure that we manage urban companies through one company but with many owners.

All we are saying is that we want to bring sanity to the whole system. Even companies that want to hire buses for their workers should do so through Zupco alone and not hire private companies.

Zimbabwe banned privately-owned commuter omnibuses last year after the country declared a nationwide lockdown in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Police are currently impounding hundreds of omnibuses in the countrys second largest city, Bulawayo, resulting in a transport crisis that has affected school children, workers and other people.

Khumbula Sibanda, a member of the Zimbabwe International Long Distance Taxis Association, told VOA Studio 7 that the government has also stopped issuing permits to operators plying the Bulawayo-Johannesburg route and others.

We have not been operating for a year now and indications are that the government wants us all to be under Zupco. Its impossible because we have partnerships with some companies in South Africa. The government has crippled our businesses and we are now living from hand to mouth. We used to generate up to $49,000 per month per vehicle before the lockdown but now our vehicles are grounded.

We have tried to engage the government without any success. To make matters worse, we have a lot of personal debts and we need to also pay for places we are renting. The truth is that we have been reduced to beggars. Something needs to be done because there is no difference in operating an omnibus and conventional buses plying the Bulawayo-South Africa routes.

He said more than 45 omnibuses are grounded and dozens of drivers stranded in Bulawayo and other cities.

These people have families to support and many responsibilities but now they cant do this because government wants us to operate under ZUPCO. We are capable of following COVID-19 regulations and operate without anyone monitoring us. Government should act on this because we are now suffering. The government has destroyed our businesses, said Sibanda.

Commuter omnibus operators are crying foul in cities, claiming that the government has informally nationalized the transport sector as their businesses are now expected to operate under Zupco.

They claim that the situation is worsening in Bulawayo where police have launched a massive crackdown on commuter omnibus operators.

Millions of Zimbabweans rely on critical food and other supplies from neighboring South Africa, which opened its borders a couple of months ago. Zimbabwes borders remain partially closed to private transport operators.
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Stowe, VT (05672)

Today

Thunderstorms during the morning will give way to partly cloudy skies this afternoon. High 81F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

A few clouds. Low around 50F. Winds light and variable.
We will fight this corrupt ring of rogues even if we are killed on the streets By Sandun Jayawardana NPP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake makes hard hitting speech during last week's debate on the final report of the CoI into Political Victimisation View(s): View(s):

There is a ring of corrupt rogues in the country who have deprived the people of billions of rupees in funds that belong to them, National Peoples Power (NPP) Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake told Parliament last week.

Speaking during the second day of the adjournment debate on the final report of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into Political Victimisation, the NPP Leader alleged that this ring was composed of a handful of politicians, Government officials, members of the armed forces and police, certain powerful businessmen and sections of the judiciary. While their numbers are few, this ring of corruption has been fraudulently amassing wealth belonging to the people for years, he further claimed.

He charged that the CoI into political victimisation was an attempt by these rogues to ensure that they escape justice by way of Parliamentary decree. The CoI into political victimisation does not just stop in recommending the withdrawal of cases against accused, but also recommends action against the original complainants, investigating officers, counsel from the Attorney Generals Department who prosecuted the cases and even judges who heard the cases, he pointed out.

Mr Dissanayake also noted that the CoI has recommended legal action against him based on 10 points, whilst also recommending that he and several others be stripped of their civic rights through a special Presidential Commission of Inquiry.

The peoples money has been amassed by this ring of rogues. We will fight these rogues, thieves, fraudsters and thugs. That will not be stopped by any commissions or prisons. We will continue this fight even if we are killed on the streets, Mr Dissanayake insisted.

He claimed that the CoIs reports had been compiled with the purpose of achieving political aims. Take the Avant Garde case. In the High Court case, the Chairman of Avant Garde is the accused and he is cross examined on the witness stand by the State Counsel from the AGs Department. But at the Commission, that very same State Counsel is put on the stand and cross examined by Avant Garde, who is the complainant. In which country does this happen?

He pointed out that the CoI has recommended that charges against the accused in 78 cases it examined be dropped. This includes dropping charges against former Navy Commander Wasantha Karannagoda and several other navy personnel in the high profile case involving the abduction and enforced disappearance of 11 persons.

Among the other cases was that of Yoshitha Rajapaksa regarding the CSN network. Yoshitha Rajapaksa was a second lieutenant in the navy. How did he acquire property worth in excess of Rs 500 million that came under CSN? He has to explain to court how he acquired CSN. He can explain how much he earned from his paddy field in Medamulana, how much he got from Mahinda Rajapaksas salary and his own, and the bag of gems from his grandmother. Then hell be free. Instead, the CoI wants the charges against him dropped, the NPP leader quipped.

The CoI has also recommended several cases filed against former Minister Basil Rajapaksa be dropped. These include the case involving the Rs 200 million house and property in Malwana and the acquiring of a one acre plot of land at Browns Hill in Matara, Mr Dissanayake further pointed out.

It is also absurd that Udaya Gammanpila and Dr Nalaka Godahewa, who are sitting MPs, will be voting for the Government motion to carry out recommendations of the CoI, because they will be voting to get court cases filed against them dismissed, Mr Dissanayake said.

Dr Godahewa is an accused in the case involving the channelling of Rs 5 million belonging to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to the Tharunyata Hetak organisation whilst Mr Gammanpila is accused of using a forged power of attorney to sell a property belonging to an Australian couple. The CoI has recommended that charges against both of them be dropped.

Theres also the case of former Magistrate Thilina Gamage, who is accused of illegally keeping an elephant. In one of its reports, the CoI recommends that charges against him be withdrawn. In another report, it recommends that he also be given back the elephant, the MP told the House.

Mr Dissanayake also blasted the CoI for recommending the withdrawal of charges against Sri Lankas former Ambassador to the US Jaliya Wickramasuriya, who is the main accused in the fraud involving the purchase and subsequent sale of the premises housing the Sri Lankan Embassy. He pointed out that Mr Wickramasuriya fled the country after being given bail by the High Court, along with the two women who put up the bail for him. This is a man who has an international Red Notice out for his arrest.

The CoI has also recommended that charges be withdrawn against Sri Lankas former Ambassador to Ukraine Udayanga Weeratunga, a main accused in the MiG deal fraud. Weeratunga played a key role in the sale of four MiG aircraft from Ukraine to Sri Lanka. The aircraft cost USD 7 million but the Government had paid USD 14 million for them. What happened to the other USD 7 million? Shouldnt that be investigated? Remember that this is the same case in which Gotabaya Rajapaksa is also an accused, Mr Dissanayake added.

How dare they file cases against me for lodging complaints? Well see them in court, he concluded.
According to the CDC, 32% of people in Alabama have received at least one dose of a COVID vaccine. Almost 24% of people in this state are fully vaccinated.

As more and more Alabamians become fully vaccinated each day, health officials want to remind people you shouldn't get rid of your masks just because you're fully vaccinated.

A doctor with UAB Family Medicine in Huntsville, Tim Littmann, said most outdoor activities are safe if you're fully vaccinated.

You can always get outside. If youve been vaccinated, you dont have to wear a mask outdoors," said Littmann.

However, there is a caveat.

If its a super large event like maybe a concert, then yeah, a mask might not be a bad idea, but if youre just hanging out with some people at one of the great outdoor venues in Huntsville, then you definitely dont need to wear a mask if youve been vaccinated," he said.

The main criteria to determine whether an activity is safe or not for people fully vaccinated are:

The number of different households together

Whether or not everyone's been vaccinated

If someone has an underlying health condition

If youre with households, including children, that havent been vaccinated and its more than one household or a household with someone whos at risk for severe disease, then you should still be wearing a mask, said Littmann.

Health officials said if you're going to an indoor restaurant, a wedding, the movies, or shopping, you should still wear a mask and try to social distance. Littmann said it's better to be safe than sorry when it comes to COVID precautions.

If youre in doubt of whether you should wear a mask or not, it probably is a good idea to mask up. There is still disease out there and it is still severe. Were seeing some numbers go down but its best to just protect yourself and protect others too so when in doubt, I would wear a mask."

It's important to note, you're only considered fully vaccinated if it's been two weeks after your second Moderna or Pfizer vaccine, or two weeks after the J&J vaccine.
Saturday, the United States marked a milestone of vaccinating more than 100,000,000 people with their COVID shot.

While the weather was the perfect start to the historic day, hundreds of people went downtown to celebrate Cinco de Mayo in a safe and fun way.

"Personally, I've been energized by the presence of the crowd. Feeding over their energy gives us the energy to play more music and keep the party hot," said Arthur Martin.

That was actually the DJ who says Saturday was more than what he expected.

Especially after such a hard summer of not being able to entertain.

WAAY-31 spoke with him and La Esquina Cocina's owners on why it was so important for them and customers.

The restaurant owners say they know people are ready to be out and about with friends and family and they wanted to offer an outdoor event to do just that.

Holmes Avenue was shut down for 4 hours to host an outdoor block party where you could social distance on your own, while still having fun.

There were drinks, live musicians and an all around good time on Holmes Avenue Saturday evening.

La Esquina Cocina hosted a block party and shut Holmes Avenue down

Their decision to do this was because they say more people are getting vaccinated and it's time for some safe fun.

"That anxiety really took people to a different place. So we're for whatever makes people comfortable. We want people to enjoy our place, enjoy our wonderful food and our staff," said Megan Garcia.

Megan Garcia is the co-owner of the Mexican restaurant and she said the results were more than she could have imagined.

People were happy and laughing and some say it even felt like old times, before COVID.

"People were getting real disappointed and now we can appreciate life," said Charles Reagan.

Alabama still has a way to go in vaccinating people across the board but because of the efforts made, it allows for more people to gather safely outdoors.

The CDC is optimistic about the nation fully reopening by or around July 1st.

With Saturday's early Cinco de Mayo celebration it showed DJ, Arthur Martin there is light at the end of the tunnel.

"Keep on moving back to life. We've been down but not knocked out and we're coming back to life," he said.

The Garcias told us this is just the start to hopefully more outdoor events and festivals, and they say they it felt good to see everyone enjoying themselves and feeling comfortable.

"This is such a big celebration. We missed out on a few other holidays like st. Patrick's Day and Mardi Gras so it's really good to see everybody coming out and celebrating Cinco de Mayo," said Megan.

All of this will happen again on Wednesday night.

Masks are still encouraged while inside and per the latest CDC guidelines, outside as well if you're not fully vaccinated.
Decatur, IL (62521)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High around 85F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Some clouds. Low 69F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.
Battle for Colombo Port- May 1521 Dr Ajith Amarasinghe recalls a turning point in our history 500 years ago View(s): View(s):

The Colombo Port City has become the most discussed topic of the day. Few may remember that exactly 500 years ago an armed conflict to control the port of Colombo took place between the Portuguese and the local forces, which changed the history of the island forever.

Although the Portuguese set foot in Sri Lanka in 1505, they made a definite decision to build a fortress at Colombo port only in 1518 and King Manouel of Portugal ordered the new Viceroy of India Lopo Soarez, to do so. This order was made at the royal council in Lisbon, as it was thought that there were opportunities to improve the cinnamon trade with the island. In September 1518 the Viceroy left Cochin, travelling with 17 ships with 850 Portuguese to Colombo.

The port of Colombo came into prominence after the ancient civilization of the Sinhalese in Rajarata collapsed in the 13th Century and people began to move to the southwest regions of the island. When Sri Jayawardanepura Kotte became the capital city in the early 15th Century, the port of Colombo became the most important harbour in the island. Being the closest harbour to Kotte, it became the centre of the countrys spice, gem, pearl, and ivory trade.

Sailing towards Colombo, Viceroy Lopo Soarez observed that close to its harbour, there was a horn-like projection into the sea suitable to build a fortress. There was a large body of water (Beira Lake) separating most of this from the rest of the land. The Viceroy thought that if a ditch was made, that piece of land would get cut off from the rest of the land, compelling outsiders to enter it only over the ditch.

Landing in Colombo the Viceroy immediately sent Joam Flores, a Portuguese messenger to Kotte, stating that they had a desire to build a fortress there. The messenger who met King Vijayabahu of Kotte, stated that by trading with the Portuguese, his kingdom would have access to markets in the west. He said that the King of Cochin had become immensely rich within a short period through such trade. In return, the Portuguese could give protection to his kingdom and bring goods from Europe. Convinced, the King decided to come to Colombo and meet the Viceroy.

When the King and his entourage came to Colombo, people flocked to the streets to see him, as it was a novelty for the king to come to their city. Colombos populationthen consisted of a mixture of different ethnicities. In addition to the Sinhalese, there was a significant number of Muslims, Tamils and Malayalis. People from various countries in Asia and Africa too lived in the city, as it was an important trading centre. Muslims were the main trade competitors of the Portuguese in the Indian Ocean and many battles had occurred between them in the Indian Ocean.

The Viceroy met the King in Colombo and sought permission to build a fortress in Colombo. After much thought, the King informed that he did not want to deliver the final word on the matter without consulting his council.

People rise against the Portuguese

When King Vijayabahu returned to Kotte, Muslims made representations to him and the royal court pleading with him not to heed the Portuguese request. They said that the Portuguese had come with the intention of extracting the islands riches, spreading their religion, and ultimately wanted to oust the king and capture power. The Muslims had lived on the island in harmony for centuries, only engaging in trading activities and never attempted to spread their religion. The Buddhist monks (called Ganez in Portuguese chronicles) told the royal court that they agreed with the Muslims and were against the Portuguese move to build a fortress.

King Vijayabahu was reluctant to take a final decision. Agitated by the delay, the Sinhalese and Muslims, with the help of Buddhist priests, held protests in the city of Colombo. The people erected barricades and began to shoot arrows at the Portuguese garrison, killing a few Portuguese soldiers. The Portuguese retaliated by firing artillery guns, killing many locals. Afterward the Portuguese began to build the fort without the Kings permission.

The King grants permission

Alarmed by the lethal firepower of the Portuguese, the King granted permission for them to build the fort at the hill of Saint Laurence close to the harbour. In return, he wanted the Portuguese to protect him from his enemies. An agreement was signed between the two countries, a cop ymade in gold for the Kingdom of Kotte while that of Portugal was made in parchment.

While the fortress was being built, there were constant skirmishes between the Portuguese on one side and Sinhalese and Muslims on the other. After building the fortress Lopo Soarez named it the Fort of Santa Babara. He left for India in November 1518, stationing a Portuguese force of 100 soldiers and four ships in Colombo with Joao de Silveveryra who came from Maldives as its Captain-Major.

This fort constantly came under attack from the Muslims. In retaliation, the Portuguese attacked the Muslim and Sinhalese settlements close to the fort. Buddhist monks of Kotte Kingdom too were constantly making representations to the king, against the Portuguese. The Portuguese retaliated to joint attacks by the Sinhalese and Muslims by burning houses. These confrontations made King Vijayabahu hostile to the Portuguese.

Making the fortress stronger

Initially built with stone and clay, the fort was about to collapse within a year. In 1519, the new Captain-Major of Colombo Lopo de Brito began to rebuild a stronger fortress with stone and mortar. From the day construction began the Portuguese encountered heavy resistance from the locals. They refrained from supplying provisions to the Portuguese troops. Soldiers were attacked when they were found alone.

In retaliation, in June 1519 at noontime when people were having a siesta, Lopo de Brito attacked the city of Colombo with 150 Portuguese, with the intention of intimidating and scaring the inhabitants. He bound women and children to poles, set fire to the main street of Colombo and returned to the fort with looted items.

Attacking the Fortress  May 1521

The confrontations were constant and again in 1520 the Portuguese retaliated, with fresh reinforcements received from Goa. Unable to remain silent and to help the residents of Colombo, on the 7th May 1521, (the 500th anniversary of which falls this year), King Vijayabahu surrounded the Fort and laid siege with a large force of 20,000 soldiers and 600 gunmen. They constructed two bastions on which they placed artillery guns.The Kotte army had 150 cavalrymen and 25 war elephants with castles fixed on their backs. Four of these war elephants were ferocious and had swords fixed to their tusks.

Lopo de Brito ordered his gunmen to fire at these elephants, wounding them with spikes which resulted in the elephants turning against their own army. In this siege about 80 Portuguese who had defected to the Kotte side by then, fought against their own countrymen. The bowmen of Kotte fired 7 foot long wooden arrows with feathers made of wild boar leather, which could fly to a distance of 150 metres. The rain of arrows came day and night and fire arrows fell inside the fort burning thatched houses. The Portuguese retaliated with cannon fire.

The siege lasted five months. Even obtaining water from outside the Fort became a problem, as the well from which the Portuguese were drinking was poisoned by the Muslims.

Two messengers who were sent to frantically seek reinforcements from Goa, were caught by the kings soldiers. The messages they were carrying were read and translated to the king by some Portuguese soldiers, who had defected. When a few messengers reached Goa the first response they got was that they were unable to send reinforcements to Colombo, as they were fighting wars in the Indian Ocean.

The defeat

Finally, reinforcements arrived from Cochin in October 1521 with Antonio Fernao de Lamos as the new Captain Major of Colombo. Strengthened, the Portuguese retaliated with 300 soldiers and set fire to the city, burning down two large mosques. Many captains of the Kotte army were killed in the battle and finally the Kotte army withdrew, lifting the siege. Eventually, a truce was signed between the two parties, who were weary of the continuing war which had caused much damage to both parties. This action made King Vijayabahu become unpopular among his army.

In the same year when King Vijayabahus sons Buvanekabahu, Mayadunne and Raigam Bandara rebelled against him due to a palace intrigue, the kings army joined the rebels. King Vijayabahu was killed and his palace was looted by his own soldiers, which incident became famous in our history as the Vijayaba Kollaya.

The battle for Colombo Fort which was fought exactly 500 years ago was a definite turning point in the history of Sri Lanka, as it ensured the continuous presence of Europeans in the island for the next 450 years.

(This narration was entirely based on the description of events well documented in The Temporal and Spiritual Conquest of Ceylon written by the Catholic priest Fernao de Queyroz of the Society of Jesus and the The Decades written by Portuguese chroniclers Borros and Cuoto).

Dr Ajith Amarasinghe is a medical consultant and an independent researcher on history. He is a life member of the Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka.
First a jumbo, now a whale makes waves View(s):

Shaahima Fahim talks to Nizrana Farook whose second childrens book The Boy Who Met a Whale is also making a buzz internationally following her hugely successful debut novel The Girl Who Stole an Elephant that opened up a very Sri Lankan setting to children beyond our shores Nizrana Farook, whose debut childrens book The Girl Who Stole an Elephant was a runaway hit, is now making waves of a far different kind with her second book The Boy Who Met a Whale. The starkly different settings for both Elephant and Whale -as Nizrana chooses to fondly refer to her books- were intentional. As truly Sri Lankan stories, I wanted to showcase to my readership how varied our islands (being so tiny) flora and fauna can be, the author now based in the UK says.

For Nizrana, still reeling from the success following the 2020 January release of her debut novel, it was a reception she could never have fathomed as a child with a secret dream of being an author.

Having moved to the UK while expecting her second child, and a few years into making up stories with Sri Lankan characters and settings for her daughters as they grew up, Nizrana decided to gingerly dust off the self-doubt and look into writing with the intent to publish. Some invested research into the diverse books movement, the craft of professional writing, and a Masters degree in Creative Writing for Children later, she found herself holding her first published work The Girl Who Stole an Elephant in hand.

I didnt expect the reception I received to be honest. Many books come up generally speaking, they make a splash, and then others take their place. But after The Girl Who Stole an Elephant was chosen as the Waterstones Book of the Month (in the UK), things really soared from there.

If you consider that approximately 10,000 childrens books are published in the UK alone in the year, to be among one of the 12 chosen came as a huge surprise. All of a sudden, this barefooted Sri Lankan girl from the cover- was in window displays and train stations across the UK. These are things that just completely blew my mind.

The Girl Who Stole an Elephant has been nominated for the 2021 CILIP Carnegie Medal, Shortlisted for the UKLA Award, and Longlisted for the Blue Peter Best Story Award, and the inaugural Jhalak Prize Childrens and YA category. More excitingly, the book has been rubbing shoulders with the likes of J.K Rowling and David Walliams in bookseller charts, and even had the rights sold for the story to be adapted into an animated TV series.

With such elephantine shoes to fill, was there much pressure for the follow-up to match up to expectations?

There was definitely a lot of pressure considering the unprecedented popularity that followed Elephant, admits Nizrana. Also it was new to me juggling book promotion alongside writing a second novel; all while keeping to deadline.

Furthermore, The Boy Who Met a Whale was released while in lockdown, which of course offers up a fresh set of challenges as an author. Book readings and school visits have had to go virtual, and I still havent seen the books physically on the shelves.

The publishing industry however, has managed to bounce back following the hiccup of the onset of the pandemic; now having figured how to force its way through the still crashing waves. The Boy Who Met a Whale too -though still far too young for as large a list of accolades as its older sibling- has swimmingly managed to stake for itself a spot as the Indie Book of the Month for January 2021, Guardian Books of the Month, Waterstones Best Books To Look Forward to in 2021, and also been glowingly reviewed in The Daily Mail and the Financial Times, so far.

While its forerunner is centred around spunky young Chaya and a pouchful of royal jewels on a wild elephant chase across the tropical jungles of fictional Serendib, The Boy Who Met a Whale takes readers to yet another side of this dazzling emerald isle: its sparking blue oceans and almost-unreal sea life off the coast of an imagined historical Galle.

Siblings Shifa and Razis peaceful coast-side life is disrupted by the arrival of big-talking young seafarer Zheng. Now irreversibly intertwined in his far-flung tale of ocean piracy and mythical creatures, the trio embark on a quest to retrieve a stolen artefact; throwing all caution to salty ocean winds and packing all of their wits on board.

And as the majority of reviewers testify, what truly brings Nizranas stories to life is the sheer descriptive prowess through which she brings both character and backdrop to life. With vivid portrayals of landscape, tastes, and smells so seamlessly interlaced with fast-paced action, its no wonder then that her young readers have come to be so intrigued by the Serendib they have been transported to through these pages.

Making the story visual was a conscious decision on my part, mainly because I knew that my readership wouldnt be very familiar with this world. I felt that I had to give them that, because these settings I have in my head others wouldnt be able to picture unless I tell them expressly; even tastes and smells that I would otherwise know so well wouldnt be as familiar to those who read my books.

With scatterings of endearing phrases (.. and then the rupee dropped, going on a wild mongoose chase,etc.), likeable young characters, and strong moral themes, the escapade is fleshed out in an inimitably Sri Lankan fashion. More respectably, one that is still captivating sans the unfortunate exoticisation that so often tends to find its way through to tales of the island.

As a child I read books, and I loved books about worlds I didnt know, about foods I had never tasted. I enjoyed reading about a setting at the other side of the world, and now it is surreal to think that readers are enjoying reading about my setting; from my side of the world.

As for Lankan readers, they can now delight in more relatable tales of young adventurers and stolen treasure, with pages infused with the familiar presence of swaying coconut trees, juicy mangosteens, and the sunset silhouettes of fishermens stilts. Throw in a kidnapping, a colossal sea monster, a thrilling sea vessel chase, and we have the exhilarating adventure that is The Boy Who Met a Whale.

Local bookshops, though, have been slow to stock up on Nizranas books. While The Girl Who Stole an Elephant did grace the shelves of Sarasavi for a brief period of time (Nizranas mum sent her pictures), parents of young readers wont be able to source either novel as easily as they would like. Thankfully The Book Depository(.com) has resumed shipping to Sri Lanka again, which may prove to be a more successful option.

Now Nizrana speaks from a comfortable place, happy to keep writing books where children the world over can become better acquainted with her own childhood; as opposed to the other way around.

Writing these books are now very special to me, because this is not just any project. This is a way I get to show and write about my background which is important to me, and which I would have loved to read as a child.
Washington, IN (47501)

Today

Showers this morning then scattered thunderstorms developing during the afternoon hours. High 81F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Cloudy skies after midnight. Low 69F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.
Joyfully capturing local experience with all its nuances By Yomal Senerath-Yapa In our new series on the Gratiaen Prize shortlisted writers we feature Ciara Mandulee Mendis View(s): View(s):

Ciara Mandulee Mendiss collection of short stories, The Red Brick Wall, is refreshing in a literary milieu where we too often get to read about the English speaking- their pseudo-westernized concerns or villagers seen through a passing car window- their lives imagined. This collections voice is fresh, crisp, and as Victoria Walker and fellow judges of the Gratiaen Prize for 2020 remarked, it is packed with characters one rarely meets in local English writing.

Take, for example, the class of little imps in Mallung, a short story where students boiling under a takarang roof in mid-March are discussing their favourite foods in English. But first they have to deal with the ditty in the textbook about hot cross buns, and therein lies an unsurmountable cultural stumbling block. Was this like jam paan, or seeni banis?

This kind of postcolonial conundrum flavours the ten stories in Ciaras debut collection. It was African writing in English so daring and political that taught Ciara to deal frankly and truthfully with Sri Lankas own postcolonial legacy, taking up a truly native standpoint. Also material was Sinhala literaturewhich taught her what to write aboutand world literatures which put things in neat focus.

At 29, Ciara is an assistant director at the Department of Cultural Affairs, and has just submitted the thesis for her Masters in English at Colombo University.

Writing The Red Brick Wall was liberating she says as was the experience of using Sri Lankan English in her stories. Hers was the joy of capturing the local experience with all its nuances and cadences and not only in language with a voyeuristic eye.

The collection was drafted with Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichies caution against the danger of the single story in mind.

Emblazoned on an overleaf of Ciaras manuscript is Chimamandas quote from a TED talk:

The consequence of the single story is this: It robs people of dignity. It makes our recognition of our equal humanity difficult. It emphasizes how we are different rather than how we are similar.

Thus in the collection Ciara speaks about stereotypes- how society can reduce people to certain boxes, whereas we should look at the bigger picture- because they have qualities and aspects other than the stereotypes they have been locked into.

An example is her story about a feminist in the collection, Woman for Women, where she lays bare the nasty farrago of social prejudices and stereotypes set against women who stand up for equal rights.

The politics of language is the main theme in the stories, and drama unfolds when language becomes a barrier.

People who speak English and people who speak Sinhala think they are very different from each other. But when they actually get to know each other and get to understand the human being, you see that the human qualities- the way you think and humanness- is very similar the similarities have been hidden because of the differences.

Ciara makes it a point to read all the Sinhala novels shortlisted for the State Literary Award and the Swarnapusthaka which trustily feed her with the rhythm of the local pulse. But she says it is important to read from all cultures even if in translation because each language is its own worldview.

It is the Sinhala reading that gives that wonderful immediacy to her stories, capturing the texture of island living more astutely than many an English writer.

Whilst the present collection was written during the pandemic (it began with the first lockdown, to make sense of an experience that seemed unreal) it deals with postcolonial experiences of a lifetime.

Mallung, for example, was inspired by English medium textbooks which dealt with outlandish things often more befuddlingly exotic even than hot cross buns  allusions which only give rural students the firm notion that English is not for them. Also misleading are the textbooks representation of women, in occupational roles reflecting the reality of maybe half a century ago.

In The Gotukola Patch, she writes of a woman who cannot understand her neighbour because she (the neighbour) speaks only English, and thus has to make assumptions about her  all of them actually stereotypes she had been fed with.

Ciaras remedy for these and other predicaments is simply that we should tell more stories. In order to make sense of the reality we should listen to a lot of stories, she says. That is really the best way to understand the world.
Billionaire retailer Solomon Lews unexpected decision to repay $15.6 million in government JobKeeper subsidies will not be followed by a number of other notable ASX-listed recipients, including Harvey Norman founder Gerry Harvey.

On Monday, Mr Lews retail empire Premier Investments, which operates companies such as Peter Alexander and Smiggle, notified shareholders it would pay back the JobKeeper net benefit it had received for the first half of the 2021 financial year.

Premier Investments chairman Solomon Lew wil repay $15.6 million in JobKeeper. Credit:Eddie Jim

The move is a remarkable backflip for Mr Lew and Premier, who took a firm stance against repaying the subsidies earlier this year alongside a number of other major Australian companies, including retailer Harvey Norman, car dealer Eagers Automotive, and footwear seller Accent Group.

However, it appears the billionaires change of heart will not be replicated by other major companies who received the stimulus while also reporting higher profits and paying dividends.
Of course, its always best to get your own independent financial advice, but economists are fairly unanimous in theirs. To understand exactly why economists dislike active trading so much, you need a crash course in a concept known as the Efficient Markets Hypothesis. And I got it this week when I arranged to meet up for coffee with economics professor Richard Holden from the University of New South Wales. Well, technically I had a hot chocolate, because I cant drink caffeine after noon. But Holden ordered a double espresso and proceeded to explain, at pace. So, Efficient Markets Hypothesis basically says all available information about companies  such as do they have a good chief executive, do they have a good strategy, is the sector going to do well  is already reflected in current stock prices.

Why? Because there are a bunch of people running around on trading desks arbitraging things away. If that wasnt true, then there would be an arbitrage opportunity and then somebody would do that. But cant I do the same? In the lightening-fast world of modern technology and information exchange, no, says Holden. By the time youve read an annual report or a stockbroker has read something and sent out their newsletter, its in the price. Holden previously studied at the University of Chicago, where the inventor of Efficient Markets Hypothesis theory, Nobel prize-winning economist Eugene Fama, also works.

Fama, along with another economist, Kenneth French, also invented the Fama-French 3 factor model, explains Holden  and it is at this point that I am wishing I ordered that coffee... Perhaps the only thing you need to know about that model is that US investor David G. Booth is famous for becoming wealthy trading off it, and the idea that small-cap stocks deliver bigger returns over time than large-cap stocks, as do companies whose book-to-market ratio is high rather than low. It must be said the strategy has, however, taken something of a belting of late, as big growth-oriented companies like Facebook have dominated earnings. Although, as they often do in the sharemarket, things have turned around again more recently as investors speculate on a return to value investing and away from growth. Which is kind of the point. Markets can turn on a dime and financial success in one year is no guarantee of performance in the next, says Holden.

In any case, the bottom line is sophisticated investors can make money. And the best hedge fund managers do, on a risk-adjusted basis. But nobody else can and the evidence is that, in fact, about 80 per cent of fund managers dont. But, I plead, what about the vast industry of fund managers and stockbrokers who slap buy, sell or hold recommendations on stocks? Surely they know something? So, theyre all wrong, says Holden. And theyre fairly rapidly going out of business. As for me, Holden is not against me having a dabble in the sharemarket, as long as I know what Im getting myself into. You should still totally do your thing and report it, but be prepared to show that it might not work.

Its not that Ill necessarily lose all my money by individual stock picking, says Holden. But Ill likely lose out compared to investing in a low-cost indexed fund. How much return are you leaving on the table? Loading The good news, concludes Holden, is that attempting to pick stocks is probably a better use of my time than playing the pokies (yikes!). So, the bottom line is the equity premium, the return to equities over the last 120 years or so, is about 6 per cent over the risk-free rate. That is, on average, the sharemarket house pays out 6 per cent above long-term government bond yields. So fine, have some fun. But view it as partially consumption.
Some people look at the coverage of whats happening in India and the situation confronting their fellow Australians and exclaim, How awful, we should do everything we can to bring them back. Others, not so generous, exclaim: Theyve had a year to come back  why didnt they?

Let me illustrate with a story about some of the challenges I faced in trying to come back to Australia. For some context, I became an Australian citizen in July 2015 after being in Australia for almost six years. In doing so, becoming Australian, I had to formally renounce my Indian citizenship (India doesnt allow both).

A worsening health crisis in India has highlighted the number of Australians stranded overseas. Credit:AP

In June 2020, I lost my dad very suddenly. I tried to go back for his funeral and applied to the government for an exemption to leave the country on compassionate grounds. They didnt approve this for a week, well after the funeral date, and my flight date had passed. My mum lives alone and has respiratory issues. I was worried for her safety and so I decided that I had to go back to be with her, even if it was only going to be for a month.

I was finally granted permission and after a few failed attempts I managed to make it back to India in September on an Indian repatriation flight. The chances of getting back to Australia still seemed good at the time, with the government promising to have everyone back by Christmas.
The Prime Minister, so the common refrain goes, is a pragmatist. He and his closest advisers reject big ideas and the ivory towers in which they are debated. This is a point of anti-elitist pride. The Quiet Australians dont care about the philosophical waffles of wattle-wobbling sophists.

It has also been the approach behind Morrisons key achievements. By tamping down the internal culture war that had raged for a decade within the Liberal Party, he put the Coalition in a position to win the 2019 election. Shrugging off Labors crowing that were all Keynesians now as well as the howls from dries on his own side, he and his Treasurer cast aside any thought of returning the budget to surplus and flooded the economy with borrowed cash to keep it afloat during COVID. He has a roadmap on climate change that falls short of the dramatic action or inaction, desired at the extremes, but which is finally setting the nation on a sustainable path to reducing emissions.

Rejecting ivory towers and ideology is a point of pride for Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his circle. Credit:Rhett Wyman

Pragmatism has a lot going for it. But the danger of turning your back on big ideas is that they creep up on you and snare you without you knowing it.

As John Maynard Keynes  he of the cash-splash economics we are currently calling pragmatic  famously said, Practical men, who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influence, are usually the slaves of some defunct economist. Madmen in authority, who hear voices in the air, are distilling their frenzy from some academic scribbler of a few years back.
Australia is running some diplomatic posts entirely virtually, while more than 370 consular staff and their families have caught COVID-19 and one local contractor has died since the pandemic began.

A DFAT spokesperson has also revealed 46 Australians abroad have died from COVID-19 in the past year, but did not say whether any of them were registered as stranded and wanting to return to Australia.

DFAT Secretary Frances Adamson and Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne in Parliament House in Canberra Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

DFAT said the tally of 371 people infected includes 239 locally engaged staff (but not contractors), as well as public servants posted overseas from Canberra. Last week, the ABC reported that 132 government staff posted from Australia and their families had been infected while serving overseas during the pandemic. DFAT confirmed this figure.

The DFAT employee who died from COVID-19 was a contractor at the embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia - one of Australias largest diplomatic posts. The Indonesian mission has recorded more than 50 infections - one in five of DFATs total cases.
Parents will have to wait until after the next election to benefit from the Morrison governments $1.7 billion childcare package, amid concerns that it wont be a game-changer in boosting womens workforce participation.

The policy, announced by Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg on Sunday, will save families with more than one child aged under 5 in childcare up to $125 per week in fees, but it wont start until July 2022.

Grattan Institute chief executive Danielle Wood said the $1.7 billion investment over four years was modest but well-targeted at addressing the disincentives for women to work a fourth or fifth day due to fees eating up their take-home pay.

Economists welcomed the governments $1.7 billion childcare package as a step in the right direction. Credit: Anna War

Overall, its a modest but helpful investment that deals with some of the worst cases of high childcare costs and disincentives to work in the existing system. You couldnt call it a game-changer or a major reform but it is a positive step in the right direction, Ms Wood said.
At least 13 former Liberal MPs and political staffers have been appointed to plum federal government jobs since the start of the year, including a former deputy mayor given a 26-year-long, $10 million post at the Fair Work Commission.

Alana Matheson, the former Liberal deputy mayor of Campbelltown who has worked for the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and for KPMG - and who is the daughter of two-term Liberal MP Russell Matheson - was appointed to the $387,960 per annum post as a Fair Work Commissioner on April 1.

Attorney-General Michaelia Cash. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Former Liberal MP Sophie Mirabella was also made a FWC commissioner on the same salary, on the same day. Ms Mirabella, who previously served on the board of the governments Australian Submarine Corporation, was appointed until 2033 and Ms Matheson until 2047. The end dates of their terms reflect when the two women will reach 65 and have to retire.

Labor government accountability spokeswoman Kristina Keneally has criticised the unbelievable appointments as jobs for Liberal mates.
Air purifiers have been quietly introduced throughout Victorias quarantine hotels in the hope the modest measure could drastically reduce the risk of coronavirus leaking from the rooms of infected guests.

The Sunday Age can reveal the portable machines, which remove virus particles from the air, are being placed in rooms where there are groups of people staying and when people are using CPAP or BiPAP breathing machines, which may increase the risk of virus spread.

Airborne spread of coronavirus remains a weak point of the nations quarantine system, with a spate of recent instances of the disease escaping hotel rooms, infecting other guests and staff and sparking lockdowns.

Professor Jason Monty, head of mechanical engineering at the University of Melbourne, has been advising the Victorian government on how to make hotel quarantine safer and estimates air purifiers could reduce the risk of these leaks by a factor of 10.
Jaspreet Rai is desperately trying to do her part for the country she left more than 30 years ago: help its people breathe.

An employee inside an oxygen filling centre in Bengaluru, India. Credit:Getty Images

Rai, 53, who moved to Endicott, New York - the birthplace of IBM - from Punjab, in India, is the founder of Sanrai International, a provider of oxygen concentrators. With India now the epicentre of the pandemic, counting about 3500 COVID-19 deaths daily, and oxygen supplies running out, Rai has rushed to help her former homeland cope with its worst crisis in recent history.

This is probably the hardest time theyre going through, Rai says of her 100-strong staff on the ground, who will supply 30,000 units across India in May, several times the 1500 Sanrai normally provides in a year. When you dont have equipment, and youre trying to hold people, and theyre gasping, literally gasping for air. And youre like, look, Ive sold my last unit, I have to wait until the next stock comes in.

Like Rai, millions of Indians spread across the globe - one of the worlds largest diasporas - are trying to do what they can to help their country of origin as heart-wrenching images of people lining up for oxygen cylinders, waiting outside hospitals for a bed or huddling around funeral pyres flash across their screens. Some have been unable to do anything to save family members who have succumbed to the disease.
Letters to the Editor View(s):

Travellers to Sri Lanka left confused and helpless

No doubt those in power believe that state agencies, especially those regulating foreign travel and COVID-19 protection, are working at a high level to facilitate safe and convenient return for citizens and memorable visits for tourists. But the reality is very disappointing. Travellers are left confused and helpless.

A foreign friend of mine wanted to visit Sri Lanka to launch a social project that we started to increase the reach of vocational training to rural communities. He already had the two vaccines more than 14 days prior to the planned departure date and was willing and able to do the PCR test less than 96 hrs before the arrival date, and pay for the airline, hotel, PCR tests in Sri Lanka, and health insurance. He had reviewed information provided at the government websites, inquired from travel agents in Sri Lanka and spoken to airline executives about the process and requirements for travelling to Sri Lanka. Surprisingly, each person had provided him information slightly different from the other.

Assuming that SriLankan Airlines, being a state-owned entity, would be the best and reliable source of information for potential travellers, he checked its website and followed the link to Latest updates on COVID-19 from the home page. From there, he randomly clicked on the Covid-19 Travel Alerts link and then on Important notice for passengers travelling to and from Sri Lanka. Based on instruction number A.1.5Foreigners arriving for important projects/meetings/ discussions as invited by the Sri Lankan Government/Private Organization, should get prior approval from the Foreign Ministry of Sri Lanka (Email: entry.permission@mfa.gov.lk) for them to arrive by submitting necessary details with the letter of invitation from Sri Lankan counterpart., he submitted the documents via email. There was no reply. However, after he spoke to a Sri Lankan friend who spoke to another person, approval was given after six days.

Thereafter, an airline executive in Colombo advised him to apply for the visa through ETA Sri Lanka, which he did after purchasing the return ticket to Colombo. He received an immediate acknowledgement from ETA, but no approval for three days. Then a travel agent in Sri Lanka told him to travel as a tourist. Accordingly, he followed Sri Lankan Airlines instruction number A.1.3 Travellers arriving via Sri Lanka Tourism, should get the prior approval to enter the country via Sri Lanka Tourism through, https://www.srilanka.travel/helloagain.

Anyone visiting helloagain site will be confused. The home page has a pleasing banner  Welcome back to the paradise island of Sri Lanka. wed like to bring your attention to the things you need to know  for your safety as you make your way to an amazing time that is So Sri Lanka! We are so looking forward to welcome you!

Scrolling down this page takes you to a list of downloadable pdf files. Of them, Health Protocol for Arrivals to Sri Lanka file describes the steps that includes booking a hotel, obtaining Covid Insurance, paying for PCR tests, etc. Then one must download a second pdf file to find a matrix of 181 Level 1 hotels. They are listed randomly-not alphabetically or by city.

Column 2 of the matrix is titled area. To find Colombo area hotels, one must scan 181 hotels. After selecting a hotel, he contacted the four listed hotels in Colombo. One hotel was very efficient. Two did not reply and one did not have vacancies.

The efficient hotel explained the procedure and promptly acknowledged payment and confirmed the arrangements. However, we had to contact a friend at the Tourist Board and get the ETA approved as he had applied before booking the hotel because the hotel required an ETA confirmation number to make the booking. It took my friend a total of eight days to arrange the travel, cost $400, and left him in suspense until the hotel staff told him that he was free to leave 18 hours after his plane landed in Colombo. Fortunately, he had some persons, albeit providing confusing information, to enable him to attend the meeting.

If it were a non-English-speaking tourist, senior citizen, or someone without connections, the probability of being welcome back by Sri Lanka Tourism are low.

When the country is spending scarce tax money to attract tourists by offering safe, convenient and courteous visits, one would assume that those at the top would themselves have checked the ease of use of processes and improve the processes based on feedback. Our email to Srilanka Travel has yet to be acknowledged. It seems that the likes of Chairman of Tourism Sri Lanka, Minister of Tourism, and leading hoteliers have not reviewed the procedures, or are uncertain of the procedures themselves. Is it not the duty of those appointed by the government to provide citizens, tourists, and business travellers value for their money? My friend spent more than $2000 on accommodation, meals, shopping, etc., during the six-day stay in the country, which should be valued at a time when the reserves are low.

If the intent of the regulations is a pretence of state support for the ailing hotels, travel agents, shop owners, and taxi drivers, I can understand the amateur website  helloagain. If not, should not Tourism Sri Lanka respond to the suggestions of the tourists that have visited Sri Lanka recently? Should not the private sector note these than harp on the changes to the Tourism Act? Should not the government appoint experienced professionals to be responsible for tourism development? It is fine to appoint ex-servicemen, campaign financiers, and current CEOs of companies to head state institutions. It is also fine if these appointees have not contributed to the body of knowledge or society or paid income tax in the past. But make these appointees demonstrate their achievements and successes of campaigns like helloagain and at least now disclose user feedback publicly. Otherwise, send them home. Political patronage at the expense of taxpayers is not kosher.

Prof. Prianka Nalin Seneviratne Via email

Beach pollution: Surveillance and enforcing law need of hour

As is evident from the image, beach pollution goes on unhindered on the beaches of the western coast.

It only shows that the citizens  at least some  care less about the environment.

There are enough laws in force to prevent such beach pollution but the need of the day is, surveillance and enforcement.

Community social responsibility initiatives like beach clean-ups might increase awareness but the need of the hour is enforcement and fines.

It is evident that most of this garbage flows down from the canals of Colombo to the sea and there lies the problem.

The authorities must analyse the root cause instead of grappling with the symptoms of the illness.

Satyajit Satarasinghe Colombo 3
"I think people are very excited," said Rachel Kipp. "Delaware is definitely a place that has a lot of state pride... I think it's because it's a small state and we all kind of feel like we know each other, and so when something great happens to one of our own, we all really want to celebrate."
Bill Burt and George Bremer discuss the NFL schedule and Tom Brady's return to New England; Elton Hayes and Kevin Brockway reflect on Coach K's retirement; and Clay Horning breaks down the worst defensive play in baseball in recent memory.
H John Voorhees III / Hearst Connecticut Media

DANBURY  Close to 600 members of the school community recently got their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at a special clinic.

The school district worked with the Community Health Center to organize the clinic at the Danbury Fair mall last weekend.
Will Waldron / Albany Times Union

A Stamford man has died after a three-car crash in the Hudson Valley, according to police.

Christopher Hammill, 47, died Thursday - four days after his car was struck by a vehicle trying to pass other vehicles by driving in the emergency breakdown lane, said Capt. John Ryan of the New York State Police in a press release.
While most local parades were canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year, many Litchfield County towns are giving the green light to hold their Memorial Day parade or other events.

Towns and cities will have different ceremonies and other ways to honor the memory of the fallen.

Torrington

Torringtons Memorial Day parade will kick off is at 9:30 a.m. from the Ocean State Job Lot parking lot. The parade will proceed down Main Street and conclude at Coe Memorial Park. A ceremony to honor and remember fallen heroes and members of the armed forces will conclude the event. A roll call of the names of the deceased veterans and the Bell Ringing ceremony will be available to view on the city of Torrington website, torringtonct.org.

Winsted

Winsteds Memorial Day activities including a brief parade conducted by the VFW at 11:30 a.m. and remarks to be held in East End Park following at approximately noon. townofwinchester.org.

Litchfield

The American Legion will host a gathering on the Center Green. The Town of Litchfield has arranged to have a C-130 Flyover at approximately 10 a.m. on Memorial Day, May 31. Also, the Litchfield First Artillery will be planning their traditional celebration where they fire their cannon 13 times in recognition of the original 13 colonies. townoflitchfield.org.

Bridgewater

The town will have its traditional parade event, though it will be scaled back. It will begin at 10 a.m. and take 45 minutes. There will be a speaker, someone who will play taps, and fifth-graders who will read Gettysburg Address.

The Bridgwater Volunteer Fire Department lays a wreath on a memorial on the Bridgewater Green and Scouts will be in attendance. bridgewater-ct.gov

Washington

There will be a Veterans Parade, a chicken-in-a-box drive thru dinner, a recipient of the Stephen Reich Award for Exceptional Citizenship and the Lions Club Lobster sale. All events will be in person and outdoors.

Attendees are encouraged to distance or wear a mask. The lobster sale is on Saturday at the Riverwalk Pavilion and all other events are on Monday. Washington CT |

Harwinton

The Harwinton American Legion Post 137 will be holding a Memorial Day parade and ceremony. The parade will step off from the Harwinton fairgrounds at on Locust Road at 2 p.m. on Memorial Day. The ceremony will take place following the parade at the town green at the intersection of South Rd and CT Rte. 4. There will be a low-level flyover of a CT ANG C-130 over the green and down South Road. Organizations wishing to participate in the parade should contact Maddy Marzullo at 860-689-4395. For all other information, contact Gary Schaff (master of ceremonies/post commander) at 860-485-1166. State/Town-issued COVID-19 safety protocols at the time of the parade will be in place. Harwinton CT.

More information can be found on the towns websites.
Prince Philips 1956 visit to Moratuwa Church and a right royal remark By Eng. B.R.O. Fernando View(s): View(s):

Last month saw an outpouring of condolences and remembrances for the late Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh who departed this life at the age of 99 years, after a memorable married life of 73 years, as the Consort to his beloved wife Queen Elizabeth 11.

The Royal couples links to this island have been well documented but few may recollect Prince Philips visit to Holy Emmanuel Church Moratuwa in 1956 and the comments he made. The Princes unscheduled stop was when he was on a two-day visit to Ceylon and this incident is related by the late Shelton C. Fernando, Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Home Affairs, an ardent worshipper of the Church in its Centenary Souvenir authored by the late W.R.O. Fernando, Chairman Board of Compilers in 1960.

Shelton C. Fernando, in his message to the Centenary Souvenir titled The Last Fifty Years wrote:

Holy Emmanuel is the largest Sinhalese Anglican Parish in the Island, and has attracted a constant stream of notabilities  including Royalty  particularly in the last half-century. Indeed, if she chose to expand on her own original site rather than encourage the growth of daughter churches around her in Moratuwa, like a fond mother fostering a growing brood, she would today after 100 years be perhaps the biggest Anglican Parish in all Asia.

Among Royalty there was Princess Louise in 1904, and much more recently Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in Octobe 1956.

With pardonable pride I may refer to my humble part on this. When Government seemed averse to place any such visits on his two day programme for fear of alleged discrimination, I contrived to place our Church Road on the route way back from Bolgoda Lake, hoping for the best! One look at the Tower, and the Prince promptly decided to get off the car, though unfortunately with hardly anybody to receive him but the priests of the parish as we could not take the risk of prior announcement with possible disappointment.

The Royal Visitor spent nearly half an hour, and one reminiscence is worthy to mention as characteristic of the man and apposite to the present celebrations.

Told of the Pan-Sinhalese Parish, but seeing an Acting Vicar of a different colour, H.R.H. asked him in the hearing of my Minister and myself Do you think your race would stand in the way of being made permanent one day? (Revd. Misso was a Burgher).

No wonder the way the Parish has risen above such considerations in the Centenary of all years by welcoming him later as permanent Vicar gave singular gratification to the Prince as I communicated to H.R.H.when he so kindly received me in private audience at Buckingham Palace to hand over his personal Greetings to the Centenary.

Race was no problem at all for the Parish who made Revd. E. Geoffrey Misso the permanent vicar of Holy Emmanuel Church from 1959 with his assistants the Revd. Lakdasa Jayawardene and Revd. Donald Kanagaratnam. At a time when communal feelings were strained it is a matter of pride that priests of three communities worked happily within the parish when the church services were conducted in Sinhala.

During the 150th anniversary of Holy Emmanuel Church, Moratuwa, Revd. E. Geoffrey Misso who had migrated to Perth in Australia made a visit to our Church as a special invitee in December 2010 and read the Epistle in Sinhala.

Shelton Fernando during an official visit to London in November 1959 and thanks to the arrangements made by the then Ceylon High Commissioner in London, was privileged to have a private audience with Prince Philip at Buckingham Palace to receive the letter dated 16th November 1960 with greetings for the Holy Emmanuel Church for its centenary celebrations held from 27th December 1960.

The letter sent by Prince Philip with his photograph appears in the Centenary Souvenir. Framed and installed in the Church Vestry, they can still be seen today.

(The writer is a past Warden of Holy Emmanuel Church & Chairman, Board of Compilers of the churchs 150th anniversary souvenir)
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NWS Weather Alert NOTE: This information is provided by the National Weather Service. Forecast may differ from local information provided by our own 69News Meteorologists

...Areas of Fog Early This Morning... Areas of fog, with visibilities of one half mile or less at times, have developed across the region, especially in areas that saw downpours on Tuesday. Areas of for could persist until mid morning. Drivers are urged to exercise caution for rapidly changing visibilities. Allow extra time to reach your destination, and if you encounter fog, reduce speed and increase following distance with the vehicle in front of you.
Melissa DeVerger is a librarian and a Quincy native with an interest in history.

The Historical Society of Quincy and Adams County is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving local history. This columns authors are society members and historians. The Herald-Whigs website, whig.com, carries each column and includes sources. For information visit hsqac.org or call 217-222-1835.
Prof. Ravindra takes on the murder of a president View(s):

The Assassination of President Premadasa of Sri Lanka is the latest book by Professor Ravindra Fernando.

Political assassinations have occurred down the ages in history. Almost all political assassinations are surrounded by mystery and conspiracy theories. This book describes how President Ranasinghe Premadasa was assassinated by a suicide bomber at the May Day Rally in 1993.

After discussing the life and times of the president, Professor Fernando explains the bomb explosion and the identity of the alleged assassin.

The book gives an insight into the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and the Sri Lankan civil war, and the end of the Eelam war.

Professor Fernando explains the post-mortem examination of the assassin and the post-mortem examination of President Premadasa and other victims. He describes the extensive report he submitted to the Magistrates Court on the assassination, at the request of the Magistrate, Champa Buddhipala.

The book covers the police investigation of the assassination and contains photographs of the scene of explosion.

The book is published by VijithaYapa Publishers.
Police say a Wilton woman tossed her 1-year-old dog out of a moving vehicle, but her attorney claims the case is not as cut and dry as it appears.

Criminal defense attorney Mark Phillips said Friday that the public has been quick to condemn his client, Helen Skulski, since Norwalk police arrested her on a charge of animal cruelty on March 26, but that scrutiny is premature.

She is absolutely mortified at these allegations, Phillips said.

Phillips said Skulski, 56, adamantly denies throwing her pet beagle out of her car.

Skulski is a loving grandmother and a longtime dog owner, who is devastated by the accusations, according to Phillips.

Skulski claims she and her husband took their pet beagle to the Rowayton dog park on March 9 leading up to the alleged incident.

It was one of the first nice, warm days of the spring, Phillips said, so the three went outside to enjoy the weather before completing some errands.

When the three finished at the park, they started packing up their car to leave. Phillips said it was then that they removed the dogs collar, which she chews and claws at otherwise, and loaded her in the back seat.

Skulskis husband told police he then opened the rear door and trunk to load other items in the car before driving away, according to the police report. As the couple left the park, they rolled down the windows so their puppy could enjoy the fresh air.

It wasnt until the couple were on Connecticut Avenue, that they claim to have noticed their dog was no longer in the backseat, the police report states.

The couple told police they went back to the dog park to search for the dog the moment they realized she was missing. When they couldnt find the dog there, they said they called Norwalk Animal Control to try and track it down, according to the police report.

Phillips claims Skulski doesnt know how the dog got out  whether she escaped from the car while they were packing up at the dog park or whether it leapt from the window at some point in the ride. But, he said, Skulski denied playing a role in the dog getting loose.

The 911 caller who reported the incident claims things went differently, however.

According to the police report, the motorist told police she saw two arms reaching out the right side window of Skulskis car as it drove down Connecticut Avenue.

The complainant said traffic was fairly congested and traveling at around 25 mph when she saw that pair of arms dangle a dog upside down out the window before tossing it into the right lane of the busy road.

The caller told police she stopped traffic with her car to protect the dog, which she was able to bring to the side of the road.

Police said at the time that the dog suffered superficial scrapes in the incident.

Sgt. David OConnor said in his report that police obtained video from a nearby storage facility that shows an object ... coming out from the right side of Skulskis car, then moments later a dog walking on the side of road.

But Phillips said that only proves the dog exited the car around this time, not that his client was responsible for it.

Police also noted in their report that the dog appeared to be well-nourished and clean.

These people love their dog. Their house is filled with beagle accouterments, everything they own is beagle this or beagle that, Phillips said.

Since her arrest, a judge has ordered that Skulski have no contact with animals. That means Skulski needed to turn her dog, as well as a cat she owns, over to relatives.

Phillips said Skulskis loss has been further compounded by an outpouring of hurtful messages online and even death threats.

The attorney called the backlash his client is facing egregious and unfair.

Nobody has stopped for a moment to consider the fact that maybe she didnt do these things shes being accused of, Phillips said.

Skulski is free after posting $25,000 bond, and is next scheduled to appear in court on May 26.
For a Winnipeg archivist, a bold move by an 18th-century Russian empress makes a strong case for people to get vaccinated during the current COVID-19 pandemic.

For a Winnipeg archivist, a bold move by an 18th-century Russian empress makes a strong case for people to get vaccinated during the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Conrad Stoesz was reading about the efforts of Catherine the Great of Russia to protect her country against smallpox when he realized her connection to 200-year-old immunization records of Mennonite children held at Mennonite Heritage Archives at Canadian Mennonite University.

"I know people are discussing vaccinations and the safety of them and theyre wary of them," says Stoesz, who has written about Catherine the Greats immunization campaign in social media posts and German-language newspapers read by conservative Mennonite groups.

"Two hundred years ago people were trying out vaccinations and it works. Vaccines have shown to reduce illness."

The 1809 and 1814 records lists names of about 400 children in the Chortitza and Molotschna Mennonite colonies, now part of the Ukraine, who were immunized against smallpox by medical personnel travelling from village to village, Stoesz says.

Descendants of those children were among the thousands of Mennonites who emigrated to Manitoba in the 1870s, including previous generations of Stoeszs family.

"I might not be around today if some of (my) ancestors werent vaccinated," he says of his personal connection to the two century-old lists, held on microfiche provided by Odessa Archives in Ukraine.

Catherine the Great began a country-wide immunization effort against smallpox in 1768, after inviting British physician Thomas Dinsdale to use her and her son Paul as test subjects for an inoculation procedure that provoked a mild form of the disease in a healthy person.

English surgeon Edward Jenner had developed a smallpox vaccine derived from a pox-type virus related to smallpox in the late 18th century. Smallpox killed about 30 per cent of those infected, and often marked the recovered with deep pitted scars. In 1980, the World Health Organization declared that smallpox had been eradicated.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS A copy of a microfiche listing Mennonites inoculated against smallpox 200 years ago.

By 1800, about two million Russians had been vaccinated, and these Mennonite records demonstrate that the efforts continued into the 19th century, says an American family physician who transcribed the original records two decades ago.

"Our Mennonite ancestors were being pretty avant-garde and were starting to immunize their children against something very lethal at the time," says Dr. Tim Janzen of Portland, Ore., who researches Mennonite history and genealogy in his spare time.

Like other families in Russia and around the world, Mennonites would have lost children to smallpox and may have been eager for their children to gain immunity, says Janzen, who fields questions daily from his patients about the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines.

Stoesz says the historical immunization lists offer some hope for our situation in the current global pandemic and set an example for some religious groups hesitant to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

"The past always has something to say," he says.

"We just have to be looking for it and be attentive to it."

Do you appreciate the extensive faith coverage by the Free Press? Become a supporter of the Religion in the News project! Your contribution of $10, $25 or more can help us keep offering trusted coverage of faith in Manitoba. Become a supporter Click here to learn more about the project.

Mennonites are encouraged to set another trend during this pandemic by lobbying Canadian politicians to donate excess vaccine supplies to other countries in need, says Anna Vogt, director of Mennonite Central Committees Ottawa office.

"The pandemic wont stop anywhere until the pandemic stops everywhere," she says of the reason for the campaign launched April 19 by the international relief and development organization.

Vogt says although Canadians have access to vaccinations in 2021, many others in the world dont, and Canada has purchased more vaccine than it can use. MCC sent a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, federal cabinet ministers and opposition MPS asking them to create and implement a plan to redistribute excess Canadian vaccines to essential workers in low and middle income countries.

She encourages people of faith to send their own electronic message to political leaders by following the links at https://mcccanada.ca/get-involved/advocacy/campaigns/vaccine-justice.

"Were really hoping Canadians of faith will join us in asking our government to do more in support of equitable vaccine access," says Vogt.

brenda@suderman.com
MONTREAL - Thousands of unmasked demonstrators marched in Montreal on Saturday to protest COVID-19 public health measures they call excessive and unjustified.

People take part in a demonstration opposing the Quebec governments measures to help curb the spread of COVID-19 in Montreal, Saturday, May 1, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

MONTREAL - Thousands of unmasked demonstrators marched in Montreal on Saturday to protest COVID-19 public health measures they call excessive and unjustified.

They gathered at Montreal's Olympic Stadium, calling on the Quebec government to lift a nighttime curfew that has been in place in much of the province since January. They also expressed opposition towards the notion of immunity passports for those who have received a COVID-19 vaccine.

The stadium currently serves as one of the province's COVID-19 mass vaccination clinics and was closed for the day due to the protest.

Daniel Pilon, one of the organizers, said in a Facebook video that the intention was never to block access to the vaccination centre and claimed that the protest was organized near the Olympic Stadium for its visual appeal.

The organizers said in a statement that Saturday's protest was the first of several planned for the month of May.

Montrealer Mireille Rose was among the protesters and was loudly chanting Quebec Debout, the protest's slogan.

"It means we want the people to stand up, our kids, our elders, men and women, to stand up for their rights," said Rose. "Whats going on in Quebec is a scam. We are being taken for granted and this has to change."

An upbeat mood persisted throughout the event, with families and groups of friends walking peacefully while Montreal Police officers kept watch.

Police spokesman Manuel Couture said officers issued a few tickets for non-compliance with sanitary measures.

"If we exclude the non-respect of sanitary measures, it was a crowd that was quite peaceful and festive," Couture said.

But by the end of the day, Montreal police reported the use of smoke bombs on a different crowd of more than a hundred people who started to be violent. Couture said the protesters threw rocks, cans and fireworks at the police and refused to leave the site.

Montreal police made a few arrests but were not immediately able to confirm the numbers.

While most protesters were intentionally not wearing masks, Montrealer Frank Simon was a rare exception.

Simon said he decided to don a face covering simply because there was a heavy police presence and he didn't want to be fined for violating public health measures.

"If it were up to me, I wouldn't wear it," Simon said. "We are all exhausted to be in prison for the past year. Results are showing fewer cases and hospitalizations, so why are we still forced to remain isolated?"

Montreal mayor Valerie Plante tweeted during the protest that she was concerned to see such a demonstration taking place.

"Everyone wants to go back to a normal life, and the sanitary measures are there for that reason," she tweeted.

Quebec reported 1,101 new COVID-19 cases and seven deaths attributed to the virus on Saturday, with one taking place in the past 24 hours.

Hospitalizations dropped for a fourth consecutive day, as authorities reported 14 fewer patients in hospital for a total of 578. the number in intensive care also declined by five to 159.

The province administered 62,406 doses of COVID-19 vaccine on Friday, and about 36.3 per cent of the population have now received a first shot.

"Hospitalizations are still declining and cases are relatively stable," Health Minister Christian Dube wrote on Twitter. "We must continue our efforts to reduce cases and hospitalizations, even with the onset of good weather."

Dube said respecting public health measures and getting vaccinated are the best weapons against the virus.

Quebec health officials reported a third case of a rare blood clot linked to the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine on Saturday.

The Health Department said the unidentified person remains hospitalized but is in stable condition.

Late last month, Francine Boyer, 54, died of a cerebral thrombosis in a Montreal hospital after receiving the AstraZeneca shot on April 9.

Thrombosis is a possible complication of the AstraZeneca vaccine, but is reported in about one per 100,000 vaccines administered. As of Friday, Quebec has administered more than 500,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine.

Dr. Horacio Arruda, Quebec's director of public health, said in a statement the risks related to COVID-19 illness far outweigh those linked to the vaccine.

The province has said all adults will be able to book a vaccination appointment by mid-May.

Health authorities will open appointments to those 45 and older beginning Monday.

Quebec has now reported 350,874 infections and 10,933 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic. The province has 9,579 active cases.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 1, 2021.
EDMONTON - Alberta Premier Jason Kenney's government is suspending the spring sitting of the legislature due to soaring, record-breaking caseloads of COVID-19.

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney and Alberta Minister of Finance and President of the Treasury Board, Travis Toews walk in to give the 2021 budget in Edmonton Alta, on Thursday February 25, 2021. Kenney's government is suspending the spring sitting of the legislature due to soaring, record-breaking caseloads of COVID-19. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

EDMONTON - Alberta Premier Jason Kenney's government is suspending the spring sitting of the legislature due to soaring, record-breaking caseloads of COVID-19.

Opposition NDP Leader Rachel Notley said Kenney was abandoning his post, deserting Albertans, and allowing others to work at personal risk on the front lines while leaving unfinished critical legislative work, such as paid sick leave.

"He's a coward," Notley told reporters Sunday, just hours after Kenney's government announced the suspension in a statement.

"This premier has locked the people out of their own legislature at a time when they are likely looking more than ever to that very building, and the people running the government inside of it, for leadership."

Government House Leader Jason Nixon, in a news release, said the two-week stoppage is to prevent further spread of the novel coronavirus.

He said it is not due to any confirmed COVID cases among legislature members or staff.

"With COVID-19 continuing to spread across Alberta, the government has determined that having MLAs return to Edmonton from all over the province after constituency week is no longer prudent," said Nixon.

"Suspending proceedings is the right thing to do as case counts increase."

Notley stressed her caucus was told of the decision but did not agree with it.

She said the suspension has nothing to do with public safety but with Kenney avoiding accountability on the COVID crisis while contending with a fractured caucus that has seen almost half of his United Conservative backbench publicly criticize his public health rules as an unnecessary infringement of personal freedoms.

Notley said Albertans shouldn't have to care about Kenney's internal political squabbles. She also said shutting down the legislature so politicians can stay safe sends a cruel message to those who can't stay home, including restaurant patio servers, retail staff, and teachers and students in schools.

"He's not thinking about any of those Albertans today. He's thinking about himself and not having to come into work," said Notley.

"He's running away from responsibility and frankly running away from his caucus."

Kenney's cabinet will continue to meet virtually and legislature committees will also continue, with members participating remotely.

The tentative return date is May 17, and Nixon said the house can reconvene earlier if an emergency arises.

Notley was asked: What would constitute a bigger emergency than the current COVID crisis?

"Your guess is as good as mine," she replied.

"There are multiple logical inconsistencies in the rationale behind this -- and that's what happens when you use one explanation to cover something you are doing for entirely different reasons.

"It is about politics and it's about Jason Kenney's utter failure to lead through this time."

The decision comes as Alberta's hospital system braces for a storm surge of patients over the next few weeks, given daily COVID-19 case counts have topped the 1,000 mark for almost a month.

On Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Alberta has logged more than 2,000 infections a day.

The daily count decreased on Sunday, to 1,731 new diagnoses and three added deaths.

But hospitalizations rose to 648, with 155 COVID-19 patients in intensive care.

Hospitals in Edmonton and Calgary have begun scaling back non-urgent surgeries to handle the pandemic-related influx.

On Friday, Alberta's physicians were briefed on a triage protocol should the COVID situation ever reach that sobering point.

The 50-page document stresses the plan would be to focus resources on patients with "the greatest likelihood of overall survival" while considering the amount of resources needed for that survival and how long those resources would be needed.

It will be a group call, given the heavy moral burden such life and death decisions would have on individual physicians. Family members of the patient would have no say.

For the last 14 months, Kenney has toggled health restrictions on public gatherings and businesses, trying to save lives and keep people's livelihoods intact.

He was criticized for waiting too long to bring in new rules during the second wave at Christmas and is now facing similar critiques during the third.

Kenney dismissed bringing in new restrictions on Monday, saying people likely wouldn't follow them anyway, but by Thursday introduced new rules on so-called COVID-19 hot spots. He said the measures were critical to bending the curve.

Kenney dismissed criticism he was pursuing inconsistent, confusing policy, instead characterizing it as a nimble, flexible response.

Kenney's government has also been criticized for failing to enforce public health rules, particularly allowing packed congregations to meet for months at the GraceLife Church near Edmonton before shutting it down in early April.

Kenney has said his government has no say in how health rules are enforced.

Over this weekend, hundreds of people flocked to a maskless "No More Lockdowns" rodeo outside the central Alberta community of Bowden, in full defiance of the province's health regulations and with no on-the-ground pushback from authorities.

Kenney, in a series of posts on Twitter Sunday, scolded the rodeo goers.

"Not only are gatherings like this a threat to public health, they are a slap in the face to everybody who is observing the rules to keep themselves and their fellow Albertans safe," Kenney wrote.

"If we do not begin to bend the curve, our health care system could very well be overwhelmed in a matter of weeks."

Alberta currently doesn't allow indoor social gatherings and outdoor gatherings are limited to 10 people. Stores remain open at sharply reduced capacity and restaurants can keep their patios open.

On Thursday Kenney announced new rules for high-case zones  encompassing most of Alberta's urban areas -- shuttering gyms and sending home Grade 7-12 students who weren't already learning on-line.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 2, 2021.

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version erroneously reported that the GraceLife Church closed in March. In fact, it closed in April.
TORONTO - When customers roll up to Thrive Cannabis' 184-acre farm in Simcoe. Ont, they'll find three shipping containers fashioned into a pot shop and a colourful crew making history.

Thrive Cannabis's on-location storefront prepares to be Ontario's first farm-gate store, set to open this month in Simcoe, Ontario Tuesday, April 13, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Tara Walton

TORONTO - When customers roll up to Thrive Cannabis' 184-acre farm in Simcoe. Ont, they'll find three shipping containers fashioned into a pot shop and a colourful crew making history.

That crew is led by Thrive's vice president of business development and ethos Bubba Nicholson, who jokes he has the facial hair to match his company's Greybeard brand, and founder Art Bluhm, who is as spirited about pot as he is about the brisket sandwiches he sometimes surprises farm visitors with.

"We're not just some boardroom brand that's out there," said Nicholson, over a video call made from his parked car during a business trip to Vancouver. "We call it a team of misfits."

But until recently few knew the misfits behind the brand or how their products were made. That all changed on April 21, when Thrive became Ontarios first licensed producer to sell cannabis products at the site where theyre made.

The arrangement, which is being piloted or considered by several provinces, is called farm-gate cannabis because it involves taking pot from "seed-to-sale" all at one site and uniting customers with people like Nicholson and Bluhm, who were deeply involved in the journey.

According to the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority, farm-gate sales are allowed in the province, but there are currently no retail stores located at production sites.

B.C. is on track for a 2022 launch and several companies are hoping to join Thrive by offering farm-gate in Ontario later this year.

In order to begin farm-gate sales in Ontario, companies must have a retail operator license, a retail store authorization for a proposed location and pass several inspections.

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario said in mid-April that it had received 14 retail operator license applications for farm-gate sales and approved six from Thrive, Tweed Inc., Dykstra Greenhouses, Medz Cannabis Inc., Muskoka Grown Ltd. and Level Up Infusions.

It had received nine retail store applications for farm-gate and has so far issued approvals to Thrive and Medz.

Canopy Growth Corp., whose Tweed Inc. brand wanted to start farm-gate at its Smiths Falls, Ont. factory, said it has put its plan on hold until later this year.

However, many are still forging ahead because they believe farm-gate programs help consumers get their hands on fresher cannabis faster, especially in rural areas where the closest pot shop can be a considerable distance away.

With farm-gate, shoppers will learn how their favourite products are grown and processed directly from the people who made them, building relationships, trust, transparency and brand recognition.

The opportunity to build brand loyalty and educate customers confused about products is a huge opportunity for pot businesses, said Denis Gertler, senior regulatory adviser at consulting firm CannDelta.

These businesses have been hindered by laws that heavily restrict their marketing opportunities and the COVID-19 pandemic, which has forced many stores to operate through curbside pickup with few chances for brands to meet shoppers.

A June 2020 survey of 3,000 Canadian cannabis consumers from the Brightfield Group research firm suggested these factors have weighed on brand recognition. The survey found most pot brands were only recognized by between one and 15 per cent of those questioned and no brand had a recognition rate above 41 per cent.

Farm-gate can tackle this problem because "it's an opportunity for a savvy company to build a brand" like craft brewers and distillers have, but the model is not without challenges, Gertler said.

"Distilleries are often in these kinds of areas too and many of them have factory stores, which are essentially farm-gate, but there isn't the same kind of stigma around alcohol, as there is around cannabis," he said.

However, Robyn Rabinovich, Thrive's vice-president of strategic initiatives, is confident the company can build a following with farm-gate similar to what wineries experience.

"They come home with a case and they are the biggest champions of those brands because of that experience that they got through learning the process," she said.

"We're really excited to have people wear that Greybeard badge of honour."

Customers who visit will get access to 12 Thrive products and about 10 from other brands, though they'll have to settle for buying them through curbside pickup until the pandemic subsides.

Williams Lake First Nation (WFLN) is watching the situation closely.

The community located six hours outside Vancouver started building a growing facility and farm-gate store under the Sugar Cane Cannabis name earlier this year, after it signed an agreement with the B.C. government to allow farm-gate sales of its craft pot products.

Getting to that point involved negotiations between the solicitor general, who was resistant because of the industry's nascence, and WFLN, which wanted Indigenous rights to be respected, recalled Kirk Dressler, the community's director of legal and corporate services.

Eventually, the province softened when it saw how serious WFLN was about farm-gate.

"I think that they saw it as a real opportunity, a way for people who are operating smaller operations, who want to transition into the white marketto make it viable," Dressler said.

WFLN recently submitted its Health Canada applications for its growing facility and hopes to open it by July, but the retail store may not ready until several months after, Dressler said.

Chief Willie Sellers is already anticipating it will create jobs, boost tourism and share a secret: Sugar Cane is experimenting with music to enhance the growing process.

He hopes visitors will delight in tidbits like that and feel a deeper connection between the community, its cannabis and the process it took to get farm-gate going.

"Everybody that comes into our store is going to be able to hear about this journey that we went on and how we are growing our cannabis," he said.

"It's exciting and it's fun to think about this cutting edge stuff."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 2, 2021.

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WASHINGTON - Taking the Los Angeles Metro for his first trip in months, Brad Hudson felt a moment of normalcy when the train rolled into the South Pasadena, California, station, harkening back to his daily commute into LA before the coronavirus pandemic.

In this April 27, 2021, photo Brad Hudson poses as a Los Angeles Metro train goes by in South Pasadena, Calif. As President Joe Biden urges more federal spending for public transportation, transit agencies decimated by COVID-19 are struggling with a new uncertainty: how to win passengers back. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

WASHINGTON - Taking the Los Angeles Metro for his first trip in months, Brad Hudson felt a moment of normalcy when the train rolled into the South Pasadena, California, station, harkening back to his daily commute into LA before the coronavirus pandemic.

Then Hudson boarded the train, and reality set in.

Not everyone wore masks. Metro staffing levels appeared much lighter, with more trash on the trains.

I dont feel at risk for COVID, because Im vaccinated and I mask, said Hudson, a child psychologist. But he felt security was worse now  he said a passenger shouted at him for no apparent reason and, on a subsequent ride, a man entered a train car with a large knife strapped to his leg.

As President Joe Biden urges more federal spending for public transportation, transit agencies decimated by COVID-19 are struggling with a new uncertainty: how to win passengers back.

Its made more urgent as the United States confronts the climate change crisis. Biden has pledged to cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions at least in half by the end of the decade, an aggressive target that will require car-loving Americans to transform the way they travel, ditching gas-guzzling cars for electric vehicles or embracing mass transit.

We have a huge opportunity here to provide fast, safe, reliable, clean transportation in this country, and transit is part of the infrastructure, Biden said at an event Friday to promote rail and public transportation.

With fewer transportation alternatives, lower-income people are more reliant on public transportation for commuting and their daily lives. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti promises free transit fares for them and for students.

The citys Metro ridership has fallen to about half its peak of 1.2 million, and Garcetti said getting more people on board would accelerate economic recovery for our most vulnerable and reduce the citys traffic and emissions.

In Washington D.C., where many federal employees now telework due to COVID-19 restrictions, transit officials are mulling lowering fares to draw back riders. New York City has deployed several hundred additional police officers in recent months after a spate of subway attacks that included several stabbings and one person pushed onto the tracks. The Chicago area is looking at rejiggering train schedules to accommodate more passengers travelling throughout the day, rather than during rush-hour peaks, part of a pandemic shift from traditional 9-to-5 work days.

Houston is pledging improvements to 17 of its higher-frequency bus routes, with the motto, A better walk, a better stop, and a better ride, featuring improved sidewalks, brightly lit sheltered stops with digital arrival information, and faster trip times.

Bidens $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan would provide $85 billion over eight years to update and replace subway cars and repair aging tracks and stations, in effect doubling the federal investment each year. It is the biggest increase in money for public transit in generations.

Of that amount, $25 billion would be devoted to expanding bus routes and rail lines to coax more people out of automobiles, a ten-fold one-time boost over current funding levels for new capital projects.

An additional $25 billion would be devoted to converting gasoline- and diesel-powered mass transit buses to zero-emission electric vehicles.

Its a major upgrade, said Jeff Davis, a senior fellow at the Eno Center for Transportation, who describes the amount of proposed investment in particular for electric buses as phenomenal.

Its a huge dent in the backlog, so youll be able to see almost immediately in places like New York, more reliable service and fewer breakdowns because of the upgrades to existing systems, he said.

In other cities, people will get more frequent bus service. And then years down the road, passengers will see benefits from a couple dozen expanded subway and rapid transit bus lines and new light rail systems, from San Jose, California, to Las Vegas and Charleston, South Carolina.

In this April 27, 2021, photo Brad Hudson poses as a Los Angeles Metro train goes by in South Pasadena, Calif. As President Joe Biden urges more federal spending for public transportation, transit agencies decimated by COVID-19 are struggling with a new uncertainty: how to win passengers back. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

The American Society of Civil Engineers recently gave public transit a dismal D-minus grade for its crumbling network, citing 1 in 5 transit vehicles in poor condition and a repair backlog of over $100 billion.

Still, congressional Republicans are balking at the price tag, as well as Biden's plan to increase corporate taxes to pay for it. The Republican National Committee has argued that just 7% of the money in Bidens $2.3 trillion plan covers infrastructure as they define it, leaving public transit out of the mix. A Senate GOP counteroffer proposes $568 billion for infrastructure, resulting in cuts to public transit funding by several billion dollars, according to an Eno analysis.

Bidens plan is not about infrastructure  it is a plan to levy a job-destroying $2 trillion tax hike while forcing through a far-left, Green New Deal-style agenda, the RNC wrote on its blog.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says while commuting patterns may be shifting, now is the time to boost public transportation, not downsize it.

Today, Americans who rely on public transportation to get to work spend twice as long commuting as those who drive. And its not as reliable as it should be, Buttigieg told The Associated Press. A lot of this is because of the age of our transit infrastructure  across the country there are systems in urgent need of upgrade and modernization. Every American should have access to good options for affordable, fast, safe and reliable public transit  particularly those for whom transit is the only viable option.

A year ago, transit ridership nationwide drained to almost nothing as tens of millions of Americans hunkered at home due to the raging virus, shunning travel in trains and buses. To stay afloat, transit agencies cut payroll and slashed services.

Three rounds totalling nearly $70 billion in federal COVID-19 emergency assistance, including $30.5 billion that Biden signed into law in March, pulled transit agencies from the brink of financial collapse. That federal aid is now expected to cover operating deficits from declining passenger revenue and costly COVID-19 cleaning and safety protocols through at least 2022.

Still, even as vaccinations become more widespread, it's uncertain how many riders will come back.

Work-from-home arrangements initially seen as temporary appear to be a more durable trend. Transportation alternatives such as Uber and Lyft ride-share programs  and bike shares and scooters, not to mention driverless cars  threaten to eat away at transit ridership. Some city-dwellers, weary of staying in crammed quarters, have left for wide open spaces with less access to transit.

To date, about 50% of transit riders nationwide have returned compared to pre-pandemic times, according to the American Public Transportation Association. The biggest losses  about 65.6 %  are in commuter rail systems serving white-collar suburbanites travelling to downtown workplaces.

Transportation officials say a key to increasing ridership will be employers reopening offices. Even so, it could take years to get riders 100% back, if ever, putting lower-income workers at a greater disadvantage if service levels drop off.

Its a huge challenge, acknowledges Paul Skoutelas, CEO of the transportation association, who points to once-bustling downtowns that turned overnight into ghost towns due to COVID-19. Transit agencies will have to pivot to what this new future might be. Essential workers continue to be transported. But we need to get the larger workforce back on public transit, not only for our own survival but also to revitalize cities.

From coast to coast, the changed ridership is striking.

In the Chicago area, transit ridership was down 71% in March compared with the same time in 2020, according to the Regional Transportation Authority. Pre-pandemic the system saw nearly 2 million riders weekdays on Chicago Transit Authority trains and buses, Metra commuter rail and suburban Pace buses.

Those who continue to rely on public transportation are mostly Black, Latino and low-income workers. For that reason, the CTA, which runs 24 hours, didnt cut routes or service even as ridership plunged to 200,000 at the lowest.

We recognized that were carrying primarily essential workers who relied on and needed to use public transit to carry out their functions on a daily basis, said CTA President Dorval Carter.

Although empty train cars are common in some parts of the city, Chicagos Green Line trains connecting the south and west sides to downtown remain busy, says 34-year-old Ryan Patrick Thomas. Some days its standing room only.

He commutes daily from the predominantly Black Austin neighbourhood to work downtown at a company that operates senior living centres. Thomas, who is Black, says trains that used to have mixed crowds are now mostly Black, noting the virus has disproportionately hit people of colour.

These trains seem to be just as full of people in more vulnerable demographics, he said.

New Yorks subway system lost billions in revenue and more than 90% of its riders at the height of the pandemic, not to mention about 150 employees who died of COVID-19. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has spent hundreds of millions on disinfecting train cars and nearly 500 stations, even taking the unprecedented move of shutting the system down overnight; it remains closed between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m.

Subway ridership remains down close to 70%, though it continues to rise gradually. Theres a slower recovery on the Metro-North and Long Island Rail Road lines that serve the suburbs, where many white-collar workers have the option of working from home.

More than $14 billion in federal aid has put the agency on sound fiscal footing until mid-2024, MTA Chairman Patrick Foye said. How quickly riders return will dictate what happens after that. Current predictions have roughly 85% of riders coming back by the end of 2024.

As offices open in Manhattan and the rest of the city, were confident were going to see increased ridership, Foye said. But, he added: There could be a robust recovery that could still leave agencies like the MTA with deficits.

After recent highly publicized cases of subway assaults, New York City police sent in additional officers to help patrol stations, and the MTA has requested more. Still, the NYPD says data shows overall subway crime is down significantly compared to the same time last year.

But MTA officials point to a recent survey in which nearly 90% of lapsed subway riders said crime and harassment were important factors in determining whether they return to the system.

No one is saying crime is rampant and out of control in the subways, said Sarah Feinberg, interim head of New York City Transit, which runs subways and buses. What were saying is we have a huge number of customers who are worried about it. ... Weve got to get this into a better place in the coming months. If we cant get people back in the next couple of months, its going to be harder to get them back in the future.

New Jersey Transit, the nations largest statewide system, lost more than 90% of its riders at the height of the pandemic. Rail ridership currently is about 25% to 30% of pre-pandemic levels, and bus ridership is about 50%. Fares that normally fund more than 40% of operating costs currently account for about 12% amid projections ridership wont fully return until 2026.

The Biden plan would invest $621 billion to modernize transportation infrastructure, putting an emphasis on public transit and rail needs over roads by a ratio of 1.43 to 1, according to Urban Institute researcher Yonah Freemark. That signals a big shift in how the nation moves goods and people.

Projects already in the pipeline likely stand to gain the most, including a planned extension of the Bay Area Rapid Transit rail system to San Jose and Santa Clara, California; bus rapid transit lines in St. Paul, Minnesota, Charleston, South Carolina, and Las Vegas; and New York City's long-awaited Second Avenue subway line.

There's also Atlanta's proposed $5 billion upgrade of its transit system, including light rail for its Beltline; and a $7.1 billion transit expansion in Austin, Texas, approved by voters in November, featuring new rail and rapid bus routes connecting downtown to suburbs, an all-electric bus fleet, on-demand shuttles and park-and-ride facilities.

Biden's proposal would also offer federal aid to cities developing projects that relieve congestion, boost access to underserved populations and help the environment, even if construction is several years away.

If youre a city that has not developed a plan and identified local revenues to support transit improvements, you may actually lose out, Freemark said.

Biden's ambitious plan is a bet on reluctant riders returning such as Chicago resident Patrick Monaghan, who avoided public transportation for more than a year. The 55-year-old has multiple sclerosis and waited until he got fully vaccinated before making his first trip, to a Cubs game.

Boarding the familiar trains on the citys North Side gave him anxiety, even though there werent many people on board. Afterward, though, he realized how he missed it.

Sitting in my living room being away from people has made me nervous being around them. At the same time, I was excited to do something, said Monaghan, who now sees brighter days ahead riding transit to go places.

Its like having anxiety before a birthday party  like you know you will have fun, but dont know how its going to go.

Weber reported from Los Angeles, Tareen from Chicago and Porter from New York. Associated Press writers Juan Lozano in Houston and Ashraf Khalil in Washington contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON - The United States and Iran are in active talks over the release of prisoners, a person familiar with the discussions said Sunday as Washington denied a report by Iranian state-run television that deals had been struck.

FILE - This undated file family photo, shows British-Iranian woman Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe. On Sunday, May 2, 2021, Iranian state TV quoted an anonymous official that deals have been reached to release prisoners with Western ties held in Iran. The official said a deal made between the U.S. and Tehran will see a prisoner swap in exchange for the release of $7 billion in frozen Iranian funds. State TV also quoted the official saying a deal had been reached for the United Kingdom to pay 400 million pounds to see the release of Zaghari-Ratcliffe. (Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe via AP, File)

WASHINGTON - The United States and Iran are in active talks over the release of prisoners, a person familiar with the discussions said Sunday as Washington denied a report by Iranian state-run television that deals had been struck.

Prisoner swaps between the U.S. and Iran are not uncommon and both countries in recent years have routinely sought the release of detainees. But any movement between the two countries is particularly sensitive as the Biden administration looks to restart nuclear talks. A 2015 atomic accord between the nations included prisoner exchanges.

The issue burst into public view with a report in Iran of a deal for the Islamic Republic to release U.S. and British prisoners in exchange for Tehran receiving billions of dollars. U.S. officials immediately denied the report, though a person with knowledge of the discussions who was not authorized to discuss them publicly said talks are active, with messages passed between intermediaries.

It wasnt immediately clear if the report represented a move by the hard-liners running the Iranian broadcaster to disrupt negotiations with the West amid talks in Vienna on Tehrans tattered nuclear deal.

Even after an initial American denial, an anchorwoman on Iranian state TV still repeated the announcement.

Some sources say four Iranian prisoners are to be released and $7 billion are to be received by Iran in exchange for releasing four American spies," the anchorwoman said. She described the claimed deal as coming due to congressional pressure on President Joe Biden and his urgent need to show progress made in the Iran case.

But Iran's ambassador to the United Nations, Majid Takht-e Ravanchi, later denied the report of the prisoner swap, saying that it's not confirmed, according to the Telegram channel of state-run IRNA news agency.

Iran has always emphasized the comprehensive exchange of prisoners between the two countries," he said, without elaborating.

State TV did not identify the Iranians that Tehran sought to be freed.

FILE - In this Jan. 26, 2021, file photo released by the Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif listens during the talks in Moscow, Russia. Iran's foreign minister apologized Sunday for recorded comments that were leaked to the public last week, creating a firestorm in Iran less than two months before presidential elections.(Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service via AP, File)

State Department spokesman Ned Price immediately denied the Iranian state TV report.

Reports that a prisoner swap deal has been reached are not true, Price said. As we have said, we always raise the cases of Americans detained or missing in Iran. We will not stop until we are able to reunite them with their families.

Bidens chief of staff Ron Klain told CBS Face the Nation that unfortunately, that report is untrue. There is no agreement to release these four Americans.

Were working very hard to get them released, Klain said. We raise this with Iran and our interlocutors all the time, but so far theres no agreement.

Tehran holds four known Americans now in prison: Baquer and Siamak Namazi, environmentalist Morad Tahbaz and Iranian-American businessman Emad Shargi. Iran long has been accused of holding those with Western ties prisoners to be later used as bargaining chips in negotiations.

Despite the American denials, there have been signs that a deal on prisoners may be in the works based on Iranian officials' remarks in recent weeks.

Although no formal proposal for a swap has yet been presented to officials in Washington, let alone been signed off on by the White House, the specificity of the reports from Iran suggested that working-level consideration of a deal is at least underway.

State TV also quoted sources as saying a deal had been reached for the United Kingdom to pay 400 million pounds ($552 million) to see the release of British-Iranian woman Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.

British officials played down the report. The Foreign Office said the country continues to explore options to resolve this 40-year-old case and we will not comment further as legal discussions are ongoing.

Aside from Zaghari-Ratcliffes case, the U.K. and Iran also are negotiating a British debt to Tehran from before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Last week, Zaghari-Ratcliffe was sentenced to an additional year in prison, her lawyer said, on charges of spreading propaganda against the system for participating in a protest in front of the Iranian Embassy in London in 2009.

That came after she completed a five-year prison sentence in the Islamic Republic after being convicted of plotting the overthrow of Irans government, a charge that she, her supporters and rights groups deny.

While employed at the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of the news agency, she was taken into custody at the Tehran airport in April 2016 as she was returning home to Britain after visiting family.

Richard Ratcliffe, the husband of Zaghari-Ratcliffe, told The Associated Press he was not aware of any swap in the works.

We havent heard anything, he said. Of course, we probably wouldnt, but my instinct is to be skeptical at present.

Earlier Sunday, U.K. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told the BBC that he believed Zaghari-Ratcliffe was being held unlawfully by Iran.

I think shes been treated in the most abusive, tortuous way, Raab said. I think it amounts to torture the way shes been treated and there is a very clear, unequivocal obligation on the Iranians to release her and all of those who are being held as leverage immediately and without condition.

The announcement by state TV comes amid a wider power struggle between hard-liners and the relatively moderate government of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. That conflict only has grown sharper as Iran approaches its June 18 presidential election.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who pushed for the 2015 nuclear deal under Rouhani, has seen himself embroiled in a scandal over frank comments he made in a leaked recording. Zarif's name has been floated as a possible candidate in the election, something that now seems unlikely as even Iran's supreme leader has apparently criticized him.

Tehran is now negotiating with world powers over both it and the U.S. returning to the nuclear deal, which saw it limit its uranium enrichment in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. Iran has not held direct negotiations with the U.S. during the talks, however.

As the negotiations continue, Iranian diplomats there have offered encouraging comments, while state TV quoted anonymous sources striking maximalist positions contradicting them. That even saw Abbas Araghchi, the Iranian deputy foreign minister leading the talks, offer a rebuke on Twitter last week to Iranian state television's English-language arm, Press TV.

I dont know who the informed source of Press TV in Vienna is, but s/he is certainly not informed,' Araghchi wrote.
Archiving Architecture presentation postponed View(s):

RIBA Members Sri Lanka, together with JAT Holdings Limited, postponed the Presentation titled Archiving Architecture by Architect Channa Daswatte, which was scheduled to be held on Saturday, April 24, at 5:30 pm at the Shangri-La Hotel Colombo, due to the new developments of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country.

This postponement was decided by the Committee of RIBA Members Sri Lanka together with JAT Holdings Limited, as a socially responsible decision, in keeping with the current prevailing Government Circular.

Please disregard the information given in the previous publications of April 18, 2021 and April 25, 2021 related to this event.
This Sunday were kicking off a series from inside the vaults and storage rooms of some of the citys smaller museums to understand what they collect and how they portray  and represent  Winnipeggers and Manitobans.

This Sunday were kicking off a series from inside the vaults and storage rooms of some of the citys smaller museums to understand what they collect and how they portray  and represent  Winnipeggers and Manitobans.

Curator Andrea Reichert of the Manitoba Crafts Museum and Library shows off artifacts held in storage that have a connection to the founding of this province. A wall hanging tapestry made by Kitty Churchill where the bison and the word Manitoba are made from bison wool. (Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free Press)

If you need the exact shade of brown to represent a bison, it makes sense to hunt for materials close to the source.

Using buffalo hair gathered from fences at the Assiniboine Park Zoo, weaver and artisan Kitty Churchill created an outline of a bison in a woven adaptation of the original Manitoba coat of arms.

Measuring 49 by 72 centimetres, Campbells wall hanging is one of several overtly Manitoba-themed pieces in the collection of the Manitoba Crafts Museum and Library, located in the C2 Centre for Craft at 329 Cumberland Ave.

Mandated to collect and preserve the works of the provinces artisans and craftspeople, the museums collection also evokes stories like that of Churchill picking bison hair from the zoos bison enclosure in 1942, says curator Andrea Reichert.

"Museum collections as a whole are a memory of a material culture," she says of the 10,000 artifacts, collected over the past century.

The C2 Centre for Craft on Cumberland Avenue houses many cultural delights steeped in Manitoba history. (Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press files)

"Having those tangible actual pieces made by that community provides a window into what the community was."

In honour of Manitoba Day on May 12, Reichert gathered some of uniquely Manitoban artifacts just for Free Press readers.

Some came from deep within the museums 450-sq.-ft vault, fitted with rolling shelves to maximize storage capacity, and a few were displayed in a recent Handmade in Manitoba exhibit, honouring the provinces 150th anniversary, which came down last week after six months in the gallery.

Most of the artifacts in the museums collection will likely never be seen by the public, gathered over the years to preserve these handmade works, first by the Crafts Guild of Manitoba and now by the museum, which inherited the artifacts and library after the guild folded in 1997.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Bison wool scarf and mittens made by Churchill in 1942. The coloured wool is sheeps wool, while the brown wool is from bison.

"Some items are not collected for display. They are collected for documentation, for studying," Reichert says about the role of artifacts.

With only two small galleries in the ground level space the museum shares with the Manitoba Craft Council, Reichert says it is impossible  and impractical  to display the entire collection.

A few pieces are too delicate for prolonged exposure to light and air, and others may be better suited for research, showcasing the development of an artist and their craft.

"It you displayed everything all the time, they would deteriorate," she says, adding that changing up the exhibits frequently attracts repeat visitors and eliminates the possibility of museum fatigue.

Using buffalo hair gathered from fences at the Assiniboine Park Zoo, Churchill created an outline of a bison in a woven adaptation of the original Manitoba coat of arms. (Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free Press)

When it comes to pieces evoking Manitoba, the collection has the expected pieces, includes lengths of the Manitoba tartan, designed by Hugh Rankin and hand woven by Elsie Ogston, and heavy handknit zippered sweater jackets made from kits sold by Mary Maxim, a mail order company originally based in Sifton, Man.

Theres also a ceramic bouquet of purple and yellow prairie crocuses, incongruously growing out of a out-of-scale Red River cart, hand modelled by artist Dorothy Campbell in the 1960s. The Craft Guild sold crocus-themed carts, trivets and ashtrays for years at their annual sales, says Reichert.

"Its very kitschy but its also a Manitoba symbol," she says of the 14-centimetre-high ceramic piece.

A large woven and embroidered landscape with a big sky, rolling hills, canola fields and Prairie grasses also speaks to Prairie sensibilities. Made by Myrna Harris about two decades ago, the framed piece measuring 44 by 79 centimetres portrays one perspective of Manitoba while showcasing a mixture of wool felting, machine quilting, weaving, beading and embroidery.

Craft books too numerous to count provide an abundant resource. (Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press files)

"Its a more contemporary piece, its multimedia, it speaks to the Prairie," says Reichert.

A strong decorative thread is also evident in another wall hanging depicting the Winnipeg skyline. Less representational than the crocuses-in-cart sculpture, the piece by June Cameron includes recognizable buildings such as the Manitoba Legislative Building, interspersed with less identifiable structures. Cameron wove it on a tapestry loom with wool yarns in greys, wines and pink, hand-dyed with pigments from lichens.

"I like this because its so different and its subtle," Reichert says of the muted tones and ambiguous buildings.

Less ambiguous are handcrafted garments like a black velveteen vest covered in beaded flowers, made by an unknown Metis artisan, representing the people who lived here before Manitoba officially became a province. A multi-coloured mens shirt made by Kay Seng on a backstrap loom she brought from Myanmar to Canada 15 years ago reflects the handmade tradition of Karen people, who use hand-dyed yarns to create intricate patterns for clothing, scarves and shoulder bags.

A vase (with twig) crafted by Terry Hildebrand. (Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press files)

"This is representing newer Canadians who dont have that settler background from the homestead," says Reichert, referring to people such as Seng who have shorter but equally valid histories in Manitoba.

Whatever the origin of the artifacts, all demonstrate fine work and just a bit of ingenuity when supplies were scarce. Churchill exercised her artistic licence when weaving the Manitoba coat of arms from bison hair and sheeps wool, but also used the yarn partly from necessity, says Reichert.

"During the Second World War (crafters) were looking for replacement of sheeps wool because the sheeps wool was being used for military uniform," she explains.

So in 1942, members of the Crafts Guild of Manitoba asked zoo staff for permission to pick bison hair off the zoo fences, and then experimented with carding, dyeing and spinning it.

A beautiful beaded jacket on display at the museum. (Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press files)

The resulting yarn worked as a sheeps wool replacement except for one crucial fact: the bison hair would not accept dye well, so crafters had to work with whatever shades of brown were naturally produced by the bison.

That meant every project made from the bison yarn was essentially the same colour, including a knitted scarf and pair of mittens also in the museums collection.

The bison yarn story has a recent epilogue. Last summer, Reichert made a trip to a bison farm in Stonewall to collect a garbage bag full of bison hair to use in needle felting workshops. Some of the hair is curly, some wiry, but all of it is brown.

"We did take inspiration from those people (in 1942) and decided that it would be interesting to do something with it," says Reichert of the bison hair hunting expedition.

brenda@suderman.com
Incident 1103

When: Dec. 8, 2020

Where: 1200 block of St. Marys Road

An unknown man entered a retail store and left with merchandise without paying. When he was confronted by a store employee, the suspect assaulted the employee and fled on foot.

Incident 1103

Incident 1104

When: Oct. 15, 2020

Where: 800 block of Ellice Avenue

Two women visited a convenience store and left with merchandise without paying. When confronted by a store employee, the women threatened the employee with a knife and fled on foot. The two photos featured are of the same person from two different angles.
A second reason for keeping our campuses open is we know our students count on us to move them to the lives they want. So many students pursue education to improve their place in the world, improve their ability to take care of those they care about, and move towards who they want to be. We take our responsibility in that partnership quite seriously.

Not everyone could put their goals and dreams on hold this year. MSC Southeast is a promise of future opportunity. Being open and staying open is a key part of keeping that promise. I often describe our work as changing economic reality for people (students) we love, and doing that work required maintaining the ability to be on campus as safely as possible. Keeping our doors open for students has meant providing access to internet and technology, faculty and staff, our food pantries and other resources they need to succeed.

Will MSC Southeast have classes on campus this fall? Yes, we absolutely will! In fact, fall semester enrollment looks strong already because we have all been waiting to get back closer to normal. Trust me, this includes everyone at the college. We will have even more classes and services on campus than we did in 2020-21. Being on campus at the college will be one of those things that reminds us all better days are ahead and life continues.
Sheskey reported the gun stolen to the Racine Police Department on Sept. 16. According to the police report, he told the officer he had last seen the gun, a fully loaded Glock 17, the previous day when it was left in the glovebox of his girlfriends car, which was parked on the street in Racine. The report states that Sheskey told the Racine Police officer at 2:50 a.m. on Sept. 16 that his girlfriend noticed that papers were thrown on the front seat and that he told his girlfriend to check the glovebox for the gun. Thats when they realized it was missing.

The police report states that there was no sign of forced entry.

In the internal investigation report from the Kenosha Police Department, Sheskey said he had a secure location to keep his guns at his Kenosha home, but after he left home following the Blake shooting, he began storing the gun in the glovebox of his vehicle or his girlfriends vehicle. The report states that Sheskey realized on Sept. 15 after the gun was stolen that both the glovebox and the vehicle where the gun had been stored were left unlocked.
We are in the home stretch of the 2021 legislative session. As I write this, the Senate is wrapping up passing a complete state government budget encompassing every issue area.

We are focusing on Minnesotans priorities: balancing the budget without raising taxes. Investing in roads and bridges without a gas tax increase, tab fee increase, or unpopular new mileage tax. Funding public safety and police who keep us safe. Making sure schools have the resources they need to deliver the great education weve come to expect.

Funding for roads and bridges

The Republican transportation budget provides $3.03 billion for state road construction, development, and maintenance; $2.25 billion for County and Municipal State Aid Roads; and $334 million for Corridors of Commerce. The bill also provides $60 million for local and small bridges and $18.5 million for the Local Road Improvement Program. The bill also provides unprecedented levels of new, ongoing funding for small city and township roads.

Best of all: it doesnt raise gas taxes, license tab fees, or add a new tax on the miles you drive.
Its not clear whether Evers proposal would create a separate pool for school districts or include them in the local government pool.

The study by Wieske, now with Horizon Government Affairs in Washington, D.C., calls for a separate, voluntary pool for school districts. ETF's local government pool is run by calendar year, not school year, and presents other obstacles to school districts, Wieske said.

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According to his study, more than $500 million could be saved in the $2.3 billion spent by taxpayers each year on school district health insurance if districts could join a new ETF pool. But 52 districts would lose money that way, so the overall savings would drop to $238 million if all districts had to participate, the study found.

Im a Republican; I tend to not like mandates, Wieske said. Voluntary is probably the best way to go because there are districts that are saving significant amounts of money and figuring out how to manage it.
The Legislatures Joint Finance Committee begins voting this week on Wisconsins biennial budget. Many things have changed in the Badger State over the last two years, including the COVID-19 pandemic and all the struggles that have come with it. But when it comes to the budget, Gov. Tony Evers has uncompromisingly maintained the status quo by proposing an unworkable tax-and-spend model.

Before Gov. Evers released his biennial budget, Sen. Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green and I sent the governor a letter. As co-chairman of the Joint Finance Committee, we asked him to avoid the mistakes of his first budget. We asked for a responsible plan that ensured the state spent within its means while also investing in priorities. Unfortunately, Gov. Evers repeated the same mistakes of his first budget  spending excessively while also including many divisive policy items and more tax increases.
BIG MOOSE, N.Y. --- A missing hiker was found safe and sound after being missing in the woods near Big Moose overnight.

On Saturday, a man called 911 after his father didn't return from a hike in the woods as expected. DEC Forest Rangers and New York State Police searched the woods throughout the night but did not find the man. On Sunday, more resources were called to the scene including firefighters, K9 units, and drones.

Teams then located the man in the woods with an injury to his leg and symptoms of hypothermia. The NYSDEC said the hiker became disoriented while hiking in the area and his injury to his leg prevented him from moving. The man was given a blanket and food and brought out of the woods to an Old Forge Rescue Squad.

The man was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
Breakdown in law and order: So, what do we do? View(s):

The articles widely written on law and order in the Sunday Times (ST) have evoked responses in various ways. One is a venerable perceptive gentleman from Kurunegala. He asks: So, what do we do? The question is at once discerning and of concern. This question resounds to the tone of Poet TS Elliott who said: The end of all exploration is to arrive at the beginning. The question of the venerable gentleman, as to the poet, points then to the start, to the People. Some tentative ideas are here offered.

What do we do?

First thing is to do what is little and feasible. This means going back to the people as best as we may, somewhat away from the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary whose useful work does not take it back sufficiently to the people. A range of minor cases and disputes can be dealt with in resolution for law and order within the present law, as what we might do. There is law for this. Section 2 of the Criminal Procedure Code casts a police officer as a peace officer, whose duty is to keep the peace even by resolution of minor cases and disputes. Section 56 of the Police Ordinance casts the same duty on a police officer to keep the peace. In the same section the duty is cast on the police officer for prevention of crime in various ways, including through settlement of minor cases and disputes.

So, there is enough law, as it is, to answer the question: What do we do? There is also commonsense to do just the same. There is also experience of some initiative to act in this manner. The need then is the practice and policy to pursue this course of action: What do we do? There is no need for Police Reform; the only need then is to inform policing and bring police action up to date to what we might do, direct to the people. There will be no objection to this course of action by courts and the judiciary, not by the AG and the prosecution, surely not by the public. The Bar Association of Sri Lanka may not like this, but even it would not object to fundamental rights action.

Keeping the peace, and prevention of crime, must, therefore, pursue  if silently without fanfare  the path of what Police may do. Resolution of minor cases and disputes helps law and order and serves to build confidence in the Criminal Justice System (CJS). It is self-evident, however, that this line of argument cannot extend to the serious crimes which cannot be settled inter partes and which are matters for the State.

What we will do and what little Police may do are much constrained within the Criminal Justice System (CJS), as it is. Parliament and the Justice Ministry which prepares the legislation have been oriented only just to elite professional interests and not squarely to the people. With the Executive, its history is one of interference for its own influence, not for the people. With the Judiciary, the problems and maladies recounted extensively before, hardly make for the interests of the people for law and order. The politician may experience some check on their influence peddling when others go direct to the people. Sections of the media will swing with the wind. Repetition of all this is, however, tiresome. For none of these organs of government is directly and straight to the interests of the people. Policing for law and order has nonetheless to steer around these gnarls and warts of the available CJS system.

At the core of the problem for law and order at the hands of the institutions is then that money has overtaken expense; power flows easily from money, leading later to finance which circles over the higher air the mere expense and the money attracted in dispute resolution and much else relentlessly involved in law and order. Expense, money, power and finance are near substituting for justice, morality, law and order. It is regretted that this short diagnosis of the problem may be rejected out of hand since it is embarrassing.

How far will his help?

In answer to what do we do is, then, the further question. Barely a brief answer is given here to the question of the venerable gentlemen: what do we do? How far will his help? This will take the matter a little forward. We have heard of slogans such as revamp, reform, restoration and other vacuous slogans headlined with ringing tones, hardly intelligent in meaning, if not calculated. The silent voice of dispute resolution in the community is only heard of differently. It is one told only to the parties of the dispute, and from them to the community. It proceeds then in small doses. But then it surely grows, as evidenced in many a practical experience. This is a benign thought in which there is not even the little initial expense, surely not money over the initial cost and most certainly never ever reaching the realms of finance as described above. Police can, in the resolution of cases, also get the assistance of village priests and elders as in the old Gam Sabha mode. The suggestion made above will help even in graver cases, though copied from afar, as in Japan  see below.

What further can we do?

If this notion takes some root, means of resolving can be taken further. Thus, it is possible that even in some graver cases, resolution of those cases can be with lawyer representation on either side of the dispute. Still further it is conceivable that even the more serious indictable cases are dealt with at the intermediation of the AG with legal representation of the parties. There is precedent for this practice in Japan where it is known that about 90% of the cases are so determined and that only about 10% go to trial. The significance of this is the principle underlying representation; the objective is resolution.

The problem, however, is that in the long history of the process in this country, the principle of representation has got distorted due to extraneous influence. This refers to representation of the individual parties to the dispute as well as to the courts, the prosecution, and other CJS institutions, all of which are representatives of the generality of the people. But the principle of representation here has gone into a twist. Conflict even among the agencies within the CJS even sets in for the same reason. Discord within the CJS is driven by such considerations beyond justice, morality, law and order.

The seed of resolution as propounded above, must yet be planted; this is some answer to the question: What do we do? Do this little for a start and watch it meander through to the people.

(The writer is a Retired Senior Police Officer. He can be contacted at seneviratnetz@gmail.com TP 077 44 751 44)
After morning lows of 32-43 (32 Rochester-Fulton County Airport for cold spot & 43 at Covington for warm spot), highs today reached 73-82.

The warmest readings were from the eastern extent of the 80s from Illinois (Chicago hit 82, Pontiac 84, Kankakee 82, Champaign 82, Lincoln 85, Watseka 82, Joliet 84) where we hit 80-82 from Morocco & Wheatfield to Kentland, Fowler, West Lafayette to Pine Village.

Wind gusted as high as 45 mph with very low humidity resulting in rapid drying of soils after the two bands of heavy rainfall a few days ago.

____________________________________________________________________________

Tonight will be warm & breezy to windy with mostly clear to partly cloudy skies & lows 58-66.

Highs Sunday should reach 81-85 with south-southwest winds to 41 mph & a mix of clouds & sunshine.

Dew points should still be low at 46-54, so it will not feel humid.

A round of showers & a few isolated storms should pass Sunday night-Monday morning with lows in the 60s. Rainfall of 0.08-0.50" is expected.

A break should then ensue for the rest of Monday with some sunshine, south winds to 40 mph & temperatures warming to 80-85. Dew points should also rise to 64-70, leading to a humid afternoon-evening.

Line of storms should form to our west & impact the area Monday evening-night.

Parameters suggest SLIGHT & SPC has SLIGHT RISK of severe weather up for much of the area.

Main threat is some scattered severe gusts & potential of an isolated brief tornado &/or isolated large hail given current information.

Higher severe risk is southwest & south of our area currently, however.

After that line of storms, rainfall & a few storms return Tuesday (after a lull) late Monday night to Tuesday morning), but the severe weather risk is south of our area.

Highs will run in the 60s to 70.

60s to 70 are expected Wednesday & Thursday with sun & lows largely in the 40s.

Alberta Clipper system should dive in around Friday with a few showers & storms (isolated hail).

Highs in the 60s to 70 are expected.

Next weekend, highs in the 60s to 70 are likely with lows 37-43.

Round of showers & some storms is possible around May 10-11, followed by drier weather, then warm, humid to muggy, stormy pattern with above normal rainfall around May 13-25 with focus on higher severe weather risk around May 20.

After this & a brief cool-down, hot, dry weather with 90 to the 90s is possible at the very end of May.
BRENTWOOD, TN (WSMV) - A Metro Police SWAT team member shot a man described as schizophrenic after the man shot a gun toward officers on Saturday evening.

Police said 23-year-old Jacob Griffin was shot around 7:30 p.m. in a wooded area behind the Goodwill Store at 6708 Nolensville Pike after Griffin shot his gun after a four-hour negotiation with officers.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation in leading the investigation into the shooting.

The investigation into an officer-involved shooting Saturday night that left one man dead in Metro Nashville continues. Special agents have been on the scene through the night to conduct interviews and gather evidence. RELEASE: https://t.co/ssNX8s1GaN  Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (@TBInvestigation) May 2, 2021

Metro Police released body-worn video and the 911 call from Karen Griffin, Jacob Griffins mother, asked for help for her son.

Karen Griffin called emergency communications around 2:30 p.m. She told dispatchers her son had sent texts to her saying he was going to kill her and other people.

Karen Griffin described her son as schizophrenic and said he had never actually been violent. I really dont want the police to kill him, but I dont want him to kill anyone either.

South Precinct officers Louis Pena and Matthew Swindell found Jacob Griffin in the woods behind the Goodwill store.

In the initial contact with Jacob Griffin, Pena shot him with his stun gun, which was ineffective. Metro Police said all South Precinct officers had not been equipped yet with body-worn cameras and there was no video of the initial encounter.

Around 4:10 p.m., Police negotiators and SWAT was requested to the scene after a request from South officers. Mobile crisis staff from the Mental Health Co-Op arrived and signed emergency committal papers for Griffin.

Swindell and Sgt. Melvin Brown III negotiated with Jacob Griffin for three hours.

At 7:20 p.m., Jacob Griffin shot his gun. He began telling police he was a hypnotist and to get off his land.

At 7:30 p.m., SWAT officers put a plan in place to take Griffin in custody by using distraction devices, direct-impact hard-foam rounds and a police k9.

In the midst of trying to take Jacob Griffin into custody, he fired another shot, which resulted in SWAT officer Matthew Grindstaff, a 15-year police department veteran, to shoot Jacob Griffin.

Jacob Griffin was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center where he died.

In the call to police, Karen Griffin said her son previously worked at Goodwill and had previously threatened the store manager over the last three or four months. She said he had not threatened the store or manager today but had talked about mass murders before.

Hes never been as specific as he has been today, she told dispatchers.

She told police he had spoken about going into Goodwill and killing the manager and whoever else he could.

Karen Griffin told dispatchers her son had sent text messages on Saturday showing a gun with a full magazine.

The officer-involved shooting is the second in as many weeks involving Metro Police officers.

Police shot Marvin Veiga, 32, late in the evening of April 23 after Veiga charged at officers with two knives after a traffic stop. Veiga was wanted in Massachusetts on a outstanding murder warrant.
An open letter calling on the government to honour its pledge to lift COVID-19 restrictions in Juneincluding ending wearing face masks in schools and community testinghas been given widespread publicity in the right-wing media.

Signed by 22 academics and scientists and published in the right-wing Sunday Express under the online edition headline, End face masks and social distancing on June 21top scientists demand, it asserts that a good society cannot be created by an obsessive focus on a single cause of ill-health and that the theoretical risk of vaccine-immune strains or a new COVID-19 surge should not outweigh the damage caused by lockdown.

The letter appeared as it was disclosed that, on October 30, Prime Minister Boris Johnson had thundered in Downing Street No more f***ing lockdowns, let the bodies pile high in their thousands!

Johnson's remarks underscore that the UK ruling elitealong with others worldwidehave been following a policy of herd immunity. Having secured a multi-billion pound bailout for the banks and super-rich in March 2020, they were determined to drive workers back into unsafe conditions to recoup profits.

Social opposition meant that the ruling Conservatives were reluctantly forced to make adaptationsvia limited national lockdowns and regional Tiered restrictionsbut guidelines on face masks, social distancing and the closure of non-essential retail were always a sop while most workplaces and schools remained open. In June, this pretence is to be abandoned as the government ends the final lockdown. The open letter is part of these efforts.

Robert Dingwall, Sociology Professor at Nottingham Trent University and co-author of the letter, claimed it is not the product of any organized group, alliance or coalition. But 10 of its signatories are also signatories to the Great Barrington Declaration, launched at the right-wing American Institute for Economic Research (AIER) in Massachusetts on October 4 last year, just weeks before Johnson's outburst. Part funded by the billionaire Charles Koch, it presented a pseudo-scientific justification for letting the virus rip that was endorsed by then President Donald Trump.

Drs. Martin Kulldorf, Sunetra Gupta, and Jay Bhattacharya at the American Institute for Economic Research, photo courtesy of American Institute for Economic Research.

The WSWS described the Declaration as A manifesto of death and a declaration of war on the working class by the capitalist oligarchy.

Several signatories are associated with anti-vaccine and COVID-denier groups including the South-African based PANDA (Pandemics Data and Analytics), HART (Health Advisory & Recovery Team) and Collateral Global. They cross over into organisations such as UsforThem, which is demanding an end to the use of facemasks in schools. The alliance between right-wing forces, anti-vaxxers and libertarians has been on display at a growing number of anti-lockdown protests held in central London, and elsewhere.

Professor Carl Heneghan and Professor Sunetra Gupta, both University of Oxford, are among those signing the declaration and the open letter. Gupta and Heneghan addressed the Tory cabinet on September 20, 2020 to argue against another lockdown. They were joined by Swedish epidemiologist Anders Tegnell, who pioneered Sweden's disastrous herd immunity policy.

Two of the open letter signatories are government advisersDingwall and Professor David Livermore. Throughout the pandemic, Dingwall has authored a stream of articles in the right-wing Telegraph, Daily Mail and Express whose message is clear from their headlines, Is 'social distancing effective in the fight against Covid?; Compulsory masks have NO place in a caring school; No one can ensure total safety... We must fight pandemic of FEAR; Trying to lock down until Covid is eradicated would be dangerous folly, and Britain must not be sacrificed on the altar of fighting Covid-19.

Dingwall has distanced himself from those arguing COVID-19 is no worse than bad flu, but says that vaccination brings the risk posed by Covid down to levels humans have lived with for millennia.

The claim that a UK vaccination programme (just 17 percent of the UK population are fully vaccinated) is sufficient in the face of a global pandemic that is soaring out of control in much of the world is national myopia. The horrendous scenes in India and Brazil show that the worst of the pandemic is by no means over. Questions remain as to vaccine resistance in new and more virulent variants.

And events in Chile confirm the dangers of encouraging any complacency. Despite undertaking one of the fastest vaccine programmes (next to Israel and the UK) with some 40 percent of its population receiving at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, the number of daily cases in the country is higher than at any time in the last year.

The use of vaccination to justify reducing social distancing measures played a key role in Chile's outbreak. But it is social inequality that is the major factor. A research study into COVID-19 incidences in Chile's capital, Santiago, for Science the journal for the American Association for the Advancement of Sciencerecords a strong association between socioeconomic status and both COVID-19 outcomes and public health capacity.

In Chile as elsewhere, the past 40 years has seen an unprecedented redistribution of wealth from workers to the rich. This has been accelerated through the pandemic with the collective wealth of the worlds billionaires exploding 60 percent from last year, from $8 trillion to more than $13.1 trillion.

Massive government bailouts are to be paid for through a drastic intensification of the exploitation of the working class. The political and class calculations of the ruling elite dictate that workers must be forced into unsafe workplaces and conditions. If they die or become seriously ill, so be it.

That the virus is a poor man's disease is now well established. And it is this that accounts for the ruling elites homicidal indifference to its spread.

Writing in the British Medical Journal, Christina Pagel of Independent SAGE, which has criticised aspects of government coronavirus policy, warned that weekly average case rates in England since September are 50 percent higher in deprived communities, which also have had more than double the number of intensive care admissions and almost double the risk of dying...

The major causes, Pagel wrote, are working jobs in factories, transport and social care associated with higher exposure to catching Covid-19; living in multioccupancy housing and being financially unable to isolate. As a result, there is significantly more covid circulating in deprived communities as we start coming out of lockdownalmost 2.5 times as many cases per head in the last two weeks of March as in the least deprived areas.

This is confirmed by official statistics presented by Labour MP Jon Trickett in Parliament showing that Yorkshire has 9 percent of England's population but 36 percent of all workplace transmissions because many in the region work in manufacturing, warehousing, and care services. Not only have these remained open, but lower pay rates mean people cannot afford to self-isolate. While 70 percent of people in professional occupations are working from home, this falls to 15 percent for those in caring, leisure and other services and 5 percent for process plant machine operatives.

Trickett proposed no action against this, even declining to name a large warehouse firm in his Hemsworth constituency whose workforce... have repeatedly raised a sense of not feeling safe at work. In response, the firm told him that if the workers don't feel safe, they can go home, but we won't pay them and we won't furlough them. This was not acceptable behaviour, Trickett complained, concluding with his hope that the Government and the public authorities accept that employers and employees have a duty and an obligation to try to eliminate covid at work and elsewhere. [emphasis added]

Trickett could offer nothing in response as Labour has supported government efforts to end lock-down with leader Sir Keir Starmer demanding of Johnson that schools remain open no ifs, no buts, no exceptions. The trade unions have acted as enforcers for government and the bosses, working to sabotage opposition to these conditions.
VIGO COUNTY, Ind. (WTHI) - The YMCA held a car show and vendor fair today.

This event was free to the public.

But food, face painting, and raffle tickets were up for purchase.

All proceeds went to their child care department.

Organizers say there is a great need for funds that are raised.

"We give out about 30-40 thousand dollars a year in scholarships to assist parents with childcare so with COVID that depleted a lot of that in that account and parents still need help. So this is just a way to replenish that account," says director Cayce Evans.
With the coronavirus pandemic spiraling out of control in India and other developing regions, the United States this week committed to sharing 60 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine with other countries.

But that's a drop in the bucket.

The US has bought or contracted to buy more than 1 billion doses of coronavirus vaccines. That's enough to vaccinate the US population at least twice, with plenty left over.

Medical ethicists told CNN the US has a moral duty to share those doses with other countries. That's especially true, they said, now that the pandemic is relatively under control in the US while countries like India have been overwhelmed by the virus.

"I do believe that the US is obligated to share vaccines with other countries," said Keisha Ray, an assistant professor and bioethicist at UTHealth McGovern Medical School in Houston, "especially those countries we might consider poorer countries or what we call underdeveloped countries."

Arthur Caplan, director of the Division of Medical Ethics at NYU's Grossman School of Medicine, agreed. He said the US was "ethically obligated" to share vaccines, pointing to the "horrific death toll and hospitalization tsunami that's taking place in many countries."

"Morally," he said, "we have to help."

It's a question of when -- not if

From an ethical perspective, everyone should have access to protection from Covid-19, Kathy Kinlaw, associate director for Emory University's Center for Ethics, told CNN.

She said many countries lack vaccine access because of the "diminished purchasing power for healthcare in general, but also for Covid-19 treatments and vaccines."

"I think the United States is definitely in a position where we should be sharing, absolutely," she said. "It's a matter of timing -- I think that's one real issue here."

The US is not simply obligated to share vaccines by virtue of its resources, Ray said. Wealthier countries like the US have historically benefited by hindering other countries, she said, whether through government relations or colonialism.

"We've gone to other poorer countries, taken their resources, and we've built our wealth on the backs of their resources," she said. "And we've left them in a position that now they can't care for themselves."

"Now we are in a position to give back, we are in a position to go there and help these countries," she said, like "paying our debt."

All three agreed it was right for the US to control its virus outbreaks before sharing vaccines. The pandemic is still an issue in the US, Ray said, but conditions have improved greatly.

"When you look at the US and global distribution of vaccines, you have to first ask, is the US in a position to help other people? That means it won't be of detriment to its own people, in this case Americans," she said. "So do we have the resources to share with other countries who are really struggling with the Covid pandemic? And simply put, right now, the answer is yes."

Caplan likened it to the rule for airplane oxygen masks that flight attendants describe prior to takeoff: "Put your own mask on before you assist others."

"You need to stabilize your own nation before you assist others," he said. "And I think we're there. I think we're getting there now."

US supply is outpacing demand

One factor in deciding to release extra vaccines is the issue of supply and demand -- specifically, that the former will soon outstrip the latter in the US, Kinlaw said. And that could mean it's time to start shipping spare doses overseas, she said.

A recent report by the Kaiser Family Foundation said the country as a whole will "likely reach a tipping point on vaccine enthusiasm in the next 2 to 4 weeks."

"Once this happens," the report said, "efforts to encourage vaccination will become much harder, presenting a challenge to reaching the levels of herd immunity that are expected to be needed."

Health experts have already warned of waning demand.

One official in Ohio's Mercer County told CNN this month that officials are struggling to fill vaccine appointments. And earlier this week, Georgia officials announced they would close the state's eight remaining mass vaccination sites on May 21.

The US needs to continue to address vaccine hesitancy at home and be responsive to peoples' concerns, Kinlaw said. "But certainly there could be a point where there are people who will not take the vaccine and we have extra vaccine in this country, in which case it should be used and shared."

Data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that 30% of the US population is fully vaccinated. Experts like Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, have estimated the US needs between 70% and 85% of the country to be immune -- either through vaccination or prior infection -- to reach herd immunity.

But even without reaching that crucial threshold, the US has enough vaccines to share with other countries, experts said.

The US could have an estimated 300 million excess doses by the end of July, according to a recent Duke University report.

"The world's wealthiest nations have locked up much of the near-term supply," wrote Dr. Krishna Udayakumar and Dr. Mark McClellan, health experts at Duke. "At the current rate vaccines are being administered, 92 of the world's poorest countries won't vaccinate 60% of their populations until 2023 or later."

Ray told CNN the main issue in the US is not one of supply. It's vaccine access for poor communities, rural communities and communities of color -- particularly those that are Black and Latino -- and lingering hesitancy, largely among White and conservative populations.

"That is an education, a public outreach and an access issue," she said. "We have other hurdles that are not supply hurdles. So we do have the supply to help other countries."

Global herd immunity will benefit everyone

It's not just the right thing to do.

The US and the world stand to benefit, especially if it wants to prevent further spread of the coronavirus and the emergence of new variants, the ethicists said.

"If you don't get these hotspots under control outside the US, they're going to come back, likely with new, dangerous strains that may undermine our vaccines," Caplan said. "It's both prudent to do it and ethical to do it."

Kinlaw also emphasized the importance of herd immunity not only in the US, but globally.

"Epidemiologically, we should be working to suppress the virus and to decrease transmission and decrease the continue evolution of the virus and the variants," she said. "That is going to be beneficial to every single person."

But vaccinations everywhere could also present economic benefits, Kinlaw said, allowing people to travel more freely and conduct business around the world.

"Beyond just doing what is just, we can look at it practically," said Ray, "and we can't have a country as large as India and as important to the global economy as India not producing the goods that we have come to rely on them for."

There are plenty of questions that will also have to be addressed when the US shares vaccines, Caplan said, like, "Who goes first? What do you do within the country? Is it too late and better to send medicine rather than vaccine?"

He pointed to the need to ensure a country that receives doses from the US is distributing them fairly and to vulnerable individuals.

"One of the ethical challenges is, are we going to insist on fair distribution within those countries? Or are we just going to give them vaccine and let them give it to the military and elite?" he said.

"It sounds nice to say we're going to aid others, but its simplistic, because some governments are corrupt," he said. "Some governments have no distribution plan other than to give it first to their own leaders, rather than to those in need."
OXFORD, Miss. (AP)  The chief executive officer of Habitat for Humanity International on Saturday challenged University of Mississippi graduates to pursue purpose, and not just success as their collegiate careers end and they enter their varied professions.

Jonathan T.M. Reckford gave the Convocation address to about 10,000 people gathered at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium at Ole Miss for the 168th Commencement, the university said in a news release.

He told the more than 5,000 graduates to consider the really important matters as they answer questions like Who are you?" and How will you define success? and How will you find your purpose?

Ultimately success will not be measured by what youve achieved, but by who you are, by your character, Reckford said. Studies have shown that there is very little correlation between wealth and happiness. You can be rich in so many ways. Service is a doorway by which we enter so many positive places together. In my experience, serving others and connecting to something larger than ourselves is where we find true joy.

Chancellor Glenn Boyce, in his introduction, noted Reckford's service to the nation and his accomplishments as a humanitarian, describing him as a distinguished leader in the nonprofit and corporate worlds.

As our graduates take the next step in their journey, I know they will be inspired by the keen insight hes gained as head of a global organization that exemplifies the notion of servant leadership, Boyce said.

Habitat for Humanity is a global nonprofit housing organization working in local communities across the U.S. and in approximately 70 countries, according to his website. The organization says it has helped more than 35 million people with improved living conditions since 1976.

Reckford said the graduates have learned about much more than academics.

During the pandemic, you figured out new ways of doing things. You discovered an appreciation of the ordinary, he said. The shared experiences of COVID-19 have brought us closer together even as weve been physically separated. Weve developed a deep empathy for those we love and found a calling to help those weve never met.

Reckford said the commencement ceremony was his first in-person event since the pandemic began more than a year ago.

I am thrilled to be able to offer you my congratulations, he said. This is a great moment for you and your families. This clearly wasnt the senior year that any of you had imagined or planned, but you are a very resilient group of college students who faced the challenges of remote learning, interrupted social lives and a daunting job market.
Charleston, WV (25301)

Today

Rain showers early with scattered thunderstorms arriving for the afternoon. High 83F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Variable clouds with showers and scattered thunderstorms. Storms more numerous this evening. Low 67F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.
RTHK: SpaceX capsule makes safe splashdown with crew

A SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule carrying four astronauts back to Earth splashed down off Panama City early on Sunday, a NASA livestream showed.

Boats were retrieving the spacecraft and crew after their six-month mission aboard the International Space Station.

The crew reported they were feeling well, NASA said.

The capsule splashed down at 2:56 am (0656 GMT) in the dark in the Gulf of Mexico off the Florida coast after a six-and-a-half hour flight from the ISS, images relayed by NASA's WB-57 high-altitude research aircraft showed.

Astronauts Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, Shannon Walker and Japan's Soichi Noguchi went to space last November as the crew on the first fully operational mission to the ISS aboard a vehicle made by Elon Musk's SpaceX, which has become NASA's favoured commercial transportation partner.

Seven astronauts remained on the ISS including a new crew of four who arrived on a different SpaceX craft last week.

"Thanks for your hospitality," Hopkins said earlier as the capsule undocked from the space station for its return journey. "We'll see you back on Earth."

Prior to that, two American astronauts made a test mission to the ISS in May and stayed for two months.

That was the first launch to the ISS from US soil since the end of the Space Shuttle program in 2011. It was also the first crewed mission run by a private company, as opposed to NASA.

Until then US astronauts had caught rides to the ISS aboard Russian spacecraft. (AFP

This story has been published on: 2021-05-02. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Press Release

May 2, 2021 De Lima bats for 10-day paid leaves for COVID-19 positive employees Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima has introduced a measure mandating paid pandemic leaves for all qualified employees, whether in public or private sector, who are confirmed cases of COVID-19, during the duration of the pandemic. De Lima filed Senate Bill (SB) No. 2148 seeking to grant 10 working days of paid COVID-19 leave for employees who contracted the virus and need to undergo quarantine and who because of the nature of their occupation, work or activity cannot avail of a telecommuting program or work from home scheme. "Filipinos valiantly choose to work, to provide for their families and to save the economy, despite the danger this pandemic poses," said De Lima, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Justice, Welfare and Rural Development. "Thus, it is only right that these employees be provided with the incentive of having paid leaves when they are confirmed to be COVID-19 positive and they need to undergo quarantine or isolation," she added. Reportedly, about 4.5 million Filipinos have lost their jobs in 2020, with the unemployment rate at 10.4 percent - the highest recorded percentage in 15 years, due to the implementation of lockdown which caused businesses and establishments to stop operating. Moreover, the unemployment rate increased from 8.2% in October 2020 to 8.8% in January 2021, with the CALABARZON and Bicol seen to have double-digit unemployment rates of 13.1% and 11.3%, respectively. "Despite these numbers, the government sees these as 'signs of recovery' but with the re-implementation of the enhanced community quarantine in the country, it appears otherwise," De Lima pointed out. Additionally, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) extended for six months to one year the allowable period which permits employers to categorize their employees on "floating status" during the pandemic. De Lima said granting the 10-day pandemic leave for employees not only protects the welfare of workers and their families but also ensures occupational safety and health in workplaces and avoids further spread of the virus in the workplace. "With the colossal and detrimental effects of the pandemic, employees are forced to stay in a job that is low paying despite health hazards due to the virus and consequences of contractualization," she said. "Those who are gainfully employed, while fortunate, struggle to do their jobs by personally reporting to their workplace despite risk of acquiring the virus on the way to and from work and even in the workplace itself," she added. Under the measure, an employee who applies for the paid pandemic leave must submit the necessary medical records and other proof of eligibility to the employer for immediate action. Having one of the world's longest and strictest lockdowns, the Philippines continues to face a new "record high" of confirmed cases of COVID-19 almost daily. The country's confirmed COVID-19 cases tally surpassed one million last April 26.
Indias COVID tsunami By Shashi Tharoor, exclusively for the Sunday Times in Sri Lanka View(s): View(s):

NEW DELHI  It is humbling when a columnist must retract his words soon after penning them. Just two months ago, after India rushed millions of doses of COVID-19 vaccines to over 60 countries, I praised the countrys vaccine diplomacy. Indias aspirations to be recognised as a global power had been given a real boost. Now, with more than 300,000 new cases a day and the death toll evidently much higher than reported, India is no ones idea of a global leader.

In my own defense, I was worried that India had exported three times as many vaccines as it had administered domestically. The country was clearly lagging behind its own target of immunising 400 million people by August, after vaccinating some three million healthcare workers in a campaign that began only on January 16.

[M]ounting concern about rising case numbers, the emergence of COVID-19 variants that may not respond to existing vaccines, and an economy that has not yet fully recovered, I noted, will intensify the challenge India confronts in fulfilling its obligations to developing countries while also meeting domestic demand.

At the time, I did not realise the scale of the challenge. Hospital beds are now overflowing, oxygen supplies have dwindled, vaccination centres have run out of doses, and pharmacies are unable to meet the demand for anti-virals. India is reeling.

How did everything go so wrong so soon after India recovered from the first wave of the pandemic last year, resumed normal life and economic activity, and started exporting vaccines? The list of errors is long.

Begin with symbolism over substance. On national television, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged Indians to bang plates together. Two weeks later, he instructed them to light lamps at a specific moment. Superstition replaced science-based policies in confronting the pandemic.

Modi also enlisted Hindu nationalism in the fight against COVID-19. Just as the epic Mahabharata war was won in 18 days, he claimed, India would win the war against the coronavirus in 21 days. At no point was this based on anything more than wishful thinking.

Another error was ignoring the World Health Organisations advice. From the start of the crisis, the WHO recommended a containment strategy that required testing, contact tracing, isolation, and treatment. While a handful of states, like Kerala (which recorded Indias first COVID-19 case on January 30, 2020), initially implemented such measures successfully, the Modi governments ham-handed response resulted in their uneven application in several states.

Then there was over-centralisation. From the first nationwide lockdown, announced by Modi in March 2020 with less than four hours notice, the central government managed the pandemic under obscure provisions of the Epidemic Diseases Act and the Disaster Management Act, which allowed it to ride roughshod over Indias federal structure. Instead of delegating Indias 28 state governments the authority to design strategies tailored to local conditions, the central government tried to manage COVID-19 by decree from Delhi, with calamitous results.

And, no surprise, the initial lockdown was mismanaged. State governments, the public, and even central government officials were caught unprepared. Chaos resulted, with some 30 million migrant workers, stranded without work in cities, forced to walk home, sometimes for days. It is estimated that 198 people died along the way. Some five million micro and small enterprises closed, unable to recover from the shutdown. Indias unemployment reached the highest levels ever recorded.

As the crisis began to slip out of control, the central government, following then-US President Donald Trumps precedent, passed off more and more responsibilities to state governments, without adequate funding. The state governments struggled to mobilise doctors, nurses, health workers, testing kits, personal protective equipment, hospital beds, ventilators, oxygen cylinders, and medicines to fight the pandemic. The government mobilised a huge amount of funds for a new relief entity called PM-CARES, but to this day there is no public accounting of how much money is in the opaque PM-CARES Fund and where its resources have been allocated.

When the pandemic seemed to have waned, the authorities settled into complacency, taking no precautions or preventive measures against a possible second wave that many warned could be more devastating than the first. Testing, tracking, and isolation of infected people and their contacts fell rapidly into disuse by the end of 2020. And just when people stopped following appropriate behavioral guidelines, the virus evolved an extremely infectious variant. Super-spreader events proliferated: election rallies and religious festivals packed together unmasked throngs. The contagion raged.

Although India produces 60% of the worlds vaccines, the government took no steps to scale up production of the two COVID-19 vaccines cleared for manufacture in the country. Nor did it permit the import of foreign vaccines, help expand available manufacturing facilities, or license other Indian firms to produce doses. India launched its vaccination drive nearly two months after the United Kingdom, but by April, only 37% of health workers, and barely 1.3% of Indias 1.4 billion people, had been fully vaccinated. Only 8% had received at least one vaccine shot.

Here, too, the authorities initially bet on centralisation, and its refusal to grant emergency-use approval to vaccines from abroad led to a nationwide shortage of vaccines by mid-April. It was only at this point that the government delegated the vaccine roll-out to state governments and public and private hospitals and permitted the import of vaccines approved by the United States, the UK, the European Union, Russia, and Japan. Even then, the central government failed to distribute vaccines equitably to the various states, resulting in some of the worst-affected (like opposition-ruled Maharashtra and Kerala) running short of vaccines as cases peaked.

Like Indias government, I was prematurely self-congratulatory about the countrys vaccine diplomacy. At a time when Indians were unable to access the vaccines that might have protected them, Indias Vaccine Maitri programme was not smart, but hubristic. Global leadership must begin at home, and today home is a country whose mortuaries, graveyards, and crematoria are running out of space.

Shashi Tharoor, a former UN under-secretary-general and former Indian Minister of State for External Affairs and Minister of State for Human Resource Development, is an MP for the Indian National Congress.

Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2021.

www.project-syndicate.org
Charleston, WV (25311)

Today

Rain showers this morning with numerous thunderstorms developing during the afternoon hours. High around 75F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Variable clouds with showers and scattered thunderstorms. Storms more numerous this evening. Low around 65F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.
Clarksburg, WV (26301)

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Showers this morning then scattered thunderstorms developing during the afternoon hours. High 77F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with more showers at times. Low 66F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.
Strengthening journalism to advance democracies; Information as a public good May 3: World Press Freedom Day 2021 View(s): View(s):

The Sri Lanka Press Institute (SLPI) marks World Press Freedom Day on May 3, 2021 in concurrence with UNESCOs commemoration of 30 years of the Windhoek Declaration under the theme Information as a Public Good.

The completion of 30 years of the landmark Windhoek Declaration for the development of free independent and pluralistic press also sheds light on our own roadmap declaration for media freedom in Sri Lanka, the Colombo Declaration of Media Freedom and Social Responsibility of 1998.

This years theme revolves around affirming the importance of information enhancing media information and literacy to defend and demand journalism as a vital part of information as a public good. In seeking to advance professionalism in journalism and promote media freedom under the theme; Strengthening Journalism to Advance Democracies; Information as a Public Good the SLPI recognises reliable information as key to forge collective aspirations of better democracies.

In echoing this message, the SLPI and the Pathfinder Foundation are jointly hosting a webinar on Right to Information to coincide with World Press Freedom Day, reiterating the importance of access to information as a public good.

The six-member panel comprising Mr Yashvardhan Kumar Sinha, Chief Information Commissioner, Central Information Commission, India, Ms Kishali Pinto-Jayawardena, Commissioner, Right to Information Commission of Sri Lanka, Mr Shyamlal Yadav, Senior Editor, The Indian Express, Ms Ashwini Natesan, Independent researcher and advocate, Mr Jayantha Fernando, Director, Sri Lanka CERT and General Counsel, ICTA, and Prof M Sridhar, former Commissioner, Central Information Commission of India will talk of the following areas, Gains of the present, priorities for the future , Implementing RTI: Development priorities and exposing corruption and RTI; Privacy and data protection . The panel will be moderated by journalist, Mr Waruna Karunatilake.

The webinar will be held on the Zoom platform on May 3, at 3.30 PM. More details are available on the SLPI website at www.slpi.lk or on Facebook or twitter.
Weather Alert

...HIGH WIND WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING... * WHAT...Southwest winds 30 to 40 mph with gusts up to 60 mph possible. * WHERE...Southwest and south central WY, including along the HWY 30/I-80 Corridor from Kemmerer to Wamsutter and the Green River Basin. * WHEN...From Thursday afternoon through Thursday evening. * IMPACTS...Damaging winds could blow down trees and power lines. Travel could be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Monitor the latest forecasts and warnings for updates on this situation. Fasten loose objects or shelter objects in a safe location prior to the onset of winds. &&
An investigative report and previously unseen videos from the 2018 death of a Kansas teenager shot multiple times by police during a wellness check were released Thursday by the city of Overland Park  much-needed transparency, his family said, after more than three years of demanding that files in the case be made public.

The redacted 500-page report, along with photos and videos of police dashcam footage and interviews after the shooting, have shed some light into why Overland Park police Officer Clayton Jenison said he fired his weapon 13 times as John Albers, 17, backed a minivan out of his family's garage.

"I thought he was going to run me over, man," Jenison can be heard repeating in one video, as he sobbed and breathed heavily after the shooting.

But Albers' parents believe the files still don't explain the full story, and questioned Friday why there wasn't a scene diagram and reconstruction report of the shooting, and why although Jenison's training history was included, no performance reviews or more information about the officer's employment were available.

"This 'investigation' contains little information about the officer that fired his weapon 13 times or his performance as a police officer," Steve and Sheila Albers said in a statement.

The shooting of Albers has remained in the spotlight in Kansas, a state where police records are largely kept under wraps, even after a case is closed. The FBI in September confirmed that it has opened a federal civil rights investigation into the police shooting; the review remains pending.

One month after the Jan. 20, 2018, shooting, Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe released some dashcam video when he announced that Jenison, who said he feared for his life, was justified and would not be charged. At the time, the police department did not have body-worn cameras.

The newly released files include social media posts and journal entries in which John Albers, a high school junior, expressed mental health struggles. Police were called to the Albers' home when a friend was concerned that he may have been intoxicated and feeling suicidal and had threatened to stab himself with a knife.

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"John may not have been perfect, but he was deeply loved," the Albers said in their statement. "He deserved an investigation that was competent, unbiased and backed by evidence. This was not an investigation, it was victim blaming."

The city of Overland Park, in its decision to make the files public, said it had received numerous requests for the report, but consistently denied them because the files had "sensitive personal information" and their release "can have a serious negative impact on future investigations."

In January, NBC affiliate KSHB in Kansas City, Missouri, sued the city for the release of the investigative files related to the case. The city at the time sought dismissal of the lawsuit, which remains pending.

But in a surprise move this week, the city said it would release a redacted report and some evidence.

"As a result of this ongoing discussion, misinformation has been circulated resulting in a serious erosion of public trust over this period of time," the city said in a statement, adding that the withholding of the report "has become an obstacle to restoring the community's trust and confidence in the City of Overland Park, its officials, and the Overland Park Police Department."

Neither the police department nor the Johnson County District Attorney's Office immediately responded to requests for comment about how the Albers characterized the investigation, which was handled by the Johnson County Officer Involved Shooting Investigation Team. Sean Reilly, a spokesman for the city, said Friday that a 3D scan of the crime scene is being retained by Johnson County's crime lab.

"Our sympathy goes out to the family and we respect their perspective," Reilly wrote in an email. "However, the city concurs with the district attorney that the officer reasonably feared for his life and it was a lawful use of force."

Albers' family has long questioned the police's narrative of the night the teen was killed.

Image: John Albers. (Courtesy of Sheila Albers)

Just before dusk, Albers was home alone while his family went out for dinner. That's when a concerned friend contacted police for a welfare check, according to a federal complaint filed by the family against the city and Jenison. Albers was known to police because of past domestic incidents, and, according to the complaint, police knew he "potentially had mental health problems."

Dashcam videos and a neighbor's security camera showed Jenison and another officer arriving at the home. They first spoke for a few minutes outside and did not knock on the front door or identify themselves. Eventually, the family's garage door swung open, and Jenison unholstered his weapon and moved toward the door as the minivan, which Albers was driving, began to back out slowly and in a straight line. Jenison reacted, aiming his weapon and yelling, "Stop, stop, stop." Jenison, who was standing to the right of the van, fired twice toward Albers; the family's complaint contended that one or both of the bullets struck the teenager, "incapacitating him and rendering him unable to control the minivan."

The car stopped but then speeded up in reverse, making a U-turn in the driveway and backing up. Jenison fired 11 more shots, and the minivan pulled forward, past another police car that had just approached, and coasted in neutral into the driveway of a home across the street, according to the report and dashcam video.

The minivan that John Albers was driving came to a stop in front of a home in Overland Park, Kansas, on Jan. 20, 2018. (Overland Park Police Department)

An autopsy report later showed that six bullets had struck Albers: in the head, the upper neck, the left shoulder, the right shoulder, the back torso and the lower lip. A toxicology report indicated that he had not been under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

In interviews with investigators four days after the shooting, Jenison, who had been with the Overland Park Police Department for about two years, explained: "I unholstered my service weapon. I approached the garage door. The vehicle started backing out. I told him to stop. He didn't listen to my commands. I shot."

The car then went in reverse and did a U-turn, and Jenison said he fired again as he believed the car was going to hit him.

Jenison said dispatchers had warned officers arriving at the scene that Albers had been cutting himself and posted on social media that he had threatened to harm himself. The officer added that he was new to that patrol area and couldn't remember if he had ever been to that home.

Overland Park police Officer Clayton Jenison seen after the shooting of John Albers on Jan. 20, 2018. (Overland Park Police Department)

He said that he took cover outside of the home because "I don't know if he's self-harm or if he also has homicidal tendencies."

"To protect me, I move closer to the house, so that if he comes out of the garage or front door I can control the situation."

Sheila Albers said Friday there was no evidence to show that her son was homicidal or that officers should have gone in believing her son would commit violence against them.

Howe, the district attorney, said in 2018 that he decided not to charge Jenison because "these are fluid and instantaneous decisions that a law enforcement officer must make, which makes the job so difficult."

James Nolan, a professor and chair of sociology at West Virginia University, who is a former police officer in Wilmington, Delaware, said this case highlights a police mindset that automatically assumes someone is dangerous.

"Seeing things the wrong way can create great harm, even though the intentions are good," Nolan said. "That's why all around this country this is going on and officers are making these great errors. Suddenly, a car becomes a deadly weapon even if the person is only trying to get away."

"People are not looking at the police and saying, 'I'm glad you're here. I'm depressed. Help me,'" Nolan said. "In fact, it's just the opposite."

The Albers ended up settling the case against Overland Park and Jenison in 2019 for $2.3 million, The Washington Post reported, although the city and Jenison did not admit liability and Overland Park said it settled to avoid the cost and length of a lawsuit.

City officials confirmed in June that Jenison received $70,000 as part of a severance package when he agreed to resign, despite the fact the Johnson County district attorney had cleared him of wrongdoing.

The city said the agreement was "in the best interest of the community" and could prevent Jenison from potentially fighting for reinstatement because there was "no just cause to terminate" him and avoid a costly lawsuit. Officials also said Overland Park Police Chief Frank Donchez never communicated with Jenison about the agreement nor encouraged him to enter into it.

In March, Sheila Albers filed a complaint against Donchez to a governor-appointed state commission that oversees law enforcement training in Kansas. She said Donchez made false statements in reporting how Jenison left the force when he called the officer's departure from the department a "voluntary resignation under ordinary circumstances and for personal reasons."

The city said "we will cooperate fully with any investigation into the matter." Neither Donchez nor Jenison could immediately be reached for comment Friday. The Kansas Commission on Peace Officers' Standards and Training has said it can't confirm or deny an investigation.

Nolan said police agencies and states must work toward reforms that allow more public scrutiny of complaints against officers and access to internal files so that communities can better trust their local law enforcement.

Kansas' public open records law allows police departments and county prosecutors to decide when to release information  a practice supported by some officials who believe releasing names and other details can affect a case if it goes to trial.

But, Nolan said, "the more information you put out there is a sign you want to be transparent. That's how you can build cooperation with the community instead of conflict."

If you or someone you know is at risk of suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text TALK to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.
President Joe Biden recently marked his 100th day in office (AP)

Having just passed 100 days in office, the administration of Joe Biden has certainly provided a more normal presidency so far (at least in terms of historical precedent) than that of Donald Trump.

Trumps supporters would suggest that his deviation from normality was exactly what they liked about the 45th president. Meanwhile, Biden is facing calls to aim higher and go further. Among supporters of the Democratic Party, expectations were generally low, but many will see a return to normal as not quite good enough.

Such division has become ingrained in the US, entrenched by Trump's four-year term. This was illustrated by a recent CNN survey about the rules around voting (and feelings around the outcome of the 2020 presidential race at large). It comes as a number of Republican-controlled legislatures push through changes imposing new limits on voting. Montana recently passed new voting restrictions, while other states, such as Florida, Arizona and Texas, are not too far away from doing the same.

The poll found that 46 per cent of those asked believe that the rules are not strict enough to prevent illegal votes from being cast, while 45 per cent say the exact opposite  that the rules make it too difficult for eligible citizens to make their voices heard at the ballot box. The latter respondents may be happy to know that that legislators in states including Delaware, Kentucky, Virginia and Washington  which are generally less competitive when it comes to election time  are looking at ways to ease access.

When you take into account party affiliation, the result is even clearer  with 76 per cent of Democrats saying that it is too difficult to vote, and 87 per cent of Republicans saying that the rules need to be toughened up.

The contrast when respondents answered the question Did Biden legitimately win enough votes for the presidency? was starker still. When it comes to Democrats, 97 per cent believe Biden did gain enough legal votes. That falls to 69 per cent among independent voters. As for Republican voters  70 per cent of respondents to the survey believe that Biden did NOT win enough legitimate votes to be president.

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CNN analyst Harry Enten called the statistics insane and nuts, and said that it is obvious that the GOP is still Trumps party. He added that when you ask who Republican voters see as the frontrunner for their partys presidential nomination in 2024, Trump is still the overwhelming favourite.

This may seem like an abstract thing to be worrying about  not least because the election result was ratified and isnt in doubt  but it gives a sense of how long it may take for the political scars of the last four years to heal, if they ever do.

Trump may no longer be so relevant in a couple of years, depending on what the man himself decides to do (he has been comparatively quiet since leaving office)  but the issue of the rules around voting is something that is not going away. And no doubt the GOP will be feeling sore given the results of last Novembers election.

These problems could well be just the tip of the iceberg. How many other questions have become this hyper-partisan? It is clear that the process of polarisation had started in earnest well before Trump announced his presidential run  but the last four years certainly appear to have accelerated things, particularly on certain issues.

This is something that legislators on both sides will have to monitor, as it is likely to keep shaping the political landscape over the next few years. Can things change, or is this the path the US is on now?

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Coin town hall is stepping up a campaign to increase its registered population by urging foreign residents to ensure they are on the local census, the 'padron'. The campaign began last year in collaboration with the British consulate, representing the largest group of foreign nationals in the town.

Despite an increase in Coin's total population of 702 in 2020, the council believes that there are residents, especially among the international community, who are not being counted.

Foreign nationals resident in Spain are required to confirm or update their padron details every five years (or two years in the case of non-EU nationals without the right to long-term residency). While efforts are made to remind people when confirmation is due, the council advises residents to be aware of the need for this simple procedure to avoid being taken off the register.

Coin mayor, Francisco Santos, stressed the importance of the campaign: if the padron does not reflect the real population, he said, the town loses out financially. Santos explained that the town receives funds for infrastructure and services from central government according to its population.

He also said that the town hall staff speak English, so British residents can complete their paperwork without problems.

"We want to strengthen the communication channels and to that end we are working with the consulate," said the mayor.
US president Joe Biden (left) with former president Barack Obama during the Osama bin Laden raid in 2011 (AFP via Getty)

Joe Biden praised the courage and skill of US special forces who carried out the raid that led to the killing of Osama bin Laden, in remarks marking the 10th anniversary of the former al Qaeda leaders death.

Bin Laden was shot dead by a team of Navy Seals in a secret compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, on 2 May 2011.

Mr Biden, who was then vice president, was in the White Houses Situation Room watching US special forces carry out the raid along with former president Barack Obama.

In a statement released on Sunday, the US president described the moment as one I will never forget, and praised the service members who executed the raid at great personal risk.

It had been almost 10 years since our nation was attacked on 9/11 and we went to war in Afghanistan, pursuing al Qaeda and its leaders, said Mr Biden. We followed bin Laden to the gates of hell  and we got him. 

Offering praise of Mr Obama, the president continued by saying that We kept the promise to all those who lost loved ones on 9/11 and that the United States will never waver in our commitment to prevent another attack on our homeland and to keep the American people safe.

The anniversary comes a day after US forces formally began to withdraw from Afghanistan, as announced by Mr Biden, who described the conflict as a forever war, a fortnight ago.

Now, as a result of those efforts, said the president of the bin Laden killing, as we bring to an end Americas longest war and draw down the last of our troops from Afghanistan, al-Qaeda is greatly degraded there.

The 1 May start date for Americas withdrawal follows a former agreement between Afghan forces, an insurgent Taliban, and the administration of Donald Trump.

By 11 September  the 20th anniversary of the terror attacks that catapulted the US into war with terrorist groups in Afghanistan and Iraq  no American or Nato forces will remain in the country.

Mr Obama, who oversaw the bin Laden raid in 2011, wrote in a 2020 memoir that not everyone in his administration had agreed with the operation  including Mr Biden,.

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"Joe also weighed in against the raid, arguing that given the enormous consequences of failure, I should defer any decision until the intelligence community was more certain that bin Laden was in the compound," Mr Obama wrote.

[I] appreciated Joe's willingness to buck the prevailing mood and ask tough questions, often in the interest of giving me the space I needed for my own internal deliberations," Mr Obama added in the book.

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CNNs Jim Acosta critcises the bull**** factory known as Fox News over bogus Kamala Harris story. (CNN)

CNNs Jim Acosta slammed Fox News as a bull**** factory for amplifying a repeatedly debunked story about Kamala Harris that was published across right-wing media, alleging that the vice president was exploiting her office to profit from the arrival of migrant children in shelters at the US-Mexico border by stocking copies of her book in welcome kits for them.

The incorrect story was removed from the website then republished with an editors note, and the reporter who wrote it resigned.

That tale from the border didnt just border on BS. This was USDA Grade A bull****, Mr Acosta said on Saturday. But the damage was done, pumped out over the airwaves at the bull**** factory also known as Fox News.

CNN aired a clip from a Fox News discussion that children are being given a book, everyone is given a copy, apparently of the vice presidents book.

The New York Post published a front-page story on 23 April that the vice presidents 2019 childrens book Superheroes Are Everywhere was included in welcome kits for migrant children, sparking outrage on the right.

A single copy of the book was donated during a book drive organised by the city of Long Beach, California, which has collected thousands of books to support and comfort children at a shelter operated by the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Ms Harriss book was photographed by a childs cot, along with several other books by different authors.

The Post story was briefly taken offline then updated with an editors note that the original version of this article said migrant kids were getting Harris book in a welcome kit, but has been updated to note that only one known copy of the book was given to a child.

A web headline changed from Kamala isnt at the southern border  but migrant kids are getting Veeps book to Kamala isnt at the southern border  but at least one migrant kid got Veeps book.

In its version of the story, Fox News alleged that the inclusion of the book raises questions over who is providing funding for the welcome packs before adding an editors note that the previous version of the story implied there were multiple copies of Harris book available for children in welcome packs.

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The author of the Post story, Laura Italiano, announced on 27 April that the Kamala Harris story  an incorrect story I was ordered to write and which I failed to push back hard enough against  was my breaking point.

CNN pointed out that prominent Republicans, including House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, continue to amplify the false claims. The Louisiana congressman has not removed a Twitter post from 27 April in which he asks: Is Kamala Harris profiting off the border crisis? Americans deserve to know.

His post remained online as of 2 May.

Senator Tom Cotton also has not removed a post accusing Joe Bidens administration of forcing taxpayers to buy Kamala Harriss book to give to those illegal immigrants.

GOP Chair Ronna McDaniel also asked: Has Harris paid for these books? Is she profiting from Bidens border crisis?

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(AP)

Republican Senator Susan Collins hoped Donald Trump learned his lesson after she voted against convicting the former president following his first impeachment trial.

She voted to convict him after he was impeached a second time earlier this year for inciting an insurrection at the US Capitol on 6 January in an attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

In an appearance on CNNs State of the Union on Sunday, host Jake Tapper asked her whether she believes Mr Trump learned a lesson or learned he can get away with anything.

She claimed her lesson remarks came from an interview that was grossly misedited.

It chopped out the rest of what I said, which was in dealing with foreign governments, she said.

The senator made similar remarks about the former president learning his lesson to several outlets. Following her vote to acquit Mr Trump in February 2020, she told NBCs Maine affiliate: I hope that the president has learned the lesson.

She told CBS News: The president has been impeached. Thats a pretty big lesson. Im voting to acquit. Because I do not believe that the behaviour alleged reaches the high bar in the constitution for overturning an election, and removing a duly elected president.

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In her interview with CNN on Sunday, she said: But to get to your point, Ive been involved in three impeachment trials. I voted to acquit President Clinton and President Trump the first time, to convict him the second time. In each case, what I have done is listened to the facts, applied the evidence, and follow the constitutional standard for convicting a president. My approach has not changed.

Tapper also asked who she voted for in the 2020 election.

Nice try, Jake, she said, laughing. Im going to keep my vote private.

Senator Collins was one of just seven Republican senators who voted to convict Mr Trump following his second impeachment. He was acquitted by a vote of 57-43, falling short of a two-third majority threshold to secure a conviction.

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She said she was appalled that fellow GOP Senator Mitt Romney was booed by members of his state party for voting to convict the former president in his impeachment trials. The Utah Republican Party sought to censure him for his votes. That vote failed by a vote of 711 to 798.

We are not a party that is led by just one person, Ms Collins said.

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(AFP via Getty Images)

SpaceXs Dragon capsule  and the Nasa Crew-1 mission it was carrying  has safely returned to Earth after a trip to the International Space Station.

It was the first official crew to have made that journey in a SpaceX craft, as the name suggests, though astronauts had made the same trip in the final test. It was also the first Nasa nighttime landing since the Apollo 8 mission in 1968, with difficult conditions in recent days forcing the original arrival times to be delayed.

The Dragon capsule parachuted into the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Panama City, Florida, just before 3am, ending the second astronaut flight for Elon Musks company.

It was an express trip home, lasting just 6 1/2 hours.

The astronauts, three American and one Japanese, flew back in the same capsule  named Resilience  in which they launched from Nasas Kennedy Space Center in November.

Their 167-day mission is the longest for astronauts launching from the U.S. The previous record of 84 days was set by Nasas final Skylab station crew in 1974.

Saturday nights undocking left seven people at the space station, four of whom arrived a week ago via SpaceX.

Earthbound! NASA astronaut Victor Glover tweeted after departing the station. One step closer to family and home!

Glover  along with Nasas Mike Hopkins and Shannon Walker and Japans Soichi Noguchi  should have returned to Earth last Wednesday, but high offshore winds forced SpaceX to pass up a pair of daytime landing attempts. Managers switched to a rare splashdown in darkness, to take advantage of calm weather.

Watch: Successful launch for SpaceX's moon-bound rocket

SpaceX had practiced for a nighttime return, just in case, and even recovered its most recent station cargo capsule from the Gulf of Mexico in darkness. Infrared cameras tracked the capsule as it re-entered the atmosphere; it resembled a bright star streaking through the night sky.All four main parachutes could be seen deploying just before splashdown, which was also visible in the infrared.

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Apollo 8  Nasas first flight to the moon with astronauts  ended with a predawn splashdown in the Pacific near Hawaii on Dec. 27, 1968. Eight years later, a Soviet capsule with two cosmonauts ended up in a dark, partially frozen lake in Kazakhstan, blown off course in a blizzard.

That was it for nighttime crew splashdowns  until Sunday.Despite the early hour, the Coast Guard was out in full force to enforce an 11-mile (18-kilometer) keep-out zone around the bobbing Dragon capsule.

For SpaceXs first crew return in August, pleasure boaters swarmed the capsule, a safety risk.

Once aboard theSpaceXrecovery ship, the astronauts planned to hop on a helicopter for the short flight to shore, then catch a plane straight to Houston for a reunion with their families.

Their capsule, Resilience, will head back to Cape Canaveral for refurbishment forSpaceXs first private crew mission in September. The space station docking mechanism will be removed, and a brand new domed window put in its place.

A tech billionaire has purchased the entire three-day flight, which will orbit 75 miles (120 kilometers) above the space station. Hell fly with a pair of contest winners and a physician assistant from St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital, his designated charity for the mission.

SpaceXs next astronaut launch for Nasa will follow in October.

Nasa turned to private companies to service the space station, after the shuttle fleet retired in 2011.

SpaceX began supply runs in 2012 and, last May, launched its first crew, ending Nasas reliance on Russia for astronaut transport.

Boeing isnt expected to launch astronauts until early next year.

Watch: Starlink satellites leads to UFO reports

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Thanks to a recent financial donation, Soroptimist International Costa del Sol will be able to continue with its weekly delivery of fresh fruit, vegetables and eggs to the municipal foodbank for at least another six months.

The donation was received from German foundation Bonnik Hansen Stiftung, an association that has supported numerous national and international social and educational projects.

Last week, founders Bonnik Hansen and his wife Helene visited the foodbank in Las Lagunas, which is run by the Red Cross and the Social Services Department of Mijas town hall. They were welcomed by councillor for Social Services Hipolito Zapico, Red Cross representative, Ander Echebarria, and Soroptimist vice-president Daphne Theunissen.

"We were looking at ways to support the local people during these difficult times and liked the way Soroptimist has been supporting the foodbank. We are happy to get involved and make a difference," Bonnik Hansen said.

Soroptimist International is a worldwide women's organisation which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. The Mijas branch began the food project in April 2020 to assist people who had lost their livelihood because of the pandemic.
Today

Mostly cloudy skies early will become partly cloudy later in the day. High 101F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight

Partly cloudy in the evening with more clouds for later at night. Low 73F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph.

Tomorrow

Intervals of clouds and sunshine. High 98F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph.
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Ola Electric is planning to sell its yet to be launched e-scooters in key international markets, including France, Italy and Germany. The upcoming electric two-wheelers are reportedly set to be launched in India in July 2021.

Ola Chairman and Group CEO Bhavish Aggarwal said that the company will launch its e-scooters internationally in the ongoing financial year. We will be selling internationally also. We start with India first but soon, we move into international markets with a focus on Europe," he told PTI.

Ola, which has announced a massive investment of Rs 2,400 crore, for the set up of its first electric scooter factory in Tamil Nadu, is yet to reveal the prices of the electric-two wheeler. The factory is expected to create 10,000 jobs and is claimed to the worlds largest scooter manufacturing facility. Ola Electric said that the facility will create 2 million units annually.

"We will be selling our scooters across all key markets in Europe. Key markets are the big countries especially those lying around the Mediterranean Sea, like France, Italy, even Germany is a good market. UK is good market, Spain is a great market," Aggarwal said.

Ola Electric is also reportedly planning to foray into the four-wheeler manufacturing business, with a possible launch of its electric car. The electric vehicle arm of Ola is going to manufacture two-wheelers in its newly set up facility in Tamil Nadu.

The yet-to-be revealed car is likely to come with a futuristic design, and is said to be a compact city car with limited range. The company might launch the car at an affordable, competitive price.

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NEW DELHI: Joining the fight against Covid-19, Qualcomm has committed $4 million to help India prepare up better to deal with the deadly second Covid wave that has gripped the country.

The chip-maker announced that the Qualcomm Charitable Foundation and Qualcomm Indias funding will be used towards improving Indias critical hospital infrastructure, medical equipment and supplies. The funds will help India is waging the battle against the Covid-19 pandemic.

In its official statement, Qualcomm said that as a company, it has been actively planning how it can best provide relief to the communities in India through effective philanthropic action. We recognised that one of the key areas of strain on the system is the shortage of medical supplies and lifesaving equipment," the company said in a statement.

Qualcomm said that it will continue to offer support to its colleagues, partners, local government, and communities to help them get through this difficult time. Besides Qualcomm, several other tech companies have ramped up their efforts against Covid-19. Facebook launched its vaccine finding tools in India while Twitter launched its tool to help its users stay updated about the jab.

Meanwhile, Indian companies have also ramped up their efforts against Covid-19. For instance, Reliance, Tata Steel, BHEL, SAIL, among others, are supplying oxygen to hospitals across the country.

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New Delhi: The deadly COVID wave claimed a record 3,689 more lives and active cases crossed the 33-lakh mark in India as Haryana and Odisha joined several other states that have been forced to reimpose lockdown or similar curbs in a desperate bid to check the surge amid a grievous shortage of hospital beds, medicines and oxygen for patients.

Leaders of 13 opposition parties urged the Centre to launch a free mass vaccination drive across the country. In a joint statement, they also called upon the Centre to ensure uninterrupted oxygen supply to all hospitals and health centres as they manage the staggering patient load. The signatories include Congress president Sonia Gandhi, JDS leader and former prime minister HD Deve Gowda, NCP leader Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee.

A total of 86,023 beneficiaries in the age group of 18-44 years received their first dose of COVID vaccine across 11 states on May 1 when the phase 3 commenced, the Union Health Ministry said. The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has crossed 15.68 crore. The infection count climbed to 1,95,57,457 with 3,92,488 more people being confirmed positive for the disease. States like Tamil Nadu and West Bengal recorded their highest daily rise in cases on Sunday.

Complete lockdown for 7 days in Haryana

"From May 3, there will be a 7-day long lockdown in the entire state," Haryana's Home and Health Minister Anil Vij said in a tweet on Sunday. Earlier, a weekend curfew was enforced in nine districts on Friday.

14-day lockdown in Odisha

In a video message, Odisha Chief Secretary SC Mahapatra said a 14-day lockdown will be imposed in the entire state from May 5 till May 19. "Even though nobody wanted this strict enforcement, the government has imposed lockdown to protect people and their lives from the pandemic," Mahapatra said. The state registered 8,015 new COVID-19 cases, pushing the tally to 4,62,622, while 14 fresh fatalities raised the toll to 2,068, health department official said. The situation remained grim in the national capital where Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had extended the ongoing lockdown, which was to conclude at 5 AM on May 3, by another week.

Despite the courts stepping in and assurances by Delhi government and the Centre on the oxygen crisis, some hospitals said it has become a "daily fire-fight" for them to arrange continuous supply of medical oxygen. On Sunday afternoon, the second 'Oxygen Express' for Delhi arrived here on with 120 tonnes of liquid medical oxygen and a third such train has begun its journey for the national capital from Angul in Odisha, the railway ministry said. However, during the day, some hospitals sent out desperate SOS calls to authorities to replenish their dwindling stocks.

Madhukar Rainbow Children's Hospital in Malviya Nagar sounded an alarm about their depleting stocks around noon, saying 50 people, including four newborns, were "at risk". "It has become a daily fire-fight in the absence of a continuous supply. We require around 125 oxygen cylinders a day," an official said. Aakash Healthcare in Dwarka appealed to government authorities to shift patients to other facilities 'so that they can be saved'. Sitaram Bhartia Institute of Science and Research also took to social media seeking help from authorities. It could not be ascertained if the facility received a refill. The Delhi government has been demanding 976 metric tonnes of oxygen from the Centre. On Saturday, the Central government raised the city's daily oxygen quota to 590 MT from 490 MT.

At a high-level review meeting on the COVID-19 situation here, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba expressed anguish over issues related to availability of oxygen and asked the Delhi government to make every effort to lift their allocated oxygen by using all means.

Lt Governor Anil Baijal directed top officers of the Delhi government to prepare a detailed action plan to address the shortage of the life-saving gas. The city recorded 407 COVID-19 deaths and over 20,000 cases with positivity rate of 28.33 per cent.

Strict curbs, weekend shutdown imposed

A number of other states have imposed strict curbs, weekend shutdowns, partial lockdowns and night curfews including the worst-hit Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, and Kerala.

Normal life remained affected in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday with the imposition of the 84-hour lockdown from Thursday-Friday. The UT on Saturday recorded its biggest single-day spike of 3,832 fresh COVID-19 cases, taking the infection tally to 1,79,915, while a record 47 fatalities in the 24-hour-period raised the pandemic toll to 2,330, officials said.

Jharkhand and Rajasthan extended their lockdown last week, while Karnataka imposed a lockdown from the night of April 27 till May 12. The southern state has over four lakh active cases.

In Goa, the government said COVID-19-induced restrictions will remain in force in Goa till May 10 during which various commercial establishments will remain closed while political and social gatherings will be banned. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said,"The lockdown in the state will be lifted tomorrow 6 am onwards but the COVID-19 related restrictions will continue to be in force for a week to ensure that the spread of the virus is controlled." As of May 1, Goa's case tally stood at 93,355 while the death toll is 1,222, as per a health official.

The Mizoram government had on Saturday announced an eight-day lockdown in Aizawl and other district headquarters town from May 3. The state had reported 112 COVID-19 cases, taking the state's tally to 6,131. The state currently has 1,131 active COVID-19 cases.

According to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday morning, the active cases have increased to 33,49,644, comprising 17.13 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has further dropped to 81.77 per cent. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1, 59,92,271, while the case fatality rate has further dropped to 1.10 per cent, the data stated.

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NEW DELHI: Counting of votes will be held on Sunday (May 2, 2021) for the high-stakes assembly elections held recently in Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, overshadowed by the raging COVID-19 pandemic, as the BJP seeks to consolidate its hold over more states and the Congress along with its allies attempts to regain turf.

The counting of votes will begin at 8 AM and continue late into the night. As many as 1,100 counting observers will watch the process and candidates and agents will have to produce a negative COVID test report or double dose of vaccination certificate to get an entry.

There will be 2,364 counting halls as compared to 1,002 halls in 2016 in 822 assembly constituencies in view of the coronavirus guidelines, according to the Election Commission which had drawn flak from the courts over the conduct of polls during the pandemic.

Despite the prevailing COVID-19 situation, the voter turn out was recorded in a good number in all the places. The trends and results will be available from 8 AM on May at https://results.eci.gov.in.

West Bengal: It's Mamata Banerjee Vs Modi Magic

After eight-phased Assembly polls in West Bengal, while Mamata Banerjee`s Trinamool Congress (TMC) is seeking to seize power for the third consecutive term, the BJP is making claims of winning 200 seats in the 294-member West Bengal Assembly. The power-packed campaigns by the main contenders - the Trinamool Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), involved rallies with large participations and mega roadshows. The third front - the coalition of the Congress, Left Front and Indian Secular Force - seemed to be on the back foot when it came to campaigning. The ambitious BJP did intense campaigning with the goal to topple the incumbent TMC government in the state.

The exit polls suggest that there is going to be a very close fight for the throne in West Bengal. While Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo and incumbent Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is looking for her third tenure, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is confident that it will form its maiden government in the state. The Zee News Maha Exit Poll predicts that BJP will win on over 144 seats and TMC will take 132 seats. Congress+ will take 15 and one seat to the other contenders.

Apart from the Axis My India-India Today and the Republic-CNX exit polls, which gave the saffron party an edge in the battleground state, all other surveys, including the CVoter Exit Poll for Times Now/ABP News, forecast the third victory for TMC, putting it ahead in the 294-member Assembly.

Will Lotus bloom in Assam again?

In the northeastern state of Assam, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) looks ahead in the exit polls and the lotus is likely to bloom for the second consecutive time. All major pollsters have predicted a majority for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the 126-member Assembly.

As per the Zee News Maha Exit Poll, the BJP+ will take 73 seats, whereas Congress+ will win on 51 assembly constituencies. Others will bag two seats.

Will there be a change of guard in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry?

The DMK-Congress alliance looks in a comfortable position to cross the halfway mark of 118 seats in the Tamil Nadu Assembly. As per the Zee News Maha Exit Poll, the DMK+ is likely to dethrone AIADMK+ by winning 173 seats. The Edappadi K Palaniswami-led AIADMK+ may win over 57 seats, while others will take four seats.

In Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan's Left Democratic Front (LDF) is expected to retain the power. According to Zee News Maha Exit Poll, the LDF will win on 91 seats and the United Democratic Front (UDF) will take 47 seats, whereas others will bag two seats.

Puducherry is likely to have a government headed by the Bharatiya Janata Party. The Zee News Maha Exit Poll has predicted 19 seats for BJP+ in the 30-seat Assembly. Congress+ will take 10, while one seat may go to one of the other contenders.

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A project to build a bus interchange in San Pedro was set in motion this week after Marbella mayor Angeles Munoz and the regional Minister for Development, Marifran Carazo, signed an agreement to promote its construction.

The project, which will be located where the A-7 and A-397 converge, is expected to have a budget of 750,000 euros, co-financed with European funds, potentially rising to one million euros depending on the number of bays it eventually has.

The idea is to create a central hub to bring together a number of different lines. At present, bus users have to go to three different stops located on Avenida Norberto Goizueta Daz, Avenida Luis Braille and Avenida Juan Vargas.
New Delhi: Reacting to trends on the Assembly election results 2021, incumbent Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Sunday (May 2, 2021) exuded confidence that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will form the government in Assam.

"As per the trends, it is clear that Bharatiya Janata Party will form the government in Assam," Sarbananda Sonowal told ANI.

According to the Election Commission of India's latest trends, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is leading in 62 seats, whereas, the Indian National Congress is ahead in 25 assembly constituencies out of the 126-seat assembly. All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) has taken a lead in 11 seats.

Sarbananda Sonwaol is himself leading from the Majuli constituency and is likely to retain the power for the second consecutive time.

The exit polls have also suggested that the saffron party can form the government in the state. As per the Zee News Maha Exit Poll, the BJP+ will take 73 seats, whereas Congress+ will win on 51 assembly constituencies. Others will bag two seats.

This is to be noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Minister Amit Shah, and Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had also campaigned for BJP in Assam. On the other hand, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi had campaigned for Congress.

The counting of votes started at 8 AM and is underway at two locations in Dibrugarh --- Dibrugarh Government Boys Higher Secondary School and Deputy Commissioner Office of Dibrugarh.

The polling across the northeastern state took place in three phases between March 27 and April 6.

(With inputs from agencies)

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New Delhi: The results of four state and one Union Territory (UT) Assembly elections on Sunday (May 2, 2021) are being announced. While results for some seats have been declared some are still underway.

From West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress looked set for a big win for a third straight term, while, in Assam, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party surged back to power.

In Kerala, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan continued his winning streak though Tamil Nadu will see a change of power with AIADMK's CM Edappadi Palaniswami losing to DMK's MK Stalin. In the Union Territory of Puducherry, the NDA cruised to form the next government.

Notably, Zee's Maha Exit Poll had predicted BJP's win in Assam and Puducherry.

WEST BENGAL ASSEMBLY ELECTION RESULTS:

The ruling TMC had either won or was leading in 215 of the 292 seats while the number for BJP was 76.

The TMC chief alleged that the Election Commission of India was working like "BJP's spokesperson" during the election and claimed that the BJP's tally would not have crossed even 50 without help from the central poll panel.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a social media post congratulated Mamata Banerjee and said the Centre will continue to extend all possible support to the West Bengal government.

ASSAM ASSEMBLY ELECTION RESULTS:

The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance which includes AGP and UPPL, has either won or led from 77 seats, while the number for the Congress-led coalition (including AIUDF and BPF) is 47. With this the BJP looks to retain power in the northeastern state.

BJP national president JP Nadda thanked the people of Assam for giving the party a second consecutive term in the state.

"Over the past 5 years, Assam has witnessed tremendous growth in all sectors with the double engine Gov. People have completely rejected the communal politics of the Congress & chosen the development politics of BJP. With the guidance of PM Modi, the state will now reach new heights," Nadda said in a tweet.

KERALA ASSEMBLY ELECTION RESULTS

The Left-led LDF had either won or led from 76 seats, while the number for the Congress-led UDF was 40 while BJP could not open its account. The Kerala Legislative Assembly has 140 seats.

Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan urged supporters to not celebrate the victory and continue the fight against COVID-19. "Kerala has given a verdict in favour of the LDF. But this is not the time to celebrate with great joy as COVID19 continues to spread. This is the time to continue the fight against COVID-19. Kerala today reported 31,950 new COVID-19 cases and 49 deaths," Vijayan said during a media address in his assembly constituency seat Dharmadam, ANI reported.

"Happy that LDF has been voted back to power but this is not the time to celebrate it, amid the pandemic," he added.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday congratulated Vijayan on his successful election campaign paving the way for a second term in office.

TAMIL NADU ASSEMBLY ELECTION RESULTS

In the counting for the 234-seat Tamil Nadu Assembly, MK Stalin's DMK-led alliance (including Congress, Left, VCK and IUML) had either won or led from 156 seats, while the number for AIADMK-led alliance (including PMK and BJP) was 77.

While, Stalin expressed his 'heartfelt thanks' to all the people of the state for mandating his party to govern Tamil Nadu for the sixth time. The DMK chief thanked the people for voting his party into power and assured them that he would truthfully work for them.

Meanwhile, PM Modi congratulated DMK president M K Stalin on his party's victory making way for him to become the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for the first time.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also congratulated the DMK chief. "People of Tamil Nadu have voted for change and we will, under your leadership, prove to be a confident step in that direction," said the former Congress president.

PUDUCHERRY ASSEMBLY ELECTION RESULTS

The NDA comprising AINRC, BJP and AIADMK had either won or led from 16 seats, the number for the UPA of Congress and DMK was 08 while the others managed 06 seats of the 30-seat Assembly.

At a press conference on Sunday, Congress general secretary and party spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said the results of the assembly elections in four states and one UT are not as per the party's expectations.

"Kerala and Assam results have been below expectations. Results in both these states are a big disappointment. We will do an assembly-wide assessment and try to come up with reasons," said Surjewala.

(The results were declared by the Election Commission on their official website, data taken till 10.30 PM on May 2)
New Delhi: BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday (May 2) was attacked by unidentified assilants in Haldia district of West Bengal. According to sources, Adhikari was attacked while he was coming out from a counting centre. The development comes hours after a BJP office was set on fire by unidentified people in Arambag. The BJP leaders and workers tweeted the video, alleging that Trinamool has unleashed violence on their workers elsewhere as well.

However, rubbishing the allegations, Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, said it was the BJP workers who chased her party's Arambagh candidate Sujata Mondal and hit her on the head near polling booth. A clip of the incident showed a fire raging through a temporary structure in Hooghly's Arambag area.

Suvendu Adhikari, a former Trinamool Congress leader who later joined BJP, contested and won from Nandigram constituency against Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. After the declaration of the result on the seat, Adhikari said he he is grateful to the people of Nandigram for choosing him as their representative and the MLA from the constituency. "My sincere thanks to the great people of Nandigram for their love, trust, blessings, and support, and for choosing me as their representative and the MLA from Nandigram. It is my never-ending commitment to be of service to them and working for their welfare. I am truly grateful!" tweeted Adhikari.

Meanwhile, as per the trends, the Trinamool is leading in more than 210 seats in the recently concluded assembly election. The BJP, which was targeting 200 seats is leading in 70-plus seats.

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New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi lambasted the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Central government over its handling of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and said that the Centre completely failed to understand or tackle the COVID-19 pandemic while ignoring multiple early warning signs.

In an interview with news agency PTI, Gandhi blamed the Centre for the current COVID-19 crisis in the country. "The prime minister is at fault. He runs a highly centralised and personalised government machinery, is solely and substantially devoted to building his own brand, is utterly focused on imagery rather than substance."

"The fact is that this government completely failed to understand or to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic -- right from the very beginning, despite repeated warnings," Gandhi alleged.

The senior Congress leader took a potshot at the governments 'Aatmanirbhar' slogan and said, Rely on yourself is the motto. No one will come to help you. Definitely, not the prime minister,". He added that the COVID-19 situation has gone completely out of control for the Modi government, and wondered whether it was their way of making the states and the citizens truly 'Aatmanirbhar'.

Attacking PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Gandhi said that they ignored rising coronavirus cases, participated in large rallies for the five Assembly polls and encouraged super-spreader events.

They continuously ignored rising cases and were busy instead with election campaigns. They encouraged super-spreader events. They even bragged about them. Our Prime Minister and Home Minister were not even wearing masks in public over the past few months. What sort of a message is that sending to citizens?" Gandhi questioned.

Further, he said that the central government is "plainly arrogant and focuses on perception over reality".

"Now that the situation is completely out of control, they have dropped the ball and thrown it to the states... The need of the hour is to hold hands, work together and heal our people," Gandhi said slamming the Centre.

"Corona is just part of the problem -- the real problem is that India now doesn't have the capacity to respond to any major crisis because of what has been done to its systems over the last six years," he added.

Gandhi asserted the only solution we have is vaccination and India is 'supposed to be the largest manufacturer of vaccines in the world'.

"And yet, India is desperately short of vaccines. We are making them, why were our people not the first in line to be vaccinated? If that is not a failure to plan and execute, what is?"

(With PTI inputs)

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New Delhi: Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday (May 2) took to Twitter to congratulate West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on her partys massive win in the assembly elections.

Singhs statement came as the election result trends showed a clear victory for the TMC that crossed the 200-mark in the 294-seat assembly.

Congratulations to the Chief Minister of West Bengal, @MamataOfficial Didi on her partys victory in West Bengal assembly elections. My best wishes to her for her next tenure, Singh tweeted.

Congratulations to the Chief Minister of West Bengal, @MamataOfficial Didi on her partys victory in West Bengal assembly elections. My best wishes to her for her next tenure.  Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) May 2, 2021

As per the latest trends, BJP looked well short of the 100-mark in the state.

The union minister also congratulated the projected winners of Assam, Tamil Nadu and Kerala assembly elections.

Singh congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP chief JP Nadda and senior leaders of Assam including Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on their victory in the election.

The pro-people policies of Shri @narendramodi led Govt & the state Govt under @sarbanandsonwal have once again helped the BJP in winning assembly elections in Assam. Congratulations to PM Modi, CM Sonowal, Adhyaksh Shri @JPNadda and karyakartas on BJPs impressive victory in Assam, Singh said.

The pro-people policies of Shri @narendramodi led Govt & the state Govt under @sarbanandsonwal have once again helped the BJP in winning assembly elections in Assam. Congratulations to PM Modi, CM Sonowal, Adhyaksh Shri @JPNadda & karyakartas on BJPs impressive victory in Assam.  Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) May 2, 2021

Singh further wished Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on retaining power in the state, defeating Congress-led UDF.

Congratulations to the Chief Minister of Kerala Shri @vijayanpinarayi on his partys victory in Kerala Assembly elections. My best wishes to him for his next tenure, he wrote.

Congratulations to the Chief Minister of Kerala Shri @vijayanpinarayi on his partys victory in Kerala Assembly elections. My best wishes to him for his next tenure.  Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) May 2, 2021

Singh also congratulated DMK chief MK Stalin who is projected to comfortably win the state elections, unseating the AIADMK-BJP alliance in Tamil Nadu.

Congratulations to DMK leader, Thiru @mkstalin on his partys victory in Tamil Nadu assembly elections. I extend my best wishes to him, Singh tweeted.

Congratulations to DMK leader, Thiru @mkstalin on his partys victory in Tamil Nadu assembly elections. I extend my best wishes to him.  Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) May 2, 2021

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New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (May 2) will meet experts to review oxygen and medicine availability amid the prevailing COVID-19 crisis.

The meeting is scheduled to take place at 9:30 am where the PM will review the human resource situation in relation to the coronavirus pandemic and discuss ways to augment it.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi to meet experts at 9:30 am today to review oxygen and medicine availability.#COVID19 pic.twitter.com/lLMvbV59aM  ANI (@ANI) May 2, 2021

Earlier, Modi met the council of ministers on Friday to review ways to tackle the second wave of COVID-19 that has hit India.

On Saturday (May 1), India reported over four lakh daily COVID-19 cases, the highest single-day rise in the world, the Union Health Ministry data revealed.

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New Delhi: India is witnessing the second wave of coronavirus and many people are succumbing to death. In a recent development, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain's father passed away with a coronavirus infection. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal shared a tweet on Sunday (May 2).

"Our health minister Satyendra Jain lost his father today to COVID. V v sad. Satyendra himself has been working tirelessly round the clock for the people of Delhi. God bless his soul and my heartfelt condolences to the family."

Our health minister Satyendra Jain lost his father today to COVID. V v sad. Satyendra himself has been working tirelessly round the clock for the people of Delhi. God bless his soul and my heartfelt condolences to the family.  Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 2, 2021

Health Minister Satyendar Jain along with Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia are fighting the battle against COVID-19 in the national capital.

Delhi recorded 412 coronavirus-related deaths on Saturday (May 1), according to a bulletin issued by the Delhi health department. This is the highest daily death toll for the city ever since the pandemic began last year. With this, Delhi's overall death toll has risen to 16,559.

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New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will begin a four-day visit to London from Monday primarily to attend a meeting of foreign ministers of Group of Seven (G7) rich nations. The United Kingdom has invited India for an in-person G7 foreign ministers meeting, for which FMs of Australia, South Korea, South Africa, and the Chair and Secretary-General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have also been invited.

A ministry of external affairs release said,"External Affairs Minister will be visiting London from 3-6 May 2021 to participate in the G7 Foreign Ministers Meeting, at which India has been invited as a guest country. He will thereafter undertake a bilateral visit to the UK."

The meet takes place in London from May 3rd to 5th and will be the first physical G7 FMs meet to take place in over 2 years. The last such G7 FMs meet took place in Dinard and Saint-Malo, France in April 2019.

Ahead of the visit, EAM and UK Foreign secretary Dominic Raab both spoke to each other on a range of issues including the ongoing covid pandemic in India. The UK is sending supplies to India to deal with the devastating covid pandemic. These supplies include 495 oxygen concentrators, that can extract oxygen from the air, 120 non-invasive ventilators, and 20 manual ventilators.

The visit by EAM will not only see him taking part in G7 FMs meet but also many bilaterals as well. US Secretary of state Antony Blinken will also travel to London and a bilateral between the two is likely. This will the first physical meet between the 2 ministers since the new Biden administration took charge.

"Secretary Blinken will attend the G7 Foreign and Development Ministers Meeting in London, the United Kingdom, from May 3-5, 2021.", the US State Department said.

G7 is a grouping of 7 industrialized countries--Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, US & UK - plus the EU. The key focus of the meet obviously will be on the ongoing covid crisis that continues to ravage large parts of the world but also Climate Change with the UK set to host the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) meet later this year.

The meet will also talk about the agenda of the upcoming G7 leaders meet under UK's chairmanship. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been invited to the 47th G7 summit that will take place in Carbis Bay, Cornwall, the UK from 11th to 13th June. India has been regularly invited for the G7 summit since 2019--first by France, then in 2020 by the US, and now by the UK this year. The physical G7 meet last year, under the then US President Donald Trump never happened, for reasons not known but perhaps due to covid pandemic.

The then Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was first invited for the G8 grouping in 2005, back then by the UK in Gleneagles. Group became G7 after Russia was "disinvited" in 2014 over the Crimea crisis.

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New Delhi: Election strategist Prashant Kishor, who guided the TMC to what is likely to be a spectacular victory, announced Sunday he is "quitting this space", after firing a parting shot at the Election Commission, accusing it of being an "extension of BJP".

"I am quitting this space," he told India Today TV channel after trends showed a landslide victory for the TMC, the party whose election strategy he helped craft for the assembly elections.

"I have never seen a more partial Election Commission, it did everything to help BJP... From allowing use of religion to scheduling poll and bending rules, EC did everything to help the BJP," he said, calling the poll panel an "extension" of the saffron party.

Talking to NDTV, Kishor stuck to his stand that the BJP was a formidable force in West Bengal.

He said he was confident about the TMC's victory despite the BJP's attempt to "build a massive propaganda" that it was winning.

"The result may look like one-sided but it was a tough fight. BJP is a formidable force and will be," he said.

"..., in reality BJP will struggle to cross double digits in #WestBengal," he had tweeted as early as December last year and his words proved prophetic.

"If BJP does any better, I must quit this space!", he had said.

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New Delhi: India recorded 3,92,488 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours as the country continues to grapple with the alarming rise in daily counts.

As per the Union Health Ministry data, while 3,689 deaths were registered and 3,07,865 patients discharged in the past 24 hours. The total caseload mounted to over 1.95 crore (1,95,57,457) in which 33,49,644 are active cases.

More than 2.15 lakh (2,15,542) patients have succumbed to the deadly infection as per the official data, with total recoveries standing at 1,59,92,271.

India reports 3,92,488 new #COVID19 cases, 3689 deaths and 3,07,865 discharges in the last 24 hours, as per Union Health Ministry Total cases: 1,95,57,457

Total recoveries: 1,59,92,271

Death toll: 2,15,542

Active cases: 33,49,644 Total vaccination: 15,68,16,031 pic.twitter.com/5xytqvn2K0  ANI (@ANI) May 2, 2021

On Saturday, India had reported over four lakh (4,01,993) fresh coronavirus infections, taking the cumulative caseload to 1,91,64,969. This was the highest single-day spike in the world.

The Ministry of Health has red-flagged ten states for the highest COVID-19 active cases. These states include Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Chattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet experts on Sunday to review the human resource situation in relation to the coronavirus pandemic and discuss ways to augment it. He will also assess the oxygen and medicine availability amid reports of oxygen shortage in the country.

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New Delhi: Top political leaders in Maharashtra hailed the impending victory of the ruling Trinamool Congress in the West Bengal Assembly elections, as the final results continue to trickle in on Sunday (May 2).

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray called up Trinamool supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her party`s impressive performance and said "the entire credit for this victory goes to the Bengal Tigress".

"Mamata Banerjee was fighting alone for the self-respect of the Bengali people. Her courage must be appreciated. In the end, she won," said Thackeray.

Taking a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Thackeray said that the Bharatiya Janata Party used all its might to vanquish Banerjee, but she blew them away.

"Now that politics is over, let`s all focus on the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. I heartily congratulate her (Banerjee) and the courageous people of West Bengal," said Thackeray.

Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar said: "Congratulations on your stupendous victory! Let us continue our work towards the welfare of people and tackling the pandemic collectively."Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole said Banerjee`s victory proves that the PM has failed to control the Covid-19 pandemic in the country.

"To defeat a lone woman, PM Modi, his entire cabinet, BJP leaders from all over India abandoned the country during the pandemic to campaign for the West Bengal polls. They misused power, government machinery and money-power, attacked the Bengali pride and self-respect, but the people of that state have given them an appropriate reply," said Patole.

He said that the BJP`s defeat in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala have clearly confirmed that the Modi government has miserably failed in handling the pandemic.

BJP`s Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis said that now West Bengal has become "Communist-Mukt" and "Congress-Mukt" with the BJP improving its performance in a big way in the eastern state.

"Now, the BJP has become a formidable challenger in Bengal. Now, the state has left behind the Leftist ideology, and the saffron era has begun as Hindutva has got a firm foothold there," Fadnavis said.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray said that the "constant struggle has been the core" of Banerjee`s political journey and it reached the epitome in the recent West Bengal elections in which she emerged victoriously.

"Both Maharashtra and West Bengal have always resonated similar perceptions and backdrop whereby artistic and a progressive thought process takes precedence. To keep up with this legacy, it's imperative that the states get adequate autonomy, a sense of regional identity and pride," said Raj Thackeray.

Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said: "Congratulations to the Bengal Tigress. Time for West Bengal to heal, the bitterness this battle saw was unprecedented. You all fought well and you deserve this win."

Sena leader and Bollywood actress Urmila Matondkar said: "Today, a daughter of Bharatmata, with the blessings of Lord Ram, has flown the victory flag in West Bengal. Hats off to a single, strong woman`s spirit, fortitude and perseverance. Bengal rocks!"

Pawar and Patole have also congratulated the top leaders of the winning parties in both Tamil Nadu and Kerala, urging that now all should unite in the war against the pandemic that has gripped the country.

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New Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Sunday said described her party Trinamool Congress' "landslide victory" in the state assembly poll as a vindication of its fight to protect communal harmony. Mamata, who contested and lost the Nandigram seat, said she had decided to fight from there and not her home seat Bhabanipur in the city as she had led the anti-farmland acquisition movement there.

BJP, EC played dirty politics in West Bengal: Mamata Banerjee

Accusing the Election Commissiona and BJP of playing dirty politics and making situation difficult for Trinamool Congress in the state, Mamata said the people of Bengal - mothers, sisters and brothers, minorities and youth supported TMC which helped it to fight the poll battle. "The EC behave in a rude manner with us ... It fought with us just like a BJP spokesperson. We will go to court against it," she said. TMC along with other like minded parties will move the Supreme Court constitutional bench against the EC, she said. "Two, three nominated persons cannot decide the fate of this country and its elections," she said.

She thanked the leaders of different parties for congratulating her for the stupendous victory. Mamata said she has information about counting malpractice and if necessary her party will move court. She, however, declined to comment on the performance of the Left and Congress. "Ask the Left and Congress about this. It is their internal matter. Not proper for me to say anything."

The Bengal CM said while the date of swearing in will be decided later, the TMC will celebrate Rabindra Jayanti on May 9 to thank the people.

Asked about possibilities of a lockdown, she said "Not talking about it immediately. Let me first talk to my officers. There are some notifications".

Mamata had set target of winning 221 seats in West Bengal

Mamata said that she had set the target of winning 221 out of the 294 seats despite BJP's appeals for a double engine government (government of the same party at the Centre and the state) and thanked the people for voting for TMC in a way which enabled it to win with huge margins in a number of seats. "I thank the people for saving the country, for saving its communal harmony. I am proud of Bengal. It is a landslide victory which will not allow anyone to say anything. They (BJP) claimed that they will win 200 seats. Can they show their faces after this?," she said and hoped that BJP will face similar rout in polls elsewhere.

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New Delhi: Congratulations started pouring in from all corners for Trinamool Congress supremo and Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee with the party's victory imminent in West Bengal assembly election, counting of votes for which is currently underway. According to trends available for 284 out of 292 constituencies in the state, the party was leading in 202 seats, while the BJP was leading in 77. However, Mamata lost the Nandigram battle against her former protege-turned-BJP rival Suvendu Adhikari in Nandigram by over 1600 votes.

Mamata chose Nandigram over her home turf Bhabanipur seat

Making the power battle more interesting, Mamata chose Nandigram over her home turf Bhabanipur seat this time to test her fate in the 2021 elections. It was the agitation in Nandigram and Singur against the Left government's land acquisition policies that made Mamata Banerjee the Chief Minister of West Bengal.

Further, Mamata's poll campaign this time got a new dimension with a wheelchair after she suffered an injury in March, 2021 while campaigning in Nandigram. It is worth mentioning that the West Bengal Chief Minister spared no dais to launch scathing attacks on Prime Minister Modi. However, the Modi-Mamata battle was quite visible even before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. She played an instrumental role in bringing together all opposition parties against the Centre prior to the 2019 general elections.

The seventh-term MP also has been among the first key figures who heavily criticised the central government in issues starting from demonetisation to Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and lockdown to fuel prices. Her fighting spirit and mass appeal have made her one the tallest opposition figures in the current political arena.

Mamata Banerjee started her political career as a Youth Congress worker in the 1970s. She quickly rose the ranks and became the general secretary of Mahila Congress and later All India Youth Congress. In 1984 she was elected as a member of parliament in the 8th Lok Sabha becoming one of India`s youngest parliamentarians. She founded the All India Trinamool Congress in 1997 after a disagreement with Congress.

Mamata worked with three PMs

Mamata Banerjee worked with three Prime Ministers including PV Narasimha Rao, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Dr Manmohan Singh. She had been a Union Minister in both National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and United Progressive Alliance (UPA) governments and held portfolios like Human Resource Development, Youth Affairs and Sports, Women and Child Development, Coal and Mines and the Railways.

Notably, she was the first woman to become a railway minister in the country. The Time Magazine named her among the 100 most influential people in the world in 2012.

Hailing from a lower-middle-class family, Mamata Banerjee worked as a milk booth vendor to battle poverty. Her father passed away due to the lack of treatment when she was just 17. The fighter in her never let the barriers dominate her. She continued her education and earned a Bachelor's degree in History, a Master's degree in Islamic History and degrees in Education and Law from the University of Calcutta. She also worked as a stenographer and a private tutor before joining full-time politics.

Another disposition of Mamata Banerjee is her minimalist lifestyle. Despite being the Chief Minister, she still lives in her ancestral terracotta-tiled roof house at Kolkata`s Harish Chatterjee Street. White cotton sarees having mono-colour borders and slippers are all that define the fashion statement of Mamata Banerjee.

A self-taught painter, poet and writer

The West Bengal Chief Minister is also a self-taught painter, poet and writer. She has authored more than 100 books. She is also tech-savvy and remains active on social media. The Trinamool Supremo is also known for her walkathons or marches. Here it needs to be mentioned that she walks five-six kilometres on a treadmill every day.

Meanwhile, the 'Khela' of power in West Bengal will come to an end today with Mamata Banerjee likely to return as the Chief Ministr of Bengal for the third consecuive term.

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Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Congress MLA and former state minister Brijendra Singh Rathore died while undergoing treatment for COVID-19 at a private hospital here on Sunday (May 2), a party leader said. He was 63.

Brijendra Singh Rathore was the party's in-charge for the last month's Damoh Assembly by-poll in MP, of which counting of votes was underway on Sunday (May 2).

Rathore, who represented Prithvipur Assembly seat in Tikamgarh district, died in the evening following a cardiac arrest, State Congress general secretary Rajiv Singh told PTI.

The legislator had tested positive for the infection and was air-lifted to Bhopal from Jhansi about a week back, he said.

However, his condition started deteriorating from Sunday morning, Singh added.

Rathore is survived by his wife and a son, family sources said.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan expressed grief over his death.

In his condolence message, Chouhan said that Rathore was a true public servant and was in favour of healthy and clean politics. His death is an irreparable loss to the state, he added.

State Congress chief Kamal Nath said, "Rathore was a simple person and dedicated to the party. This is my personal loss."

Rathore, a five-time MLA, had held a ministerial post in the erstwhile Kamal Nath-led Congress government.

He is the second Congress MLA to have died due to a COVID-19 infection within a fortnight.

On April 24, Congress MLA from Jobat Assembly seat in Alirajpur district, Kalawati Bhuria, had succumbed to COVID-19 infection at a hospital in Indore.

(inputs from PTI)

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New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (MAy 2) extended congratulatory wishes to West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress over Bengal assembly election result.

"Congratulations to Mamata Didi for Trinamool Congress' win in West Bengal. The Centre will continue to extend all possible support to the West Bengal Government to fulfil peoples aspirations and also to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic," the Prime Minister tweeted on Sunday evening.

Congress former president Rahul Gandhi too congratulated Mamata Banerjee on Bengal election win and wrote on Twitter, "Im happy to congratulate Mamata ji and the people of West Bengal for soundly defeating the BJP."

Earlier in the day, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had also congratulated Mamata on poll result.

As per the latest trends Mamata Banerjee-led TMC is again forming the government in West Bengal where it was locked in a high-octane contest with the BJP.

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New Delhi: After a resounding victory for Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF in Kerala, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (May 2, 2021) congratulated the former on his successful election campaign paving the way for a second term in office.

Taking to Twitter, Modi said, "I would like to congratulate Shri Pinarayi Vijayan and the LDF for winning the Kerala Assembly elections. We will continue working together on a wide range of subjects and to ensure India mitigates the COVID-19 global pandemic."

I would like to congratulate Shri @vijayanpinarayi and the LDF for winning the Kerala Assembly elections. We will continue working together on a wide range of subjects and to ensure India mitigates the COVID-19 global pandemic.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 2, 2021

Meanwhile, Vijayan urged supporters to not celebrate the victory and continue the fight against COVID-19. "Kerala has given a verdict in favour of the LDF. But this is not the time to celebrate with great joy as COVID19 continues to spread. This is the time to continue the fight against COVID-19. Kerala today reported 31,950 new COVID-19 cases and 49 deaths," Vijayan said during a media address in his assembly constituency seat Dharmadam, ANI reported.

The Election Commission trends show, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) is registering a win on 21 seats and maintaining a lead on 39 more. Among other constituents of LDF, CPI has won 4 seats and is leading on 13 seats, Kerala Congress (M) has won 3 seats and maintaining the lead on 2, NCP and Janata Dal (Secular) are leading on two seats each and Janadhipathya Kerala Congress is leading on one seat.
New Delhi: Despite a ban on victory processions imposed by the Election Commission (EC) in the wake of rising COVID-19 cases in the country, workers and supporters of leading parties were seen celebrating in the streets on Sunday (May 2).

Seeing the situation on the ground, the EC issued an order asking the respective states to take immediate action to stop such gatherings, news agency ANI reported.

Election Commission of India writes to Chief Secretaries of all States/UTs to "prohibit victory celebrations urgently". ECI also directs that responsible SHOs and other officers must be suspended immediately and criminal and disciplinary actions must be initiated against them pic.twitter.com/4aEydSH42P  ANI (@ANI) May 2, 2021

DMK workers and supporters were seen celebrating in large numbers outside Anna Arivalayam, the party headquarters here, as official trends show the party leading.

Take a look at the visuals of the TMC supporters celebrating at Kalighat in Kolkata:

#WATCH TMC supporters celebrate at Kalighat, Kolkata as party leads on 202 seats as per official trends#WestBengalElections2021 pic.twitter.com/iiOyPhf8be  ANI (@ANI) May 2, 2021

In the wake of a sudden surge in the number of COVID-19 cases, the Election Commission had earlier banned all victory processions on or after the day of the counting of votes.

As the counting has come to an end, ruling parties were poised to return to power in three states with Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress striding way ahead of the BJP in West Bengal while the BJP was comfortably ahead in Assam as was the LDF in Kerala, Election Commission trends indicated.

As votes were counted for the assembly polls in four states and one union territory with strict Covid protocols in place, trends indicated that Tamil Nadu's ruling AIADMK could cede power to arch rival DMK.

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New Delhi: The counting of votes for the Assembly elections has begun in the two southern states- Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and Union Territory of Puducherry adhering to COVID-19 protocols. Kerala, Puducherry and Tamil Nadu saw single phase voting on April 6.

The exit polls for the states and a Union Territory predicted a clear victory for DMK-led alliance in Tamil Nadu, LDF retaining power in Kerala and NDA in Puducherry.

Strict security arrangements have been made at the counting centres for the counting of votes for the assembly elections in the states.

Tamil Nadu

The polling for 234 assembly seats of Tamil Nadu was held in a single phase on April 6, 2021. Tamil Nadu recorded an overall voter turnout of 72.81%. The parties DMK and AIADMK are the two main rivals in state politics.

The DMK is led by former chief minister M Karunanidhi's son MK Stalin and the AIADMK is led by the incumbent CM K Palaniswami. The two known national parties, Congress and BJP, both are junior partners in the alliance because of their limited political presence in the state.

Back in 2016, AIADMK had proved numerous exit polls wrong after retaining power in Tamil Nadu. This year the exit polls, unanimously, predicted a clear DMK victory in the state. The exit polls predicted 174 seats for the DMK, while over 56 seats for the ruling AIADMK, which is seeking a third straight term in the state this term.

The key candidates for Tamil Nadu election 2021 are CM and AIADMK leader Edappadi Palaniswami, Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, DMK Chief MK Stalin, also his son Udayanidhi Stalin and Actor-turned politician and the Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) party chief Kamal Haasan.

Kerala

The polling for 140 constituencies in Kerala was also held in a single phase on April 6, 2021.

Kerala recorded a voter turnout of 74.57% this year. The parties LDF and UDF are the two main rivals in state politics.

The political environment of the state is known for the rivalry between the two main fronts and Congress-led UDF.

This year the exit polls, unanimously, predicted a clear Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF victory in the state. The exit polls predicted 188 seats for the ruling LDF, while over 51 seats for the UDF. So now everyone is waiting to see if Pinarayi Vijayans popularity is going to give Kerala its first re-elected government in decades.

The key candidates for Kerala election 2021 are Oommen Chandy, Pinarayi Vijayan, Ramesh Chennithala and C Raghunath.

Puducherry

The polling for 30 constituencies in the Union Territory was also held in a single phase on April 6, 2021. The Union Territory saw a voter turnout of 81.88% this year. The parties NDA and UPA are the two main rivals in Puducherrys politics.

The NDA alliance comprises, All India NR Congress, BJP and AIADMK, while the UPA alliance comprises DMK and Congress.

This year the exit polls, unanimously, predicted N Rangaswamy-led NDA victory in the state. The exit polls predicted 21 seats for the NDA, while over 9 seats will be taken by the UPA.

The key candidates for Puducherry election 2021 are AINRC chief N Rangaswamy, who is contesting from two seats, Yanam and Thattanchavady. AIADMK leaders A Anbalagan and Om Sakthi Segar are contesting from Uppalam and Orleanpet seats respectively.

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Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee looks set to retain power for a third straight term with her party Trinamool Congress crossing the halfway mark in the closely contested assembly election 2021 in the state, the trends suggested after early hours of counting of votes on Sunday (May 2, 2021).

The Trinamool Congress was currently leading in 194 seats, while the BJP was leading in 81 seats around 12 noon. Belying expectations of a tight contest, the TMC candidates appeared galloping to victory, and, if the current trends hold, the party will easily form its third successive government in the state. However, for the most part of early trends, both parties were neck and neck as the latest leads continue to come in.

However, the Chief Minister herself was trailing in Nandigram by over 8,000 votes, according to the trends. Banerjee has contesting against her BJP rival Suvendhu Adhikari, her ex-aide, whose December defection triggered a flood of exits from the Trinamool Congress.

Counting of votes for the West Bengal Assembly elections began at 8 AM on Sunday amid strict health protocols, as it is taking place amid a raging second wave of COVID-19. People across the country have their eyes fixed on the West Bengal election 2021 results as the BJP looks to break into the Oppositions last bastion in the East.

The early trends showed that though chief minister Mamata Banerjee was trailing behind BJP`s Suvendu Adhikary in Nandigram, the ruling Trinamool Congress is having an edge over the BJP. The initial trends of 292 seats show that the Trinamool is leading in 194 seats while the BJP was leading in 81 seats and the Congress + on 1 seats.

The 2021 assembly election has been a major test for the ruling Trinamool Congress as the saffron brigade had put in all its might to make its footmark for the first time in West Bengal. But if early trends are taken as an indication, then Mamata Banerjee seems to have an edge over her rival.

United Front - an alliance of Left Front, Congress and the newly formed Indian Secular Front, failed miserably.

There was no election in two assembly constituencies as the respective candidates died before the polls.

On the other hand, Trinamool heavyweights like state education minister Partha Chatterjee, PWD minister Arup Biswas, power minister Sovondeb Chattopadhayay and panchayat minister Subtrata Mukherjee were leading from their respective constituencies but tourism minister Goutam Deb was trailing till the last report came in.

Two of the BJP Lok Sabha MPs Babul Supriyo, a minister in the Narendra Modi government, and Locket Chatterjee, were trailing in Tollygunge and Chuunchura seats. Supriyo represents Asansol and Chatterjee Hooghly seat in the Lok Sabha.

However, BJP MP from Cooch Behar Nishith Pramanik was leading in Dinahata. Firhad Hakim, a state minister and Banerjee confidante, was also leading.

The ambitious BJP did intense campaigning with the goal to topple the incumbent TMC government in the state. To continue its stride in Bengal especially after an overwhelming result in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in the state, the party brought Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, party president JP Nadda and many others for campaigning.

Tolabaazi (extortion), `cut money`, syndicate raj and appeasement politics were a few topics over which the BJP targeted the ruling TMC. Mamata chose Nandigram over her home turf Bhabanipur seat this time to test her fate in the 2021 elections.

Several exit poll surveys gave an edge to the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC). In West Bengal, all exit polls predicted that the BJP would make major inroads and a few also said that the party would emerge victoriously.

Times Now-C voter exit poll predicted 158 seats for TMC, 115 for BJP and 19 for others. ABP-C Voter predicted TMC to get 152-164 seats, BJP 109-121 seats and Left-Congress alliance 14-25 seats. According to the Republic-CNX exit poll, BJP with 138-148 seats has an edge over TMC which is predicted to get 128-138 seats.

As per India TV- People`s Pulse, BJP is expected to get 173-192 seats while TMC will be reduced to 64-88 seats and the Left-Congress alliance will get 7-12 seats. Axis My India predicted a hung assembly in Bengal with the ruling TMC expected to get 130-156 seats and BJP 134-160 seats.

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New Delhi: The counting of votes for Uttar Pradesh Gram Panchayat Election 2021 commenced on Sunday (May 2) at 8 AM and the initial electoral trends are likely to emerge after some time. The UP Gram Panchayat Election 2021 was held in four phases across 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh.

Ahead of UP Gram Panchayat Election Results, the Supreme Court refused to stay the counting process directing the State Election Commission (SEC) that COVID guidelines should be followed strictly. The SEC asked candidates and their agents that they will not be allowed to enter the counting centers unless they have tested negative for COVID-19 in the 48 hours prior to the commencement of the counting process or taken both doses of the vaccine.

The Supreme Court directed that there will be a strict curfew in the entire state till Tuesday morning and no victory rallies will be permitted. The SC also said that everyone entering the counting center has to undergo thermal scanning.

In a special urgent hearing on Saturday, a bench of justices AM Khanwilkar and Hrishikesh Roy passed the order after taking note of several notifications and assurances of the SEC that the COVID-19 protocols will be followed at all the 829 counting centres.

The Supreme Court's direction came on a plea seeking a direction for observance of COVID-19 protocols during the counting of votes.

The apex court directed that there will be a strict curfew in the entire state till Tuesday morning and no victory rallies will be permitted, asking the SEC to fix the responsibility for observance of COVID-19 protocols at the counting centers on gazetted officers.

The SC directed the poll panel to preserve the CCTV footage of the counting centers till the Allahabad High Court concludes its hearings on the related petitions before it.

It also ordered that the government officials, candidates, and their agents will have to produce RT-PCR test reports to show that they are COVID-19 negative before entering the counting centers.

The UP Panchayat Election Results 2021 are crucial as the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh will be held in 2022. All eyes, therefore, will be on BJP, Samajwadi Party, Mayawatis BSP, and Congress.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has slammed the Yogi government claiming that what is happening in the state is nothing less than a crime against humanity and blamed the state election commission (SEC) for playing along.

In a series of tweets, Priyanka Gandhi said, These elections have been conducted in almost 60,000 gram sabhas of UP without any thought of the catastrophic onslaught of the second wave. "People are dying in numbers far, far above the deceitful official figures. People are dying in homes across rural UP, and these deaths are not being counted as COVID (deaths) because people arent being tested, she added.

In a tweet, Uttar Pradesh Police said, "The 3rd phase of Panchayat elections got conducted peacefully in 20 districts on 49,798 polling booths/20,727 polling centres, due to the immense hard work of our Police personnel and officers. We thank everyone engaged in the process & the voters for their valuable cooperation.

UP's Chief Secretary RK Tiwari held talks with teacher unions and the latter withdrew a call to their members to boycott the counting of votes. They placed a 10-point demand before the government and following assurances from the latter that the demands will be met, decided to take part in the counting process, a statement said.

In a letter dated April 29, the Uttar Pradesh Prathmik Shikshak Sangh (UPPSS) addressed the chief minister and the state election commissioner and said if the counting of votes on May 2 was not cancelled, the teachers will boycott poll duty.

On April 27, taking note of reports about the deaths of government employees due to COVID during panchayat poll duty, the Allahabad High Court had asked the SEC why action may not be taken against it and its officials for the same.

The Panchayat Election Polling was held on April 15 in the first phase, on April 19 in the second, on April 26 in the third and on April 29 in the fourth phase.

Lakhs of candidates were in the fray for over 7.32 lakh seats in the gram panchayat wards, 58,176 in the gram panchayats, 75,852 in the kshetra panchayats, and 3,050 in the Zila panchayats in the statewide elections held over four phases. A total of 3.19 lakh candidates were elected unopposed, the SEC informed.

(With Agency Inputs)
With Mental Health Awareness Month being observed throughout May, students are reminded and encouraged to prioritize their mental health.
Kolkata: After the TMC emerged victorious with a massive lead over the BJP, a seemingly infuriated Babul Supriyo on Sunday (May 2) posted a rant on Twitter saying he cannot respect the people's verdict.

Calling Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee a cruel lady, the union minister said that the people of Bengal made a historic mistake by choosing TMC over the BJP.

Supriyo, who lost from Tollyganj seat against TMCs Aroop Biswas, later deleted the post.

Neither will I congratulate Mamata Banerjee for her win in Bengal nor do I wish to say that I 'respect' the people's verdict because I sincerely think that people of Bengal made a historic mistake by not giving Bharatiya Janata Party a chance and by electing this corrupt, incapable, dishonest government and the cruel lady back to power!! Yes, as a law-abiding citizen, I shall 'obey' the decision taken by the people in a democratic country. That's it!! Nothing more-Nothing less!!," the now-deleted post read.

He later shared a tweet by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in which the latter thanked the people of Bengal.

Earlier, Modi took to Twitter to congratulate Banerjee on her partys win in the assembly elections.

TMC bagged an astounding victory in the state crossing the 200-mark. BJP could not reach a triple-digit figure.

However, Mamata Banerjee lost the battle of Nandigram to BJPs Suvendu Adhikari. TMC has sought a recount of the votes.

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New Delhi: The Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF looks set to make a comeback in Kerala as counting to the 140-seat Assembly is underway.

The Election Commission latest trends shows the Communist Party of India (Marxist) registering a win on three seats and maintaining lead on 54 more.

As Pinarayi Vijayan looks poised for another term at the CM's chair, congratulatory messages have been pouring in from all quarters.

Union Minister of Defence Rajnath Singh wished the CM. Taking to Twitter he wrote: "Congratulations to the Chief Minister of Kerala Shri Pinarayi Vijayan on his partys victory in Kerala Assembly elections. My best wishes to him for his next tenure."

Congratulations to the Chief Minister of Kerala Shri @vijayanpinarayi on his partys victory in Kerala Assembly elections. My best wishes to him for his next tenure.  Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) May 2, 2021

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal too expressed his wishes to Pinrayi Vijayan. Kejriwal wrote: "Heartfelt congratulations Pinrayi Vijayan sir. People of Kerala have reposed faith in you becoz of ur pro-people governance."

Heartfelt congratulations @vijayanpinarayi sir. People of Kerala have reposed faith in you becoz of ur pro-people governance.  Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 2, 2021

The counting for 140 seats in the state assembly began at 8 am with COVID-19 protocols in place. The Election Commission made necessary arrangements for counting, which is taking place amid an unprecedented surge in COVID-19 cases in the country.
CarTrade is reportedly planning to file the draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) with the Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) within the next 10-15 days to go public. The company is gearing up for an initial public offering (IPO) in the coming weeks, according to a report by Mint.



The auto classifieds company is reportedly looking to bag around Rs 2000 crore with its IPO. The company is being advised by investment banks such as Citi, Nomura, Axis Capital and Kotak Mahindra Capital on the IPO.

CarTrade was founded in 2010 by Vinay Sanghi. The company runs an online auto classifieds platform that helps customers buy new or old cars. Customers can also sell their used cars on the platform. It is said to have sold over 1 million cars on its platform in 2020.

The company is backed by investors American private equity giant Warburg Pincus, Singapores state investor Temasek, JP Morgan and March Capital Partners. Besides CarTrade, the company also runs Carwale.com and Bikewale.com for trading two-wheelers.

It also runs Adroit, which provides additional services related to automobiles, including automobile inspection, valuation, certification, among others.

In January 2018, CarTrade also acquired Shriram Automall India Ltd, which deals in pre-owned commercial vehicles, including construction and industrial equipment and tractors and agricultural equipment.

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New Delhi: Bigg Boss fame Abhinav Shukla will not visit his COVID positive wife and Bigg Boss 14 winner Rubina Dilaik, who is quarantining in Shimla.

Abhinav who is currently in Mumbai, speaking about the situation to a leading news daily said, I will be staying here because Rubina is in isolation at her home in Shimla. So there's no point me going there. No one will be able to meet her right now, shared the actor with the Times of India.

He further added, Panicking doesn't help anyone, we have to be well informed about how to handle it. If we panic then people around too will do the same. We are following all the SOP's (Standard Operating Procedures) and that's important. I'm hoping she gets well soon.

Rubina took to Instagram on Saturday (May 1) to inform her fans that she has tested COVID positive. The 'Shakti- Astitva Ke Ehsaas Ki' actress spoke about the silver lining from the sad situation. Rubina said she would be donating her plasma after she recovers.

On the work front, Rubina who featured in the music video 'Marjaneya' along with husband Abhinav Shukla. The song for the video was sung by Neha Kakkar. Rubina is also back on her hit television show 'Shakti- Astitva Ke Ehsaas Ki'.
New Delhi: Veteran actor Randhir Kapoor who was in the ICU will be returning home soon, according to his latest interview with a leading daily. The actor had tested positive for COVID-19 and was admitted to Mumbai's Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital on April 27, 2021.

Later on April 30, 2021, he was shifted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and underwent further tests.

As per Kapoor's latest interview with ETimes, he is recovering well and will be discharged from the hospital soon.

He said, "I am recovering well and should be home soon." He also clarified that he did not need oxygen support at the hospital as he didn't experience breathlessness.

"I was never breathless. I just had fever," he added.

Randhir Kapoor, 74, is married to veteran actress Babita. Together, the couple has two children, actresses Karisma and Kareena Kapoor.

He is the eldest son of the veteran filmmaker Raj Kapoor. He lost his younger brothers Rishi Kapoor and Rajiv Kapoor within 10 months on April 30, 2020, and February 9, 2021, respectively.

Rishi Kapoor died after losing a two-year battle with cancer while Rajiv Kapoor died due to a heart attack.

Randhir Kapoor has featured in hit films such as 'Jeet', 'Hamrahi', 'Jawani Diwani', 'Lafange', 'Ponga Pandit', 'Raampur Ka Lakshman', and 'Haath Ki Safai'.
A lawsuit has been filed against South Korean tech giant Samsung that claims the company used faulty glass coverings for the rear camera setup on its smartphones launched under its flagship Galaxy S20 series.

According to the law firm Hagens Berman, Samsung has ignored a widespread defect prevalent on the Galaxy S20 series of smartphones where the protective glass on top of the camera module shatters unexpectedly during normal use, reports XDA Developers.

Samsung is being accused of fraud, breach of warranty, and violations of several consumer-protection laws, the report said.

"Samsung sold its Galaxy S20 as a high-end option for consumers, with a `professional` grade camera, charging upwards of $1,600 per device, only to have them suddenly lose a major aspect of their functionality," said Steve Berman, managing partner of the law firm.

The law firm said that Samsung sold its smartphone range with a defect affecting the rear camera module`s glass that shatters spontaneously, with no external force applied, even when the phone is inside a protective case.

The defect is said to be affecting the entire Galaxy S20 series including the Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+, Galaxy S20 Ultra, Galaxy S20 FE and all the 5G variants of these phones as well.

Notably, this issue has been around ever since the phone series first launched as a certain owner of the Galaxy S20 reported about the issue on Samsung`s community website just four days after it went on sale.

However, according to the customers, the company refused to cover the issue under warranty, the report said.

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India is witnessing the worst second wave of COVID-19 pandemic as it has led to many deaths and therefore, the government is constantly communicating with citizens over social distancing, wearing masks and so on.

Meanwhile, WhatsApp head Will Cathcart tweeted in support of Indians and said that the messaging platform has partnered with health workers to operate helplines in the form of chatbots on the app. One of them is the MyGov Corona Helpdesk chatbot, which was unveiled in 2021 has now been updated to help you find a vaccination center.

In terms of its functioning, to use MyGov Corona Helpdesk chatbot, a user needs to save the number +919013151515 and then start chatting by writing Namaste and wait for a while and then the user gets an automated response and it asks users to send their PIN code. After a user enters the six-digit code and hits the send button, the chatbot will send out a list of vaccination centers near them.

There is an alternate way also as users can also visit wa.me/919013151515 which will take them directly to the chatbot.

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Sydney: Australia`s conservative government will increase childcare subsidies, officials said on Sunday (May 2), in a pre-budget announcement that pledges A$1.7 billion ($1.31 billion) to boost female participation in the workplace.

The promised spending comes ahead of a Federal election expected in the next 12 months and follows polls showing Prime Minister Scott Morrison`s approval ratings have sunk, amid growing anger over allegations of sexual abuse, discrimination against women and misconduct in parliament.

The spending targets families with more than one child in daycare, boosting subsidies for those with two or more children aged up to five years old to a maximum 95% subsidy for their second and subsequent children.

"Today`s measures... are targeted, and they are an investment in making our economy stronger and boosting female working participation," Treasurer Josh Frydenberg told reporters in Canberra.

Parents who "want to work an extra couple of days. Right now, they have all of that additional income from their wage eaten up in additional childcare cost. This will remove that disincentive," he said.

Before the coronavirus pandemic pushed Australia`s A$2 trillion economy into recession, Morrison`s government had pledged to bring the budget to black.

But on Thursday (April 29), the government provided a foretaste of its spending plans due to be announced in its yearly Budget on May 11, abandoning its "debt and deficit disaster" rhetoric for a focus on jobs.

Treasury estimates the additional spending will encourage up to 300,000 in additional work hours a week - equivalent to 40,000 people working an extra day a week and boost Australia`s economic output by about A$1.5 billion a year, Frydenberg said.

Australia`s government has struggled to placate public anger over claims of sexual abuse, discrimination against women and misconduct in Canberra.

In another move designed to regain voter support, it promoted a record seven female lawmakers to Cabinet in March.



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Cape Canaveral: A SpaceX capsule carrying four astronauts departed the International Space Station late Saturday (May 1), aiming for a rare nighttime splashdown to end the company's second crew flight. It would be the first US splashdown in darkness since Apollo 8's crew returned from the moon in 1968.

NASA's Mike Hopkins, Victor Glover and Shannon Walker, and Japan's Soichi Noguchi, headed home in the same Dragon capsule that delivered them to the space station last November. The ride back was expected to take just 6 1/2 hours.

Thanks for your hospitality, Hopkins radioed as the capsule undocked 260 miles (420 kilometers) above Mali. SpaceX targeted a splashdown around 3 am Sunday (May 2) in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Panama City, Florida.

Despite the early hour, the Coast Guard deployed extra patrols and spotlights to keep any night-owl sightseers away.

The capsule of the first SpaceX crew was surrounded by pleasure boaters last summer, posing a safety risk.

After a six-month stay, Dragon and the Crew-1 astronauts are set to depart from the @space_station tonight at 8:35 p.m. ET and return to Earth. Weather conditions off the coast of Florida continue to look good for tomorrows splashdown at ~2:57 a.m. ET  https://t.co/bJFjLCzWdK pic.twitter.com/mPRyZUvHLi  SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 1, 2021

Hopkins, the spacecraft commander, rocketed into orbit with his crew on November 15 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center.

Their replacements arrived a week ago aboard their own Dragon capsule the same one that launched SpaceX's first crew last spring.

The four should have been back by now, but the high offshore wind kept them at the space station a few extra days.

SpaceX and NASA determined the best weather would be before dawn.

The delays allowed Glover to celebrate his 45th birthday in space Friday (April 30).

Gratitude, wonder, connection. I'm full of and motivated by these feelings on my birthday, as my first mission to space comes to an end,? Glover tweeted.

Saturday (May 1) night's undocking left seven astronauts at the space station: three Americans, two Russians, one Japanese and one French.

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if the people of Biafra want Republic of Biafra, it will be a reality during my administration. ----Donald Trump Donald Trump I wi...
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Local officials gathered along the East River this morning to announce they have set aside $7 million to develop a beach and park under the Brooklyn Bridge.



The proposal was initially detailed in the East River Blueway plan, a joint visioning exercise conducted by Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, State Assemblyman Brian Kavanagh and many community groups. The 11,000 square foot area, currently inaccessible, will include sand, seating, a walkway and concessions.

Half of the money for the project is coming from the City Council; the other half from Stringer. Council Speaker Christine Quinn (a mayoral candidate) and Stringer (a candidate for city comptroller) were front and center at todays media event on the esplanade.

In addition to the Brooklyn Bridge beach, theres a separate plan to create a kayak and canoe launch in Stuyvesant Cove, between East 18th and East 23rd streets. According to Council member Dan Garodnick, the Stuyvesant cove boat launch will give East siders a new low-maintenance way to engage with their waterfront.

Superstorm Sandy definitely influenced the design of the new waterfront area. The new park will be built for storm resiliency with salt marsh planters, wetlands, ripraps, reef balls and wave attenuation walls. Stringer



While the new beach will give residents waterfront access, it will be a long while before people are encouraged to go swimming in the East River. As the Daily News noted this morning, officials hope that some day wading pools can be created, utilizing treated water. But that part of the vision is unfunded. The beach project is expected to take about three years.
Press Release

May 2, 2021 Drilon backs P24-B wage subsidy for private sector workers, urges realignment of over P556-B items in 2021 GAA to fund COVID-19 response, ayuda Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon expressed support for the P24-billion wage subsidy program for private sectors workers and urged the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to immediately recommend to the President the realignment of unutilized special purpose funds (SPFs) and unobligated or unreleased balances of budget items in the 2021 General Appropriations Act (GAA) including the P19 -billion anti-insurgency funds to fund the proposed wage subsidy and expand the government's financial aid to the poor. "I support the proposed wage subsidy for private sector workers. The subsidy will enable small and medium enterprises to retain their employees and prevent further job losses," said the former labor secretary in a statement on Sunday. He noted the 4.4 million Filipinos who went jobless in 2020, equivalent to 10% unemployment rate. Drilon said that his study of the 2021 GAA shows that there are P556.49 billion items in the budget that can be realigned to fund the much-needed "ayuda" to the private sector workers and poor Filipinos. "I urge the DBM to immediately recommend to the President the realignment of these huge allocations in the budget. There is no harm if we postpone some of these items and use the unutilized and unobligated balances to feed millions of Filipinos who are struggling to put food on the table and keep the jobs of thousands, if not million, Filipinos," Drilon said. Among the items that can be the source of realignments, according to Drilon, are the special purpose funds that only require the approval of the President in order for them to be released and utilized, including the P13 billion contingent fund and P4.5 billion in confidential and intelligence funds. He also renewed his call to realign the P19 billion anti-insurgency fund, of which P16.4 billion will go to more than 800 insurgency-free barangays. "This anti-insurgency program can wait so we can reallocate the funds to more important and high-impact programs such as a wage subsidy and ayuda. The GAA allows the use of this fund for financial subsidy," he added. Drilon also cited the huge allocations for various infrastructure projects under the budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). "Aanhin natin ang kalsada ngayon kung kumakalam naman ang sikumura ng libu-libo nating kababayan?" Drilon said. He said that given the pandemic, he is certain that a significant portion of the budget of the DPWH for 2021, even for 2020, remains unutilized. "Given the absorptive capacity of DPWH and the continuing pandemic, DPWH will not be able to implement and construct all these local roads, bridges and multi-purpose halls this year. We can put to good use these funds to provide food on the table of Filipinos who went hungry and lost jobs," Drilon said.
The landscape architects hired to create a 15,000 square foot public space as part of the Essex Crossing project made their first appearance before Community Board 3s parks committee last night. The takeaway? A more vigorous effort should be made to consult the broader Lower East Side community.

The session was led by Jamie Maslyn Larson, a principal of West 8. The firm, based in the Netherlands, established a New York City office after winning the competition to design Governors Island Park. She brought along the model you see pictured above, depicting the Broome Street parcel where the park will be built.

The open space will sit on site #5 of Essex Crossing, adjacent to a residential building, a still-to-be-named grocery store and, possibly, a new elementary school. As a requirement of the citys agreement with the development team, they must consult Community Board 3 about the design of the park. A Restrictive Declaration, part of the Seward Park land use document, is very specific about what the open space must include. During her presentation, Larson noted some of the requirements, including: various types of seating, play spaces for children, at least nine trees and bright lighting. At least 20% of the park must be green and bicycle parking needs to be provided. She also noted that there is an option of adding some sort of food/beverage kiosk.

One goal, she suggested, is to offer amenities for local residents and shoppers that dont already exist in other public spaces in the immediate vicinity. She flashed up some slides of Washington Square Park and Union Square, two of the more lively public gathering spots downtown. You dont need a big space for there to be a lot of action, she said. Site 5 is one of three parcels in the first phase of construction, scheduled to begin in March of 2015. Larson said the park will need to be tough and rugged, since it will essentially be in the midst of a construction zone even after opening in early 2018. During the evening, the designers hastened to add that they hoped to provide more green space, more trees, etc. than the minimum thats required.

Like the entire Essex Crossing project, park planning is on the fast track. CB3 has 20 days to present initial written comments. Next month, the architects plan a return to the community board with a more specific plan than the one hinted at last night. At that point, theres another opportunity to offer community feedback.

But during the public speaking portion of the presentation, several people said theyd like to see a more robust public process. One group represented last night was Hester Street Collaborative. The organization has helped lead neighborhood-wide visioning sessions for several park plans, including Luther Gulick Park, the Allen Street pedestrian malls and the Hester Street Playground. A staff member, Shelma Jun said, Im a little concerned that the only input is at Community Board 3, adding that the design team appeared to be merely fulfilling the minimum requirements.

Other speakers said theyre concerned that the space truly serve the community. CB3 member Anne Johnson encouraged the designers to be mindful of Lower East Side history and of the the large immigrant population. I dont want the neighborhood to be gentrified any more than it already is, she said. I dont want the park to be gentrified.

Isaac Henderson, representing Essex Crossing developer L+M, said the kiosk would be a good amenity for the neighborhood, and could help draw people into the park. But local residents were skeptical. Linda Jones, chairperson of CB3s land use committee, suggested the kiosk might be a waste of space in a small park. She pointed out that the open space will be surrounded by a variety of shops and restaurants, so it is not as if there will be no place to find a bottle of water. Jan Hanvik, CB3 member and executive director of the Clemente Soto Velez Cultural Center, argued for an informational kiosk. He said the many local arts organizations (which are so far not part of the project) would benefit from a kiosk that highlighted local performances and other arts happenings.

At the end of the presentation, the community board underscored its desire for richer feedback and outreach regarding the park. An official with the citys Economic Development Corp. said the agreement gives CB3 the right to ask for more time to weigh in on the design. It remains to be seen how the developers will respond to the request.

Essex Crossing consists of 1,000 apartments, a large amount of retail space, a new Essex Street Market and community facilities. Last fall, the city awarded a contract to L+M Development Partners, Taconic Investment Partners, BFC Partners, the Prusik Group (an affiliate of Taconic) and Grand Street Settlement (the lead community partner). There are nine parcels set for redevelopment.
Earlier this summer, some of the commercial tenants in buildings soon to be demolished for the Essex Crossing redevelopment project closed their doors. In the fall, the remaining families living on the former urban renewal site will also be required to vacate the site, as well Groundbreaking for the first phase of the nearly 2-million square foot residential and retail project is expected next March.

Earlier this month those five families, all longtime occupants of a tenement at 400 Grand St., received 90-day eviction notices. The letters from the property owner, the citys Department of Housing Preservation and Development, specified an October 27 vacate date. Court action would follow if the residents arent out by that time.

As we have reported on many occasions in the past, the residents have been fighting for relocation rights for the past four years. Community Board 3 has advocated on their behalf. In recent months, city housing officials have been working to find the tenants new apartments but the process has been contentious.

This week, we spoke with Rosalind Black and Samuel Lui from Manhattan Legal Services, a non-profit organization representing the tenants. They described the efforts to place their clients as very weak. In one instance, they said, residents had been offered an apartment far from the Lower East Side, in the Far Rockaways. Other residents had been offered apartments in public housing developments. In two cases, Section 8 rent vouchers were offered. One family accepted a new apartment in the community. Residents have complained that some apartments they have seen are much smaller than their current homes.

A spokesperson for the citys housing department told us yesterday:

We are working with the families as well as our local sponsors to help identify permanent housing options that meet the specific needs and requests of each household. We are also helping families that are eligible apply for rental assistance programs. While it has been challenging we are committed to doing everything we can to help these families find permanent housing.

We understand that finding apartments on the LES that meet the residents requirements has been challenging. The living situation at 400 Grand St. is unique because the apartments tend to be spacious (some consume an entire floor) and the rents are lower than your average affordable apartment in the neighborhood. The residents say the city, at one time, offered to sell them the building as part of the largely dormant Tenant Interim Lease Program. That offer was rescinded when it became apparent the former urban renewal site was going to finally be redeveloped.

The city has agreed to give the tenants priority for the new affordable apartments at Essex Crossing, but theres the question of where they would live during the three year construction period. Black and Lui noted that some of the tenants dont make enough money to qualify for the low income housing in the new project.
Lower East Side History Month kicks off its 8th year of celebrating the diverse history of the LES with events and activities around the neighborhood throughout the month of May. This weeks highlights include a Mamas with Chutzpah Virtual Walking Tour from the Museum at Eldridge Street, a virtual discussion with author Paul Kaplan about his book, Jewish New York: A History and Guide to Neighborhoods, Synagogues and Eateries from the Lower East Side Jewish Conservancy and a MOCAKIDS Meet & Greet, from the Museum of Chinese in America, with award-winning author Julie Leung, who will read here new book, The Fearless Flights of Hazel Ying Lee, about the first Chinese American woman to fly for the U.S. military.

Also next Saturday is the popular sidewalk chalking event, LES Stories: Chalk the LES! on May 8, from 1pm  5pm, on Avenue B btwn 8th & 9th Sts. LES History month was initiated by Downtown Art and FABnyc as a means for local cultural and community groups, small businesses, and residents to host intersecting public events, exhibits, tours, and learning opportunities.

Find a full schedule and more details here.
Customers lined up outside Jing Fong in February of 2021.

Jing Fong, once Chinatowns largest restaurant, will completely vacate its space at 20 Elizabeth St. by the end of the month. The dim sum destination and banquet venue closed its 800-seat dining room back in March, promising to find a new smaller location somewhere in the neighborhood. Thats apparently happening. Claudia Leo, the restaurants marketing manager, told the New York Post that Jing Fong would move to a 125-seat spot in late June, although she did not disclose the location.

The restaurant had kept a kitchen going even after the dining room went dark to support outdoor dining, takeout and delivery. While its a positive sign that Jing Fong may survive in some form, the downscaling leaves Chinatown without a large banquet hall. Thats something many family associations and nonprofit groups counted on for large gatherings, especially during Lunar New Year celebrations.

Management at Golden Unicorn, the second largest restaurant in Chinatown, is also sounding the alarm. Through n interpreter, owner Johnny Liu said, We need more support on the government level. Although indoor dining was raised to 50% capacity (and will soon rise to 75%), Liu noted that Golden Unicorn is only bringing 10-20% of its pre-pandemic revenues.

Chinatown business owners and community organizers have called on the city to provide specific programs to help the neighborhood recover not only from the pandemic, but from the wave of xenophobia and racist attacks aimed at Asian Americans.

The NYC Department of Small Business Services has increased outreach and has been publicizing the federal governments new Restaurant Revitalization Fund, but has not created any Chinatown-specific programs.
Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in cooperation with Davidson & Co., recently organised a webinar which examined amendments made to existing UAE laws related to the decriminalisation of bounced cheques.



The focus of the webinar also included new collection mechanisms, restrictions and cases, collateral and additional penalties and litigation alternatives for bounced cheque claims.



A total of 638 participants joined the webinar, including business owners, managers and legal professionals.



The session was led by Raymond Kisswany, Partner, Davidson & Co., who advised participants on alternatives between filing civil and criminal procedures, steps to file a bounced cheque case, fines that apply in such situations and liability for cheques issued by commercial entities.



He noted that under the new legal provision, banks will be obliged to make partial payment for a cheque to the beneficiary when a cheque is presented for payment at the bank as long as an account balance is available to even partly satisfy the beneficiary's claim.



Recently, the UAE Cabinet approved amendments to the provisions of Commercial Transactions Law related to bounced cheques and issuance of cheques without sufficient funds, which is expected to come into force in 2022 as part of the UAE Governments continuous efforts to develop the legislative environment and legal frameworks.



Jehad Kazim, Vice President of Legal Services at Dubai Chamber, said the amendments to existing laws related to bounced cheques are among the key measures that have been introduced by the government in recent years to improve ease of doing business in the UAE.



Businesses of all sizes and sectors should be informed of changes to laws that impact them. In the case of bounced cheques, new processes will create more efficient and effective ways for companies to recover payments, said Kazim.



Raymond Kisswany described the event as a very important webinar that generated a lot of interest among Dubais business community. He noted that attendees gained practical knowledge on how to deal with bounced cheques from both a drawer and beneficiary standpoint bearing in mind new legislation.  TradeArabia News Service
Imtac, a leader in IT and Industry 4.0 solutions in Oman, has signed a major contract with Signify (formerly Philips Lighting), a world leader in connected lighting, to provide its smart street lighting solution to the Muscat Municipality.

As per the deal, the two companies will implement more than 13,000 smart LED lights in the city of Muscat that are controlled by 370 smart remote controls.

Once implemented, the two companies would have installation base of more than 20,000 smart streetlamps in the city that are all controlled remotely thus saving significant amount of energy for the municipality and lower the carbon footprint in the city.

Established in 1984 in Oman, Imtac operates in multiple geographies through direct operations, subsidiaries and JVs. It is a leading provider of technology solutions in the fields of IT, smart cities (public lighting, water distribution and management, surveillance etc.), telecommunications and healthcare.

The contract was signed in the presence of top management of both the companies.

Goktug Gur, President and CEO of Signify for METAP region, said: "As a global leader in connected lighting, we are proud to provide our latest IoT technology of Interact City in Muscat Municipality using more than 20,000 connected street lighting luminaires throughout the project providing up to 85% energy saving, reducing maintenance costs while leveraging the value of smart street lighting systems for additional benefits."

Imtac Vice Chairman Fareed Al Hinai said: "We are very excited about implementation of energy saving street lighting solution for Muscat Municipality and to help create a sustainable infrastructure in Oman."

"Our relationship with Signify is critical to our Smart City roadmap and it addresses Omans 2040 vision," he added.

Imtac CEO Mukesh Arora, said: "Our partnership with Signify has helped us combine our widely used Industry 4.0 solutions with the global best practices in lighting from Signify. Its smart city brand empyreal is a leader in Industry 4.0 solution in the areas of Municipal Operations, Building Management, Urban & Social Infrastructure, Healthcare, Water & Wastewater management, and Manufacturing Industries."

Smart streetlighting systems with their dimming-based energy saving capabilities are finding widespread deployment across the world. Over the past few years, millions of smart streetlights with associated control systems have been added by city municipalities across the globe, noted Arora.

LED lamps have served as a default replacement of conventional lights which were consuming multiple times more energy than their LED replacement, he added.

According to him, municipal bodies have the responsibility of providing appropriate lighting levels in the city and at the same time, keep the energy costs to their minimum.

Most cities such as Muscat have strategic plans that specify how lighting is to be provided and their intensity to be controlled online for different areas of the city. By doing this there is direct saving in the energy cost, he added.

Zeyad Al Zadjali, Director of Lighting & Traffic-light at Muscat Municipality, said, Energy saving and city beautification through streetlights has been a very high priority for Muscat Municipality. We have deployed world class technology to implement LED based streetlights that are remotely controlled using state of the art LED luminaires and computing hardware and software.

The latest lighting and control technology from Imtac and Signify helps city planners in creating and executing dynamic operation schedule and dimming levels for the city sections, he added.
Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) and Qatar Postal Services Company (Qatar Post) have signed an agreement to enhance their cooperation in making use of each partys practical experience and resources towards the deployment of effective and sustainable humanitarian response.

The pact was signed by Ali bin Hassan Al-Hammadi, Secretary-General of QRCS, and Faleh Al-Naemi, Chairman and Managing Director of Qatar Post.

Al-Hammadi commended the strong relations with Qatar Post: This partnership is not something new; we have worked together in the past. And today, we are reviving it to build on its positive outcomes for our humanitarian action, in the best interest of the public and further development under Qatar National Vision 2030.

This agreement is part of QRCSs strategy of boosting various aspects of humanitarian work, thus paving the way for easier fulfilment of its development and social mandates, he added. We hope to go as far as we can with our humanitarian partnership.

Al-Naemi expressed his happiness for joining hands with the countrys leading NGO that serves people both locally and internationally. Today like never before, at a time of major health crisis worldwide, Qatar Post has been fulfilling its greatest sense of corporate responsibility towards the community in need. We have made available, unconditionally and without hesitation, our managerial talent and our delivery resources who have worked incessantly and around the clock to support the countrys need for medicines deliveries to thousands of patients homes every day. Our long-standing collaboration with QRCS is yet another example of our commitment to contribute to the wellness of our society both in Qatar and overseas, thus alleviating human suffering.

We thank QRCS for giving us the opportunity to serve, Al-Naemi proudly stated.

Under the agreement, Qatar Post will provide diverse services for QRCS, including the promotion of its operations by featuring posters at the General Post Office, as well as the companys online portal.

It also allows the promotion of some QRCSs major seasonal campaigns to Qatar Posts clients, such as the Ramadan, Adahi, and Warm Winter campaigns. The company will issue commemorative stamps for QRCS, put QRCSs donation collection boxes at its General Post Office, and hold bilateral training workshops at its premises.

More importantly, Qatar Post will support QRCS by facilitating the deployment and delivery of its humanitarian aid shipments both in and out of Qatar.

In return, QRCS will provide Qatar Posts staff with field training, enroll five Qatar Post employees as trainees in its annual Disaster Management Camp (DMC), and invite Qatar Posts staff to attend public awareness sessions on the International Humanitarian Law and Geneva Conventions.-- TradeArabia News Service
Oman Air, the national carrier of the Sultanate of Oman, has announced that it has updated its flight schedule for operations between Muscat and Dubai.

The updated flights are now available for booking for travel between April 29 and June 30, and guests are invited to visit the Oman Air website or contact the Oman Air Call Centre for more details.

Flight schedule is as follows:

April 29 to June 26 :

Thursday and Saturday flights from Muscat will depart at 01:55 and arrive in Dubai at 03:10. Thursday and Saturday flights from Dubai will depart at 06:05 and arrive in Muscat at 07:20.

May 2 to June 30 :

Wednesday and Sunday flights from Muscat will depart at 14:25 and arrive in Dubai at 15:40. Wednesday and Sunday flights from Dubai will depart at 17:15 and arrive in Muscat at 18:30

April 29 to June 26 :

Thursday and Saturday flights from Muscat will depart at 20:15 and arrive in Dubai at 21:25. Thursday and Saturday flights from Dubai will depart at 23:00 and arrive in Muscat at 00:20.

Oman Air will maintain its comprehensive safety program throughout all elements of the travel journey to ensure that guests fly confidently. Masks are required when guests are on board the aircraft and in Oman's airports. Distancing is maintained while guests board and exit the aircraft, which are carefully cleaned after each flight and at the end of every day. Cabin crew all wear a full set of personal protective equipment, meal service has been modified to further ensure safety, and a number of other measures have been implemented to ensure that the airline's guests and crew are safe at all times.

Guests who are planning to travel to Muscat should visit the Civil Aviation Authority website, caa.gov.om, to ensure they are prepared to comply with requirements to enter the sultanate.

Guests travelling to the UAE should ensure they are aware of official requirements to enter or transit through the country.

Guests departing from Oman should also ensure that they are aware of all pre-departure requirements and requirements during their flights, which are provided at omanair.com. - TradeArabia News Service
Mauritius' tourism industry will be resuming preparations for the reopening of borders planned for mid-2021 as the country announced an easing of confinement from May 1.

Work Access Permits will no longer be required, and a number of public activities will be allowed including outdoor physical exercises and the use of public transport.

Beauty parlours, private medical and dental practices, veterinarian practices and opticians will also be allowed to resume their activities.

Restrictions are being maintained for places that could involve large public gatherings including gymnasiums, cinemas, community centers, casinos, bars, discotheques, schools and restaurants and places of worship, among others.

Mauritius has been in confinement since March 9, following cases of Covid-19 transmission detected in the community. Mauritian authorities noted an improvement in conditions since.

In a statement to the nation, Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth urged the population to remain vigilant and observe all precautions to prevent further spread of the virus. - TradeArabia News Service
A delegation of Turkmenistan, headed by the Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the Supreme Control Chamber Serdar Berdimuhamedov, participated in the meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council (EIC) in Kazan. The Eurasian Intergovernmental Council is one of the governing bodies of the Eurasian Economic Union that consists of Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

Speaking at the meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council, the head of the Turkmen delegation noted the significance of Turkmenistans first-time participation in the EIC as a guest of honor, which is evidence of the mutual interest in establishing long-term, multifaceted cooperation, understanding its prospects and opportunities.

According to Serdar Berdimuhamedov, this also reflects the logic of Turkmenistan's course towards close interaction with interstate associations in the Eurasian space, such as the CIS, SCO and the EEU.

Our country has something to offer our partners in economic cooperation. The transport and logistics infrastructure is being dynamically developed in Turkmenistan; a network of modern highways, bridges and interchanges has been built; a new international seaport of Turkmenbashi has been built on the Caspian Sea coast with the capacity of up to 25 million tons of cargo turnover per year, the head of the Turkmen delegation said.

He also expressed confidence that Turkmenistans interaction with the EEU member states can bring not only commercial benefits to the parties but also contribute to the dynamic development of economic processes in the Eurasian space, create more opportunities for efficient integration of states into continental and international economic relations according based on the modern criteria.

During his visit to Kazan, the head of the Turkmen delegation held talks with the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Mikhail Mishustin.

During the talks, the sides emphasized the interest of Turkmenistan and Russia in strengthening friendship, good neighborliness and mutually beneficial partnership, both in the trade-economic and humanitarian and cultural spheres. The sides especially noted that trade turnover between Turkmenistan and the Russian Federation amounted to about 1.380 billion US dollars over the past year.

The Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the Supreme Control Chamber of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov also met with President of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov.

According to Rustam Minnikhanov, Turkmenistan is a strategic partner of Tatarstan. At the end of the meeting, the President of Tatarstan presented Serdar Berdimuhamedov with the state award of the Republic of Tatarstan, medal 100 years of establishment of the Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic.

As part of their visit to Kazan, members of the Turkmen delegation held bilateral talks with Russian, including Tatarstan colleagues. The talks focused on the prospects for cooperation in the trade, economic, banking and oil and gas spheres, as well as agriculture, transport and business.

 TURKMENISTAN.RU, 2021
Press Release

May 2, 2021 Lacson: Don't Let Deep Political Divide 'Drown' WPS, Key National Issues

More at: https://pinglacson.net/2021/05/02/lacson-dont-let-deep-political-divide-drown-wps-key-national-issues/ Majority of Filipinos must not let the deep "political divide" keep them from coming up with a united stand on the West Philippine Sea and other issues of national importance, Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson said Sunday. Lacson lamented that while there are tens of millions of Filipinos who have their own opinions about important issues, only two groups are dominating the conversation, and mostly through the operation of troll farms. "We are a deeply divided nation. DDS and Yellows bicker about anything. Worse, they assume that everybody else is their proxy. Right or wrong, either you're with them or against them. Absolutely false! There are many of us who speak our own minds, not theirs," he said in a post on his Twitter account. He lamented that with this political divide, one can be bashed for thinking differently - which should not be the case. "You say something the DDS consider unflattering, you get branded a Yellow, and vice-versa. The truth is, that is not the real situation. There are many Filipinos who have their own stand on the issue," he said in an interview on DZRH radio. He said it is time the larger segment of the population stop being intimidated by the noises deliberately created by the DDS and Yellows, mostly through troll farms. "They should continue speaking their minds independently, especially in pursuit of our country's national interest," he said. In the case of the West Philippine Sea issue, Lacson said Filipinos should think of what they and future generations of Filipinos will lose if they allow the incursions by China to continue. "Dapat ipamulat natin sa kababayan natin ano ang nawawala sa atin ngayon at future generations pag ang West Philippine Sea pinabayaan natin. Dapat doon tungo ng usapan. Hindi pag-aawayan at magkukuwentahan kung magkano ang halaga ng donation na bakuna. Mga kababayan natin nako-confuse (We must make it clear to our fellow Filipinos what we stand to lose if we do allow the West Philippine Sea situation to continue. That should be the focus of the conversation, not petty bickering that will confuse our people)," he added. Lacson said China has already made at least three incursions into Philippines EEZ - Mischief Reef, Scarborough Shoal, and now Julian Felipe Reef. "Ang masama pa, sa halip na iisa ang tinig natin, tayo-tayo mismo nagbabangayan. Pinapanood lang tayo ng China at maaring pinapalakpakan pa (What is bad is that instead of having one voice, we bicker among ourselves. In the meantime, China just watches and even applauds)," he said as he reiterated his call for a united stand on the issue. "I may sound like a broken record on the matter of seeking stronger alliances with the more militarily powerful countries like the US, Australia, even Japan and some European Union countries to maintain the balance of power in the West Philippine Sea, since given the situation, it is unthinkable for the Philippines to match China's military presence within our Exclusive Economic Zone," stressed Lacson, who chairs the Senate committee on national defense. "These countries have openly expressed their willingness to assist, but we cannot expect them to be more aggressive than us in this regard. It is our territorial integrity and sovereignty being assaulted, so we, not them who must take the initiative," he added.
Chennai, May 2 (UNI) The main opposition is all set to

return to power in Tamil Nadu after a long wait of ten

years.

As the counting of votes polled in the April six elections

commenced this morning, it turned out to be a one-horse

race as the DMK has established leads in a majority of the

234 constituencies.

By noon it came clear that the DMK's 10-year wait to return

to power will come to an end, as it crossed the simple

majority mark.

After nine hours of counting, the DMK was leading in 121

seats and the alliance led by it leading in 143 seats, as the

DMK is poised to win the polls with a clear majority.

The ruling AIADMK, which has been aiming for a hat-trick

of wins after it bucked the trend and won the polls in 2016,

is in distant second.

It was leading in 81 seats and the front headed by it was

ahead in a total of 90 seats. Its allies the PMK and BJP

was leading in six and three seats respectively.

Actor-politician Kamal Haasan of the nascent Makkal Needhi

Maiyam (MNM) is leading in Coimbatore South, while his party

nominees were trailing at third or fourth places in a majority of

seats.

Single phase polling was held on April six for 234 seats to elect

the 16th Tamil Nadu Assembly, besides bypoll to the Kanyakumari

Lok Sabha seat.

In the bypoll to Kanyakumari Lok Sabha seat--caused by the death

of Congress MP H Vasanthakumar due to corona, his son Vijay

Vasanth has established a sizeable lead over his BJP rival and

former Union Miniter Pon Radhakrishnan.

Reacting to the results, DMK President M K Stalin said the

counting leads established by the party in a majority of the

constituencies confirmed that the DMK is going to form the

next government in Tamil Nadu.

Of the total 234 seats, the DMK-led alliance was leading in

143 seats--DMK (121), Congress (15), VCK (3), CPI and CPI(M)

two each.

The AIADMK-led combine was leading in 90 seats--AIADMK (81),

PMK (6) and BJP (3), while MNM is leading in the other seat.

As of now the trends indicate the repeat of the 2016 numbers

with the DMK and the AIADMK swapping places. In 2016, the

AIADMK won 136 seats and the DMK-led alliance 98, with a

few seats going the DMK way this time.

The DMK is also all set to take the Chennai city by storm

as its candidates were leading in all the 16 seats.

Mr Stalin led the party's charge with a big lead in Kolathur,

from where he is seeking a third win, his son and DMK Youth

Wing leader Udhayanidhi Stalin, who is all set to taste his

maiden electoral victory from Chepauk-Tiruvallikeni seat.

Top AIADMK leaders including Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi

K Palaniswami (Edappadi), Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam

(Bodinayakanur) and senior leaders are leading in their respective

seats.

In DMK too, the party heavyweights are leading in their respective

seats.

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Kolkata, May 2 (UNI) Counting of votes for 292 assembly seats in West Bengal began at 8 am on Sunday across 23 districts of the state.

Counting started for elections on 292 of the 294 seats to decide the fate of 2,116 candidates. Elections to two seats  Shamsherganj and Jangipur in Murshidabad district  has been postponed following the death of candidates.

Elections to the 292 Assembly seats across 23 districts of the state were held in eight phases across from March 27 to April 29.

Even as most exit polls have predicted a win for incumbent Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is looking to form double engine government in the state

The Election Commission (EC) has made elaborate arrangements for counting votes for West Bengal Assembly election.

The EC has specified seven tables for smaller counting halls, and up to only 14 tables in bigger halls for counting of the votes polled in the EVMs.

A three-tier security arrangement has been in place at 108 counting centres where polled electronic voting machines (EVMs), along with voter-verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT ) units have been kept in strong rooms, an Election official said.

At least 292 observers have been appointed and 256 companies of central forces deployed at the counting centres spread across 23 districts of the state that voted in eight phases between March 27 and April 29.

South 24 Parganas district has the maximum number of counting centres at 15, while Kalimpong, Alipurduar and Jhargram have one each.

The counting centre premises will be guarded by personnel of the West Bengal police and central armed police forces.

Every counting agent has to produce a COVID-19 negative certificate before entering the counting centres. About 30 per cent of counting staff have been kept as reserve.

Considering the COVID outbreak, this year there are more EVMs and counting centres and the announcement of results may be delayed. Orders have been issued to all the district administration to prevent gatherings outside the counting centres, and actions will be taken against those involved in the violation of the guidelines, an EC official said.

Meanwhile, Alipurduar district has been put on high alert ahead of the counting of votes for the

assembly elections.

The Indo-Bhutan International Border Area was sealed on Saturday by authorities as a security measure. In addition, check posts have also been set up along the interstate border between West Bengal and Assam. Alipurduar District Magistrate Surendra Kumar Meena has confirmed the same.

According to officials, the Alipurduar district administration and Intelligence agencies will closely monitor activities on the Bhutanese border during the counting of votes.

In four out of five seats in Alipurduar, there will be a direct fight between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the BJP. These are Kalchini, Kumargram, Falakata and Madarihat-Birpara.

Polling for West Bengal's 292-member Legislative Assembly was held in eight phases between March 27 and April 29.

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New Delhi, May 2 (UNI) Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain's father has passed away due to novel coronavirus, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal informed through social media on Sunday.

"Our health minister Satyendra Jain lost his father today to COVID. V v sad. Satyendra himself has been working tirelessly round the clock for the people of Delhi. God bless his soul and my heartfelt condolences to the family," the Chief Minister said.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia also expressed his condolence over the unfortunate event.

"My close friend and colleague in Delhi Govt Satyendr Jain @SatyendarJain has lost his father. It's a very sad news for all of us in this tough time. May his soul rest in peace. Om shanti," Mr Sisodia tweeted.

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Kolkata, May 2 (UNI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday paid a glowing tribute to Oscar winner

filmmaker Satyajit Ray on his centenary birth anniversary.

The celebrated movie maker Satyajit Ray was born on this day in this

city in 1921 and died on April 23, 1992.

He was awarded an Oscar for his life-time achievement in the movie

making, especially Bengali cinemas.

Satyajit Ray was not only an Indian film director, he was

scriptwriter, documentary filmmaker, author, lyricist,

magazine editor, illustrator, calligrapher, and music composer.

" Maharaja Tomare Selam," chief minister Ms Banejee said while paying

tribute to the celebrated movie maker.

" Tribute to Satyajit Ray, legendary filmmaker, writer, composer,

lyricist, illustrator, on his birth centenary. He is not only the

pride of Bengal but also India & the whole world. He is an inspiration

to people around the globe," said Ms Banerjee.

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Dhaka, May 2 (UNI) Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday launched the second phase of cash support disbursement among 36.50 lakh families hit hard by the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic in the country.

Last year also Sheikh Hasina provided financial assistance to people of all walks of life during the epidemic. She has maintained that continuity this year as well.

Each beneficiary family is receiving Taka 2,500 as Eid gift from the Prime Minister in this pandemic gripped difficult time and a total amount of Taka 912.50 crore has been allocated for it.

Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister said Awami League (AL), established by the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, always stands beside the countrys people whenever it remains in power or in opposition.

Our (AL) all endeavors are how could we stand beside the destitute people and we are continuing our efforts, she said.

Sheikh Hasina said following the footsteps of Bangabandhu, the AL always wants to stand beside the people and serve them in their bad time.

She mentioned that Bangladesh Chhatra League, Jubo League, Krishak League, Swechasebak League and other associate bodies of AL have stood beside the people in their every necessity in this Covid-19 situation such as medical treatment, taking sick people to hospital, funeral, supplying food to peoples house, paddy harvesting and so on.

The premier said many people wanted strong opposition party in the country. The AL was also in the opposition and then it worked for people and rushed to the people during any disaster, she added.

She questioned where the opposition party is at this time of disaster though that party tries to oust the government through statements and arson attacks regularly.

In the first day, a total of 22,895 families have received Taka 2,500 each like previous year (first wave of Covid-19) with Eid greetings of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. And the remaining families would receive it within May 5.

The disbursement of cash support is being channeled through G2P (Government-to-Person) using mobile financial services (MFSs) operators- Nagad, bKash, Rocket and SureCash.

Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Dr. Ahmad Kaikaus moderated the function at Ganabhaban where AL Publicity and Publication Secretary Dr. Abdus Sobhan Golap, MP, Senior Secretary of Finance Division Abdur Rouf Talukder and Prime Ministers Office (PMO) Secretary Md. Tofazzel Hossain Miah, among others, were present.

Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Dr. Ahmad Kaikaus moderated the function at Ganabhaban where AL Publicity and Publication Secretary Dr. Abdus Sobhan Golap, MP, Senior Secretary of Finance Division Abdur Rouf Talukder and Prime Ministers Office (PMO) Secretary Md. Tofazzel Hossain Miah, among others, were present.

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Guwahati, May 2 (UNI) Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Sunday said that the people of Assam have blessed us to retain power in the state.

Elated over the initial trends of Assam poll results, which showed that the BJP has taken a clear cut lead over its rivals, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal exuded confidence that the saffron party-led alliance will retain power in the state.

The ruling BJP-led NDA is surging ahead of the Grand Alliance spearheaded by the Congress in Assam, leading in 77 of the 119 seats, trends available on the Election Commission website at 1230 hrs showed.

"People have blessed us. We can say for sure that the BJP will form government in Assam. We are coming back to power with our partners AGP and UPPL," Sonowal told reporters.

Asked if the ruling coalition will be able to bag 100 seats, as claimed by the saffron camp ahead of the polls, he said, "The trends are completely in favour of the BJP. The party will achieve its target. However, we will have to wait for the final results."

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30 killed, several injured as two passenger trains collide in southern Pakistan 07 Jun 2021 | 9:27 AM Islamabad, Jun 7 (UNI) At least 30 people were killed and several others injured after two passengers trains collided in the Ghotki district of Pakistans Sindh province on Monday, local media reported. see more..

Awards of Sheikh Mujib's self-confessed four killers withdrawn 06 Jun 2021 | 10:05 PM Dhaka, June 6 (UNI) Bangladesh government has revoked the gallantry awards of four self-claimed killers of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding president of Bangladesh, with his family in 1975. Retired lieutenant colonel Dalim was decorated as Bir Uttam, the second highest gallantry award of Bangladesh, while retired lieutenant colonel Nur was decorated with Bir Bikram award. Retired lieutenant colonel Rashed and Moslem Uddin got Bir Pratik awards. see more..

Delta variant is approx 40pc more transmissible: Hancock 06 Jun 2021 | 8:14 PM London, Jun 6 (UNI) United Kingdom's Secretary of State for Health Matt Hancock has said that the Delta variant of the Corona virus is around 40 percent more transmissible compared to the Alpha variant and 'makes life more challenging'. see more..

Strong winds, floods cause 14 deaths in Sri Lanka 06 Jun 2021 | 7:32 PM Colombo, Jun 6 (UNI) At least 14 people have died in Sri Lanka due to powerful winds and floods that have been ongoing in the island nation for several days. see more..
New Delhi, May 2 (UNI) TMC in West Bengal, DMK-led Congress alliance in Tamil Nadu, BJP-led NDA in Assam, LDF in Kerala and N R Congress-led BJP alliance in Puducherry, are leading in more than half of the seats in their respective states as per the trends of counting of votes for Assembly elections.

In West Bengal, out of 292 seats, Mamata Banerjee-led TMC is leading in 202 seats while BJP is ahead in 77 seats. DMK-Congress alliance in Tamil Nadu is racing ahead in 137 of 231 seats while the AIADMK-led BJP alliance is leading in 93 seats.

LDF in Kerala has maintained a lead in 84 seats while UDF is ahead in 45 seats and NDA in three.

In Assam, BJP-led NDA is ahead in 70 seats while UPA in 38 seats.

In Puducherry, the NRC+ was ahead in eight constituencies while Congress in three.

If the trends continues, TMC will be re-elected in Bengal for the third consecutive time while NDA in Assam and LDF in Kerala will see another term.

In a change, DMK will return to power in Tamil Nadu after a decade while NRC will wrest Pondy from Congress.

The elections were held between March 27 and April 29. West Bengal (294 seats) went for polls in eight phases.

However, polling on two seats was postponed due to the death of candidates. Voting for Assam (126) was held in three phases while in Tamil Nadu (234), Kerala (140) and Puducherry (30), the polling was conducted in a single phase.

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New Delhi, May 2 (UNI) Mamata Banerjee-led All India Trinamool Congress looks set to retain the power in West Bengal, upsetting the pollsters who predicted a neck-and-neck contest with the BJP, as it was leading comfortably in 192 seats and won 21 of the 292 seats in the counting of votes for Assembly elections till 1900 hrs.

The Bharatiya Janata Party was at the distant second, leading in 75 seats and winning three seats (78).

The Left parties, which have once ruled the state for 35 years, and Indian National Congress failed to open their account.

In another significant development, Stalin-led Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, in alliance with Congress, will replace the 10-year-old rule of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, as it was racing ahead in 112 seats and declared elected in two seats and its alliance party INC leading in 16 seats.

The AIADMK was leading in 75 seats and won two seats while the BJP was leading only in three seats of the total 234 seats.

Tamil-actor turned politician Kamal Hassan's newly floated party Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) was leading only in one seat.

The Left Democratic Front in Kerala has created a history as it will be the first to retain power in the coastal state which has an odd history of changing goalpost every five years. The LDF won 44 seats and was racing ahead in 49 seats while the opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front bagged 17 seats and leading ahead in 25 seats of 140 seats. The BJP failed to open its account.

In Assam, Sarbananda Sonowal-led NDA is set to retain the northeast state as it won seven seats and is leading in 59 of 120 seats. The opposition UPA bagged two seats and was racing ahead in 44 seats of the total 125.

All India N R Congress-led BJP alliance in Puducherry is heading towards a victory as it won 11 seats and leading in three seats while Congress bagged four seats and was leading in two seats. The Congress recently lost the majority in the Territorial Assembly as several MLAs resigned.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, DMK chief MK Stakin, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for their victories.

In the battle of prestige in Nandigram, Ms Banerjee lost and BJP's Suvendu Adhikari was declared winner, post which the TMC has demanded a recounting of votes.

The TMC said that counting for Nandigram is not complete and the EC announced the results without counting the last round.

Ms Banerjee addressing a press conference termed the results as "victory of democracy". She said the swearing-in ceremony will be a low-key event in view of the prevailing Covid-19 situation.

In Kerala, Shafi Parambil United Democratic Front (UDF)s incumbent Shafi Parambil won Palakkad, defeating 'Metroman' Sreedharan of BJP who was also the chief minister candidate.

The Opposition parties were quick to congratulate Mamata Banerjee. Aam Aadmi Party chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Nationalist Congress Party head Sharad Pawar wrote congratulatory messages on Twitter.

However, despite the strict warning from the Election Commission of India of no victory processions or gatherings in view of the virulent second wave of Covid-19, celebrations were seen in some parts of Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.

The ECI issued a notice to chief secretaries of the four states and one union territory to check such gatherings.

The elections were held between March 27 and April 29. West Bengal went for polls in eight phases. However, polling on two seats was postponed due to the death of candidates. Voting for Assam was held in three phases while in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry, the polling was conducted in a single phase.

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(The Center Square)  Louisiana lawmakers are considering expansion of the states medical marijuana program and may even be poised to take the once-nearly-unthinkable step of legalizing it for all adults.

Medical cannabis technically has been legal in Louisiana since 1978, though the Louisiana Legislature didnt take concrete steps to make it available until 2016. While the program took about three years to get products into patients' hands, lawmakers have moved quickly since to broaden its scope.

Though legal access to therapeutic cannabis products initially was limited to patients with specific ailments, lawmakers voted overwhelmingly last year to give doctors the ability to recommend access for any patient they think will benefit. Doctors cant officially prescribe marijuana because it remains illegal under federal law; the recommendation is a legal workaround.

The state House will consider House Bill 391 on Monday. It would add smokeable raw marijuana to Louisianas legal options for medical use for the first time. Supporters said the flower is cheaper than the tinctures now available and is a safer alternative than opioids for some patients. The Health and Welfare Committee advanced the bill to the House floor with a 12-1 vote, and Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, has expressed support for the change.

This is wildly popular in every corner of the state, said Rep. Tanner Magee, the Houma Republican who authored the measure.

Polls also show full legalization for adult use is popular statewide. Baton Rouge-based pollster and consultant John Couvillon recently found that 67% of state residents favor legalization, up from 54% one year ago, and Magees corner of the state is no exception.

Magee commissioned a poll that found 75% of his district, including 73% of Republicans, favored legalization, he said Friday via social media. Magees district is largely conservative; 75% of its voters supported Donald Trump, 64% voted for Republican Eddie Rispone for governor and 77% supported Republican U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, Couvillon said in response to Magees post.

Rep. Richard Nelson, R-Mandeville, is sponsoring House Bill 699, which would legalize marijuana for recreational use by adults who are at least 21 years old. His House Bill 440 proposes a $2,500 annual fee for a cannabis business license and a $100 cost for a personal cultivation permit.

Nelsons House Bill 434 calls for a 10% retail tax and a 5% wholesale tax, with 20% of the proceeds dedicated to local law enforcement where the sale was made, 30% to local government and the rest to state governments general fund. During the committee debate, Nelson said the taxes could raise between $100 million and $200 million.

Nelson stressed he wasnt saying that smoking marijuana is a good idea, only that the benefits of ending prohibition outweigh the harms. People are going to smoke marijuana whether its legal or not, so it makes sense to bring it out of the shadows, tax it and regulate it, he argued. Legalization would cut off a major funding source for organized crime and allow law enforcement to focus on more serious crimes, he said.

Nelson said he was opting for a free-market approach. In California, high taxes and government regulation drive many consumers into the black market, he said.

Representatives of law enforcement and district attorneys were among those who argued against HB 699. Michael Ranatza, executive director of the Louisiana Sheriffs Association, said research in Colorado showed an increase in teen suicides after legalization. He also said organized crime gets involved in production, rather than being shut out of the industry.

Tap your breaks and study this, he urged.

Loren Lampert, executive director of the Louisiana District Attorneys Association, said colleagues in states where marijuana is fully legal recommend moving slowly and studying the implications over at least a couple of years. Factors that may not be obvious include the impact on electricity grids and possible groundwater contamination, he said.

The criminal justice committee sent HB 699 to the House floor with a 7-5 bipartisan vote.

Similar to alcohol, the recreational availability of this drug to adults would essentially ensure access to children, Gene Mills, president of the conservative Louisiana Family Forum, said in the LFFs email newsletter sent Friday. Lets just say no to yet another method that ruins the lives of Louisiana residents.

Edwards generally has said he does not support legalization for recreational use, but he has not said he would veto a legalization bill if it reached his desk.
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McCracken Man Arrested After Altercation

By West Kentucky Star Staff

MCCRACKEN COUNTY - A McCracken County man was arrested on a firearm charge following an altercation.Deputies were called to a home on Gholson Road. One of the people involved told deputies that the other man involved was 41-year-old Victor Jang.Deputies learned Jang had an outstanding warrant for failure to appear in McCracken Circuit Court on a previous charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.Police located the home where Jang was said to be. They observed Jang arrive in a vehicle that was described to deputies, and he was taken into custody without incident.Deputies learned that Jang had a firearm in the vehicle as he was arrested.Jang was taken to the McCracken County Regional Jail, charged on the failure to appear warrant, and a new charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Guardians of Rescue Helps to Place Abused Animals

By Mike Cooper and Bill Hughes

MCCRACKEN COUNTY - Guardians of Rescue, a non-profit organization that helps place abused and neglected animals nationwide, helped in placing the abused animals that were discovered Wednesday on Broyles Avenue in McCracken County.James Houchens, with Guardians of Rescue, told West Kentucky Star that they were on the scene Wednesday night to help place the over 100 abused animals, which included goats, chickens, horses, pigs, turtles, two kittens, and 78 dogs.Houchens explained that they help place the animals with the assistance of partners in the area, as well as partners in other areas of country, and that they work with local animal control.He said that none of the animals will be going back to individuals or organizations that placed the animals at this location.Houchens went on to discuss how the animals are adopted out to new homes.The rescue partners with whom the animals are placed will have a behavior assessment for them. There are quite a few that are ready within a few weeks to be spayed or neutered and vaccinated, then adopted out to new homes.Other animals, however, will need to go through a rehabilitation process that can take from two weeks to over a year, to be ready for adoption.All the animals are scanned for microchips in order that, if there is a rightful owner, they can get the animal back to them.He said all animals should be placed with partners by the end of the day on Saturday.Houchins was grateful to the Hendron Fire Department for use of their gymnasium as a staging area, and for the community as a whole for their generous donations of dog food, bleach, blankets, and supplies. He said they had everything that was needed to complete the placements.More information about Guardians of Rescue can be found on their Facebook page by clicking the link below.On the Net:
Marion Day of Giving Cookout Friday

By West Kentucky Star Staff

MARION - A Day of Giving cookout will be held in Marion on Friday to raise funds for the Crittenden County Rocket Foundation.Pork chop sandwiches, chips and a drink will be available for $6. Pre-orders are accepted at the Board of Education.The Rocket Foundation enhances educational and career-related opportunities for Crittenden County High School students. The goal for the Rocket Foundation is to raise $150,000 by the end of the year.Orders can be called in at (270) 965-3525. Beta Club members are distributing order forms throughout town.Other tax-deductible donations can be mailed to Finance Officer, 601 West Elm St., Marion, KY 42064.
MSU Commencements Next Weekend

By MSU Public Relations

MURRAY - Murray State University will host four in-person commencement ceremonies in the CFSB Center on May 7 and 8, for May and August 2021 graduates, as well as 2020 graduates.

On Friday, the ceremony for Masters, Specialist and Doctoral graduates will take place. On Saturday, three ceremonies at 8 a.m., 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. are planned for undergraduates.



All guests are required to have a ticket in order to enter the CFSB Center.



Each ceremony will also be streamed live at murraystate.edu/streaming.

Additional details are available at murraystate.edu/commencement.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-01 18:47:25|Editor: huaxia

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An Afghan policeman checks a man at a security checkpoint after Taliban have seized an army base in Ghazni province, Afghanistan, May 1, 2021. Taliban militants have seized an army base in eastern Afghanistan's Ghazni province, a member of the provincial council, Abdul Jamih Jami, said Saturday. The official also said 25 security personnel had gone missing. (Str/Xinhhua)

GHAZNI, Afghanistan, May 1 (Xinhua) -- Taliban militants have seized an army base in eastern Afghanistan's Ghazni province, a member of the provincial council, Abdul Jamih Jami, said Saturday.

"The insurgents captured an army base in Arzo village outside provincial capital Ghazni last night," Jami told Xinhua.

The official also said 25 security personnel had gone missing.

The police and the army have yet to make comments on the situation.

In the meantime, Afghanistan's Acting Defense Minister Mohammad Yasin Zia in talks with reporters described the fallen army base as a "small one," saying they would verify the report.

Taliban militants have launched series of attacks since Friday, the eve of the formal withdrawal of the U.S. forces from Afghanistan.

U.S. President Joe Biden has announced that all U.S. troops will be withdrawn from Afghanistan before Sept. 11 to end the longest war in American history.

The upcoming Sept. 11 is the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that drew the United States into war in Afghansitan. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-01 21:02:08|Editor: huaxia

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A man carries oxygen cylinders on scooter for refilling during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangalore, India, May 1, 2021. (Str/Xinhua)

NEW DELHI, May 1 (Xinhua) -- Twelve people, including a doctor, died at a private hospital in the Indian capital of New Delhi on Saturday after the facility ran out of medical oxygen, officials said.

The patients including the doctor were COVID-19 patients admitted at Delhi's Batra Hospital.

"Eight patients including one of our doctors who was also undergoing treatment for the COVID-19 have died here today due to shortage of oxygen," Dr S L Gupta Director Batra Hospital said. "The deceased doctor Dr R K Himthani was the head of the gastroenterology unit here. He was at the forefront in treating the COVID-19 and in the line of duty he too got infected and was undergoing treatment at the hospital."

Hospital officials said four more patients have succumbed, taking the death toll to 12.

According to hospital officials, six of the 12 patients were admitted to the hospital's intensive care unit (ICU) and six were in the wards.

Hospital officials told the Delhi High Court that 230 people were without oxygen for 80 minutes.

"We ran out of oxygen at 11.45 a.m. (local time). Supply came at 1.30 pm (a second tanker reached at around 4 pm). We were out of oxygen for 1 hour and 20 minutes," the hospital told the court.

Hospital authorities said they have been raising alarms since Saturday afternoon over depleting levels of oxygen supply.

Last month, 20 people admitted inside the critical care unit of Jaipur Golden hospital in Delhi died when oxygen levels dropped.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal described the news of more patients dying due to shortage of oxygen as "very painful".

"These lives could have been saved by giving oxygen on time," he said in a tweet, reiterating his government's demand for medical oxygen.

"Delhi should get its quota of oxygen. We can't see our people dying like this anymore. Delhi needs 976 MT of oxygen and yesterday received only 312 MT. How will Delhi breathe with inadequate oxygen."

Medical oxygen is in great demand in Indian hospitals, especially in Delhi. In wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals are reeling under acute oxygen shortage and the government is importing some of it from foreign countries.

India is witnessing a resurgence in COVID-19 cases and the second wave of the pandemic has caused a shortage of oxygen and essential medicines in the country's hospitals.

The federal health ministry on Saturday morning said 401,993 new COVID-19 cases and 3,523 related deaths were registered in the past 24 hours across the country.

India recorded over 400,000 cases for the first time after reporting 300,000 daily infections for nine straight days. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-02 05:12:43|Editor: huaxia

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SANTIAGO, May 1 (Xinhua) -- Chile has surpassed 1.2 million cases of COVID-19, Chilean Health Minister Enrique Paris announced on Saturday.

The official said that in the last 24 hours, another 6,469 new cases of COVID-19 were registered, bringing the total to 1,204,755, of which 1,136,816 have recovered.

Additionally, another 104 deaths from the disease were reported in the last day, bringing the total to 26,457.

Paris stated that the Magallanes region in the southern part of the country has seen a 5 percent increase in cases in the last seven days.

In March and April, Chile experienced the peak of infection, and it is currently reporting between 5,000 and 7,000 daily cases.

The Chilean government on Thursday lifted the quarantine in 10 communes in the Santiago Metropolitan Region, with shopping areas and restaurants allowed to reopen, though the quarantine will be reinstated on the weekends.

The health ministry reported on Monday that it would keep the nation's borders closed for the whole month of May after enacting this measure on April 5. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-02 05:28:40|Editor: huaxia

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BUENOS AIRES, May 1 (Xinhua) -- Argentine Health Minister Carla Vizzotti on Saturday called on citizens to "minimize activities" and strengthen personal care to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

Vizzotti said that for the health system to continue responding to the health crisis effectively, "it is very important that we try to minimize activities throughout the country, and that each activity we do, we do with extreme care, so that we can continue to see this decrease in the number of cases."

At the ministry headquarters, Vizzotti officially welcomed 250 new ventilators out of a total of 546 the government has acquired to respond to the demand generated by the new wave of cases, the Ministry of Health reported.

The ministry stated that since the beginning of the pandemic, it has distributed 3,682 ventilators throughout the country.

However, despite the expansion in equipment and the increase in intensive care unit beds, the ministry stated it was necessary to continue to comply with health measures to slow the spread of the virus.

Argentina reported 2,977,363 total cases and 63,865 deaths from COVID-19 as of Friday, and it has so far administered 7,971,470 doses of vaccines since its mass vaccination campaign began on Dec. 29, 2020. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-02 05:44:56|Editor: huaxia

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People attend the funeral of a victim of the stampede disaster at Mount Meron, in Jerusalem on April 30, 2021. Five children, aged from nine to 14, are among the 45 victims who were killed in a stampede disaster at Mount Meron in northern Israel on Thursday night, the country's health ministry said on Saturday. (JINI via Xinhua)

JERUSALEM, May 1 (Xinhua) -- Five children, aged from nine to 14, are among the 45 victims who were killed in a stampede disaster at Mount Meron in northern Israel on Thursday night, the country's health ministry said on Saturday.

The ministry said in a statement that 42 of the 45 people killed in the tragedy have been identified so far.

The process of identifying victims was resumed on Saturday evening after it was stopped on Friday afternoon for religious reasons, it added.

Described as Israel's worst civil disaster ever, the stampede took place during a festival celebrated on the eve of the Jewish holiday Lag BaOmer and resulted in 45 deaths and at least 150 injuries.

More than 100,000 people participated in the festival, most of them ultra-Orthodox Jews.

Following the disaster, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared Sunday as a national day of mourning. Enditem
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has moved the Supreme Court (SC) over the Madras HC's remarks against the polling body. The Election Commission, in its appeal to the apex court, said the high court's remarks were "uncalled for, blatantly disparaging and derogatory."

The Madras High Court had, on April 26, criticised the Election Commission for the surge in COVID-19 cases, holding it "singularly" responsible for the spread of the disease. "Election Commission officers should be booked on murder charges probably," said Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee.

"Were you on another planet when the election rallies were held? Public health is of paramount importance and it is distressing that constitutional authorities have to be reminded in such regard. It's only when a citizen survives that he'll be able to enjoy the rights that a democratic republic guarantees," he added.

"We have filed an appeal against the High Court orders," said Amit Sharma, Counsel for the Commission.

In its plea before the high court, the Commission said, "The media reports have tarnished the image of the ECI as an independent the constitutional agency that is entrusted with the constitutional responsibility of conducting elections."

India on Sunday reported its highest single-day toll of 3,689 Covid deaths. The country also saw a slight dip in the daily numbers with 3,92,488 new cases reported in the last 24 hours.

Also Read: COVID-19 surge: EC moves Supreme Court against Madras HC observations
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-02 07:13:17|Editor: huaxia

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UNITED NATIONS, May 1 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday welcomed the decision of Somalia's lower house of parliament to nullify the "Special Law on Federal Elections" and return to the modalities outlined in the Sept. 17, 2020, electoral agreement, said his spokesman.

The secretary-general reiterated his call to all Somali stakeholders to resume dialogue immediately and forge a consensual agreement on the holding of inclusive elections without further delay. He stressed the importance of a broad-based consensus for the country's stability, said Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman, in a statement.

Somalia's lower house of parliament voted on Saturday to annul the April 12 mandate extension bill, which extended the terms of the executive and legislative arms of the federal government by two years.

President Mohamed Farmajo, who addressed the house before the vote, asked the lawmakers to revert to the Sept. 17, 2020, deal that was agreed between the federal government and five leaders of the federal member states.

He said the Sept. 17 deal was unanimously supported by the national consultative forum in order to save the country from political instability and to urgently head to commonly agreed elections.

The April 12 bill plunged Somalia into a political crisis that later erupted into fighting on Tuesday between government forces and those backing the opposition. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-02 09:38:22|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, May 2 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese mainland on Saturday reported 15 new COVID-19 cases, all of which were imported, the National Health Commission said in its daily report on Sunday.

Of all the cases, six were reported in Guangdong, four in Shanghai, three in Guangxi, and one each in Fujian and Yunnan.

A new suspected case arriving from outside the mainland was reported in Shanghai on Saturday, the commission said.

No new deaths related to COVID-19 were reported Saturday, it added. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-02 10:40:12|Editor: huaxia

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LIMA, May 1 (Xinhua) -- China's achievements are an excellent example of what can be accomplished when a party is in step with the times and pursues high ideals in service to humanity, said Alberto Moreno, president of the Communist Party of Peru (Red Fatherland).

"The path of socialism with Chinese characteristics that the Communist Party of China (CPC) follows is original and responds to the demands of today's world, as well as to the conditions of China," Moreno said in a recent interview with Xinhua.

On the occasion of the CPC's 100th anniversary, the Peruvian political leader said that from the earliest days of its founding until today, the CPC has adhered to one principle: combining Marxism with Chinese revolutionary ideals and continuing to innovate in practice.

Moreno, a seasoned 80-year-old politician, has firsthand experience when it comes to China. He first visited the country in December 1966 for some seven months, leading a delegation of members of his party.

"(For) A good portion of that time I stayed in Beijing. We visited Shanghai, Tianjin, Hangzhou, Guangzhou, Nanchang, Chongqing, Wuhan, Changsha, Xi'an and Yan'an. Of course, I arrived in China with the dream of a country building socialism, a different world from the society from which I came," he said.

"The China of those days was a rural China, a China of traditional cities, with the possible exception of Shanghai," Moreno recalled.

But that China no longer exists today. "Its development is impressive, the population's standard of living is surprising, (and) its technological progress, compared to what I saw, is overwhelmingly different," he said.

Moreno returned to China on several occasions, the last time being three years ago. He said that "each visit has meant a discovery -- its accomplishments are remarkable."

"The achievements made by China, in a relatively short space of time, are the wonder of the world. It is a reality that cannot be ignored, (and) that the peoples of the world applaud," Moreno said.

A member of the Communist Party of Peru since he was 23, Moreno believes the centenary of the founding of the CPC "is an event of great historical global significance."

It is "a party that is in constant renewal, that does not lose its ties to the grassroots, that always goes on facts, and preserves its communist working style and ethical values," Moreno said.

Under its leadership, "the Chinese people have created a true miracle ... That is a reality that cannot be ignored and people over the world admire it," he said.

China's development is not a threat "as the defenders of hegemony in the world believe," but a guarantee of global peace, stability and security, he said.

"We wish the Communist Party of China new and greater victories! Its successes in achieving its great goals and in building socialism with Chinese characteristics are signposts that point the way forward for humanity," Moreno said. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-02 11:22:44|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday sent a message of condolences to Israeli President Reuven Rivlin over a stampede that has caused heavy casualties.

On behalf of the Chinese government and people, Xi expressed his deep condolences to the victims and extended sincere sympathies to the bereaved families and the injured. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-02 13:34:57|Editor: huaxia

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Photo taken on May 2, 2021 shows the site of a fuel tanker explosion in Kabul, Afghanistan. At least four people were killed, 10 injured and five others went missing in a fuel tanker explosion in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan Saturday night, a local TV channel reported on Sunday. (Photo by Rahmatullah Alizadah/Xinhua)

KABUL, May 2 (Xinhua) -- At least four people were killed, 10 injured and five others went missing in a fuel tanker explosion in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan Saturday night, a local TV channel reported on Sunday.

A fire broke out after the fuel tanker exploded at the side of a highway connecting Kabul to northern provinces, where about 50 oil trucks were parked to enter Kabul, Tolo News TV reported.

The initial explosion caused a chain of explosions in the area in Shakar Dara district on the northern outskirts of the city, affecting and destroying at least 50 fuel trucks. A fuel pump station, several shops and houses were also destroyed in the incident.

Several firefighting units were working in the area to put out the fire and help the affected people.

The incident may have been caused by a terrorist activity as one truck driver said the explosion was caused by detonation of a sticky improvised bomb attached to one of the trucks, according to the report.

The power supply was suspended in parts of Kabul after the explosion damaged an electricity pole. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-02 16:12:24|Editor: huaxia

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YANGON, May 2 (Xinhua) -- A batch of COVID-19 vaccines donated by the Chinese government arrived at the Yangon International Airport on Sunday, according to a release from the Chinese embassy on Sunday.

The donated vaccines, promised by China earlier this year, was handed over at a critical stage of prevention and control against the pandemic, demonstrating the "Paukphaw" (fraternal) friendship and spirit of a community with a shared future, said the embassy, hoping that the vaccines can help protect life and health of Myanmar people and combat the pandemic.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, China and Myanmar have carried out effective cooperation, with China not only donating medicines and equipment, but also sending medical experts to assist Myanmar in combating the pandemic. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-02 16:58:22|Editor: huaxia

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SYDNEY, May 2 (Xinhua) -- To promote Australian brands to Chinese consumers, "Aumake has recently partnered with an award-winning social e-commerce team based in Hangzhou, China," Keong Chan, executive chairman of the Australian online platform operator, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

The Australian company, which runs a social e-commerce marketplace that connects Asian influencers, buyers and sellers with Australian brands, has registered to attend the first China International Consumer Products Expo (Consumer Expo), to be held from May 7 to 10 in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province.

Chan told Xinhua that the company has planned to set up a presentation booth opposite to the New South Wales Government booth area, displaying its self-owned brands of health supplement products as well as other skincare products.

Besides selling products, Aumake expects more opportunities of face-to-face conversations with customers across different industries, covering all aspects of the supply chain including supply of products, procurement, logistics and cross-promotion, according to Chan.

"In addition to promoting high-quality Australian products, we will also have a deeper understanding of the current market and the actual needs of the customers," he said.

Due to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Aumake has, like many forward-looking companies, transferred its focus to online business. Chan said this shift follows new retail methods in Asia, and provides Australian brands with an effective channel to seamlessly promote, sell and deliver products to consumers in China.

Several Australian brands have been active players on online platforms familiar to Chinese consumers. According to Alibaba Group, after the first hour of the group-launched 11.11 Global Shopping Festival on Nov. 11th, 2020, Australia ranked fourth of all countries selling into China in terms of total gross merchandise volume, maintaining its ranking from last year.

During the once-in-a-year shopping festival in 2020, a number of Australian brands were ranked in the top ten brands globally selling via cross-border e-commerce on the Alibaba platforms, including Swisse and BioIsland, Alibaba data showed.

For Aumake, among more than 20,000 registered active users on its new e-commerce platform, 85 percent of them are from the Chinese mainland. To make the most of the opportunity, Chan said that, over the coming quarter, Aumake will leverage its Hangzhou partnership to onboard new registered active users and convert these end-consumers to small business influencers.

"The Hangzhou team's expertise in identifying emerging consumer trends complements enhanced back-end reporting functionality, providing greater insights into products and brands that are resonating with active users," Chan said, expressing his hope that this cooperation will drive the launch of targeted new direct marketing campaigns to promote new Australian brands and products.

As for the upcoming Consumer Expo, Chan said, "we will also meet and communicate with more industry peers to allow us to gain an understanding of the latest information and developments locally in China within our industry."

The Consumer Expo is the first-ever expo to be held at the national level focusing on quality consumer goods, showcasing that China always adheres to its national policy of opening-up, and resolutely promotes globalization, Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce Wang Bingnan said at a press conference.

According to official data, the expo will cover 60,000 square meters of international exhibition space featuring watches, cosmetics, jewelry, automobiles, yachts, consumer electronics, liquors, and food and health products of leading brands. More than 1,300 brands from 69 countries and regions will participate in the expo. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-02 18:30:14|Editor: huaxia

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Tendar poses for a photo with his daughter in Damxung County, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, April 16, 2021. Tendar, born in 1940, was a serf and lived under cruel feudal serfdom before the democratic reform in Tibet in 1959. Like many other serf children, Tendar grew up with hunger. He said that in old Tibet, he shivered with cold in the corner of the air-leaking tent every night, looking forward to a full meal. After the democratic reform, Tendar was distributed with lands and livestock, and lives a happy life now. (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo)
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-02 18:44:04|Editor: huaxia

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JERUSALEM, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Israeli troops on Sunday shot a 60-year-old Palestinian woman over an alleged stabbing attack in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, according to the army and local media.

The incident took place at the Gush Etzion Junction, a major crossroad located in a settlement bloc south of Bethlehem.

An assailant armed with a knife attempted to stab the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) combat soldiers, an Israeli military spokesperson said in a statement, adding that "an IDF combat soldier fired towards the assailant."

Israel's Ynet news site reported that the woman, who was in a critical condition, had been taken to a hospital in Jerusalem. No injury among the soldiers was reported.

The army released a photo of a kitchen knife, which was identified as the weapon used in the incident. Video footage surfaced on social media showed the woman held an object in her hand and slowly walked towards the soldiers. The soldiers shot twice in the air before shooting her.

The incident occurred amid tensions between Israelis and Palestinians over restrictions imposed by Israel during the holy Muslim month of Ramadan, which sparked violence in East Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-02 19:23:34|Editor: huaxia

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SHENZHEN/CHANGSHA, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Twelve-year-old Zhou Xinyue planned the May Day holiday trip for her family. Instead of going to the beach, she chose four revolutionary sites in south China's Guangdong Province.

"I've heard my classmates talking about the East River Column, but I don't know much about its history, so I wanted to visit the memorial to learn about it. My parents and elder brother were happy to join me," she said.

Revolutionary sites have become a travel hit during the May Day holiday. As of 3 p.m. on Saturday, the first day of the five-day holiday, 13 "red tourism" sites in Guangdong received 23,000 visits during the holiday, up by 298.9 percent year on year, according to the provincial culture and tourism department.

The department recently introduced a "red tourism" passport, which covers 30 revolutionary sites in the province and involves technologies and treasure finding games. The passport has attracted many young people to these sites during the holiday.

"The visit was good, and I've set a goal to visit all the sites and get all the stamps in my red tourism passport this year," said Xu Sheng, a visitor to the peasant movement institute in Guangzhou.

In Shaoshan, central China's Hunan Province, the hometown of late Chairman Mao Zedong, visitors queued in line to visit the former residence of Mao.

Visitors also took photos on the Mao Zedong Square, decorated with flowers and inscribed with the words "Centenary of the Communist Party of China."

The city of Ganzhou in east China's Jiangxi Province, which is abundant in red tourism resources, also received 420,000 tourists on Saturday. Its county-level city of Ruijin received visits of 195,000, up by 650 percent year on year.

"Praise must go to the older generation of revolutionaries who went through all the hardships to build our country. We'll ask our children and grandchildren to come and visit revolutionary sites too," said Tan Shibi, who came with his wife Wang Yu from Kunming in southwest China's Yunnan Province to specifically visit the revolutionary sites in Ruijin.

According to the TravelGo online platform, the number of flights to red tourism destinations during the Qingming Festival and May Day holiday this year accounted for 15.6 percent of all flights booked. It is an increase of 4 percentage points compared with the same period in 2019.

To celebrate the centenary of the Communist Party of China, the culture and tourism authorities in Shanghai and east China's provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui also launched a series of red tourism-themed activities.

Yan'an, a city rich in revolutionary resources in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, designed ten red tourism routes for the May Day holiday. Dance performances and shows are staged in a red tourism-themed train heading for Yan'an. Enditem
Seguin, Texas (78155)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms during the morning. Partly cloudy skies this afternoon. High 92F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. Low 76F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-02 19:48:26|Editor: huaxia

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Photo taken on April 12, 2021 shows a Hakka building that used to be the base of the Dongjiang (East River) Column, a guerrilla force led by the Communist Party of China in Yuen Long, Hong Kong, south China. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaochu)

During World War II, the Dongjiang Column rescued at least 89 foreigners out of enemy control, including British officers and soldiers, and also provided the U.S. military with intelligence information on airports and docks in Hong Kong and the defense of the Japanese troops.

HONG KONG, May 2 (Xinhua) -- An American fighter pilot was downed in the territory of enemy control. A boy hid him in a foxhole and found local guerrillas for help. On a dark night, they decided to break the blockade by 1,000 enemy soldiers.

The episode, which sounds like some fictional story, was actually the true experience of "Flying Tiger" Lieutenant Donald W. Kerr in Hong Kong during World War II.

Hong Kong, then a British colony, fell into the hands of Japanese invaders, about 80 years ago.

On Feb. 11, 1944, Kerr's plane, flying in formation with 19 other P-40 fighters and twelve B-25 bombers, was on a mission to bomb Kai Tak airport located on the coast of Hong Kong's Kowloon, which had been turned into a Japanese airbase.

After shooting down one Japanese Zero fighter, Kerr's aircraft was hit and caught fire in a dogfight with three Zeros. He had to eject from the burning cockpit.

"Jeez, I'm going to land in a company of Jap soldiers -- very convenient for them. Some little white buildings -- their barracks, I suppose," Kerr said in a memoir he wrote when still in hiding in Hong Kong.

Fortunately, Kerr parachuted into hills to the north of the heavily-guarded airport and was found by Li Shi, a 14-year-old liaison boy of the Dongjiang (East River) Column, a guerrilla force led by the Communist Party of China.

In his journal, Kerr, not knowing Li's name as they did not understand the language of each other, called Li "Small Boy." "He was to have a leading part in my forthcoming travels. Though of course I didn't know it just then," Kerr said.

Li helped the injured pilot elude the first round of the hunt by Japanese soldiers and reported the situation to guerrillas, who then protected Kerr for days around the clock and successfully transferred him to safety under the nose of the enemy.

In the pointee-talkee of U.S. pilots, words that ask guerrillas for help were printed in both Chinese and English: "I am an American airman helping China in its war of resistance and have been forced down here" and "how many li (500 m) away are the nearest Chinese guerrillas," among others.

Accompanied by guerrilla fighters, Kerr arrived in early March at the headquarter of Dongjiang Column in what is now Shenzhen, a neighboring city of Hong Kong, and then safely returned to his home base in Guilin, south China's Guangxi, on March 29, said Wan So-ming, chairperson of the East River Column History Research Association.

Wan So-ming, chairperson of the East River Column History Research Association, receives an interview with Xinhua in Hong Kong, south China, March 31, 2021. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaochu)

The rescue of Kerr was no easy job. At the height of the search for him, the Japanese army deployed over 1,000 soldiers, as well as ships and planes.

"For some days after my airplane had been set afire by enemy bullets and I had descended to the ground by parachute, I looked upon my situation as nearly hopeless, but after I got under your care and as time safely passes I grew to feel most secure..." Kerr said in a thanksgiving letter to guerrillas in March.

Kerr was not the only pilot rescued out of Hong Kong during the Japanese occupation.

"My father told me they saved...(at least) eight American pilots and brought them to safety (from January 1944 to August 1945)," Wan said. Her father, Lin Ping, served as one of the leaders of the guerrilla force in Guangdong and Hong Kong.

During World War II, the Dongjiang Column rescued at least 89 foreigners out of enemy control, including British officers and soldiers, and also provided the U.S. military with intelligence information on airports and docks in Hong Kong and the defense of the Japanese troops.

Kerr died in 1977. Years later, the manuscripts and some hand-drawn cartoons of the memoir were found by his sons. The journal was published in Hong Kong in 2015.

Photo taken on Aug. 5, 2015 shows the published Kerr Journal in Hong Kong, south China. (Xinhua/He Jingjia)

"Most American soldiers did not speak about the war after they came home. My father was the same -- he only told the story of his rescue one time to my brother and me. Fortunately he wrote this journal that tells the story for everyone," David Kerr, the younger son of the late U.S. pilot, said in the preface of the book.

His two sons Andrew Kerr and David Kerr have made multiple visits to China along with their families since 2008, tracing the escape routes of their father and meeting the guerrilla fighters of the Dongjiang Column, in particular Li Shi.

"The Kerr family greatly appreciates the unselfish help and cooperation shown to Lt Kerr in 1944," David Kerr said.

"We wish we could thank the old soldiers and villagers personally but most of them have died. So we must extend our thanks by keeping their memories alive in their children, grandchildren, and all the people of China." 
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-02 19:58:29|Editor: huaxia

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AUCKLAND, New Zealand, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Book lovers in Auckland, New Zealand indulged themselves in the 1,500 books from China on display at the New Zealand-China Book Show in central Auckland on Sunday.

The New Zealand-China Book Show was hosted by China International Book Trading Corporation with local partners New Zealand China Culture Exchange Centre and Panda Bookshop, aiming to provide quality Chinese books to readers and book lovers in New Zealand.

Xi Jinping: The Governance of China Volume Three and popular children's books were among the many books at the book show, which attracted community members, professionals and industrial representatives.

New Zealand Member of Parliament Naisi Chen talked about her own experience in book reading. She welcomed the quality Chinese books on the show to be added to the New Zealand book lovers' reading lists.

Auckland Councillor Paul Young also welcomed the book show which he believed to play as a culture bridge between China and New Zealand.

Zhou Li, Chinese Consul in Auckland, was pleased to see the Chinese books on display in New Zealand, bringing more choice for readers in New Zealand and opening up a window for people in New Zealand to know more about China. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-02 20:47:30|Editor: huaxia

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Abdissa Yilma, director general of the Ethiopian Space Science and Technology Institute (ESSTI), speaks during an interview with Xinhua in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on April 29, 2021. (Xinhua/Wang Ping)

ADDIS ABABA, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Abdissa Yilma, Director General of the Ethiopian Space Science and Technology Institute (ESSTI), is optimistic Ethiopia will effectively tackle the adverse effects of climate change through science-driven and informed decision making with the help of China-backed satellites.

The ESSTI, a young Ethiopian institution that seeks to exploit the multidimensional use of space science and technologies, aims to eventually enable the country's aspiration of building an environment-friendly and climate-resilient economy.

Courtesy of the ever-expanding Sino-Ethiopia ties, Yilma believes this aspiration is fast becoming a reality. The director general, in particular, spoke highly of Ethiopia's recent launch of two Chinese-backed satellites.

"Be it in the agriculture sector or the climate, when you get accurate data and timely data it will be good to make a decision at all levels; but if the data is wrong and the data is not timely and is not accurate, definitely the decision that you make will have its own effect," Yilma told Xinhua in a recent interview.

In December 2019, the East African country launched its first-ever satellite, abbreviated as ETRSS-1, into space from China. The command and control center is located in Ethiopia at the Entoto Space Observatory facility located on the 3,200-meter hill of Entoto on the outskirts of the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

The 72 kg multi-spectral remote sensing satellite, which is stationed some 700-km away from the earth, is expected to monitor the environment and weather patterns for better agricultural planning, drought early warning, mining activities and forestry management of the country.

The country also in December last year announced the launching of its second Chinese-backed satellite, abbreviated as ET-Smart-RSS, from China's Wenchang spacecraft launch site. The second satellite was said to have advanced resolutions capable of capturing pictures in a clearer way.

"It's more than a year since the first satellite was launched and, so far, it's in good progress. The satellite is safe and functioning properly," Yilma said.

"We expect that the utilization of satellite imageries will impact the agricultural sector, including monitoring and taking the necessary measures in relation to climate change; In the future, it will put Ethiopia in a better position to have an informed decision," he added.

According to Yilma, Ethiopia, as a beginner in space science technology, has benefited from its partnership with China in building an environment-friendly and climate change resilient economy.

"We had no such experience, so it's because of the Chinese government's support that we were able to get the first satellite and also able to manage and operate the satellite," the director general said.

"By now, our engineers are fully capable of operating remotely controlling the satellite. Plus, we are in a position of getting satellite imageries and processing it and delivering it to different governmental and non-governmental agencies, including universities," he added.

The ESSTI, in partnership with the Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture, is now tapping into the two Chinese-backed satellites' imageries for different purposes, including for yield estimation, desert locust monitoring as well as in terms of identifying irrigable lands, among others.

Yilma also stressed that despite the inconveniences created by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the ESSTI was able to continue receiving valuable support from its Chinese counterparts.

"Even though they couldn't come to Ethiopia physically, they were supporting us remotely and our engineers were able to manage all the technical issues and, by now, our engineers are fully capable of operating the satellites," Yilma said.

As Ethiopia aspires to become among the leaders of space science technology in the African continent, the East African country eyes the ever-expanding cooperation with China to drive the momentum.

"The support from the Chinese government is vital and is really important," Yilma said. "We want to take this relationship to a strategic level and benefit from the rich experience that China has in this regard." Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-02 21:42:33|Editor: huaxia

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TAIPEI, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Taiwan on Sunday confirmed four new local cases of COVID-19, all of which were related to Taiwan-based China Airlines cargo pilots and an airport hotel, the local disease monitoring agency said.

Three of the new local cases were family members of a housekeeping employee who had already been diagnosed with the virus at the Novotel Taipei Taoyuan International Airport hotel.

The fourth case was a family member of a cargo pilot who was also confirmed infected with the virus.

The addition of these four cases raised the size of the cluster infection to 24, including four Novotel hotel employees, three of their family members, ten cargo pilots, and seven of the pilots' relatives.

Taiwan also recorded one new imported COVID-19 case from Indonesia on Sunday.

The total number of confirmed cases on the island has risen to 1,137, including 12 deaths, the agency said. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-02 21:48:20|Editor: huaxia

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Photo taken on May 1, 2021 shows tourists visiting the former site of Zhazidong detention house in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. (Xinhua/Huang Wei)

SHENZHEN/CHANGSHA, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Twelve-year-old Zhou Xinyue planned the May Day holiday trip for her family. Instead of going to the beach, she chose four revolutionary sites in south China's Guangdong Province.

"I've heard my classmates talking about the East River Column, but I don't know much about its history, so I wanted to visit the memorial to learn about it. My parents and elder brother were happy to join me," she said.

Revolutionary sites have become a travel hit during the May Day holiday. As of 3 p.m. on Saturday, the first day of the five-day holiday, 13 "red tourism" sites in Guangdong received 23,000 visits during the holiday, up by 298.9 percent year on year, according to the provincial culture and tourism department.

The department recently introduced a "red tourism" passport, which covers 30 revolutionary sites in the province and involves technologies and treasure finding games. The passport has attracted many young people to these sites during the holiday.

"The visit was good, and I've set a goal to visit all the sites and get all the stamps in my red tourism passport this year," said Xu Sheng, a visitor to the peasant movement institute in Guangzhou.

In Shaoshan, central China's Hunan Province, the hometown of late Chairman Mao Zedong, visitors queued in line to visit the former residence of Mao.

Visitors also took photos on the Mao Zedong Square, decorated with flowers and inscribed with the words "Centenary of the Communist Party of China."

The city of Ganzhou in east China's Jiangxi Province, which is abundant in red tourism resources, also received 420,000 tourists on Saturday. Its county-level city of Ruijin received visits of 195,000, up by 650 percent year on year.

"Praise must go to the older generation of revolutionaries who went through all the hardships to build our country. We'll ask our children and grandchildren to come and visit revolutionary sites too," said Tan Shibi, who came with his wife Wang Yu from Kunming in southwest China's Yunnan Province to specifically visit the revolutionary sites in Ruijin.

According to the TravelGo online platform, the number of flights to red tourism destinations during the Qingming Festival and May Day holiday this year accounted for 15.6 percent of all flights booked. It is an increase of 4 percentage points compared with the same period in 2019.

To celebrate the centenary of the Communist Party of China, the culture and tourism authorities in Shanghai and east China's provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui also launched a series of red tourism-themed activities.

Yan'an, a city rich in revolutionary resources in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, designed ten red tourism routes for the May Day holiday. Dance performances and shows are staged in a red tourism-themed train heading for Yan'an. 
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-02 03:17:07|Editor: huaxia

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CAIRO, May 1 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian Minister of Health Hala Zayed announced on Saturday that 30 tons of medical supplies will be sent to India to help contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a statement, the minister said a shipment of 300 oxygen cylinders, 20 ventilators, 100 medical beds, 20 electrocardiography machines, 30 defibrillators and 50 electric syringe pumps will be sent to India.

The supplies will be delivered to India in cooperation with the Egyptian armed forces, the statement added.

India's COVID-19 infections tally reached 19,164,969 on Saturday, with a single-day spike of 401,993 cases, according to the Indian health ministry. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-02 05:12:02|Editor: huaxia

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TRIPOLI, May 1 (Xinhua) -- The Libyan navy on Saturday announced that a coast guard patrol rescued a total of 172 illegal immigrants off the country's western coast.

The 172 people were rescued off the coast of the city of Zawiya, some 45 km west of the capital Tripoli, after the patrol received a distress call, the Libyan navy said in a statement.

"As soon as the rescue operation was completed, the illegal immigrants were disembarked at the Tripoli Naval Base, and then transferred to the Ain Zara reception center (in Tripoli)," the statement said.

According to the International Organization for Migration, more than 600 illegal immigrants were returned to Libya over the past 48 hours.

Libya has become a preferred point of departure for thousands of illegal immigrants every year to cross the Mediterranean Sea to reach Europe. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-02 09:44:39|Editor: huaxia

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KAMPALA, May 1 (Xinhua) -- Uganda planned to import COVID-19 vaccines from elsewhere after India as a supplier is grappling with a surge in cases domestically, said Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Saturday.

"We were getting the vaccine from India, but they are now struggling. We shall get the J and J (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine and also import another batch from Cuba. That's our strategy," said Museveni in a televised address.

Uganda has received 964,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from the COVAX initiative and the Indian government, and is expected to import another 5 million doses.

About 330,077 people in Uganda have so far received the first AstraZeneca jab, according to the health ministry.

"To be on the safe side let's immunize a minimum of five or seven million, then we can open up curfew," Museveni said, urging the public to continue adhering to the prevention measures.

As of Saturday, Uganda's national count of COVID-19 cases reached 41,905, with 41,422 recoveries and 342 deaths. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-02 11:04:11|Editor: huaxia

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TRIPOLI, May 1 (Xinhua) -- Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah on Saturday visited a power plant in western Tripoli, calling for intensified efforts to ensure power supply in the war-torn country.

During a meeting with officials of the General Electricity Company, the prime minister asked the state-owned company to try its best to stabilize the public power network and prevent any major power blackouts, pledging to provide all possible support for the company, said a statement issued by the prime minister's information office.

According to the statement, Dbeibah was briefed by engineers about the stages and timetable of the construction of the plant, of which four units would generate 670 megawatts.

Libya has been suffering frequent daily power blackouts due to years of armed conflict and instability. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-02 11:40:04|Editor: huaxia

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JOHANNESBURG, May 1 (Xinhua) -- South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Saturday paid homage to the workers for doing a sterling job during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Frontline workers, such as medical personnel, police, teachers, other staff members in the public service, workers in the retail sector and other workers put their lives on the line during the height of the pandemic to keep the country going. We salute these heroes and heroines," he said during Workers' Day celebrations held virtually.

Calling for solidarity in face of the virus, Ramaphosa expressed thanks to the unity shown by the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), South African Communist Party (SACP) and South African National Civic Organization.

Cosatu President Zingiswa Losi praised the workers for doing a good job and putting their own lives at risk to save other people amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

SACP Secretary-General Blade Nzimande said workers in the country and beyond have to unite and fight against vaccine nationalism, as "the development, production, and access to vaccines to all is the most immediate battleground, especially access for developing countries populations."

He called on workers to fight for a waiver on COVID-19 vaccine patents so that those Global South countries with the capacity can participate in the production. Enditem
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Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-02 21:41:41|Editor: huaxia

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LAGOS, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Nigeria's road safety police on Sunday confirmed at least eight people were killed in a fatal accident in the southwest state of Osun.

Thirty-six others were injured following the accident on Saturday along the Osogbo-Gbongan expressway in the state, said Kudirat Ibrahim, a commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps in a statement reaching Xinhua on Sunday.

Ibrahim said the accident, which involved 61 persons, occurred after a truck loaded with palm oil, lost control on an overhead bridge along the expressway.

"The vehicle, which was heavily loaded with jerry cans of palm oil and over 60 passengers, was trying to ascend the ramp," she said.

However the vehicle lost control, rolled backward, and fell by the side into the drainage, throwing off the jerry cans on passengers and killing some in the process, Ibrahim said.

The official said the injured had been taken to a state-owned hospital. She appealed to motorists, especially carriage and articulated vehicles, to always follow road safety regulations.

Deadly road accidents are frequently reported in Nigeria, often caused by overloading, bad condition of roads, and reckless driving. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-01 23:52:12|Editor: huaxia

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PHNOM PENH, May 1 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia on Saturday imposed a ban on the imports of frozen meat and meat products from India in further efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the Southeast Asian country, said Kun Nhim, director-general of Cambodia's General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE).

The ban took effect immediately and until further notice, he said in a statement, adding that the temporary suspension came after India reported a sharp spike in COVID-19 cases.

Nhim also advised customs officials to spray disinfectant on transport vehicles and the outer packaging of other products that have been sourced from India.

Earlier this week, the Southeast Asian country also banned travelers from India in order to prevent the spread of the more infectious COVID-19 virus variant, B1617.

India is suffering from a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases. India on Saturday logged 401,993 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking its total tally to 19,164,969 with 211,853 deaths. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-01 23:55:48|Editor: huaxia

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NEW DELHI, May 1 (Xinhua) -- India Saturday received the first shipment of Russian COVID-19 vaccine -- Sputnik V, officials said.

"Sputnik-V vaccine arrives in Hyderabad from Russia! Will add to India's arsenal to fight the pandemic. This third option will augment our vaccine capacity and accelerate our vaccination drive," India's foreign ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi in a brief statement said.

He also shared pictures of the shipment taken at the airport.

"This is the first consignment of 150,000 doses of Sputnik-V vaccine with millions of doses to follow," Bagchi said.

Reports said the vaccines will be delivered to Dr Reddy's Laboratories in Hyderabad, which has joined hands with Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) to produce Sputnik V in India.

Meanwhile, Dr Reddy's said the rollout of Sputnik V will be subject to necessary clearances.

Sputnik V will be the third COVID-19 vaccine in India after Covaxin and Covishield.

The vaccine comes at a time when the second wave of COVID-19 has wreaked havoc in India and daily new cases are making new records with each passing day.

Federal health ministry Saturday morning said 401,993 new COVID-19 cases and 3,523 related deaths were registered in the past 24 hours across the country. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-02 09:34:47|Editor: huaxia

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PYONGYANG, May 2 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) warned on Sunday that the United States "will face worse and worse crisis" after U.S. President Joe Biden called the DPRK's nuclear program a "serious threat," reported the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Kwon Jong Gun, director general of the Department of U.S. Affairs of the Foreign Ministry, said in a statement released by the KCNA that the U.S. president made a slip of the tongue last week about the DPRK in his first Congressional speech in which he called Pyongyang a "serious threat" to the security of the United States and the world.

"His statement clearly reflects his intent to keep enforcing the hostile policy toward the DPRK as it had been done by the U.S. for over half a century," Kwon said.

"The U.S. will face worse and worse crisis beyond control in the near future if it is set to approach the DPRK-U.S. ties, still holding on the outdated policy from Cold War-minded perspective and viewpoint," Kwon warned.

"Now that what the keynote of the U.S. new DPRK policy has become clear, we will be compelled to press for corresponding measures, and with time the U.S. will find itself in a very grave situation," he said.

Kwon also said the U.S.-claimed "diplomacy" is a spurious signboard for covering up its hostile acts, and the "deterrence" touted by it "is just a means for posing nuclear threats" to the DPRK.

In a separate statement issued on Sunday, the DPRK foreign ministry also slammed Washington for criticizing the DPRK's human rights record, saying it amounts to insulting the "dignity of our supreme leadership."

Last week, U.S. State Department Spokesperson Ned Price released a press statement in which he "smeared the statewide anti-epidemic measures in the DPRK" for protecting the life and security of the people from the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic as "human rights abuses" and "even faulted the dignity of our supreme leadership," the DPRK statement said.

As the United States openly expressed its intention to stifle the DPRK with a "resolute deterrence," "denying our ideology and social system and abusing the 'human rights' as a tool for interference in our internal affairs and a political weapon for overturning our social system, we will be forced to take corresponding measures," it added. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-02 14:43:49|Editor: huaxia

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ULAN BATOR, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Strong winds and dust storms have hit large parts of Mongolia, the country's National Agency for Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring said Sunday.

The strong winds and dust storms swept through southern provinces of Umnugovi and Dundgovi, western provinces such as Govi-Altai and Bayankhongor, and central areas, such as the capital city Ulan Bator and provinces of Uvurkhangai, Arkhangai and Tuv, the weather monitoring agency said in a statement.

The agency warned citizens, especially nomadic herders, to take extra precautions against possible disasters.

Strong winds, dust storms and snowstorms are common weather events during spring in Mongolia, one of the nomadic countries in the world.

Ten people, mostly nomadic herders, and hundreds of thousands of livestock died in Mongolia due to strong winds and heavy dust storms in mid-March. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-02 16:04:55|Editor: huaxia

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FAIZABAD, Afghanistan, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Five soldiers and eight militants were killed when fighting erupted in Afghanistan's northern Badakhshan province on Saturday night, a local source confirmed on Sunday.

The clashes broke out when armed militants stormed an Afghan Regional Army's checkpoint in surrounding areas of restive Wardoj district at midnight, Abdul Raziq from the Afghan national army's 217 Pamir Corps told Xinhua.

There were also 10 soldiers and eight militants wounded in the fighting, he said.

The violence lingers in war-torn Afghanistan as the U.S. and NATO troops have been leaving the country.

About 3,500 U.S. forces and 7,000 NATO troops will be withdrawn before Sept. 11, the day which is the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that drew the United States into war in Afghanistan. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-02 20:10:15|Editor: huaxia

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KABUL, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Two people have been killed in separate targeted killings in Afghanistan, the latest in a string of targeted attacks in the insurgency-hit country, authorities confirmed on Sunday.

In northern Takhar province, a former member of national parliament, Piram Qul Ziahee, was killed and two of his comrades were injured in a bomb attack in Rustaq district at midday on Sunday, Abdul Khalil Asir from provincial police told Xinhua.

In eastern Paktia province, a tribal elder, Akbar Pacha, was shot dead after gunmen broke into his house in provincial capital Gardez city on Saturday night, Mohammad Lal Amiri from provincial police told Xinhua.

Besides, the Afghan National Police arrested three Taliban militants who were responsible for conducting several targeted killings and bomb attacks in western Herat province, according to the provincial police spokesman, Abdul Had Walizada.

Silenced weapons and explosive materials were also found and seized by the police, he said.

The Taliban militant group has conducted scores of targeted attacks against civilians and military officials in recent years. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-02 23:52:53|Editor: huaxia

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DHAKA, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Bangladesh's remittances hit an all-time high of more than 20 billion U.S. dollars in the first 10 months of the current 2020-21 fiscal year ending in June.

According to data by the Bangladesh Bank (BB) released Sunday, the remittances surged 39 percent in July-April period of 2020-21 fiscal year (July 2020-June 2021) to reach 20,672 million U.S. dollars with the last month's hefty inflows.

Bangladeshi expatriates sent home 2.07 billion U.S. dollars in April, the highest monthly amount thus far, the BB data showed.

This amount is also up by 89 percent from 1.09 billion U.S. dollars the country received in the same month of the last 2019-20 fiscal year.

Bangladeshis in the 2019-20 fiscal year remitted home 18.20 billion U.S. dollars, previous highest remittances in a single year.

Like past year, BB officials said Bangladesh received huge remittances from millions of Bangladeshis ahead of the biggest Muslim religious festival Eid which is to be celebrated here on or around May 13. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-03 00:52:59|Editor: huaxia

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KATHMANDU, May 2 (Xinhua) -- The Nepali government Sunday decided to suspend domestic flights fully and international flights with India, South Africa and Brazil after the country reported record high COVID-19 cases on the same day, two Nepali cabinet ministers said.

"The cabinet decided to suspend all domestic flights starting from Monday midnight," Gauri Shankar Chaudhary, minister for labour, employment and social security, told Xinhua on Sunday evening. "International flights with India, South African and Brazil will be suspended from mid-night of May 5."

The Nepali government's decision came after the country's health ministry on Sunday confirmed infections for 7,211 people, a new daily record in infections since the pandemic hit the Himalayan country early last year.

"Due to current COVID-19 crisis in India, we decided to suspend flights with India for certain period," Padma Kumari Aryal, minister for agriculture and livestock development, told Xinhua on Sunday. "But, flights with South Africa and Brazil will be closed for the foreseeable future." Nepal does not have direct flights with South Africa and Brazil. So, there won't be connected flights, according to Aryal.

Aryal said flights with the countries other than aforementioned three countries would continue on condition that necessary health protocols are followed.

Nepal witnessed less than 100 cases for most of the days in March but saw continuous rise of cases since April with over 7,000 cases reported on Sunday for the first time.

The Nepali government has also imposed lockdown in Kathmandu Valley starting from April 29 and prohibitory orders have been issued in different parts of the country.

In order to address the human resource crisis, the Nepal's health ministry on Sunday decided to ask medical colleges to mobilize their faculty members and students for the treatment of patients in different hospitals. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-02 05:45:47|Editor: huaxia

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WASHINGTON, May 1 (Xinhua) -- More than 100 million adult Americans have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Saturday, according to data of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The fully vaccinated account for 30.5 percent of the U.S. population.

More than 144 million Americans received at least one COVID-19 shot, accounting for 43.6 percent of the population, according to the CDC.

Among the fully vaccinated, over 37 million are people 65 years of age or older, accounting for 68.8 percent, CDC data showed.

About 240 million COVID-19 vaccine shots have been administered across the country by Saturday, while more than 308 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been distributed, CDC data show.

U.S. President Joe Biden has previously set a target to hit 200 million COVID-19 shots by the end of April.

The United States has been ramping up vaccine rollout since last December. There are three COVID-19 vaccines authorized for emergency use in the country.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the one developed by American drugmaker Pfizer in partnership with German company BioNTech, and another by American drugmaker Moderna, in December last year.

Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine was approved for emergency use on Feb. 27. It is the third COVID-19 vaccine that has received FDA's authorization, also the first single dose COVID-19 vaccine available in the United States.

According to CDC data, currently a total of 127 million Pfizer/BioNTech doses and 104 million Moderna doses have been administered in the United States, while 8.2 million Johnson & Johnson shots have been administered. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-02 20:40:11|Editor: huaxia

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The handover ceremony of a key operating base of the U.S. forces is held at Camp Antonik in Helmand province, Afghanistan, May 2, 2021. The U.S. forces in Afghanistan on Sunday handed over a key operating base to Afghan National Army in restive southern Helmand province, reported local media. (Afghanistan's Ministry of Defense/Handout via Xinhua)

KABUL, May 2 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. forces in Afghanistan on Sunday handed over a key operating base to Afghan National Army in restive southern Helmand province, reported local media.

"Camp Antonik in Helmand province was officially handed over to the Afghan army's 215 Maiwand Corps on Sunday," Tolo News TV reported.

With no change in its name, the camp will be used as a base for Afghan Special Operations Forces, the report said.

Helmand province, notorious for poppy growing, is a known Taliban insurgents' stronghold.

The violence lingers in war-torn Afghanistan as the United States and NATO troops have been leaving the country.

About 3,500 U.S. forces and 7,000 NATO troops will be withdrawn before Sept. 11, the day which is the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that drew the United States into war in Afghanistan. Enditem
South Boston, VA (24592)

Today

Cloudy early with thunderstorms developing later in the day. High around 90F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms during the evening followed by occasional showers overnight. Low 69F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.
Doris Sommer in Harvard Magazine:

THE DAY BEFORE she cast two tiebreaker votes in the Senate in early February, Vice President Kamala Harris brought chocolates for senators on both sides of the aisle and then huddled with a few senior members around a fire in her office. The gestures were no doubt strategic, given her determination to support progressive decisions, but they also conjure references to another period of social gatherings hosted by elegant women. It was during the Enlightenment, when such gatherings in private salons outside the royal palaces softened the absolutist culture of European monarchies.

From the seventeenth century on, spirited conversation in salons became a favorite pastime for educated noblemen and a burgeoning class of professionals, sundry guests who could exercise the wit and curiosity that they acquired through humanistic education. In the welcoming atmosphere of private homes, where hostesses presided with social grace to stimulate lively but not contentious conversation, gentlemen got together with businessmen, military leaders, diplomats, poets, and philosophers to talk about a range of topics that often had no apparent practical or moral value. Disinterested sparring made social equality thinkable. Diverse guests recognized one another as worthy interlocutors. Conversation across class differences depended on talking about fascinating things that didnt rely on privilege or expertise. They talked about beauty, for example, precisely because it has no established criteria and depends on personal, subjective, responses that people want to share in inter-subjective judgments, to take Immanuel Kants line of thinking. When conversations veered toward interests in politics and economics, an alert hostess would tactfully steer the speakers back to the safer space of exciting but uncontentious sparring about the arts.

Aesthetics is the name of this egalitarian activity, a social venture that follows from being surprised by something beautiful, or even something ugly. The surprise is visceral and stays subjective, but the experiencewhen we think and talk about itis social. Extended engagement with beauty or the sublime has no practical purpose beyond the pleasure of engaging. This shared pause from pursuits is an obvious and available antidote to the crush of self-interested calculation and competition.

More here.
The Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) marked 170 years since the first World Expo on May 1 2021, just as Expo 2020 Dubai puts the finishing touches to preparations for its opening in October.

In 1851, the Great Exhibition took place in London, housed in the glittering Crystal Palace, becoming the first World Expo ever held. Now, 170 years later, the UAE will play host to global nations and their people at the next World Expo, the first in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region.

Expo 2020 Dubai aims to drive inspiration, innovation and collaboration at the first megaevent since the advent of the coronavirus pandemic - a global gathering that will bring together more than 200 organisations and nations to inspire action and deliver actionable solutions to real-life challenges. In another first for World Expos, it will see every nation have its own pavilion under its one nation, one pavilion ethos. In addition, countries will be clustered not by their geography, but under Expo 2020s three subthemes of Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability, depending on their focus  areas seen as essential to building a better future for everyone.

World Expos have introduced to the world some of the items used and enjoyed around the world as part of daily life, including colour television, mobile phones, the zipper and even tomato ketchup. The longevity and history of these events underscore their importance to their participants, and the generations that follow them. Since 1851 in London, destinations as diverse as St Louis, Paris, New York, Osaka and Shanghai have played host to visitors from across the world, with Dubai and the UAE now adding its name to that storeyed roll call with its own unique, historic contribution.

Dimitri S Kerkentzes, Secretary General of the BIE, said: In 1851, the Great Exhibition celebrated the industrial wonders of a rapidly changing world, creating a new paradigm for global cooperation and progress. In the ensuing 170 years, World Expos have marked eras and shaped cities, and have been at the forefront of anticipating global change.

As the planet faces unprecedented challenges, it has never been more important for the world to come together to share the brightest and best ideas and innovations. As visitors join countries and organisations later this year to exchange under the theme of Connecting Minds, Creating the Future, Expo 2020 Dubai will demonstrate the best that humanity can offer when we work together for a better future.

Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director General, Expo 2020 Dubai, said: As we mark a truly historic milestone, everyone at Expo 2020 Dubai is extremely proud to be part of the illustrious lineage of World Expos. As the first nation in the region to host a World Expo, we cannot wait to add the next chapter to this wonderful history, collaborating on issues of global importance as we invite hundreds of participants and millions of visitors to join the making of a new world.

Laura Faulkner OBE, UK Commissioner General at Expo 2020 Dubai, said: From the Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations at Crystal Palace in 1851 to the latest developments in AI in Dubai at Expo 2020, the UK has a long association with World Expos. We are looking forward to continuing our long-standing relationships with the BIE and the UAE, exploring common areas such as technology and space travel alongside other leading nations in this area. Innovation will be at the core of our message to the world, as it has been since the early days of the Expo.

The BIE  the international governing body of World Expos  was originally created in 1928, with a mission to guarantee the quality of World Expos and protect the rights of their organisers and participants. Since its creation, the BIE has placed education, innovation and cooperation at the core of all Expos.

Expo 2020 Dubai will run from October 1 2021 to March 31, 2022, inviting visitors from every corner of the globe to join the making of a new world, as they discover life-changing innovations that will have a meaningful, positive impact on both people and planet.

From showcases of industrial innovation, World Expos have developed to become global discussion platforms aimed at finding solutions to the biggest challenges of humanity. More than 50 World Expos and Specialised Expos have been organised under the auspices of the BIE, and their success attracts new Member States each year, with 169 countries being Member States.

After the 1851 Great Exhibition in London, the momentum continued when the Commissioner General of the British Pavilion at Expo 1867 in Paris issued a memorandum to set a common organisational framework, which was then signed by counterparts from Austria, Prussia, Italy, Russia and the United States. The memorandum set three main objectives: to control the size and duration of Expos, set a rotation system between Member States, clarify the different types of Expos and guarantee the quality of the exhibits.

However, it was not until 1928 that the BIE was created, with the Convention of 1928 applied to all international exhibitions that were of non-commercial nature, not fine-arts exhibitions and that lasted more than three weeks. -- TradeArabia News Service
Hong Kong: Quarantine helps stop virus spread

The Centre for Health Protection today said arranging a 21-day compulsory quarantine for asymptomatic residents of buildings with reported cases of the COVID-19 mutant strain is essential to stop the virus from spreading in the community.

The centre elaborated further on the arrangements in response to the community's concerns over the requirement for close contacts of confirmed COVID-19 local cases with the N501Y mutant strain or other variants of concern (VOC) to undergo compulsory quarantine for 21 days.

It said in view of the local VOC cases with unknown sources of infection, the Government has to adopt swift and stringent testing and quarantine measures to cut the transmission chains as soon as possible, adding that the quarantine arrangement is based on risk assessment, the prevailing COVID-19 epidemiology and the circumstances of each individual case.

As the local cases with the N501Y and E484K mutations were detected in the building, in view of the higher transmissibility, the centre considered that the residents of all units on all floors of the buildings concerned could have been exposed to the risk of contracting COVID-19 through sharing of common facilities within the building.

The centre noted that it is imperative to carry out prudent infection control and prevention measures. Arranging compulsory quarantine for 21 days for asymptomatic residents under the Prevention & Control of Disease Regulation would be essential to stop the potential risk of spread of the mutant strain into the community.

According to the latest epidemiological information, COVID-19 infection might have a prolonged incubation period and some VOC cases involving inbound travellers were detected only towards the end of their 21-day quarantine period.

The centre considered that those VOC-related close contacts who have tested negative in the early phase after exposure might still be incubating the disease.

They need to be put under quarantine for 21 days since their last exposure to the case or last stay in the affected building with cases. For those who tested positive, they would be admitted to hospitals for further management.

The centre explained there is 24-hour on-site medical support at quarantine centres, allowing better medical care to close contacts. The healthcare professionals can provide medical surveillance and primary medical care for them. Quarantine at a quarantine centre also protects both the those under quarantine and the community at large.

For the evacuation of Caribbean Coast, Block 11, a total of 1,027 residents were arranged for admission to quarantine centres and the Government managed to transfer almost all of them within 24 hours.

The centre pointed out that being the largest evacuation operation during this epidemic, there would be huge challenges regarding the transfer and the arrangement of accommodation for the residents.

It has been working closely with the Civil Aid Service, the Auxiliary Medical Service and the Social Welfare Department to ensure daily necessities could be delivered to the close contacts in the quarantine centres in time.

Regarding the quarantine arrangement for those who are vaccinated, the centre's Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases and the Scientific Committee on Emerging & Zoonotic Diseases, joined by the Chief Executive's expert advisory panel, during the meeting on April 22 discussed the possibility of exempting close contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases from the existing quarantine measures, if they are fully vaccinated.

Due to limited data and concerns about emerging COVID-19 variants, they considered that the current quarantine practice on close contacts should continue until more supporting evidence becomes available.

In view of the threat posed by the mutant strain, the centre called on the public for understanding and co-operation with all the infection control and prevention arrangements as well as anti-epidemic measures.

This story has been published on: 2021-05-02. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Dubai Customs continues its distinctive efforts in developing the foreign trade sector. It has completed around 5 million transactions in Q1 this year, and this is equal to twice the number of transactions for the same period in 2019, and 20% more compared to Q1, 2020 in which 4 million transactions were completed.

This couldnt have been achieved without a sophisticated infrastructure and advanced AI technologies, Dr Thani Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, was told when he visited Dubai Customs to learn more about its latest projects and initiatives in facilitating foreign trade.

He was received by Sultan bin Sulayem, DP World Group Chairman & CEO and Chairman of Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation and Ahmed Mahboob Musabih, Director General of Dubai Customs, along with executive directors and heads of customs departments.

In the meeting, a detailed presentation was delivered on the development of foreign trade in Dubai and the role of Dubai Customs in achieving prosperity in trade through the delivery of the best services and facilities to businesses. The presentation also covered the methods Dubai Customs follow to combat dumping and protect foreign trade from its hazards.

During the visit, Al Zeyoudi was briefed on the latest initiatives and projects, and the efforts taken to advance the sector following the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, which call for clients happiness, streamlined procedures and advanced services.

Al Zeyoudi said: Foreign trade sector is one of the main catalysts in diversifying and growing our national non-oil gross domestic product. Undoubtedly, Dubai Customs plays a pivotal role in this regard and in developing the customs sector. Our visit to Dubai Customs was very good and we saw closely the outstanding efforts done here to develop the sector and enhance the

performance of foreign trade sector. Customs and trade services are at the highest level, and this reflects positively on growing the foreign trade sector and helping with a quick recovery from the covid-19 crisis.

We closely coordinate with Dubai Customs to ensure best synergy between federal and local entities to achieve the national vision and leadership, and enhance our standing and competitiveness in line with the requirements of the UAE Centennial 2071.

Sultan bin Sulayem, DP World Group Chairman & CEO and Chairman of Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation expressed his appreciation for Al Zeyoudis visit.

His visit reflects the close cooperation with the federal government and our joint efforts to enhance the UAEs foreign trade sector. Dubai Customs works diligently in implementing the five-year plan launched by our wise leadership which aims to raise the value of external trade to AED2 trillion ($540 billion). In 2020, Dubai external trade made AED1.182 trillion, and the weight touched 100 million tonnes. Last year, exports grew 8% to AED167 billion despite the hard challenges posed by the spread of covid-19. Imports reached AED686 billion and re-exports totalled AED329 billion.

On his part, Musabih said: The visit of Al Zeyoudi came at a good time as we celebrate the golden jubilee of the UAE. The foreign trade sector has contributed significantly to the big developments achieved in the last 50 years, and Dubai Customs played an essential role in this development. We are happy that we are moving into the next 50 years with full coordination with the federal government. To cope with the new trends in international trade, Dubai Customs launched the Cross Border e-Commerce. The innovative platform utilises block chain technology to integrate and automate operations between Customs, Free Zones, logistics, and courier companies. It is the first of its kind in the region, and it aims to help the emirate become a global hub for e-commerce, and encourage e-commerce companies set their businesses in Dubai. This follows the leaderships directives of raising the share of private businesses in local and regional e-commerce performance to AED24 billion by 2022 through the reduction of e-commerce cost by 20%. It is expected e-commerce will contribute AED12 billion to Dubais GDP by 2023.

Juma Al Ghaith, Executive Director of Customs Development Division at Dubai Customs delivered a presentation on Dubai Customs role in protecting the society and facilitating trade. He said 97.8% of customs transactions are automatically approved without any human intervention thanks to the great progress achieved in developing the Smart Risk Engine, which can specify the risk shipments with great accuracy. He also talked about the World Logistics Passport, which supports supply chains and boosts trade. He said Dubai Customs helps clients benefit the most from the Authorised Economic Operator, which can achieve savings for member companies in operating costs for up to 36%.

Ahmad Alkhuroosi, Director of Customs Tariff & Origin Department delivered a presentation on the implemented fees to combat dumping, and all Compensatory and preventive measures taken to tackle the issue. He gave recommendations on how to face these challenges through updating of the electronic systems used in calculating fees used for fighting dumping. -- TradeArabia News Service
DMCC, the worlds flagship Free Zone and Government of Dubai Authority on commodities trade and enterprise, welcomed 216 new businesses to its Free Zone in April 2021, the highest for April in 7 years. Q1 2021 was also the free zones best performance in seven years.

Despite the global economic situation, DMCC has continued to attract a broad range of entrepreneurs, SMEs and larger multinationals to Dubai through world-class facilities and business support services, demonstrating their value-add for member companies.

The strong growth builds on momentum coming from initiatives including the highly anticipated DMCC Cacao Centre and the upcoming DMCC Crypto Centre, which will further expand DMCCs eco system for trade.

New bundled price packages and laser-targeted outreach saw DMCC drive increase engagement with key markets, including China, UK, France, India and others. Interest from Israel remains significantly strong.

Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, DMCC, said: The global pandemic has resulted in business across the world reassessing where they are based to ensure they have access to the right levels of support, leading facilities and first-class services. Our community of over 18,000 businesses continues to grow at record rates because we are doing exactly that  supporting our member companies and increasing their ease of doing business. This record month truly demonstrates the resilience of Dubais economy, and the commitment that DMCC has to its member companies."

This achievement follows a record 205 companies joining the Free Zone in September 2020, and DMCC being awarded Global Free Zone of the Year by the Financial Times fDi Magazine for a sixth consecutive year in October 2020.-- TradeArabia News Service
Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, the newest national airline of the UAE, will continue to fly to Greece twice a week, providing UAE residents with exciting travel opportunities and experiences over the summer period and beyond.

Wizz Air Abu Dhabi currently flies to Thessaloniki every Thursday and as of July will fly twice per week on Thursdays and Sundays, while to Athens every Friday and as of June twice per week on Mondays and Fridays. Fares start as low as AED199 ($54), with tickets on sale on wizzair.com (which also has an Arabic booking website) and the airlines mobile app.

Since April 19, permanent residents of UAE can enter Greece without being quarantined. They must provide a negative PCR test taken by swab up to 72 hours before the arrival, or hold a certificate of vaccination in English issued by a public authority. The vaccination needs to have been completed at least 14 days before arrival to Greece. The certificate should include the full name of the passenger, the type of vaccine, the number of doses taken and the dates.

Kees Van Schaick, Managing Director of Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, said: With travel restrictions easing for UAE residents wanting to fly to Greece and the summer heat of the UAE fast approaching, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi is ideally positioned to offer safe, efficient, hassle-free, ultra-low fare travel options. Athens and Thessaloniki provide incredible historic and cultural experiences and we look forward to enabling people to witness all that Greece has to offer.

Passengers are requested to follow physical distancing measures introduced by the local health authorities and are encouraged to make all purchases prior to the flight online (e.g. checked in luggage, WIZZ Priority, fast security track), to minimise any possible physical contact at the airport.

With a fleet composed of brand new Airbus A321neo aircraft, the airline will have the lowest environmental footprint among its competitors in the region. - TradeArabia News Service
15:56 | Lima, May. 2.

In this regard, the government official affirmed that 10 out of the 48 million COVID-19 vaccine doses which have already been paid by the Government of Peru and are set to arrive in various shipments within the coming weeks will have been administered by the end of July.

"But as they are arriving little by little, we estimate that 10 million (doses) will have reached the country by July, which means at least 5 million people will be fully vaccinated," Ugarte said from the National Agrarian University La Molina , where he supervised the vaccination process on Sunday.
China has been condemned over an image that appeared to mock India over the Covid-19 crisis wreaking havoc in the country.

An account on Chinese microblogging site Weibo, which was linked to the Chinese Communist Party, posted a now-deleted photo over the weekend of China launching a rocket alongside an image of bodies being cremated in India.

The photo was captioned: "Lighting a fire in China vs Lighting a fire in India."

The Weibo post mocking India's Covid crisis sparked fury. Source: Twitter

The image was reportedly posted by the Communist Party's Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission, China's official law enforcement agency, which has millions of followers on Weibo, according to the BBC.

It comes as India reports 386,452 new cases. The nation has now recorded more than 18.7 million cases since the pandemic began, second only to the US.

The ongoing devastation in India is a stark difference to the situation in China, where the virus was first reported in December 2019.

As India continues to suffer, thousands in China flocked to the Great Wall in Badaling at the weekend to celebrate the Labour Day holiday.

Screenshots of the post were shared to Twitter as people expressed their outrage over the image.

"Quite despicable... Chinese Communist Party mocks Indian COVID-19 victims, showing Chinese rocket next to Indian funeral pyre," one wrote.

A body of a person who died from Covid at a crematorium in New Delhi. Source: Getty Images

Journalist Mengyu Dong was too perplexed by the post.

"Someone apparently thought it was a good idea to make fun of the latest Covid-19 outbreak in India? An account affiliated with CCP Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission posted this on Weibo," the London-based journalist tweeted alongside an image of the post.

Human Rights Watch researcher Yaqiu Wang also tweeted disbelief at the post.

"This is a Chinese Government Weibo account. The lack of basic decency is just unbelievable," she wrote.

Story continues

"This is just outrageous," somebody else said.

The Weibo post was shared a day after Chinese President Xi Jinping offered to help India fight against the coronavirus pandemic and expressed his condolences to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has offered his condolences to India. Source: Getty Images

"China is willing to enhance cooperation with India on fighting Covid-19 and provide support and assistance to India," state television quoted Mr Xi as saying.

A spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs tweeted it had provided aid to India as it grappled to cope with the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Incomplete statistics show China has exported to India 26,000+ ventilators & oxygen concentrators, 15,000+ monitors, nearly 3,800 tons of pharmaceutical ingredients & medicines since April. Cargo airlines from China to India are operating normally," the spokesperson said.

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

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Experts continue to warn of the dangers of Australia's current hotel quarantine system, with one believing the program could still be in use in 2023.

With the virus mutations wreaking havoc in other parts of the world, notably in India where daily cases have now surpassed 350,000, and Australia's slow vaccine rollout, there are fears our borders will remain closed for the foreseeable future, likely to a select number of nations or potentially the rest of the world.

"Given the high number of cases globally and the slow rollout of vaccines in most countries, Australia will need supervised quarantine for some time to come, most likely until 2023," Professor Michael Toole, an epidemiologist from the Burnet Institute, explained for The Conversation.

Epidemiologist Professor Raina MacIntyre, Head of the Biosecurity Program at UNSW's Kirby Institute, says the hope is borders can be opened once everyone is vaccinated, yet there are three major problems that could delay the process.

Hotel quarantine has come under the spotlight in recent months after a number of leaks. Source: Getty

She told Yahoo News Australia the speed of the vaccine rollout, the vaccines' efficacy and the emergence of vaccine-resistant mutations pose potential threats to open borders, widely suggested to likely happen in early 2022.

"The speed of vaccination is very slow, with supplies limited while the efficacy of the vaccines being used need to be high enough,' Prof MacIntyre said.

"Variants of concern may also arise which are resistant to vaccines  for example, the AstraZeneca vaccine has 0-10 per cent efficacy against the South African variant."

In a recent paper, Prof MacIntyre noted if vaccines have a efficacy of less than 70 per cent, herd immunity cannot be achieved and Australians will be at risk of potential outbreaks.

Story continues

Australia remains 'vulnerable'

Dr Zoe Hyde, an epidemiologist at the University of Western Australia, reiterated the virus can still be transmitted among those who have received the jab, meaning border measures will continue to play an important role for the nation.

"Australia will be vulnerable until we've achieved herd immunity. We must keep quarantine to protect us until then," she said on Twitter.

The federal government continues to stress the vaccine will have been offered to every adult Australian by October, yet there are mounting concerns that target is unachievable due to the slow administration and uptake of the vaccine.

Hotel quarantine therefore remains Australia's first line of defence for the foreseeable future, which has prompted mounting calls for urgent changes in the wake of recent transmission events inside facilities.

On Saturday WA Premier Mark McGowan confirmed yet another quarantine leak had occurred when a hotel staff member became infected before passing it on to two flatmates.

Mr McGowan said there is "no explanation" as to how the worker became infected, raising further questions over the suitability of hotels as quarantine facilities, particularly surrounding inadequate ventilation.

Mr McGowan has repeatedly called on the federal government to reevaluate the system and to use custom-built facilities instead, such as Christmas Island Detention Centre  a call also made by Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.

Quarantine problems reoccurring 'like a broken record'

Prof MacIntyre said it was time the Infection Control Expert Group (ICEG) recognised airborne transmission was playing a major role in the transmission of the virus inside facilities.

"The virus is airborne, and ventilation is key," she told Yahoo News Australia.

"We need formal recognition of airborne transmission, and thereby attention paid to ventilation and respiratory PPE.

The virus spread in Sydney's Sofitel facility earlier this year. Source: AAP

"As long as airborne transmission is denied, we cannot fix what is wrong with HQ, and we will keep replaying the story like a broken record."

Prof MacIntyre said there had even been evidence of floor to floor transmission through faecal aerosols travelling up the sewage pipes.

"In one case virus was identified all over the bathroom on the floor and apartment directly above the infected apartment  and that apartment was vacant," she said.

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She added buildings built before 2016 may not meet ventilation requirements and are at risk of accumulating aerosols.

Despite being more costly, she said it was vital air inside is not recirculated.

The Morrison government has been defiant in recent weeks amid calls for changes to the program.

"Hotels are working very well," Defence Minister Peter Dutton told Channel Nine's Today show on Friday.

However Health Minister Greg Hunt appeared open to proposals of a custom-built, 500-bed centre on Melbourne's northern fringe. It would come at a cost of $200 million for the federal government.

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.
As a retired member of the U.S. Foreign Service, I was proud to represent America in six countries over my 28 years of service. I write this in advance of Foreign Service Day on May 7, a day designated by Congress to honor our active-duty and retired members of the Foreign Service.

It is an understatement to say that the past year of devastation and uncertainty has been difficult for everyone. This includes members of our Foreign Service who have remained on the front lines throughout the pandemic, working to bring more than 100,000 Americans home safely and continuing to protect and serve Americas interests abroad.

Diplomacy and development are our first line of defense, neutralizing issues before they become threats to Americans. However, for diplomacy and development to once again take the premier place in our foreign policy, we must strengthen our Foreign Service. Our diplomats are overstretched, and our embassies and consulates are understaffed. China has eclipsed us with more diplomatic outposts and overseas diplomatic personnel.
To secure its footing and aiming for long-term growth in the Indian car market, South Korean automaker Kia plans to introduce new models in the market here. It also plans to strengthen its sales network and raise production capacity in an effort to reduce the waiting time on the existing product range.

The company which currently sells three models in the country is focusing to prepare a mid-sized multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) for the market. The carmaker expects the market to recover from the Covid-19 impact from the festive season this year. We are right now focusing on SUV and MPV segments and as part of that we are looking at the feasibility of some kind of an MPV," said Kia India executive director and chief sales and business strategy officer Tae-Jin Park as reported by PTI. Currently, Kia sells Carnival in the premium MPV segment.
125 years ago

1896: Strong winds from the south fanned flames near the Arizona Lumber and Timber Companys Flagstaff plant into a frenzy. The company had 50 of its employees at the front line of the forest fire with shovels and several water wagons, but their efforts were of no avail until the Flagstaff Fire Department arrived with a steam engine with water and a full hose cart.

It is impossible for the advocates of the whisky traffic to lead any person of sound mind to recognize the business as legitimate. Our Flagstaff community has shown its recognition of this fact by imposing a license on this business above the license paid by any other enterprise.

City council has voted approval of the purchase of an additional 260 feet of fire hose and a cart to carry it to be purchased for the fire department.

Council also agreed and orders that a grade be established between Birch and Elm avenues and that the property owners in Block 5 be advised and ordered to remove all rubbish in their areas immediately.

At their regular meeting on Saturday night, the Grand Army of the Republic appointed a committee to make arrangement for the observance of Decoration Day. It is expected that all citizens will want to participate in this celebration of Patriots Day.
Its about educating the whole child through dance, she explained. Weve had a lot of dancers come through our program. A few of them are (now) professional dancers, but most are not.

But we believe they are better people because of having that dance experience. We have several doctors and scientists and river runners. Its a huge spectrum. If my goal had been to train professional dancers, it would be a very small and different group. What really motivates me is the creativity and inclusiveness, using dance to make lives better and more fulfilling.

To illustrate, she told the story of a withdrawn fifth-grade boy she taught at a Flagstaff school.

He came in from Williams, had a single dad taking care of him, she said. He was very, well not rebellious, but hed sit with his arms folded and kind of look at me in class. But I worked with him. Once I got him engaged  he became my helper  he loved coming to dance and opened up. Sometimes using your body to express yourself is great because youre not good at expressing yourself verbally.

Working with kids

Darlington, because of her arthritis, doesnt do a great deal of hands-on teaching anymore. But when asked her favorite age of students, she doesnt hesitate: 7- and 8-year-olds.
Americans trust in the national news media is low and getting worse. Mainstream journalism has lost the respect of much of the public, though soul-searching and changes by the industry could reverse this trend.

A new study by Media Insight Project funded by The Associated Press and the University of Chicago found bedrock journalism values are respected less by much of the general public than other competing moral values. For example, the study reported that people who put more emphasis on authority and loyalty tend to be more skeptical about fundamental journalism principles. A mere 11% of Americans fully support all five of the journalism values tested. The study advises journalists to rethink how they frame their content to better resonate with broader audiences.

This new study doesnt surprise conservatives like me at all. A Gallup public opinion survey of Americans trust in institutions released near the start of the COVID-19 pandemic found eight of the nine institutions studied received a majority positive ratings  led by U.S. hospitals, with 88% approval. The media ranked dead last, and only the media received more negative than positive marks.
The Arizona Senate is close to passing the HB 2241 bill which would require that students in Arizona be taught about the Holocaust and other genocides at least twice between seventh and 12th grades. As the director of the Martin-Springer Institute at Northern Arizona University, I am supporting the passage of this important bill. Unfortunately, it may be delayed and stalled again, and so I urge the Senate to pass it without the newly requested amendment.

The Martin-Springer Institute, which was founded 20 years ago by Holocaust survivor Doris (Szpringer) and her husband Ralph Martin, has offered annually advanced seminars on best practices in Holocaust education for Arizona teachers from across the state, including Yuma, Payson, Kayenta, Prescott, Phoenix, Holbrook, and, of course, Flagstaff. We know the interests, motivations and dedication of Arizona educators well. Given our mandate to offer public educational programs regarding the legacy of the Holocaust and current situations of harm and grave injustices, we also know that only education, public alertness, and prevention will stop future genocides and mass atrocities.
The Northern Arizona Leadership Alliance (NALA) is supportive of the Flagstaff City Council addressing some of the systemic social needs in the city, including improved capacity to respond to issues related to homelessness and mental health. Conversely, NALA is completely opposed to reactionary, and highly detrimental, calls for "defunding the police." We are incredibly proud of the Flagstaff Police Department and honor the difficult work they do in our city, acting as law enforcement officers, community and family protectors and, yes, sometimes social workers.
It will be very hard to resuscitate unions and collective bargaining in their current form, said Harry Holzer, a Georgetown University professor and former U.S. Labor Department chief economist during the Clinton administration. While I am sympathetic to strengthening unions, I am very pessimistic.

Biden is pushing to pass the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) bill, which is intended to boost union membership after decades of decline. While the House approved the measure in March, it faces long odds in the Senate, where it will need the support of at least 10 Republicans.

Lost Wages

That proposal would abolish state right-to-work laws that ban mandatory collection of dues or fees as a condition of employment, penalize employers that retaliate among union drives and extend federal labor rights to many workers currently classified as independent contractors, among other measures.

While the White House continues to push the bill as a priority, the administration has other tools, such as directing federal spending to American-made goods.
LIBBY  Patricia Denny and her husband, Jeff, had hoped to one day get an RV and travel the country. Instead, Jeff has been forced into retirement at age 54 by a lung disease caused by the asbestos thats polluted the small town of Libby for decades.

Jeff Dennys lungs are damaged from the asbestos he breathed while participating in an Environmental Protection Agency-run cleanup of the asbestos contamination caused by the vermiculite mine that closed 30 years ago in this community in the Cabinet Mountains. Patricia Denny is afraid she will get asbestos-related disease as well, given how many residents of the town have become sick. Barbed fibers, a byproduct of vermiculite, attach to the lungs when breathed in.

At least 400 people exposed to Libby asbestos have died of asbestosis, mesothelioma or other lung diseases, and thousands more have been diagnosed with lung damage and diseases caused by asbestos, according to the Center for Asbestos Related Disease, the Libby clinic that diagnosed Jeff Denny.

It is not the matter of if, it is when, Patricia Denny said in an online message. Once this barbed killer gets in ya it stays  and kills the area it penetrates.
Montana reported 46 COVID-19 cases and no additional COVID-19 deaths in an update Sunday to the state case mapping and information website.

Active cases are at 1,105 statewide. Cumulative cases have reached 109,030. COVID-19 has caused the deaths of 1,574 Montanans.

A total of 106,351 COVID-19 cases in Montana are considered recovered, meaning they meet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for a person with COVID-19 to be released from isolation.

Statewide 720,720 vaccine doses have been administered and 332,474 people are fully vaccinated.

Hospitals in the state are reporting 57 active COVID-19 hospitalizations. There have been 5,022 COVID-19 hospitalizations reported by the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services.

Another 2,621 COVID-19 tests were completed by Sunday. Statewide 1,304,842 tests have been administered for COVID-19.

Counties added the following cases in the Sunday update:
Letter to the editor: "These differences can be explained not by race but by the differences in the specific cultures."

Note: The views expressed by letter writers do not necessarily reflect those of The Gazette. To submit a letter visit https://billingsgazette.com/forms/contact/letter_to_the_editor
Theres a line of six people in Lorettas line, and theres one with three in the other line. Theyll go in the line with six, because they know youll get it done faster than the other person with three.

State Transportation Department Director Bill Panos presented Boehm with a North Dakota license plate that reads Loretta -- for display, since she doesnt own a car.

Speaker Kim Koppelman, R-West Fargo, gave Boehm the opportunity to speak. She declined, but acknowledged the assembly with a smile and a nod of her head.

Boehm, who grew up in McClusky, told the Tribune that when she started at the Capitol, big-selling items in the cafe were "candy, cigarettes and cigars."

She said work in the cafe has been enjoyable -- including the perk of "no evenings, no weekends and all the holidays" -- and she plans to continue for another year and a half.

Dockter is related to Boehm -- his mother is her first cousin.

We want just to thank you for your hard work, he said. Every day you do your work, you do it hard, youre always pleasant, and you always remind me if I make mistakes youll let my mother know. So I make sure to be on my best behavior.

Reach Jack Dura at 701-223-8482 or jack.dura@bismarcktribune.com.

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We live in a diverse country, where people have a lot of different preferences about how to live. For example, a 2016 Pew Research Center survey found that 59% of Americans believed children with two parents were better off if one parent stayed at home, but 39% thought children were just as well off if both parents worked.

So which side was right? Well, obviously, neither. It depends on the personality, values and circumstances of the people in each particular family. Despite what Tolstoy wrote, happy families are in fact all happy in their own ways.

Our debates about family structure have been poisoned by people who cant acknowledge difference without immediately rendering some judgment. Family pluralism is a source of strength for this country, not a weakness.

It should be said that peoples views on what is the ideal family form are powerfully linked to their class standing. As research by scholars at the American Compass think tank has shown, people in the working class and to a lesser extent the middle class are more likely to prefer the breadwinner model, in which one parent stays home, when children are younger than 5. Families making more than $150,000 are more likely to admire the dual earner model, in which both parents work.
Beijing's campaign to rein in Tesla has begun, now experts say it has a limited time to sell cars before it gets canceled.

Tesla has limited time to get market share in China before the government takes action, experts say.

State media is indicating that time could run out sooner than Tesla had bargained.

Experts say it's clear Beijing is trying to give Tesla a bad name so domestic rivals can catch up.
Lizzie Rodgers said she asked at least twice why she was under arrest, and each time Beaty or Twitty or both told her to just shut up. She complained to both officers that the handcuffs were too tight but neither seemed to care, she said. Lizzie Rodgers said that as she sat in the back of the squad car, both officers ridiculed her and even made fun of her wig.

I do remember it, Beaty said when asked about the arrest recently.

I dont want to say anything disparaging about her. I hope it is something she has been able to get past. But at the end of the day, she was rude, Beaty said of Lizzie Rodgers.

Officer Twitty made the arrest, Beaty recalled, and he didnt do anything wrong, but she just became more and more uncooperative. Beaty added: If Officer Twitty had done something wrong, I absolutely would have intervened on her behalf.

Twitty, when reached recently, said he did not remember the episode.

Calvin Rodgers, who said Beaty followed the tone set by her partner, filed a complaint with a lieutenant but no one followed up. Beatys disciplinary record shows no sign that an internal affairs case was opened.
"Folks know that every time you come here it's good news," she said.

And even some Democrats who have called for his resignation, like Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, have publicly appeared with him in recent weeks to praise the newly enacted budget.

Albany veterans like William L. Parment, who spent 28 years representing Chautauqua County in the Assembly before retiring in 2010, says the governor was right to resist calls to resign as controversy initially swirled around him.

"I don't like to come to that conclusion, but he has the obligation to be the executive of our state government," he said. "There is no more critical time for the governor to be involved than in the budget process."

But now from afar, Parment says his long Capitol experience causes him to follow more events ahead. Parment said he will closely watch the nursing home data investigation launched by state Attorney General Letitia James, whose backing by Cuomo is widely credited with landing her the Democratic nomination for attorney general in 2018. He believes her appointment of former acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim, who was instrumental in the prosecution of former Cuomo aide Joseph Percoco, will prove key.

"He's not new to the beat," Parment said.
Rumore stands by his record.

Were proud of what weve done, Rumore said. People may say that were viewed negatively, but I would hope that teachers of Buffalo overwhelmingly support the team that has delivered so much rather than two candidates that have no experience.

Bruno and Rumore are no strangers.

Bruno unsuccessfully challenged Rumore in 2013 and again in 2015, when he garnered 299 votes to Rumores 707.

But this time Bruno has joined forces with Patrick Foster, a teacher at I-Prep, who came in second during the 2015 election and will be Brunos running mate.

Bruno and Foster, 51, have been teachers in the school district since 2001 and both have played active roles in the union, including serving on its executive committee. They are the only two to have challenged Rumore in more than 25 years, Bruno said.

They seem to me like they are more in appeasement mode, rather than a fighting mode, Rumore said of his opponents. Yes, we try to work with the district, but they know that this organization is not afraid to fight if we have to.

Rumore said hes up for the challenge.

Im as dedicated and as energized as the day I was first elected, he said.

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The trek begins in Lynchburg, Va., where Galloway attended college, and will end in Buffalo on June 19 for Juneteenth.

Theyll stop in Appomattox Court House, where the Civil War ended.

They'll journey to Virginia to the White House of the Confederacy in Richmond, and Warrenton, the last location to which Galloway traced her family back to former slaves.

There will be a stop at the Bucktown General Store in Cambridge, Md., where Tubman was struck in the head with a two-pound weight after refusing to help detain an escaping slave.

The walkers will go to New Castle, Del., where Thomas Garrett and John Hunn  abolitionists and workers on the Underground Railroad  were tried and found guilty of violating the Fugitive Slave Act.

The group also will visit Philadelphia, home of the Liberty Bell that became a symbol for the abolitionist movement after an anti-slavery publication first used the name Liberty Bell.

Other stops include the Albany home of Stephen and Harriet Myers, a headquarters for the Underground Railroad; New York City for the African Burial Ground National Monument; and Tubmans home in Auburn.

To make a donation, go to www.thefreethemwalk.com.

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MAPLEWOOD, N.J. (AP)  Olympia Dukakis, the veteran stage and screen actress whose flair for maternal roles helped her win an Oscar as Chers mother in the romantic comedy Moonstruck, has died. She was 89.

Allison Levy her agent at Innovative Artists said Saturday that Dukakis died Saturday morning in her home in New York City. A cause of death was not immediately released.

Dukakis won her Oscar through a surprising chain of circumstances, beginning with author Nora Ephrons recommendation that she play Meryl Streeps mother in the film version of Ephrons book Heartburn. Dukakis got the role, but her scenes were cut from the film. To make it up to her, director Mike Nichols cast her in his hit play Social Security. Director Norman Jewison saw her in that role and cast her in Moonstruck.

Dukakis won the Oscar for best supporting actress and Cher took home the trophy for best actress.

She referred to her 1988 win as the year of the Dukakii because it was also the year Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis, her cousin, was the Democratic Partys presidential nominee. At the ceremony, she held her Oscar high over her head and called out: OK, Michael, lets go!
Dear EarthTalk: Besides generating seasonal allergens, do any plants actually reduce air quality or cause air pollution?  Mike T., San Juan, Puerto Rico

While many of us thought Ronald Reagan sounded crazy back in 1981 when he told America that trees cause more pollution than automobiles do, the then-president may have been on to something.

Researchers from the University of California at Berkeley recently unveiled the results of a study in which they determined that certain trees and plants common in Southern California off-gas natural yet nevertheless harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs)  to attract pollinators, protect against environmental stressors and repel herbivores  especially during the hottest months of the year. This so-called particulate matter pollution is not only dangerous in and of itself to breathe in as the tiny molecules can get lodged in the lungs, but it also leads to the formation of ground-level ozone and smog.
Health officials say it will take a more monumental educational outreach effort to reach a 70% or 80% herd immunity level.

At ECC South Saturday, Alex of Lakeview hopped along on crutches with his girlfriend on one side and mother on the other, determined to be vaccinated for not only his own safety but that of others.

He broke his leg in February playing indoor soccer, but in two weeks he says he will be as good as new and looks forward to playing varsity baseball at Frontier High.

The sooner we all get the shot, the quicker we can all get through this, he said.

Kirk Hering, a corrections officer who has been vaccinated, said he brought his daughter and son to the clinic because he wanted them to have extra protection in case hes exposed to the virus at work. Nadia, however, had her own reasons.

I was tired of staying at home. I figure the sooner people my age get the vaccine, the closer we get to normalcy, said the 17-year-old.

Nikolas, her 23-year-old brother, said he was uncomfortable with needles, but shared his sisters hope of more freedom as his reason for being vaccinated.

Im tired of being isolated, said Nikolas, who was among the many adults who were also welcomed at the clinic.

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Lou Michel reporter I am a member of The Buffalo News' watchdog team, coauthor of New York Times bestseller, American Terrorist: Timothy McVeigh and The Oklahoma City Bombing. I'm also a proud graduate of Buffalo State College where I met my wife who is my editor in life! Follow Lou Michel 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. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today
It goes too far. Accountability is essential in all government programs, especially one in which public employees carry guns and can deprive citizens of their liberty.

It is, admittedly, a difficult set of circumstances. Police are routinely called into crisis situations. They must deal with people in their worst moments, whether criminals or victims. In calls involving mentally ill individuals, the mere presence of police may precipitate a crisis. There are real risks in the work they do. Sometimes force is necessary, sometimes understandable. But not always.

In light of several disturbing deaths in recent months and years, governments and courts need to sharpen that standard with one goal in mind: making policing safer, both for cops and civilians. Part of the solution must be to provide better training for police and to modify  carefully  what now qualifies as nearly blanket immunity for police, no matter the circumstances.

The problem is that, even with careful screening of police applicants, bad men and women get through. Chauvin was one of them. How many other abuses did he commit before he felt so entitled that he could commit murder in broad daylight, in front of witnesses? How did the Supreme Courts standard shape his eagerness to kill Floyd?
A recent ad for Jeep vehicles proudly proclaims, The thing about freedom is that it knows no limits. Unfortunately, too many Americans actually believe this and such a simplistic, misguided notion of freedom has wreaked havoc on American culture over the past year as we struggle to deal effectively with a global pandemic.

This was vividly illustrated recently by Congressman Jim Jordans angry exchange with Dr. Anthony Fauci when he declared that his constitutionally guaranteed liberties were needlessly threatened by the restrictions required to bring Covid-19 under control. Fauci was exactly right when he chided Jordan for selfishly insisting on his personal freedoms in a public health crisis which has claimed over 573,000 American lives.

Many Americans who unfortunately share Jordans views not only fail to understand the seriousness of our current cultural problems but also display a woeful misunderstanding of the Constitution which in no way absolutizes personal freedom. The Founding Fathers, who were deeply suspicious of unbridled individualism driven by anarchic freedom, were careful to construct an intricate network of checks and balances which harmonized personal freedom with moral, social and political responsibility. They would have nothing but contempt for Jordans socially toxic concept of freedom. And they would be deeply distressed by how this false idea of freedom has weakened American culture on many levels over the past 40 years.
Jerry would be 72 if he was with us today, but the bottom fell out in 1984. Jerry went to New Orleans with Dale for a medical conference and became ill. He thought it might be food poisoning, but soon learned he was suffering from lymphoma. Even in the face of death he thought of others. He told Dale personally that his illness was fatal rather than having her hear it from the hospital staff.

I visited Jerry several times, and was deeply shaken to see my friend so sick. Immediately sensing my discomfort, Jerry guided the conversation down gentle paths. But when death struck the Kaiser family, Jean and Sam suffered through a parents worst nightmare  the loss of a child.

They were devastated, Dale said. I dont think they ever recovered. What do you do with the death of a child?

Sam died in 1999, heightening Jeans grief and bolstering her determination to stay at the apartment she and Sam long called home. She had her apartment  her home  full of memorabilia and photos of Jerry and Sam  the two men she loved, Dale said. Thats what she loved about it and thats why she didnt want to leave it.

Dale took a different route, moving back to Boston with the boys to be with her family.
The Delta Fredericton is one of New Brunswick's designated self-isolation hotels. (Shane Fowler/CBC - image credit)

New Brunswick is easing self-isolation rules a little over a week after requiring all non-essential travellers to quarantine at a designated hotel.

All leisure travellers, business travellers, and people moving had to self-isolate at a hotel for at least seven days. The stay costs about $1,300 and is managed by the Canadian Red Cross.

But now the province is allowing exemptions for people to self-isolate in a stand-alone residence.

Public Health announced the change in a news release on Saturday and said it will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

The province said travellers can see if they qualify by emailing TravelRegistration.EnregistrementVoyage@gnb.ca

It's unclear who is eligible to self-isolate outside of a hotel.

The Department of Justice and Public Safety, which oversees isolation rules, would not offer specifics on what circumstances would permit someone to isolate at a home or private residence.

Spokesperson Elaine Bell directed questions about the changes to the Canadian Red Cross, which couldn't be reached for comment.

"We will examine situations that could create undue hardship on a case-by-case basis," she said in an email.

The Hyatt Place in Moncton is one of several hotels across the province that have a designated area for travellers coming to isolate. (Kate Letterick/CBC)

Compliance checks will be conducted for travellers approved to stay at an alternative location. If a traveller is found breaking the rules, the province said they will be moving to a designated isolation hotel.

People not properly self-isolating can also face a maximum fine of up to $20,400.

Truck drivers, rotational workers and regular cross-border commuters are currently exempt from the hotel requirement.

Students returning to New Brunswick from Atlantic Canada, except Halifax, must self-isolate but can do so at a private residence.

Travellers are asked to register with the province. After receiving approval, they can book a hotel stay through the Red Cross by calling 1-800-863-6582.

Green Party Leader David Coon said the change to allow exemptions is welcome news. He's been hearing from people in situations where staying at a hotel would be challenging.

Story continues

"No one had the sense of the tremendously varied circumstances people have coming into New Brunswick or home to New Brunswick," he said. "It's extraordinary just looking at the calls and emails I've had."

'A huge relief'

The new rules created confusion for students and those moving to New Brunswick after it was rolled out last week. Many travellers reported challenges booking a stay and some hotels dropped out of the program.

Bruno Pondant had travelled to attend his father's funeral in Belgium when the changes began.

The Moncton resident stayed at a federal quarantine hotel in Montreal with his wife. After receiving a negative COVID-19 test, they tried to reserve a flight home.

But there was a problem. The region's only designated quarantine hotel  the Hyatt Place Moncton  was completely booked by self-isolating travellers.

New Brunswick's self-isolation rules changed twice during Bruno Pondant's return from his father's funeral in Belgium. (Radio-Canada)

"We were stuck in Montreal not knowing exactly when we would be able to go back home," Pondant told Radio-Canada.

The couple was able to make a reservation later that week and flew back to New Brunswick. But after arriving at the Moncton airport on Wednesday, a peace officer informed them the rules had changed, according to Pondant.

"We still had to do a quarantine for 14 days, but we were able to do it at home," he said. "So that was a huge relief."

Hotel reservations cancelled

Best Western Plus in Bathurst is starting to receive a wave of cancellations following the change.

General Manager Annie Doucet said several people who had purchased homes in the region were self-isolating at the hotel.

"Five days later they called them and said, 'You can go to your house,'" she said in French. "The line was crazy all week for booking reservations."

But now, the hotel is starting to take cancellations for all those bookings. All six travellers expected to arrive for self-isolation on Saturday cancelled their reservations.

Doucet said it's frustrating to have the rules change just days after being named a designated hotel. The hotel had to free up rooms on an entire floor for seven-days stays.

"Now I'm left with 20 rooms that were guaranteed, not rented," she said.

Trying to leave hotel

A couple moving to New Brunswick had already spent five days inside the Hilton in Saint John after relocating from New York.

Gil Steeves and her husband, Ian Gordon, faced a frustrating situation entering Steeves's home province. They were hours away from crossing the border from Maine when the hotel requirement was announced.

Guests isolating in a hotel have to get a COVID test on Day 5 of their stay. If the results come back negative they can leave on Day 7 and finish isolation somewhere else.

Ian Gordon and Gil Steeves are moving from New York City to Moncton, N.B. They are searching for answers on how to follow a new hotel quarantine requirement just days before their arrival. (Submitted by Gil Steeves)

Steeves and Gordon have been tested and are hoping to leave the hotel and finish isolating at a vacant home owned by family in Moncton.

But the hotel stay was not part of their original itinerary. Now they're scrambling to update their quarantine plan with the Public Health Agency of Canada so they can leave the Hilton.

"This is just a really complex situation where the story has shifted to not being able to reach the federal government," Steeves said.
In Wisconsin, the situation is made worse by taxpayer-funded child care subsidies that are so low and so cumbersome to apply for that many qualifying families don't bother to apply, according to Ruth Schmidt, executive director of the Wisconsin Early Childhood Association.

Subsidies should cover about 75% of the market rate for care, Schmidt said, but the state's program, known as Wisconsin Shares, covers about 30% to 35%.

Taking the brunt of all these competing fiscal pressures are the industry's frontline workers, whose wages have long been on the margin of livable. A 2016 workforce study by the WECA found the the median starting and highest hourly wages for teachers in child care centers were $10 and $13, respectively, and assistant teachers made below $10. This despite education requirements they must meet if the centers they work for are to get decent marks under the state child care rating system, known as YoungStar.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 2)  Senator Leila de Lima has filed a bill granting a paid pandemic leave for COVID-positive workers to allow them to recover and undergo mandatory isolation without worrying over the loss of income.

In Senate Bill No. 2148, De Lima said a 10-day COVID-19 leave per year shall apply to all infected qualified employees in both the public and private sectors. It defines a qualified employee as someone required to report to the office, physically or virtually, for work on a regular basis.

According to the senator, virus-hit workers should still be afforded their full daily pay to protect their welfare as well as ensure occupational health and safety.

Filipinos valiantly choose to work, to provide for their families and to save the economy, despite the danger this pandemic poses, De Lima said.

It is the very duty of the State to ensure their safety and promote their welfare by alleviating their piling problems through allowing them to have paid pandemic leaves particularly when they themselves have been infected by the virus, she added.

Should the measure be enacted into law, the pandemic leave would be in addition to the existing paid sick days and other benefits currently enjoyed by an employee. It should be availed immediately after the worker tests positive and in a continuous and uninterrupted manner," the bill stated.

The Social Security System and the Government Service Insurance System will be mandated, as applicable, to reimburse the employer for the paid days off.

An employer who refuses to grant the said leave, meanwhile, will be penalized with a fine of not less than 20,000 but not more than 200,000.

A similar measure was filed in October last year in the House of Representatives. The version in the lower chamber has wider coverage, as it seeks a 14-day paid leave for confirmed, probable, and suspect COVID-19 cases, as well as those tagged as a close contact or is an immediate family member of an infected patient.

House Bill 7909 also pushes for up to 60 days of leave at 80% of daily full pay for an employee who has been rendered involuntarily out of work or placed under floating status due to the impact of the pandemic on the company, but who technically remains employed.

The bill already hurdled the House Committee on Labor and Employment last year but is still pending approval by the Committee on Appropriations.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 2)  Former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario highlighted on Sunday the importance of asserting the Philippines' sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea in an open letter addressed to Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea.

"China has been taking away our land and waters. We would like to ask, Mr. Secretary, why our fellow Filipinos are being chastised for wanting to defend our country, rather than China?" Del Rosario said. "Why are we giving more importance to China over that of our people?"

Del Rosario stressed that President Rodrigo Duterte must be the leader in resolving challenges to the country's sovereignty.

"This is what presidents must be relied upon to do. To defend what is ours is also found in our Constitution," he said.

READ: Duterte: No way we can get back West PH Sea without any bloodshed

The former foreign affairs secretary said the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling, which recognized Manila's sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea, is a significant part of international law that is enforceable. He added that the ruling is also acknowledged by "responsible" nations like the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Japan, and Australia, among others.

Del Rosario suggested to the Philippine government to file a case before the United Nations General Assembly to compel China to abide by the landmark arbitral ruling, which stated the Asian giant's "nine-dash line" maritime claim is excessive and encroached into the Philippines' 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone.

"There are several precedents that have resulted in which a small country has won over a much larger country in the UN General Assembly," Del Rosario said.

The country's former top diplomat also questioned why he and former Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio were being singled out for their sharp stance against Beijing's land-building activities and harassment of Filipino fishermen in the disputed waters.

In his last public address on April 28, Duterte blasted Del Rosario and Carpio for meddling in the West Philippine Sea issue.

"Mr. Secretary, I assure you I am not brave nor am I a coward. Neither do I seek a position or a political favor," he said.

RELATED: Carpio sees no concern, future action from Duterte amid presence of suspected Chinese militia in West PH Sea

Del Rosario and Carpio led the filing of the case against China in the arbitral tribunal, which happened during the time of former President Benigno Aquino III. Del Rosario is the Aquino administration's foreign affairs chief.

Palace: Duterte never renounced Manila's claims and entitlements in West Philippine Sea

Hours before the release of Del Rosario's open letter, Malacanang issued a statement which emphasized that Duterte never renounced the country's claims and entitlements in the West Philippine Sea.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Duterte's "careful, calculated, and calibrated" policy on the West Philippine Sea is consistent with the principles of international law that requires a dispute resolution through peaceful and legal means.

"In fact, he and his administration have repeatedly and consistently asserted them in bilateral talks with China and in multilateral fora like the United Nations. He knows that, as a responsible member of the world community, the Philippines must pursue its claims by legal and diplomatic means," said Roque.

Roque also said the statements of Del Rosario and Carpio on the West Philippine Sea are not helping the country.

"History shows that countries who demand all or nothing policies often get nothing at all, or even end up provoking war. This is exactly what the President is avoiding," said Roque. "Because all or nothing policies are not only inconsistent with international law and international reality -- they are dangerous and they will not work."

Del Rosario earlier said standing up for the country's rights in the West Philippine Sea is not the same as an act of war against China. He added that China itself will not wage a war against the Philippines due to its possible repercussions.
(CNN) COVID-19 deaths are declining in the United States  and some health experts credit this drop in death to the rollout of vaccines.

The seven-day average of new COVID-19 deaths in the United States was 670 newly reported lives lost each day as of Thursday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

The United States has reached the lowest seven-day average of new deaths reported since last July, a CNN analysis of the data finds, and an 80% drop since January.

When it comes to COVID-19 vaccinations driving down deaths, "we've already seen an impact," Dr. Robert Murphy, executive director of the Institute for Global Health and professor of infectious disease at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, told CNN on Thursday.

Murphy pointed to a new study from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, published on Wednesday, that found the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna coronavirus vaccines were 94% effective in the real world against COVID-19 hospitalizations among fully vaccinated adults ages 65 and older in the United States.

The study also found that the vaccines were 64% effective against hospitalization for COVID-19 among older adults who were partially vaccinated, meaning they had only one dose of vaccine so far.

Murphy called that study "a confirmatory report" on the effectiveness of the vaccines, which were rolled out starting in December.

Since the beginning of 2021, the seven-day average of people who died of COVID-19 appears to have regularly decreased.

CNN's analysis of Johns Hopkins University data finds that the average of new COVID-19 deaths in the last seven days fell from 3,295 each day on January 28 to 1,985 on February 28, then to 997 on March 28. By April 28, the average was 684.

The highest seven-day averages of new COVID-19 deaths were recorded on January 13 and 14, at around 3,431 deaths a day.

The plunge from 3,431 deaths a day on average in January to 684 in April represents a drop of 80%. The last time the seven-day average of newly reported deaths fell below 700 was briefly in early October.

COVID-19 vaccinations are already having a significant impact on death rates among certain groups in the United States, such as older adults, Dr. Amesh Adalja, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, told CNN.

"If you look, for example at populations that have been highly vaccinated like nursing home residents, you will see that deaths in nursing homes have plummeted, and overall, the death rate has been falling over time. It's really a function of how many of the high-risk individuals have been vaccinated and that is becoming more evident," Adalja said.

But even though the seven-day average of new COVID-19 deaths nationwide has fallen, Adalja said that it will take more time  and more shots going into arms  before the general US population starts to see even more of an impact from vaccinations.

"So, for example, in the pre-vaccine era, you would see cases rise and then the deaths would increase a couple of weeks later. And the same vice versa, cases would fall but deaths would still be high and then deaths would start to fall two weeks later," Adalja said.

"With the vaccine, it's a little bit different because if you go to a nursing home and you've vaccinated the whole population, it's going to take a while for them to be fully vaccinated and have that protection," Adalja said. "Really to see the full impact of the vaccines, you want it to be two weeks after the final dose of whatever vaccine they're getting."

Someone is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after completing the second dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccines or two weeks after completing a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

'We're not halfway through yet'

Tracking the impact vaccinations have on COVID-19 death rates require the time for a population to first be fully vaccinated as well as the time for deaths to follow infections.

"The people that are dying are often people who have been in the hospital for a couple of weeks, so you can't just look at the vaccine numbers of that given day or even of that given week and be able to draw some extrapolation to deaths," Adalja said. "I think it takes some time to see the impact of the vaccines."

On Friday, the United States officially crossed the 100 million mark of people fully vaccinated. About 43.6% of the population -- nearly 145 million people -- have received at least one dose of vaccine, and 30.5% of the population -- more than 101 million people -- are fully vaccinated, CDC data shows.

"As more and more people get vaccinated, the hospitalization and death rate are going to continue to go down. We're not halfway through yet," said Murphy of Northwestern University.

"Ultimately, we're going to dig out of this thing and it's going to take vaccinations and early treatment," Murphy said about the pandemic. "How we're going to control the pandemic are diagnostics, treatments, vaccinations and mitigation."

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Coronavirus deaths are down in the US, and vaccines may be partly responsible."
Two Shot at Wisconsin Casino; Gunman Killed

By The Associated Press

GREEN BAY - A gunman killed two people at a Wisconsin casino restaurant and seriously wounded a third before he was killed by police late Saturday, in what authorities said appeared to be a targeted attack.Investigators believe the gunman was seeking a specific person he was angry at.He was targeting a specific victim who was not there, but he decided to still shoot some of the victims friends or co-workers, it appears, Brown County Sheriff's Lt. Kevin Pawlak said.Neither the gunman nor the shooting victims were immediately identified.Pawlak wasnt sure if the shooter was a former employee of the restaurant, but said it appears theres some relationship that had to do with employment.The attack happened around 7:30 p.m. at the Oneida Casino, operated by the Oneida Nation on the western side of Green Bay, with the casino tweeting that an active shooter was on the scene.Jawad Yatim, a witness, said he saw at least two people shot.I know for sure two, because it happened right next to us, literally right next to us, Yatim said. But he was shooting pretty aggressively in the building, so I wouldnt doubt him hitting other people.The casino is connected to a large hotel and conference center, the Radisson, also owned by the Oneida Nation.Gambler Max Westphal said he was standing outside after being evacuated for what he thought was a minor issue.All of a sudden we hear a massive flurry of gunshots  20 to 30 gunshots for sure, Westphal told WBAY-TV. We took off running towards the highway ... There had to have been 50 cop cars that came by on the highway. It was honestly insane.Gov. Tony Evers issued a statement late Saturday saying he was devastated to hear about the shooting.The Oneida tribes reservation lies on the west side of the Green Bay area.
(CNN) -- Thasunda Brown Duckett officially took the helm as the new CEO of TIAA on Saturday, becoming the fourth Black woman ever to head a Fortune 500 company.

Her new position is noteworthy for a number of reasons. Duckett and Walgreens' new CEO Rosalind Brewer, who left Starbucks in March, are the only two Black women currently heading major US corporations.

Duckett is the third African American to serve as CEO of TIAA. The 103-year-old money management firm provides retirement account and other financial services for educators and health care professionals as well as government and non-profit employees. (Its original name was Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America.)

A spokesperson for Duckett declined a request for comment.

TIAA was managing $1.1 trillion in assets for more than five million active employees as of year-end 2019, according to Fortune.

Duckett is TIAA's second consecutive Black chief executive, succeeding Roger W. Ferguson, who announced his retirement in November after 12 years at the helm. The company made history in 1987 when it made Clifton R. Wharton Jr. the first Black Fortune 500 CEO.

"It's an organization that appreciates the contributions of CEOs that happen to be Black," said Michael Hyter, president and CEO of the Executive Leadership Council, a non-profit working to increase the number of Black executives in Corporate America. "Their market is a diverse market relative to the people that they serve and have served since the company's origins."

Hyter said Duckett is a member of his organization and has been a positive leader throughout her career. "She's a real person with a passion for the community who happens to be a value creator in the financial space and an extraordinary developer of leaders to boot."

Who is Thasunda Brown Duckett?

Born in Rochester, New York, the 47-year-old married mother of three grew up in Arlington, Texas, before earning a Bachelor's degree in finance and marketing at the University of Houston in 1996 and an MBA from Baylor University in 2001.

Her financial services career began as an emerging markets vice president at Fannie Mae, where she spent eight years executing strategies to increase Black and Latino homeownership across the country.

"She is passionate about helping communities of color close achievement gaps in wealth creation, educational outcomes and career success," according to Duckett's company bio.

Duckett left Fannie Mae in 2004 to join JPMorgan Chase as senior vice president of emerging markets and affordable lending in 2004. Four years later, she was promoted to senior vice president and northeast regional manager of JPMorgan's home lending division. In 2012, the company made her the national retail sales executive of its mortgage banking team.

A year later, she became CEO of Chase's auto finance division, managing a team with a portfolio of more than $60 billion in assets. Under her leadership, JPMorgan's industry-leading auto finance division saw its JD Power Dealer Financing Satisfaction Survey score go from #27 to #1 nationally.

"Thasunda is an extraordinary leader who has completely transformed our Auto Finance business in less than three years," Chase Consumer and Community Banking CEO Gordon Smith said of Duckett in 2016.

Duckett became CEO of Chase's consumer banking division the same year, leading a network with more than $600 billion in deposits and 50,000 employees.

Last year, Fortune Magazine ranked Duckett number 30 on its list of Most Powerful Women. "She's an extraordinary executive who's added significant value to everything she's led," Hyter said.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "The Fortune 500 now has two Black women CEOs. That's actually an improvement"
(CNN) -- Olympia Dukakis, an Oscar-winning actress for her role in "Moonstruck," died Saturday in New York City. She was 89 years old.

"After many months of failing health she is finally at peace and with her Louis," her brother Apollo Dukakis posted on Facebook. Her agent, Allison Levy, also confirmed her death to CNN.

Dukakis died at her home with her daughter Christina Zorich "by her side," the family said in a statement.

"Her brother Apollo Dukakis, her sons Stefan and Peter Zorich, and four grandchildren thank you for your love, prayers, and kind remembrances during this difficult time," the family said.

Although she had a stage career that spanned decades, Dukakis is best known for her portrayal of Rose Castorini, the nosy-but-sensitive Italian mother in the 1987 film "Moonstruck," stealing many scenes from Cher, who played her daughter.

At the 1988 Academy Awards, Dukakis won best supporting actress while Cher took home the best actress award for their performances in the film.

Later roles included Clairee Belcher in the 1989 film "Steel Magnolias," in which she encourages a grieving M'Lynn Eatenton, portrayed by Sally Field, to slap Shirley MacLaine's character, saying, "Knock her lights out, M'Lynn!"

Throughout her rise to fame, the actress appeared in more than 130 off-Broadway productions, as well as Broadway plays including "The Aspern Papers," "Abraham Cochrane," and her one-woman play "Rose," according to IMDB.

Her television roles included the transgender landlady Anna Madrigal in the 1993 miniseries "Tales of the City." She reprised the role in the sequels "More Tales of the City" in 1998 and "Further Tales of the City" in 2001, according to IMDB.

A fourth version, "Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City," was streamed on Netflix in 2019. Dukakis again appeared in the miniseries, which was her last television role.

Dukakis passed away three years after the death of her husband, fellow actor Louis Zorich. The couple married in 1962 and cofounded The Whole Theatre Company in Montclair, New Jersey, running it from 1971 to 1990, according to IMDB.

A native of Massachusetts and the daughter of Greek immigrants, Dukakis was the first cousin of former state Gov. Michael Dukakis, who became the Democratic nominee for president in 1988, but ultimately lost to then-Vice President George H.W. Bush.

Dukakis introduced her cousin at the 1988 Democratic National Convention in Atlanta, and also served as a delegate-at-large.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Olympia Dukakis, Oscar-winning 'Moonstruck' actress, has died"
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 2)  The Department of Interior and Local Government has cautioned local government units and the public against the purchase of fake Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines which have made their way into the global market.

DILG Secretary Eduardo Ano issued the advisory on Saturday after the World Health Organization sounded the alarm on a counterfeit COVID-19 vaccine named BNT162b2, which claims to be manufactured by Pfizer-BioNTech.

Ano called on government officials to ensure that they only buy medical products from authorized suppliers.

While there is no information yet on the presence of the fake vaccines in the country, LGUs should exercise increased diligence as these fake vaccines may be dangerous to the health of those who get inoculated, Ano said.

Ano also directed the Philippine National Police to help investigate and confiscate the fake vaccines, should there be reports they have entered the local market.

Ano urged the public to immediately report any information on the presence or use of the said product in the country to the National Task Force Vaccine Cluster by contacting c19vaccineopcen@gmail.com or +639178237310.

Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority urged those who may have knowledge about the sale and distribution of fake Pfizer vaccines to immediately contact authorities.

But MMDA Chairman Benhur Abalos told CNN Philippines they have yet to receive reports of fake COVID-19 vaccines in Metro Manila.

"Doon po tayo magpabakuna sa sinasabi ng ating batas, which is of course sa ngayon po ay ang gobyerno. Kung maroll-out na ang partnership with the private sector, babantayan natin 'yan at ililista natin ang mga licensed na mga ka-partners natin," said Abalos.

[Translation: We should get our vaccines as prescribed under the law, which is of course the government for now. Once the vaccine rollout in partnership with the private sector starts, we will remain vigilant and list our licensed partners for the vaccination.]

In a global alert last month, the WHO said it is still conducting laboratory analysis of the contents of the falsified product, which was first discovered in Mexico. It contains the lot number 783201 and indicates an expiry date of August 24.

WHO requests increased vigilance within the supply chains of countries and regions likely to be affected by these falsified products. Increased vigilance should include hospitals, clinics, health centers, wholesalers, distributors, pharmacies, and any other suppliers of medical products, the agency had said.

To date, no Pfizer shipment has arrived in the Philippines due to delays caused by negotiation issues regarding indemnification. Earlier this week, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez, Jr. said around 2.3 million doses are expected in the country not later than June. In total, the government is eyeing to obtain up to 40 million doses from the American pharmaceutical firm.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 2)  Filipinos should not dwell on political leanings when making a stand on issues facing the country, including China's incursions in the West Philippine Sea, a lawmaker said Sunday.

Senator Panfilo M. Lacson said the "deep political divide" fueled by the "DDS (Diehard Duterte Supporters) and Yellows" should not hinder Filipinos from taking a united stand on issues of national importance.

"We are a deeply divided nation. DDS and Yellows bicker about anything," Lacson said in a post on his Twitter account.

"You say something the DDS consider unflattering, you get branded a Yellow, and vice-versa. The truth is, that is not the real situation. There are many Filipinos who have their own stand on the issue," he was quoted as saying in a statement.

The majority of Filipinos, he stressed, should "stop being intimidated" by noises mostly made by troll farms of both camps of political hardliners.

On the issue of incursions in the disputed waters, Lacson said Filipinos should think of what the country will lose if China's aggressive moves in the West Philippine Sea continue.

Late in April, the Foreign Affairs Department filed two diplomatic protests amid China's refusal to withdraw its vessels from the country's maritime zones.

"What is bad is that instead of having one voice, we bicker among ourselves. In the meantime, China just watches and even applauds," he added.

Lacson reiterated that the Philippines needs to secure stronger ties with the more militarily powerful countries like the US, Australia, even Japan, and some European Union nations as the country has no match to China's military power.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 2) -- The Commission on Population and Development is encouraging community pantry organizers to consider distributing contraceptives, such as condoms and pills.

POPCOM executive director Usec. Juan Antonio Perez III noted that family planning services and commodities are considered essential in a bid to prevent teenage and unplanned pregnancies during the pandemic.

He added that the distribution of contraceptives through community pantries could help in filling the void in the rollout of family planning activities, which was disrupted by the pandemic.

POPCOM is very much supportive of community pantries as a form of collective action in alleviating the need for sustenance of our less privileged. We believe that they will welcome the addition of condoms and pills among the goods they will source, with the help of their local healthcare personnel, said Perez in a statement.

With the rise of community pantries in different parts of the country, some organizers are also providing other items aside from food and other basic necessities. One organizer in Taguig City has recently set up a community pantry that also offers condoms, lubricants, and sanitary items.

The POPCOM said community pantry organizers can seek the help of barangay health workers and population volunteers.

As the most popular family planning method, pills need a prescription or enrollment in the family planning program. Our BHWs and BPVs can be invited to assist in dispensing such, said Perez, referring to barangay health workers and barangay population volunteers, respectively.

On the other hand, condoms may be freely given to those who are sexually active and want to avoid HIV infections and other sexually transmitted infections or STIs, as well as those who are mindful of preventing unplanned pregnancies, he added.

The POPCOM has reminded Filipino couples last year to practice responsible parenthood and family planning amid the pandemic. It said there is always an increase in unplanned pregnancies during natural calamities, when couples and families stay together for longer periods.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 2)  The Senate will study the government's plan to provide an 8,000 wage subsidy for workers in privately owned businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Senator Joel Villanueva said Sunday.

Villanueva, chairman of the Senate labor committee, expressed support for the proposal of the Inter-Agency Task Force on the National Employment Recovery Strategy (NERS) as he noted that micro, small and medium enterprises comprise 88.5 percent of all registered business enterprises in the country.

"When we aid a struggling MSME, our subsidy cascades down to the workers who will be able to keep their paycheck because we have helped avert a shutdown," he said.

"We'll look into this proposal, which is a part of our National Employment Recovery Strategy, so that we in the Senate could also do our part and study potential funding sources for this important program to help MSMEs retain jobs," Villanueva added.

National Economic and Development Authority Secretary Karl Chua said the government needs a revenue source to fund the wage subsidy, which needs an estimated P24-billion allocation.

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez, who chairs the NERS, said the proposed wage subsidy aims to "preserve and protect existing employment."

"The proposed program shall provide wage subsidy equivalent to 8,000 per month for a maximum of three months to affected workers through the establishments' payroll system," he said.

Lopez said MSMEs with flexible work arrangements, availed of loans through the Small Business Corp., or had to close temporarily, will be prioritized for the initiative.

Alan Tanjusay, spokesperson of the Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines said the wage subsidy, if approved, would be a big help to workers struggling amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Yung 8,000 na 'yan ay malaking tulong sa mga manggagawa kung maibibigay ng tamang panahon, kung maibibigay na maraming makikinabang. So welcome development at good news ito," he said.

[Translation: The 8,000 wage subsidy would be a big help for workers if it will be given at the right time, if it will be given so that many will benefit. This is a welcome development and good news.]
(CNN) -- The Washington Post and The New York Times on Saturday issued significant corrections, retracting earlier reporting that said Rudy Giuliani had been directly warned by the FBI that he was the target of a Russian disinformation campaign.

"An earlier version of this story, published Thursday, incorrectly reported that One America News was warned by the FBI that it was the target of a Russian influence operation," read a correction in The Post, which first reported the news. "That version also said the FBI had provided a similar warning to Rudolph W. Giuliani, which he has since disputed."

"This version has been corrected to remove assertions that OAN and Giuliani received the warnings," the correction added.

The Times, which said it has confirmed The Post's reporting, also corrected its story.

"An earlier version of this article misstated whether Rudolph W. Giuliani received a formal warning from the F.B.I. about Russian disinformation," The Times said in its correction posted at the bottom of the story online. "Mr. Giuliani did not receive such a so-called defensive briefing."

The stories came out after Giuliani's office and residence were raided by the FBI on Thursday.

The searches, which Giuliani and his attorney criticized as unnecessary due to what they claim is his ongoing cooperation with investigators, were linked to a criminal probe of the former mayor's business dealings in Ukraine and resulted in the seizure of several communications devices.

The corrections are black eyes to both newsrooms which have aggressively reported on Giuliani's contacts with Ukrainians in his attempts to dig up dirt on then-presidential candidate Joe Biden.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Washington Post, New York Times retract reports on Giuliani"
After tracing the source of Dettloffs seizures, Dr. Aviva Abosch, a neurosurgeon at Nebraska Medicine, used a laser to heat and destroy the structure, a process known as laser ablation.

Dettloff now has been free of seizures since the ablation procedure more than a year ago, said Vannicea (pronounced Vanessa) Bigelow, his significant other. He has been able to stop taking one of three medications (eliminating its side effects) and is working to reduce and eliminate another. With no seizures, Dettloff began driving again last summer, allowing him to run his own errands and regain independence.

We are so glad we decided to go through (with) the surgery, Bigelow said. They give you all the things that could happen with the surgery  but we knew this would be our only option; otherwise, the seizures would just continue. Its been the biggest, best, greatest thing ever for him.

Bigelow said she and Dettloff want others  particularly children, who could benefit from finding answers sooner  to know that these new technologies are available and that they can get them without leaving the state.
HARRISBURG  The Republican and Democratic floor leaders of the Pennsylvania House and Senate said Friday they could not agree who should be the tie-breaking fifth member of the panel that will redraw the states legislative district lines.

The announcement means the chairperson of the Legislative Reapportionment Commission will be selected by the state Supreme Court, which currently has a 5-2 Democratic majority.

The four floor leaders told Chief Justice Max Baer in a letter that they were unable to find consensus after interviewing dozens of applicants. They wrote Baer on the 45th and final day they had to choose their own chairperson. The justices now have a month to pick one for them.

The joint letter from Republican leaders Sen. Kim Ward of Westmoreland County and Rep. Kerry Benninghoff of Centre County, and Democratic leaders Sen. Jay Costa and Rep. Joanna McClintons suggests what criteria the court should use.

They asked the justices to pick someone who will be a fair and neutral arbiter who has some distance from the political process and who has no interest in running for a seat in the Legislature. They said the chair should be several years removed from engaging in the political process and should not have been involved in lobbying recently at any level of government.

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Officers are demoralized, he said, by some departments decisions to eliminate specialized units, such as SWAT and K-9 teams, and from local officials freezing and cutting police budgets and debating whether to strip officers of qualified immunity, which shields them from being sued in most cases.

Haverford Township Police Chief John Viola, who also serves as president of the Delaware County Police Chiefs Association, said larger departments that regularly fill recruit classes are trying to pump up falling numbers by making the application process more accessible.

Some departments are footing the bill for the police academy, an expense previously shouldered by prospective recruits. Others are waiving application fees as well, essentially eliminating the cost of entry to the department.

Its something that all departments have recognized as something thats getting harder and harder, Viola said. People dont want to be police anymore. Its a good job, and good-paying job, but when you look at national news every day, people just dont want to be officers.

His own department, in previous years, would get applicant pools of 200 or 300. So far during the current open call for applicants, which ends April 30, only 72 people have applied, he said.
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"With this engine location swap ,the general aesthetic and performance would still be preserved and the vertical wings would now hold satellite, communication, and navigation equipment instead," he says.

Data firm Cirium has indicated that the number of planes dismantled for parts or scrap could double to 1,000 annually through 2023, so there will certainly be a lot of jet engines available if re-using them in this way becomes a trend.

'Out of the box concept'

But Pavasovic considers the Cobra concept as a one-off project rather than an indication of the future of superyacht design.

It's one of two new concepts he's just released (the second being the 40-meter EX40,) to celebrate the first anniversary of his London-based firm Pavasovic Studio.

If the Cobra concept were to be picked up, Pavasovic believes it would take approximately four years to design, engineer and build.

The price tag would "likely be hundreds of millions of dollars" depending on where it was built and the final specifications.
After Northams announcement, Richey reopened bar seating at all of his restaurants, but they are still at about 50% or less capacity due to the six-foot spacing between parties required under the governors order. Richey said that, on average, his restaurants can fit about two or three parties of up to four people at the bar under these guidelines.

Restaurants and other venues can use bar seating only if there is six feet between patrons, according to the order. The previous version of the order said bar seats and other congregating areas of restaurants had to be closed.

Dining and drinking establishments must keep up other precautions, such as regular cleaning and distancing tables.

Richey said that opening bar seating has helped business already because his restaurants are able to serve more people.

You go in there any day of the week right now and there are people at the bar. Theres something special about sitting at a bar, talking to a bartender, being served in that way. And those who love it, really love it. So its great, he said. Since the day it was announced, weve had people at the bar full time. You could tell that theyre just happy to be back, enjoying their afternoon or evening in that way.
The UVa union is asking administrators to pay graduate student workers enough money to live on, which they define as $15 an hour for wage work, something the university granted to other employees in 2019. Luo said wages for many graduate students are about $9.10 an hour.

The union also is seeking $31,300 for a minimum salary; employee medical, dental and vision insurance; and for UVa to provide clear terms of employment in writing.

Luo said graduate students are treated in ways the university would never treat regular employees.

The university would never hire an administrative assistant on the regular job market, promise them one wage and then pay them a different wage when they got here, but thats what they do with some grad students, she said. They would never say [to a regular employee] you technically only work 20 hours a week but we are going to give you work thats actually only doable in 30 hours, and you cant ask for overtime. But thats what they do to graduate students.

Luo said the unions requests are reasonable.
But what made politicos truly take notice was Williamson County. Home to Austins fast-growing and historically Republican northern suburbs, Williamson also went for Biden.

Biden took other booming states that have been destinations for blue-state Americans  Colorado, Nevada and Washington. Another, Arizona, just flipped its presidential preference from Republican to Democrat.

And so, while Republicans in the rapidly growing states tout the magnetic pull of their lower taxes and laxer regulations, they cant help but notice that the newcomers are not entirely with their program. Some recent arrivals may even consider themselves conservative but regard the Trump takeover of the Republican Party with distaste.

Mark Pulliam fancies himself a Paul Revere of the right, warning conservative regions against these colonizing leftists. Writing in the conservative City Journal, Pulliam casts scorn on Austins fashionable but impractical urbanist transportation initiatives  he has a problem with bike lanes  and business-unfriendly ordinances. (Right. Austins business-unfriendly ordinances must be why half the businesses in America, it seems, want to move there.)
It took courage for President Biden to announce that all American forces will be out of Afghanistan by Sept. 11. He was criticized by both Republicans and Democrats and by the media, but the public seems to approve.

His assertion that 20 years of occupation and nation-building are enough was applauded by NATO allies, whose troops will also be out.

Looking at Afghanistan from a historical and strategic perspective, a realist must conclude that the United States has no vital national interest in Central Asia. That includes not just Afghanistan, but also Pakistan, the Talibans principal supporter.

Russia, Iran, and India have a major stake in preventing Afghanistans disintegration as a state.

America had no stake in Central Asia until al-Qaida terrorists used bases in Afghanistan to attack the U.S. on Sept. 11, 2001. That made Afghanistan a temporary vital interest until U.S. forces drove al-Qaida out of the country and ousted the Taliban government that had protected it.

Four months later, President George W. Bush decided that America would not withdraw but instead would work to rebuild Afghanistan into a functioning democracy. The U.S. stake suddenly became a long-term vital interest. That was a major mistake, in my view.
A panel of independent doctors and scientists known as the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices extensively reviewed data after the pause. Upon further review of the total of 7 million doses of J&J vaccine administered, nine additional instances of this type of blood clot were identified, all in women.

Q: What did the CDC and FDA do on April 23?

Petri: The CDC and the FDA announced that it was safe to restart the use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine because the benefits of protection against COVID-19 far outweigh the risks. They did so after meeting twice with the independent vaccine experts of the ACIP, which also recommended restarting.

Q: Why did the CDC and FDA restart the use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine?

Petri: First, the side effect is rare. According to the agencies, it has occurred at most in one in 100,000 young women receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. No men or women over 50 are thought to have had this side effect.

Second, the J&J vaccine is highly effective at preventing COVID-19, which is a common and severe infection that has killed 1 in 500 Americans.
The law attempted to ensure that no one in future who needed hospitalization would be turned away.

The Mercury reports that since 2017, theres been an overall statewide decline in temporary detention orders, which mandate mental health evaluations and emergency hospitalization. But state hospitals share of care has increased  likely because there are fewer private facilities to take these emergency patients.

Fast-forward to 2020. You can imagine how COVID walloped Virginians with more stressors  lost jobs, lost incomes, disrupted schools, lack of child care, shutdowns of social service programs, and imposition of social distancing and isolation protocols that deprived some people of needed human contact while compelling others to consolidate households and live more closely with others than might have been good for them.

DBHDS Commissioner Alison Land recently told lawmakers that state are hospitals are operating at roughly 65% to 70% of staffing.

But are they running at 65% to 70% occupancy? Of course not. Even as staffing declines, beds are filling up. Most facilities are at or beyond capacity, she said.
Kerrville, TX (78028)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms during the morning. Partly cloudy skies this afternoon. High 89F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low 72F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.
The entry of a politician into Spanish national territory is not a problem itself. But when this entry violates norms, disrupts diplomatic relations, and undermines the rule of national regulations and international law. The matter raises many questions about goodwill, the good neighborliness, and about the sincerity of the contents of pledges.

That may elucidate evidently why the Kingdom of Morocco deplores the attitude of Spain, which hosts on its territory Brahim Ghali, leader of the polisario separatist militias, sued for serious war crimes and grave human rights abuses. Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Abroad has translated on Sunday 25th April. Moroccan disappointment with regard to this act contrary to the spirit of partnership and good neighbourliness, and which concerns a fundamental issue for the Moroccan people and its lifeblood.

For the ministry, Spains attitude arouses great incomprehension and legitimate questions: Why was the man named Brahim Ghali admitted to Spain secretly and with a forged passport? Why did Spain find it useful not to notify Morocco? Why did it choose to admit him under a false identity? And why the Spanish justice has not yet reacted to the many complaints lodged by the victims?
 Provide that the experience rating used to determine an employers 2020 tax rate will also be used in 2022, 2023, and 2024.

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 Allow employers to defer payment until June 30, 2022, of up to one-third of the tax owed in 2021 if their tax rate increased by at least 0.5 percentage points between 2020 and 2021. The tax deferrals would not accrue interest or penalties.

 Forgive a percentage of deferred 2021 taxes depending on amount the employers tax rate increased in 2021 and if the employer is in good standing.

Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Corvallis Gazette-Times.

Multiple bills were introduced, and many many more conversations were being had among legislators, Boshart Davis said. This bill was born of multiple legislators from both parties deciding this was a concept that needed to be had as it was of upmost importance."

Oregons unemployment fund remains in strong shape overall, although its balance fell from $5.1 billion to $3.8 billion in the first 10 months of the pandemic. Employers with the highest layoffs tend to pay the greater amount into the trust fund, but HB 3389 backers found that only 20% of Oregons employers, including the restaurants, bars, gyms and other businesses hit hardest by the pandemic, were set to cover nearly all of the projected $183 million increases during 2021.
 RASPBERRIES to what is shaping up to be another bad fire season. Much of our state was hammered last year by wildfires that exploded into conflagrations after strong easterly winds fanned the flames over Labor Day weekend. More than 1 million acres of timberland burned, at least 11 people died, another 40,000 were forced out of their homes, and a number of communities were devastated, including Detroit, Idanha, Gates and Mehama in the mid-valley. Now it looks as though something similar could happen this year. Oregon State University researchers, in a recent report, say that some of the same conditions that made last years fires so destructive  an ongoing drought, low soil and vegetation moisture, and a warming climate, among others  are still present. Throw in a powerful wind event like last years, and we could be looking at another deadly mix. Its a sobering reminder that we all need to be prepared for wildfires and other disasters that can strike with little or no warning. Disaster preparedness experts advise keeping a go bag ready at all times for each member of your family. In addition to enough food and water to last several days, you may want to add a sleeping bag, toiletries, prescription medications, a flashlight and extra batteries, a cell phone charger and a first aid kit, among other necessities. Because you never know when youre going to need it.
A 43-year-old Linn County woman was Oregons 2,497th COVID-19-related death, it was announced by the Oregon Health Authority on Saturday. In total, three more Oregonians succumbed to the disease, bringing the states total cumulative death toll to 2,498.

The other two fatalities were a 70-year-old Jackson County man and an 81-year-old Malheur County woman. They had underlying medical conditions, and authorities say they are still working to confirm whether the Linn County woman did, too.

Oregons total cumulative caseload now sits at 185,597. Linn County added 38 new confirmed or presumptive cases of COVID-19, according to OHAs Saturday report. The county now has a cumulative total of 4,557, with 66 confirmed deaths.

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Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Albany Democrat-Herald.

Neighboring Benton County added 10 new positive cases of COVID-19, with no new deaths. Benton Countys cumulative caseload is 2,917 and the death toll is 19.

Oregon administered 40,318 new vaccinations since the previous days report, bringing the total number of vaccines administered in Oregon to more than 3 million. The number of Oregonians considered fully vaccinated is 1,275,121.
I was disappointed with the Greater Albany Public Schools decision to keep Albany Police off our school campuses.

They have asked officers to leave after they were handing out stickers and virtual high-fives to our students returning to in-person instruction. This yearly welcome ritual is one of the small things that reminded me how incredible Albany schools are and what a great place it is to raise a family. I know community members who work in law enforcement. These decisions are deeply saddening to them.

I am also frustrated but not surprised. It was careless and disrespectful. I strongly believe the Albany Police Department has worked carefully to create a community-focused police force. I believe we can build bridges between our exceptional students and the many wonderful individuals who put on the uniform every day. Our schools should be a safe place for our children.

As I recall the failed plot to blow up West Albany High School, I am thankful for the strong relationship GAPS had with law enforcement at the time to thwart that threat. We must keep our commitment to a strong relationship between GAPS and Albany Police. I want our students, parents, teachers and administrators to be safe.

Brad Wilson
Denton, TX (76205)

Today

Variable clouds with showers and scattered thunderstorms. Storms more numerous during the morning hours. Locally heavy rainfall possible early. High 83F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Showers this evening then scattered thunderstorms developing overnight. Low 71F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
Landmarks_and_legacies

featured

A look at Denton's last public hanging in 1895

Courtesy photo/Denton Public Library, UNT Libraries A large crowd gathers around the gallows just to the left of the old Denton County Jail on Oct. 14, 1895, to witness the last hanging in Denton County. John Quincy Adams Crews was hanged after being convicted for the murders of Gainesville farmer Thomas Murrell and his son Morgan Murrell in 1894. Courtesy photo Denton Countys 1891 jail building is shown in an undated photo.

Thomas Murrell was a prosperous farmer near Callisburg, 11 miles northeast of Gainesville. He rose before sunrise, as usual on April 12, 1894, to feed his stock. Murrell didnt know John Quincy Adams Crews was waiting in the hay loft of his barn. A field hand saw Murrell with his hands up, saying, Dont shoot me, Mr. Crews, but the fatal shot came anyway. Murrells wife, Anna, ran to him. Crews shot killed her instantly; she collapsed over her dying husband. Crews took a watch and money from Murrells pockets, saddled the familys best horse and rode off.

Murrell lived long enough to say Crews, a recently fired field hand, threatened to kill his sons at two other farms, so a field hand rode six miles to warn Morgan Murrell, who was plowing. When the rider reached the farm, he saw Crews stand up at the end of a corn row, a puff of smoke, and Morgan fell dead. Crews chased Morgans brother, Leonard, into a farmhouse. Following an unsuccessful search for Leonard, Crews mounted the stolen horse, crossed the Red River and turned west.

Farm hands delivered news of the Murrell murders to shocked Callisburg residents. After riding to his brothers farm, the Hon. Jesse Murrell returned to report the deaths of Thomas, Anna and Morgan. Sheriff Pat Ware vowed to catch Crews. According to one newspaper account, Wares posse grew from 40 to 500 men.

Jack Crews was described as a small, sandy-haired man, about 40 years old, with a close-cropped beard. Callisburg miller Link Stapleton reported Crews was in town a day earlier borrowing a hunting rifle. He considered Crews a splendid shot.

News about the murders raced through Denton and Cooke counties. Telegrams and newspapers reported the story throughout Texas, as well as one paper in Atlanta and two in New Orleans.

The next day Crews came upon a man only identified as Miller in Indian Territory. Each fired four shots, leaving Miller slumped over dead in his wagon.

Seriously injured, Crews walked three miles to a train station near present-day Thackerville, Oklahoma. A Methodist minister and other citizens overpowered him when he attempted to buy a train ticket to Gainesville. Crews stated he killed a son of a bitch. He was going to Gainesville to kill two more men before killing himself.

Sheriff Ware arrested Crews and took him to Gainesville, where newspapers reported 50 men protected him from an estimated 200 rifle-bearing farmers. After being transferred to jail in Fort Worth, Crews was examined on April 21, and indicted by a Cooke County grand jury.

Defense argued Thomas and Morgan Murrell insulted Crews wife, and he killed them defending her honor. They also offered an insanity plea. Crews never denied killing the Murrells, stating he killed Anna accidentally. Crews reported being acquitted on technicalities for killing two men in California several years earlier. A jury convicted Crews and sentenced him to 99 years each for the murders of Thomas and Morgan Murrell, but a disqualified juror prompted a change of venue and a new trial in Denton. Crews was again convicted and sentenced to hang on Oct. 18, 1895. The execution date was changed to Oct. 14 after Crews argued with the judge, saying he didnt want to hang on a Friday.

After conviction, Crews requested baptism and religious counseling. He told a reporter: I have just received the news that there is no more hope for me this side of Heaven, and if that is so and I have to go, it will save me many a trouble and hardship. Still, we all want to put that off to the last. I dont think I will be knocked out of more than 60 years of my natural life. As far as I am concerned, I think I can make preparations to meet my God, but will say that all I can leave my poor, true, beloved wife, is the history of my life, which has been full of misfortune from the cradle to the grave.

At 9:30 a.m. on execution day, Monday, Oct. 14, Texas Gov. Charles Culbertson cabled Sheriff Sam Hawkins refusing to intervene. Hawkins opposed the death penalty; he hoped the sentence could be changed to life imprisonment, but hanging was preferred in 1894 Texas. Crews remarked, If there is to be a hanging, I can furnish the neck.

Sheriff Hawkins made dignified final preparations for the hanging. Because there was no room for hanging inside the jail, Hawkins had the gallows erected on the jails north end, the most private area he could find. The jail sat on Dentons outskirts. A coffin was placed under the gallows at 11 a.m. A private religious service was held for Crews, his wife and nephew inside the jail. After Crews carefully dressed in a new black suit, bow tie and dark gloves, the three ate lunch prepared by Hawkins wife.

At 1:25 p.m., Sheriff Hawkins read the death warrant to an attentive Crews. His wife held his hand as he approached the gallows. The crowd sang the hymn All Hail the Power of Jesus Name, and Crews spoke for 12 of his allotted 20 minutes. His soft voice could only be heard by those nearest him. When Crews spotted Thomas Murrells brother in the crowd, his last words were Howdy, Mr. Murrell. The gallows trap door opened at 2 p.m. Crews was pronounced dead at 2:15 p.m. Murrells two surviving sons requested and were given the straps binding his hands and feet.

Dentons last hanging was witnessed by residents dressed in their Sunday best, recorded in an iconic photograph at the Denton County Jail on Locust Street. Parents brought their children because they considered hangings educational and morally uplifting. Newspapers estimated 10,000 people attended, but the correct number was probably closer to a few hundred. County records estimate Dentons population in 1895 at 3,500.

Denton Countys jail was a state-of-the-art structure built in 1891 built with the same materials as the 1896 Denton County Courthouse. It proclaimed Dentons dedication to law and order, when parts of Texas were still the Wild West. The county sold the jail in 1965; it was razed to build a parking lot on Locust Street between present-day Sleeping Lizzards and M1 Support Services.
May 2

Victoria Baptist Church will celebrate Homecoming Sunday on May 2 beginning at 10:30 a.m. Please join us for worship and celebration through special music and remembering Victorias heritage during the worship hour. Rev. Larry Doster, former pastor, will deliver the morning message. Everyone is invited to share Homecoming 2021. Due to COVID, lunch will not be served.

May 4

Johns Chapel AME Church in Enterprise will hold a groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday, May 4 at 11 a.m. in anticipation of establishing a park for the surrounding community to enjoy. The public is invited to attend the ceremony located on the vacant lot at the corner of Wilkerson Street and Highway 27 South/Geneva Highway. Parking is available at the church at 605 Geneva Highway, just a few yards from the site. For more information, contact Pastor Willie White Jr. at 334-701-5853 or Marge Simmons, director of Public Relations, at 334-477-1962.
This footage, in addition to other disturbing documentaries available to us all, plus unknown quantities of film yet to be released from top-secret status, is especially alarming to baby boomers whose parents and other relatives fought that war.

Boomers certainly werent far removed from WWII that in some way touched every American family; Daddys brother, Ed Adams, died at Anzio in 1944, and Gramma never completely recovered.

This month, a couple of American Pearl Harbor casualties had their remains returned to descendants, and earlier this year, several Tuskegee Airmen died, hopefully, after living full lives the last 75 years.

What if wed lost WWII?

And we had every reason to lose, as Germans, Japanese and other Axis Powers began preparing for war against the U.S. in the immediate aftermath of World War I, the War to End All Wars.

For example, on May 2, 1933, Hitler banned all German trade unions, just another phase of his plans to become the worlds puppet master.

Wouldnt take much effort to find something significant in Hitlers scheme on practically every day for some 20 years before and during the war.

But his schemes didnt work.
Government troops and rebels clashed on Thursday in a region of western Chad where the late president Idriss Deby was killed earlier this month, military officials said, as prosecutors interviewed several hundred protesters arrested in recent days.

The fighting in the desert region of Kanem, near Chads border with Niger, pits Libya-based rebels against forces loyal to a new military junta led by Debys son.

Fiercely criticized for authoritarianism and inequality, Deby was seen as a trusty ally by many Western countries including the former colonial power France, especially in the fight against jihadism in the wider Sahel region on the southern fringes of the Sahara desert.

Fighting is continuing in Kanem  we are going to have continue to fight, otherwise they will destabilise us, junta spokesman General Azem Bermandoa Agouna said.

The so-called Military Transition Council (CMT) is headed by 37-year-old Mahamat Idriss Deby.

The military said late Thursday that an MI24 helicopter had crashed due to a technical fault but did not specify if there were casualties. The rebels however said they had destroyed it.

For now, the fighting against the Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT), drawn mainly from the Goran ethnic group, is going on about 300 kilometres (180 miles) north of the capital NDjamena.

The rebels have threatened to march on NDjamena, where a team from the African Union arrived Thursday to assess the situation and examine ways of a speedy return to democratic rule.

Security sources, without giving further details, said the Chadian army bombarded FACT positions.

Deby, 68, died on April 19 from wounds he suffered fighting the Libya-based rebels, according to the authorities.

The insurgents had launched an offensive in the northern Tibesti region on April 11 as presidential elections were unfolding.

A career soldier who seized power in 1990 and exercised it ruthlessly for 30 years, Deby died on the day that the electoral commission confirmed he had won a landslide victory, the authorities say.

The Chadian army claimed on April 19 to have killed 300 rebels and captured 246 others, who were being taken to the capital NDjamena to stand trial.

The armed forces have recently sent reinforcements to Kanem, security forces said.

On Sunday, the Military Transition Council announced there would be no mediation or negotiation with FACT and called on Niger to help it capture the groups chief.

The CMT took over on April 20, immediately after Debys death was announced, as parliament and government were dissolved.

It has promised an 18-month transition period before free and transparent elections.

France, the former colonial power, initially backed the military transition authorities before calling for the formation of a civilian unity government in the face of protests against the apparent dynastic transfer of power.

At least six people died on Tuesday in banned protests against the military council, according to the authorities, while a local NGO reported nine fatalities.
As I left my doctors visit, the brief newspaper discussion once again reminded me the Eagle is changing with the times  its no longer the newspaper where I honed my journalism skills in the 1980s and 90s. Yes, our daily print editions are important, especially to thousands who still treasure the morning home delivery and advertisers who want to reach those consumers, but the centerpiece of our current business model is digital.

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In the Eagles newsroom, the staff has embraced a digital-first approach while keeping its commitment of reporting information that impacts your lives. This approach includes posting stories, photos, videos and breaking news online at dothaneagle.com and our social media platforms first, and providing exclusive digital content, including a variety of newsletters on different topics.

In addition to our ongoing COVID-19 coverage for more than a year, during the last few weeks, many stories of high interest  a Dothan police-involved fatal shooting, coverage of severe weather, a community push to transform Dothans downtown, the possibility of legalized gambling coming to Alabama and, specifically to Houston County, and the deaths of a woman and two children at Lake Eufaula, just to name a few  have all been reported first online. This delivery is a lot different from yesteryear when newspapering was one-and-done in print on a daily basis.
A bag of ST25 rice sold at a store in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran.

An Australian firm has sought a patent for Vietnamese rice varieties ST25 and ST24.

According to intellectual property authority IP Australia, T&L Global Foods Supply PTY LTD on April 22 sought to register Rice; Best Rice of the World trademarks for the two varieties.

It is the sixth company internationally  the other five are in the U.S.  to seek to appropriate ST25.

Both were developed in Vietnam by farmer-scientist Ho Quang Cua, with ST25 going on to win the first prize in the 2019 Worlds Best Rice Contest held in the Philippines and ST24 the second prize in the 2017 contest in Macau.

Ngan Tran, director of Maygust Trademark Attorneys in the Australian capital Canberra, said it takes three to four months to carry out checks for a patent registration.

If an application meets all the requirements, the IP agency would issue a notice accepting the trademark and disclose the information enabling anyone with an objection to file within two months, she explained.

If there is no objection, the patent would be granted, she said.

Of the five applications for ST25 submitted to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), only the one by I&T Enterprise Inc. has crossed the first stage.

The Vietnam Trade Office in the U.S. is helping a Vietnamese company fight I&T.

The USPTO is set to publish the application by I&T on May 4, and Cua and his sons company needs to file an objection by June 4.

Several ministries are assisting Cuas company, which has also hired a law firm.
Police block a bar in Vinh Phuc Province where six staff were found infected with the coronavirus after contact with a group of Chinese experts, May 2 2021. Photo by VnExpress/V.Thu.

The Health Ministry confirmed six domestic Covid-19 cases in Vinh Phuc on Sunday evening and two in Ha Nam, taking the country's total in the past four days to 24.

"Patient 2950" and "Patient 2951" are F1 cases of Covid-19 patients linked to a Ha Nam man who returned from Japan and tested positive after completing his two-week centralized quarantine in Da Nang City.

With the two new infections, northern Ha Nam Province, around 60 kilometers from Hanoi, has recorded 18 patients since Thursday.

Six other cases, numbered from 2957 to 2962, are female staff of Sunny Dong Son bar in Phuc Yen Town of northern Vinh Phuc Province. They came in close contact with five Chinese experts of Trung Bac A Minerals JSC, four of whom were confirmed positive for the coronavirus after returning to China.

Vinh Phuc has identified 92 F1 cases, 178 F2 cases and 57 F3 cases of the six patients. 104 people in Vinh Phuc have been isolated, of which 10 are isolated in the Hanoi-based National Hospital of Tropical Diseases and the remaining in medical facilities of the province.

The eight new patients are being treated at the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases.

After entering Vietnam, the Chinese experts were sent to Nhu Nguyet 2 hotel in Yen Bai Town for 14-day centralized quarantine from April 9 to 23. They had their samples taken for coronavirus testing thrice, with all results negative.

After completing their centralized quarantine period, the group was handed to Trung Bac A Company and continued to have their health monitored for 14 days at Bao Yen Hotel in Nghia Lo Town, Yen Bai Province under supervision of local medical staff.

Vu Hien Hanh, vice chairwoman of Yen Bai, said the experts had voluntarily left their hotel and visited many localities like Lao Cai, Vinh Phuc, Lai Chau and Yen Bai provinces, all in northern Vietnam, from April 23 to 25.

On April 28, they returned to China through Huu Nghi border gate in Lang Son Province.

The resurgence of community transmissions came as Vietnamese are undertaking the four-day holiday that began on Friday, seeing top tourist destinations in Vietnam overrun by holiday crowds.

Vietnams Covid-19 tally of 2,962 cases to date includes 2,549 recoveries and 35 deaths.
In the late 19th century, labor unions sought to create a day off work for the working citizens and eventually the concept grew into a federal holiday. Now, Labor Day pays tribute to the American worker, the creator of the highest standard of living and greatest production that the world has known.

For over a century the first Monday in September has been set aside as a national holiday for the yearly celebration, unlike most of the rest of the world which celebrates 1 May. The holiday is celebrated with parades, picnics and barbecues. Most Americans consider Labor Day the official end to summer and try to take advantage of the last three-day long weekend.

A workingmens holiday

At the end of the 1800s the average American worked 12-hour days and seven-day weeks for a pittance. The working conditions were often extremely unsafe with little or no consideration for those that toiled. To force employers to the table to renegotiate pay and hours labor unions formed, organizing strikes and rallies.

There is some doubt as to who first proposed the holiday for workers. According to the Department of Labor the two contenders are Peter J. McGuire, a co-founder of the American Federation of Labor and Matthew Maguire secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. Recent research seems to support that the latter was the one who proposed the holiday in 1882.

The Central Labor Union adopted a Labor Day proposal and appointed a committee to plan a demonstration and picnic. The first Labor Day parade was held on 5 September, 1882 when 10,000 workers took unpaid time off to march from City Hall to Union Square in New York City. The concept took off and by 1894, 23 more states had adopted the holiday.

To make amends for a deadly clash Labor Day is born

The decisive moment for the holiday came in 1894, when employees of the Pullman Palace Car Company in Chicago went on strike 11 May. They were joined by the American Railroad Union on 26 June, which called for a boycott of all Pullman railway cars which brought rail traffic to a halt nationwide. Federal troops were called in to break the strike leading to riots and the deaths of more than a dozen workers.

To make amends with American workers on 28 June, 1894 Congress passed an act making Labor Day a federal holiday. President Grover Cleveland signed it into law cementing the first Monday in September of each year as a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories.
KYODO NEWS - May 2, 2021 - 16:48 | All, World, Japan

A few thousand Myanmar residents in Japan took to the streets Sunday to call on their host country to recognize the National Unity Government, an organization set up in opposition to the Feb. 1 military coup, as Myanmar's legitimate governing body.

While chanting for Japan to recognize the NUG and cut ties with the junta as they marched in central Tokyo, similar events took place in South Korea and Taiwan and were scheduled in the United States, Britain and other European countries in what participants called "Global Myanmar Spring Revolution Day."

Clad in black clothes and wearing black face masks, the participants painted three fingers of both hands in red to symbolize the blood of about 750 peaceful demonstrators and other citizens killed, according to an activist monitoring group, by security forces in Myanmar.

"Free, free our leaders," they chanted, in reference to detained leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other senior members of her party, the National League for Democracy. "Recognize, recognize the NUG."

Launched April 16 by NLD parliamentarians, anti-coup protest leaders and representatives of ethnic minority groups, the NUG is demanding that the junta immediately cease its violent crackdowns on protestors, release Suu Kyi and other detainees, and restore the democratically elected government.

"We, the young people of Myanmar, took the lead in holding anti-junta demonstrations around the world today," said a 28-year-old woman, one of the organizers in the Tokyo event who only wants to be identified as Swe.

"We would like the Japanese government to take specific action such as suspending all ODA (official development assistance) projects that benefit the Myanmar military," Swe told reporters.

Lae Lae Lwin, 30, a Myanmar nurse working in Japan, said separately that it would not make sense for Japan not to endorse the NUG as the rightful government because Tokyo has condemned the coup and is urging the junta to release Suu Kyi and other detainees and restore Myanmar's democratic political process.

"We would not want Japan to dismiss the will of the Myanmar people," she said. "We want Japan to side with us, not the military."

Related coverage:

Myanmar anti-coup protests, crackdown go on as May 1 marks 3 months

FOCUS: Myanmar's economic woes may help Japan persuade junta to end crisis

Myanmar junta says to mull ASEAN no-violence call after stabilization
KYODO NEWS - May 2, 2021 - 14:33 | All, Japan

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi will hold talks with his U.S. counterpart Antony Blinken on Monday in London, the Foreign Ministry said, with issues linked to China, North Korea and Myanmar expected to be high on the agenda.

Their talks, the first since March when Blinken visited Japan, will be held before a three-day meeting of foreign ministers from the Group of Seven industrialized countries.

Based on the first meeting between Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and U.S. President Joe Biden in April, the two foreign policy chiefs are expected to discuss practical aspects of how best to strengthen the bilateral alliance, officials said.

As part of efforts to boost the security alliance amid China's military rise, Koji Yamazaki, the chief of Japan's Self-Defense Forces' Joint Staff, held talks with his U.S. counterpart Mark Milley in Hawaii on Friday.

Yamazaki and Milley agreed the two countries will continue to "firmly oppose" any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force in the East China Sea, where the Japan-controlled, China-claimed Senkaku Islands are located, according to the Japanese Joint Staff.

They also confirmed that the uninhabited islands fall under the scope of Article 5 of the Japan-U.S. security treaty, which states Washington will defend territories under Tokyo's administration from armed attack, it said.

As South Korea has been invited as a guest to the G-7 meeting that will run through Wednesday, Japan and the United States are also hoping to arrange three-way talks between the nations' top diplomats, the first since the Biden administration took office in January.

The U.S. administration has recently completed a months-long policy review on North Korea, with White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki saying Friday that it will pursue a "practical" approach toward ridding North Korea of its nuclear weapons and will not focus on striking a grand bargain.
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Khadijatou Mahdmoud, one of the plaintiffs who accuses the secretary general of the Polisario Front Brahim Ghali of rape, took advantage of his hospitalization in Spain to reiterate her call for justice to be done. In a new video, she asked the Spanish justice to intervene to punish her rapist.

She recalls having left Spain for the Tindouf camps in Algeria in 2005 and remained there until 2010, working as a translator for non-governmental organizations. However, while she was preparing to leave the camps in 2010, she was allegedly invited by an Italian NGO to an event and had to go through the Polisario institutions.

She then meets Brahim Ghali who allegedly raped her. Back in Spain, Khadijatou Mahdmoud filed a complaint which justice does not follow up.

In her video, she says she learned from the media that her alleged rapist is in Spain. I do not understand how they allowed him to enter but I want him to be arrested and jailed, she pleads.

It should be recalled that Brahim Ghali and a number of leaders of the separatist front are being prosecuted for other cases relating to detention, torture and enforced disappearances. In 2006, Spanish justice before which he did not appear summoned him.
KYODO NEWS - May 2, 2021 - 16:34 | All, Japan

A U.S. SpaceX ship carrying three American astronauts and Japan's Soichi Noguchi returned to Earth on Sunday following the group's six-month mission at the International Space Station.

The three Americans are Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover and Shannon Walker, all from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

The Crew Dragon capsule splashed down at 2:56 a.m. off the coast of Florida, the first time a manned U.S. craft has reached Earth under darkness since the Apollo 8 mission returned from the moon in 1968.

It was launched in November from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida as the second manned flight to the ISS by the commercially built spacecraft.

The four astronauts were initially planning to return in late April but their departure was pushed back due to unfavorable weather conditions.

While the four were on the ISS, another SpaceX ship ferried Japan's Akihiko Hoshide, 52, and three other astronauts to the orbiting laboratory, putting two Japanese astronauts in space simultaneously for the first time since 2010.

SpaceX, officially known as Space Exploration Technologies Corp. and founded by Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk, developed the Crew Dragon as a successor to NASA's costly Space Shuttle transportation system that was in service for 30 years through 2011.

Noguchi, a 56-year-old veteran astronaut, became the first person in the world to have flown on the Space Shuttle, a Russian Soyuz craft and the Crew Dragon.
KYODO NEWS - May 2, 2021 - 13:14 | Others

A university-launched venture in Japan has been striving to spread its meat quality evaluation technology using artificial intelligence, aiming to make the wagyu beef grading done by human eyes more precise, while using the data to improve cattle breeding.

MIJ labo Inc. in the northernmost main island of Hokkaido has developed cameras that use an AI system to calculate more than 10 factors such as the density and color of marbling by taking a picture of the surface of a carcass.

"A fair evaluation of luxury wagyu will be an advantage in marketing them overseas. I hope our products will be widely utilized," said Keigo Kuchida, a professor at Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine who developed the cameras and the analyzing system.

Since its founding in 2018, MIJ labo's cameras have been used in about 10 meat markets and research institutions in Japan and overseas including in the United States and Australia.

Currently, wagyu grading is done by Japan Meat Grading Association officials, who examine the surface of a carcass and check criteria such as the proportion that is edible, the density of the marbling as well as the firmness and texture of the meat.

This means the grading from C1 to the highest A5 is largely dependent on the judgement of the officials.

"Our technology has enabled more accurate evaluation," Kuchida said, adding he is aiming for the analyzed data to be used as a reference when official graders rank wagyu beef.

Kuchida, 56, first developed a camera in 1998 to make marbling classification more objective.

Since then, he has worked on improving the accuracy of analysis and camera miniaturization. The venture now sells three types of cameras with different shapes and prices.

The data collected during evaluations are also shared with cattle breeders via a cloud system provided by the company.

Since the quality of a fertile bull is estimated by the quality of its offspring, the data can help breeders choose appropriate stud bulls to produce better meat with more marbling, Kuchida said.

With other elements than marbling involved in determining the taste of beef, Kuchida said his next target is to develop a camera equipped with a sensor that can quantify flavor.
By Satoshi Iizuka, KYODO NEWS - May 2, 2021 - 12:32 | Feature, All, Japan

Yukiko Okimura was just 11 years old when her mother, a single parent, was left paralyzed by a traffic accident on her way to work in Kanagawa Prefecture, west of Tokyo, in 2001.

A tragic upheaval already in the life of any elementary school kid, what made it doubly transformative for Okimura was suddenly finding herself taking on the role of her mother's main carer, with no relatives ready to step in.

Nevertheless, Okimura was far from alone in being saddled with what is usually regarded as an adult task. A recent government survey has revealed that there are, on average, one or two such "young carers" routinely looking after family members in the classrooms of Japan's junior and senior high schools.

In April, releasing the results of its first-ever survey into the phenomenon, Japan's education and welfare ministries said 5.7 percent and 4.1 percent of junior and senior high school students, respectively, take care of family members, including younger siblings, the disabled, and elderly.

The survey conducted between December and January defined young carers as children who routinely do household chores and look after family members, taking on tasks that are seen as compromising their rights as children and ability to lead normal childhoods.

Welfare experts attribute the rise in Japan of the phenomenon, first noted in Britain in the 1980s, to an increase in nuclear, double-income, and single-parent families.

In the case of Okimura, since her mother lost her job and could not seek support from relatives, she found herself not only physically caring for her mother but also looking to make household economies and responding to legal procedures related to the traffic accident -- all on top of her own school studies.

Meanwhile, given the public's strong expectation that adults and not children should be caregivers, many young carers conceal their situation, according to Okimura, although she herself did not.

Now 31, she said she felt a perception gap open up between her and her friends as Japanese parents tend to do everything for their children.

"This situation makes young carers believe their friends won't understand them, even if they voice their worries over caring. That was true for me," she said.

According to the survey, more than 80 percent of junior and senior high school students said they had never heard of the phrase "young carer," indicating how little discussed the issue has been.

Meanwhile, 67.7 percent of junior high school students and 64.2 percent of senior high school students said they never consult with anybody about their worries, suggesting an overall tendency to keep things in that may exacerbate the isolation felt by kids looking after relatives.

Okimura recalled her junior high school days were the most difficult time of her life. Her mother's home caregivers made regular visits, but they were supposed not to do household chores, like cooking and washing clothes, except for the direct recipient, meaning her own needs were not met.

As a result, she had to do all the leftover tasks by herself and had little time to study. So worried were her homeroom teachers that they sometimes came to visit her and offer a sympathetic ear.

After Okimura and her mother moved to a neighboring city to enter high school, her mother was able to receive longer-term public support. That reduced her care burden and enabled her to study more and work part-time.

After she succeeded in enrolling in university with the help of scholarships, her mother urged her to live alone and devote her time to herself. She managed to do so by earning enough through jobs to cover her living costs and school expenses.

She now runs a company sending caregivers to the disabled out of gratitude toward her teachers, social welfare systems, and her mother's support for her. "I believe it is necessary to promote social welfare that doesn't rely on nursing care by family members in Japan," she said.

The poll also found nearly half of young carers look after their family members almost every day. While the average number of hours they spend on caring per day stood at 4.0 hours for junior high school students and 3.8 hours for senior high school students, more than 10 percent in both categories spend over 7 hours.

Tomoko Shibuya, a sociology professor at Seikei University in Tokyo, said that in families where both parents hold demanding jobs with long hours, they can sometimes leave their children to look after siblings.

"I think that is very tough for them (the kids) and is one of the typical factors for young carers in Japan," said Shibuya, an expert on the issue.

"The issue has not been closely analyzed in Japan, where awareness of children's rights has remained low and people believe it is a good thing for children to work hard for their family members and help each other," the professor said.

Shibuya said the first national survey was significant because it shed light on the young carers issue in a society that has tended to view children helping out as a family matter best dealt with within families.

She said minors end up becoming caregivers because of the way the welfare system limits care support to those directly in need -- in Okimura's case, her mother alone, with her own needs ignored -- and that change was needed.

"It is necessary for society, schools and family members to closely look at what kind of care children are shouldering and whether that is too heavy for them as well as try to grasp the actual situation by quantifying the amount of care they provide," Shibuya said.

"Without systems that take into consideration such a situation, nobody will be able to give birth to children and raise them," the professor warned.

After releasing the survey and hearing opinions from people with firsthand experience, the government is planning to compile a rescue package for young carers, including expanding consultation services, in May.
KYODO NEWS - May 1, 2021 - 07:14 | All, World

The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden will pursue a "practical" approach toward ridding Pyongyang of its nuclear weapons and will not focus on striking a grand bargain, the White House said Friday upon completion of a months-long policy review on North Korea.

"Our goal remains the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Philadelphia, while noting the administration has a "clear understanding" that the efforts of past administrations have not achieved the objective.

"Our policy calls for a calibrated, practical approach that is open to and will explore more diplomacy with the DPRK, and to make practical progress that increases the security of the United States, our allies, and deployed forces," she added.

DPRK is the acronym of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name.

While details remain unclear, Psaki suggested that the Biden administration wishes to avoid following in the footsteps of recent U.S. administrations, saying its policy will "not focus on achieving a grand bargain nor will it rely on strategic patience."

Biden's predecessor Donald Trump, who in 2018 became the first sitting U.S. leader to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, had pushed for a "big deal" under which all sanctions would be lifted if North Korea gave up all of its nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction.

But North Korea had called for an incremental, action-for-action process in which Pyongyang would secure concessions such as sanctions relief for each move it made toward denuclearization.

A second U.S.-North Korea summit, which took place in 2019 in Hanoi, broke down when Kim insisted that a significant portion of the U.N. sanctions against Pyongyang be lifted in return for a partial dismantlement of the country's nuclear program.

Under the administration of former President Barack Obama, in which Biden served as vice president for eight years through January 2017, Washington adopted a "strategic patience" policy, designed to put more pressure on the reclusive country while waiting for it to return to denuclearization talks.

But critics have termed it a failure as North Korea's nuclear and missile capabilities have continuously advanced.

Psaki also said Friday that the Biden administration will continue to consult with Japan, South Korea and other allies "every step along the way" in dealing with North Korea.

"We have and will continue to consult with the Republic of Korea, Japan and other allies and partners in every step along the way," she added, referring to South Korea by its official name.

The Biden administration admitted in March that it had been reaching out to the North Korean government since mid-February in a bid to reduce the risk of escalation. But at that time, the administration said it had yet to receive any direct response through diplomatic channels.

North Korea has not tested intercontinental ballistic missiles or nuclear devices since 2017, but it is believed to have continued honing its military capabilities while nuclear negotiations were in a stalemate.

On March 25, North Korea resumed ballistic missile tests after a yearlong hiatus, firing what appeared to be two short-range ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan in defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions banning Pyongyang from using ballistic technology.
KYODO NEWS - May 2, 2021 - 19:41 | All, Japan, Coronavirus

The number of COVID-19 patients with severe symptoms in Japan hit a record 1,050 on Sunday, up 30 from the previous day, as the country grapples with the coronavirus resurgence.

The previous record was 1,043 on Jan. 27 when about a dozen prefectures were under the second state of emergency.

Tokyo and some western prefectures continued to see high infection numbers one week into the third state of emergency even though daily cases tend to decline during weekends when fewer tests are conducted.

On Sunday, Tokyo confirmed 879 new cases after reporting the highest number in over three months of 1,050 the previous day. Osaka reported 1,057 cases following Saturday's record daily infections of 1,262.

Tokyo and the western prefectures of Osaka, Kyoto and Hyogo are subject to the current state of emergency through May 11, covering the Golden Week holiday period that started Thursday and entailing stricter measures than before, including requiring restaurants serving alcohol to close.

Yasutoshi Nishimura, the minister in charge of the government's coronavirus response, said it is too early to judge whether an extension of the emergency will be needed.

Tokyo and the three western prefectures are "in the middle of a tug of war" between the effects of emergency measures and the higher transmissibility of virus variants, Nishimura told reporters.

Hokkaido as well as Okayama and Ishikawa prefectures also reported Sunday record daily infections.
New Delhi:

Through a particle physics technique, an international team of researchers has used cosmic-ray collisions to peek inside and unearth a hidden "void" in The Great Pyramid Of Gaza which is roughly 100 feet long, identical to the Statue of Liberty.

We dont know if its a chamber, a tunnel, a big gallery or things like that, said Mehdi Tayoubi, co-director of the ScanPyramids project, which published the finding Thursday in the journal Nature. We have chosen the word void and nothing else because we dont know what this void is.

Many archaeologists asked whether this recent research is able to find any new information about the ancient Egyptians. They also noticed that international team of researchers is unable to find a hidden room filled with the pharaoh's riches.

They also revealed that this void was probably empty space formed by the pyramid's architects to lessen the weight on its chambers and prevent them from collapsing, an example of features that were already documented in the construction of the ancient monuments.

Due to an advancement in a technological field, understanding of wonders of the ancient world that have long fascinated the human imagination could become richer.

Khufu, also known by his Greek name Cheops, is thought to have ruled from 2509 B.C. to 2483 B.C., during Egypts fourth dynasty. Though he constructed the largest pyramid Egypt has ever seen, the only intact three-dimensional figure of him that archaeologists have found measures a mere three inches tall. Very little is known about him, so his pyramid offers one of the few looks into his life and reign. The site at Giza where his pyramid was built also contains two other major pyramids and the Sphinx.

To see through its core, Dr. Tayoubi and his colleagues which consisted of three separate teams of physicists and engineers have revealed the pyramid using a particle physics technique known as muon tomography.

We tried to do for the pyramid what a doctor can do with X-rays, Dr. Tayoubi said.

What is Muons?

This team researchers despite X-rays, they used muons. The muons are heavy cousins of electrons that form when cosmic rays from outer space collide with particles in Earths atmosphere. The fallout from the collisions creates a constant bombardment of harmless particles that can penetrate deep into the planet.

As the muons pass through matter they lose energy and decay, so if the team detected a small number of muons, that means they were passing through matter. But if they detected more muons, it suggests the particles were passing through empty space or less dense material.

This is not the first time this technology is used, Luis Alvarez, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist previously used this technology to investigate whether there were hidden chambers in the Pyramid of Khafre in the 1960s.

And over the decades, muon detector resolution has greatly improved and it has since been used to see the inner structures of volcanoes as well as irradiated Fukushima nuclear reactor.

The first measurements were made by researchers from Nagoya University in Japan who were a part of the project. Then two more teams associated with ScanPyramids, one from France and another from Japan, also confirmed the anomaly with muon tomography, even from outside the pyramid.

The discovery comes on the footsteps of the teams previous work, which detected a small void behind the north face of the pyramid in 2016.

Christopher Morris, a physicist who conducts research using muon tomography at Los Alamos National Laboratory and was not involved in the study, called the findings pretty amazing, adding that all the team needed to do was set up their muon detectors and reap the rewards.

All the other physicists who could have done it, and didnt, are jealous, he said.

Arturo Menchaca-Rocha, a physicist from the National Autonomous University of Mexico who has used muon detection to investigate the Pyramid of the Sun in Mexico, echoed Dr. Morriss sentiments and said the projects physics supported its claims. But archaeologists were more critical of the work and they observed a single point meticulously.

Mark Lehner, an Egyptologist from Ancient Egypt Research Associates, said that the revelation is not out of the box and previous work had shown that the ancient Egyptians most likely constructed gaps in their pyramids.

The great pyramid of Khufu is more Swiss cheese than cheddar, he said. He added that the steep incline of the void also casts doubts on whether it was some sort of room.

At that angle, it doesnt make much sense for it to be a chamber that would contain artifacts, burials and objects and that sort of thing.

Zahi Hawass, an Egyptologist, former Egyptian government minister and head of the scientific committee appointed by the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities to review the work, was more critical of the finding.

They found nothing, said Dr. Hawass, noting that such construction gaps had been known of for at least two decades. This paper offers nothing to Egyptology. Zero.

Both Dr. Lehner and Dr. Hawass agreed that the scanning work should continue in hopes that the teams can retrieve higher resolution data about the inner workings of the pyramid, specifically the shape and size of the anomaly.

Hany Helal, who is also a co-director of the ScanPyramids project, responded to the criticism, saying that from an engineering perspective, it would not make sense to have such a big void above the Gallery if its purpose was to relieve pressure.

He said the next steps are to have an international discussion with archaeologists to figure out the structures purpose. In the future, he added that scientists may use drones to explore the void once they have more information about it.

We are sure there is a void, he said. Now let us continue our research.

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New Delhi:

In the latest breakthrough, scientists have revealed that aliens are potentially shaped by the same processes and mechanisms that shaped humans, such as natural selection.

Scientists of Oxford University has published a paper saying that evolutionary theory can help describe aliens and their behavior in the International Journal of Astrobiology.

According to the research, aliens are potentially impacted by natural selection, just like Human Being, making them evolve to be stronger and more adaptable.

"A fundamental task for astrobiologists (those who study life in the cosmos) is thinking about what extra-terrestrial life might be like," said Sam Levin, a researcher in Oxford's Department of Zoology.



"But making predictions about aliens is hard. We only have one example of life - life on Earth to extrapolate from.



"Past approaches in the field of astrobiology have been largely mechanistic, taking what we see on Earth, and what we know about chemistry, geology, and physics to make predictions about aliens," said Levin.

In the new study, researchers offer an alternative approach, which is to use evolutionary theory to make predictions that are independent of Earth's details.

"This is a useful approach because theoretical predictions will apply to aliens that are silicon-based, do not have DNA, and breathe nitrogen, for example," Levin said.

In the research, scientists have used new method, offer an alternative approach in which they used evolutionary theory to make predictions that are independent of earth's details.

According to the Levin, this method is more useful as theoretical predictions are silicon-based, do not have DNA, and breathe nitrogen.

For all the Latest Science News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani on Thursday spoke at length about its chances to join hands with Congress in Gujarat. He continued to attack Bhartiya Janata Party on its policies.

Mevani said that he works for the welfare of Dalits and will continue to fight against the anti-Dalit policies of BJP.

On being asked about his chances to join Congress, Mevani said that the party should clear its stand on the 17 demands that been put out to them. He said that land has been allocated but only on paper.

Mevani said that there should be Reservation Act in Gujarat. He added that the promises made during Una incident have not been fulfilled.

I have been asked to join Congress but I will not join hands with them. I will meet Rahul Gandhi with lot of questions, said Mevani.

The government has met with Patidars but have so far ignored Dalits. We have only seen dictatorship in last 22 years.

Mevani cleared that he will not join any party during the upcoming polls.

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London:

The Glasgow City Council on Friday became the latest UK institution to withdraw an honour bestowed upon Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi in the wake of the Rohingya crisis.



The council had offered Suu Kyi the Freedom of Glasgow in 2009 when she was still under house arrest as Myanmars pro-democracy leader.



"I and the Leader, Councillor Susan Aitken, recently wrote to Aung San Suu Kyi voicing the city's concerns about the human rights atrocities occurring under her watch and urging her to intervene. The response we received was disappointing and saddening, said Glasgow's Lord Provost Eva Bolander.



The Scottish council said that withdrawing such an honour was "unprecedented" and its decision had not been taken lightly.



Glasgow's decision follows a similar decision by the city of Sheffield, which stripped Suu Kyi of the Freedom of Sheffield earlier this week, saying she had shown "willful ignorance" of the crisis.



"In response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Myanmar of the Rohingya people, various UK cities have revoked the Freedom of the City from Aung San Suu Kyi. I'm delighted there was cross-party support for my motion," said Councillor Soryia Siddique from Sheffield Council.



Meanwhile, the London School of Economics (LSE) has taken the first step towards withdrawing an honorary presidency bestowed upon Myanmars de-facto leader.



The Students Union has moved a motion to withdraw the honour, which will come up for debate next week.



A spokesperson for the LSE Students Union said: "Suu Kyi's choice to prioritise her tenure in office over anything else has come at too significant a cost, her complicity in the ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya people.



"We condemn the Muslim genocide in Myanmar, we condemn all Islamophobia, and we will actively work against any system which is complicit in supporting the violence."



A series of UK institutions have been distancing themselves from the Nobel Peace laureate in the wake of Myanmar Armys repression of the Rohingya minority, nearly 1 million of whom have fled their homes to refugee camps in Bangladesh.

Also read: US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to visit Myanmar to discuss Rohingya crisis



Also read: UNICEF report suggests nearly 600,000 Rohingya children facing 'hell on earth' in overcrowded camps in Bangladesh

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New Delhi:

Normal life was hit in Chennai and several parts of Tamil Nadu as the torrential rains returned on Friday evening after a brief respite in the day.

As several parts of the metropolis remained waterlogged, schools will be closed on Saturday and people were asked to stay home. The University of Madras and Anna University announced cancellation of their semester exams.

Tamil Nadu government appealed private companies including MNCs to allow their employees to work from home.

The death toll in rain-related incidents also mounted to eight in the state after a farmer on Friday was electrocuted while working in his fields.

Chief Minister K Palaniswami visited several water-logged parts of the city and said his government was working on a war-footing. The government have set up 105 relief camps in Chennai.

Fear of severe 2015 floods:

As the heavy spell led to fears of a repeat of the December 2015 deluge, the AIADMK government sought to dispel such rumours.

It asked people not to pay heed to rumours on social media that many lakes and reservoirs around the city were about to surplus and that water would be released.

Do not spread and believe in rumours #work from home and 3rd Nov leave is 2 avoid traffic jams and to avoid any untoward incident (sic), the Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Agency tweeted.

Also Read | Chennai rains: Two 8-year-old girls electrocuted as rain lashes Tamil Nadu

The regional weather department has forecast very heavy rains in the coastal districts and thunderstorms in Chennai for the next 24 hours.

Normal life in Mudichur, one of the worst-affected areas in the 2015 December deluge, was also crippled with heavy water logging of roads and inundation of low lying areas.

Fearing a repeat of the 2015 deluge, the residents of Kancheepuram district staged a protest by squatting on the water-logged Mudichur Road, demanding immediate action.

Chennai transportation takes a hit

Heavy waterlogging on roads hindered free vehicular movement and massive traffic jam situations occurred in many parts of Chennai.

Also Read | Chinese railways fails to respond on ambitious high-speed train project in South India

However, the flight operations were normal at Chennai airport and train services also restored on Friday morning after a signalling snag that partially halted services between St Thomas Mount and Kodambkkam station.

The sea remained very rough, with waves rising to several feet. More than 10,000 fishermen did not venture into sea for the fifth day on Friday, official reports noted.

(With PTI Inputs)
By African Bulletin on May 1, 2021

Morocco received 500,000 doses of Chinas Sinopharm vaccine on Friday, April 30, to secure the continuity of the national vaccination campaign against COVID-19.

Moroccan television channel 2M announced the news on May 1, reporting that the new batch increased Moroccos vaccination supply to over 9.5 million doses.

The total vaccination supply includes 2.5 million doses from Sinopharm and 7 million doses from the AstraZeneca vaccines.

The delivery of the new batch from the Sinopharm vaccine is the second of its kind in less than a week.

On Monday, April 26, Morocco received another 500,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccines.

The vaccine supplies from Chinas Sinpharm are part of the bilateral relations between Rabat and Beijing.

Last month, the speaker of the National Peoples Congress of Chia, Li Zhanshu, informed Morocco of his countrys decision to supply Morocco with 10 million doses of the Snopharm vaccine.

The Moroccan government seeks to vaccinate 33 million of its population to attain her immunity.

The North Africa country has so far vaccinated 5,055,239 people with the first dose, while approximately 4,260,605 people have received the second dose of the vaccine.

The Moroccan Ministry of Health has expanded the national vaccine rollout to reach people aged between 55 to 60.

Initially, Moroccos vaccination campaign covered health professionals aged 40 and over, security officers, local authorities, teachers aged 45+, and senior citizens aged 75 and above.

The campaign now covers Moroccan citizens and residents aged 60 to 64, and people with chronic health conditions.
Beijing:

China on Friday said it was ready to work with India to promote constant progress of bilateral relations, amid fresh strains in ties after Beijing again blocked Pakistan-based JeM chief Masood Azhars designation as a global terrorist by the UN.

China on Thursday for the fourth time blocked India, the US and other nations bid to list Pathankot terror attack mastermind Azhar as a global terrorist, saying there is no consensus within the members of the sanctions committee.

India reacted sharply to Chinas move, saying accommodating with terrorism for narrow objectives was both short-sighted and counterproductive.

Chinas Assistant Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong on Friday told the media that China attached great importance to its relations with India.

India is an important neighbour of China, Chen said, adding China plans to step up ties with neighbours under the neighbourhood diplomacy with Chinese characteristics in the new era enunciated by President Xi Jinping during the recently concluded key Congress of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC).

We are ready to work with India to promote constant progress of bilateral relations guided by this diplomacy with Chinese characteristics for the new era, Chen said without elaborating.

He said China has been following this concept and vision over the past few years in its cooperation with the neighbours and deepening mutual political trust promoting practical cooperation with them.

In the last two years, China has stonewalled efforts by India to declare Azhar as a global terrorist.

Last year in March, China was the only member in the 15-nation UN organ to put a hold on Indias application with all other 14 members of the Council supporting New Delhis bid to place Azhar on the 1267 sanctions list that would subject him to an assets freeze and travel ban.

The relations between the two neighbours are also strained by a 73-day standoff at Dokalam over Chinese armys plans to build a strategic road in the area also claimed by Bhutan.

Officials here said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will travel to India next month to New Delhi to attend the Russia, India, China (RIC) Foreign Ministers meeting during which he would also hold talks with the Indian leadership on the bilateral relations during the second term of Xi.

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New Delhi:

To study the successful implementation of liquor ban in Bihar, representatives of Karnataka Temperance Board visited Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. As per reports, Karnataka may also implement liquor ban in state.

Seeing its success, a 31-member team of Karnataka has visited Bihar. They want to study its model.

Members of Karnataka Temperance Board said that it was a bold step by Bihar government. They said that it is not an easy task to implement liquor ban.

CM Nitish Kumar said that even though Bihar government has lost Rs 5000 crore but Rs 10,000 crore, which people had been spending on liquor, has been saved. He said that there is a difference in peoples lifestyle and society.

The team will also visit two panchayats in the state.

The liquor ban was implemented in Bihar in April 2016. Earlier, it was implemented in rural areas. But, after seeing its success, it was implemented in urban areas as well.

Since then, selling, keeping and consuming alcohol is a crime in the state. A special law was also formed to ban liquor consumption in the state.

As per report, a total of 41,314 cases has been registered pertaining to liquor ban so far. A total of 7,29,494 litre of country liquor has been ceased. 8,69,351 litre of foreign liquor has also been ceased. 5,35,746 litre of alcohol has been crushed.

Out of the 4433 two-wheelers which have been ceased, 815 will be auctioned. 2672 four-wheelers have also been ceased and 438 will be auctioned soon.

A total of 58,379 people have been arrested.

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New Delhi:

Great news for the fans of action superstar, Jean-Claude Van Damme!



The epitome of martial arts is set to appear in The Bouncer, a topline action-packed thriller.



The Bouncer is directed by Julien Leclercq and will feature Van Damme as Lukas, a nightclub bouncer who is in his fifties and trying hard to raise his eight-year-old daughter reports Variety.



One day while on duty, Lukas loses control during an altercation with a client and ends up in jail, while his daughter gets placed under the care of social services. But things take an unexpected turn when Interpol recruits Lukas to bring down a Dutch ringleader operating from Belgium in exchange for his daughter's custody.



The Bouncer was penned by Jeremie Guez, an up-and-coming screenwriter and the production is set to begin in January.



JCVDs last major appearance was in the 2012 multi starrer The Expendables 2.

Also read: American Music Awards: Christina Aguilera to honour Whitney Houston



Also read: Megan Fox to star in 'Shadow Girl'

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New Delhi:

Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is also the general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), has exhorted the countrys armed forces to further enhance their combat capabilities and readiness for war.



Xi made the observations while inspecting the CMC joint battle command centre as its commander-in-chief, an official media report said on Friday. CMC is the overall high command of the 2.3 million-strong Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), the world's largest army.



"The CMC should lead the armed forces to be ready to fight and win wars, and to undertake the missions and tasks of the new era entrusted to them by the party and the people," Xi was quoted as saying by state-run Xinhua news agency.



This is the second time Xi has highlighted the role of the armed forces since he began his second term after securing the endorsement of the key Congress of the ruling CPC which concluded in Beijing on October 24.



He was re-elected as president, general secretary of the party, and head of the military.



In his meeting with the military top brass, he ordered them to be absolutely loyal to the party, to focus on how to win wars, to pioneer reforms and innovation, to scientifically manage commanding a unit, to lead troops in accordance with the strictest standards and to be in the forefront in complying with laws and regulations.

(With PTI inputs)

Also read: After blocking of Masood Azhar as global terrorist, China says ready to work with India to promote bilateral relations



Also read: India builds world's highest motorable road near Chinese border in Ladakh

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Washington:

US bombers overflew the Korean peninsula as part of an exercise with Japanese and South Korean warplanes, the US Air Force said, days before President Donald Trump arrives in the region for a trip set to be dominated by the nuclear-armed North.

Tensions are high over Pyongyangs ballistic missile and atomic programmes, which in recent months have seen it test ICBMs and carry out its sixth nuclear blast.

Trumps visit will throw a spotlight on the issue, after the US President and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un traded insults and threats of war.

Flights by supersonic B-1B Lancer bombers in the area always infuriate North Korea, which condemned the drill as blackmail early Friday.

Two B-1B aircraft took off from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, and were joined west of Japan by Japan Air Self-Defense Force fighters, the US Pacific Air Force said in a statement.

The Lancers then transited overland to Korea to integrate with Republic of Korea fighters in the Yellow Sea, the statement read, adding that the aircraft later returned to their respective home stations.

The exercise was part of the continuous bomber presence mission in the Pacific and was not in response to any current event, the statement said.

The operation follows an October 10 show of force in which two Lancers staged the first night-time joint aviation exercises with Japan and South Korea.

North Korea in July launched two intercontinental ballistic missiles apparently capable of reaching the US mainlanddescribed by Kim as a gift to American bastards.

It followed up with two missiles that passed over Japan, and its sixth nuclear test, by far its most powerful yet.

Trump has warned of fire and fury in response to Pyongyangs threats, and derisively dubbed Kim Rocket Man, who responded by calling him a dotard.

This week the Norths KCNA news agency described the US president as incurably mentally deranged.

Trump will on Friday set off for his Asian tour, which will include Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines.

But his message risks being undermined if the North stages some kind of provocation, such as a missile test.

It could be preparing for another launch, Seouls spy agency reportedly said Thursday.

Active movements of vehicles have been detected at a missile research facility in Pyongyang, the National Intelligence Service told a closed-door parliamentary audit, according to the Yonhap news agency.

The North habitually condemns B1-B flights as rehearsals for an attack, and KCNA said Friday: The reality clearly shows that the gangster-like US imperialists are the very one who is aggravating the situation of the Korean peninsula and seeking to ignite a nuclear war.

Any military strike in Korea could see retaliation and rapid escalation, and much of Seoula city of 10 million peopleis within range of the Norths artillery.

The Souths President Moon Jae-In has insisted that no military action on the peninsula can be taken without Seouls approval.

In an interview with Yonhap, Trumps National Security Advisor H R McMaster said diplomacy was Washingtons main effort now.

The discussion will also be about what more can we do, what more can all countries do to resolve this short of war, he said.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

The Ministry of External Affairs on Friday said India will make an official request to Malaysian government very soon once the legal internal process gets completed in connection with controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naiks extradition.

As per media reports, Naik was given permanent residency in Malaysia.

Maybe in the next couple of weeks, it will clear what will be the nature of the request, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.

When he asked about Pakistans claim of US mediation between India and Pakistan, Kumar said no truth in such claims as Rex Tillerson had recently concluded Indias visit and there was joint statement which didn't mention US to mediate between the two nations.

Our legal internal process is nearing completion. Once it is complete,will then make offl request to Malaysian Govt very soon:MEA #ZakirNaik pic.twitter.com/E0NYbkxYzP  ANI (@ANI) November 3, 2017

When Rex Tillerson was here there was joint statement which didn't mention US to mediate between India and Pakistan. No truth in Pak's claims, Kumar said.

When Rex Tillerson was here there was joint statement which didn't mention US to mediate b/w India & Pak. No truth in Pak's claims: MEA Spox pic.twitter.com/Abosm5juNd  ANI (@ANI) November 3, 2017

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Ahmedabad:

The BJP in poll-bound Gujarat on Friday asked Patidar leader Hardik Patel and the Congress to clarify their positions after senior Congress leader Mohansinh Rathwa said it is not possible to carve out a quota for the Patidar community in the existing 49 per cent reservations.

Rathwa, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, made the statement at a rally before party vice president Rahul Gandhis arrival at the tribal-dominated Nana Pondha village in Valsad district on Thursday.

Patidars will be given reservation without interfering with the current quota of 49 per cent. There will not be any change in the current quota. If we give reservation, it has to be outside that quota, said Rathwa, a tribal leader and the senior-most Congress MLA in the state.

BJP leader and Union minister Parshottam Rupala said on Friday that Rathwas remarks put both Hardik Patel and the Congress in the dock. Rathwa spoke his mind. Now both Hardik and Congress need to clarify their stands, as Hardik only wanted reservation under the OBC quota, not under EBC (economically backward classes) category which was offered by the Congress. But opposition leaders are mum about granting the OBC status to Patels, Rupala said.

As soon as Hardik slided towards Congress, some Congress leaders began suspecting whether there was any secret deal (to include Patels in the OBC category). After Rathwas remarks, the Congress should clarify how it would grant reservation to Patidars under the existing OBC quota, he said.

Earlier this week, members of Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) and the Congress held a meeting and announced that an agreement has been reached on four main demands of the community. But there wasnt a final agreement on the key demand of the reservation yet, they said. PAAS leaders said they will hold another round of discussions with the Congress by November 7.

Earlier, the Gujarat Congress had promised a 20 per cent reservation under the EBC quota to non-reserved communities including Patels if the party came to power.

The fact is, the Congress never said anything about OBC reservations. They only talk about EBC quota. The Gujarat government has already given a 10 per cent quota in EBC. It is now quite clear that the Congress is trying to mislead Patidars with such vague promises, said Rupala.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

US President Donald Trump's Twitter account was deliberately deactivated by a Twitter employee on their last day of work for a short period of time.

According to the company, a Twitter employee deliberately deactivated Donald Trump's personal account on their last day of work. However, the name of an employee has not revealed. Presidents @realdonaldtrump account was down for 11 minutes.

During the brief time of downtime, Donald Trump twitter page would see the message Sorry, that page doesnt exist!

Initially, Twitter said that the account had been unwittingly deactivated "due to human error by a Twitter employee.

The account was down for 11 minutes and has since been restored. We are continuing to investigate and are taking steps to prevent this from happening again, the company said in a statement.

But after that companys @Twittergov account posted another statement which said that employee deliberately damages the account.

Through our investigation, we have learned that this was done by a Twitter customer support employee who did this on the employees last day. We are conducting a full internal review, the new statement said.

There have been continuing calls for Twitter to suspend Trumps account, particularly when he made threats to North Korea. However, when Twitter does this it typically marks the profile with the message account suspended.

Even there was a speculation that Trump himself deactivated his account or he may have been hacked. He has been denounced in the past for having poor security standards.

The company in the past has also suspended high profile individuals including the rightwing Milo Yiannopoulos, after his sustained hate campaign against the actor Leslie Jones, and the rapper Azealia Banks.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Theoretically, we really should have seen a renaissance in value stocks during the impact of the novel coronavirus pandemic. With an unprecedented crisis rippling throughout the international community, the global equity markets initially tumbled on the mass spread of the disease. If anyone wanted to go contrarian, they should have done so on the companies that now presented excellent value.

Instead, risk-on money poured into growth names like a thunderstorm. Indeed, much of the enthusiasm was understandable. For instance, tech firms that specialized in contactless services  digital documentation and teleconferencing come to mind  performed extraordinarily well. At the same time, youd figure that value stocks should also get some love.

No, they might not carry the sexiness that growth plays do. However, many, if not most, value stocks are tied to stable, relevant industries. Quite a few pay dividends, which add to their appeal. In other words, these are organizations that simply got caught in a downdraft through no fault of their own. Therefore, its plausible that they can make a comeback down the line.

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Another reason to consider value stocks is that their growth counterparts tend to peter out when their catalysts fade. I think thats the number one risk for equity units that received extreme bullishness. Usually, such bullish cycles also tend to correct substantially. So, investors should consider value stocks to diversify their exposure to these crazy markets.

Of course, just because you go with value stocks over growth names doesnt necessarily mean that theyre guaranteed to move higher in the years ahead. This is the capital markets were talking about and anything can change. On this list, Ive included a mix of companies with different risk-reward profiles, proving that value doesnt always have to be so square.

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Nintendo (OTCMKTS: NTDOY )

NRG Energy (NYSE: NRG )

AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV )

Altria Group (NYSE: MO )

The Geo Group (NYSE: GEO )

Sunoco (NYSE: SUN )

Anheuser Busch (NYSE:BUD)

Value Stocks to Buy: Nintendo (NTDOY)

A yellow Switch Lite from Nintendo (NTDOY) sits in front of a bright pink background.

Source: ESOlex / Shutterstock.com

Though the current talking point centers on electric vehicles, in my view, video games also deserve consideration for a renaissance. During the advent of this sector, many people considered it to be childs play. As a former nerd  well, maybe that hasnt changed  I can attest to many of the stereotypes of avid gamers.

But the Covid-19 crisis also sparked a mini-renaissance in this sector. According to a Nielsen survey, 55% of Americans played video games to wile away the hours during the initial phase of lockdowns. An early 2021 TheVerge.com article argues that this habit is here to stay. That benefits Nintendo, one of the rare gaming-related value stocks.

While other video game companies skyrocketed off the pandemics unexpected catalyst, NTDOY stock still offers a great value proposition. Currently, its forward price-earnings ratio is 18.5, whereas the interactive media industry  of which Nintendo is a part  has a median forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 29.

Also, NTDOY stock is down 11% for the year, which contrasts with other gaming rivals. It might not get the love because of its underlying family friendly orientation. But in my view, this is a positive, making NTDOY one of the best value stocks to consider.

NRG Energy (NRG)

Close up of NRG logo on website against blurred background.

Source: Casimiro PT / Shutterstock.com

In late 2020, shares of NRG Energy looked poised to go gangbusters and they pretty much did. As Im sure youve heard by now, NRG Energy is one of the biggest power generators and retailers in Texas. Unfortunately, a terrible winter storm devastated the Lone Star State and affected regions are still picking up the pieces.

According to the Houston Chronicle, NRG stated that it lost an estimated $750 million from Februarys winter storm that knocked out generators and electricity across the state. To be fair, this is one of the trickier value stocks in that the underlying company isnt totally faultless. This was a disaster that culminated with many fail points being checked off one after the other.

In hindsight, both public and private elements should have cooperated to bolster energy infrastructures in case stuff like this happened. I mean, there was recent precedent, with rolling blackouts in California. Still, this was mostly an Act of God and NRG stock got caught out.

However, this does make the company one of the undervalued stocks in the energy space, with a forward P/E ratio of 13.5 times, whereas the industry median is 19.5 times.

Value Stocks to Buy: AbbVie (ABBV)

abbvie (ABBV) website and logo on mobile phone

Source: Piotr Swat / Shutterstock.com

When the coronavirus first became an unwanted guest in the U.S., it was a matter of time before the SARS-CoV-2 virus spread everywhere. Frankly, it was a shame because initially, the Former President Donald Trumps administration had the right response: keep people out, including infected Americans. As the Washington Post stated, the former president was not told Covid-19 sickened Americans would be flown home from a Diamond Princess cruise ship.

In my opinion, this represented total failure of governance and respect for the chain of command. And with Trump not displaying the best performance under pressure, the American outbreak became an inevitability. Cynically, this benefitted biotechnology firms developing vaccines and treatments. But AbbVie? Not so much since the company didnt make as aggressive of a pivot to Covid-19 like its peers.

However, now that coronavirus cases are fading in the U.S., ABBV stock has become one of the more intriguing value stocks to consider. In large part, I say this because of its Botox business. You see, when people are quarantining, theres not much emphasis on looking good.

Once the pandemic fades, superficiality will be back on the bandwagon. Therefore, ABBV stock makes sense on the fundamentals shifting favorably toward its underlying business.

Altria Group (MO)

packs of cigarettes in convenience store rack

Source: defotoberg / Shutterstock.com

As one of the undervalued stocks in the vice industry, Altria Group may not be for everyones sensibilities. Also, MO stock is rather risky. Over the trailing five years, shares have lost 24% of market value. Much of that is due to declining smoking rates. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the percentage of those who quit increased from 50.8% in 2005 to 59% in 2016. The FDA is also planning a ban on flavored cigarettes and cigars.

Still, the CDC points out that nearly 38 million Americans smoked cigarettes either everyday or some days in 2016. With the pandemic, this figure may have accelerated. Sure, you hear stories about people quitting because of the pandemic. But the crisis also incentivizes the dangerous habit due to increased stress.

Another cynical factor that might aid MO stock is the war against vaping. On the surface, vaping seems like a less-offensive alternative to analog cigarettes. But the Preventing Online Sales of E-Cigarettes to Children (PACT) Act has forced many companies to discontinue U.S. online sales and even cease operations altogether, according to TobaccoReporter.com.

If this trend continues, it could spark a rise in traditional cigarette smoking, which makes Altria an interesting though controversial name to consider.

Value Stocks to Buy: The Geo Group (GEO)

Image of the Geo Group's logo on a sign outside of a corporate building

Source: JosephRouse / Shutterstock.com

On the surface, The Geo Groups specialty, adult rehabilitation, doesnt sound controversial at all. Until you realize that the company is really talking about private prisons. Naturally, GEO is one of the ugliest value stocks available. Nevertheless, the underlying business of GEO stock has a long series of pros and cons.

Of course, theres something unsavory about investors benefitting off the misery of others. People are in prison to pay their debt to society. Its not necessarily an avenue from which to extract profit. So why have GEO stock at all?

The answer is that government is rarely the best solution, whether were talking about advancing capitalistic enterprises or for doling out punitive measures. Turns out, private prisons, because theyre private, can do the job more effectively, potentially leading to lower recidivism.

While that might sound like a benefit to taxpayers, you should know that various research papers provide conflicting analyses. Therefore, if you are a conscientious investor, you may want to dig a little deeper before considering GEO as one of your value stocks.

Sunoco (SUN)

Source: Gergely Zsolnai/Shutterstock.com

Technically, Sunoco isnt exactly what you think about when you discuss value stocks. Indeed, Sunocos P/E ratio is 21 times, which is notably higher than the median 16-times ratio seen in the oil and gas industry. But, as a countering statistic, the forward P/E ratio of SUN stock is 9.5 times, which is lower than the industry median 34-times ratio.

So, what to do about Sunoco? Personally, I view the company as undervalued relative to its fundamentals. According to its website, Sunoco is one of the largest fuel distribution providers in the U.S. Obviously, that wasnt the most helpful sector to ply your trade in during the initial onslaught of the Covid-19 crisis. But with cases fading, the narrative for SUN stock has conversely improved significantly.

As well, general reticence toward getting a Covid-19 vaccine may help the fuel distribution industry. These folks may not want to get vaccinated, but they might not want to take unnecessary risks either. Therefore, if they travel, they might do so by road, not by air.

Value Stocks to Buy: Anheuser Busch (BUD)

Corporate building with Anheuser Busch (BUD) logo on it

Source: legacy1995 / Shutterstock.com

Admittedly, Anheuser Busch is a disappointment. It may very well be one of the most disappointing value stocks in the market. Youd think that with the company controlling some very popular beer brands that BUD stock would perform much better than it has (not including the small numbers comparison resulting from the initial Covid impact).

Much of this has to do with changing demographics and consumer habits. Generally speaking, theres a shift among millennials and Generation Z to hard cider rather than beer. Also, it doesnt help that young people drink less alcohol than prior generations. Naturally, this had Anheuser Busch scrambling for answers.

Now, this might be a stretch, but brewing economic factors may tilt the needle more favorably for BUD stock. According to Statista.com, U.S. household debt hit a new high. Largely, the culprit was mortgages. Thanks to a ridiculous housing market where people bid up available homes to the moon, individuals participating in the craze just dont have as much disposable income available.

This may create an environment where beggars cant be choosers. You want to get buzzed? Forget your apple cider  its Bud Light for you (yuck!).

On the date of publication, Josh Enomoto held a long position in MO stock.

A former senior business analyst for Sony Electronics, Josh Enomoto has helped broker major contracts with Fortune Global 500 companies. Over the past several years, he has delivered unique, critical insights for the investment markets, as well as various other industries including legal, construction management, and healthcare.

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Confirmed by national army of Chad , the newly re-elected President Idriss Deby has died of wounds he received while commanding his army in battles against rebels in the north.

In a swift change of fate, after news had come in that Chads veteran president, Idriss Deby had won a sixth term, by 79.3%, in the latest provisional results in on Monday, an announcement broadcast on national television today has announced his death.

According to the army spokesperson, General Azem Bemrandoua Agouna, the military had been pushed back by a column of insurgents who were advancing on the capital, NDjamena.

Deby, was expected to give a victory speech after receiving the provisional results, but opted instead to visit Chadian soldiers on the front lines, said his campaign director Mahamat Zen Bada.

According to one report, the soldiers were attacked by militants from the Front pour lAlternance et la Concorde au Tchad (FACT) (Front for Change and Concord in Chad) who had arrived from their base in Libya and had entered Chadian soil on 11 April. Their stated goal was to rid the country of Debys 31 years of power.

In an interview with Radio-France Internationale, Mahamat Mahadi Ali, the rebel leader of FACT, said Deby had attended the battle on Sunday and Monday (18 and 19 April), where the fighting was taking place in the centre-west of the country, near Nokou in Kanem. Deby was reportedly wounded on the battlefield on Sunday, and was then flown to the capital 400km way by helicopter.
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / May 2, 2021 / Labaton Sucharow, a national shareholder rights litigation firm, announces it has filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of purchasers of the securities of Volkswagen AG (OTC: VWAGY) between March 29, 2021 and March 30, 2021, inclusive (the "Class Period"). The lawsuit seeks to recover damages for Volkswagen investors under the federal securities laws.

Investors who purchased the Company's securities between March 29, 2021 and March 30, 2021, inclusive (the ''Class Period''), are encouraged to contact the

litigation partner assigned to the matter, David J. Schwartz via email at david@labaton.comor using the toll-free number (800) 321-0476. The class, in this case, has not yet been certified, and until certification occurs, you are not represented by an attorney. If you choose to take no action, you can remain an absent class member.

According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) "Voltswagen" was never going to be used by the Volkswagen, Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. ("VWoA"), or on any relevant vehicle; (2) Volkswagen, VWoA, and their spokespeople purposefully misled reporters regarding the now-purported "joke" and/or "promotion"; and (3) as a result, Defendants' public statements and statements to journalists were materially false and/or misleading at all relevant times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

About the Firm

Labaton Sucharow LLP is one of the world's leading complex litigation firms representing clients in securities, antitrust, corporate governance and shareholder rights, and consumer cybersecurity and data privacy litigation. Labaton Sucharow has been recognized for its excellence by the courts and peers, and it is consistently ranked in leading industry publications. Offices are located in New York, NY, Wilmington, DE, and Washington, D.C. More information about Labaton Sucharow is available at http://www.labaton.com.

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Contact

David J. Schwartz

(800) 321-0476

david@labaton.com

SOURCE: Labaton Sucharow LLP





View source version on accesswire.com:

https://www.accesswire.com/643752/EQUITY-ALERT-Labaton-Sucharow-Reminds-Investors-of-a-Securities-Class-Action-Lawsuit-on-Behalf-of-Volkswagen-AG-Investors-VWAGY




GATINEAU, QC, April 30, 2021 /CNW/ - The Minister of Seniors, Deb Schulte, will participate in a virtual event with the Canadian Association of Retired Persons (C.A.R.P.). This virtual event presents an opportunity for the Minister to provide an update on what the Government of Canada is doing to support seniors during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is also an opportunity for the Minister to share highlights from Budget 2021 and hear directly from C.A.R.P. Chapter Leads.

A photo opportunity and media availability will follow the announcement.

Please note that all details are subject to change. All times are local.



DATE: Monday, May 3, 2021



TIME: 12:30 p.m. EDT

Journalists who want to participate must register by contacting media@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca with their name and media outlet. The Zoom link will be provided to those who register.



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SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada

Cision

View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/April2021/30/c8766.html
New Orleans, Louisiana--(Newsfile Corp. - May 1, 2021) - Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") and KSF partner, the former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors that they have only until May 3, 2021 to file lead plaintiff applications in securities class action lawsuits against Renewable Energy Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: REGI), if they purchased the Company's securities between May 3, 2018 and February 25, 2021, inclusive (the "Class Period"). These actions are pending in the United States District Courts for the Southern District of New York and Central District of California.

What You May Do

If you purchased securities of Renewable and would like to discuss your legal rights and how these cases might affect you and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, contact KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or via email (lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com), or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nasdaqgs-regi/ to learn more. If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in the class actions, you must petition the Courts by May 3, 2021 .

About the Lawsuits

Renewable and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws. On February 25, 2021, post-market, the Company announced its 4Q and full year 2020 financial results, disclosing that it would restate "$38.2 million in cumulative revenue from January 2018 through September 30, 2020" because it was not the "proper claimant for certain BTC payments on biodiesel it sold between January 1, 2017 and September 30, 2020," and that it had reached an agreement with the Internal Revenue Service "on a $40.5 million assessment, excluding interest" to correct these claims. On this news, shares of Renewable fell $8.17, or 9.5%, over two consecutive trading sessions to close at $77.77 per share on February 26, 2021, on unusually heavy trading volume.

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The first-filed case is Ramsey v. Renewable Energy Group, Inc., et al., 1:21-cv-01832.

About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC

KSF, whose partners include former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is one of the nation's premier boutique securities litigation law firms. KSF serves a variety of clients - including public institutional investors, hedge funds, money managers and retail investors - in seeking to recover investment losses due to corporate fraud and malfeasance by publicly traded companies. KSF has offices in New York, California and Louisiana.

To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com.

Contact:

Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC

Lewis Kahn, Managing Partner

lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com

1-877-515-1850

1100 Poydras St., Suite 3200

New Orleans, LA 70163

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/82573
We want to make sure we can connect with people by every means necessary so were not leaving anyone behind, she said. We may have to get extremely creative.

RED AND BLUE

As the state endeavors to vaccinate at least 75 percent of Virginians and reach herd immunitywhich should stop the spread of the virusDr. Danny Avula, the state vaccine coordinator, has said repeatedly that theres less interest in rural areas and among white Republican men. Hes said the most populous areas of the state, such as Northern Virginia, around Richmond and outside Charlottesville, have shown the most interest in the vaccine.

What does that mean for the Fredericksburg area, which has a foot in both camps in terms of being part rural and part urban?

From a political perspective, it runs red. Every locality in the region, except for Fredericksburg and Stafford County, voted Republican in last years presidential election even though President Joe Biden, a Democrat, claimed the state.

Leaders of local Republican committees say the suggestion that theyre not doing their part to reach herd immunity is unfair.
About 20 members of the Back the Badge group met Saturday outside Gourmeltz 90s Music Bar & Draft House in Cosners Corner to set out the long banners for Back the Badge members to write encouraging messages of optimism for both men involved in the incident.

Were praying and hoping that Isiah recovers, were praying for his family, said Jessie Leigh Bolinsky of Spotsylvania. Were also here in support of the police officers who are fighting and working every day for our safety. Its very important for me to show my support here today.

Sudbeck said support for law enforcement is critical now because agencies across the county are losing men and women each day.

I think police departments are hurting, theyre losing people, theyre having a harder time recruiting people, said Sudbeck. And its frustrating, because a lot of the stuff out there isnt true. Police officers have families, kids, parentstheyre human beings doing a job.

For those who couldnt make the event, Sudbeck solicited messages from her social media group ahead of the event then wrote the messages on each of the banners Saturday morning.
When economic losses from the COVID-19 pandemic left more people with less food on the table, the Virginia Community Food Connections made sure they found as many fresh fruits and vegetables as possible.

Headed by Elizabeth Borst, the VCFC has operated for more than 10 years and has grown to include six markets in the Fredericksburg area and one in Prince William County. All local markets saw increases in 2020 in the amount of fresh food sold as a result of the VCFC incentives, including the Ladysmith market in Caroline County, where program-related sales increased by 292 percent, Borst said.

The VCFC programs offer incentives for low-income people to get more for their shopping dollar at local farmers markets, and Borst says the effort helps support family farmers who grow the tomatoes and beans, corn, squash and watermelons.

Those who receive SNAP benefitsformerly called food stampsuse their cards to get a dollar in free fruits or vegetables for each one spent on fresh food, up to a $40 match. The WIC Healthy Food Incentive offers a similar program that helps get locally grown items onto the table for women and their infant children. In addition, the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer, or P-EBT, can be used at markets for double their value.
When Sandra Lindsey, a New York City intensive-care nurse, received the first shot Dec. 14, a delighted Fauci praised the then-unknown scientist whod grown up in rural North Carolina. Dr. Corbett is someone who will go down in history as one of the key players in developing the science that could end the pandemic, Fauci said.

In the month Corbett thought inoculations would just be starting, 60 million Americans have already received at least one dose of the Moderna vaccine she helped develop, with a similar number having received the Pfizer vaccine.

Corbett didnt do her work alone. In fact, in a research field still dominated by men, other female scientists made major contributions: Hamilton Bennett at Moderna; Kathrin Jansen and Katalin Kariko at Pfizer; Ozlem Tuerci with BioNTech, the German firm that partnered with Pfizer.

Corbett, though, stands out in other ways. She is Black, and she is young, just 34 when she updated the president on the vaccines progress. Now, even as she works on developing modified vaccines to combat the COVID variants, Corbett has taken on a second mission, one that she views as no less important than her scientific quest.
Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Libya and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya Jan Kubis arrived in Libya on Monday 26 April to meet Libyan interlocutors and officials with the aim to advance the implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement and the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) Roadmap leading up to the holding of national elections on 24 December 2021.

Special Envoy Kubis held today a series of meetings with high-level Libyan officials starting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs Ms. Najla El-Mangoush. They both reiterated the need to respect Libyas sovereignty in compliance with UN Security Council Resolutions 2570 (2021) and 2571 (2021), as well as the full implementation of the ceasefire agreement including through the withdrawal of all foreign forces and mercenaries, without delay as requested by the UN Security Council. Foreign Minister El- Mangoush highlighted the need for their withdrawal with a clear framework and timelines. The minister further elaborated the need for a comprehensive DDR programme for the country to bring all the arms under the control of the state. The Special Envoy and Foreign Minister El-Mangoush agreed on strengthening the UN-Libyan cooperation, including through facilitating the humanitarian support to irregular migrants and refugees and their voluntary repatriation and resettlement, and the work of UN Agencies Funds and Programmes to ensure better humanitarian and development support to the Libyan people.

Regional security situation and its impact on the stability in Libya, the progress in the implementation of the LPDF Roadmap and the Ceasefire Agreement, especially the opening of the coastal road, in addition to the withdrawal of mercenaries and foreign fighters as well as the preparations for holding the national elections on 24 December topped the discussions during a meeting between the Special Envoy and the two deputies of the Presidency Council Mr. Abdullah Allafi and Mr. Musa Al Koni today in Tripoli. The Special Envoy welcomed the establishment of the High National Reconciliation Commission, urged the appointment and inclusion of women, including in the leadership, and offered UN support for achieving an inclusive, right-based national reconciliation and transitional justice. He stressed that holding the national elections on 24 December is critical for Libyas transition towards unity, democracy, stability and prosperity, and urged in this regard relevant Libyan institutions and parties, including the House of Representatives, to live up to the aspiration of the Libyan people and swiftly finalize the necessary constitutional and legal framework. The two deputies concurred and highlighted the need for unification of the security organs in the country for the implementation of LPDF roadmap, especially holding the elections on 24 December. They requested international support for the withdrawal of foreign mercenaries, fighters and forces from Libya. National reconciliation remains a priority for the presidency and they process will be implemented through the recently established High national reconciliation commission, in cooperation with the African Union and the United Nations.

The Special Envoy also met with Deputy Prime Minister Ramadan Abou Janah and discussed the security situation in the country and in particular in Southern Libya especially in light of recent developments in Chad. The Deputy Prime Minister requested UN support for the unification of Libyan institutions, notably military and security ones, and for the withdrawal of foreign mercenaries, fighters and forces from Libya. They also discussed ways to boost the humanitarian support to Southern towns and cities through the UN Agencies and Funds and Programmes.

At the end of todays program of meetings, Prime Minister Abdulhamid Aldabaiba received Special Envoy Jan Kubis who briefed him on his recent visits to and talks held in different capitals in support of peace efforts in Libya. They discussed the recently adopted UN Security Council Resolutions 2570 (2021) and 2571 (2021) and ways to implement them, including the implementation of the ceasefire agreement and the deployment of UN ceasefire monitors. The meeting also touched upon the progress made so far in the political process, and the steps needed for the holding of the elections on 24 December 2021, the budget as well as areas of collaboration between the UN and the Government in support of the Libyan people. The Special Envoy and PM AlDabaia also discussed the security situation in Libya and the region following the development in Chad.
The astronauts even got to eat some of the crops they grew, Hopkins said during a recent press conference.

"I think all of us would would agree that it is amazing to have fresh [food] up here," Hopkins said.

It was Glover's first-ever mission to space, and his assignment was historic because he became the first Black person to become a full-time ISS staff member.

"One thing that did really profoundly impact me was the very first time I got out of the seat after [our spacecraft] was safely in orbit, and I looked out the window and saw the Earth from 250 miles up," Glover said "I will never forget that moment...It wasn't about the view. It was how the view made me feel...the Earth is amazing. It's beautiful. It protects us, and so we should work hard to protect it."
"Medea," by ancient Greek playwright Euripides, is based on the mythology of Jason of the Argonauts and his sorceress wife, Medea. Theater, dance and music students at University of Colorado at Colorado Springs will perform the tragedy during seven socially-distanced performances at Ent Center for the Arts.
Tony Gagliardi is the Colorado state director for the National Federation of Independent Business.
Jon Caldara is president of the Independence Institute in Denver and hosts The Devils Advocate with Jon Caldara on Colorado Public Television Channel 12. His column appears Sundays in Colorado Politics.
Moroccos Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Bourita, signed several cooperation agreements with his Senegalese counterpart Aissata Tall Sall, on Monday, April 5.

The agreements concern the revitalization and cooperation between Moroccan and Senegalese territorial collectivities, the effective implementation of partnership agreements, and the exchanging of experiences and knowledge in local governance and local management of decentralized entities.

The second agreement touches on the information, communication technology industry. This will allow both countries to develop, strengthen, and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in the area, through the exchange of information, skills, and expertise.

Part of the agreement is the development of digital educational content, that will promote digital universities and distance learning, the transfer of technologies, and best practices in the field of e-government.

Both foreign ministers proceeded to sign a third Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) relating to Technical Cooperation in the field of Civil Aviation. Under the MoU, both countries are committed to providing technical assistance for the safety and security of civil aviation, as well as the development of air transportation.

The cooperation will be implemented through the exchange of expertise and information in civil aviation and transportation, study visits, and specific training.

The signing of the cooperation agreements comes after Bourita chaired the inauguration ceremony of the consulate general of Senegal in Western Saharas city of Dakhla.

It is the 21st consulate opened in the southern cities of Laayoune and Dakhla.
I've never filed a petition for rehearing at the Court of Appeals, and I generally wouldn't unless I thought there was a clear, obvious error in the opinion that changed the disposition of the case. Conventional wisdom is that the odds of prevailing on a rehearing request are very, very long.

Christopher Jackson, partner at Holland & Hart

Pull Quote
Reporter

Stephanie Earls is a news reporter and columnist at The Gazette. Before moving to Colorado Springs in 2012, she worked for newspapers in upstate NY, WA, OR and at her hometown weekly in Berkeley Springs, WV, where she got her start in journalism.
Something Sen. Joni Ernst said during a press conference this week shook me.

It wasnt the type of comment that automatically leaps off the page. I didnt even use it in my story on the press conference and its topic: new legislation designed to address sexual assault in the military.

But it stood out to me because of its raw, personal nature and how it showed exactly why sexual assault is a scourge that we must constantly combat.

The press conference, held outside Thursday in Washington, D.C., was called to highlight the legislation introduced by U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a Democrat from New York who has been working on the bill  and the issue  for eight years. The chief provision, among many in the bill, would remove the decision whether to prosecute a sexual assault allegation from the chain of command, handing it instead to an independent military prosecutor.

Ernst, an Iowa Republican who comes at the issue with a unique perspective because she is both a former military commander and a sexual assault survivor, has lent her support to the legislation and spoke at the press conference. It was when a reporter asked Ernst about her evolution on the bill  Ernst in the past did not support the bill  that Ernst said something that stuck with me.
At the start of both cohorts, women were behind on their rent. They lost their jobs. If they kept jobs, they didnt have the technology available to continue from home. But of the 27 women who have graduated from the program so far, some have gone on to pursue higher education. One woman is in culinary school; another is studying to be a hairstylist. One is learning to become a paralegal, with sights on law school. Many have moved out of subsidized housing.
Dwight hunted when he was younger, Elizabeth said, but didnt discover his deep love of shooting until he was in the military. Widely recognized as an expert teacher and mentor, he was a member of the NRA, CIPS Shooting Club and served as a firearms instructor for the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy.

Being beaten by a former student was a source of great pride, his family wrote in his obituary.

If the sheriffs office ever had an officer who needed a little extra training or some one-on-one coaching, they could always turn to Dwight, Dallas County Sheriff Chad Leonard said.

Dwight had such a passion for firearms and the shooting industry, Chad said. I dont know the tricks of the trade like he does, but he was able to get anybody passed through a qualification after he teaches them.

In addition to being a great teacher and police officer, Dwight was just a positive guy, always willing to lend a hand, said Tom Peterson, Dallas Countys jail administrator.

That man could go to any jail in the state and they knew who he was, Tom said. Polk County  as big as Polk County is  if I go over there for a transport, theyd say, Wheres the big guy? Wheres Dwight? Or Story County. Or any of them."

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Entering the fifth month of a monumental task to vaccinate Americans, the term herd immunity often is tossed out as the ultimate goal of ending the pandemic.

And the herd instinct is generally to look at a national or state snapshot to gauge progress toward the 75% to 90% range many experts feel is needed to perhaps claim a victory over the virus.

However, researchers at the University of Virginia said there needs to be a laser focus at the community level.

And with the varying vaccination rates around the state, some areas of the commonwealth likely will reach immunity more quickly than others.

Thats why changing the language to community immunity may be more appropriate, a weekly report on the state of COVID-19 in Virginia said.

This emphasizes the fact that herd immunity is local, researchers at UVas Biocomplexity Institute wrote. Some communities may achieve it and safely return to normal, while others are still ravaged by COVID-19.

Based on vaccination rates  and general overall acceptance of getting those shots of protection  Northern Virginia may reach community immunity by June or July.
Commissioners to meet Monday

The Rockingham County Board of Commissioners regular meeting is at 6:30 p.m. Monday, May 3, in the Commissioners Chambers of the Governmental Center, 371 N.C. 65 in Reidsville.

Constituents may attend. Everyone should wear a mask and practice social distancing.

To speak during the public comment period, sign in with the clerk to the board prior to the start of the meeting. Those who have questions should contact Jennifer Woods at 336-342-8102 or jwoods@co.rockingham.nc.us.

To see the agenda, visit tinyurl.com/58tdmjfv.

To watch the meeting live, visit tinyurl.com/xwp8rk9c.

Farris honored for 40 years of service

During the recognition section of the regular meeting of the Rockingham County Board of Commissioners on April 19, a special resolution was approved. County Commissioners passed a resolution honoring the retiring Ron Farris for more than 40 years of service, where for most of his career, he served faithfully as building and grounds supervisor for the engineering and public utilities department.
John Hart, the author of six New York Times bestsellers, will be among those participating in the upcoming Greensboro Bound festival, which is being held virtually May 13-16.

Fans of Hart  a Davidson College graduate  wont be surprised that in his latest book, The Unwilling, he makes his mark again with the raw, intimate story of a family rocked by the Vietnam War and drugs, prison and the profound love at any cost that only blood ties can inspire.

The patriarch is a detective in a rural suburb of Charlotte. The hero (and villain, at times) is his estranged son Jason, a hardened and highly trained Marine who has come back from the war disgraced by a dishonorable discharge and a prison term for drugs.

The second brother, Jasons twin, died bravely in Vietnam, his loss scarring the family forever. The youngest brother, Gibby, looked up to his brothers and is willing to forgive whatever wartime acts Jason has committed. The parents cant help but compare the three young men with such different personalities and outcomes.
Bristol, the protagonist of Not So Fast, has grown up in the foster care system after her mother went to prison for opioid use. Bristol is the oldest girl in her group home and a surrogate mother to the younger ones, always comforting and responsible.

Shes about to turn 18 and age out of the system, and she thinks shes found a great job opportunity. Her roommate tries to talk her out of it, but Bristol tells her, I know it pays good money. Better than Walmart or Waffle House. And its a lot easier to dance your way through life than it is to sling pancakes.

Shes also eager to audition because, secretly, shes thrilled by the attention of the elegant woman who offered her the job.

The title character of Ivy Waters is another young girl. Shes growing up in the early 1960s, a time when terminal illnesses like cancer werent discussed in public, or sometimes even among families. So Ivy knows that her beloved father, Hank, is wasting away, but not why. She expects him to find the words that would put the world back in order, but this time he cant.

During a family fishing trip, which is Ivys idea of heaven, she says to her brother, Frankie, I wonder whats wrong with Daddy.
Its never a portrait. You can never create a perfect image, said Paloma Galzi, the forensic artist who created Martins age-progression photo. But if somebody can see a resemblance to someone who kind of looks like the photo, thats what were hoping for.

The photo of Martin Roberts was constructed using six photos of him and four photos of his father from when he was 24  the age Roberts is now, Galzi said.

If Martin Roberts, who is an only child, had any brothers, their photos would also have been used in the composite image.

But Galzi said she was able to glean more photos than in a typical case after reviewing Martin Roberts' Facebook profile.

We do everything by hand using Photoshop. Its a bit like a collage, Galzi said. In (Martins) case, it wasnt a very big gap between the age he went missing and right now, so theres going to be some changes in skin, for example, but not too many facial changes.

Typically, NCMEC creates age-progression photos every two years for children under 18 years old and every five years for adults.

Since 1989, the organization has produced 6,700 age-progression photos of missing children, Galzi said. Of those, more than 1,500 have been found.
In high school, Edwards said, Brown was calm and laid back. Edwards called Brown a ladies man and said he couldnt ever recall Brown getting into a fight.

Hes never been violent, hes never been a mean type of guy, Edwards said. Just down to earth, kind of to himself a little bit, but he would help before he would hurt you.

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Edwards remained familiar with Brown and his family as they grew older. He said he is close with Khalil Ferebee, Browns oldest son.

The Sunday before Brown was killed, he was at Edwards cousins house, helping them move an old car.

Good guy, willing to help, Edwards said.

In the photo Edwards is using as the basis for the mural, Brown is gazing stoically at the camera. Edwards said many people have asked why he didnt use a picture where Brown was smiling.

Those are great pictures, but a mural is supposed to tell a story, I feel as an artist, Edwards said. And I wanted to tell this story through his face. ... This is very serious, and its something we have to really take seriously as a community.
It soon became clear to me that were in the early stages of a voice-profiling revolution that companies see as integral to the future of marketing.

Thanks to the publics embrace of smart speakers, intelligent car displays and voice-responsive phones  along with the rise of voice intelligence in call centers  marketers say they are on the verge of being able to use AI-assisted vocal analysis technology to achieve unprecedented insights into shoppers identities and inclinations. In doing so, they believe theyll be able to circumvent the errors and fraud associated with traditional targeted advertising.

Not only can people be profiled by their speech patterns, but they can also be assessed by the sound of their voices  which, according to some researchers, is unique and can reveal their feelings, personalities and even their physical characteristics.

Flaws in targeted advertising

Top marketing executives I interviewed said that they expect their customer interactions to include voice profiling within a decade or so.

Part of what attracts them to this new technology is a belief that the current digital system of creating unique customer profiles  and then targeting them with personalized messages, offers and ads  has major drawbacks.
People will look at what someone did years ago, and it comes back to haunt them, Wexler said. You have to ask yourself, given the totality of someones work: What have they done then, what would they do now, and what will they do in the future?
Each week, bureau reporters Seaborn Larson and Sam Wilson, along with deputy bureau chief Tom Kuglin, bureau chief Holly Michels and host Thom Bridge, will take their work off the printed and digital page.

Theres only so much that can fit into a report, and theres always much more tell.
Todays Highlight in History:

On May 2, 1994, Nelson Mandela claimed victory in the wake of South Africas first democratic elections; President F.W. de Klerk acknowledged defeat.

On May 2:

In 1519, artist Leonardo da Vinci died at Cloux, France, at age 67.

In 1670, the Hudsons Bay Co. was chartered by Englands King Charles II.

In 1863, during the Civil War, Confederate Gen. Thomas Stonewall Jackson was accidentally wounded by his own men at Chancellorsville, Virginia; he died eight days later.

In 1890, the Oklahoma Territory was organized.

In 1927, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Buck v. Bell, upheld 8-1 a Virginia law allowing the forced sterilization of people to promote the health of the patient and the welfare of society.

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In 1957, Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy, R-Wis., died at Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland.

In 1972, a fire at the Sunshine silver mine in Kellogg, Idaho, claimed the lives of 91 workers who succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning. Longtime FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover died in Washington at age 77.

In 1982, the Weather Channel made its debut.

In 2005, Pfc. Lynndie England, the young woman pictured in some of the most notorious Abu Ghraib photos, pleaded guilty at Fort Hood, Texas, to mistreating prisoners. (However, a judge later threw out the plea agreement; England was later convicted in a court-martial and received a three-year sentence, of which she served half.)

In 2010, record rains and flash floods in Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee caused more than 30 deaths and submerged the Grand Ole Opry House stage. Actor Lynn Redgrave died in Kent, Connecticut, at age 67.

In 2011, Osama bin Laden was killed by elite American forces at his Pakistan compound, then quickly buried at sea after a decade on the run. Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper won a coveted majority government in Canadian elections while the opposition Liberals and Quebec separatists suffered a shattering defeat.

In 2016, the first U.S. cruise ship in nearly 40 years pulled into Havana Harbor, restarting commercial travel on waters that had served as a stage for a half-century of Cold War hostility.

In 2018, two Black men whod been arrested for sitting at a Philadelphia Starbucks without ordering anything settled with the company for an undisclosed sum and an offer of a free college education; they settled separately with the city for a symbolic $1 each and a promise to set up a $200,000 program for young entrepreneurs.

In 2019, North Carolina lawyer Cheslie Kryst won the Miss USA crown; for the first time, Black women held the titles of Miss USA, Miss Teen USA and Miss America.

In 2020, a New York City police officer was caught on video pointing a stun gun at a man and violently taking him to the ground over an alleged social distancing violation. (The officer was stripped of his gun and badge and placed on desk duty the next day; he and other officers later faced disciplinary charges.) Russia and Pakistan each reported their biggest one-day spikes in new coronavirus infections. Texas topped 1,000 new coronavirus cases for the third day in a row, numbers that coincided with the expiration of the states stay at home order. Game of Thrones actor Hafthor Bjornsson set a deadlift world record by lifting 1,104 pounds at a gym in his native Iceland.
DECATUR  Mark Hunter worked for years to acquire a building along Grand Avenue to house his construction business.

On Saturday afternoon, he could only watch as flames from three adjacent buildings threatened to take away all that he had worked for.

I finally get them and and now I got to watch this, Hunter said, referring to a three-alarm warehouse fire at East Grand Avenue and North Calhoun Street in Decatur.

Flames pierced through the roofs of three commercial structures, sending thick plumes of smoke into the sky that could be seen for miles.

"It was a big, thick cloud of smoke right to the point where you couldn't even see the sun," said Marvin Johnson, who works in the building just to the east. "It looked like a full moon at nighttime, but it was broad daylight at the time."

Hunter received a call about the fire from friends in the neighborhood and saw the black smoke as he crossed the bridges over Lake Decatur along Reas Bridge Road.

It was the thickest black smoke, and the closer I got  the worst thoughts went through my mind, Hunter said.

After spending more than an hour watching the flames spread through the neighboring structures, and heat from the fire igniting the door to his business, the sense of despair slowly gave way to hope as the flames subsided and his building was still intact.

My building would be gone if it werent for the Decatur Fire Department, he said, sharing a personal word of thanks with Fire Chief Jeff Abbott after things calmed down a bit.

Abbott said the fire started in the northwest corner of the building near Calhoun and East Locust streets and moved southward toward Grand Avenue.

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It started at the other end of the block, Abbott said as he stood along Grand Avenue. The wind was moving pretty good, pushing it through. It came down to this building here (at the corner of Calhoun and Grand) and once it had an opening, the wind was pushing it through the whole building.

With the warehouse buildings deemed a total loss, Abbott said attention turned to preventing the spread of the fire to a fourth structure.

All city fire trucks are here right now, he said. Basically we were trying to get on all four corners of this building and keep it from spreading anymore. Fire departments from surrounding communities covered Decatur firehouses while crews worked to extinguish the fire.

The fire was the coming out party for Truck 2, the departments newest ladder truck, which was stationed on North Illinois Street where it initially was used to extinguish a fire to a structure to the rear of Hunters building. When that fire was out and the buildings to the west were ablaze, it was used to douse the roof of Hunters building with a continuous flow of water.

Abbott said the State Fire Marshal's Office has been called in to investigate the cause of the fire.

The remaining structures were owned by Gulfco, a limited liability corporation based in Palos Hills. According to the company's website, it is a service specializing in maritime security and "is uniquely situated to conduct business in the State of Kuwait and throughout the Gulf Region."

It is unclear what the company used the Decatur facility for. It was just recently purchased, with Macon County property records showing an April 1 sale for $50,000.

I stood right there watching that building go down and now Im watching the building on the other side go down, Hunter said.

This building now has survived two of the biggest fires in the past 10 years and so its a pretty tough building, Abbott said of Hunters building.

Brenden Moore contributed to this report.

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MAPLEWOOD, N.J. (AP)  Olympia Dukakis, the veteran stage and screen actress whose flair for maternal roles helped her win an Oscar as Chers mother in the romantic comedy Moonstruck, has died. She was 89.

Allison Levy her agent at Innovative Artists said Saturday that Dukakis died Saturday morning in her home in New York City. A cause of death was not immediately released.

Dukakis won her Oscar through a surprising chain of circumstances, beginning with author Nora Ephrons recommendation that she play Meryl Streeps mother in the film version of Ephrons book Heartburn. Dukakis got the role, but her scenes were cut from the film. To make it up to her, director Mike Nichols cast her in his hit play Social Security. Director Norman Jewison saw her in that role and cast her in Moonstruck.

Dukakis won the Oscar for best supporting actress and Cher took home the trophy for best actress.

She referred to her 1988 win as the year of the Dukakii because it was also the year Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis, her cousin, was the Democratic Partys presidential nominee. At the ceremony, she held her Oscar high over her head and called out: OK, Michael, lets go!

Dukakis had yearned to be an actress from an early age and had hoped to study drama in college. Her Greek immigrant parents insisted she pursue a more practical education, so she studied physical therapy at Boston University on a scholarship from the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis.

After earning her bachelors degree, she worked at an understaffed hospital in Marmet, West Virginia, and at the Hospital for Contagious Diseases in Boston.

But the lure of the theater eventually led her to study drama at Boston University.

It was a shocking change, she told an interviewer in 1988, noting that she had gone from the calm world of science to one where students routinely screamed at the teachers.

I thought they were all nuts, she said. It was wonderful.

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Her first graduate school performance was a disaster, however, as she sat wordless on the stage.

After a teacher helped cure her stage fright, she began working in summer stock theaters. In 1960, she made her off-Broadway debut and two years later had a small part in The Aspen Papers on Broadway.

After three years with a Boston regional theater, Dukakis moved to New York and married actor Louis Zorich.

During their first years of marriage, acting jobs were scarce, and Dukakis worked as a bartender, waitress and other jobs.

She and Zorich had three children  Christina, Peter and Stefan. They decided it was too hard to raise children in New York with limited income, so they moved the family to a century-old house in Montclair, a New Jersey suburb of New York.

Her Oscar victory kept the motherly film roles coming. She was Kirstie Alleys mom in Look Whos Talking and its sequel Look Whos Talking Too, the sardonic widow in Steel Magnolias and the overbearing wife of Jack Lemmon (and mother of Ted Danson) in Dad.

But the stage had been her first love.

My ambition wasnt to win the Oscar, she commented after her Moonstruck win. It was to play the great parts.

She accomplished that in such New York productions as Bertolt Brechts Mother Courage and Her Children, Eugene ONeills Long Days Journey into Night and Tennessee Williams The Rose Tattoo.

For two decades she ran the Whole Theater Company in Montclair, New Jersey, specializing in classic dramas.

While her passion lay in stage, a line from her Oscar-winning performance as Rose nonetheless seemed fitting: I just want you to know no matter what you do, youre gonna die, just like everybody else.

The late Associated Press writer Bob Thomas in Los Angeles was the primary writer of this obituary.

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HAMMOND, Indiana  A caravan of Trump supporters traveled hours from Evansville, Indiana, to Hammond to drive by Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr.s house Saturday afternoon in response to a spat over a flag being flown outside a resident's home.

The group, Young Conservatives of Southern Indiana, had made the trip from southern Indiana to the mayors home in response to McDermotts condemnation of an anti-Joe Biden flag containing an expletive.

The flag, which was placed on a residence that sits across from a park, violated a Hammond ordinance banning public display of "obscene" material because it contains two uses of the F-word, McDermott argued.

Locals joined in on Saturday's protest, such as Dee Trojak, of Hebron, who had heard about the event from a social media app and said she was angry at the situation with the flag.

I was appalled, Trojak said. For all the good the mayor supposedly did, why is he against Trump?

McDermott had threatened to send code enforcement officers to go after the resident, Roy Steffan, for any potential violations. The mayor has since met with and apologized to Steffan, and noted he has not been cited by code enforcement for anything.

Steffan said he had no connection to the protest that occurred Saturday, the Young Conservatives of Southern Indiana group that organized it, and no one from the group contacted him about attending or participating.

The caravan gathered at the Walmart parking lot on Cabela Drive and the vehicles, embellished with Trump flags, headed to McDermotts Hammond home, where a group had gathered to show support for the mayor.

McDermott said he estimates there were about 50 people who had gathered. He said they waved and welcomed the group into Hammond, and the caravan drove by without incident. There were no issues or confrontations between either of the groups.

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Hammond police facilitated the caravan for traffic safety.

It was like having a parade coming right to my neighborhood, McDermott said. It was bigger than I thought, more cars, but everyone was nice and my supporters who were in my driveway were really nice.

Before the caravan left the Walmart parking lot, members with bullhorns addressed the group, expressing that their First Amendment rights were under attack. Members advised the group that they should remain peaceful and warned against the potential of leftist mobs in the city.

The group that was waiting at McDermotts home included his friends, family and Region residents who wanted to gather as an antithesis to the Trump caravan. John Cantrell, who lives in the neighborhood, said he doesnt understand what the groups purpose for driving by was.

I think its crazy to drive five hours here and five hours back for this, Cantrell said. There are just so many better things to do with your time then spend 10 hours on that.

North Township Trustee Adrian Santos was among those at McDermotts house.

We welcomed them into the city and waved hello, Santos said.

Santos said that he sees the issue regarding the Hammond residents Biden flag as being one of abiding by local ordinances rather than one of free speech. He said that he believes those in the Trump caravan would take issue if a sign or flag was put in their community by a church or park that had expletives or vulgarity on it.

I respect the fact that if that is what they want to do, they can do it; but I think its all uncalled for, said Santos. I think they are not seeing how the words on the flag has an effect on kids, who play at the park across the street. Theres an ordinance against the displaying of obscene or vulgar material. If they are supposedly law-abiding citizens supporting Donald Trump, they think the rules dont apply to them. We have the right to care about what kids see in our community.

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FLOSSMOOR  The family of a Flossmoor man who got both COVID-19 vaccine doses but later contracted the virus and subsequently died hope to bring awareness of the vaccine's antibody building abilities in some people with preexisting health conditions.

Alan Sporn, 75, tested positive for the coronavirus and died March 29 despite having received his follow-up shot in early February, according to Laurie Sporn, one of his daughters.

He was under a doctor's care for chronic lymphomatic leukemia, and testing done after he was diagnosed with COVID-19 around the third week of March showed his body had developed little resistance to the virus, she said.

Recent medical studies have indicated that people with certain types of cancer might be more susceptible to COVID-19 infections, even after receiving the vaccine.

Sporn "had a fever that wouldn't go away," his daughter said, and he was initially treated in a hospital emergency room and sent home, but didn't get better.

He was admitted March 22 to Glenbrook Hospital in Glenview, where he died, she said.

"The biggest shock to us was he had no antibodies," Laurie Sporn said. "He had 18 when they should be in the high hundreds or thousands."

"We never thought of the possibility the vaccine wouldn't work," she said.

In early April, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center reported findings of a study done on patients at its Hillman Cancer Center that showed people with cancers affecting the blood, bone marrow or lymph nodes were at a higher risk of COVID-19 vaccine failure, and that the risk was particularly acute among those with chronic lymphomatic leukemia, such as Sporn.

The study results mirror those done elsewhere, including the United Kingdom, and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society recently noted that some blood cancer patients "may not get optimal protection from vaccines" and may be more susceptible to COVID-19 infections even after being vaccinated.

Sporn said her dad had been extremely cautious, and not venturing out during the pandemic, but after getting the vaccine felt he was OK and went out for meals twice with friends he hadn't seen in ages.

"These are his best friends," she said.

It was at some point later her dad developed a fever and had labored breathing, and went to the emergency room at Evanston Hospital, she said.

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Sporn said that, since her father's death, the family has heard from other people, including those with chronic lymphomatic leukemia, about how the vaccine did little to produce antibodies against COVID-19. Chronic lymphomatic leukemia, or CLL, is a slowly progressing cancer of the blood and bone marrow.

"The positive of this is other people are aware and can't assume they are safe," Sporn said. "Truly, if anything comes out of this it is awareness."

The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center study showed that about three weeks after getting their final vaccination of a two-dose shot such as the Pfizer or Moderna, of 67 patients with hematologic malignancies including leukemias and lymphomas, some 46% had not produced antibodies.

Further, just three in 13 patients with CLL had produced measurable antibodies, the medical center reported, even though 70% of them were not undergoing any form of cancer therapy.

Sporn said that while her father was under a doctor's care, he was actively receiving treatment for his leukemia.

University doctors say that the results of the study should not prompt those with similar types of cancers to be tested for antibodies, as that test results could cause unnecessary concern in those without detectable antibodies while a positive test could give a false sense of security.

Those with suppressed immune systems should still get vaccinated but continue to wear a mask and practice social distancing, according to the medical center.

While Alan Sporn's name might not be familiar to many people, anyone who has been in a hair salon may have come in contact with his company's wares.

Homewood-based Spornette International sells a full line of hair brushes globally to distributors, salons and other outlets, and Alan Sporn worked for the business his father started in 1950, Walter Sporn Brush Co.

Alan Sporn worked for the business about five decades, and in 2018 turned over management of the company to Laurie, Spornette's president, and son Jeffrey.

Laurie Sporn said her father didn't completely retire from the business, and that there were certain longtime accounts he continued to nurture even after turning over the reins of the business to his kids.

In Alan Sporn's obituary, rather than seeking donations to a charitable organization, the family asked simply that "to honor Alan please do something nice for someone or reach out to an old friend."

"He traveled for his living, and in every city, every country in the world he would spend time with those he knew," his daughter said. "He was very kind, very giving."
GREEN BAY, Wis.  A gunman killed two people at a Wisconsin casino restaurant and seriously wounded a third before he was killed by police late Saturday, in what authorities said appeared to be a targeted attack.

Brown County Sheriff's Lt. Kevin Pawlak said investigators believe the gunman was seeking a specific person he was angry at.

He was targeting a specific victim who was not there, but he decided to still shoot some of the victim's friends or co-workers, it appears, Pawlak said.

Neither the gunman nor the shooting victims were immediately identified.

Pawlak wasnt sure if the shooter was a former employee of the restaurant, but said it appears theres some relationship that had to do with employment.

Whether or not they all worked there, were still working on, he said.

The wounded person was being treated at a Milwaukee hospital, Pawlak said.

The attack happened around 7:30 p.m. at the Oneida Casino, operated by the Oneida Nation on the western side of Green Bay, with the casino tweeting that an active shooter was on the scene.

Jawad Yatim, a witness, said at least two people were shot.

I know for sure two, because it happened right next to us, literally right next to us, Yatim said. But he was shooting pretty aggressively in the building, so I wouldn't doubt him hitting other people.

Yatim said the shooting began in a casino restaurant.

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We got the hell out of there, thank God we're OK, but obviously we wish the best for everybody who's been shot, he said.

Webster said the casino is connected to a large hotel and conference center, the Radisson, also owned by the Oneida Nation.

Gambler Max Westphal said he was standing outside after being evacuated for what he thought was a minor issue.

All of a sudden we hear a massive flurry of gunshots  20 to 30 gunshots for sure, Westphal told WBAY-TV. We took off running towards the highway ... There had to have been 50 cop cars that came by on the highway. It was honestly insane.

Gov. Tony Evers issued a statement late Saturday saying he was devastated to hear about the shooting, but gave no details.

While we are waiting for more information, we hope and pray those who were injured will recover and are grateful for the first responders who quickly responded to the situation.

The Oneida tribes reservation lies on the west side of the Green Bay area.

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Celebration Church, Shipley Ferry Road, Blountville, Tennessee, was the setting Friday evening for a dinner ceremony recognizing regional American veterans of the Korean War. Renowned Korean evangelist and humanitarian Dr. Billy Kim, the Korean government and other Korean friends of American veterans sponsored the event. Bristol businessman Bobby Griffin hosted the ceremony and was one of two Korean War veterans present. The other was 90-year-old Mack Fink of Haysi, Virginia. Following moving remarks by Griffin, patriotic solos by Bristolian Eddie Shelton, a prayer and blessing, a full-course dinner and the enjoyment of a cake decorated with the Korean and American flags, Griffin and Fink, along with family representatives of deceased regional veterans, were presented medals and certificates of appreciation from the government of Korea. Mr. Jim Moore of Kingsport shared the poignant story of his fathers death during the war a mere four weeks before Moore was born. The evening was concluded with a benediction by Father Joe Dunagan of Bristols Emmanuel Episcopal Church and the group singing of God Bless America led by Mr. Shelton. Attendees left with the affirmation that the people of Korea had not forgotten the sacrifices made for them by their American allies. If anyone who served or whose family members served in the Korean War would like to receive a medal, email bobby@bfgmats.com.
BRISTOL, Tenn.  Bond has been set at $50,000 for a woman arrested Saturday in Sullivan County, Tennessee, on several charges, including felony reckless endangerment.

A deputy with the Sullivan County Sheriffs Office observed a vehicle, at 9:30 a.m., speeding on Carden Hollow Road in Bristol. Radar confirmed the vehicles speed to be 68 mph in a 35 mph zone, police said.

The deputy conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle, and the driver initially complied by stopping at the intersection with Old Carden Hollow Road, according to a release.

Upon approaching the vehicle, the driver provided her license and was identified as Brittany Smith, 21, of Johnson City, Tennessee, according to police.

As Smith provided her license, she attempted to drive away, prompting the deputy to try to control the steering wheel, police said.

Yet Smith rolled the window up, trapping the deputys arm, police said.

With the deputys arm trapped, Smith drug the deputy across the road and into a field, according to police.

As Smiths vehicle entered the field, the deputy was able to free himself from the vehicle. The deputy then drew his pistol as the vehicle was driving back toward him, police said.
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The changes are the result of the implementation of Next Generation 911 requirements, which requires numbered addresses to be uniform across the city. In many occasions, locations did not even have proper addresses, and Miller said there were several duplicate streets and addresses across the city.

Miller said the only expense to residents that he is aware of is the cost to print an updated driver's license and the cost of new home address numbers. Most addressing can be changed online, with a phone call or in writing, he said.

The cost to replace a license is $20.

If a person can't afford the $20 for an updated license they can simply update the Department of Motor Vehicles with the new address and keep their current license until it renews.

"While we recognize this may create a financial hardship on some people, the address change was necessary for the safety of our residents when they call 911 seeking emergency services," Miller said. "If a license expires within the next year, DMV has recommended waiting to update the address then, although you still have to notify DMV of the change now."

Vehicle registration can be updated online with no fees. The city also noted that people have time to update their personal, financial or health contacts.
The escort for Heacook on Sunday began around 2 p.m. The route took him from Interstate 95 in Baltimore to Route 50 and Route 404 and finally to Short Funeral Home in Delmar, Delaware. The police department serves both the Delaware town and the adjacent Delmar in Wicomico County, Maryland.
This entirely foreseeable overcrowding crisis has been building steadily for years. The city now finds itself at nothing less than a boiling point.

The number of inmates in the city system has never been higher than it is right now. The steady surge in the prison population is bursting the citys already strained capacity, to the point that action is needed  now.

If the jail had been built more recently, it would be in clear violation of current state standards at roughly 230% capacity. However, the facility was grandfathered into standards nearer to its construction and is only allowed to operate now as a result. As population has increased, the issues of overcrowding have only gotten worse.

The crisis of the jails age has become more apparent and inevitable every year. Companies that built and maintained critical jail infrastructure such as doors have gone out of business in the past half century, and parts are scarce. Pipes leak. Heating and electricity require regular repairs. And there is no air conditioning  for inmates or correctional officers.

All of these things come with a cost. City officials have estimated that the facility has less than 10 years of viable use remaining. The clock is ticking.
In your recent article, Southwest Virginia Sheriffs Concerned About Pot Legalization, April 10, 2021, you quote law enforcement professionals concerns about the effects of the recent legalization of marijuana possession on traffic fatalities in Virginia. Traffic deaths are, however, not the main threat presented by legalization of marijuana in Virginia.

Permanent impairment of young brains is the actual threat of marijuana legalization. The very youths whose equity is supposedly being secured by this legislation are going to have their brain development disturbed by the use of marijuana. This is not news. The legislators had to work hard to ignore the studies and reports that for years have reported that for people younger than 25, marijuana causes irreversible changes in brain function. In some teenagers, marijuana use induces psychosis and in a few, marijuana use is associated with the onset of schizophrenia.
Representative Image

Kathmandu [Nepal], May 3 (ANI): Nepal on Sunday banned all domestic flights from Monday midnight and all international flights from Wednesday midnight until May 14 amid a surge in COVID-19 cases.

"The decision on flight restrictions are in place until May 14," Health Minister Hridayesh Tripathi told the Kathmandu Post. "However, charter flights will be allowed."

Nepal has also made quarantine mandatory for everyone arriving in the country.

Foreigners flying into the Kathmandu Valley are subject to a mandatory 10-day quarantine in hotels upon arrival. A negative polymerase chain reaction test result obtained within 72 hours prior to departure from the country of origin is required for entry into Nepal.

Bus services have been halted since Thursday (April 29), reported Kathmandu Post.

Before the Cabinet's decision, the country's civil aviation regulator-the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal-had decided to introduce a fixed quota system for airlines to restrict the number of flights.

"The whole country is going into lockdown and the two-week circuit-breaker is a wise decision," Birendra Bahadur Basnet, managing director of Buddha Air told the Kathmandu Post. "We will regret it if we don't act now."

On April 29, Nepal enforced two-week prohibitory orders in Kathmandu Valley as the three districts of the Valley-Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur-are the most affected ones by the pandemic in terms of the number of daily cases, reported Kathmandu Post.

According to statistics of Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport, domestic airlines saw an all-time one-day record of passenger numbers of 15,263 on April 28, a day before the prohibitory orders came into force enforced in Kathmandu Valley, as people scrambled to leave the Capital city.

Passenger numbers, however, started to drop gradually and stood at 7,225 on Sunday.

Nepal on Sunday reported the highest-single day surge of coronavirus cases since the beginning of the pandemic in January last year. The country recorded 7,137 new cases in polymerase chain reaction tests and 74 in antigen tests. With 27 new fatalities from COVID-19-related complications, the death toll has reached 3,325.

The countrywide infection tally has reached 3,36,030, with the number of active cases at 48,711. The highest number of daily cases prior to Sunday was recorded on October 21 last year when the country reported 5,743 COVID-19 infections on a single day, reported Kathmandu Post. (ANI)
On the April 18, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had sounded alarm bells over the impending oxygen crisis in the capital amid an unprecedented surge in Covid-19 cases. Del facing acute shortage of oxygen. In view of sharply increasing cases, Del needs much more than normal supply. Rather than increasing supply, our normal supply has been sharply reduced and Delhis quota has been diverted to other states. OXYGEN HAS BECOME AN EMERGENCY IN DEL, Kejriwal tweeted.

Thirteen days later, a visibly shaken Kejriwal, only confirmed the worst fears of the citizens  even those who are sick and battling for life in ICUs across Delhis hospitals are not guaranteed of their chance at life. Inaugurating the first vaccination drive for the age group of 18+ in the capital, Kejriwal said, There is a massive problem regarding oxygen. Hospitals across Delhi are sending SOSs, some say they have run out of oxygen, some say they have one hour of supply left, some others say that they have half hour of supplies lift, the condition is worsening. The chief minister said that the government has informed the courts and also the central government that Delhis requirement is 976 MT per day, whereas the allocation is 490 MT, and yesterday the national capital got just 312 MT of oxygen.

Sources within the Delhi government released the figures of oxygen supply vis-a-vis allocation to Delhi in the past one week. From April 25 30, the oxygen supply that reached the capital was 305MT, 408MT, 398 MT, 431 MT, 409 MT and 312 MT.

The distress situation across various hospitals in the capital on Saturday can be linked to the inadequate supply yesterday. Last night, after reviewing the status of oxygen supply in hospitals, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia tweeted, Reviewed the status of oxygen supply in hospitals. The crisis still persists and shall continue till we get sufficient quantity of supply.Not for a single day has Delhi been able to receive the allocated quantity of 490 MT oxygen. Every day is an SOS situation for Delhi.

Story continues

Sisodia had earlier written to Industry and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal requesting that the central government not only allocate 978 MT of medical oxygen to Delhi but also arrange the transportation for the same. One of Delhi government s concerns is that approximately 100 MT of oxygen have been allocated from plants in West Bengal and Odisha and the capital has not been able to receive that quota even on a single day.

The per day demand for oxygen in the national capital is 978 MT and the allocation by the centre is 590 MT, an addition of 100 MT but the actual availability on the ground every day is less than half the demand. Cumulative oxygen demand for six days is 5,868MT and the allocation is 3,040 MT while the actual quantity received is 2,263 MT.

Meanwhile, the Centre has denied the charges accusing Kejriwal of peddling lies. Delhi govt asked for 470 MT of oxygen. The Center allocated 490 MT, which it has increased to 590 MT. But as on 26 Apr, Delhi Govt had lifted only 361.9 MT, BJPs Amit Malviya wrote on Twitter.

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All this comes on a day when Batra hospital lost 12 patients, including one of their own doctors as it ran out of oxygen supplies on Saturday. Chief Minister Kejriwal expressed grief over the incident. This news is very painful. Their lives could have been saved  by giving them oxygen on time. Delhi should get its quota of oxygen. Cant see our people dying like this. Delhi needs 976 tonnes of oxygen, but it received only 312 tonnes yesterday. How will Delhi breathe in such a less amount of oxygen? he said on Twitter in Hindi.

The Delhi High Court Saturday directed all hospitals in the national capital to provide information on daily admissions and discharge of COVID-19 patients and of those admitted for over 10 days, since April 1. A concern was raised in the court regarding optimal utilisation of ICU and oxygenated beds and ICU beds in hospitals and nursing homes across Delhi.

A bench of justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli, which held a four-hour-long special hearing on a holiday on various issues relating to the COVID-19 situation, said it appears there is choking of beds taking place in hospitals and nursing homes. Looking into the dearth and shortage of beds, particularly oxygen beds and beds in ICU, we consider it necessary to have this aspect looked into as there are allegations of malpractice of patients not being discharged despite having recovered from the COVID-19 disease, the bench said.

The Delhi High Court, upon learning that the brother-in-law of advocate Amit Sharma, who had petitioned the Court for an ICU bed passed away during the course of the hearing, has already said that the state has failed in performing its fundamental obligation of protecting the most basic fundamental right, that is right to life enshrined in article 21 of the Constitution of India.

On Friday, Delhi recorded 27,047 fresh cases which is the highest over the past ten days, 375 casualties and 99361 active cases. The positivity rate in the capital continues to hover around an uncomfortable high of 33%. In the midst of the deepening crisis, the Delhi chief minister extended what he initially termed as a mini lockdown, for the second time. Delhi government has plans of adding 15,000 oxygen beds and 1,200 ICU beds soon but it is completely dependent on secure supply of oxygen.

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Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan

Islamabad [Pakistan], May 1 (ANI): Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday once again asked the opposition parties to come forward for discussion on electoral reforms including the introduction of electronic voting machines (EVMs) even though major parties have already dismissed his proposal.

"Our govt is determined and we will put in place reforms in our electoral system through the use of technology to bring transparency and credibility to our elections and strengthen our democracy," Imran Khan said in one of his tweets, adding that in the recently concluded NA 249 bye-election, all parties are claiming rigging.

His remark comes in the backdrop of the Pakistan Peoples Party's (PPP) win in the NA-249 by-election in Karachi, which earlier today, went for recount after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) accepted PML-N's application and fixed the hearing for May 4 (Tuesday).

Most big opposition parties have dismissed a proposed electoral reform by Pakistan Prime Minister for the introduction of EVMs, The News International reported.

Despite Imran Khan's stress on EVMs, the opposition has argued that anything that is controlled and operated by others and can be used to manipulate electoral results is unacceptable.

Former Speaker Pakistan and PML-N leader Sardar Ayaz Sadiq claimed that the countries where EVMs have been tried and tested have either already reverted to paper ballots or are going back to the old system for different reasons.

"A financially tied-up country like Pakistan can't afford billions and billions of rupees to purchase hundreds of thousands of EVMs. Additionally, because of technical problems, the country can't ensure uninterrupted electricity supply and internet service all over Pakistan to keep the EVMs functional on polling day," the former speaker said. "We have to keep in view our resources and capacity," he added. (ANI)
Rear Admiral Ajay Kochhar, NM, Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet called on Vice Admiral Samuel Paparo, Commander, Commander, Fifth Fleet, US Navy at Mina Salman harbour, Bahrain.

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 2 (ANI): Rear Admiral Ajay Kochhar, NM, Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet (FOCWF) called on Vice Admiral Samuel Paparo, Commander of Fifth Fleet, US Navy at Mina Salman harbour, Bahrain on May 1.

A Government of India (GoI) release stated that the Admirals discussed the way ahead for increasing interoperability between the two navies and enhancement in mutual cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region.

The call happened in the backdrop of the deployment of the Western Fleet to the Persian Gulf as part of Operation Samudra Setu II, the release said.

Indian Navy has launched Operation Samudra Setu-II to augment the ongoing national mission for meeting oxygen requirements in view of surge in cases of COVID-19.

In a tweet, Indian Navy spokesperson said that mission-deployed Indian Naval warships will undertake shipment of liquid oxygen filled cryogenic containers and associated medical equipment. (ANI)
While AOC and other far-left radicals are no doubt thrilled with Bidens performance thus far, its difficult to believe that all of those who supported Biden last November are onboard for the Green New Deal and other massive spending projects intended to remake America.

In that vein, there are two columns by Bret Stephens that are worthy of attention. Stephens is one of the more reasonable columnists at the New York Times. One piece, Race and the Coming Liberal Crackup, addresses the toxic anti-racism that has gripped the nation. The other, Liberals for DeSantis, addresses the dishonesty and bias in mainstream media, including the recent attempt by CBS 60 Minutes to discredit Ron DeSantis, Florida governor.

Ill say it again: What is there not to like about low taxes, low unemployment, reduced regulation, increased individual liberties, wage growth, energy independence, and a middle class revival? All of those are now under attack in this country.

It is so, so nice of our overseers to allow us to ditch our masks when outdoorswith limitations, of course.

These are the same people, by the way, who say that childcare is infrastructure.
BLOOMINGTON  An Illinois man accused Mars Inc. of placing a needle in his M&Ms, causing a mouth injury. The FBI called in Mark Cheviron, a polygraph examiner from Decatur, to administer a lie detector test to find the truth.

It went all the way to federal court. I testified about that where he finally made admissions that he did it himself, said Cheviron, a former security director at Archer Daniels Midland who also worked with the Macon County Sheriffs Department.

Cheviron is retired, but still holds a license and issues some tests.

He's one of the few.

The number of polygraph examiners entering the industry across the United States has plummeted since the 1990s. There are just 63 registered in Illinois, according to the state Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, which issues licenses.

Today, the tests are most often given to law enforcement officers applying for jobs, as well as those seeking federal security clearances. Some police agencies also use polygraphs when interrogating suspects, although that too has changed.

While most polygraph jobs are full-time careers with a median yearly salary of around $58,000, it's a challenging line of work to get into, said Steve Woody, of All Purpose Polygraph in Normal.

There really arent a lot of polygraph examiners left in Illinois because were a difficult state to license in, he said.

Still, there is a client base out there hungry for the truth, he said.

Detection of Deception license

William M. Marston invented the lie detector in 1917, based on the premise that a rise in blood pressure could determine if someone was telling the truth.

Along the way, they've become mainstays of crime dramas, as well as devices in movie plots from "Dead Man Walking" to "Meet the Parents." In fact, Woody administered a polygraph test on Matt Damon in "The Informant!" filmed in Decatur.

Vice President Mike Pence volunteered to take a lie detector test to prove he didn't write an anti-Trump op-ed in The New York Times in 2018. Former U.S. House Rep. Gary A. Condit took one in connection with the disappearance of Chandra Ann Levy in 2001. The devices were a topic in the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Modern tests today measure heart rate, breathing and galvanic skin response, but the setup has also been challenged for its legitimacy and accuracy. The Supreme Court has ruled that lower courts can ban tests as evidence.

Arthur Beier, a retired examiner from Mattoon, said the accuracy of the results depends heavily on the questions asked, and that depends on the examiner.

An important part of polygraph is using the language that the individual uses. You need to be able to formulate your questions on his or her level, said Beier.

Before beginning a polygraph, the examiner will come up with specific questions to the topic, called relevant questions, which will be asked at least three times, among other questions. After that, the person sits in the polygraph chair with a blood pressure cuff wrapped around an arm.

If I see anything that would indicate to me that there was deception, that you were not telling me the truth on a question, then I would start  its called the interrogation phase, Woody said. I would start asking you questions about, Hey, youre having a reaction here, is there something that youre not telling me? Is there something thats holding you back? So, Im going to try to find out why youre having that reaction on that particular question.

Then, the polygraph examiner grades the test using a numbering system that eventually results in NDI, no deception indicated; DI, deception indicated; or no opinion, which means there was not enough data to determine a score.

Questions need to be one-pointed and produce a yes or no answer.

You cant have any questions like, Did you go to the back door and break the window and enter the house? Thats three separate questions, Cheviron said.

That distinction is one of the factors gauged when the state issues a polygraph examiner license, technically known as a Detection of Deception license.

Eleven to 13 weeks of school is required and there 13 programs accredited through the American Polygraph Association offering courses. The closest are the Michigan State Police Polygraph Program in Lansing and the National Polygraph Academy in Lexington, Kentucky.

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Then applicants have to intern with a licensed examiner and conduct 25 tests, followed by taking an eight-hour, eight-subject test, which allows two re-takes of any subjects failed before having to re-take all of the tests together.

Licenses then have to be renewed every two years.

Beier, the Mattoon examiner, said his message is to think of polygraphs as a instrument that leads to answers.

Its a tool and if you use it the way its supposed to be, its a very good tool, Beier said. Its not brain surgery. Keep it simple, keep it straight to the point, and either youre going to find out something or youre not.

Still, the use of the polygraphs has fallen off in recent years, especially of employees and those accused of crimes. Test results are sometimes not allowed in court, subject to numerous factors.

It just depends on the prosecutor, the defendant, the judge. ... They are admissible, but you just got to get the court to allow them in, Woody said.

Cheviron has testified many times, but said youre not allowed to say the word "polygraph" while on the witness stand.

Like Beier, he said theyre a tool.

Theres really a lot of uses for polygraph, but I dont think people can just rely on them, Cheviron said. I think youve got to have really good police work first. Its an investigative technique and thats all it is.

The exams are used more often in some areas for sex offenders, which was who Beier mostly tested for about 15 of his roughly 20-year career as an examiner.

Beier said polygraphs play a good role in those cases because it elicits more information from the offenders. It helps the therapist get a better idea of what the offender is thinking and doing. Beier added that he would often collaborate with sex offender therapists.

One of the therapists I used was a good friend of mine and he used to get irritated at me because I would be able to get more information from these guys than he did after six months, Beier said. Thats kind of what polygraph will do.

Testing the authorities

Normal Police Chief Rick Bleichner said his agency hasnt used a polygraph for a criminal case in at least four years.

Today, the department is more likely to hire one to test job applicants and a frequent customer of All Purpose Polygraph for pre-employment tests. Bleichner said polygraphs help guide interview questions.

"It helps our background investigators when theyre looking at things really to help verify information and to make certain theyre being truthful and accurate in all parts of their application and background, Bleichner said, adding that not-so-truthful results don't automatically eliminate job candidates.

The federal Employee Polygraph Protection Act has banned most private employers from doing lie detectors since 1989. Woody said the plan dramatically changed the business.

Thats probably the biggest thing that put kind of a downward trend on them, but its been a good thing, too, because they were abused, and once you get the abuse in there, you got to do something to take care of that, Woody said.

Woody and other retired examiners also pointed to COVID-19-related shutdowns, which decimated local governments tax revenues and budgets, have been a large factor in the drop off.

Whats the future for polygraph examiners?

The criminal justice reform bill that Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed into law in February includes strengthening the certification process for police officers. Bleichner said it's possible that some part of those new certification requirements "could help, and through time, might alleviate some of the need for those (polygraphs)."

Possibly the most substantial issue that comes with having only one polygrapher in Central Illinois is scheduling times for each job applicant to be tested, Bleichner said. He said there would be risks if suddenly there were no polygraph examiners nearby.

The risk of not doing it would be there may be some things that werent disclosed either in the interview process or through the application process that might not come to light that could come to light later on," Bleichner said.

Woody said the truth is, polygraphs remain valuable, even if the business has changed so much.

You can hang a shingle out tomorrow and you might not be busy for a while, Woody said. Unless youve got some pretty good savings or financial backing, its kind of hard."

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BROOKFIELD  Nearly two dozen young endangered turtles have been released into the wild at a suburban Chicago nature preserve.

Twenty-two Blanding's turtles were released Wednesday at the Forest Preserves of DuPage County as part of a decades-long effort to rebuild populations of the semi-aquatic turtles in Illinois.

Dan Thompson, a wildlife ecologist at the forest preserves, said 10 of the young turtles barely larger than an average person's thumb were bred and raised in captivity at the Brookfield Zoo.

Blanding's turtles were once common throughout the Midwest, but they are now endangered in Illinois. Although they're tiny when they're young, the turtles grow to about the size of a human palm when they're adults.

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Staff at the Forest Preserves of DuPage County have been working for a quarter-century to rebuild the local Blanding's turtle population and their efforts are paying off. He said their numbers have grown and the population includes turtles with a larger range in ages.

"We can push species to the brink of extinction or they just can't even persist here anymore. But to recover them - that doesn't happen overnight. That just takes an awful lot of work," Thompson told WLS-TV.

The Brookfield Zoo has been raising Blanding's turtles for that effort for about a decade. The zoo is in the Chicago suburb of Brookfield.

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Q: What exactly is the Cinco de Mayo celebration about? Everyone says that its not Mexicos independence day, so what is it?L.O.

Answer: Cinco de Mayo (the fifth of May in English) commemorates the 1862 victory of a small Mexican militia over the French army at the battle of Puebla, near Mexico City. It is often confused with Mexicos Independence Day, which is celebrated Sept. 16.

On Cinco de Mayo, led by Mexican General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguin, a poorly armed, outnumbered militia was able to stop and defeat a well-outfitted French army of 6,500 soldiers, which ended the French invasion of Mexico. The victory is remembered as a glorious moment for Mexican patriots.

Cinco de Mayo is recognized throughout Mexico, but it is most heavily celebrated in the city of Puebla and its surrounding region. Additionally, U.S. cities with large Mexican populations recognize the day with cultural festivities. For example, San Diegos three-day festival commemorating Cinco de Mayo regularly attracts more than 250,000 people, according to the festivals Web site at www.fiestacincodemayo.com.

This year, Cinco de Mayo is Wednesday.
The shortage of critical protective equipment during the first months of the pandemic led the Trump administration to issue guidelines for providers to ration, clean and reuse disposable equipment.

Rather than disposing of a N95 mask after each use, the majority of medical providers treating COVID-19 patients have received a new mask on a weekly basis.

AP reported that since U.S. manufacturers have vast PPE surpluses for sale, and hospitals say they have three to 12 month stockpiles, federal health officials recommended hospitals and health care providers should try to return to one mask per patient.

However, for now, hospitals are legally permitted to sterilize and reuse N95s.

Wake Forest Baptist said that creating a diversified supply of durable, reusable masks will be critical to ensuring a resilient response to the end of the coronavirus pandemic and to future public health crises.

An infectious disease outbreak in 2002-04, the H1N1 flu pandemic of 2009-10 and the MERS outbreak of 2012 show that there is a need for improved and reusable masks beyond just COVID-19, said Dr. Werner Bischoff, co-principal investigator of the study and professor of infectious diseases at the Wake Forest medical school.
The High Point Medical Center emergency department providers are experts at stabilizing trauma patients who need immediate care, and then transferring them to a trauma center for more definitive care, Hoekstra said. Trauma center designation is not as important as the quality of care provided locally at High Point Medical Center for trauma victims. We believe that being part of a trauma system of care... assures the best care for trauma patients from the High Point region.

A lot of gray area

With a population 111,714, High Point has gained a violent reputation, with some residents taking to calling it Little Chicago. Between 2017 and 2020, more than 400 people were shot in the city. Sixty of them died from their injuries.

From 2017 to 2019, a higher percentage of shootings in High Point resulted in death compared to Greensboro and Durham, two other cities in the state that tracked shootings for that time period, according to data from each city. While fatal shootings are more common in High Point, there are fewer shootings per 10,000 residents than in Greensboro and Durham.

Dr. Marie Crandall, a professor at the University of Florida College of Medicine, studies traumatic injuries and how access to trauma care impacts health outcomes across the United States.
Those jobs included 76 held by employees who are blind and 15 by veterans.

IFB said in August that while the law will help protect existing, longstanding VA contracts held by AbilityOne nonprofit agencies ... it does not enable IFB Solutions to regain the VA contracts lost last fall or all of the optical lab jobs supporting those contracts.

Among the changes was to exclude contracts that had been terminated by the VA, as is the case for IFB.

Agreeing to the amendment was important to enabling swift approvals, thereby saving as many current VA contracts held by our fellow AbilityOne agencies as possible, IFB said.

IFB said that there is a possibility that the work could come back to the AbilityOne program should the VA not be able to qualify that there are two or more veteran-owned small businesses capable of performing the work.

IFB said it will continue to pursue new contracts, especially commercial opportunities outside of the federal marketplace.

Since the ending of the VA optical lab contracts, IFB has shifted toward other revenue sources from new vendors, mining more the ones we have now and creating new opportunities, like the retail store, Horton said.

In March 2020, IFB opened its Twenty200 Eyewear optical store at 631 Coliseum Drive NW in Winston-Salem.

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A Forsyth County man has won $1 million in the N.C. Education Lottery, state officials say.

Marvin Northrup of Lewisville, who bought lottery tickets in Salisbury, became the 10th winner of the Millionaire Maker contests top prize, lottery officials said in a statement.

I was at a line dance function in Salisbury, and we went out to dinner, Northrup said. After that I stopped at the convenience store and played one ticket that wasnt any good and played the second ticket and hit it for the big money.

Northrup purchased his winning $30 ticket from a Rushco Food Store on East Innes Street in Salisbury, lottery officials said.

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When I scratched the ticket, I was in disbelief, Northrup said. The number was 57, and I grabbed my chest and said, Oh my God, oh my God, I cant believe this. Its wonderful.

Northrup claimed his prize Wednesday at lottery headquarters in Raleigh.

Northrup had the option of taking the $1 million as an annuity of $50,000 a year over 20 years or a lump sum of $600,000, lottery officials said.

Northrup chose the lump sum of $600,000 and took home $424,509 after federal and state taxes were withheld.
We see all this stuff happening all over the world, but we never thought that something like this would happen in our town, City Council member Gabriel Adkins said during an emergency meeting called after the shooting.

And people are afraid. ... They are afraid that, you know, the riots are going to start, Adkins said.

Surrounded by miles of ocean-flat farmland, Elizabeth City is a quaint-looking urban hub for a relatively isolated region. The economy is anchored in large part by a large U.S. Coast Guard base, which often deploys rescue missions into the nearby Atlantic Ocean. It is also home to Elizabeth City State University, a historically Black university founded in 1891. Still, more than one in five people live in poverty in the city.

The city is about an hour drive from Virginias Hampton Roads region as well as North Carolinas touristy Outer Banks. But its not a place many people drive through  or have heard of.

Im sorry that this is the first time many folks are hearing about Elizabeth City, said Melissa Stuckey, a history professor at the university. Because its a place where Black freedom struggles have happened over many decades.
ELIZABETH CITY  Hundreds of mourners paid their respects to a North Carolina man whose shooting at the hands of sheriffs deputies has triggered a wave of protests.

Public viewings were held Sunday for Andrew Brown Jr. in Hertford and then in Elizabeth City, where Brown was shot by Pasquotank County sheriffs deputies serving search and arrest warrants.

An autopsy conducted by Browns family found he was shot in the back of his head. His family and protesters are demanding release of police camera footage.

News outlets report that dozens of people attended the viewing in Hertford and hundreds attended the Elizabeth City viewing.

Terrell Green, Browns cousin, said he was playing cards and hanging out with Brown on April 21, a few hours before he was killed.

I just feel like theyre trying to hide something, Green said.

Protesters have gathered daily in Elizabeth City to demand accountability: Green said he has attended the protests as well.

They declare a state of emergency, bring in all these officers from all over the place, set a curfew. We havent even broken a glass bottle, he said. We just want the truth.
They were trying to find Mr. Barnes, who was in essence, in the woods somewhere, Hagaman said. Camping out isnt the right word, but he was hiding in the woods or staying in the woods. Nobody knew exactly where he was. When that report came from the dad of the allegation of brandishing a weapon, then thats when we decided, Well, if hes in the woods maybe wait him out and see if hell come out. But he never did. The follow-up to that was what led to our deadly encounter with him.

When Barnes mother and stepfather, Michelle and George Wyatt Ligon, didnt show up to work or respond to calls on Wednesday, Sgt. Chris Ward and K-9 Deputy Logan Fox were sent to 553 Hardaman Circle at 9:44 a.m. to perform a welfare check. Upon arrival, they saw two cars outside the home belonging to the family and suspected the couple was inside. After knocking on the door and entering the house, they were met by an unexpected visitor.

They were walking from the main level downstairs. Thats when Mr. Barnes shot the officers, Hagaman said.

After backup forces arrived, a diversion was created and a small rescue squad pulled Ward out of the house. A Boone police officer was hit by gunfire during an initial rescue attempt of the deputies, but was uninjured thanks to a ballistic helmet.
I once thought that. Then I overcame my irrational belief in God and realized that everything matters more, especially morality.

If theres no god to fall back on, then we must take responsibility for ourselves. How we choose to live and how we treat others (and how they treat us) is of the utmost importance. This isnt just a dress rehearsal for heaven, its the real thing. Forgiveness for trespass cannot be taken for granted. Sometimes, it must be earned.

The letter writer tried to undermine Zuckermans main point  that secular nations like the Scandinavian countries tend to have less crime, less violence, better education, more equitable economics and a kinder social safety net than religious nations like ours. But he couldnt deny the reality of that point.

God-given rights are limiting  and, as practiced by conservatives, more limited  rather than freeing. God-believers often use their god as an excuse for their cruelty and hatred, like some in North Carolina are doing right now as they attack LGBTQ youth.

Secular nations are more humane. They are, by the objective standards listed above, better.

The ease with which some god-believers are willing to hurt others and deny their equality and rights should tell us something.
Q: Recently one of my local TV stations featured a Western called Guns of Paradise. The male lead was an actor named Lee Horsley. He looked very familiar, but I have been unable to find anyone who remembers other roles he played. Is he still acting or retired?

A: Tall Texan Lee Horsley, now in his mid-sixties, has still shown up on-screen from time to time; writer-director Quentin Tarantino included Horsley in both The Hateful Eight and Django Unchained. But his screen-acting heyday was in the 80s and 90s, where his TV series included Nero Wolfe, Matt Houston, Bodies of Evidence, Hawkeye and Paradise (later known as Guns of Paradise). You might also have seen him in miniseries such as North and South Book II and Crossings, as well as several TV movies and the big-screen adventure The Sword and the Sorcerer.

Q: I was a huge fan of the TV series Monk with Tony Shalhoub. I think I have seen every episode about 50 times. About a month ago a friend said they were going to make a made-for-TV movie with Shalhoub reprising his role. I am wondering if the rumor is true.

A: There was talk about 10 years ago about a TV-movie reunion of the 2002-2009 series, but it did not happen, reportedly because of budgetary concerns. In May 2020, Shalhoub did play Adrian Monk again in a short pandemic-themed piece for Peacocks At-Home Variety Show. It also featured Monk co-stars Ted Levine, Traylor Howard and Jason Gray-Stanford, as well as a closing note where Shalhoub says he and his wife, Brooke Adams, had both had COVID-19. You can still find the piece, titled Mr. Monk Shelters in Place, on Peacock with the "At-Home Variety Show" listing.

Reach Rich Heldenfels at P.O. Box 417, Mogadore, OH 44260, or brenfels@gmail.com.

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McDonald's on Monday announced plans to hire more than 2,000 employees in Nebraska this summer, including nearly 800 in Lincoln.

But the fast-food giant may find the going quite tough, as restaurant workers are in short supply while demand is spiking.

Companies ranging from large chains to mom-and-pop diners are all seeing business start to rebound. Sales at bars and restaurants rose more than 13% in March compared with February, according to the Commerce Department, as more people get vaccinated and cities loosen restrictions on dining.

In Nebraska, there were more than 2,500 more jobs in the hospitality industry in March than there were in February.

That means there is a growing need to fill positions that went dark during the coronavirus pandemic. A recent three-year economic forecast for Nebraska predicted there will be a 4.6% increase in service industry jobs in the state this year.

But many in the industry are finding that the usual pool of workers who would fill those jobs is not there.

"Our business is starting to come back, but we don't have staff," said Zoe Olson, executive director of the Nebraska Restaurant Association. "We just don't have enough people to work."
But that fact  that there is no 30x30 land grab in the works  did not stop governors of 15 Midwestern states including Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota, from sending a letter to President Biden  saying they have not been adequately consulted on the program.

Most likely because  once again  there is no program.

A few days later, however, Vilsack had to again squash completely phony press stories about how the Biden Administration hoped to drastically reduce Americas meat consumption as part of its recently announced climate change policy.

In fact, Bidens commitment didnt include any targets for agriculture or any other sector, reported the authoritative Agri-Pulse April 27.

Mostly because there is no formal climate change program -- yet.

And, it seems, there will never be one if many of todays ag leaders and rural politicians continue to peddle their claptrap about land grabs and hamburgers. But thats what their deceits are really about; they like it just the way it is and tough luck to all who follow.

Which brings us back to Stegners experience of how most Americans see their role in the environment: we use it up. And as we do, we dont want to talk about it.

Not honestly, anyway.

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Dettloff now has been free of seizures since the ablation procedure more than a year ago, said Vannicea (pronounced Vanessa) Bigelow, his significant other. He has been able to stop taking one of three medications (eliminating its side effects) and is working to reduce and eliminate another. With no seizures, Dettloff began driving again last summer, allowing him to run his own errands and regain independence.

We are so glad we decided to go through (with) the surgery, Bigelow said. They give you all the things that could happen with the surgery  but we knew this would be our only option; otherwise, the seizures would just continue. Its been the biggest, best, greatest thing ever for him.

Bigelow said she and Dettloff want others  particularly children, who could benefit from finding answers sooner  to know that these new technologies are available and that they can get them without leaving the state.

Dr. Olga Taraschenko, director of the University of Nebraska Medical Centers comprehensive epilepsy program, said some 60,000 people have active  or poorly controlled  epilepsy in Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota, based on 2017 data from the U.S. Census and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
An Ord man is suing the town for his attorney fees and is seeking punitive damages for filing a lawsuit against him last year to try to get him to stop writing letters and emails to city officials and the police department that they called "burdensome."

The city lost the suit. Now, Guy Brock is suing them.

In the lawsuit filed this week in U.S. District Court of Nebraska in Lincoln, Brock's attorney, J.L. Spray, said during the last decade Brock has had a practice of writing letters to the city of Ord and its elected representatives related to city government.

On March 4, 2020, the city filed a lawsuit against him in Valley County District Court seeking a restraining order or an injunction to stop him from "sending communication of any kind to the City of Ord and the Ord Police Department unless directly related to a city service or other city function related specifically to the Defendant and his property," City Attorney Heather Sikyta wrote in the complaint.

She said Brock's letters and emails had "increasingly become harassing and burdensome" to the city and the police department.

In them, he alleged wrongful conduct by city officials, employees and police officers that she said either were unfounded or had already been handled internally.
We have become numb to the carnage. Mass casualty events dominate the news for a single cycle and then we will move on. The shooting at Boulder will be indistinguishable from Indianapolis which, in turn, will be indistinguishable from El Paso. America will avoid thinking of our sad, social disease until the next one  and then be forgotten soon after.
1871: A whole week passed without a single case being brought before the police court in Lincoln.

1881: Stephens and Waters, a lumber firm from Michigan, leased grounds at Ninth and M streets as a new lumberyard site.

1891: The Woodman Accident Association moved its headquarters to Lincoln. A.O. Faulkner was president of the company.

1901: The number of telephones in Lincoln was believed to have doubled in two years. The Nebraska Telephone Co. reported 1,485 phones in service in the city.

1911: Thomas C. Kilsey, former president of the Central Labor Union in Lincoln, died. In the early 1890s, he commanded a group of the Coxey Industrial Army that left Omaha to march on Washington, D.C.

1921: American rural life would be less isolated if the Post Office Department set up a wireless telephone news service, said R.B. Howell, general manager of Omaha's Metropolitan Utilities District. A future U.S. senator (1923-33), Howell told the postmaster general the proposed radio system would be an elaboration of the recently installed system of distributing crop information through radio.
* China policy: B+

On China, a policy still in development, it would be fairer to give an incomplete. But so far, contrary to the GOP mantra of Biden as soft on China, Biden has been tough in a far shrewder way than Trump.

Biden recognizes that a coherent China strategy must extend beyond exporting more soybeans and imposing trade sanctions (he hasnt lifted Trumps but is working on a smarter trade policy). To compete with China, America needs far better infrastructure, a huge public and private investment in R&D for cutting-edge technologies and a functional government.

Not yet clear is where Biden sets red lines on the explosive issue of Taiwan or the South China Sea, and how he can, or should, back up his human rights demands on Hong Kong and Xinjiang.

* Russia relationship: A+

What a relief to have a president who doesnt fawn over Vladimir Putin. Biden has talked tough on Ukraine and imposed sanctions where needed, although he has yet to convince Germany to harden its stance toward the Kremlin. One can only hope hell tell Putin face to face that the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in prison will poison their relationship for good.

* Ending Afghanistan war: C-
On Tuesday, Lincolnites have the opportunity to exercise the most important right in our democracy by casting a ballot that will help determine, in part, which path the city should take for the next four years.

Tuesdays contests for Lincoln City Council, Lincoln Airport Authority and Lincoln Board of Education havent drawn the attention of a mayors race or state and national contests that elect governors, state senators, members of Congress and presidents.

But, practically, those who are elected Tuesday will have far greater impact on the daily lives and pocketbooks of Lincolnites as they will address everything from property tax rates and public safety to remote learning and potholes.

Many general election ballots have already been cast by mail or in early voting at the Lancaster County Election Office. In the April primary, more than two-thirds of the 44,725 votes were cast early. A similar percentage is expected in the general election.

That total came to 25% of Lincolns eligible voters. In contrast, in May 2020, 41% of those registered voted in the primary election. Last November, that number increased to a record 78%.
As Nebraskans contemplate our next governor, I find myself wondering if well ever get to the bottom of the St. Francis debacle.

How can things go so wrong and result in no serious accountability in government? Why was Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh shut out of the investigative committee when her research into the problem was the genesis of that committee? Why did a legislator who doesnt want the investigation get appointed as a member?

Besides not knowing as much about the problem as Cavanaugh, were there other criteria for choosing these committee members? Is there some commonality were missing that the press might tease out?

Or I look to the unfortunate residents of deep-red Mead and Saunders County, which makes me wonder how many directions loyalty goes in politics. Perhaps just one. AltEn is our Flint, our second Asarco, and its being handled in the same manner as the first: with plausibly deniable incompetence and casual disregard for the Nebraskans affected.

Oh well, theres always the Superfund.

Should a governor protect the citizens? Or should he or she use the office to spread politically charged misinformation and try to downplay proven public health measures during a global pandemic?
We are taught to take care of ourselves, and see asking for help as a sign of weakness, said Jane Mahoney, Older Americans Act Consultant for the Greater Wisconsin Agency on Aging Resources.

We may tell ourselves that it will get better or that there isnt anything anyone else can do anyway, Mahoney continued. As a caregiver, we may feel that no one else can really do our job. We may even talk ourselves into thinking we actually dont need help, but deep down, we know we could use some assistance. Admitting that we need help is the first step to getting help.

The caregiving issue didnt arise only during the pandemic, nor will it disappear with it, according to the AARP.

Research has shown that caregiving duties impacted worker absenteeism and productivity before COVID-19 reached the U.S. In a survey, 86% of respondents said they had stayed home from work to care for a family member or pet at least a few times per year; more than half said they did so at least once every couple of months.

When you are ready to ask for help in your caregiving responsibilities, be specific in what you need the most.
This years smaller-bottled spirits at AEppelTreow Winery and Distillery in Brighton will have a different look, but thats not because the owners wanted a change.

Charles McGonegal, owner of the winery along with his wife Melissa, said he had to switch the bottle design out of necessity. I dont have a choice. It was this, or lose 20% of my revenue for a good chunk of the year, McGonegal said.

AEppelTreow Winery and Distillery Melissa and Charles McGonegal pose in October 2017 at their AEppelTreow Winery and Distillery in Kenosha County.

The reason he switched was because his normal supplier was out of his typical 375 milliliter bottle design, an indirect result of sand shortages during the pandemic.

Toilet paper, now sand?

The unprecedented COVID-19 vaccine rollout has sucked up international supplies of sand, a key ingredient in creating the glass vials where vaccines can be stored. As such, vaccine production, along with how the coronavirus and Texas deadly winter storms affected supply lines, is creating an unexpected problem for wineries, distilleries and breweries: They cant get glass bottles as easily as they could before.

Sand is a primary substance used to construct roads, bridges, trains, silicon chips, in land regeneration projects, and glass for windows, computer screens, smart phone screens and more.

There are less than 1,000 sand mines in the U.S., the London newspaper, Daily Mail, reported in March. That could hurt the construction industry, which uses up to 50 billion tons of sand a year. Since 2015, theres been a global shortage of glass thats only worsening as vials are needed for vaccine rollout. Experts say demand for glass vials will rise by 2 billion over the next two years.

Some brands have made moves to lessen their glass usage, such as Snapple Beverage Corporation, which has switched from glass bottles to 100% recycled plastic bottles that use 80% less packaging material.

Finding solutions

McGonegal speculated his normal spirit bottle supplier, Imperial Packaging Corporation, based in Northbrook, Illinois, might be one of the distributors of vaccine bottles, hence the shortage of the bottles he needed.

Wisconsin Apple Brandy Shown are a 750 milliliter- and a 375 milliliter bottle of AEppelTreow's Wisconsin Apple Brandy from last summer. These bottles are from AEppe

Imperial Packaging Corporation declined to comment on this story.

McGonegal was told the 375 milliliter bottle design wouldnt be available until at least August, he said.

That wasnt going to be an option: I need them now, McGonegal said.

He panicked. He described the situation as stunning and a reaction he had was Oh my God.

It was a day or two of great worry until we figured out plan B, McGonegal said.

Luckily, his second supplier Waterloo Container, based in Waterloo, New York, came to his rescue. McGonegal had been using Waterloo as his primary distributor for wine and champagne bottles, but not spirit bottles.

Bobbi Stebbins, marketing director for Waterloo Container, said the company has so much stock inventory, it has been able to help customers like McGonegal.

We are definitely reaping the benefits of that right now, Stebbins said, noting customers from across the country as well as Canada have been reaching out to Waterloo with the same issues.

However, it hasnt been the smoothest sailing. With the national glass shortage, we are feeling the pain of that as well.

Waterloo has seen delays in stock productions, and some products the company was expecting in March or April have been postponed until November, Stebbins said. The company was additionally told other products are not going to be made this year.

She speculated the glass shortage may have occurred as COVID caused more people to be home, leaving more small business spirit companies with more time to produce products. In addition, many factories were shut down for months during times of social distancing, which paused production. Some factories are still not operating at 100% employee capacity. Februarys ice storms in Texas also played a role in the slowing of production, Stebbins said.

Waterloo has been offering customers the best product options possible, even if that may mean a similarly priced option with a slightly different design.

Thats what makes us different, Stebbins said. We supply to small wineries, small distilleries and large, national brands. We try to treat them all the same. Were well prepared to handle this type of crisis because we have so much stock available and ready to ship.

The company has 97 different liquor bottle molds, but is out of some of them.

We may not be able to provide the exact bottle that someones looking for, but were well situated to solve almost any packaging dilemma, Stebbins said.

The bottles AEppelTreow Winery and Distillery normally uses for spirits are more square-shouldered than the new Waterloo bottles, McGonegal said.

That meant everything he plans to bottle in the 375 milliliter bottles, including whiskey and brandy, will have to go into the round-top bottles. McGonegal said he luckily has enough of his typical 750 milliliter bottles already on hand, for the larger sizes of spirits the winery and distillery offers.

McGonegal said the fact he had to switch bottle shapes was a bother, overall: It is mostly an annoyance because I was able to find an alternative, he said. Its an aesthetic thing. It wont hurt us with our established customers.

The pre-printed labels he had ready-to-go dont fit the new bottles perfectly, as the labels are made for a taller bottle shape. He wasnt about to order more labels, though.

Were just making do, McGonegal said.

The glass additionally isnt quite as clear as the typical bottles, making the spirit appear somewhat cloudy, he said. He is set for now and has his plan B, and hopefully next year the winery and distillery will be able to get back to its normal spirit bottles, he said.

Racine County businesses

Bernard Petersen, owner of The Runaway Micropub and Nanobrewery at 109 East Chestnut St. in Burlington, reported longer than usual lead times for ordering products but did not respond to further question clarifying for what. A lead time is the period between the initiation and completion of a process.

Randy Larson, owner and president of Spirits of Norway Vineyard, 22200 W. Six Mile Road in the Town of Norway, said he buys his bottles by the semi-load and his last shipment arrived in October, and avoided the current problem.

Im in good shape. And by buying in big quantity I have not needed to order any more, Larson said in an email.

His supplier, Brick Packaging, was founded in Michigan and serves the Midwest. A search through the companys website last week showed many of its products labeled as back ordered, especially spirit bottles.

The Journal Times reached out to several Racine County auto glass repair shops and other glass/window companies and did not receive responses.

Glass in art

Amanda Paffrath, co-owner of Hot Shop Glass, 239 Wisconsin Ave. in Racine, said the glass shortage hasnt affected her business.

We buy our raw material and turn it into glass ourselves, Paffrath said in a written statement. We run into problems when we dont plan ahead enough though as there is normally a 4-6 week wait time for our 2,000 batch order.

Donna Fearing, an owner of Creative Spaces Studio, 318 East Main St. in Waterford, said in an email that her business was not as significantly impacted as the winery. However, there is a noticeable slowness.

I had the darndest time ordering certain color rods for a few months, she said, referring to material for making fused glass creations. Also, I ordered a new kiln and those factories are running super slow/backed up. Its been over a month and I still dont know when I may receive it.

Kilns are made with fire brick, and fire brick is made out of many materials, a major one being sand.

Fearing said white glass was the hardest color to find, causing her to be out of the color from spring 2020 to late fall and early winter.

This year, Fearing said, has gotten better.

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Indeed, the action moves all around, jumping from front to back and then to the front again.

That 360-degree experience means you can watch the movie again  and again  and notice new things.

I just saw something today I hadnt seen before, Dammann said after a viewing Thursday afternoon. (And he estimates he has seen the film some 10,000 times.)

The Civil War Museum is one of just a handful of venues that feature 360-degree films, and Dammann said its a popular attraction.

I love that we get seventh-graders in here, and when the film is over, they applaud, he said.

In addition to the visuals  including the screen being obscured by smoke from rifles  the movie makes effective use of sound effects to bring viewers into the Civil War battle unfolding all around them.

The story follows three characters: a young man seeking adventure, a patriotic family man and an abolitionist. We meet them from enlistment to their first taste of combat.

All three face battle together and ultimately deal with the consequences of war.

The narrator talks of the dark shadow cast by the war as men struggle to find meaning in their victory.
GREEN BAY  A gunman killed two people at a Green Bay casino restaurant and seriously wounded a third before he was killed by police late Saturday, in what authorities said appeared to be a targeted attack.

Brown County Sheriff's Lt. Kevin Pawlak said investigators believe the gunman was seeking a specific person he was angry at.

He was targeting a specific victim who was not there, but he decided to still shoot some of the victim's friends or co-workers, it appears, Pawlak said.

Neither the gunman nor the shooting victims were immediately identified.

Pawlak wasnt sure if the shooter was a former employee of the restaurant, but said it appears theres some relationship that had to do with employment.

Whether or not they all worked there, were still working on, he said.

The wounded person was being treated at a Milwaukee hospital, Pawlak said.

Jawad Yatim, a witness, said at least two people were shot.

I know for sure two, because it happened right next to us, literally right next to us, Yatim said. But he was shooting pretty aggressively in the building, so I wouldn't doubt him hitting other people.
1. Yes. Its important to keep my child as safe as possible. We plan to take advantage.

2. Yes. With the school district dropping its mask mandate, its a necessary step.

3. No. Local COVID cases are dropping. There is no good reason to vaccinate my child.

4. No. There hasnt been enough data on vaccinated children. I think Ill hold off.

5. Unsure. I havent decided yet whether to take part in the vaccine clinics.

Vote

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My wife and I live in an 1,800 square foot Cape Cod on about on-eight an acre. Even that has three bedrooms for the two of us and a bit extra of grass to cut. Who is really responsible for the quantity of energy used? I say the consumer. But to sue the consumer doesnt have the political elan and visibility nor the deep financial pockets of the producer or middleman.
Keisler said another part of the regulation suggests an exemption application can come at any time.

Christopher Michel, assistant to the solicitor general of the Department of Justice, said Congress language was clear, offering an extension to those that already had exemptions.

EPA cannot grant something that does not exist, Michel said. That is the ordinary, common-sense meaning of the statutory text, which was meant to promote the biofuels industry while giving small refineries time to comply, he said.

Simply put, if Congress wanted to adopt the generally available exemption petitioners advocate, it would not have enacted the scheme it did here, Michel said. That scheme does not doom small refineries to failure. The vast majority of small refineries, including the petitioners, have successfully complied with the RFS in many prior years.

Roberts suggested the terms in the regulation could be seen as ambiguous. Youre not arguing that this term is plain or unambiguous, right? he asked.
The dangers of climate change are ever-present, with every king tide bringing new dangers of flooding and every heavy rainstorm bringing threats of flooding. Annapolis is working to protect the most visible portion of the city with pumping stations and $100 million resiliency projects. But there is far more work to accomplish beyond City Dock.
These types of policy differences (often referred to as structural conflict) are in reality quite normal. In addition to government, structural conflicts exist in organizations (e.g. labor-management differences) and communities (e.g. conflicts between minorities and police). The key is to find balance, respect and civility between the parties so that the structural conflict is manageable, leading to better mutual outcomes.

But, without question, elected leaders are a major factor. Studies on structural conflict indicate the important role of leaders in reducing conflict. The most important finding regarding the role of leadership is this: If leaders contribute to the structural conflict, or fail to take steps to address the conflict, the conflict will grow, often uncontrollably. In other words, all hell breaks loose. And in the resulting debate, we can find ourselves arguing over the symptoms of the conflict, essentially debating the facets of hell. There may be little dialog about how we got here and, more importantly, how we move out of this dynamic. Regarding the role of leadership, it is important to note that the failure to take action steps is a significant, serious contributor. Sadly, some leaders choose non-action in the hopes that the problems become resolved on their own. In the case of structural conflict, the problems simply will not resolve themselves.
Join forces in reversing youth tobacco epidemic

As a Winona resident and public health advocate, I am extremely concerned about the ongoing youth tobacco crisis.

Youth vaping remains at epidemic levels. Today, about one in five Minnesota high-schoolers and young adults regularly vape e-cigarettes, and there is worrisome evidence that e-cigarette use is creating strong nicotine addictions among young people.

As a critical care nurse, and working in community prevention, I have experienced firsthand the harm that tobacco products inflict upon the health of our communities.

Tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of disease, disability, and death in the US.

Thankfully, state leaders like Rep. Gene Pelowski and Sen. Jeremy Miller are making efforts to boost funding for tobacco prevention initiatives to help us combat addiction. Millers proposal to invest additional resources in tobacco prevention would be a huge win for our state, and I urge other lawmakers to add their support.

Things are changing as it was announced on Thursday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will propose a ban on menthol-flavored cigarettes and ban all characterizing flavors (including menthol) in cigars.
Pandemic or not, one thing has been constant for Pepperidge Farm in recent years  consumers have had a growing appetite for its Milano cookies.

To help meet that rising demand, the companys Denver plant is completing a multi-million-dollar expansion that will more than double its capability to make the popular product.

A new production line will boost the bakerys capability to produce Milano cookies from 2,000 a minute to 5,000 a minute. It also will free up its existing cookie lines to make more of other kinds of cookies such as Brussels, Bordeaux and Chessmen.

Theres a lot of Milano eaters out there, Plant Manager Rick Pifer said.

The addition of a fifth cookie line has caused the bakerys full-time workforce to grow from 770 employees to 810, reinforcing the 30-year-old facilitys status as one of the countys largest manufacturers.

And while the cookie project is wrapping up, a related expansion is on the drawing board.

The company is contemplating whether to go forward with the construction of a proposed $36.7 million distribution center across the street that would create up to 300 jobs.

The distribution center on the opposite side of North Reading Road from the plant would replace storage space inside the plant that was consumed by the addition of the high-speed production and packaging line for Milano cookies.

Pepperidge Farms Denver plant at a glance: Employees: 810 Building size: 566,000 square feet Acres: 114 Year opened: 1991 Products: Bread, rolls, buns, crackers (including Goldfish), cookies (including Milano)* *Of Pepperidge Farms 7 bakeries, only the Denver facility makes all three of the companys product lines  bread, crackers and cookies.

A long time coming

Pifer said the company began planning how to ramp up the plants cookie output three years ago, long before the world had heard of COVID-19. Milano production lines have been running at nearly 100% of their capability for years.

And if ramping up cookie production was a savvy investment before COVID-19, the pandemic has only made that an even smarter decision.

Though Pepperidge Farms cookie revenue is not public information, the American cookie market overall grew 3.7% to $9.1 billion in revenue in 2019, before the pandemic, industry website Food Dive reported in November. That rate of growth has accelerated to 6.6% during the pandemic.

Weve been seeing consistent growth prior to COVID in Milano. Thats why this project was started, he said. But while demand has continued to climb during the pandemic, the virus did impede the expansion.

COVID actually slowed us down a little bit, Pifer said last week. We had to take a little bit of a pause for about five to six months until we really understood the impacts of the virus and had a plan to keep our employees safe as well as vendors who are installing the new equipment.

Why did Pepperidge Farm decide to boost the capacity of the East Cocalico Township facility, rather than select one of its other two cookie-making plants? Geography played a key factor, as those other cookie-making sites are in Ohio and Utah.

Our facility is uniquely situated in the Northeast, from distribution standpoint, to hit a lot of the population quickly. We also have the technical competency, as the companys largest cookie provider, to add this to our portfolio, Pifer said.

The plant started hiring the 40 additional workers last fall, he explained, so the newcomers would have ample time to get trained and learn the companys culture. In addition, with absenteeism higher due to the pandemic, management knew that having additional qualified staff available would come in handy.

A handful or a bag full

Besides its higher speed, the new cookie line is different from the plants other cookie lines because it can package the Milano treats in more ways, in response to consumers wanting a broader variety of packaging types and sizes.

Production with single-serve packaging (in individual containers of two or three cookies) began April 19. Retail packaging (in its familiar white bags) will begin in August, once that equipment is installed.

Michelle Reardon, a spokeswoman for Pepperidge Farms owner, Campbell Soup, declined to disclose the cost of the new line but acknowledged that it's significant. Judging from recent expansions at other Pepperidge Farm bakeries, it easily could cost tens of millions of dollars.

For instance, the addition of a Goldfish cracker production line in Pepperidge Farms Richmond, Utah, plant in 2013 cost $45 million, the company said at the time. The addition of a Goldfish line in its Willard, Ohio, plant last September cost $40 million, Pepperidge Farm said then.

Those are imperfect comparisons, though, as the Richmond expansion included the construction of 94,000 square feet of additional space; existing building space is being used in Denver. And Milano cookies  which have a layer of chocolate filling sandwiched between two oval biscuits -- are a more complicated product to make than Goldfish.

An official with the Economic Development Company of Lancaster County, a nonprofit that promotes local business health and growth, welcomed the additional investment and jobs that the new line represents.

The Pepperidge Farm expansion of its cookie line is great news for the region, as the ongoing investment in the East Cocalico facility helps ensure that the plant remains a competitive and productive part of their larger Pepperidge production system, said John Biemiller, EDC director of business retention and expansion.

Pepperidge is a solid employer in northern Lancaster County, and food processing remains a key sector in Lancaster Countys industrial base  a sector in which we are always pleased to see ongoing growth and investment, he added in an email.

To make room in its plant for the faster, more versatile Milano line, Pepperidge Farm removed a multi-product cookie line that had been idle. It also converted space that was devoted to the storage of biscuit products (cookies and crackers) into production space.

In its stead, the plant is leasing 70,000 square feet of storage space in Denver and 50,000 square feet in New Holland; its also using a variable amount of space in a Mechanicsburg warehouse belonging to Campbell Soup.

Under one roof

Pepperidge Farm is weighing three or four options for providing that storage space in a single location, Pifer indicated. The company is looking for a facility that can both provide financial savings to the company and optimize customer service as high as possible, he explained. Theres no timetable for making a decision, Pifer said.

One of the options came to light recently when the state disclosed the applicants for its semi-annual Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grant awards. Among the 10 projects in Lancaster County thats a candidate for funding is a proposed distribution center at 2152-2222 North Reading Road that would serve Pepperidge Farm.

The developer, Wright Ebersole LLC of Media, Delaware County, is seeking a $10 million grant for its venture. Founder Carl Wright did not respond to messages from LNP | LancasterOnline seeking comment on his proposal.

The 34-acre site -- now occupied by the German Trading Post antique store, Island Time restaurant, 70-room Black Horse Lodge and Second Street Thrift Shop -- wraps around a Phillips 66 gas station thats not part of the tract.

Wright has agreed to buy the property for $4.5 million, according to his grant application. If the distribution center is built, the antiques store, restaurant, motel and thrift shop would be razed to clear the site for construction, the application says.

A spokeswoman for Second Street, a nonprofit thats been on North Reading Road for more than 12 years, was nonplussed by the possibility of the sale, noting that the property has been listed for sale in past.

If this sales agreement gets finalized, wed certainly find a place to move to, she said. Well figure it out. We trust that God has a plan for us.

Island Time also would relocate, its owner said. Representatives of the German Trading Post and the Black Horse Lodge could not be reached for comment.

Wrights application does not describe the size of the proposed structure. But it does say the facility would cost $36.7 million to develop, would employ 150 to 300 people and would streamline the plants distribution operations.

The facility could open as soon as December 2022, it says, although the application does not make clear whether the distribution center would be operated by Pepperidge Farm or by a third-party logistics firm, which would run the center on Pepperidge Farms behalf. Nor does the application mention how much traffic the center would generate.

But for the proposal to go forward, Wright would need to accomplish more than winning the grant.

Wright also would need a zoning change. The site is zoned general commercial, or C-1, a designation that does not allow a warehouse or distribution center by right, variance or special exception. He would need to persuade the township to rezone the land to light industrial, a designation that allows a warehouse or distribution center by right.

Wright would have to get a land development plan for the building approved by the township as well, among numerous other approvals, addressing everything from storm water management to sewage treatment to traffic flow.

Tony Luongo, the townships zoning officer, said last week he has not been contacted by the developer or his representatives.
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One hundred years ago, everything about Richard Humphreys plan would be impossible.

One hundred years ago, a man like 78-year-old Humphreys probably wouldnt have lived as long as he has.

But a century after insulin was first introduced as a medical treatment, this Kirkwood man who has been living with Type 1 diabetes for 64 years is planning to walk 380 miles, from Pennsylvania to Ohio.

On May 16, Humphreys will strap on his pack with his tent and supplies, pick up his handmade rattlesnake-skin walking stick  a gift from his friend Dale Kirkpatrick  and begin his journey.

Hell depart his home, which abuts his Gnome Countryside nature trail, a creation that has provided education and inspiration for thousands. His destination is Camp Ho Mita Koda  the worlds oldest operating summer camp for children with Type 1 diabetes  in Newbury Township, Ohio, about 30 miles east of Cleveland.

Humphreys, who has run the Gnome Countryside nature trail for more than four decades, wants to call this summers walk The Gnome Mans Walk. He hopes to raise awareness about Type 1 diabetes and honor the 100th anniversary of insulins use as a treatment.

He also wants to again raise funds for Camp Ho Mita Koda and for improvements to his own Gnome Countryside. Humphreys trail is a whimsical walk through nature, where children can let their imaginations run wild.

I have some real gratitude to (Frederick) Banting and (Charles) Best (pioneers in the development of insulin as a treatment), Humphreys says. It just seemed like a good year to do the walk.

Humphreys is undertaking his inspirational, and risky, 380-mile journey across the state to prove that people with Type 1 diabetes can live fulfilling, active lives, while celebrating the advances in diabetes care which make that possible.

It wont be an easy journey. Humphreys has severely impaired vision due to macular degeneration. Hes never let his health issues stop him from living a life of adventure.

For me, diabetes challenged me to do so many things that I otherwise wouldnt have done, Humphreys says. Like this walk. So many things in my life Ive done just because I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it.

He plans on walking about 10 to 16 miles a day and arrive at the camp in late June. Humphreys is still solidifying his route, but he will follow several of the states rail trails, including Lancaster Countys Enola Low Grade Trail and the Northwest River Trail. He also plans to follow the rail trail from Clearfield to Grampian  with his hometown of Curwensville, Clearfield County, located about halfway. Humphreys says he has some walking partners lined up, but hopes to meet people to walk with.

Its so valuable for younger people to see an older person successfully living with diabetes, Humphreys says.

Anything is possible, gnome matter what

This isnt Humphreys first adventure.

In 2007, Humphrey walked the 380 miles from Camp Ho Mita Koda back home to Kirkwood  raising $7,000 for the camp. In 1976, Humphreys traveled the globe, ending his trip by riding his 10-speed heavy Schwinn twin super-sport bike from Oregon to Pennsylvania.

As a father of three, a retired Solanco school district art teacher, an environmentalist, a speaker, an author and a former camp director, Humphreys has worked to inspire thousands of people to live life to the fullest no matter what stands in the way.

You could say Humphreys walks the walk  literally, in this case.

I love life, says Humphreys. I love adventuring.

Recognizing the risks

Besides the inherent risks that come with a 380-mile walk, Humphreys will also need to make sure his blood glucose levels stay within a safe range. Extreme exertion can cause blood glucose to drop rapidly, which can be life-threatening. Humphreys will have snack bars to help maintain his levels and will be on the lookout for roadside produce stands, and he plans to eat in restaurants along the way. Hell have a supply of insulin with him, too; while insulin is typically refrigerated, he says hes not worried about heat.

Ive backpacked in Thailand with insulin in my backpack and temperatures over 100, and my insulin never lost potency, Humphreys says.

Canadian surgeon Frederick Banting and his assistant Charles Best discovered insulin as a viable treatment for diabetes in 1921. Without it, the 1.6 million Americans diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes annually, according to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, would not survive.

In 1922, in a hospital in Toronto, Leonard Thompson, a 14-year-old boy suffering from fatally high blood glucose levels attributed to his Type 1 diabetes, became the first person to be administered an injection of insulin. Less than a day later, Thompsons blood glucose levels had returned to near-normal levels. Nearly four decades later, in 1957, 14-year old Richard Humphreys was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Without insulin, Humphreys says, he likely wouldnt have lived passed 17.

There have been close calls and challenges. When he was first treated in a small-town hospital, he was given the wrong type of insulin.

It was terrible, and within two weeks, I just stopped taking insulin. I looked like a walking skeleton, says Humphreys. My mom heard the Cleveland Clinic was good at treating diabetes. They put me on a short-lasting and a long-lasting insulin, and it was the first time in my life that I felt good.

When Humphreys was first diagnosed, there was no way to quickly ascertain a diabetics blood glucose level outside of sending blood to a lab or urine testing  and that level is a vital piece of information for anyone living with diabetes. A blood glucose level thats too high can result in severe organ damage. A level thats too low can result in loss of consciousness. Both can be fatal, making Humphreys decision to bike across the country at 33 without knowing his blood glucose levels a significant risk.

Now, modern meters can read blood glucose levels with a drop of blood from a finger. Continuous glucose monitoring systems provide accurate, up-to-the minute blood glucose readings without having to draw blood.

Before the testing meters and continuous glucose monitoring systems, Humphreys had to judge his levels by how his body felt. He admits that could be a dangerous way to live.

Im in very good touch with my body, says Humphreys. But it was a pretty crazy life.

His vision also adds risk to his upcoming journey, as he could face rocky terrain or need to cross busy roads.

I have good hearing, says Humphreys. I could never do this without good hearing.

When Im walking, Im just totally caught up in being aware, he adds. Where I am and the sounds I hear.

One of his favorite quotes, attributed to St. Augustine, is: It is solved by walking. Humphreys says he feels that walking is a kind of active meditation  a kind of contemplation through action. No true adventure is risk-free, he says.

Im a risk taker, Humphreys says. I love the unknown.

Happy campers

Dr. Henry John  who also co-founded the American Diabetes Association  founded Camp Ho Mita Koda in 1929 less than a decade after Leonard Thompson was saved. The mission of the camp was more than just providing a bucolic setting for diabetes treatment.

A statement on the camps website by Johns late wife Betty sums up that mission: I, like Henry John, do not believe it is enough to keep diabetic children alive. They must be given the chance to share the healthy, normal experiences of life.? Ho Mita Koda is one of them!

That mission has continued, past the lifetimes of the Johns.

The focus is to build a community of support and lifelong friendships, while participating outdoors, learning to live active and healthy lifestyles, and realizing the diabetes is by no means a limiting factor in what they can do, says Ian Roberts, executive director of Camp Ho Mita Koda since 2018.

Humphreys was the program director at Camp Ho Mita Koda from 1969-73, and later directed the camp from 1991-2007.

I saw what an amazing difference that camp made in the lives of children living with diabetes, says Humphreys. Its just incredible what the camp does for kids.

Humphreys, who regularly dons lederhosen, oversized sunglasses and flowery hats as he presents lectures on gnomes, credits his experiences working with children at summer camps with some of his own self-discovery. He was an extremely shy child, he says.

Rich has a great deep history with the camp. There are still remnants of his legacy here at camp. Weve got gnomes hiding all over the woods and in and around buildings, says Roberts. When you mention his name out here it rings through the trees  people know of him, his legacy and what hes left behind.

Humphreys challenged campers to not let diabetes become a limiting factor in their lives and organized hikes around the lake, Roberts says.

Even recently, weve had doctors say hiking around the lake is too much for these kids to do  which is not true, says Roberts. But he [Humphreys] was kind of the pioneer in bucking the system and saying, Nope, were going to do it, thats what these kids need. For many kids, the first time theyve ever knowingly met another Type 1 child is here at camp.

His spirit of camaraderie resonated at a place where many of the staffers also have Type 1 diabetes and are former campers.

Rich represented this wizard-like human that just made everything at Ho Mita Koda make sense, that made all of diabetes make sense, that made every activity at camp 100 times more exciting and thrilling, former camper and staff member Lori Kruszynski says. I would not be the same person I am today if it was not for getting to meet Rich.

The camps mission of creating a community spirit worked for Humphreys; he found lifelong friends and influenced generations of campers. One of those friends was Paul McGuigan  a fellow Type 1 diabetic and specialist at Rainbow Babies and Childrens Hospital in Cleveland, and member of the Camp Ho Mita Koda board.

He made the camp magical for the kids, says McGuigan, of Cleveland. With all of his talents, his personality, his storytelling, his sense of adventure, he would never let his diabetes ever keep him from doing anything, and he instilled that in these kids.

McGuigan says he plans on joining Humphreys for the last portion of the walk  if he wasnt so busy, says hed like to do the whole walk.

Rich has not only taught kids about life, but hes also taught a lot of people who work with kids. The counselors at camp who were in charge of kids learned a lot from Rich too, says McGuigan. Its kind of like a ripple in the water. It just goes and goes.
Pennsylvania is health care rich and public health poor. I found this succinct phrase in a 2008 collection of academic articles on Pennsylvania public health policy. The editor described how we are richly supplied with hospital beds and physicians, ranking in the top 10 in the United States, and spend way more than other states our size on health care.

Lancaster County certainly has excellent hospital capacity. Yet at the same time, Pennsylvania ranks at the bottom nationally in public health workers. The states public health system was described as woefully inadequate by experts in 2008, and has only been further hollowed out a dozen years later. These realities, combined with the COVID-19 pandemic, are finally driving a groundswell of support to start our own local public health department.

Underfunding public health is easy to do, because when its working  i.e., keeping bad things from happening  its not all that visible. When there are prevention gaps that will eventually prove expensive and damaging, like silently spreading viral hepatitis or HIV, or farm families unknowingly drinking from wells contaminated with pesticides, the costs are kicked down the road to future taxpayers.

Our public discourse over the past year has, more than ever, acknowledged the painful reality of systemic disparities: that those injured tend to be the most marginalized citizens. They are disproportionately our Black and Hispanic neighbors, our low-wage essential workers, or the elderly, the poor, the incarcerated, those experiencing homelessness and those with disabilities.

As a policy researcher studying the drug overdose crisis, as well as someone whose previous career in pharmaceutical sales placed me smack in its trajectory, Im a bit shocked: Why are so few local policymakers talking about this other epidemic in terms of county public health needs? The deaths of 840,000 Americans since 1999 is a public health disaster that is getting worse. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a 22% increase in Pennsylvania deaths in the most recent 12-month provisional data. Preventable deaths. All public health policy failures.

While some of these policies must be changed on a federal level, there is plenty we can do here. A Pennsylvania judge explained presciently in 2008 why legislators must act to fix our scattered and confusing public health laws before a devastating infectious outbreak or pandemic, reviewing exactly where the statutes are outdated or conflicting. Sadly, we did not follow that advice.

Updating public health laws, in a bipartisan, carefully considered, cohesive way, will serve us better than the current rushed effort to pass a constitutional amendment focused just on disaster declarations. At least this is what we would do if the motivation for change was not simply political haymaking, but truly to improve governance.

In the 2008 journal, another article describes the last time a county public health department was studied in Lancaster County and three neighboring counties. After three years of work, faculty from Drexels School of Public Health concluded that starting a county public health office could be done at a reasonable cost to local taxpayers, with varying levels of staffing, based on local needs and funding decisions. Yet their reports gathered dust. Their recommendations were not implemented.

Then, as now, some naysayers believed local public health offices are duplicating public health responsibilities at the state agency level. This argument reveals a misunderstanding of best practices in public health, which require a network of both state-level and local-level offices. In fact, absent a well-coordinated local, state and federal health structure, studies show that citizens receive poor or confusing communication during outbreaks and emergencies; have more difficulty in accessing preventive health information; and pay a price for missed collection and analysis of vital surveillance data. We have experienced the truth of this ourselves in this pandemic.

Having a local public health authority would have allowed some county officials to access confidential data during the earliest COVID-19 outbreaks last spring. We could centrally collect data from numerous hospital and pharmacy vaccinators, many of whom have been failing to record vital indicators like race and ethnicity.

Dont we often demand more local control? This is what we would gain by administering our own public health hub locally. Attempting to outsource this work to private entities does not solve the data-sharing challenges; in fact, it can make them worse.

Oddly, the feared expansion of big government doesnt seem to be a problem when it comes to more visible types of public services. Our tax dollars also fund a large state police force. Yet half of the municipalities in Pennsylvania, including all of the populous ones, still fund their own law enforcement services. Why do we see the need for both local and state levels of law enforcement services, but not a similar structure for health prevention services? Is it because they arent duplicative, but collaborative?

And finally, why waste time and energy on another commission or task force first? Lets start implementation now. We can advocate at the same time to strengthen state-level public health, to include funding for regional and locally administered offices, and also commit to finally updating outdated state laws and regulations.

Use our grief at the lives lost during both the COVID-19 pandemic and the drug overdose epidemic to fuel our persistence. This is the time.

Gail Groves Scott is an opioid policy researcher, public health advocate and doctoral student who holds a masters degree in public health. She resides in Lancaster.
This is an open thank-you letter to all those Lancaster County citizens who have chosen to recognize their constitutional duty and privilege to serve on jury duty, particularly during these difficult times.

Trial by jury dates back to 1215 when King John I of England signed the Magna Carta, a charter that limited the power of the king and granted more rights to English citizens. In the United States, the right to trial by jury in a criminal case resides in both Article III, Section 2, of the U.S. Constitution (The Trial of all Crimes, except in Cases of Impeachment, shall be by Jury) and the Sixth Amendment (In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury). Article 1, Section 6, of the Pennsylvania Constitution notes, Trial by jury shall be as heretofore, and the right thereof remain inviolate.

Jurors perform a critical role in our system of justice. The protection of our rights and liberties is achieved through the teamwork of the judge and the jury who, working together in a common effort, put into practice the principles of our great heritage of freedom. The judge determines the law to be applied in the case while the jury decides the facts. Thus, in a very important way, jurors become a part of the court itself.

I have often been asked how jurors are selected. In Pennsylvania, the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts makes available to each county a county-specific list of potential jurors. The selection is generated randomly by computer from the Pennsylvania departments of Human Services, Transportation, Revenue and State. Prospective jurors are then sent jury notices or summons to appear for jury duty. Typically, in Lancaster County they gather in our historic Courtroom A and engage in the jury selection process known as voir dire (an Anglo-French phrase meaning speak the truth) and are questioned about their backgrounds and potential biases before being chosen to sit on a jury.

In 2020, because of the pandemic, 1,522 jurors reported for service compared to 4,286 in 2019. However, although fewer jurors reported in 2020, we had six months during which we were unable to hold jury trials at all because of COVID-19 so no jurors were called. During the last half of 2020, we summoned jurors at a rate of almost three times the number we summoned for the same time period in 2019.

Although we had to pause jury trials, there are no backlogs on other Common Pleas Court criminal hearings (relating to guilty pleas, probation violation hearings, fines and costs, etc.). Contrary to the belief of some, the court system has never shut down. While we have had to take substantial safety precautions to protect the public, the parties and court staff, we have never closed our doors completely. Through the use of technology and the tremendous effort of all court staff, attorneys, the Lancaster County Sheriffs Office, prison staff and others, we have been able to continue to function.

In Lancaster County, we have a long-standing practice of a judge welcoming prospective jurors. When it is my turn, I always begin, Welcome to jury duty. ... Yeah, I know, you would rather be doing something else, but we cant do this without you. That is absolutely true.

All of these rights, privileges and aspects of history are important but what happens if no one shows up for jury duty? Answer: Nothing. Thats right. The entire jury trial process would come to a screeching halt.

As a society we love to make jokes about dodging jury duty. You can imagine some of the excuses Ive heard over the years. Frankly, I find this unfortunate. When you think about it, if you are not involved in this business, where do we learn about the court system? From TV, books, movies and the ubiquitous internet. News flash: None of that is the real world.

I have spoken to every jury after every jury trial I have had in the last 20 years. Without exception, once people get over the hump of the inconvenience, every single jury has indicated that they learned something about our system of justice that they hadnt learned elsewhere. They experienced the real world and developed a new appreciation for what I contend is the best judicial system in the world. Is it perfect? Of course not. Can we make improvements? Of course. However, without the dedicated service of those citizens who choose to respond to their jury summons we simply could not function.

So, thank you to every juror who stepped up, took the responsibility, and served.

David L. Ashworth is President Judge of the Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas. Learn more about jury service here: bit.ly/LancJuryService
In early March, Dr. Seuss Enterprises decided it would stop publishing six of the authors books due to hurtful and wrong depictions of people of color. The decision was met with both praise and condemnation, bringing the long-simmering debate about cancel culture to the surface once again.

It seems Dr. Seuss Enterprises decided to stop publishing these books out of fear of hurting children of color. Or perhaps it was legacy damage control  attempting to create the perception that Dr. Seuss was never associated with racist ideology, when this is untrue.

While the former motivation is legitimate, the latter indicates that we are beginning to erase art not out of a desire to protect our vulnerable, but out of an urge to sanitize our painful history.

If we arent allowed to explore problematic art with proper context, well internalize a complacent colorblind ideology, which upholds systems of oppression by refusing to acknowledge that they exist.

This is not the same as toppling statues of Christopher Columbus and Robert E. Lee. Those statues aggrandize racist, imperialist murderers and romanticize a militaristic culture that threatens any chance of peace in the 21st century. While many equate the removal of such memorials with an Orwellian revision of history, idolizing Confederate soldiers (who were, by definition, traitors to the nation) is the real revisionist history.

But that doesnt mean we should cut those figures out of the history books. We should teach about them and repudiate the atrocities they committed. Their mark on our society is indelible and refusing to discuss them dishonors all those they harmed.

Yet the Dr. Seuss Enterprises decision demonstrates that weve set a dangerous precedent. Free speech is our most important right, but neither massive, unregulated corporations nor the state have ever applied this right equitably. When the state has oversight of protected speech, it consistently targets pacifists, abolitionists, minorities and the working class.

As for media corporations, Twitter for example  has expunged some left-wing accounts, such as those associated with the Occupy Wall Street movement, while allowing many neo-Nazi fringe conspiracy theories to spread unchecked.

In Lancaster, some college students were arrested last year and initially held on $1 million bail for exercising their First Amendment right to peaceful assembly, while a former president who incited an insurrection against the U.S. government still gets to chill near a Florida beach.

So, fire the trolls and take away their social media  but dont call for their imprisonment. When the government gets to decide whats hate speech and whos worthy of incarceration, it seems it will be the left-wing organizers  not the Ku Klux Klan members  who get locked up.

As much as humans dislike uncertainty  research demonstrates that were evolutionarily predisposed to prefer a predictable negative outcome to an uncertain one  we need to take every cancellation debate on a case-by-case basis. The truth is, with the exception of historical figures who were downright abhorrent, most of the people in our cultural canon were morally ambiguous. Mohandas K. Gandhi, also known as Mahatma Gandhi, was racist. So was Abraham Lincoln. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. had extramarital affairs.

And many dictators arent as unequivocally evil as we like to portray them: Fidel Castro is considered by some to have achieved great successes with his health care and education systems in Cuba.

So, instead of cheering when a college professor is fired for expressing views we disagree with, progressives need to stop and think. If our mainstream culture and ideologies become monolithic, what are we learning? And how can we claim to value diversity?

And if the social right dominates our culture 10 years from now, what will it choose to censor? What if Malcolm X and Angela Davis are canceled, or students are punished for communist views?

Cancel cultures appeal speaks to our valid desire for accountability. Both the impulse to hold people in power accountable and the increase in ordinary people reclaiming their agency are commendable.

But, taken too far, this becomes in itself an abuse of power, and we become the thing we abhor.

Frances Brogan is in 10th grade and co-editor in chief of Vidette, McCaskey Highs student newspaper.
THE ISSUE

The Lancaster County Community Vaccination Center may close earlier than its previously announced closing date, LNP | LancasterOnlines Carter Walker reported last week, though there doesnt seem to be any clarity on when exactly it will close. When plans for the community vaccination center at Park City Center were being finalized in February, Dr. Michael Ripchinski, the chief clinical officer for Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health, said the plan was to run the facility through the end of June, Walker reported. LG Health spokesman John Lines said the Lancaster County Community Vaccination Center is expected to continue operations at least through the beginning of June. No decision, Lines said, had been made on a closure date prior to June 30.

It would be a lousy idea to shutter the Lancaster County Community Vaccination Center before the task of vaccinating most county residents is completed.

As of Friday, just 41% of Lancaster Countys total population had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, according to state Department of Health data. As Walker reported, Health experts say far more people need to be fully vaccinated to attain herd immunity.

And its not as if the pandemic is over in Lancaster County.

Lines, the LG Health spokesman, said Lancaster General Hospital still had multiple units with COVID-19 patients Friday. And COVID-19 was a contributing factor for why this countys largest hospital had to switch to critical-care diversion status at one point last week (meaning it could not begin elective cases that required a critical-care bed after surgery, and could not accept patient transfers from other hospitals for a period of 12 hours).

Samantha Simmons, a worker at the Lancaster County Community Vaccination Center, told Walker that her hours were reduced last week because of what a representative of the staffing agency, TriStarr, called a precipitous drop in demand.

I am devastated by this, Simmons said in an email. Vaccinate Lancaster is an invaluable resource.

The center has vaccinated more than 150,000 people since opening but, Simmons noted, there are still hundreds of thousands that need vaccines.

She is exactly right.

Our economy is not going to fully recover until more people are vaccinated. And hospital workers here are exhausted; theyve been battling this pandemic for more than a year. They need people to get vaccinated.

Here is why were concerned: In an email, Brett Marcy, spokesman for the Lancaster County Community Vaccination Center, said the center continues to operate with a planned end date of June 30. Any decision to end operations prior to that date would be dependent upon patient volumes. (Italics are ours.)

He said the center continues to vaccinate our community at a strong pace, with an average of 3,500 to 4,000 vaccines per day, including both first and second doses. We also continue to see approximately 200 walk-in and same-day appointment patients daily.

And he said we do not currently see a need to end operations prior to June 30. (Again, the italics are ours.)

This is not a business thats subject to market forces  this provides an invaluable public health service.

To ensure ready access to vaccines into the summer, why couldnt the vaccination center scale down  according to patient volumes  instead of closing its doors?

If the center closes prematurely, what is going to happen when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorizes COVID-19 vaccines for use among 12- to 15-year-olds? Pfizer requested such authorization in early April. When its safely granted, are pediatricians offices going to be able to handle COVID-19 vaccination?

One other question: If demand for COVID-19 vaccination at the community center is dropping precipitously, why arent Lancaster County officials doing more to encourage people to get vaccinated?

This countys health

Asked last week if he believes it is his responsibility to encourage county residents to get the vaccine, Josh Parsons, chairman of the Lancaster County Board of Commissioners, said he trusted residents to educate themselves and make an informed choice.

Im not part of the nanny state that believes peoples lives need to be controlled or be lectured to, Parsons said.

This  right there  is a reason why public health experts, not politicians, ought to make public health decisions.

If we asked Parsons to convey in 20 words or fewer why Lancaster County would benefit from a public health department, his needlessly derisive, politically divisive nanny state response would do it.

Parsons doesnt seem to understand the distinction between mandating personal decisions and actively promoting the health and welfare of Lancaster County residents.

He didnt understand it regarding mask-wearing, when he attended political events unmasked, instead of using every opportunity to set an example for his fellow Republicans and to counter the politicization of face masks. And he doesnt seem to understand now why, as an elected county official, he has an obligation to encourage vaccination.

Not mandate. Encourage.

As Mary Glazier, a retired Millersville University professor, wrote in a letter to the editor that was published Friday, Parsons needs to understand that communicating the importance of vaccination for the welfare and health of all is not based on a belief that peoples lives need to be controlled or be lectured to. Assuring people that the vaccine is both safe and necessary for the protection of everyone in the community is leadership.

Another letter writer, David Ehrlich of Manheim Township, asked, of Parsons: Isnt it his job, and that of his fellow commissioners, to make sure that the county thrives? How is that going to happen if too many people choose not to get vaccinated?

There is a role for government to play in defeating this pandemic, and encouraging people to get vaccinated is probably first and foremost.

We could not agree more.

Parsons consistently  and responsibly  uses social media to warn county residents about potentially damaging weather events. Why is he so reluctant to use his public platform to consistently promote COVID-19 vaccination, especially when it would advance the priority he placed throughout this pandemic on the countys economic well-being?

As conservative Stuart Wesbury, former LNP | LancasterOnline Editorial Board member and frequent Opinion contributor, writes today, this is not a conservative or liberal issue.

Indeed it is not.

The need to persuade people to get vaccinated against COVID-19 demands an all-hands-on-deck response from everyone, elected officials included.

Public health experts say were in a race against this novel coronavirus and its variants to get people protected before they get infected.

And as Dr. Jerome Adams, U.S. surgeon general under President Donald Trump, wrote last week in The Washington Post: We cant reach the COVID-19 finish line with only half the herd. ... To finish this race and safely reopen, we urgently need to make it easier for holdouts to get vaccinated and implement new strategies to encourage them to do so.

The Lancaster County Community Vaccination Center makes it easy for county residents to get vaccinated. Its accessible by public transportation. Its in a visible location.

To close it prematurely would be an epic failure.

Register to vote

Monday is the last day to register to vote in the May 18 primary election.

Only registered Democrats and Republicans can vote for their partys nominees for municipal office.

But four important questions are on the ballot  two relating to a governors emergency declaration powers  and all registered voters can have their say on them.

Go to votespa.com to register online or register in person at the Lancaster County Voter Registration Office at 150 N. Queen St., Suite 117, at the Lancaster County Government Center downtown.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday slammed Congress leader Jairam Ramesh for 'cheap publicity' over an emergency oxygen supply for the Philippines.

On Sunday, Union Minister for External Affairs S Jaishankar responded to the claims made by senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Twitter. He informed that the MEA verified the matter with the Philippines embassy and found that they had no Coronavirus cases. "MEA checked with the Philippines Embassy. This was an unsolicited supply as they had no Covid cases," he tweeted.

S Jaishankar further emphasised how the Congress party was denying oxygen cylinders to needy patients for cheap publicity.

"MEA checked with the Philippines Embassy. This was an unsolicited supply as they had no Covid cases. Clearly for cheap publicity by you know who. Giving away cylinders like this when there are people in desperate need of oxygen is simply appalling," Jaishankar said.

"Jairamji, MEA never sleeps; our people know across the world. MEA also never fakes; we know who does," said the Minister in another tweet.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh had earlier thanked the Youth Congress for responding to an emergency call for oxygen supply by the Embassy of the Republic of Philippines on Saturday.

"While I thank @IYC for its stellar efforts, as an Indian citizen I'm stunned that the youth wing of the opposition party is attending to SOS calls from foreign embassies. Is the MEA sleeping @DrSJaishankar?" he tweeted.

As India battles a devastating second wave of coronavirus, there has been a rise in oxygen demand across the country.

Several countries around the globe, including the United Kingdom, Russia and the United States have extended support as the country continues to struggle with the increase in its health infrastructure needs caused by the rising infections.

(ANI)

Also Read: Rahul Gandhi highlights plight of journalists amid COVID-19
Collapse of Syrian Society Makes the Case for Ending the Use of Sanctions

May 1, 2021 (EIRNS)The collapse of Syria, brought on by U.S. policy to include economic sanctions intended to prevent economic reconstruction of the country, the looting of oil and wheat from eastern Syria and the stirring up of Kurdish separatism, is becoming more evident every day. Three developments reported in the last 24 hours show why the U.S. policy of regime change and economic sanctions is genocide and must be replaced by an entirely different paradigm of policy making, one that defends the value of each and every human life.

First, official news agency SANA, citing local sources, reports that the U.S. military took 10 truck loads of wheat from silos in the al-Yaarubiya area of Syria to Iraq on April 30 and 32 on April 29. Thats 42 more trucks of wheat that wont be available to feed hungry Syrians.

Secondly, the U.K. charity Save the Children reported that the suicide rate among young people in northwestern Syria has skyrocketed. It documented a total of 246 suicides and 1,748 attempts. The suicide rate has risen dramatically, jumping by 86% from the first three months of last year, reported Al-Monitor. Among those who attempted suicide, 18% were between the ages of 16 and 20.

The spike in suicides comes as the region faces an unprecedented economic crisis thats left 12.4 million Syrians food insecure, according to United Nations estimates. In addition to the stress caused by food and fuel shortages, Save the Children reports that the regions war-torn communities are also suffering from high rates of domestic violence, child marriage, broken relationships, and bullying. This is a desperately alarming situation, Sonia Khush, the organizations Syria response director, said in a statement. After ten years of conflict, we are now seeing children resorting to taking their own lives.

Thirdly, Al-Monitor wrote in a separate report that the COVID-19 pandemic is out of control in northeastern Syria. The International Rescue Committee warned this week that new cases in the region are reaching the highest levels seen to date, even after the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria imposed a 10-day curfew on April 13 to stave off a new wave of the virus. The region has recorded a total of 15,546 cases, but 5,300 of them came just in the month of April.

In the past seven days, 46% of coronavirus tests have come back positive in the Kurdish-held enclave bordering Turkey and Iraq. IRC warned the autonomous administrations only COVID-19 testing lab could soon close due to a shortage of RNA extraction kits. This likely means that the actual number of cases is many times higher and like in so many other places, theres no medical capacity to deal with the crisis. Currently, 83% of patients who receive invasive ventilation in the region are not surviving and we fear that things will only get worse, said Misty Buswell, Policy and Advocacy Director for the IRC in the Middle East and North Africa. The health system is struggling to cope, and the situation is deteriorating extremely rapidly, Buswell said.
The year-long pandemic has led to an overall decrease of students going to colleges. The drop, however, is sharper among community colleges in the United States.

In its latest report, the National Student Clearinghouse says that college enrollment dropped nearly 3 percent overall. And community colleges saw the biggest drop of 9.5 percent from a year ago.

Doug Shapiro is the executive director of the organization. He warned that schools and policymakers will need to work together to help bring back the learners who are struggling during the pandemic and recession.

Community colleges generally serve lower-income students. Most are two-year programs to prepare students for specific jobs or to continue at four-year schools. Many community college students attend class part-time and some are older adults already working.

The American Association of Community Colleges says tuition and fees at a community college average $3,730 a year while the costs at a public four-year university average more than $10,000 for in-state students. The information is from the 2019-2020 school year.

A different recession

The coronavirus pandemic forced many businesses to close and led to economic recession in the U.S. and around the world. In the past, people often attended community colleges to seek new skills, more education or job training during a recession.

Dr. Sanjay Rai is a senior vice president at Montgomery College in Maryland. He said that during the 2008 recession, the college saw a large growth in enrollment. But during the pandemic, the college has seen a 4 percent drop.

In Montgomery County, unemployment went from 2.4 percent in December 2019 to almost 9 percent in May 2020. Rai said that more than half of Montgomery College students lost some or all of their income.

I dont think this is a recession, Rai said of the economic struggles of the pandemic. I think this is an entirely different phenomenon.

Todd Kitchen is an administrator at Northwest Arkansas Community College (NWACC). He said during the last recession that started in 2008, enrollment at the college was at its highest. Over the past year, his school has seen a 10 percent decrease, Kitchen said.

Kitchen believes people are more concerned with safety and health during the pandemic. I think with the pandemic it was a bit different because of so much uncertainty, so much fear, Kitchen said. It really caught us off-guard.

Both Rai and Kitchen said their colleges are working to meet the changing student needs during the pandemic. With increased need for vaccines around the world, Montgomery College, for example, is now offering a program in medical manufacturing.

The most immediate need of our community is to find employment for people who have lost jobs because of the pandemic, Rai said.

Help for students

Britney Jenkins is a 21-year-old second-year student at Northwest Arkansas. She has noticed far fewer students in her classes, which are now online. As the vice president of student government, she has heard many students concerns about paying for school.

In addition to tuition, students must pay for things like books, school supplies, housing, and other living costs.

I am very fortunate that my parents can help me, Jenkins said. But there are other students who when the pandemic hit, and they lost their jobs, they had to quit community college. There was no doubt about it.

Free community college, Jenkin observed, would open so many doors for so many people.

Free community college

Seventeen states in the U.S. now offer tuition-free programs for community college. Many states, including Maryland and Arkansas, provide students with last dollar aid. That means the state will provide students the remaining cost of tuition after they use federal student aid.

This week, U.S. President Joe Biden presented a plan to provide two years of free community college to all Americans. The plan will also give up to $1,400 in additional assistance to lower-income students. Bidens proposal, however, will need Republican support in an evenly divided Senate.

A strong supporter of free community college is first lady Jill Biden herself. She is a long-time professor at community colleges and plans to continue during her time in the White House.

The first lady expressed her support for free community college recently in a speech at Illinois Sauk Valley Community College. She said, All Americans deserve the same opportunity to pursue their passions, get a great education and build a career that they love.

Sanjay Rai of Montgomery College said, If there is any administration that can do it, I think its this Biden administration.

Im Caty Weaver.

Dan Novak wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor.

Quiz - Calls for Free Community College as Fewer Go during Pandemic Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

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Words in This Story

enroll v. to take (someone) as a member or participant

income -n. money that is earned from work, investments, business, etc.

tuition-n. money that is paid to a school for the right to study there

fee-n. an amount of money that must be paid

phenomenon n. something (such as an interesting fact or event) that can be observed and studied and that typically is unusual or difficult to understand or explain fully

uncertain-adj. not exactly known or decided : not definite or fixed

off-guard- adj. not ready

deserve v. used to say that someone or something should or should not have or be given something

opportunity n. an amount of time or a situation in which something can be done; a chance

pursue-v. to try to get or do (something) over a period of time

passion-n. a strong feeling of enthusiasm or excitement for something or about doing something
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Jason Anderson is the Digital Producer for the Santa Maria Times. He can be reached at 805-739-2213
The MQ-9 Reaper is an armed, multi-mission, medium-altitude, long-endurance remotely piloted aircraft. It is now set to receive a suite of upgrades to allow the platform to offer a host of new capabilities for combatant commanders and warfighters around the world.
CALmatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California's state Capitol works and why it matters. Dan Walters has been a journalist for nearly 60 years, spending all but a few of those years working for California newspapers.
Good news. Wisconsins population increased by 3.6%, to 5,893,718, according to the 2020 U.S. Census. Thats not a huge gain, but its sufficient to maintain the states current level of representation in the U.S. House.

That avoids a repeat of the pattern of the past century, which saw Wisconsin drop from 11 House seats to 10 after the 1930 census, from 10 to nine after the 1970 Census, and from nine to eight after the 2000 census.

The Great Lakes states have been hard hit by population shifts over the past century  losing House seats as states in the south and west have gained. On the basis of the 2020 census numbers, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, New York and Pennsylvania will each lose a seat. Only Indiana, Minnesota and Wisconsin will maintain the same level of representation.

So does that mean Wisconsins congressional district maps will remain the same in 2022? No.

Maps will be redrawn. Wisconsins population has grown, and people have moved. The states congressional and legislative districts need to be reworked to reflect the changes that have taken place over the past decade.
The idea is backed by many of the organizations that have long provided services to the homeless over the years. Executive director Karla Thennes of Porchlight, the nonprofit that has had to work from temporary shelter to temporary shelter seemingly forever, says she is excited that it will at last give the homeless shelter a home of its own.

Rhodes-Conway notes that a permanent shelter at the Zeier Road location will not only be a place for homeless men to sleep. It has the space to offer other services around the clock  a place where men experiencing homelessness can stay connected, beyond just finding a bed. Besides, she notes, some homeless people have jobs at night and need to have a place to sleep during the day.

Approving the shelter "will allow us to live up to our reputation as a liberal city that cares about all of its people, especially its most vulnerable and marginalized  instead of moving backwards," wrote the members of the city's Affirmative Action Commission in a letter to the council.
HealthX has raised a combined $76 million in its two funds, the latest of which attracted a maximum number of investors, but Bakken knows he cant go it alone if his portfolio companies are to reach full potential. It will require co-investments from other funds, almost all of which are larger and outside Wisconsin.

If the proposed funds of funds comes to pass, Bakken said, it will help bring more of those investors to the Badger state.

At a high level, it would expedite things. It will pour a little gas in the tank to accelerate growth, he said. Weve got a good framework in place in Wisconsin. More capital will increase the odds of Wisconsin companies getting over the hump.

If the Wisconsin Legislature approves, the state would join neighbors such as Indiana, Illinois, Ohio and Michigan in creating such a fund, which would be a one-time investment and matched over time by private dollars at a 2-to-1 ratio. Experience in other states indicates the matching ratio usually exceeds whats required, because such funds tend to attract outside dollars  and outside venture capital firms  to locally sourced deals.
Even as the district transitions to in-person classes, most teachers have some students who are still learning virtually. So they must juggle being present in the classroom and being available for those students who are only online.

Teachers have used multiple ways to tell their students that they are missed, they are loved, and they are talented. Teachers have created videos to tell their students how much they miss seeing them in person. They have helped students create their own videos about ideas that inspire them or music they want to share. They organized caravans to go through their school attendance areas and visit (at a distance) all of their students. They have used creative ways to encourage doing art, music and physical education at home. They have developed innovative ways to reach out to students, and to reassure them that the school is concerned about their welfare.
But the bill guards against that: Election officials could only process the ballots by removing them from envelops and feeding them into machines. They would not be allowed to tabulate who was ahead or won until after the polls close on Election Day. In fact, anyone who acts in a manner that would give them the ability to know or provide information about the vote totals could face a criminal penalty.

The public could watch the ballots being processed. Additionally, tamper-evident security seals in a double-lock location would protect machines and votes. Feeding ballots into machines a day early would be optional for local municipalities, and the Elections Commission would have to approve any request to do so.

The governor included the measure in his budget, but non-fiscal policy doesnt belong in the states spending plan. So advancing it on its merits through the Legislature is a better path.
BOISE  We need to talk about whats happening in Idaho, announces Wren Woodson, her face greenscreened over an image of a wolf in snow.

Woodson, who describes herself on TikTok as a Wisconsin-based journalist & wildlife enthusiast, has gone viral on the social media platform with a video posted earlier this week, captioned Idahos Wolf Killing Bill. In the short video, which has been watched more than 250,000 times, Woodson points to headlines from The New York Times and The Associated Press as she tells viewers that Idaho plans to kill 90% of its wolf population.

Many environmentalists are concerned that such a drastic decrease of 90% might imbalance the ecosystem since wolves are a critical keystone species, Woodson says in the video.

Thousands of comments on the video also decry the legislation, which originated in the Idaho Senate about a week ago and has since passed the House and Senate. Next it heads to Gov. Brad Littles desk. Woodsons TikTok profile links to a Change.org petition titled protect wolf populations in Idaho that had more than 7,000 signatures by Thursday evening.
These results represent an increase from 2019, when a similar EdNews survey found that 97 of Idahos 156 districts and charters offered some form of all-day kindergarten.

About 21,140 students are enrolled in kindergarten this school year. Of those, 5,700 are in districts that offer only full-day kindergarten, while about 900 are in schools that dont. The rest are in districts or charters with both full-day and half-day options.

Nampa School District has provided full-day kindergarten for students for two years. Teacher Terra Hyslop said having all the kindergartners every day has advantages, both academically and behaviorally.

Before moving to all-day kindergarten, lessons were crammed to help students meet academic standards, Hyslop said. Half-day students struggled to retain information, so teachers often repeated lessons.

Extra time provided through all-day offerings helps students build relationships with each other and with staff members, and streamlines her connection to students, Hyslop added. Were consistent now. They are seeing me every day. Theyre hearing my rules every day. Theyre seeing the other kiddos in the classroom every day.

Districts and charters fund all-day kindergarten in unique ways
The legislation includes exceptions for pregnancies that are the result of rape or incest, as well as in situations of medical emergencies. However, to quality for these exceptions the act of rape or incest must be reported to a law enforcement agency. A copy of the report must then be given to the physician who is performing the abortion.

During the debate on a previous version of this bill, Sen. Melissa Wintrow, D-Boise, raised concerns about this aspect of the bills. She said many sexual assaults or incidences of rape go unreported to the police for myriad of reasons.

Even if a woman were to report the rape or sexual assault to the police, actually obtaining the report to present it to a physician would not be an easy process, Wintrow said. It is difficult to obtain reports during active investigations.

If you have never known anybody to experience a rape and have to face those decisions and then to think about having to jump through all these hoops to get an abortion when youre already traumatized  its too much, Wintrow said.
One of the issues in this committee has been it was always an either-or proposition when it comes to dealing with fire: Either you cut your way out of the problem or the other issue is that it is a phenomenon that cannot be controlled, Grijalva said. Climate change has changed that whole debate entirely.

Grijalva said the Biden administrations goals to reduce carbon emissions and create jobs offer new opportunities to move on legislation to support forest management and firefighters.

Having this hearing is important as we address the Biden administrations American Jobs Plan and what resources we can use to match the need, Grijalva told lawmakers at the virtual hearing.

Dry, flammable conditions threaten West

The issue is close to home for Neguse and other Westerners. The two largest wildfires in Colorado history both blazed through Neguses district last summer.

Wildfires provoked a year of devastating losses in 2020. More acres burned in Arizona in 2020 than the previous two years combined. Montana lost more structures to fire last year than it had since 2012.

Nevada had fewer fires than in recent summers but still issued air quality advisories due to California fires.
Sheskey shot Blake seven times after he and two other Kenosha officers tried to arrest Blake on an outstanding warrant. A pocketknife fell from Blakes pants during a scuffle. He said he picked it up before heading to a vehicle to drive away with two of his children in the back seat. He said he was prepared to surrender once he put the knife in the vehicle. Sheskey told investigators that he feared for his own safety.
Third, theres the fact that Simon and Schuster is a business, not a church. S&S has only one corporate purpose and goal, to generate profits for stockholders. They do this by selling books people want to buy. Free enterprise. Thats the way we do things in America.

Fourth, theres the understandable frustration of people who honestly believe the world is going to hell in a handbasket, and its the other guys fault. In their enthusiasm to plug their own ears against the words they loathe, they seek to plug everyone elses ears as well.

Theres a hot new term making the round of pundits and politicians: cancel culturea modern form ostracism where someone is ejected from virtual or social circles. The ostracized person is said to be cancelled.

This isnt a new idea at all, its just dressed up with a catchy new name. Back in the 90s I was running a newsroom in a city where the KKK was coming to town to hold a rally. Viewers pleaded with us not to cover the rally. To cover it, we were told, would just be giving them what they want. (We covered the rally.)
The original bill passed by one vote in the Senate, 18-17, but Gov. Brad Littles veto was upheld. Perhaps now some cooler heads will now prevail. A proposed constitutional amendment will be on the November, 2022 ballot; wed guess the voters will reject it.

There was yet another plus in the session in that the debate over executive power showed clearly how a few rightists obstructionists in the House can tie up progress on many issues. The roundheads effectively held important measures hostage, such as agency and education budgets over simple pig-headedness and spite at the governor.

That may be the most important lesson: lack of willingness to work together now seems to be the rightists mantra. They dawdle, obstruct, object at every turn. This gets them media attention, but few positive results.

It wasnt pretty, but it showed clearly what excessive discord and simple mean-spiritedness look like. Littles measured and nimble, centrist leadership also was clear. He was never bombastic nor imprudent, unlike the House harpies who cackled at every turn. He deserves much credit here, though hes unlikely to get any from the chicken-squawks. The session ought to wrap up this week, after months of twiddling and false piety by rightists. Not a day too soon.
When policies are such that we close the restaurant, then the policy needs to be revisited, Barker said.

As for the wage increase, its going to be quite the challenge for a lot a of people, said Adam Jones, owner of The Brick Running & Tri Store on Main Street.

Jones, who has five employees, said the increase in pay could mean a dollar or two increase for some of his workers.

Well look at the budget and look at what direction were going, Jones said of how the increase will affect his business. Well navigate those waters like any other business.

John C. Crane i s a reporter for the Danville Register & Bee. You can reach him at jcrane@registerbee.com or 434-791-7987.

John C. Crane is a reporter for the Danville Register & Bee. You can reach him at jcrane@registerbee.com or 434-791-7987.
On April 22, the U.S. House of Representatives voted on H.R. 51, a bill to admit the District of Columbia as the 51st state of the Union.

D.C.s lack of voting representation in Congress is a matter of fairness that deserves to be addressed, but H.R. 51s proponents are advocating the wrong solution.

The Founding Fathers wanted the nations capital to stand alone, not be the first among equals as a state along with the others. As James Madison wrote in The Federalist No. 43, 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 dishonorable to the government and dissatisfactory to other states.

Madisons reasoning withstands the test of time, as legal experts in both Democratic and Republican administrations recognized throughout most of our history. Then-Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy wrote in the 1960s, It was indispensably necessary to the independence and the very existence of the new Federal Government to have a seat of government which was not subject to the jurisdiction or control of any State.
Here are some of the top photos of the week, as selected by the Associated Press.
A new study, presented today at the AATS 101st Annual Meeting, finds that AATS Foundation fellowships support success in academic surgery career tracks. The AATS Foundation has two primary grant funding mechanisms: the AATS Foundation Scholarship and the Surgical Investigator Award. The study looked at publications, citations, NIH funding, and leadership position of awardees, among other factors.

Results show that recipients of both the AATS Surgical Investigator award and the Foundation Scholarship demonstrate sustained scholarship with peer reviewed publications and a high rate of receiving one or more NIH grants. The AATS grants place individuals on a career path for academic surgery with impressive scholastic contributions and ascending to leadership positions.

The AATS Foundation Grant has been awarded to 42 individuals. Awardees have a median of 4,733 citations. During the four-year window following the award, awardees published a median of 23 manuscripts, with a median of 364 citations. Subsequent NIH grant funding was attained by 44 percent of awardees, who al; secured 2-3 additional NIH grants. The majority of awardees89 percenthave been promoted, with most holding either a clinical directorship or a division chief position.

The Surgical Investigator award has been awarded to 24 surgeons. In the four-year window since the grant was awarded, recipients generated a media of 37 publications with a media of 632 citations. 26 percent secured NIH funding, of which all attained second and third NIH grants. Half of the awardees obtained an academic promotion.

"There's a narrative within academic medicine that surgery is too time consuming to allow for research, and the data here shows that there are real opportunities for surgical researchers that yield results," said Edgar Aranga-Michel, MD/Ph.D. candidate at University of PittsburghCMU. "The AATS fellowships are a success factor that support a career in academic surgery.

More information: "The Impact of Receiving an award from American Association of Thoracic Surgery Foundation," Presented by Edgar Aranda Michel, University of Pittsburgh, May 2, 2021 the AATS 101st Annual Meeting.

Provided by American Association for Thoracic Surgery
A worker carries wood on a hand cart as multiple funeral pyres of COVID-19 victims burn at a crematorium on the outskirts of New Delhi, India, Saturday, May 1, 2021. India on Saturday set yet another daily global record with 401,993 new cases, taking its tally to more than 19.1 million. Another 3,523 people died in the past 24 hours, raising the overall fatalities to 211,853, according to the Health Ministry. Experts believe both figures are an undercount. (AP Photo/Ishant Chauhan)

In hopes of taming a monstrous spike in COVID-19 infections, India opened vaccinations to all adults Saturday, launching a huge inoculation effort that was sure to tax the limits of the federal government, the country's vaccine factories and the patience of its 1.4 billion people.

The world's largest maker of vaccines was still short of critical suppliesthe result of lagging manufacturing and raw material shortages that delayed the rollout in several states. And even in places where the shots were in stock, the country's wide economic disparities made access to the vaccine inconsistent.

The country's ambitious effort was also partly overshadowed Saturday by a fire in a COVID-19 ward in western India that killed 18 patients, and the death of 12 COVID-19 patients at a hospital in New Delhi after the facility ran out of oxygen for 80 minutes.

Only a fraction of India's population will be able to afford the prices charged by private hospitals for the shot, experts said, meaning that states will be saddled with immunizing the 600 million Indian adults younger than 45, while the federal government gives shots to 300 million health care and front-line workers and people older than 45.

So far, government vaccines have been free, and private hospitals have been permitted to sell shots at a price capped at 250 rupees, or around $3. That practice will now change: Prices for state governments and private hospitals will be determined by vaccine companies. Some states might not be able to provide vaccines for free since they are paying twice as much as the federal government for the same shot, and prices at private hospitals could rise.

A woman receives the AstraZeneca vaccine for COVID-19 at a hospital in Prayagraj, India. Saturday, May 1, 2021. In hopes of taming a monstrous spike in COVID-19 infections, India opened vaccinations to all adults Saturday, launching a huge inoculation effort that was sure to tax the limits of the federal government, the country's vaccine factories and the patience of its 1.4 billion people. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Since state governments and private players compete for shots in the same marketplace, and states pay less for the doses, vaccine makers can reap more profit by selling to the private sector, said Chandrakant Lahariya, a health policy expert. That cost can then be passed on to people receiving the shots, increasing inequity.

"There is no logic that two different governments should be paying two prices," he said.

Concerns that pricing issues could deepen inequities are only the most recent hitch in India's sluggish immunization efforts. Less than 2% of the population has been fully immunized against COVID-19 and around 10% has received a single dose. Immunization rates have also fallen. The average number of shots per day dipped from over 3.6 million in early April to less than 2.5 million right now.

A relative of a person who died of COVID-19 mourns at a crematorium in Jammu, in Jammu, India, Friday, April 30, 2021. Indian scientists appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to publicly release virus data that would allow them to save lives as coronavirus cases climbed again Friday, prompting the army to open its hospitals in a desperate bid to control a massive humanitarian crisis. (AP Photo/Channi Anand)

In the worst-hit state of Maharashtra, the health minister promised free vaccines for those ages 18 to 44, but he also acknowledged that the shortage of doses meant immunization would not start as planned on Saturday. States say the paucity of shots is one reason why immunizations have declined.

In a positive development, the country on Saturday received its first batch of Sputnik V vaccines, which it is importing from Russia. Moscow has signed a deal with an Indian pharmaceutical company to distribute 125 million doses.

India thought the worst was over when cases ebbed in September. But mass gatherings such as political rallies and religious events were allowed to continue, and relaxed attitudes on the risks fueled a major humanitarian crisis, according to health experts. New variants of the coronavirus have partly led the surge.

Relatives prepare to cremate COVID-19 victims at a ground that has been converted into a crematorium in New Delhi, India, Saturday, May 1, 2021. India on Saturday set yet another daily global record with 401,993 new cases, taking its tally to more than 19.1 million. Another 3,523 people died in the past 24 hours, raising the overall fatalities to 211,853, according to the Health Ministry. Experts believe both figures are an undercount. (AP Photo/Amit Sharma)

The country's shortage of shots has global implications because, in addition to its own inoculation efforts, India has promised to ship vaccines abroad as part of a United Nations vaccine-sharing program that is dependent on its supply.

Indian vaccine makers produce an estimated 70 million doses each month of the two approved shotsthe AstraZeneca vaccine made by the Serum Institute of India and another one made by Bharat Biotech.

The federal government is buying half of those vaccines to give to states. The remaining half can then be bought by states and private hospitals to be given to anyone over 18, but at prices set by the companies.

The federal government is buying shots at 150 rupees each, or $2. The Serum Institute will sell the shots to states at 300 rupees each, or $4, and to private players at 600 rupees each, or $8. Bharat Biotech said it will charge states 400 rupees, or less than $5.50 for a shot, and private players 1,200 rupees, or more than $16.

Shashank Shekhar, 18, left, stands with his sisters displaying their vaccination cards after receiving COVID-19 vaccine at a hospital in Prayagraj, India. Saturday, May 1, 2021. In hopes of taming a monstrous spike in COVID-19 infections, India opened vaccinations to all adults Saturday, launching a huge inoculation effort that was sure to tax the limits of the federal government, the country's vaccine factories and the patience of its 1.4 billion people. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

By comparison, the European Union paid $2.15 per dose for the AstraZeneca vaccine. The company says that price is discounted because the EU contributed to the vaccine's development.

The strain is mounting on the Serum Institute, which in addition to being India's main supplier is also a critical supplier of the U.N.-backed initiative known as COVAX, which more than 90 countries are depending on. The institute paused exports in March.

"The urgent demand for vaccines in India is bad for the rest of the world," said Ravi Gupta, a professor of clinical microbiology at Cambridge University.

Some experts warned that conducting a massive inoculation effort now could worsen the surge in a country that is second only to the United States in its number of infectionsmore than 19.1 million.

"There's ample evidence that having people wait in a long, crowded, disorderly queue could itself be a source of infection," said Dr. Bharat Pankhania, a senior clinical lecturer specializing in infectious diseases at Britain's University of Exeter. He urged India to first stop the circulation of the virus by imposing "a long, sustained, strictly enforced lockdown."

People gather to receive COVID-19 vaccine at a medical facility in Prayagraj, India. Saturday, May 1, 2021. In hopes of taming a monstrous spike in COVID-19 infections, India opened vaccinations to all adults Saturday, launching a huge inoculation effort that was sure to tax the limits of the federal government, the country's vaccine factories and the patience of its 1.4 billion people. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

People wearing face masks as a precaution against the coronavirus wait to receive COVID-19 vaccine at a medical facility in Prayagraj, India. Saturday, May 1, 2021. In hopes of taming a monstrous spike in COVID-19 infections, India opened vaccinations to all adults Saturday, launching a huge inoculation effort that was sure to tax the limits of the federal government, the country's vaccine factories and the patience of its 1.4 billion people. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

People register themselves to receive COVID-19 vaccine at a hospital in Prayagraj, India. Saturday, May 1, 2021. In hopes of taming a monstrous spike in COVID-19 infections, India opened vaccinations to all adults Saturday, launching a huge inoculation effort that was sure to tax the limits of the federal government, the country's vaccine factories and the patience of its 1.4 billion people. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

COVID-19 patients receive oxygen outside a Gurdwara, a Sikh house of worship, in New Delhi, India, Saturday, May 1, 2021. India on Saturday set yet another daily global record with 401,993 new cases, taking its tally to more than 19.1 million. Another 3,523 people died in the past 24 hours, raising the overall fatalities to 211,853, according to the Health Ministry. Experts believe both figures are an undercount. (AP Photo/Amit Sharma)

A wreath lies on the coffin of a COVID-19 victim before his cremation in Jammu, India, Friday, April 30, 2021. Indian scientists appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to publicly release virus data that would allow them to save lives as coronavirus cases climbed again Friday, prompting the army to open its hospitals in a desperate bid to control a massive humanitarian crisis. (AP Photo/Channi Anand)

Relatives of a person who died of COVID-19 mourn at a crematorium in New Delhi, India, Friday, April 30, 2021. Indian scientists appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to publicly release virus data that would allow them to save lives as coronavirus cases climbed again Friday, prompting the army to open its hospitals in a desperate bid to control a massive humanitarian crisis. (AP Photo)

Pankhania cautioned that immunization efforts alone would not help immediately stem the current spike of COVID-19, since shots "only start to bear fruit in about three months' time." Vaccination would help prevent future waves of infection, he said.

Given the urgent need for vaccines, some experts said rationing available doses is critical.

"Vaccines need to be delivered to the areas with the most intense transmission," Gupta said, explaining that vaccines should be used as "emergency control measures" in specific regions of India rather than offering doses to all adults across the subcontinent.

Pankhania said the widely seen images of Indian virus patients gasping for air and smoke billowing from makeshift funeral pyres should spur rich countries to share their vaccines more freely. He criticized the approach taken by many Western countries that are attempting to vaccinate all citizens, including younger people at low risk, before sharing any doses.

"It is better globally to immunize all the (vulnerable) people that need to be protected rather than to immunize entire populations in only some countries," Pankhania said.

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Preliminary results of a clinical trial, presented today at the AATS 101st Annual Meeting, showed that a new, low-profile thoracic aortic endograft is safe and effective in the treatment of descending thoracic aortic aneurysm or penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer (PAU) diseases. A multi-disciplinary team, led by both cardiac and vascular surgeons as co-investigators, conducted the study in 36 centers in the United States and Japan, enrolling patients between 2016 and 2019.

The trial aimed to measure safety and efficacy of the RELAYPro endovascular device, a second-generation product featuring a dramatically reduced profile and a non-bare stent (NBS) configuration.

The prospective, international, non-blinded, non-randomized pivotal trial analyzed a primary safety endpoint of major adverse events (MAE) at 30 days (death, myocardial infarction, stroke, renal/respiratory failure, paralysis, bowel ischemia, procedural blood loss) and a primary effectiveness endpoint of treatment success at one year (technical success, patency, absence of aneurysm rupture, type I/III endoleaks, stent fractures, secondary interventions, aneurysm expansion, and migration). Treatment success at one year was 89.2 percent.

"With a 3 to 4 French profile reduction, this second generation thoracic endograft device met the one year safety and effectiveness endpoints in a pivotal study for the treatment of patients with aneurysms of the descending thoracic aorta or PAUs," explained Dr. Wilson Szeto, Professor of Surgery at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. "It is particularly positive to note that the reduction in profile and the availability of a non bare stents configuration will expand the population of patients who can be treated with the device and reduces complications."

In this study, the vast majority of patients in the United States were treated with a percutaneous approach, which can dramatically reduce surgical complications associated with higher profile devices requiring surgical cutdown for deployment. At one year follow up, patients demonstrated a low risk of mortality, endoleak or structural integrity concerns. Follow-up continues to five years and the device is currently being evaluated for approval by the FDA.

Explore further Technology provides non-invasive treatment for congenital heart disease patients

More information: "One Year Results of a Pivotal Study of a Second Generation Low-Profile Endograft in Subjects with Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm and Ulcer Pathologies," Presented by Wilson Y. Szeto, MD, May 1, 2021, at the AATS 101st Annual Meeting.

Provided by American Association for Thoracic Surgery
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Saudi Arabia will permit citizens immunised against COVID-19 to travel abroad from May 17, the interior ministry said Sunday, more than a year after Saudis were barred from external trips.

The ministry said three categories of people would be considered immunisedthose who have received two doses of the coronavirus vaccine, those administered a single dose at least 14 days prior to travel, and people who have recovered from the infection within the last six months.

Saudis under the age of 18an age group that is not receiving vaccineswould also be allowed to travel from May 17, provided they carry an insurance policy approved by the central bank, the ministry said in a statement published by the official Saudi Press Agency.

"The decision to lift the suspension on citizens travelling outside Saudi Arabia will go into effect at 1:00 am on May 17," the ministry said, adding that the kingdom will re-open its land, sea and air borders.

The policy represents an incentive for citizens, barred from travelling abroad since the pandemic began, to get vaccinated.

The kingdom's health ministry said it has administered more than nine million coronavirus vaccine doses, in a country with a population of over 34 million.

The country has reported more than 419,000 coronavirus infections and nearly 7,000 deaths from COVID-19.

Last month, Saudi Arabia permitted only people immunised against COVID-19 to perform the year-round umrah pilgrimage from the start of Ramadan, the holy fasting month for Muslims.

It is unclear whether that policy, which comes amid an uptick in coronavirus infections in the kingdom, would be extended to the annual hajj pilgrimage later this year.

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

 2021 AFP
Cathryn Raan started the program in 2015 and still volunteers every year.

"This year is a little different because there's less students, but we usually fill up a 26-foot U-Haul to the ceiling," she said. "It's like stuffed. The first year was honestly probably the most stuff. But it's become a lot more efficient of a program over the years. We empty the U-Haul into the gym on Monday morning and start sorting it for the sale."

The sale is open to the general public and will take place on Wednesday, May 5 from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m. at the Schreiber Gym, located at 32 Campus Drive on the UM Campus. Cash and checks are the only form of payment accepted.

"Whatever does not sell we have local organizations come pick up, whatever is appropriate for their organization," Raan explained. "The Poverello Center takes a lot of the bedding and towels. The Habitat for Humanity Re-Store takes furniture and small appliances. Mountain Home Montana takes a lot of used clothing. Soft Landing Missoula is coming. Everything kind of gets dispersed around the community in the appropriate places and the waste reduction is huge."

Raan said students who fly home used to just put lots of perfectly good items in the campus dumpsters before the program started.
In Washington, the U.S. State Department had no immediate comment on reports of progress, incremental or not, and said the U.S. assessment of the talks remained where it was on Thursday. On that day, State Department spokesman Ned Price said there had been some movement but that an agreement was far from done or even guaranteed.
Instead, our people have to pay for it themselves with higher property taxes. This is the collateral damage decisions targeting specific industries cause to bystanders. You cant shoot at something without thinking where the bullets going to travel next.

Were headed for more of the same if the presidents indefinite suspension of oil and gas leases on federal lands and waters becomes a permanent ban. About a fifth of Montanas existing oil wells are on federal land and its about a third in neighboring North Dakota. Energy production on these lands supports thousands of high-paying jobs.

We are already seeing higher gasoline prices, and thats something permanent ban would help sustain. For sure, there are other factors contributing to the increasing pump prices. But how many voters will care about those nuances when they go to the polls at the next election? Theyll remember what hurt their wallet and who did it.

All of this is happening as the COVID-19 pandemic persists, and it continues to play havoc on our economy and on jobs. At the least, the administration should assess the cost of these misguided energy policies on our countrys economy, our reliance on foreign energy and on the strength of our national security.
In 1971, upon graduating from law school, our dad, Mick McKeon, ran for a seat as a delegate to Montanas Constitutional Convention and was elected to represent the counties of Deer Lodge, Philipsburg, Powell and part of Missoula. With delegates from across the state and the political spectrum, they fought to eliminate the Copper Collar, the legal stranglehold that the Anaconda Company and its business and political allies had over state government for nearly a century.

Anyone who knew our dad or any of the delegates know that their time and contributions to the 1972 Montana Constitution are often their proudest accomplishments. It is a magnificent document. The Constitutions commitment to equality in all public matters  to transparency, openness and public participation in government; to individual human dignity; to a clean and healthful environment; to fiscal accountability; and to the prevention of abuses of the public by individuals, organizations and corporations make the Montana Constitution a source of enduring truths about the values that create a positive human community.
But it bears pointing out that private schools are built on a foundation laid by the public school system. Every child in America has a right to an education via this system, which is open to the public and overseen by a publicly elected school board. Public schools are tasked with ensuring equal access to educational opportunities within this system and demonstrating their effectiveness through testing standards.

Parents have every right to choose a private school instead. These schools can offer their own degree of transparency to parents, develop their own curricula and set their own benchmarks. They are not required to accept every child who wants to attend. They are not open to public review.

Yet HB 279 puts the public on the hook to fund someone elses choice of school.

The problem isnt donations to school scholarships. Again, those are a good thing whether the school is public, private, religious or otherwise.

However, a tax credit is not the same as a tax deduction. A deduction essentially lowers the taxable income rate. A dollar-for-dollar tax credit means a state government refund of 100% of the amount of the donation.
The contract would be effective for one year and does not have automatic renewal. Either party can withdraw from the contract early so long as 10 days written notice is given.

Morganton also is looking to get electric with another agenda item up for discussion Monday night.

The city is looking to enter a contract with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality to get two DC fast-charging electric vehicle stations.

One of the stations would go in at 111 Bush Drive and another at 201 N. College St., according to information from the city.

The city was awarded two grants worth a total of $285,921.26 for the charging stations as part of the 2019 North Carolina Volkswagen Settlement Program. Matching funds already have been budgeted in the electric department, and amount to about 10% of the total project cost, the city said.

The meeting also will be filled with plenty of public hearings, four of which will focus on the citys zoning ordinance.
After a few years, the group decided to connect this annual prayer rally with the National Day of Prayer, opening it up to the community.

It wasnt real tiny when it started out, maybe 50 to 75 people the first time, Whalley explained. Its grown and grown every year since. It has become a thing that people look forward to.

This year, the committee has faced the additional challenge of finding a new venue for the service, due to the construction on the historic courthouse square downtown. When it became clear the event could not take place on the square, the committee reached out to First Baptist Church.

When we started planning in January, we knew we wouldnt be able to meet on the square, Whalley said. I am a member of First Baptist Church, which is close to the center of town, so I suggested we reach out to them.

Whalley said she called her pastor, the Rev. Dr. Thomas Bland. After meeting with the church deacons, they said they would be honored to host the event.
Richards had plans to farm the land he had purchased while in England many years previously.

Three weeks after the tragedy, a letter from Richards would arrive in Butte, addressed to his sister, Mrs. Harry Skewes. In a long and detailed letter, he told his sister that less than a minute after the family reached the lounge room, the ship went almost perpendicular, going down bow first, with the propellers in the air.

Once the ship began to sink, Richards said that he and his wife were unable to hang on to the children as all five went under water. All except Dora, were wearing life jackets, Richards wrote, explaining no life jacket would fit the infant. Could not hold on to them any longer, he wrote, until we came to the top of the water again.

Above water, Richards was able to grab onto Cecil, 4, and get him and his wife atop a lifeboat. Later, 7-year-old Percy would be found aboard the Indian Empire, a clipper ship. Eighteen-month-old Dora, however, was nowhere to be found.

Although he frantically searched for Dora among the victims brought to shore, Richards was unable to find his young daughters body.
House Bill 530, which went to the governors desk last week, contained an amendment that could impact groups like Western Native Vote that played a role gathering voter registrations and ballots in Montanas Indian Country during the latest election. While granting the secretary of state the authority to put rules in place regarding election security, the bill also prohibits anyone from collecting or delivering any ballots for pecuniary benefit.

The amendment placing a $100 penalty on any ballot unlawfully ordered, collected or delivered followed the Senate postponing a bill earlier in the month that would limit ballot collection to family members, an election official or U.S. Postal Service employee.

In September 2020, a Yellowstone County District Court judge ruled similar legislation to be unconstitutional saying it violated voting rights and free speech in Indian Country.

Ballot collection is a lifeline to democracy for many Native voters, Running Wolf said in a message this week posted to social media.
No courses needed

Last weeks Oscar for best documentary went to Netflixs trailblazing documentary My Octopus Teacher. The documentary chronicles a complex relationship between a man and the worlds most bizarre animal  an octopus. It further testifies to our highly conflicted relationship with non-human animals and the natural world.

Most of us treasure our pets  dogs, cats, horses. Our allegiance to them transcends that to our own species. If our dog and a Congolese child were competing for scarce funds for life-saving surgery, we know who would live.

Yet, we torment, kill, and consume other animals that are similar in appearance, intelligence, and ability to suffer. Then, we condemn Asians who do the same to animals we consider pets.

We pride ourselves on being intelligent, rational beings. We have gone to the moon, unraveled and modified genetic codes, and found cures for deadly diseases. Yet we still have not figured out our relationship with non-human animals and the natural world.

Some of us have. Vegans profess compassion and respect for all sentient beings. Veganism requires no special courses or certifications. Every one of us can become one on our next trip to our supermarket.

Stan Metz, Butte

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The officers were driving in the 2900 block of West Harrison Street in Lawndale about 2:30 a.m. when they saw two males on the ground fighting, the police statement said. One of the two men got up and started to run but he was soon caught and arrested.
MTN has warned that it will face another network crunch if temporary licences for precious radio frequency spectrum are not extended beyond 31 May 2021.

Spectrum is the raw capacity wireless networks rely on. Such a network crunch could result in degraded network performance for South Africas two largest cellular network operators, and prevent cheaper mobile data prices.

This situation should be avoided at all costs, for the benefit of the nations citizens, said MTN South Africas executive for corporate affairs Jacqui OSullivan.

MTN is already paying for the use of the temporary spectrum and that amount is at the discretion of ICASA.

MTNs warning comes after the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) said that it wants to stop extending temporary radio frequency licences given to mobile networks at the start of COVID-19 lockdown.

Temporary spectrum licences were given to South Africas mobile network operators as part of COVID-19 disaster regulations, which were issued in response to the national state of disaster declared by President Cyril Ramaphosa on 15 March 2020.

ICASA said that the objective of the temporary spectrum was to enable operators to deal with the anticipated rise in demand for network capacity and data services as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It was also to allow network operators and service providers to enhance their current services.

Operators said that they have used this temporary spectrum to increase capacity on their networks. Vodacom and MTN have also used some of the temporary spectrum to launch 5G services in South Africa.

ICASA extended the validity of the temporary spectrum licences after it became clear that it would not be able to conduct its planned auction for high-demand radio frequency spectrum by the end of December 2020.

It extended the temporary licences again when the High Court interdicted it from conducting the auction as planned.

The interdict was as a result of legal action brought by Telkom against ICASA.

Telkom objected to the process ICASA followed, said that ICASA is not doing enough to tackle the dominance of Vodacom and MTN with the spectrum auction, and raised concerns over the fact that some of the frequency bands ICASA wants to auction still contain analogue TV signals.

Telkom argued that once the spectrum auction is done government has no incentive to finish the digital TV migration. It could just pocket the money and leave the old analogue TV frequency bands occupied and unusable for mobile networks.

These analogue TV signals either need to be switched off as part of South Africas digital TV migration, or Telkom said it needs assurances from the court in the form of an order compelling the South African government to complete the digital migration.

In addition to the case brought by Telkom, MTN launched a legal challenge of its own over the way ICASA proposed to auction off the precious high-demand spectrum.

MTN objected to ICASAs plan to exclude it and Vodacom from the first round of the auction, and the lack of clarity regarding which spectrum bands would be up for grabs in this exclusive first round.

MTN warned that this could result in smaller network operators picking up the spectrum the bigger players need for much cheaper than Vodacom and MTN would have been willing to pay.

If this were to happen, MTN said it would discourage the larger cellphone networks from participating in the auction at all, potentially costing Treasury millions or even billions of rand.

Vodacom has disagreed with MTN, saying that there is a compromise to be made between the bigger players and ICASA.

As a result of these court cases, ICASA said it does not wish to extend the temporary spectrum licences issued in response to the national state of disaster any longer.

The Authority does not intend to further extend the expiry date of the temporary radio frequency spectrum licences beyond 31 May 2021 due to the issues raised in the pending litigation and the interim interdict which has been granted against it, ICASA stated.

MTN said that it would be a mistake to refuse the extension of temporary spectrum licences before the spectrum auction is completed.

We believe that ICASA has used MTNs motivations for extension of the temporary spectrum as a basis for the current and previous renewals of the usage of temporary spectrum, said Jacqui OSullivan, executive for corporate affairs at MTN South Africa.

OSullivan said that MTN has in the past made several motivations to ICASA, supported by evidence, of the benefits derived by consumers on the use of the temporary spectrum and spectrum pooling.

This includes more than 1,000 educational and health websites that have been zero-rated through the course of the pandemic, as well as the further boosting of coverage and network quality in rural and peri-urban areas, where demand shifted during the home schooling and ongoing work-from-home requirements, stated OSullivan.

The evidence of the benefits derived by consumers during this pandemic has not changed and continues to support the reason for extension.

MTN said it is looking at ICASAs request for input regarding its review of the COVID-19 National Disaster Regulations, and will make a submission by the 7 May deadline.

South Africas other mobile network operators declined to comment in detail about ICASAs intention to stop extending the temporary radio frequency spectrum licences.

Cell C said it supports the draft regulation on spectrum pooling and sharing by licensees mentioned in ICASAs call for submissions.

According to Cell C, provisions for spectrum pooling and sharing will ensure that operators improve signal coverage, access to broadband data services, and provide a better consumer experience.

Rain CEO Brandon Leigh said that they are also busy making a submission to ICASA and are cognizant of the impact this may have on the legal battle between Telkom and ICASA.

Unfortunately, as you can understand, I cannot comment at this stage, Leigh said.

Telkom said that it is still studying the document and will be making a written submission to ICASA.
The South African Post Office wants to become a prominent player in the countrys courier industry, despite the fact that the Auditor-General has declared it commercially insolvent.

In its 2020 annual report, Post Office chairperson Tia van der Sandt said that they intended to expand their ecommerce offering to provide small and medium businesses in the country unrivalled access to e-commerce.

It aimed to do this by offering a platform for connecting businesses and customers, and for fulfilling orders.

Van der Sandt said the Post Offices 1,500 branches across the country would give the entity the footprint to do so.

Newly appointed Group CEO Nomkhita Mona has also told SABC News the postal service was eyeing the courier industry in South Africa.

We do have the infrastructure [and] we are doing some courier services currently, but we want to grow that, Mona said.

There are two major stumbling blocks the Post Office would have to overcome to truly compete with the myriad of private couriers in the country  its dire finances and a complete lack of public trust.

Running a successful courier business in a highly competitive ecommerce space requires strong leadership and sound financial management, elements which have been notably missing from the Post Office for more than a decade.

The Post Office simply does not have the capital needed to upscale its logistics to compete with private courier companies.

Its annual results show that it has incurred financial losses of R1.76-billion, making it the 14th year in a row that the entity has not posted a profit.

Its current liabilities also exceed assets by R1.49-billion, which means it is unable to pay its debts and resulted in the Auditor-General declaring it commercially insolvent.

Notably, a R2.9 billion bailout provided by government had to be used to pay down historical debt.

In addition, the Post Office noted its courier and parcel revenue declined by R187 million in 2020.

This lacklustre performance was blamed on the COVID-19 pandemic preventing the company from making deliveries.

In contrast, however, many courier companies  including FedEx and Aramex  have actually managed to post resilient and even positive performance during this period.

This was driven by more consumers using online shopping and relying on delivery services to get basic goods and other products.

This raises the question  if the Post Offices current courier services cannot perform adequately, even at a time of increased demand, what will happen under normal circumstances?

The Post Office told MyBroadband that it has developed a delivery matrix which consists of three zones in each province, in response to the different delivery requirements  from overnight to economy.

It claimed it had the capacity to expand its service significantly to attend to all sub-1kg deliveries.

Even if the Post Office had the financial means to expand its courier capabilities, it has another significant problem.

Many South Africans do not trust the entity with delivering their parcels, as it has become infamous for late deliveries and losing packages.

This much has been admitted by the new Post Office Group CEO, who told the SABC that addressing loss of public confidence in the service was a key focus point for the companys executive committee.

She said that it was unbelievable how many complaints she had received of untraceable packages within her first few weeks at the Post Office.

This has been one of the major drivers of growth for private courier companies  many of which have established reputations for offering quick and reliable delivery.

They have to be able to deliver parcels on time, or the online shops and direct customers that they serve will simply turn to other service providers.

The Post Offices belief that it could become a major courier could be based on the assumption that it will get a favourable outcome in an ongoing court matter which could send shockwaves through the industry.

In 2018, the Post Office had complained to ICASA that PostNet was providing services which may only be undertaken by SAPO by delivering parcels weighing less than 1kg.

ICASA referred the complaint to its Complaints and Compliance Committee (CCC), which ruled in the Post Offices favour in 2019.

It had relied on the Postal Services Act 124 of 1998, which states that only a licensed postal services operator may render services defined as reserved postal services.

These included services for all letters, postcards, printed matter, small parcels, and other postal articles up to and including 1kg.

PostNet approached the Gauteng High Court to challenge the lawfulness of the CCCs decision and ICASAs order.

It secured an interdict which has allowed it and other courier companies to continue delivering sub-1kg packages until the matter is heard before a full bench of the High Court.

A date for this case to be heard is yet to be determined.

Should PostNets case fail, it could mean that South Africans will be forced to use the Post Office for deliveries of any parcels below 1kg in weight, regardless of its reputation and financial standing.

Worryingly, these could include important deliveries such as passports, visas, or bank cards.
Soroptimist International St. Helena Sunrise, GOTR Napa & Solano and NEWS will host their annual LUNAFEST on Monday, May 24, at the Cameo Cinema in St. Helena.

Since 2001, LUNAFEST has celebrated the work of more than 170 women filmmakers in 2,500 screenings nationwide. This year's festival features seven films that bring fresh perspectives to inspire the community.

Because of COVID-19, theres limited capacity at the Cameo, with only 70 seats available, so buy tickets early.

Doors open at 6 p.m. with the red-carpet treatment. Enjoy Tre Posti bites, chocolates and a glass of Moet Chandon champagne. Receive a self-care swag bag from St. Helena businesses.

The films may also be seen virtually, starting on Thursday, May 27. Viewers will be able to watch the films from the comfort of their couches for 48 hours.

Proceeds will benefit:

 Soroptimist International St. Helena Sunrise, helping women achieve economic empowerment through education.

 Girls on the Run Napa & Solano, building resilience in young girls by fostering social, emotional and physical health.
Nancy continued with vivid memories of that historical yet personal moment. On my eighteenth birthday, which was the first of August 1841, we camped on the summit of the Sierra Nevada at the headwaters of the San Joaquin River. Of course, we did not know where we were. The party scattered here to find the best way to descend the mountains. I was left with my babe alone, and as I sat there on my horse and listening to the sighing and moaning of the wind through the pines, it seemed the loneliest spot in the world.

As she mentioned, Nancys only companions at that lonely entry into history were her horse and toddler-aged daughter. However, she was also accompanied by a third yet unseen companion, her unborn second child.

A few years later, the Kelseys temporarily settled in the Calistoga area. Nancy recalled, In 1845, we built cabins in the Napa Valley. We were in Napa when the Mexican War, or the Revolution as we called it then, broke out in 1846.

Some historical accounts claim part of her petticoat was used to create the first California flag during that revolt. Nancy stated, When General Fremont arrived (in Sonoma), his men had not changed their clothing for a month. A hired woman and myself sewed shirts every day until all of his men had chamois. I also baked bread for Fremont during this time.
As a single mom, Im not working right now, she said, her voice scratching from asthma and stress. Im trying my best to get you your rent. And right now you want nothing.

Even as case counts drop and the pandemic appears to be receding in Napa, a number of tenants, like Mendoza, have not been able to return to work, according to Pablo Zatarain, executive director of Fair Housing Napa Valley. Some have had their health or the health of a loved one decline, preventing them from returning to a job; still others weren't offered the option to return to a pre-pandemic job at all, or are facing obstacles - like childcare- preventing them from doing so.

"For many tenants, it's - forget the 25%, what am I going to be looking at in July when this is up?" Zatarain said, describing the terms of the initial eviction moratorium, which extended protections to tenants impacted by the pandemic who were able to pay at least 25% of their rent. "(Some tenants) are looking at five digits-worth of rental debt."

Svanoe said the law still gives landlords access to the full breadth of tools they use all the time to try to get a tenant out, including owner move-ins, renovations or selling the unit.
Still, the states image as the land of the airhead and home of the star-struck stubbornly persists  especially among East Coast sophisticates  which helps explain the inordinate attention paid to the gubernatorial candidacy of Olympic athlete-turned-tabloid-TV personality Caitlyn Jenner. (That along with the urge to monetize clicks and attract eyeballs.)

Two seriously credentialed Republicans are vying to replace Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom in the recall election: San Diegos former Mayor Kevin Faulconer and Doug Ose, who served three terms in Congress representing the Sacramento area. Youre unlikely to find either of them on the E! network, however, or babbling an acceptance speech at one of Hollywoods self-regarding award ceremonies, so it remains to be seen if they receive remotely as much media coverage as Jenner.

There are several reasons to question the viability of her candidacy. (Being transgender is not one of them, so save those outraged cards and letters for another time.)
This group, SOS, and cooperating witness that came forward  came to us, because he knows that there are a bunch of people out there that are doing this, and he just felt it to be his duty to go out on different sites, chat sites, and engage in conversation because it really bothered him.
Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri Corridor: Turkey, Azerbaijan pursue far-reaching goals

Armenia acting PM appoints deputy governors to 3 provinces

"Armenia" bloc starts election campaign from southernmost settlement

32 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Unprecedented case of high treason against Armenia committed by organized group is exposed

Election campaign formally kicks off in Armenia

World oil prices dropping

US says it does not want to be in arms race with any country

Cyprus MOD: Turkey's aggressive behavior creates dangerous climate

Turkey FM claims Armenians "have taken Turkish-French relations hostage"

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan on authorities: For years these scoundrels were saying Karabakh must be given

Bitcoin to become legal tender in El Salvador

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: If I were Commander-in-Chief, I would shoot myself if there were such situation

Armenia 3rd President Sargsyan: We have not lied, have not manipulated people, have not divided our society

Armenia ombudsman: Azerbaijan soldiers try to steal about 20 horses from Gegharkunik Province village shepher

Russia begins testing reliability of its nuclear weapons

Armenia acting PM: There is a future

NATO kicks off BALTOPS exercise in Baltic Sea

Armenian Catholicos patriarchal visit to Artsakh ends (PHOTOS)

Iran loses right to vote at UN due to non-payment of dues

Trump: All Joe Biden had to do was sit back and do nothing

At least 88 people killed in Nigeria attacks

Armenia former President Sargsyan visits memorial chess tournament in Jermuk (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM's election campaign is carried out with large-scale use of administrative resources

Mexico holding parliamentary, local elections

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Not safe today even in Yerevan (PHOTOS)

78,004 more passengers leave Armenia by air in first 5 months of 2021 than arrive

Putin-Biden possible meeting place in Switzerland is named

UN condemns "heinous attack" in Burkina Faso

Prosperous Armenia Party leader: Only Russia can ensure security of our country

Stoltenberg warns Russias Putin, Belarus Lukashenko against destabilization in NATO eastern flank

Woman found dead in Yerevan Lake

Catholicos of All Armenians presides over Divine Liturgy in Stepanakert

Turkey airstrike kills at least 3 Kurdish refugees in Iraq

Trump demands billing China $10 trillion for coronavirus damage

Bright Armenia Party leader: We are on verge of civil war

Several explosions occur in Syria

Biden not seeking conflict with Russia

Armenia acting PM sends congratulatory message on Sweden National Day

Passenger flow at 2 Armenia international airports increase by 24% in May

37 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Apple employees are against returning to work in office

Person dies in Armenia town mountains

Kim Jong Un appears in public for first time since early May

Armenia Ombudsman: Azerbaijanis fire at Gegharkunik Province village shepherd for about 30 minutes

Iraq may face severe water shortages

G7 countries sign deal to tax largest multinational companies

1st round of debates of presidential candidates takes place in Iran

6 die and 5 go missing in Sri Lankan flooding

Powerful blast thunders in Somalia capital

A body found in Artsakh

Nearly 100 people killed in Burkina Faso

Acting PM: It is necessary to create professional army in Armenia

UN demands investigation amid discovery of mass grave of children at Canada school

Acting PM: Armenia is a paradise for business

ICRC representatives visit 6 captured Armenian soldiers

Pashinyan: An absolute record for Armenia has been set for number of registered jobs

Civil Contract party holding fundraising evening

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South Korean air force chief resigns amid scandal over female sergeant suicide

Nikol Pashinyan visits morgue in Abovyan

Acting PM announces interference of external forces in electoral processes in Armenia

Pashinyan conducts procession in Abovyan

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8 security officials killed in Taliban attack in Afghanistan

Philip T. Reeker's visit to Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia

Biden gives prosecutors more freedom to terminate immigration cases

93 new cases of COVID-19 reported in Armenia per day

Total of 1,557 bodies found in territories not controlled by Artsakh

Twitter launches paid subscription Twitter Blue

Robert Kocharyan: We are able to find solutions

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Armenia ex-Ambassador to Vatican on Armenians' emigration and reasons

Catholicos of All Armenians takes remains of St. Gregory the Illuminator to Artsakh

Armenian ballet master Vilen Galstyan dies at 80

Putin shares expectations from upcoming meeting with Biden

Armenia 2nd President: Number of people who emigrated without returning has grown, only solution is shift of power

EU bans flights of Belarusian airline companies in its airspace

US deals blow to major Chinese companies

Armenia acting PM: 62% of weapons obtained were obtained between 2018 and 2020

Armenia acting PM: Meghri corridor issue and transfer of villages of Kazakh region were a topic in November 2020

Armenia ruling party MP drops mandate

Citizens of Armenia's Artashat greet acting PM by chanting 'Turk' and 'traitor'

Armenia Ombudsman reminds PM's ex-chief of staff about shortcomings in activities during war

Armenia 3rd President: We must start bringing back people who know everything about troops

Armenia MOD hosts consultation with deputy commanders and battalions' commanders

Armenia Ombudsman says acting PM's plan won't ensure restoration of Armenian citizens' rights

Armenia Ombudsman: Azerbaijan's failure to return POWs is equivalent to war crime

Armenia 3rd President receives Netherlands Ambassador

Armenia Prosecutor General speaks at St. Petersburg International Economic Forum

"Armenia" bloc: We plan to meet with residents of Shirak Province

Armenian water resources come under Azerbaijani control, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, Jun. 4 digest

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Armenia legislature passes law to help ease requirements for future teachers

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Helpers queue for tests as zero local cases recorded

Helpers queue for tests as zero local cases recorded

Health officials on Sunday reported a second consecutive day of zero locally-acquired Covid-19 infections, as thousands of foreign domestic workers queued-up on their weekly rest day for mandatory coronavirus tests ordered by the government.



The citys 370,000 domestic workers were ordered on Friday to get tested by May 9 after the discovery of a more-infectious Covid strain in the community, with one helper from the Philippines found to be carrying it.



The government also said it planned to make it mandatory for helpers to be vaccinated against Covid in future.



The move has been criticised by local migrant worker advocacy groups, who questioned why they were being singled out. SAR government officials insisted the measure was not discriminatory.



The Philippines foreign affairs secretary Teddy Locsin Jr also criticised the move on social media.



Though the effect is good and saving, still marking them out smacks of discrimination and if it is a special favor, it is unfair to other nationalities, he wrote on Twitter. HK can do better than that.



He backed up earlier remarks by the Philippines consul-general Raly Tejada, who had called on the SAR not to force migrant workers to be inoculated.



Also on Sunday, local health authorities said they were investigating two imported cases from Indonesia, a 39-year-old woman and a 44-year-old woman who were both asymptomatic.



Passenger flights from Istanbul, operated by Turkish Airlines, will also be banned from May 3 until May 16, authorities said.



The two-week ban was imposed after three passengers who landed in the SAR on April 27 aboard flight TK083 tested positive for Covid-19 upon arrival.



Hong Kong has recorded 21 local infections, and one possibly local, from a total of 129 cases in the past two weeks. Nine of the recorded cases were infected via unknown sources.



In total, the city has recorded 11,785 Covid infections.
Two people were hospitalized, one initially with life-threatening injuries, after a gunfight at Carolina Place mall in Pineville on Saturday afternoon, authorities said.

Paramedics drove the person who was shot to a hospital just before 5:30 p.m., Medic said on Twitter.

A police canine unit searches for evidence in brush outside Carolina Place mall after a gunfight inside the Pineville shopping center on Saturday, May 1, 2021.

The second person suffered a medical condition and had non-life-threatening injuries, according to Medic. The agency didnt disclose the type of medical condition.

Late Saturday, Pineville Police Chief Mike Hudgins said the first victims injuries also were considered non-life-threatening. The second victim self-transported to the mall, he said.

Pineville police said two people began shooting at each other in the mall, Observer news partner WBTV reported.

At 4:49 p.m., police received a dispatch of gunshots in the mall, Hudgins said at a news conference at the scene.

Pineville officers immediately entered the mall and began to evacuate shoppers, Hudgins said. Police did not indicate where the shooting happened inside the mall.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police and Mecklenburg County Sheriffs deputies helped Pineville officers evacuate the mall and look for any victims and suspects, the chief said. Charlotte and Pineville firefighters also assisted at the scene, he said.

We have cleared the mall out at this time to the best we can, and we have secured the crime scene and are right now conducting an investigation into the crime, Hudgins told reporters.

Police did not say if anyone was in custody.

At this time, early evidence suggests that this was an isolated incident between two subjects, Hudgins said in a statement late Saturday. Pineville Police Department is not actively looking for any additional suspects.

At 6:50 p.m., Pineville police said in a tweet the mall had been cleared but still closed while the crime scene is being processed.

Saturdays shooting was the second at the mall since December.

On Dec. 24, Pineville police said they found no one hurt after responding to over a dozen 911 calls reporting shots fired at the mall.

Story continues

Recent Charlotte-area mall shootings

 A juvenile suspect was charged with attempted murder of a juvenile after a March 20 shooting at Northlake Mall. Two people were taken to the hospital by ambulance but not for gunshot wounds, CMPD said. A third person was treated at the scene, also for an unrelated condition, according to CMPD.

 In January 2019, a 24-year-old Charlotte man was shot and killed at Carolina Place, following what authorities at the time described as a fight inside a store. Khali Amir Holmes died in the shooting and police arrested another man in his death but his lawyer has said he acted in self-defense.

 On Dec. 28, 2019, a 13-year-old girl was killed and two boys had non-life threatening injuries after a shooting in a Concord Mills parking lot, Concord police said. Two teenagers were charged with first-degree murder and felony riot.

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People take to the streets during a Black Lives Matter protest in Los Angeles last year. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)

First came Georgias attempt to curtail the rights of voters under the guise of making elections safe from fraud. (Never mind there was no fraud.)

Now comes Floridas attempt to curtail the rights of protesters, under the guise of increasing public safety.

Not to be outdone, Minnesota legislators are considering a bill that would bar anyone convicted of unlawful assembly from receiving any type of state aid, including food stamps, rent assistance, unemployment benefits and students loans.

And North Dakota has enacted a bill that would prohibit the wearing of masks, hoods or anything that conceals a persons face while committing a crime  which some civil libertarians fear could include such things as jaywalking during a protest.

Its not just those states; all over the country, Republican-dominated legislatures are engaged in various methods of legalistic chicanery to try to undo results of elections they dont like and suppress speech they dont want to hear. More than 90 bills in 35 states have been introduced or enacted in recent months and years, said Elly Page, a senior legal adviser at the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law, which works to protect the freedom of assembly around the world. The extreme suppression is unprecedented.

The new spate of laws is an attempt to undermine some of our countrys most fundamental rights, although most have yet to be adjudicated by the courts. (Last year, a judge threw out a 2018 Missouri law that barred public employees from picketing or striking. The case is now pending before the Missouri Supreme Court.)

If you like spitting in the face of the 1st Amendment, you will love the bill that Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed recently, a law he declared to be the strongest anti-looting, anti-rioting, pro-law enforcement piece of legislation in the country.

When he signed the Combating Public Disorder Act earlier this month, De Santis said, In Florida, we are taking an unapologetic stand for the rule of law and public safety. We are holding those who incite violence in our communities accountable, supporting our law enforcement officers who risk their lives every day to keep us safe and protecting Floridians from the chaos of mob violence. Were also putting an end to the bullying and intimidation tactics of the radical left by criminalizing doxing and requiring restitution for damaging memorials and monuments by rioters.

Story continues

What, no mention of the radical right?

This bill is racist at its core, Florida state Sen. Shevrin Jones told the New York Times.

I looked at a lot of news coverage of last years Black Lives Matter protests in Florida after George Floyd was murdered by a police officer in Minnesota. There were dozens and dozens of protests  overwhelmingly peaceful, but yes, with a smattering of violence, including smashed windows, minor looting and the incineration of a police car Miami.

Of course violence isn't acceptable, but there are already laws on the books to deal with it. Nothing that happened in Florida merited DeSantis crackdown on constitutionally protected activities  except that he is now auditioning for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination in the event that the worlds sorest loser in Mar-a-Lago releases his death grip on the GOP.

The Kentucky state Senate passed an absurd bill last month that would make it a crime to insult or taunt a police officer at a protest if the comment provokes a violent response. Thankfully it expired with the end of the legislative session without action by the House. But it could come back.

We are criminalizing speech, said Senate Minority Leader Morgan McGarvey, a Democrat.

Perhaps the most outrageous trend in this wave of speech suppression is the attempt by some states  including Tennessee, Oklahoma and Iowa  to give immunity in certain cases to motorists who kill or injure protesters who block roads and highways.

Provisions that allow violence against protesters are the most concerning, said Page.

In 2017, she said, a handful of states introduced legislation that would absolve motorists of any criminal or civil consequences for hitting protesters with their cars, but none was adopted.

The idea has taken hold again, however, and in her view, such laws would simply create new defenses for violence against protesters.

Last year, after months of protests against racial injustice sparked by Floyd's murder, then-Atty. Gen. William Barr told federal prosecutors to be aggressive when charging rioters and others who had committed violent crimes at protests. He suggested that such demonstrators be charged with sedition, i.e. plotting to overthrow the government.

Oh, the irony.

Four months later, a riotous mob of Trump supporters violently stormed the Capitol. According to a National Public Radio database of individuals charged in connection with the assault that left five people dead, none of the 400 (and counting) has been charged with sedition or treason, although many were there to enact a violent overthrow of our lawful presidential election.

How did Barr describe the Jan. 6 riot?

Im sad to see but not surprised in a way to see the kind of violence we saw on Capitol Hill, he told Britains ITV News. I dont know if I would use the word inevitable, but I think that when you start suppressing free speech, when people lose confidence in the media and also when they lose faith in the integrity of elections, you are going to have some people resort to violence.

Is it too much to ask of the Republican legislators who are trying to criminalize speech and give permission to run over protesters to look at why so many Americans are moved to protest racial injustice? And to suggest that those are the issues they should be working to solve?

Far easier to stomp on the 1st Amendment, I guess, than to find ways to make our country live up to its ideals.

@AbcarianLAT





This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Bethany Vierra and her daughter, Zaina. Courtesy of Bethany Vierra; Marianne Ayala/Insider

In 2019, Bethany Vierra lost custody of her daughter to her Saudi ex and was trapped in the country.

While her case made international news, she faced intimidation and harassment in the kingdom.

She told Insider how she and her child managed to escape to the US and remain there.

Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

On March 7, 2019, Bethany Vierra pulled up outside a coffee shop in downtown Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, feeling apprehensive and scared.

That morning, the American PhD candidate had received a call from a man identifying himself as a high-ranking Saudi government official, saying it was essential that they meet.

Related: Wedding traditions in 7 countries around the world

"Send me everything you have on WhatsApp right now," the man instructed down the phone, she recounted to Insider in a recent interview. "We're going to drop a pin and you're going to come there."

Two days before, a story had appeared in The New York Times about a 31-year-old woman in Saudi Arabia - Vierra - whose American family was accusing her ex-husband, a Saudi businessman, of using his power as her residency sponsor to trap her in the country while she sued for full custody of their young daughter, Zaina.

Vierra's ex-husband, Ghassan al-Haidari, had refused to renew her residency card - effectively making it illegal for her to be in the country and unable to travel abroad. Every non-Saudi living in the country, no matter the gender, needs a sponsor to ensure their continued residency.

Within hours of that call, Vierra was departing the coffee shop with a brand new Saudi residency ID card.

"A guy was just ... there, and we exchanged [paperwork]. He gave me the ID. It was creepy," Vierra said.

The Times story appeared to jolt the Saudi government into action, propelling the custody case from a domestic dispute to a political liability involving an American.

Vierra's divorce and custody proceedings were well documented at the time, but now that she is safely out of Saudi Arabia she feels freer to speak of her ordeal.

Story continues

Vierra and Zaina pictured in Washington state after leaving Saudi Arabia. Supplied

An escape plan

Vierra moved to Saudi Arabia in 2011 to teach at a women's university, and unexpectedly fell in love with al-Haidari. They married in Portugal in 2013, but divorced in January 2019 following what they both described as domestic unhappiness.

Around four months after the Times story was published, Vierra lost the custody battle, and the stream of news coverage slowed to a drip. But her problems didn't.

Vierra appealed the ruling but the Saudi judge ignored her claim, she told Insider. At this point, the US Embassy in Riyadh intervened and Vierra and al-Haidari, supervised by the judge and US officials, met behind closed doors to sign a joint custody agreement.

Vierra said she had to sign it, as it was her only chance to be there for Zaina.

"That was essentially a life sentence for me. With no power, completely at his mercy, unable to ever leave, I had no option there," she said. "The system failed and I had to reexpose my daughter to that really bad, toxic environment."

But in private, Vierra hatched a plan.

Vierra and Zaina outside the US Capitol in Washington, DC. Supplied

In the weeks that followed, she worked to patch things up with al-Haidari in the hopes that he would grant her and Zaina permission to visit her family in Wenatchee, Washington, in time for Christmas. She started sleeping with him again, she said.

She hoped to win back his trust, which worked: Al-Haidari softened, and granted Zaina and Vierra permission as her sponsor to visit the US.

On December 15, the mother and daughter landed in Seattle and never returned - an outright violation of the joint custody agreement.

A US court is preventing Zaina from being returned to Saudi Arabia

Some 16 months later, Vierra is still in the US and close to ensuring her daughter may never be forced to return to Saudi Arabia - a move that's come in the form of a bold court ruling and a new Washington state law introduced to protect her.

Arriving home in December 2019, Vierra sued for custody of Zaina, now 6, in a Chelan County court, which ruled in her favor on February 8 this year.

The court said it could not return Zaina to Saudi Arabia, as the kingdom often fails to ensure basic human rights in court.

"A legal system that is set up to not only fail to protect but to deny basic human rights ... is not a legal system whose child custody laws this State can honor," Judge Kristen Ferrera wrote in a ruling seen by Insider.

The judgment is significant in that it breaks with a US pledge to return children to their country of origin, as part of the Hague Abduction Convention.

"Normally the US respects court orders, especially when it comes to child custody in foreign countries," Vierra said. "The judgment is incredibly brave, but it's incredibly vulnerable on appeal."

As the case elapsed, Vierra was also lobbying her representatives to introduce unique legislation that would shield her in the courts.

Those efforts paid off, too. On April 14, the state of Washington passed HB 1042, requiring courts involved in foreign custody disputes to consider that country's human-rights record before making a decision. The law specifically considers whether that country punishes people for their religion, politics, or sexual orientation with the death penalty - which Saudi Arabia often does.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. swisshippo/iStock

"This new law will save lives," State Rep. My-Linh Thai, one of the bill's sponsors, told Insider. "I am pleased that Ms. Bethany Vierra and her daughter Zaina are not put in danger of losing their lives while fighting a custody case."

Meanwhile, al-Haidari is appealing Ferrera's ruling, but Vierra believes his legal argument contains weaknesses that won't stand up to HB 1042. "It completely changes everything," Vierra said of the new state law.

Al-Haidari and his lawyer declined Insider's requests for comment. The Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington, DC, did not respond to requests for comment.

'We must avoid exposing Zaina to these traditions'

After the New York Times story was published, other Western news outlets reported on Vierra's plight, framing her experience as a cautionary tale about the Saudi guardianship system.

Every woman in Saudi Arabia has a male legal guardian who can control parts of their lives, which can include how they access money and who they marry. Al-Haidari was not Vierra's guardian, but her sponsor, as she was not a Saudi citizen.

Saudi guardianship constraints have eased remarkably since late 2019, but Vierra's custody battle came at a time when the kingdom's reputation was taking a hammering.

Months before, the CIA had concluded that the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, had ordered the murder of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The kingdom had also been criticized for clamping down on freedom of expression, and denying basic rights to women and minorities.

Throughout the case, Vierra accused the Saudi courts of discrimination, saying she was being unfairly treated because she was a woman and a non-Muslim. Vierra said the judge disregarded video evidence that showed her husband being verbally abusive to her and evidence that he took drugs in front of Zaina.

In the custody ruling, the judge said Vierra was unfit to parent because she was a westerner. "The mother is new to Islam and a foreigner in this country and embraces customs and traditions in the way she was raised," the judge wrote, according to The New York Times. "We must avoid exposing [Zaina] to these traditions."

Bethany Vierra. Facebook/Myron Vierra

Vierra also said she was subject to "creepy threats."

In one instance, days after receiving her new Saudi residency ID card, Vierra was at her yoga studio when a Saudi man arrived at the door. Vierra recognized him immediately, she said, from parties hosted by Western government officials in the diplomatic quarter.

"We helped you with your ID, so now you're going to delete what you're writing online, from your PhD, your human-rights stuff, you need to delete that," the man said, according to Vierra.

It had been a secret - albeit poorly kept - among her expat friends that Vierra had written about human rights in Saudi Arabia for publications like The Daily Beast and Al-Monitor under a pen name - Bayan Perazzo - and that her PhD focused heavily on human rights.

But "he had no way to know what had happened," she told Insider.

In March 2019, the pro-government newspaper Arab News also fabricated a quote from her, she said, recalling feeling rattled but unable to speak out.

The newspaper cited her as saying: "I'm not trying to politicize my divorce; this is not a guardian issue" in response to her high-profile custody issue, as well as: "I am here to stay in Saudi Arabia." Vierra told Insider she said no such things. Arab News did not respond to Insider's request for comment.

Vierra said that during the custody trial, she also had to be careful of what she said to avoid the wrath of Saudi Arabia's courts and army of Twitter bots, which have been reported to be sanctioned by the Saudi state.

Vierra says she was hounded by those accounts, and remains so to this day. Last month, Hussain al-Gawi, one of Saudi Arabia's most popular journalists, accused Vierra of being a US spy.

The US Embassy is 'frequently involved' in Saudi-American marriages

Vierra's case provides a glimpse into how the State Department reacts when Americans run into legal trouble in Saudi Arabia.

"It happens all the time with these [Saudi-American] marriages," David Rundell, a former chief of mission at the US Embassy in Riyadh, told Insider. "The embassy is frequently involved in these cases."

Vierra told Insider that several US Embassy staff accompanied her to hearings as a show of solidarity, and Rundell said this is not unusual, and not unique to US embassies and consulates around the world.

"We go to the court and we make it clear that the US is supporting its citizen, and we'd appreciate if this lady was allowed to leave," he said. "It's usually not a problem of the mother leaving, it's usually a problem of the child."

The entrance to the US embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Brooks Kraft LLC/Corbis via Getty Images

But while the US Embassy supported her in some ways, it fell short in others, Vierra said. She said her ex-husband was abusive and that she asked the embassy to protect her daughter in May 2019.

"I went to the US Embassy with my daughter ... and requested protection from the State Department. We were there for 12 hours, and at the end it was rejected," she said.

Throughout the custody case, the embassy also repeatedly told her that its hands were tied until due legal process was completed in the Saudi courts.

Only when Vierra claimed that her appeal to the custody ruling was being ignored did US officials broach the subject with Saudi counterparts, she said.

"The embassy wishes to express its serious concern about the implications of the court's reasoning in this case, which appears to be prejudicial to the rights of American citizens," the embassy wrote to the Saudi Foreign Ministry on July 18, 2019, according to a copy of the letter reviewed by Insider.

A State Department spokeswoman told Insider: "We take seriously our responsibility to assist US citizens abroad, and to provide all appropriate consular services."

"The welfare and safety of US citizens abroad is one of the highest priorities of the Department of State," the spokeswoman said, adding that she could not discuss the particulars of Vierra's particular case due to privacy concerns.

An end in sight

Vierra, now 33, appears to be safe to keep Zaina in the US. She now lives in Cashmere, a city in Washington, and works an advocate for Americans trapped in Saudi Arabia under circumstances like her own, appears to be home and dry.

Al-Haidari is appealing Judge Ferrera's ruling, but Vierra believes he won't succeed in Washington state thanks to HB 1024, the state law passed in April to protect her.

"That bill that is like an end-all. He can appeal, he can do whatever he wants but with that law in Washington state, he's going to lose," she said.

"We're really talking about time and money," she said. "The headache will be ongoing, but I'm here, and she's here, and I really think, sometimes I forget to just pause and take that in."

Editor's note: This story was edited to clarify that Ghassan al-Haidari was Vierra's residency sponsor, not her guardian.

Read the original article on Insider
NASA astronaut Michael Hopkins smells "extra dwarf" pak choi plants growing aboard the International Space Station. NASA

Astronauts in space recently enjoyed a fresh supply of vegetables, including pak choi plants.

Crews turned them into a delicacy by marinating the leaves in garlic paste and soy sauce.

NASA scientists told Insider how they helped developed the crop-production experiments.

Of the many challenges astronauts will face in future missions to the Moon and Mars, keeping healthy is one of the most crucial.

But, in recent days, astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) found startling solutions to sustain them on long-lasting missions. They recently enjoyed a fresh supply of vegetables due in large part to the efforts of NASA's SpaceX Crew-1 mission commander and Expedition 64 crew member, Michael Hopkins.

Insider spoke to two NASA scientists, Matt Romeyn and Gioia Massa, who work on the crop-production experiments, known as Veg-03Kand VEG-03L. Romeyn is the lead scientist on the experiments and Gioia is a Kennedy Space Centre plant scientist.

Veg-03Kand VEG-03L intended to test a new space crop, "Amara" mustard, also known as Ethiopian kale, and a previously grown crop, "extra dwarf" pak choi. Both yielded successful results. Since their harvest by Hopkins on April 13, the two crops grew for 64 days, the longest duration leafy greens have grown on the space station.

According to Romeyn, the pak choi germinated for so long that the plant began to flower as part of its reproductive growth cycle. This was thanks to Hopkins' effort in using a small paintbrush to pollinate plant flowers.

NASA

They took the approach after Hopkins' and Romeyn discussed multiple options for the pollination process, including allowing the flowers to self-pollinate themselves.

"We were very happy with his efforts to pollinate those flowers to look at the possibility of producing seeds from them," said Massa.

She added that this approach "will also be very critical in the future to be able to produce new plants without getting seeds from Earth, so very important for long-duration missions such as a mission to Mars," and the Moon.

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Hopkins' was hugely interested in crop production, said Romeyn and Massa, and he devoted much of his free time in space to caring for them. This meant monitoring and watering the plants every day, as well as determining the optimal time to harvest them.

"It's a really challenging thing and so he had to check those plants pretty much every day and monitor their growth and adjust his approaches to growing them," Massa said.

New methods of harvesting were also among Hopkins' discoveries in space-crop production. This included a sustainable approach to harvesting, called "cut-and-come-again harvesting", which entailed harvesting multiple times from the same plant Massa explained.

"He's been just an incredible gardener and scientist for us," she added.

Hopkins poses with leaf samples from plants growing on the International Space Station. NASA

Massa said the crew have been eating the pak choi as a side dish, by marinating the leaves in garlic paste and soy sauce, and then heating them up in a small food warmer.

"Delicious, plus the texture or crunch," Hopkins wrote in experiment notes after tasting the "Amara" mustard plant grown in space.

According to Massa, the crew have also put the leafy greens on tacos or cheeseburgers that they've made. In the past, Massa saw crew members enjoy the "Amara" mustard plant as lettuce wraps. "I know the Russians had canned lobster salad and so they made lettuce wraps with the canned lobster salad," she added.

For now, the astronauts are focusing on the "pick-and-eat salad" crops, which don't require cooking or processing, because there's not that much capability to do that type of work on the space station.

Next year, there are plans to grow 'dwarf tomatoes,' which Massa likened to cherry tomatoes.

Romeyn explained that NASA scientists on the crop-production project look to grow crops high in Vitamin C and Vitamin K for astronauts in space. This is because research at Johnson Space Centre found the nutritional value of food stored in space ultimately deteriorates.

"The vitamins and the quality can break down for some of the food items," Massa said.

This is why a lot of the work being done in space agriculture, from a nutritional and supplemental perspective, is to feed crews travelling to and from Mars, Romeyn explained. "We may not have full nutrition without supplementing with the fresh crops," he said, in regards to a future Mars mission.

NASA officials are certainly hopeful that a future crewed mission to Mars is on the cards. When the agency announced its partnership with SpaceX to return to the moon by 2024, it said in a press release that a trip to the moon would be an important step toward an eventual mission to the Red Planet.

"It's something I hoped I would see," said Scott Hubbard, a SpaceX advisor who formerly led NASA's Mars program, previously told Insider in an interview.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Berkshire Hathaway Vice Chairman Charlie Munger has lambasted bitcoin in the companys annual shareholder meeting over the weekend, despite bitcoins accelerated growth.

The billionaire reunited with Warren Buffet in Los Angeles to discuss key topics in the industry, including bitcoin.

Munger made his thoughts on bitcoin known to everyone. The 97-year old commented on the cryptocurrency stating Of course I hate the bitcoin success.

Bitcoin success annoys Munger

Bitcoin has undoubtedly been one of the biggest gainers in the financial markets over the last several years. Climbing over 16,000% within the last five years.

Bitcoin has seen its popularity rise in 2021 as it broke a three year all-time high. The crypto has further risen 130% in 2021. Climbing to $65,000 at its peak.

The total market capitalization of bitcoin has recently also overtaken that of Berkshire Hathaway.

Munger referred to his lack of investment in the cryptocurrency as being due to somebody who just invented a new financial product out of thin air.

Warren Buffet offered little input on the bitcoin, but did agree with Munger. Both investors have shared their negative views on bitcoin for years. With Munger previously criticizing bitcoins volatility.

Talking at a shareholders meeting for Daily Journal in February, Munger said I dont think bitcoin is going to end up the medium of exchange for the world. Its too volatile to serve well as a medium of exchange.

Mass adoption continues

Mungers comments come at a time when bitcoin is beginning to see mass adoption in the market. Online payments service PayPal has recently added cryptocurrencies to its product offering.

With PayPal CEO Dan Schulman expecting the financial system to drastically change within the next five years. Demand on the crypto side has been multiple-fold to what we initially expected, Schulman said. Theres a lot of excitement.

Lack of education an issue

The lack of education related to the cryptocurrency market could be a factor that hinders further adoption. However Gemini Exchange is looking to change that.

Bitcoin maximalists and twins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss have partnered their cryptocurrency exchange with Learn & Earn. The partnership will allow students to learn about cryptocurrencies while earning rewards in the process.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP)  Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders attended a rally Sunday with former Kentucky state Rep. Charles Booker, who is considering another run for the U.S. Senate.

The Rally for Kentucky's Working Class was held outside the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville.

Booker, a Democrat whose unabashedly progressive campaign in Kentucky came up just short in last years Senate primary, is forming an exploratory committee as he weighs a follow-up race in 2022 against Republican incumbent Sen. Rand Paul.

Sanders thanked Booker not just for being here today but for showing this state and this country what grassroots activism can mean. And despite being heavily outspent, Charles ran a campaign that the whole country looked at and I have a feeling that the next time around, the results are going to be different.

Last year, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell trounced well-funded Democratic challenger Amy McGrath, who narrowly defeated Booker in the states Democratic primary.

I got a little bit of nostalgia here standing on this stage," Booker, a Black former state lawmaker, told the crowd Sunday. "We were starting to tell a story, and I think we're not done telling that story, if you understand what I'm saying.

Booker seized momentum late in last years Democratic Senate primary on the strength of a Hood to the Holler campaign that highlighted the common interests of Black Democrats in the cities and middle- and low-income white people in the mountains of eastern Kentucky.

We're here today not to just rally for the sake of feeling good, but to get ready for the work that comes after we leave here, Booker said.
As part of a series of sales promotions in May, all nine duty-free shops in southern China's tourism island Hainan plan to offer 1 million consumption vouchers in May, according to a report from Business Daily of the International Tourism Island on Friday, citing sources from the provincial department of commerce.

All nine duty-free shops in Hainan, including Sanya CDF Mall and Haikou Guanlan Lake Duty Free Shopping City, will offer 1 million consumption vouchers with a total value exceeding 50 million yuan ($7.73 million) from May 1 to 31, the report said.

These vouchers, which will be handed out in sets worth 865 yuan each, can be used to purchase a wide range of commodities at the duty-free shops, such as perfume and cosmetics, drinks and beverages, glasses, jewelry and watches, electronic products, toys, apparel and bags.

Electronic vouchers can be received via the Mashangbanshi app, an e-platform for government and life services in Hainan, or the Mashangbanshi mini program on the WeChat and Alipay apps.

The first China International Consumer Products Expo will be held from May 7 to 10 in Haikou, Hainan province, with more than 1,300 overseas brands participating.

This year's national consumption promotion month, which also starts on May 1, includes a wide range of events and activities in different places across the country and will promote consumption of various products and services online and offline.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with El Salvador President Nayib Bukele via phone Sunday to express "serious" concern over a recent vote to remove all magistrates of the country's constitutional chamber, State Department spokesperson Ned Price confirmed in a statement.

Why it matters: El Salvadors legislature voted 64-19 on Saturday to remove five magistrates in the country's highest court, AP reports. The magistrates "had angered Bukele by ruling against some of his tougher measures during the pandemic," per AP.

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An additional vote took place shortly after midnight on Sunday to remove Attorney General Raul Melara, Reuters reports.

What they're saying: "Democratic governance requires respecting the separation of powers, for the good of all Salvadorans," Blinken tweeted.

He said that yesterday's vote would "undermine El Salvador's highest court" as well as Melara. Blinken added that the AG had been "fighting corruption and impunity," and was an effective partner with the U.S.

The general secretariat of the Organization of American States in a Sunday statement accused the country's executive branch of guiding the decisions behind the removal of the magistrates and the attorney general.

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The body of Lashun Massey, the reigning Mrs. Dallas pageant queen, was pulled on Thursday from a northwest Texas lake, authorities said.

Massey, 38, was a program manager for research at the University of Texas at Dallas and was to be a part of the Mrs. Texas America pageant later this year.

The Dallas County Medical Examiners Office on Saturday said that Massey was the woman whose body was found in Lago de Claire in Irving on Thursday, KTVT-TV reported.

Massey was reported missing Tuesday when she did not return home from her morning walk. Witnesses saw a woman who fit Masseys description walk out of Lake de Claire on Tuesday morning, stand on a bench and walk off, Irving police spokesman Robert Reeves said.

Masseys mother, Mary Ross, said that her daughter did not know how to swim.

Theres no way she would have played or gotten in the water, Ross said, according to KTVT. We really havent gotten any answers.

Massey was the mother of two young boys and authored the autobiography, The Face of the New Engineer. She wrote on her website that she wrote the book to help inspire and motivate others to pursue science and engineering careers.

A longtime neighbor of the Massey family said Masseys husband is distraught.

He had not a shred of a warning that this was going to happen, Michael Shaub told the Dallas Morning News.
Belgian police arrested 132 people as they used tear gas and water cannon to break up a banned anti-lockdown party in a Brussels park on the weekend, an official report said Sunday.

One partygoer was knocked out by a water cannon and 14 others were slightly injured -- including one struck by a police horse -- as riot police brutally dispersed the party on Saturday in scenes echoing a similar gathering in the park a month before.

Five of those arrested were taken into police custody, the police said.

Three officers were hospitalised and a dozen slightly injured during clashes with the protesters.

Between 1,000 to 2,000 mainly young people gathered for the party, which was organised online, to protest against restrictions imposed to fight the spread of Covid-19.

Prime Minister Alexander de Croo had urged the crowds to stay away, and 600 riot police, numerous water cannon and a mounted unit were deployed to the park before the festivities had even begun.

The protesters' music all but drowned out police demands for mask-wearing and social distancing, and AFP reporters at the Bois de la Cambre park did not hear an order to disperse before the police moved in.

As police cars and armoured trucks with water cannon rolled onto the grass close to the heart of the gathering, the merry-makers chanted: "Freedom, Freedom."

Exactly a month previously on April 1, around 2,000 people had gathered in the Bois de la Cambre and several people were hurt, along with officers and horses, in clashes when the police intervened.

Belgium is under its second national lockdown as a coronavirus prevention measure and bars and restaurants have been shut since late October.

But a vaccination drive is picking up speed and outdoor dining and drinking is due to resume on May 8.

mad-csg/mba/dl/nrh
May 2The Coast Guard is seeking information regarding a 30-foot white sailboat that sank today six miles west of Captain Cook off the Kona Coast, but no people were seen on board.

The master of a fishing vessel reported witnessing a sailboat adrift, taking on water, then sinking.

The Coast Guard received this report at 11 :53 a.m. The crew of another fishing boat also reported seeing the same vessel adrift earlier in the morning.

Sector Honolulu watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast notice to mariners.

They deployed an HC-130 Hercules aircrew and a 29-foot response boat to search for signs of distress.

The Hawaii County Fire Department also deployed a helicopter to crew to assist in the search.

No signs of polllution were reported.
The quick detection of an ultra-rare blood clotting reaction in some Covid-19 vaccine recipients showed the power of a federal warning system for vaccine safety issues, but experts worry that blind spots in the program could hamper detection of other unexpected side effects.

Before the pandemic began, the Food and Drug Administration had scaled back a program it used successfully to track adverse events during and after the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic, and the agency is still ramping up its replacement, said Dr. Robert Chen, scientific director of the Brighton Collaboration, a nonprofit global vaccine safety network.

Its purely bad luck they were in between systems when Covid hit, said Chen, who helped create the existing U.S. vaccine safety systems during nearly 30 years at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

FDA officials acknowledged that some data analysis wont start for weeks or months, but said the government is watching for vaccine reactions with state-of-the-art systems.

FDA and CDC have robust safety and effectiveness surveillance systems in place to monitor Covid-19 vaccines authorized for emergency use in the U.S., Abby Capobianco, an FDA spokesperson, wrote in an email.

Full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak

No question, the nations vaccine surveillance system performed as expected this spring when it identified unusual cases of blood clots combined with low platelet counts in 15 people who had received Johnson & Johnsons one-shot Covid-19 vaccine, said Dr. Jesse Goodman, a former chief scientist with the FDA. Three people died.

The good news for a very rare event is it will pop up on VAERS, Goodman said on a call with reporters, referring to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System jointly run by the FDA and CDC since 1990.

But other potentially dangerous, unanticipated reactions to vaccines may not be so obvious in VAERS, a system that is believed to miss many potential side effects  or in the nations additional monitoring systems, including the Vaccine Safety Datalink and the CDCs new phone-based tracking program, v-safe.

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Its quite a hodgepodge of different systems of collecting data, said Dr. Katherine Yih, a biologist and epidemiologist who specializes in vaccine surveillance at Harvard Pilgrim Health Care. Its worth stating that its not as good as it could be.

The Vaccine Safety Datalink, though highly regarded, did not include enough vaccinations within its data from nine hospital systems covering 12 million people to catch the J&J issue, CDC officials said. And enrollment in v-safe has been less than expected, with about 6 million people enrolled by the end of March, just 6.4 percent of those who had been vaccinated at that point.

That means that, at a time when about 100 million Americans have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19, the U.S. continues to rely on a patchwork network of vaccine monitoring systems that may fail to monitor a large enough swath of the population, experts told KHN.

Im very concerned about this, said Goodman, who also led the FDAs Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, or CBER, and is now a professor of infectious diseases at Georgetown University. I think we should be seeing that reporting on all of these vaccines. It was promised four months ago that it was happening.

The three vaccines in use in the U.S.  produced by Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson  were shown to be safe and effective during clinical trials of tens of thousands of volunteers.

But even the best trials arent large enough to capture all problems, especially rare ones, if they occur only in certain groups or outside a specific time frame. Its important to track side effects once vaccines are distributed throughout the population  an effort known as pharmacovigilance  to ensure not only safety, but also public confidence.

Vaccine safety experts said they were concerned that the FDA scaled back a system known as the Post-Licensure Rapid Immunization Safety Monitoring network, or PRISM, long regarded as a workhorse of surveillance.

Prior to PRISM, I felt like we were sort of in the dark ages, Steve Anderson, director of the FDAs Office of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, said at a 2016 workshop. When PRISM came along, for us it was really a game changer.

Download the NBC News app for full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak

PRISM linked four large health plans in different parts of the country with eight state immunization registries. During the H1N1 pandemic, it detected signals for three adverse events possibly linked to the vaccines and was used to rule out the two that werent related and the one, Guillain-Barre syndrome, that was.

The system included records from nearly 40 million people, said Daniel Salmon, former director of vaccine safety at the National Vaccine Program Office. Having a large volume of records of vaccinated people really drives your ability to figure out whats going on, he said.

PRISM, which was repurposed for drug safety, now contains data from about 60 million people, but it has not been used to track vaccine reactions during the Covid-19 pandemic, said Salmon, who oversaw safety monitoring for the H1N1 vaccine.

With PRISM, we tested it in a crisis and it operated for a decade, he said. I was really surprised when it wasnt used for Covid-19. That was why we built it.

A newer system, called the Biologics Effectiveness and Safety System, or BEST, was started in 2017, but only recently began monitoring data weekly for 15 pre-specified adverse events among Medicare recipients. It will be expanded to include commercial databases starting by the end of June, according to Capobianco, the FDA spokesperson.

A search for possible cases of the rare condition linked to the J&J vaccine began in mid-April and will be expanded in the next few weeks, she added.

FDA officials said PRISMs capabilities have been incorporated into BEST, which can examine data from 100 million people. Experts told KHN that it has not been used extensively to monitor post-vaccination effects, but Capobianco said: We disagree.

BEST is built as a state-of-the-art active surveillance system, she wrote.

The concern is that officials have leaned heavily on VAERS, a passive system that relies on reports from patients and health care providers to flag issues after vaccination that may or may not be related to the shots. A robust active surveillance system can search large volumes of patient care records to compare rates of adverse events in people who received vaccines with those who didnt.

In addition, some vaccine safety experts point to a lack of clear authority in the area. The Trump administration shut down the NVPO, a federal office with expertise in monitoring vaccine safety, merging it into a government agency focused on infectious diseases.

As a result, monitoring of Covid-19 vaccine safety is fragmented among federal agencies, said Salmon, who now directs the Institute for Vaccine Safety at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

There is no single person in charge, he said. You need to have somebody in charge.

Biden administration officials have praised the nations vaccine monitoring system, pointing out that it flagged the Johnson & Johnson problems within weeks of the vaccines rollout. Federal officials paused distribution to assess additional cases and next steps. They were helped by the fact that European regulators had found similar problems in another vaccine.

VAERS performed exactly as intended in this case, said Dr. Tom Shimabukuro, head of the CDCs Covid-19 Vaccine Task Force.

Thats true, said Dr. Steven Black, co-director of the Global Vaccine Data Network. Still, he noted, theres room for improvement, particularly more funding and better collaboration.

This is a safeguard for our population, Black said. Whether its for the flu vaccines or the Covid vaccines, you need to have a viable and strong system. Just because we think theyre safe doesnt mean you dont need systems in place to back up that opinion.

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Photograph: Anthony Brown/Alamy

As employers  especially small employers  are struggling to bring back workers to their jobs, a relatively new benefit is becoming more attractive: on-demand pay.

Yes, thats right: an employee gets paid on the day the work is performed. Think about it: your babysitter already gets paid right away, and so does the high-school kid who mows your lawn. So why not your employees?

Related: Dentists get creative in bid to recover from Covid downturn | Gene Marks

The appetite for this benefit is growing. According to an October 2019 survey of 1,180 American adults by the Workforce Institute at Kronos, a whopping 61% of employees across the healthcare, retail and manufacturing/construction industries said they should not have to wait until their scheduled payday to access their earned wages. More than half of all employees believe that on-demand pay is a more attractive benefit than additional paid time off.

So how does this work? It depends on how an employer designs its program, and the platform used.

For example, the payroll giant Paychex, through an existing partnership with the on-demand pay service PayActiv, offers their customers the ability to give their employees access to an amount equal to their net pay via a mobile application. DailyPays on-demand pay platform allows employees to access their pay and tips early and save it as they earn it. Ceridians DayForce creates a wallet where employees can request pay in advance of a pay date. Even, who recently announced it surpassed $2.5bn in payments, offers similar services via debit cards to the employees of their customers.

The providers of these services are telling employers that there are benefits for them too. Our on-demand pay helps members with expenses that come up between paychecks  like childcare, groceries, or car repairs  so they can avoid overdraft fees and payday loans, Evens chief executive, David Baga, said in a statement. Even said 60% of employers report that financial stress affects their employees ability to focus and 65% of people think employers should do more to address financial insecurity.

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Amazon Prime, Lyft, Netflix, Venmo: the world has changed dramatically to usher in a generation of on-demand services, yet most organizations still think about payday as a rigid, set-in-stone process, Joyce Maroney, executive director, The Workforce Institute at Kronos, said in a press release accompanying their survey.

Employers who can ease the burden of financial stress by being more agile around payday and offering creative financial wellness benefits will be repaid by orders of magnitude in productivity and engagement.

Even counts Walmart, Pitney Bowes, Humana and other Fortune 500 companies as its customers. Thats well and good for them because theyre big, corporate brands. But unfortunately, this growing trend presents a potentially significant problem for smaller companies, and for obvious reasons: providing this benefit is a cashflow challenge and for many smaller businesses, payroll is one of the biggest drains on cash and must be managed carefully.

Im not sure how I can do this, one client told me recently when I brought up the idea. So heres what I advised to her and a few of my smaller clients: given the competition for talent, they should seriously consider offering on-demand pay  but go slow.

For example, make it available for employees who have worked for you for at least 90 days so you can build a relationship. Make the benefit available only after a supervisor approves. Allow employees to take up to 50% of their pay before the payroll date. Have your employees commit to a regular amount  you dont want to be guessing each week how much people are taking, as that could wreak havoc on your cashflow. Make the policy available to all hourly workers and make it visible, because if youre doing this you should at least get the credit for doing it.

Labor shortages are an enormous headache right now for small businesses, and the problem will only get worse this year as the economy recovers and workers  many of whom are still collecting unemployment through September  slowly trickle back. Employers  particularly smaller companies who are competing with bigger brands  are simply going to have pay for better benefits  and contemplate on-demand offerings to pay them quicker, if they want to compete for the best talent. Thats assuming they can afford it.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Chris Saucedo/Getty Images for SXSW

Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Saturday posted possible "SNL" sketches, including "Irony Man."

Musk will host the May 8 episode of "Saturday Night Live."

Some cast members have raised concerns about the controversial billionaire's hosting gig.

See more stories on Insider's business page.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Saturday sought help with his upcoming "Saturday Night Live" hosting gig, asking the public for sketch ideas.

"Throwing out some skit ideas for SNL. What should I do?" Musk said on Twitter.

NBC's announcement in late April that Musk would host the May 8 episode of the long-running, late-night comedy show has proven to be polarizing.

Some cast members took to social media to express concern about appearing alongside the controversial billionaire, who also founded SpaceX. A few posts were deleted after being picked up by the media. On Saturday, Page Six reported that cast members could opt out of the episode.

Musk on Saturday offered a few of his own sketch ideas, with a focus on business, cryptocurrency, and international intrigue.

His ideas included "Woke James Bond" and "Irony Man." The latter "defeats villians using the power of irony," he wrote.

The entrepreneur also suggested "Baby Shark & Shark Tank merge to form Baby Shark Tank."

Another Twitter user suggested "The Dogefather," perhaps a mashup of Dogecoin and "The Godfather." "Definitely," Musk replied.

"SNL" courted controversy in 2015 by inviting presidential candidate Donald Trump to host, which brought in the show's highest ratings in years.

The sketch comedy show has aired since 1975 on NBC. Comcast bought NBC Universal in 2011. Last year, it launched its own streaming service, Peacock. Its Q1 earnings report last week said Peacock had 42 million subscribers.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Starbucks Corporation SBUX released second-quarter fiscal 2021 results, after market close, on Apr 27. The companys earnings topped estimates while revenues lagged the same. However, the metrics rose year over year amid the pandemic. Notably, shares of Starbucks have declined 1.3% since the earnings release, largely due to revenues missing analysts estimates.

Earnings in Detail

Starbucks reported adjusted earnings of 62 cents per share, surpassing the consensus mark of 52 cents. In the prior-year quarter, the company had reported adjusted earnings per share of 32 cents. Notably, the bottom line surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the sixth straight quarter. Revenues rose nearly 11.2% year over year to nearly $6.67 billion but lagged the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $6.80 billion. The upside was primarily driven by growth in comparable store sales, partially offset by the unfavorable impact of Global Coffee Alliance transition-related activities.

Business Update

Starbucks opened five net new stores worldwide in the fiscal second quarter, taking the total tally to 32,943. Global store growth was 3% on a year-over-year basis.

Meanwhile, global comparable store sales rose 15% year over year. Global comps were up on a 19% increase in average ticket, marginally offset by a 4% decline in comparable transactions.

The companys Active Starbucks Rewards loyalty program expanded to 22.9 million active members in the United States, up 18% on a year-over-year basis.

Guidance

Starbucks has updated its fiscal 2021 GAAP earnings guidance. Management noted that fiscal year 2021 is a 53-week year instead of the normal 52 weeks. The company continues to expect global comparable sales growth between 18% and 23% in fiscal 2021.

Moreover, fiscal year 2021 earnings are expected in the range of $2.90-$3.00 compared with the previous estimate of $2.70-$2.90. The company projects consolidated revenues in the range of $28.5-$29.3 billion, inclusive of a $500-million impact attributable to the 53rd week.

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ETFs in Focus

Investors might want to take a look at a few ETFs, which have notable exposure to Starbucks and can cash in on the coffee giants earnings results:

iShares Evolved U.S. Consumer Staples ETF IECS  4.49% exposure to Starbucks

It is an actively-managed fund which employs data science techniques to identify companies with exposure to the consumer staples sector. The fund comprises 122 holdings. Its AUM is $14.5 million and expense ratio is 0.18%. The fund has returned around 0.9% since the coffee giants earnings release (read: Coke, PepsiCo Earnings Should Help Staples ETFs).

The Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund XLY  3.45% exposure

The fund tracks the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector Index and comprises 63 holdings. The funds AUM is $20.56 billion and expense ratio is 0.12%. The fund has lost 0.09% since Starbucks earnings release (read: Amazon Posts Biggest Profit Ever With a Huge Beat: ETFs to Tap).

Fidelity MSCI Consumer Discretionary Index ETF FDIS  2.52% exposure

This fund tracks the MSCI USA IMI Consumer Discretionary Index. The funds AUM is $1.63 billion and expense ratio is 0.08%. However, it has lost around 0.07% since the coffee giants earnings release (read: ETFs to Shine Bright on Upbeat US Consumer Confidence in April).

Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF VCR  2.51% exposure

This fund currently follows the MSCI US Investable Market Consumer Discretionary 25/50 Index. The funds AUM is $6.17 billion and expense ratio is 0.10%. The fund has almost remained flat since Starbucks earnings release.

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Civil engineer Morgan Trowland, 38, halted traffic on Tower Bridge (PA)

Extinction Rebellion protesters have blocked traffic across the UK to urge the government to take tougher action on climate change.

More than 200 activists, including nurses, teachers and students, sat alone in front of traffic in towns and cities ranging from Bangor in Northern Ireland to Canterbury in Kent.

The group described the Rebellion of One demonstrations - held at 11am on Saturday to mark two years since parliament's declaration of a climate emergency - as "multiple courageous acts of nonviolent civil disobedience".

Several protesters were arrested, including GP Sarah Benn, who said she obstructed a local road in Birmingham to protest "the woeful inertia of our elected leaders in taking the action needed to protect us and future generations from its effects."

Ten of the 40 protesters in London were arrested, according to Extinction Rebellion (XR). One man glued himself to Westminster Bridge, while Morgan Trowland, a 68-year-old civil engineer from Hackney, east London, glued himself to Tower Bridge.

Mr Trowland said: "I'm terrified that billions will die because of the climate crisis, humans and non-humans. I'm freaking out that many people are accepting this, or feel powerless to change the course. I want to show onlookers that we each have phenomenal power."

Each of the protesters wore signs bearing messages such as: I am terrified for my grandsons future because of the climate crisis.

Andrea Muntiu, a 36-year-old nurse who blocked traffic in her home town of Ipswich, said: "People may wonder what a nurse is doing sitting in the road with a placard. They may wonder what impact this will have on my career or whether I'll get in trouble with the police.

A protester blocks traffic in Nottingham as part of the Rebellion of One day of actionPA

"I am aware of the risks but I feel I have a moral duty to warn people about the catastrophic consequences of the climate crisis. Floods, hunger, drought, pandemics, species extinction and social collapse will all be a reality if we dont act, and the children of this country and of this world will be the first and most affected.

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We cannot let this happen. We can still change things, we can demand the government acts now and safeguards what we have."

And Fiona Prior, a 58 year-old retired primary school teacher who blocked traffic in Carlisle, said: I am terrified for the future of my 6-year old grandson. What should I tell him? That I stood back and did nothing or that nana Fi did everything she possibly could to make the changes happen?

Police speak to a protester kneeling in a road in CambridgePA

XR claimed that the government was more concerned about creating positive headlines by announcing tougher targets instead of taking real action.

"We are seeing today that people are scared and frustrated at the refusal of this government to accept the severity of the crisis," said XR spokesperson Gully Bujak.

"The government needs to commission a national citizens assembly on climate and ecological justice, because even if politicians are scared to face the truth, ordinary people are ready for action."

May Day also saw several Kill The Bill demonstrations against proposed legislation which would give police more powers to restrict protests and make it an offence to intentionally or recklessly cause public nuisance. The government says the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill is necessary to prevent widespread disruption caused by the XR protests of 2019 and last summers Black Lives Matter demonstrations.

Read More

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Revenues of Chinese planters and wholesalers of flowers are in full bloom on direct sales to consumers via livestreamed promotions on various platforms.

The new mode of selling is also helping reduce possible wear and tear of flowers, and lowering costs by eliminating certain layers from the traditional distribution model.

Through livestreaming on e-commerce platform Taobao, short-video platform Douyin, and online group discounter Pinduoduo among others, planters can better assess the intensity of consumer demand and predict orders more accurately. This, in turn, helps them to plant flowers in a more efficient way, industry experts said.

"Sellers can recommend flowers to consumers who live in different areas the varieties that are most suitable for the local climate and environment. The interactions with live show presenters can also provide better shopping experiences for consumers who buy flowers online," said Zheng Wanying, an analyst of the LeadLeo Research Institute, a market research provider.

"For planters and retailers who sell flowers through livestreaming platforms, there exist a large number of competitors who do the same things. Thus, it is fairly important for them to recommend specific flowers to different consumers accurately and constantly attract new customers," she said.

At a greenhouse that opened last year in Jinning district of Kunming, capital of Southwest China's Yunnan province, a major place of origin of flowers in China, there were more than 800 varieties of ornamental plants. The greenhouse signed cooperation agreements with more than 90 planters and more than 200 livestreaming anchors.

Currently, Jinning, renowned for planting ornamental plants, has established eight livestreaming bases to sell flowers.

Han Jing, owner of the greenhouse, said that in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, Guangdong province, it is more difficult to cultivate ornamental plants. Customers' repurchase rates are high, and the supply in Kunming is often inadequate to meet the demand nationwide.

"After anchors receive training in basic planting and cultivation of ornamental plants, they can start working. Live show presenters can work full-time or parttime, and set livestreaming times as per their convenience," Han said.

"Anchors don't have to recognize each variety of ornamental plants as they have tags and prices attached. Anchors are free to give customers some discounts."

Last year, Han planted and sold more than 700,000 units. In the first quarter of this year alone, sales exceeded 700,000 units.

Jing Yunna, 26, a livestreaming anchor who sells ornamental plants at the greenhouse of Han, has been working independently for more than a year. During a period of nine months last year since she became an anchor, sales revenues hit 8.7 million yuan ($1.34 million), and net profit reached 2.2 million yuan, she said.

Jing, who broadcasts live for six to seven hours daily on Taobao, said her customers online come mostly from different regions nationwide, with some logging in from Malaysia and Singapore. They are attracted by the good quality of ornamental plants, various vibrant colors, and competitive prices. On a regular day that is not a holiday, sales can usually exceed 30,000 yuan.

"I learnt the techniques of broadcasting during livestreaming sessions by myself. If I talk too much, my voice tends to become hoarse. We need to pay attention to tricks of the tradelike, we can't get angry with customers in any situation," she said.

"Spring and autumn are the peak seasons of sales. Earlier last year, most people stayed at home to avoid contracting COVID-19, and they spent more time on mobile phones, which has helped boost sales of ornamental plants."

Jian Minghui, 34, a livestreaming anchor in Jinning district, who started selling ornamental plants on Douyin in October, already has a team of more than 10 to assist him. Before switching to a career in presenting live shows, he worked in the internet sector.

Jian started selling ornamental plants since the outbreak of the pandemic. Now, monthly sales can pull in anywhere between 2 million yuan and 3 million yuan, and Jian said he believes there is still room for growth.

In the later half of this year, he plans to found two firms, with one focusing on promoting the culture of ornamental plants, and another one establishing a website that posts pictures and videos of flowers, and integrates planters, anchors and wholesalers together.

"In Kunming, the subtropical weather is suitable to grow ornamental plants all year round, and the quality of the plants tends to be better than those planted in other areas," he said.

Meanwhile, some planters themselves have started selling flowers through livestreaming sessions. Han Gang, a planter of hydrangea, has sold his flowers to customers nationwide, in addition to those in overseas markets such as Europe, the United States, South Korea, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates.

In the early period of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, wholesalers and florists seldom bought flowers from planters such as Han, and the flowers were unsalable for a while. Later, Han found out new business opportunities through livestreaming sessions.

During daytime, Han is usually busy preparing and selecting flowers, and between 9 pm and 1 am, he faces the camera and goes live online.

"Starting March, hydrangea in Kunming starts to bloom, while hydrangea planted in other areas usually blooms in May. The flowers also bloom between September and December in Kunming. Thus, we have an advantage in the timing. The blue hydrangea we planted can be as big as hats," he said.

The popularity of the multibillion-dollar livestreaming market in the country has changed the ecosystem of traditional supply chain of flowers, which includes multiple tiers.

Flower sales usually need experience, like transferring from planters to first-tier wholesale market, the second-tier wholesale market and then to brick-and-mortar florists. Thus, flowers sold to consumers at stores usually carry higher price tags, according to LeadLeo.

Traditional flower shops are usually small and scattered. Store-owners are cautious about the storage and selection of flower varieties. Their supplies usually lack wide varieties so cannot meet diverse demand of consumers. Wastage of freshly cut flowers due to supply-demand mismatches are not uncommon.

Besides, in the multi-layer transportation process, there is high chance for wear and tear of flowers due to long-haul transport. For regular land transportation, wastage can exceed 30 percent of flowers packed intact initially. That proportion can reach 15 percent in air transportation, the consultancy said.

"Flower planting is usually subject to seasons, temperature and humidity. The quality of flowers could be unstable and high yields can't be guaranteed. Besides, holidays usually see higher demand for flowers, and traditional flower planting sometimes can't satisfy demand during peak periods like holidays," Zheng of LeadLeo said.

"As a perishable good, flowers command relatively high repurchase rates. Sparing customers of additional costs involved in multilayer distribution can help direct sellers with higher revenues. Thus, many florists at the retail level usually offer discounts and flower subscriptions," she said.
A young Christina, not quite three years old, sat in the backseat of the car watching her mother sing as she drove along the Atlanta streets in the early 1990s.

Its the only memory she has of her mother.

Melissa Wolfenbarger

Christina Garrett and her brother Joey were only toddlers when their mother, Melissa Wolfenbarger, was found brutally murdered after she had been missing for months. According to the Atlanta Police Department, the 21-year-old mother was found decapitated, dismembered and stuffed into black trash bags in the spring of 1999, not far from their home in Atlanta, Georgia.

But it would be years before the remains were identified. And even now, 22 years later, Melissas murder remains a mystery.

Her daughter Christina, now around the same age her mother was when she was murdered, has joined her grandmother and aunt in their decades-long search for answers about Melissas brutal murder and the familys vow to get justice.

Melissa Patton Wolfenbarger grew up outside of Atlanta, Georgia with her parents and her sister, Tina Patton. In high school, she met and fell in love with Christopher Wolfenbarger. They later married, had two children, Christina and Joseph, and moved to a duplex in Atlanta.

Melissas family told Dateline they had their concerns about their daughter, who they described as being sweet but too trusting and often naive about life.

Her sister, Tina Patton, who was seven years older, told Dateline that while they werent extremely close as they were busy raising their own families, she always felt very protective of her baby sister.

She knew she could call me anytime she needed me, Tina said. I wanted to be able to protect her. I wish she had called me, but that call never came.

Tina said the last time their family spoke to Melissa was on Thanksgiving Day in 1998. She had a very specific request for a Christmas gift: She asked her mother, Norma Patton, for a photo of herself with her grandfather.

Its what she wanted for Christmas that year, Norma told Dateline. It was something very sentimental.

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But when Christmas arrived, there was no word from Melissa and she did not shown up to celebrate the holidays. Concerned, members of her family tried to reach her, but were unsuccessful.

After the holidays, Melissas parents decided to drive to Atlanta from their home in Locust Grove, Georgia, and check on her in person. Her mother Norma told Dateline that when they arrived, the duplex on Brookline Avenue had been completely cleaned out and a neighbor informed them that everything had been moved out during the week between Christmas and New Years.

Melissas family became even more concerned when Normas birthday came and went on February 24 and still no word from Melissa.

There was no call, no card, no visit, nothing, Norma said. That just wasnt her. She was my baby girl. So I knew something was wrong.

Sergeant Raymond Layton with the Atlanta Police Department has been on Melissas case for years. He told Dateline that Melissas husband, Christopher Wolfenbarger, never reported her missing. Instead it was her mother, Norma, who filed the missing persons report in January 2000, after hitting several roadblocks.

When Christopher Wolfenbarger was questioned by police, he told them Melissa had left on her own. He then refused to cooperate with the investigation, Sgt. Layton told Dateline. The sergeant added that Wolfenbarger has an extensive criminal history with a history of family violence and that witnesses stated during the investigation that he had been abusive to Melissa.

Dateline spoke to Christopher Wolfenbarger, who insists he had nothing to do with Melissas death and wants nothing more than to help with the investigation.

Yeah, I have a criminal history, Wolfenbarger told Dateline. But Im not a murderer.

He said Melissas disappearance at the end of 1998 wasnt anything out of the ordinary.

Were not talking about one day she was there and the next she was not, Wolfenbarger said. I just figured shed come back when she was able to.

He explained that Melissa took on multiple shifts at the Waffle House to make extra money and would stay at a hotel instead of commuting home. Wolfenbarger added that she also had been creating fake IDs and social security cards with the goal of their family moving away and starting a new life in California.

Im not denying I have criminal history, he said. We were, you know, like Bonnie and Clyde, just small-time criminals, but we didnt do anything bad, bad. We were just trying to build a better life in California. California was the dream.

And when Melissa never returned home, he told Dateline he figured she changed her identity and went on to live her dream without him.

Thats the reason I didnt report her missing, he said. She wanted to get away from her parents and from this place. So she had to become someone else. I just thought shed come back when things settled down.

Chris and Melissas daughter, Christina, told Dateline the story her mother just leaving on her own is one she heard for years. After her mother disappeared, Christina's next memory was of living with her grandmother on her fathers side, in Locust Grove, Georgia. She added that her father was gone for a long time and when he returned, she didnt even know who he was.

I called him Chris because thats what everyone called him, Christina said. I didnt realize he was our father. I still dont really think of him as my father.

Years later, when Christopher Wolfenbarger re-emerged in his childrens lives, he told them their mother left their family and that he didnt know where she was.

I didnt know her, but shes my mom and I know she wouldve never walked out without us, Christina said. Im a mom now and I cant imagine doing that to my child.

Back in 1999, Melissa had been missing five months when, on April 29, 1999, authorities with the Atlanta Police found a severed human head in a black trash bag, on Avon Avenue near Hartford Avenue, according to Sgt. Layton. The grisly discovery was made in close proximity to the glass company where her husband Christopher Wolfenbarger worked, and from which he was fired after the suspected theft of a reciprocal saw, Sgt. Layton said.

When Dateline spoke to Christopher Wolfenbarger, he said the suspected theft was a misunderstanding and that he never stole anything from the company. He added that after he was fired, he moved out of the duplex and in with his uncle, while his kids went to live with his mother.

On June 3, 1999, more dismembered human remains were found in black trash bags in a wooded area between Hartford Place and Avon Avenue. Sergeant Layton told Dateline the remains found were legs, arms and feet, but a torso was never found.

I think it demonstrates that the murder was well planned, Sgt. Layton said.  And that the killer had the equipment to dismember and transport her remains.

At the time, the remains were unidentified. Melissa Wolfenbarger was still missing.

But her mother Norma said she knew it was only a matter of time before the remains would be identified as her daughter. So she continued to watch the news every day for four years.

The fact that my baby girl was cut up just shows it was done by someone evil, she said. No normal person is going to cut up a human body.

It would take years before the remains found on Avon Avenue would be identified as Melissa.

In 2003, Melissa and Tinas father, Carl Millard Patton Jr., was arrested and later convicted for the 1977 murders of Fred Wyatt, Liddie Matthews Evans, and Evans boyfriend, Joe Cleveland. The case, known as the Flint River murders, gained national media attention and brought greater attention to Melissas case.

The family told Dateline it was Carl Patton Jr.s case and the testing of DNA that eventually led investigators to confirm the remains found in 1999 belonged to Melissa. Norma, who testified against her husband in 2003, said his arrest was what made it possible for someone to pay attention to Melissas case.

Norma is still married to Melissas father, who was questioned but quickly cleared in connection to Melissas death. Melissas sister Tina told Dateline she still talks to their father at his current residence in a Georgia prison where he often talks about bringing his daughters murderer to justice.

Tina added that from the beginning, there was no doubt in their mind who killed Melissa. And it was never their father.

Theres no doubt in my mind who did this to my sister, Tina said. And its been more than 20 years and hes still walking free.

Sergeant Layton told Dateline that Melissas husband Christopher is considered a person of interest in the case. An autopsy determined that Melissas neck had been severed with a saw, according to Sgt. Layton. He added that evidence was collected from her home on Brookline Avenue, but did not match other trace evidence collected from the scene and no arrests have been made.

Christopher Wolfenbarger told Dateline he has always cooperated with the investigation and submitted his DNA years ago when requested by the detectives at the time.

Ive got nothing to hide, Wolfenbarger said. I had absolutely no reason to kill her. There was no insurance money. We didnt have any assets. There was no reason in the world for me to hurt her like that.

As for the remains being discovered in such close proximity to his job, Wolfenbarger told Dateline the possible connection to him is absurd.

Who in their right mind kills somebody and dumps the body at their job  it just doesnt make sense.

He added that no one has contacted him in recent years, but told Dateline hes willing to do anything and speak to anyone to help solve Melissas case.

It damn near destroyed me, Wolfenbarger, describing what it was like when he found out Melissa was dead. At the time I really believed she had changed her name and left for a better life. And that shed come back eventually. Sometimes I thought Id see a glimpse of her here and there. But it was never her.

After years of what she says was being kept in the dark, Christina began asking questions about her mothers death.

Christopher Wolfenbarger admits he always kept his feelings bottled up and had a hard time talking about Melissa with their two children, Christina and Joey.

Christina, who lived with her father for a short time while in her late teens, grew frustrated. Id ask my dad and he would tell me a different story every time - or he would get mad, said Christina It just didnt make any sense so I started investigating on my own.

To do that, Christina felt she needed to connect with her long-lost family members on her mothers side to get some answers.

While she was scrolling through Facebook as a teenager, Christinas mothers name popped up as a someone you may know alert. It turned out to be a Facebook profile Melissas family had created as a way to share information about her case. It wasnt long before she reached out to Melissas family members.

Christina was 18 years old when she got in contact with her mothers family and was able to reunite with her Aunt Tina and Melissas mother, who she lovingly calls Gran.

I had so many questions, she told Dateline. And my own theories about what happened. Turns out, theirs were the same as mine.

From the moment they reunited, Christina said she felt an instant bond to her Gran and her aunt. Theyve been inseparable ever since as they work together to get justice for Melissa.

Its just another piece of the puzzle, Christina said. And its another step closer to solving my moms case.

Melissas case continues to be worked by the Atlanta Police Cold Case Homicide Unit along with the Fulton County District Attorneys Office Cold Case Unit.

Assistant District Attorney Adriane Love told Dateline they are hoping that with advancements made in DNA technology, they will be able to test small surfaces in evidence for DNA with the goal of moving the investigation in the right direction and finally solving the case.

We want to solve this case, she said. We want answers for the family and justice for Melissa.

Both Assistant DA Love and Sgt. Layton told Dateline they believe there are people who have information that could move this case forward and urge them to call police.

Its been 23 years its time, Melissas mother Norma told Dateline. People talk about closure, but Im not sure Ill ever have that. We still have so many questions and no answers.

Two decades have passed since Melissas murder, but her family isnt giving up. As their team of supporters continues to grow, as well as interest in the case, they tell Dateline they feel new hope there will soon be justice.

The case was featured at the 2020 CrimeCon House Arrest by CSI Atlanta, a team made up of crime scene investigator Sheryl McCollum, CBS 46 anchor, Karyn Greer and Sgt. Raymond Layton.

Her family alone have kept her case alive but now they have a team, Sheryl McCollum told Dateline. An extraordinary team of remarkable people. To me, there is only one suspect and I want him to know we are coming for him.

In an effort to bring more attention to the case, Sheryl McCollum and her non-profit organization, the Atlanta Cold Case Research Investigative Institute (CCRI), is offering cold case wines. Melissas photo was featured on the first bottle of wine to be launched, which will help raise money to help solve unsolved crime cases.

Christina told Dateline that for years she felt a part of her was missing, but reuniting with her mothers family has filled some of that void. She hopes she has done the same for them.

When her son was born a few years ago, it was Melissas mother Gran who was there to cut the cord. And shes the one he runs to when they show up on her doorstep for a visit.

Nothing will ever bring my mom back, nothing will bring Grans daughter back - but its like a second chance for her, Christina said. Its a second chance for our family.

Anyone with information about Melissas case is urged to call the Crime Stoppers Atlanta at 404-577-8477.
MIAMI (AP)  The teenage killer who lured a friend into a bathroom stall at their suburban Miami middle school 17 years ago and cut his throat has died in prison.

Florida Department of Corrections online records show Michael Hernandez, 31, died Thursday. He had been incarcerated at Columbia Correctional Institute, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) west of Jacksonville. No cause of death was released, but WFOR-TV said Hernandez was seen on video collapsing, and no foul play is suspected.

Hernandez was serving a life sentence for the February 2004 murder of Jaime Gough when they were both 14-year-old students at Southwood Middle School in Palmetto Bay, just outside Miami.

Hernandez had lured Jaime into a handicapped stall before school with a promise to show him something. He then pulled out a knife, stabbed him more than 40 times and slit his throat. He then hid the knife in a secret compartment in his backpack and went to class.

After Jaime's body was found, a teacher noticed blood on Hernandez and notified police. It was discovered that Hernandez had become fascinated with serial killers, studying them online. He had made a list of people he wanted to slay, including Jaime. He was found guilty in 2008 of first-degree murder after a jury rejected his insanity plea.

Jorge Gough, Jaimes father, told the Miami Herald that he was shocked to learn of Hernandez's death.

I was not expecting this at all, Gough said. He said he and his wife still talk about their son, who would now be 31, but not in a sad way. His son was a straight-A student who played the violin.

We miss him, and the big question is: What would he be today? he said.

Hernandez had planned to kill two friends, but Andre Martin got leery when Hernandez tried to lure him and Gough into the stall. The bell rang and the three went to class. The next day, Hernandez killed Gough.

Martin is now a Miami-Dade County police detective. He told the Herald he had mixed feelings about Hernandez's death.

My continued condolences for Jaime Goughs parents, and the entire Gough family, Martin said. And the Hernandez family  they were not the ones who committed a crime and they did lose a family member.
A COVID-19 patient gets admitted to a government hospital in Kolkata, India, on April 22, 2021. India reported 314,835 new coronavirus infections on Thursday. Indranil Aditya/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said he was "not sure" about Biden's India travel ban.

Gottlieb said he didn't think the ban, slated to begin Tuesday, would be effective because variants are already spreading in the US.

India is dealing with an ongoing surge of COVID-19 that has overwhelmed its healthcare system.

See more stories on Insider's business page.

Former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb on Sunday cast doubt on President Joe Biden's looming ban on travel with India as a method for preventing COVID-19 variants from being introduced in the US.

"I'm not sure what we're hoping to accomplish," Gottlieb said during an appearance on CBS News' "Face the Nation." "If the goal is to try to prevent the introduction of that new variant 617 that's circulating in India, I assure you it's here already."

"So we're not going to be able to prevent its introduction," he added. "These variants aren't just cropping up in one market and then migrating around the world. They're cropping up simultaneously in every market."

Read more: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has a simple plan to 'protect' free speech - by using government censorship

Gottlieb said this was known as "convergent evolution."

"There's probably a finite number of ways that this virus is going to try to mutate to evade our immunity, and it's testing us everywhere in the world," he said. "So the same mutations that are arising in other parts of the world are arising here as well."

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The White House on Friday, citing several variants of the disease, announced it was barring most travel between the US and India because of the virus outbreak in the country. As Insider's John Haltiwanger previously noted, the travel restriction puts Biden's actions at odds with his past statements about travel bans, which he previously said would "not stop the coronavirus."

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Effective Tuesday, the ban will not apply to US citizens or permanent residents. Certain students, academics, and journalists will also be exempt from the travel ban, the US State Department said.

"The CDC advises, based on work by public health and scientific experts, that these variants have characteristics of concern, which may make them more easily transmitted and have the potential for reduced protection afforded by some vaccines," The White House said Friday in a statement announcing the president had signed the proclamation banning travel.

Gottlieb said the US success in vaccinating its population was likely responsible for preventing the variants from having the same effect they're having on countries like India, which is reporting more than 300,000 new cases of COVID-19 every day. On Saturday, it became the first country to report more than 400,000 cases in a single day.

"These travel restrictions could serve a purpose, but we need to be clear about what that purpose is right now. We still have restrictions in place against travel from China and the UK," Gottlieb said Sunday. "That doesn't make a lot of sense. So I'm not really sure what the overall strategy is around these continued travel restrictions that we have in place."

About 29% of the US population is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data analyzed by Johns Hopkins University. More than 243 million doses of the vaccine have been administered in the US, according to the data.

Read the original article on Business Insider
(REUTERS)

Fox News host Maria Bartiromo claimed that the Chinese are secretly sending "doctors and engineers" over the US border with Mexico.

The host made the comments during an interview on Sunday with Texas Governor Greg Abbott.

"It seems like the cartels are really winning and making big money here," she said. "Someone told me this week that they're making $400m monthly. I mean, the numbers, because they're charging $4,000 a head, they're taking 2,000 people a day into America. And depending on where you come from, the numbers are even higher."

She then claimed another individual told her about the alleged Chinese incursion.

"One guard told me that they apprehended a group from China," Ms Bartiromo said. "And the group from China told them that they paid $50,000 a head. And by the way, these were scientists and doctors and engineers from China."

Then, having apparently accepted the unnamed border guard's story, she said: "You have to ask, why the CCP is sending these people through the border, obviously they don't want to be noticed. What are they doing when they get here?"

Despite the story being unverified, Mr Abbott was happy to speculate on what might be behind it.

"It could be espionage," he volunteered. "They're forgetting about the people from China, from Iran, from terrorist-based nations. It could be espionage."

While it is not unheard of for Chinese nationals to try to enter the US through the southern border, it is rare; according to far-right news outlet Breitbart, fewer than 1 per cent of border arrests are believed to be Chinese nationals.

Though Chinese power and global influence has been expanding and poses a threat to the US's stranglehold on world power, there have been as much disinformation about the country's actions as there has been legitimate analysis.

In December, a conspiracy theory circulated among members of the QAnon movement alleging that Chinese troops had amassed a force of some 50,000 troops on the northern border of Maine.

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According to the baseless claim, the troops were obliterated by US airstrikes and "anti-personnel bombs" at the border.

The theory also claimed that an F-16 that crashed in Michigan was actually shot down by the Chinese, which had supposedly prompted the US response.

Officials in both the town of Jackman, Maine  approximately 16 miles south of the state's border with Canada  and the state's National Guard said there was no US military action in the region that corroborates the claims.

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ARLINGTON, Texas (AP)  A runoff for a U.S. House seat in Texas is set between Republican Susan Wright, whose husband was the first member of Congress to die after being diagnosed with COVID-19, and Republican Jake Ellzey.

Democrat Jana Lynne Sanchez was narrowly locked out of the runoff in Texas' 6th Congressional District, which has long been GOP territory. With nearly all votes counted, Sanchez had trailed Ellzey by 354 votes. She said in a statement Sunday that her campaign came up short.

Democrats have come a long way toward competing in Texas but we still have a long way to go, Sanchez said in a statement.

Ellzey is a state lawmaker who narrowly lost the GOP nomination for the seat in 2018 and carried the backing of former Texas Gov. Rick Perry. Susan Wright had already been seen as a favorite in a crowded race to fill the seat of her late husband, who died in February after being diagnosed with COVID-19. He was 67.

The date of the runoff has not yet been set.

Wright will enter the runoff with the backing of former President Donald Trump, who waited until just days before the election to endorse Wright.
A 26-foot Buffalo tank is extracted from the earth in Crowland, Lincolnshire, on Thursday. Joe Giddens/PA Images via Getty Images

A number of Buffalo LVT landing craft were swept away by floods in Lincolnshire, England, in 1947.

Last week, one of the US-made craft was dug up by a group of volunteers after a five-day dig.

The armed craft were used to ferry supplies and cross water in conflicts in the Pacific and Europe.

See more stories on Insider's business page.

Excavators in England have unearthed a huge World War II-era US landing craft from a field, 74 years after it went missing.

In 1947, more than a dozen Buffalo LVT were taken to Crowland, Lincolnshire, to help the British Army build flood defenses, but five were swept away in high waters.

Last week, a group of local military enthusiasts succeeded in their mission to unearth one of the 26-foot craft, which they found buried 30 feet below the earth, after a five-day dig, the BBC reported.

Watch drone footage of the craft - which weights 18 tons - being pulled from the excavation pit here:

The Buffalo LVT was a US-made landing craft used to transport supplies and cross bodies of water in Europe and the Pacific region. It saw action in World War II's greatest battles, including the Battle of Iwo Jima and D-Day.

The group behind the excavation believes that this Buffalo LVT was also previously used to cross the Rhine River in Germany in March 1945, The Times of London reported. The BBC said the Buffalo LVT was also key in getting allied troops across the Elbe river, also in Germany, the same year.

The craft appears to be in good condition, the volunteers said, due to the nature of the clay and peat soil that has surrounded it for 74 years .

A worker poses after uncovering the tank. Joe Giddens/PA Images via Getty Images

"I'm over the moon with what we've achieved - it's very exciting. We've spent five days digging," Daniel Abbott, chairman of the Crowland Buffalo LVT Association, told The Times.

"We found the gun mount first and it's in fantastic condition for its age. The tank seems to have been well preserved in the clay."

The volunteers told the BBC they wanted the craft to stay in the town and become a memorial for the 1947 floods.

Read the original article on Business Insider
May 2WASHINGTON  On Tuesday, Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed into law a bill that would ban abortions once a fetal heartbeat can be detected, outlawing virtually all abortions in the state, with an important caveat: It won't actually go into effect unless a nationwide push by anti-abortion groups reaches the Supreme Court.

The Idaho law was signed amid an unprecedented wave of anti-abortion legislation in GOP-controlled state legislatures across the country. Just last week, 28 new restrictions were passed in seven states, making a total of 61 laws restricting abortion enacted so far this year, according to the Guttmacher Institute, an abortion rights research organization.

"Idaho is a state that values the most innocent of all lives  the lives of babies," the Republican governor said in a statement. "We should never relent in our efforts to protect the lives of the preborn."

So-called "heartbeat bills" have passed in several states, starting with North Dakota in 2013, but they have repeatedly been struck down by courts based on the precedent set by the Supreme Court's 1973 ruling in Roe v. Wade, which established a right to abortion. In subsequent cases, the court has held that states cannot restrict abortion before fetal viability, about 24 to 28 weeks into pregnancy.

A "trigger" provision in the Idaho law means it won't go into effect unless a federal appeals court upholds a similar law in another state. In the federal court system, rulings at the district court level can be appealed to a federal appellate court, whose decisions can in turn be appealed to the Supreme Court, but the nation's highest court agrees to hear just a fraction of the thousands of cases brought to it each year.

In 2016, the Supreme Court let stand lower court rulings that found the North Dakota law and a similar law in Arkansas to be unconstitutional, but proponents of the "heartbeat" bills are hoping for a different outcome with the high court's current 6-3 conservative majority.

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Elizabeth Nash, a state policy analyst at the Guttmacher Institute, said the inclusion of the "trigger" language "could be a recognition of the current status of abortion, but it could also be an avoidance of a court case and spending state money."

If Idaho's law goes into effect, it would punish someone who performs an abortion with up to five years in prison if the embryo shows cardiac activity, which can be detected with a transvaginal ultrasound after as little as six weeks, before many people know they are pregnant. The law makes exceptions for medical emergencies or cases of rape or incest.

"This is an abortion ban in waiting," Nash said. "It's waiting for the day when abortion rights have been undermined."

Critics say calling the legislation a "heartbeat bill" is misleading, since the first cardiac activity occurs in tissue called the fetal pole of an embryo, which does not have a heart at six weeks of gestation.

"There's just real danger in calling this a 'fetal heartbeat bill,' when it really is a six-week abortion ban," said Paul Dillon, vice president of public affairs at Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington and North Idaho.

While Dillon emphasized the Idaho law has not gone into effect, he said its passage contributes to the stigma around abortion and creates confusion and uncertainty. If it does go into effect, he said, it could disproportionately impact people with fewer resources.

"The cost is high for people who don't have the means, or access to a car, or time off work, or lodging," Dillon said. "We really believe at Planned Parenthood that all people  regardless of their income, their job or their zip code  should be able to access abortion care."

Mistie DelliCarpini-Tolman, Idaho state director for Planned Parenthood's advocacy arm, warned when the legislature passed the bill April 16 that her organization would challenge it in court.

"Health care decisions should be made between a patient and their provider  without government interference," DelliCarpini-Tolman said. "Let's be clear: This bill is unconstitutional, and should it become law, there will be a lawsuit filed to stop its enactment."

Not all anti-abortion groups have thrown their weight behind the wave of "heartbeat" bills, which have so far passed in 13 states but have consistently been blocked by courts. Other, less restrictive abortion-related cases that may have better odds of prompting the justices to undermine or overturn Roe v. Wade are currently working their way to the Supreme Court.

"We understand why lawmakers want to have this type of law on the books in the event that authority is delegated back to the states to make these decisions," said Katie Glenn, government affairs counsel at Americans United for Life, an advocacy group that works to enact anti-abortion laws at the state and federal level.

"But there are 45 federal cases in the queue winding up to the Supreme Court. It's pretty clear that none of these laws will go into effect until the Supreme Court weighs in, and so with the limited resources and time we have, we really want to focus on defensible legislation that can go into effect right now."

As an example of a law with an immediate effect, Glenn pointed to another Idaho bill signed into law by Little on April 20 that aims to dissuade women from terminating pregnancy when a fetus is diagnosed with Down syndrome. Roughly two-thirds of fetal Down syndrome diagnoses in the United States result in abortion.

Glenn said her organization generally has not worked on "heartbeat" laws, but she understands the effectiveness of the language. "It's something that anybody can understand," she said. "We all have a heartbeat."

The odds of the Idaho law going into effect are unclear. Nash said while federal district courts typically adhere to Supreme Court precedent, some appellate court judges have recently shown a willingness to defy precedent. While Idaho is in the jurisdiction of the relatively liberal 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, other abortion restrictions are being challenged in the more conservative 5th and 6th circuits.

The Supreme Court could undermine the abortion protections established in Roe v. Wade and subsequent decisions without overturning the 1973 ruling altogether, and a spate of conservative justices appointed under former President Donald Trump make it more likely cases will reach the high court.

Chief Justice John Roberts, when he voted with the court's liberal justices in 2020 to strike down a Louisiana abortion law, signaled he was open to reconsidering other abortion protections.

"The court is seeking abortion cases  that was pretty clear from Roberts' opinion in the Louisiana decision," Nash said. "It seems that the court is not ready to take on a gestational age ban just yet. That's why I think the court would be looking to take a case or two on other types of restrictions before they jump into a more comprehensive ban."

Glenn said states like Idaho are enacting more restrictive abortion laws in anticipation of changes at the Supreme Court, because the Roe v. Wade decision centralized authority on the issue away from the states and toward the high court.

"You're seeing judges force the Supreme Court's hand a little bit," she said, "by pushing these cases up and saying, 'This is unresolved. This is an area of law where we aren't sure what to do.' And the reason for that is because the Supreme Court grabbed all the authority in 1973 and has been doling out little pieces of wisdom."

"With that level of confusion, a lot of lawmakers are saying, 'We're just going to pass the laws that we want on the books, and they will be there whenever we get authority back.' That seems to be the thinking behind a lot of laws that have that trigger provision."

If the laws do go into effect, Nash said, the impact on Idaho could be significant.

"Right now, there's no ban in effect," Nash said, "but there's the potential  given the makeup of the courts, given the direction of these state legislatures  that access could be even more limited. And for a place like Idaho where access isn't always available, that's a real concern."

Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington and North Idaho has clinics in Spokane, Pullman and Spokane Valley, but none in North Idaho.

Nationwide polls, including one by Gallup and another by NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist in 2019, show more than three-quarters of Americans want abortion to remain legal, but a majority also supports some restrictions on when it can be performed. For now, abortion remains legal in all 50 states.

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Orion Donovan-Smith's reporting for The Spokesman-Review is funded in part by Report for America and by members of the Spokane community. This story can be republished by other organizations for free under a Creative Commons license. For more information on this, please contact our newspaper's managing editor.
Associated Press

From alleged drug trafficking and a murder cover-up to weapons transfers to Islamic militants, a convicted crime ringleader has been dishing the dirt on members of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogans ruling party through a series of tell-all videos that have captivated the nation and turned him into an unlikely social media phenomenon. Sedat Peker, a 49-year-old fugitive crime boss, who once openly supported Erdogans Justice and Development Party, has been releasing nearly 90-minute long videos from his stated base in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, making scandalous but yet-unproven drip-by-drip allegations, in an apparent bid to settle scores with political figures. The weekly YouTube videos have been viewed more than 75 million times, causing an uproar, heightening concerns over Turkish state corruption and putting officials on the defensive.
President Biden told the director of Israel's foreign intelligence service, Yossi Cohen, on Friday that the U.S. has a long way to go in talks with Iran before it agrees a return to full compliance of the 2015 nuclear deal, per a senior Israeli official briefed on the talks.

State of play: Cohen, who has been director of the Mossad since 2016, laid out Israels position on the issue, telling Biden it would be a mistake for the U.S. to return to the deal without improving it first. Biden assured Cohen that the U.S. will continue to seek Israel's input in the future.

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Between the lines: A spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council said Cohens meeting at the White House Friday was with adviser Jake Sullivan and other national security officials. The spokesperson said Biden dropped by to express condolences for the tragedy at Mount Meron."

But a senior Israeli official disputed that description, saying the meeting Between the Mossad director and U.S. president wasnt a drop in, and was not connected to the Mount Meron stampede, but was a pre-scheduled meeting specifically with the president to discuss Iran.

The meeting took place on Friday before noon, right after the phone call between Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during which Biden offered condolences for the disaster.

The meeting lasted around an hour, the Israeli official said. Cohen was the only person to attend it from the Israeli side. Biden, Sullivan and CIA director Bill Burns attended from the U.S. side.

The White House declined further comment on the story.

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Following 20 days of continuous water pumping work, rescuers on Saturday morning started entering a mine shaft to search for the 21 trapped workers in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

A total of 11 pumping devices had pumped out 800,000 cubic meters of water, nearly 20 times the shaft volume before rescuers could enter, said Nan Shenghui, head of the expert team at the headquarters handling the accident.

The flooding occurred on April 10, when 29 workers were upgrading the shaft of Fengyuan Coal Mine in Hutubi County. Eight miners were lifted out of the shaft safely. Twenty-one others were trapped at three different sites underground.

A total of 13 experts in drilling, geological prospecting, colliery rescue and other fields were organized to join in the rescue. Eight rescue teams from across the country have been in place to realize rescue operations around the clock underground, said Zhou Yilin, a rescuer.

Rescue equipment was urgently mobilized from Beijing and provinces of Jiangsu, Shanxi and Gansu.

Moreover, the rainy and snowy weather led to loose rocks from the mountains nearby the mine, increasing the difficulties in the rescue operation.

A temporary hospital that can treat 30 patients has been established at the site, and on-the-spot medical workers have been carrying out rescue rehearsals every day recently.

The coal mine is located in a natural coal mine belt in the northern part of the Tianshan Mountains, some 160 km from the regional capital Urumqi.
Japanese tanks during a live-fire exercise at the foot of Mount Fuji, August 22, 2019. Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images

Japan built a large and capable armored force to counter the Soviets during the Cold War.

But a rising China poses a new challenge, and Japan is changing how it designs and uses its armor.

See more stories on Insider's business page.

Despite a few successes early in World War II, Japanese armor was hopelessly outclassed by Allied tanks as soon as they arrived in large numbers.

Those experiences and the threat of a Soviet invasion led the Japanese to put much more effort into post-war tank designs. By the 1990s, Japan had a large and capable armored force.

But the Japan Self Defense Force (JSDF) has had to recalibrate in recent decades.

The threat from a rising China has forced Japan's Ground Self Defense Force (GSDF) to shift from an armor- and artillery-intensive force based in its north - where it would've responded to a Soviet invasion - to a more mobile one able to reach southwestern Japan at a moment's notice.

To do this, the JSDF is making a number of changes, including investing heavily in transportation capability, new armored vehicle designs, and reforming the GSDF's tank arm.

Fending off the Soviets

Type 61 main battle tanks during an exercise at Camp Fuji in Japan, November 18, 1985. US Defense Department

Japan's tank force was actually quite modern and innovative during its development between the world wars. But while Germany and the Allies had the industrial capacity to update or create new tanks during World War II, Japan's industry was comparatively limited.

Moreover, since Japanese plans in that war involved pushing south into areas where massive tank battles were unlikely, most funding and resources went to its navy and air services.

After the war, Japan - now with access to Western technology and designs and convinced of the importance of tanks - focused much more on developing a capable armored force to fend off the Soviets.

For most of the Cold War, Japan's tank force was made up of the Type 61 and Type 74 main battle tanks, armed with 90 mm and 105 mm guns, respectively. They were both capable designs for their time and were fielded in large numbers.

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In 1990, the GSDF introduced the Type 90. At 50 tons and with a 120 mm gun, it is by all accounts a first-rate tank. Equipped with modular composite armor, a laser rangefinder, fire-control computer, thermal and night vision, and an autoloader, it is similar to Germany's Leopard 2A4.

The Japanese believed Hokkaido, the northernmost of the home islands and the closest to Soviet territory, would be the frontline of any invasion, and most of Japan's tanks were stationed there.

By 1976, the GSDF had some 1,200 tanks and about 1,000 artillery pieces, mostly in Hokkaido, where much of that armored force is still stationed.

Lighter and more mobile

Type 74 main battle tanks during a live-fire exercise at the foot of Mount Fuji, August 24, 2017. Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images

The threat of Russian invasion was virtually nonexistent after the Cold War, and the JSDF decided to cut down on the overall number of tanks, which fell from about 900 in service in 1995 to about 570 now.

The JSDF plans to reduce the total to 300 in the coming years.

The GSDF continued acquiring Type 90s to replace the older Type 61 and Type 74s, and Japan has continued developing new armored vehicles, fielding the Type 10 main battle tank and the Type 16 Mobile Combat Vehicle in the last decade.

Introduced in 2012, the Type 10 is meant to replace the Type 74 and compliment the Type 90.

At 48 tons fully loaded, the Type 10 is lighter and more maneuverable than the Type 90. Whereas the Type 90's size limits it to operating in Hokkaido and around Mt. Fuji, the Type 10 can operate anywhere Japanese law allows.

A Japanese Type 10 tank, top left, a Type 90 tank, top right, and Type 16 Maneuver Combat Vehicle, bottom, during an exercise, January 12, 2020. KAZUHIRO NOGI/AFP via Getty Images

The Type 10 has modular ceramic composite armor with nano-crystal steel. The modules can be added or removed depending on mission or damage. It also has a 120 mm gun and an auto loader.

The electronics suite is perhaps the Type 10's most impressive feature, with an advanced command-and-control system that allows it to communicate and share information with nearby JGSDF tanks and units.

The Type 16 was introduced a few years after the Type 10. Although it is wheeled, it has a tank turret and functions as a light tank, conducting close combat, counterattacks, and direct-fire infantry support.

Armed with a 105 mm rifled gun and weighing just 26 tons, the Type 16 can operate safely on Japan's entire road network and be carried in Air Self Defense Force aircraft.

A new southern threat

A Type 16 during a live-fire exercise in Japan, May 23, 2020. CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Adopting lighter tanks may seem counterintuitive, but it actually fits perfectly within the force the JSDF is building - one capable of dealing with the new threat posed to Japan's southwest by China.

"As we got farther from the Cold War and different threats arose, Japan started to shift overall defense thinking about where the real threat is emanating from," said Jeffrey Hornung, an expert on Japanese security and foreign policies at the RAND Corporation.

"It starts to crystallize, really in the last decade, decade and a half, [to] where it's the China threat," Hornung told Insider.

That threat is primarily in the air and at sea, and centers on the Senkaku Islands, which Japan administers but China claims, calling them the Diaoyu Islands.

Japanese leaders believe that since China is not trying to export global revolution like the Soviet Union and is focused on just the Senkakus, a large-scale ground invasion of its home islands is unlikely.

"They don't anticipate China doing any sort of amphibious invasion of Japanese territory, and so in that environment they don't see a need for the heavy artillery and tanks." Hornung said.

"Instead, they see that you have all these islands in the southwest island chain that if the GSDF are going to be involved in, they have to rapidly get there, and they have to have the capability to fight in that environment," Hornung added.

A need for rapid deployment

Japanese troops exit an armored vehicle during an exercise, August 30, 2003. Koichi Kamoshida/Getty Images

Tanks would still be essential if China were to attack Japan's larger offshore islands, where thousands of people live. As a result, the GSDF is developing rapid-deployment divisions and brigades, including a new unit trained specifically in amphibious warfare.

It is also acquiring more transportable armored vehicles and artillery systems, emphasizing anti-ship and anti-air capability, and buying V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft to help transport its soldiers.

But the GSDF still faces problems - namely its lack of sealift capacity.

Despite the main threat seen as facing Japan's southwest islands, half of the GSDFs rapidly deployable basic operational units are still based in Hokkaido.

While the Type 16 can be deployed by air, the Type 90 and Type 10 would have to be transported by sea. The majority of its soldiers and hardware would also likely need to be deployed by ship, especially if they are headed to Japan's outer islands.

The only vessels capable of such tasks that Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force has are its three Osumi-class tank landing ships. Japan plans to acquire three new transport vessels by 2024, but these are considerably smaller, and the total number of capable vessels would remain dangerously low.

"They developed these [rapid deployment] capabilities without more coordination on the airlift and sealift from the other services that's required, and that's where there's a problem," Hornung said.

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CAIRO (Reuters) - Jordan detected three cases of the Indian COVID-19 variant in people who had not travelled, the health minister told state-owned Al Mamlaka TV.

"Two cases were recorded in Amman and one in Zarqa in people who did not travel, which confirms that the emergence of mutated cases does not necessarily have to come from outside, but rather as a result of specific reproduction," Minister Firas Al-Hawari told Al Mamlaka TV.

Jordan recorded on Saturday 704 cases of COVID-19 with 35 deaths, bringing the total cases detected in the kigdom to 712,077 with 8,871 deaths, according to the health ministry.

(Reporting by Nayera Abdallah; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon has detained two brothers suspected of being involved in a foiled attempt to smuggle amphetamines into Saudi Arabia that prompted the Saudi authorities to impose a ban on importing Lebanese produce, the caretaker government said on Sunday.

Saudi Arabia announced the ban on April 23 after the discovery of 5.3 million Captagon pills, a type of amphetamine, hidden in pomegranate shipments from Lebanon.

The measure compounds Lebanon's severe economic problems.

Interior minister in the caretaker government, Mohamed Fahmy, was speaking in an interview with Lebanon's MTV broadcaster during a tour of the border area from the north to the Bekaa valley where there is rampant smuggling across the border with Syria, of goods from drugs to fuel and subsidised food.

"We have uncovered those complicit and a follow-up of the case is ongoing," Fahmy said.

Lebanon was in contact with Saudi authorities on the course of the investigations.

Fahmy said there was no evidence that Lebanon's powerful Shi'ite Hezbollah group was in involved in the case. Hezbollah has long been accused by the Washington and its regional foes of links to a multi-million global drug trade in Lebanon and Syria to finance its military operations.

The pro-Iranian militia controls the border area and its fighters move freely across the frontier to fight alongside Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces.

Syria is believed to be one of the biggest producers and exporters of counterfeit Captagon, a popular drug among affluent youths in the Middle East particularly the Gulf.

(Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)
BEIRUT (AP)  Lebanese authorities have arrested two brothers suspected of smuggling drugs in pomegranate shipments to Saudi Arabia, leading the kingdom to ban Lebanese fruits and vegetables, the outgoing interior minister said Sunday.

Mohamed Fehmi told local MTV television station during a tour to the Lebanon-Syria border that Interpol is also following a third suspect. He gave no further details, saying only that the case is still under investigation.

In late April, Saudi Arabia announced it had seized over 5 million pills of the amphetamine Captagon hidden in a shipment of pomegranates coming from Lebanon.

Fehmi said that 2,000 pomegranates out of about 80,000 in the shipment were filled with Captagon pills. It is very difficult to find them without scanners, Fehmi said.

Asked if the militant Hezbollah group is involved, Fehmi said that according to his security information, they were not.

The United States had accused Hezbollah in the past of being involved in the drugs trade. The militant group strongly denies such charges.

The ban by Saudi Arabia came as Lebanon is undergoing its worst economic crisis in its history.

While Saudi Arabia has been a major supporter of Lebanon, the kingdom has also been locked in a regional struggle with Iran, the main ally of the powerful Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Tension between the two regional powerhouses have often spilled into a deadlock in decision-making in Lebanese politics. Saudi Arabia is among the Gulf countries that imposed sanctions on Hezbollah.

Lebanons Farmers Union called on the kingdom to repeal its decision. It said the mistake of one person or a criminal gang should not be a reason to punish the Lebanese people.
Fort Worth voters will chose a new mayor for the first time in a decade in June with Mattie Parker and Deborah Peoples apparently headed to the runoff.

Mayor Betsy Prices decision not to seek an unprecedented sixth term sparked 10 candidates to run, including two council members, the Tarrant County Democratic Party chairwoman and a slew of political newcomers.

According unofficial results in Tarrant County, Peoples, a former AT&T vice president, led with 33.60% of the vote Saturday night while Parker, a former Price chief of staff, had 30.82%, with all 176 vote centers reporting. Council member Brian Byrd was in third place with 14.75%.

Parker and Peoples maintained the upper hand with results for Denton County. There, Parker took 35.17% of the vote compared to 16% for Peoples. In Parker County, Parker had 42% of the vote followed by Byrds 23.3%. Peoples had 12.5%.

The runoff will be June 5.

In Tarrant County, Steve Penate, a real estate broker, had 9.38% while council member Ann Zadeh had 8.64%.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Peoples held a private watch party for family, close friends and campaign volunteers. Reached by phone, Peoples said she was very excited about the results and believed Fort Worth voters were ready for a change.

People know how much I love this city, she said, adding that every side of town is my side of town.

Parker held a lively gathering at Lolas Trailer Park where Price and retiring council member Dennis Shingleton were among supporters. Parker said she was optimistic heading into the runoff and happy to see two women lead the race.

Its time for us to cast our own visions for Fort Worth and the future, Parker said.

Across the board candidates pledged to keep Fort Worth property taxes in check. The city has attempted to lower its tax rate throughout Prices tenure, though most homeowner continue to pay more as property values increase.

Church support propelled Byrd, a physician and former CEO of Texas Hospice, to office over incumbent Zim Zimmerman in 2017. He appealed to conservatives again in his bid for mayor with an endorsement from Republican U.S. Rep. Kay Granger, a former Fort Worth mayor. Lacking a police endorsement, Byrds campaign used a stock photo of a burning car during a Paris riot in an attempt to establish him as the law and order candidate.

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Byrds campaign went after Parker for a lack of business experience with an all hat and no cattle campaign ad.

For many voters Parker likely represents the best continuation of Prices policies.

Parker, founding chief executive officer of education nonprofits Fort Worth Cradle to Career and the Tarrant To & Through Partnership, spent five years as the chief of staff for Price and the council. Price endorsed Parker along with the police and firefighters associations. Parker also received endorsements and campaign contributions from some of Fort Worths most prominent residents, including members of the billionaire Bass family.

Like Price, Parker said she would focus on education and early childhood development as way to improve Fort Worths workforce and spur greater economic development. The mayor has no official role in education, but Price has used her influence to create a reading program and draw attention to the need for better child support.

In support of Parker, the Fort Worth Firefighters Committee for Responsible Government paid for an ad attacking Byrds voting record on the citys pension system.

Parker said she wanted to keep negativity out of the runoff campaign and would focus on policy and issues.

Though she was excited about the race, not everyone at Lolas was thrilled. At one point a woman could be heard yelling, but it was unclear what sparked the outburst. Parker said the woman had wanted to speak to her but appeared too upset.

Angst from the 2020 presidential election may be seeping into local races, Parker said, but she pledged to run a nonpartisan campaign. Though shes a Republican, Parker said she wanted to represent the entire city.

Were trying to unite the community, she said.

In 2019, Peoples gave Price the most contested race since the mayor was first elected, though just 38,743 people cast ballots in the election.

This time around Peoples campaigned more aggressively, earning several endorsements including Tarrant County Commissioner Roy Brooks, Texas Board of Education member Aicha Davis and the Tarrant County Labor Council. The Collective PAC, a national political action committee focused on electing Black candidates to local offices, also supported her campaign.

Though the chairwoman of the county Democratic Party, Peoples largely avoided partisan politics, and campaigned on a message of unity called One Fort Worth, similar to her 2019 bid.

Peoples said voters seemed to pick up on her 30 years in the business world, adding that she thought people wanted someone with significant prior leadership experience in the mayors office.

I think they saw me as an experienced leader and they dont want to maintain the status quo, Peoples said.

Of the top contenders, Zadeh, who has a background as a city planner, ran the quietest campaign, relying on name recognition as the councils most progressive voice. She earned the endorsement of the Tarrant Transit Alliance, which said she was best position to improve Fort Worths lackluster transit system.

Penate has relied heavily on support from Mercy Culture, an evangelical church where he is a pastor.

City Council District 2

In District 2, incumbent Carlos Flores is on his way to another term with 64.94% of the vote. Jennifer Sarduy, a communications manager, had about 16.58% and Juan Sixtos, an engineer, had 10.33%.

The district north of downtown includes the Historic Stockyards District and several diverse neighborhoods as well as Meacham Airport and northern suburbs.

District 3

In the Fort Worths western-most District 3, Michael Crain, district director for Byrd and a Real Estate broker, had and early lead with 71.32%. Tonya Carter, who works in customer service, had 6.66%, and Kaite Johnson, self-employed, had 7.13%.

District 3 includes the growing Walsh area and stretches into Parker County. Crain had more than 75% in Parker County where early results showed 67 votes.

District 4

Councilman Cary Moon had an early lead over four opponents with 51.396% of the vote. Tara Wilson, a registered nurse, followed with 28.13%.

District 4 includes several older east side neighborhoods and stretches north to the east side of the AllianceTexas corridor.

District 5

In District 5, council member Gyna Bivens was leading with 62.81% of the vote. Bob Willoughby, who works in entertainment merchandise, had 11.193% followed by Antonio (Twin) Harris, who works in lawn care, with 8.88%. MarTayshia James, collector, had 9.21% Richard Vazquez, Republican precinct chairman, had 7.92%.

The district reaches to far east Fort Worth and include DFW Airport and the American Airlines headquarters as well as Stop Six and other neighborhoods.

District 6

Council member Jungus Jordan, the longest serving council member, had 43.71% followed by Jared Williams, an educator and nonprofit leader, who had 34.41%. Tiesa Leggett had 21.82%.

The southwestern district includes the new Tarleton State campus.

A Fort Worth Police Officers Association endorsement of Jordan created controversy earlier this week. A mailer noting support for Jordan listed several candidates who ran in 2017 and 2019 who are not running now. It left Leggett off entirely.

District 7

Shingletons retirement drew 10 to the District 7 race. Zeb Pent, self-employed, led with 32.70%. Leonard Firestone, entrepreneur, had 27.73% and Lee Henderson, a political strategist, was in third place with 15.65%.

In Denton County, Pent had 34% of the vote followed by Firestone, who had almost 14%. Early results 676 votes.

District 8

In District 8 Christopher Nettles led incumbent council member Kelly Allen Gray 45.87% to 43.50%.

The east side district includes neighborhoods in the 76104 ZIP code where a lack of access to health care, groceries and other resources as driven life expectancy to a statewide low. The Star-Telegram explored life in the area in a 2020 series thats resulted increased focus on neighborhoods there.

Disrict 9

Zadehs decision to leave diverse District 9, which includes downtown, the booming Near Southside and several Hispanic neighborhoods, drew nine candidates.

Elizabeth Beck, a lawyer who ran for the Texas House last year, had an early lead with 42.79%. Fernando Peralta, a logistics specialist and president of the Rosemont neighborhood followed with 12.50%. Jared Sloane, an operations director had 11.15%.
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Maria Menounos' mother Litsa has died after battling stage 4 brain cancer for more than four years.

On Sunday, the TV personality shared the news of her mom's death on Instagram, along with a black-and-white photo of one of their final moments together. "RIP mom.  God loved her so much he took her on greek easter," Menounos wrote in the caption.

"Christ is risen mom," she also wrote in Greek.

Menounos previously revealed on her show, Better Together, that she had brought both her parents back home to Connecticut after they had spent more than a year and a half in Los Angeles.

Getting them home safely amid the coronavirus pandemic was a challenge, she said, but Menounos did so with the help of a friend's private plane.

RELATED: Maria Menounos Cheers Up Her Mom in the Hospital with a 'Future with Grandchildren to Come'

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RELATED: Maria Menounos Brought Her Parents Home to Connecticut from L.A.: A 'Dream Come True'

"You made her dream come true," Menounos told the friend, Ed Mylett, during the episode. "She's been so dying to come home. It's been over a year and a half, and she flew home so comfortably."

At the time, she added that Litsa had just begun a round of chemotherapy as she continued to fight her cancer, and had been having "a rough journey" over the past few months.

The month prior, Menounos shared that both her parents had been hospitalized with COVID-19, just as the news came that her mom's brain tumor had grown.

"We got some not some not so great news on Monday, November 23, that my mom's brain tumor was growing," Menounos said on an episode of Better Together. The next day, she and her husband, Keven Undergaro, flew out to help.

Cindy Ord/Getty Maria Menounos poses with her parents Costas Menounos and Litsa Menounos

RELATED: Maria Menounos Asks for 'Prayers' After Revealing Her Parents Are Hospitalized with COVID

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"We land, and that's when this all started. I'm just going to share that we're in process right now, and we still need prayers. Long story short is that within a few hours, both of my parents were diagnosed with COVID," she continued.

Last September, Menounos celebrated her mom with a heartfelt birthday post, noting that at the time she was a four-year cancer survivor.

"In my darkest moments fear never let me see this day possible," she captioned the post. "Faith however would whisper in my ear. I am moved and inspired by your fearlessness and calm throughout this journey."

"Mom I love you more than words can express," she added. "I will fight for you and with you everyday. I pray god gives us many more years so you can see your dream of grandchildren come true. Happy birthday, to many more."
I am anxious about the next time I get stopped by a police officer because I don't know what compliance means when you're Black in Minnesota.

Do I keep my hands on the steering wheel? Do I FaceTime loved ones so they can see everything as it unfolds? Am I allowed to reach into my pocket and grab my license? Should I?

"People of color, especially Black people, are already viewed by law enforcement as out of compliance," said Karen S. Glover, a sociology professor at California State University-San Marcos and the author of "Racial Profiling: Research, Racism, and Resistance." "That's where racial profiling comes from."

If I had recently moved to Minnesota, I would assume defiance toward police is allowed when you're white and compliance during encounters with law enforcement is only strictly required when you're Black. Derek Chauvin is in prison for murdering George Floyd and Daunte Wright was shot and killed by Kimberly Potter, who yelled, "Taser!" but instead fired her weapon.

Those who recite Wright's resistance  he was not violent toward the officers  to an arrest that stemmed from an air freshener hanging from his rearview mirror, per his conversation with his mother, and expired tabs, per Brooklyn Center police, refuse to acknowledge the white folks who also do not comply stay alive.

Luke Alvin Oeltjenbruns, according to a video of the incident in Hutchinson, Minn., drove off with a police officer hanging from his window during an attempted stop days after Wright was killed. And Paul Gorder, a Stillwater corrections officer, was placed on leave after the release of a video that showed his wife yelling racial slurs at a group of Black Lives Matter protesters outside the home of Washington County prosecutor Pete Orput. As a Stillwater police officer urged the couple to go home, Gorder stood in front of him and yelled, "Shut up!"

I know I would not have been allowed to go back into my house if I had acted with that same aggression toward law enforcement.

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"This is just the standard we're concerned about when the person is not white," Brandie Burris, a second-year law student and the first African American editor-in-chief of the Minnesota Law Review, said about compliance during police encounters in Minnesota.

The documented discrepancies highlight a reality in policing: Officers can de-escalate a multitude of situations while also distinguishing, in real time, the difference between a life-threatening encounter and one that does not demand lethal force.

Wright, a young Black man, had already been marked once he fell into the legal system at an early age. On the last day of his life, the visibly frightened 20-year-old father had to determine why he was stopped and make a decision that should not have cost him his life. If, before stopping him, the officers had decided a Black man with an air freshener hanging from his rearview mirror was a problem, then Wright had just seconds to counter their narrative.

It's those split-second, life-or-death choices that have prompted Burris and her colleagues at the University of Minnesota to take up careers that could help make the legal system safer for Black people.

"If the offense is a noncustodial offense, should the police really be able to arrest you if the worst you can get is a ticket and a fine?" Burris said during our recent conversation. "I don't think so, personally. If you miss a court date, should you automatically have a bench warrant out that puts you at risk? Can we find better ways to conduct and facilitate the processes of the criminal legal system? I don't think it can be just how compliance is viewed in a legal proceeding. I want to think about, 'How do we change the interaction in the first place?' "

That's where reform, in the future, will be tested in a place now known for police killings, with a police department under investigation by the Department of Justice, and multiple officers still set to face trials for killing unarmed Black people.

Glover, who is white, said real reform will demand a new outlook on the sanctity of policing. This is a generation that was raised on "Cops" and "Law & Order," shows that said the officer was always right. But this is now a place where former officers are in prison and the federal government is hovering. That means compliance during police encounters cannot be viewed as an absolute, especially for people of color.

"It's this belief system that says whites will be more compliant, less threatening," she said about the differences in police encounters for white people and Black people. "That's the ground all of this rests in."

I do not know how I will react the next time I get pulled over by an officer in Minnesota. But I will, for my safety, comply. That's what my father taught me.

But first, I'll grab my phone and I'll press record.

Myron Medcalf is a local columnist for the Star Tribune and a national writer and radio host for ESPN. His column appears in print on Sundays twice a month and also online.

myron.medcalf@startribune.com Twitter: @MedcalfByESPN
International aid to alleviate India's dire oxygen shortage arrived in the South Asian nation on Sunday, as its coronavirus death toll climbed to a grim new record.

The country of 1.3 billion reported 3,689 coronavirus deaths on Sunday -- another grim daily record, with nearly 400,000 new cases of Covid-19 registered across India.

Surges in Brazil and Canada have also highlighted the persistent threat of the pandemic, with the global death toll approaching 3.2 million even as many nations ramp up vaccination drives.

India expanded its vaccination programme to all adults on Saturday, but many of its states are struggling with shortages despite an export freeze for shots produced domestically.

The latest surge in deaths came as medical equipment from abroad -- including oxygen-generation plants -- was flown into the capital New Delhi as part of a huge international effort.

"People are sometimes dying in front of the hospitals. They have no more oxygen. Sometimes (they are dying) in their cars," said Germany's ambassador to India, Walter J. Lindner, as 120 ventilators arrived late Saturday.

Long queues were seen at vaccination centres in Indian cities this weekend, with people desperate to be inoculated against a disease that has overwhelmed the healthcare system as well as crematoriums and graveyards.

Social media platforms have been flooded with pleas from people looking for oxygen cylinders, medicines and hospital beds as the Covid-19 wave causes widespread shortages.

The United States, Russia and Britain sent emergency supplies including oxygen generators, face masks and vaccines.

Aid from France reached India on Sunday, including eight oxygen generator plants and 28 ventilators, adding to the ventilators from Germany that arrived the previous night.

The UK, which has already sent 495 oxygen concentrators and 200 ventilators, said it was sending an further 1,000 oxygen ventilators.

A group of British doctors also staged their own intervention by offering long-distance telemedicine from Britain to take the pressure off their Indian colleagues and allow them to concentrate on Covid patients.

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New Delhi, one of the hardest-hit parts of India, extended its lockdown by a week on Saturday, and the eastern state of Odisha has also ordered a shutdown.

Anthony Fauci, the top US pandemic advisor, said in comments published Saturday that the whole of India should go into lockdown to fight this wave.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has resisted imposing a national shutdown but many states have imposed heavy restrictions.

A growing list of countries have cut flights from India, with Nigeria on Sunday banning entry to all travellers who have been in the country in the last two weeks, though Nigerians and those transiting in India will be exempt.

Alarm bells are also ringing in other countries in densely populated South Asia.

In Sri Lanka daily infections hit a record on Saturday, with authorities imposing further curbs on movement and activities in parts of the island nation.

"We could face an India-type crisis very soon unless we arrest the current trend of infections," said chief epidemiologist Sudath Samaraweera.

- 'We're tired and exhausted' -

Known global infections are approaching 152 million, and fresh waves have also shaken many countries in the Americas.

Brazil, the worst-hit Latin American nation, has crossed 400,000 Covid-19 deaths -- second only to the United States -- with many of its hospitals pushed to the brink of collapse.

And in Canada, the epicentre is in the most populous province Ontario, where the surge has been so intense that the government sent in the military and the Red Cross to help care for critical patients.

Ontario's healthcare system is near breaking point, said intensive care nurse Farial Faquiry at Toronto's Humber River Hospital.

"We're stretched thin," Faquiry told AFP.

"We're tired and exhausted. Just exhausted."

- Party-goers revolt -

Although the Covid-19 threat remains in sharp focus in crisis spots around the world, some countries continue to make progress in dealing with the pandemic.

Saudi Arabia said it will permit citizens immunised against Covid-19 to travel abroad from May 17.

And South Africa, the worst-hit nation on the African continent said it was due to take delivery of the first batch of its 4.5 million Pfizer vaccines.

Populations in many countries, meanwhile, are growing weary of virus measures.

Anti-restriction protesters gathered in several European countries on Saturday, including Finland, Sweden, Belgium and Germany.

Belgian police arrested 132 people as they used tear gas and water cannon to break up a banned anti-lockdown party in a Brussels park on the weekend, an official report said Sunday.

One partygoer was knocked out by a water cannon and 14 others were slightly injured -- including one struck by a police horse -- as riot police brutally dispersed the party on Saturday in scenes echoing a similar gathering in the park a month before.

In France, too, hundreds of people flouted a coronavirus curfew over the weekend with underground parties in at least two cities, while police managed to prevent organisers from staging a mass rave in Paris.

burs-qan/gd-har/pvh
A gunman opened fire at the Oneida Casino complex in Ashwaubenon, near Green Bay, Wisconsin, killing two people in a "targeted event" on Saturday evening, local law enforcement official said.

Details: The suspect has also been killed by police following the shooting at the Radisson hotel and conference area of the complex, near Austin Straubel Airport, the Brown County Sheriff's Lt. Kevin Pawlak said at a news conference early Sunday.

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Pawlak said the third victim was undergoing surgery in a local hospital following the shooting, which began in a casino restaurant about 7:30p.m.

"He was targeting a specific victim who was not there, but he decided to still shoot some of the victim's friends or co-workers, it appears," he added.

Pawlak said "it appears there's some relationship that had to do with employment" at the restaurant.

For the record: The Oneida Nation said in a statement the main casino and Irene Moore Activity Center "will remain closed until further notice."

Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.

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It is estimated that Chinese travelers made 56.37 million domestic trips on May 1, the start of the five-day May Day holiday, official data showed Saturday.

Compared with the same period last year, this holiday figure surged by 111.5 percent, the Ministry of Transport said.

The ministry estimated that airlines handled nearly 1.89 million passenger trips on the same day. The flow of highway traffic amounted to 36 million trips.

Railway trips will likely rise by 6.1 percent from the 2019 level to reach 18.3 million on May 1, which might set a single-day record, said the China State Railway Group Co., Ltd.

May Day, also known as International Workers' Day, is observed on May 1 in China. As the holiday lasts from Saturday to next Wednesday this year, many choose to spend the holiday traveling.
National security adviser Jake Sullivan said Sunday that the U.S. and Iran are not close to an agreement to revive U.S. participation in the 2015 nuclear pact.

"There is no deal now," Sullivan said to host Martha Raddatz on ABC's "This Week."

On Sunday, Iran state television reported that it would free prisoners with Western ties in exchange for billions of dollars from the United States and the United Kingdom. Sullivan said nothing had been agreed upon amid ongoing negotiations in Austria.

"There's still fair distance to travel to close the remaining gaps, and those gaps are over what sanctions the United States and other countries will roll back," Sullivan said. "They are over what nuclear restrictions Iran will accept on its program to ensure that they can never get a nuclear weapon."

Ron Klain, Biden's chief of staff, also denied the deal during an appearance on CBS' "Face the Nation."

The Obama administration reached a deal in 2015 with Iran designed to keep Iran from developing nuclear weapons; other signatories to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action were the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia, China and the European Union. After campaigning against the deal in 2016, President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from it, though the other nations remained a part of it.

"Our diplomats will keep working at that over the coming weeks to try to arrive at a mutual return to the JCPOA, which is the Iran nuclear deal, on a compliance-for-compliance basis," Sullivan said.

Sullivan also addressed new statements from North Korea attacking President Joe Biden for his rhetoric over its belligerent behavior.

"For four successive administrations," Sullivan said, "two Republican and two Democrat, it has been impossible for anyone to predict exactly what North Korea will do and Im not going to get in the business of predicting that. Im in the business of being prepared to respond if in fact they do so in concert with our allies and partners. And we will certainly be prepared for that should it happen."


Monserat Ramos watches as one of her grandparents receives the COVID-19 vaccine at a South Los Angeles clinic on March 5. (Los Angeles Times)

Last year, I was working on a coronavirus story for the PBS NewsHour when my father texted me a since-removed YouTube video titled, How to wipe out the corona virus THT in 10 min. A chiropractor with a graying beard named John Bergman  with more than half a million YouTube subscribers and an office in Huntington Beach  said that taking vitamin C and drinking hot water would kill the virus and that the pandemic media coverage was designed to take away your rights.

Since the pandemic began, Latinos like my dad, a Mexican immigrant, have been hit with a torrent of false claims about COVID-19 on social media, including that the pandemic is a hoax. When I called Papi to urge him to wear a mask, his mind was made up: He said I was brainwashed. He didnt believe my mother, who is a doctor, about COVID risks, either. I was frightened for his safety and angry at the people preying on Latinos learned distrust of authorities.

Latinos, like other communities of color, have long been targets of inhumane medical policies and practices, such as the sterilization of a third of Puerto Ricos women between the 1930s and 1970s and of thousands of California Latinos. Our hard-earned skepticism can be an asset, but in the pandemic, it has contributed to high infection and death rates in the Latino community.

Now, Latinos lag behind in vaccination rates, driven in part by Spanish-language disinformation deliberately targeting us on Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp and more. The conspiracy forces that tried to depress Latino voter turnout with lies about the election now appear to be using internet platforms to tell Latinos the vaccine contains a microchip, alters DNA or causes stillbirths. The misinformation then spreads through word of mouth.

Maria Teresa Kumar, the chief executive of Voto Latino, said vaccine disinformation is meant to further erode Latinos trust in institutions. Its the most morbid form of voter suppression, she said. Even her Colombian American mother, who works in elder care, feared the vaccine because she heard it wasnt safe for human use. Kumar had to point out to her that she made sure Kumar got every single vaccine when she was a little girl.

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Kumar recently co-founded the Latino Anti-Disinformation Lab, which found that 51% of unvaccinated Latinos dont plan to or are hesitant to get vaccinated. For Spanish-dominant speakers, its 67%. The lab aims to sway the one-quarter of respondents who are on the fence.

Once somebody has consumed misinformation such that theyve internalized it and formed an assessment, its extraordinarily difficult and resource-intensive to get them to change their mind, said Angelo Carusone, chief executive of Media Matters and the labs co-founder.

Days after Papi texted me, my Mexican abuela, who lives in San Diego and speaks little English, sent me a WhatsApp message with a Spanish-language video claiming the virus was created by Big Pharma for profit. She was reluctant to be vaccinated because, she said, theyre experimenting on us.

But my aunt made her an appointment and persuaded her to get a shot, pointing out that doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers were vaccinated. My aunt, who runs a Mexican restaurant, says only two of her 40 employees took advantage of early vaccines for food industry workers. They were like, If youre going to make me get it, Ill quit, she said.

Another relative told me she wont get the vaccine because shes suspicious of accelerated clinical trials and doesnt want to be a guinea pig, even though scientists did not cut any corners.

Last year, my Puerto Rican aunt emailed me and dozens of others urging us to watch a bogus conspiracy theory video, "Plandemic, claiming that masks "activate" COVID-19 and that vaccines kill millions. YouTube and Facebook removed it but only after it was viewed at least 8 million times.

I wrote to my aunt, fact-checking the video and expressing my frustration with fraudsters preying on her worries. She thanked me and said, I forgot to check who was creating this. My cousin sent it to me through Facebook. She said shes been wary of official information because the government had done a poor job preventing and controlling the disease.

Systemic neglect, police brutality and violent immigration enforcement dont exactly encourage Latinos trust. But there are ways for communities to fight back.

Social media campaigns like #VacunateYa are working to dispel myths with facts. #YaBastaFacebook is urging Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to close the Spanish content moderation gap. (One analysis after the 2020 election found that Facebook put warnings on half of false English-language posts but only on 10% of Spanish-language misinformation.)

PEN America has released English and Spanish guides for media literacy and how to talk to family and friends who share bad information. You have to bring a level of empathy, said Nora Benavidez, PEN Americas director of free expression.

Were all vulnerable to being tricked. But it is particularly deadly when conspiracy theorists are targeting Latino essential workers who have sustained the American economy during the pandemic. We have to look out for one another  and use our familial connectedness and skepticism to fight those trying to use those strengths against us.

Jean Guerrero is the author of Crux: A Cross-Border Memoir and Hatemonger: Stephen Miller, Donald Trump, and the White Nationalist Agenda. She is a contributing writer to Opinion.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Ottawa River reached peak level in 2019  Canadas #1 weather event of the year

Listen to The Weather Network's This Day in Weather History podcast on this topic, here.

This Day In Weather History is a daily podcast by The Weather Network that features stories about people, communities, and events and how weather impacted them.

At the end of every year, Environment Canada (EC) releases the nation's Top Ten Weather Stories. The list has been compiled since 1996. It features top weather stories that captivated Canadians from across the country.

David Phillips, a senior climatologist, selects the top stories based on the event's impact. In 2019, EC's top weather event was "another record-setting Ottawa River flood."

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The Ottawa River flooded in 2017, and that was considered the flood of the century. In 2019, the river flooded again, even worse than the event from two years prior.

The event was so catastrophic because all the weather ingredients needed for extreme flooding aligned. From October to April, the temperatures were below normal  so the ground was frozen and couldn't absorb the moisture from melting snow.

Click here to subscribe to This Day in Weather History

But most of the snow and ice didn't even start melting in mid-spring. In some forested areas, there was 50 per cent more snow than usual.

And then from the middle of April to the middle of May, the area received heavy rain. During this time, Ottawa received double its normal rain accumulation (150 mm).

The rain melted the snow and pushed the already bloated Ottawa River beyond its capacity. Water overtook riverside communities in Ontario and Quebec.

ottawa river flood

Ottawa River 2019. Courtesy of Mark Robinson

Homeowners and volunteers created makeshift walls, lined up sandbags, and pumped water from buildings. They did what they could, but hundreds of residents still needed to evacuate.

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Between Ottawa and Gatineau, more than 6,000 homes were flooded or at imminent risk. Many roads and bridges were flooded and forced to close.

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Ottawa's Mayor Jim Watson declared a State of Emergency on April 25 that lasted until June 12.

Story continues

At least two people died from the flooding.

To learn more about the 2019 Ottawa River flooding, listen to today's episode of "This Day In Weather History."

This Day In Weather History is a daily podcast by The Weather Network that features unique and informative stories from host Chris Mei.

Subscribe to 'This Day in Weather History': Apple Podcasts | Amazon Alexa | Google Assistant | Spotify | Google Podcasts | iHeartRadio | Overcast'
Officials are searching for a man after the boat he was on hit a piling in a Texas river, ejecting all five passengers, officials say. One person was killed.

The group took out a 30-foot fishing boat on the Colorado River near Matagorda around 2 a.m. Saturday, Tim Miller with Texas EquuSearch told KHOU.

EquuSearch is a volunteer search and recovery team.

At roughly 5 a.m., the boat struck a piling  a support beam often used for docks and other structures  flinging the passengers from the vessel, according to KHOU.

Texas Parks and Wildlife officials rescued three people from the water, KTRK reported.

Another person was recovered and died, according to the outlet.

The fifth passenger, 24-year-old Jacob Langley, is missing.

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Hes described as having short blonde hair and blue eyes, according to EquuSearch.

He also has Psalms 23:4 tattooed on his chest. Officials said they dont know what Langley was wearing when he went missing.

Texas EquuSearch is taking a very special interest in this search, because Jacob is a close relative of two longtime, dedicated members of the Texas EquuSearch team, and he is a very close friend of another Texas EquuSearch member, officials said in a statement, KTRK reported.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to contact Matagorda County Sheriffs Office at (979) 245-5526  or call Texas EquuSearch at (281) 309-9500.

Officials have not released the other passengers names.

Matagorda is on the Gulf coast, roughly 100 miles south of Galveston.

Read next:

Womans body found in car pulled from lake 2 months after she vanished, Ohio cops say

16-year-old drowns rescuing little brother after they fall through ice, OH officials say

18-year-old dies after rescuing several young relatives swimming near dam, MN cops say
Two weeks before Northern Ireland's 100th anniversary, black smoke from a burning roadblock billowed into the Belfast sky, signalling the deep divisions overshadowing the province's centenary landmark.

As hooded youths hurled masonry, weary riot police poured out of rusty armoured Land Rovers to form ranks.

All sides know their roles in this well-versed piece of street theatre, which provides the backdrop to the 100 years of the divided British province.

Scenes of unrest returned last month to the streets of Northern Ireland, the former battleground of "The Troubles" where tempers are fraying over Brexit and other tectonic political shifts.

At least 88 officers have been injured in clashes emanating from pro-UK loyalist enclaves, angry with a post-Brexit "protocol" they feel is casting them adrift from mainland Britain.

"All generations are angry and frustrated at what's going on," said David McNarry, of the Loyalist Communities Council (LCC).

"This damn protocol is a European invention (to) take away my Britishness," he told AFP in central Belfast, a heavy trace of emotion in his voice.

- Communities facing off -

Violence has been focused at "interfaces" -- where loyalist and pro-Ireland nationalist areas butt up against one another.

Towering "peace walls" separate the communities, crisscrossing the Belfast landscape, a reminder of the divisions that remain even after "The Troubles" ended in 1998.

The latest violence saw loyalist youths face off with police who were preventing their advance towards a gate in the barrier.

In the early evening on April 19, teens covered their faces and scrambled for bricks and stones to throw.

A mother pushing a pram scooted her child out of the way as a small gang charged a police Land Rover, climbing on the bonnet, prying off a wing mirror and pulling at locked door handles.

Police on the frontline remained inside their vehicles -- their windscreens and sirens covered in metal grid-work that parried the worst of the debris.

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Early in the evening, a switch pressed by an unseen hand slammed shut the gates in the "peace walls", completely sealing the neighbourhoods off from each other.

A convoy of police vehicles pulled in from a side street, parking in practised formation to block the road to the gates.

The ranks of riot police wielding batons and shields quelled the worst of the violence, for one night at least.

The unrest paled in comparison to clashes earlier in the month, when water cannon and dog units waged a running battle with gangs throwing petrol bombs and fireworks.

Loyalist and nationalist youths faced off in a night of violence that shocked the UK and left the area by the peace gates charred and pockmarked.

A teddy bear has since been hung on the gates with a hopeful handwritten dedication: "Peace for our children's future."

- Siege mentality -

Against this backdrop, it is hard to imagine a "happy birthday" for Northern Ireland.

Unionists and nationalists fervently disagree about the legitimacy of the region, both contest its future, and both feel under siege.

On nationalist Bombay Street, a whole row of terraced houses built in the shadow of the peace wall have caged gardens.

Looking out of their back windows, residents see a slanting metal fence designed to stop rocks and bottles pelting their homes.

The British government has promised events around the anniversary on Monday will be sensitive to all traditions.

But when both sides live a bunkered existence, there is little prospect of a shared celebration.

"That will not happen here," said one resident on the nationalist side of the peace wall.

"(Their tradition) is the only one that matters, not ours," she said, gesturing towards her unionist counterparts who feel much the same.

jts/jwp/phz/kjm
Andrew Jackson Morgan Jr. records himself during the insurrection on January 6, 2021. Political Trance Tribune

Andrew Jackson Morgan Jr. claimed to be at the insurrection as a civil rights auditor and journalist.

Several now-deleted recordings show him encouraging the pro-Trump mob to storm the Capitol.

An Insider investigation reveals that he was motivated by far-right, conspiratorial beliefs.

See more stories on Insider's business page.

Wearing his trademark Harley Davidson beanie and an unauthorized 'PRESS ACCESS' lanyard around his neck, Andrew Jackson Morgan Jr. captured one of America's darkest days on camera.

Unlike legitimate reporters who kept a safe distance from the rioters, the 60-year-old YouTuber was in the midst of the chaos of January 6.

As the pro-Trump mob around him attacked police officers with stolen batons and riot shields, Morgan recorded himself and others whooping and cheering as the storming of the Capitol took place.

Watch Morgan's participation in the Capitol insurrection in a video obtained by Insider.

"Forward, march," he yelled several times in a since-deleted video from his "Political Trance Tribune" YouTube page.

"Go through the windows," Morgan urged the mass of insurrectionists.

Now, the man who claimed to be there as an "independent journalist" is charged with four counts for his role in the Capitol riot, including aiding and abetting the deadly insurrection.

Read more: A Trump-appointed prosecutor blindsided the Biden DOJ with a '60 Minutes' interview on the Capitol riot cases. Now a federal judge wants to talk about it.

Morgan's work as a "civil rights auditor"

Morgan traveled from Texas to attend the Capitol riot. His main source of income is tree removal which, according to his business's website, he got into after struggling to keep a full-time job because of a sleep disorder.

He only became an arborist to bankroll the launch of his internet marketing career, he wrote on the website. This, so far, has been unsuccessful. Two businesses he set up now appear to be defunct.

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In recent years, he has been dedicated to growing a YouTube following for his channel - "Political Trance Tribune" - posting so-called civil rights audits on it for nine years. The page has nurtured a small but reasonably engaged following; 3,600 subscribers and over 100,000 views.

Civil rights auditing, or First Amendment auditing, involves individuals recording government officials in action. Auditors go to post offices, city council meetings, and crime scenes to test how officials react when they get the cameras rolling.

If officials allow filming to take place on public property, they pass the audit. If they refuse, they fail the audit and they end up being exposed on YouTube channels. Auditors say they are there to exercise their First Amendment rights but, as the Daily Beast reported in 2019, dramatic confrontations can lead to YouTube fame.

Many of the run-ins published on Morgan's channel involve tense, dramatic interactions with police officers.

Morgan, who is described in a criminal complaint against him as an "independent journalist and a civil rights auditor," is often seen deliberately aggravating law enforcement officers. This aligns with his anti-cop views, as expressed in a now-deleted YouTube video seen by Insider. "I happen to think we need to abolish the police," he said in the clip from January.

Other clips show him being threatened with prosecution for provoking officers. On one occasion, Texas' Montgomery County Court records show that an incident led to his arrest.

He was placed in Montgomery County Jail on June 9, 2020, for "interfering with traffic control and scene securement efforts," according to an arrest warrant seen by Insider.

Andrew Jackson Morgan was arrested for interfering with the public duties of a peace officer on June 9, 2020. Montgomery County Jail

He believes that 9/11 was an "inside false flag job"

Morgan's anti-police views are part of a wider set of conspiratorial and far-right views.

On his private Facebook page, Morgan shared posts that denied the climate crisis, challenged the fact that former President Barack Obama was born in the US, and called 9/11 an "inside false flag job." He also frequently shared posts by the far-right publication Breitbart News and conspiracist website InfoWars.

More recently on Political Trance Tribune's Facebook page, Morgan showed allegiance to QAnon - the disproven and discredited conspiracy theory. Some posts are captioned with the hashtag #WWG1WGA, which stands for the QAnon slogan "Where we go one, we go all."

A post on the Facebook page for Andrew Jackson Morgan's YouTube page shows support for QAnon. Facebook

A video of Morgan attending a rally for then-President Donald Trump in Houston in 2018 also uses this caption.

Despite attending Trump rallies, Morgan appears to have made a small donation to a Democratic cause a year later. A man of the same name and sharing the same ZIP code donated $5 to Friends of Andrew Yang on September 17, 2019, via left-leaning fundraiser ActBlue, according to data from the Federal Election Commission.

However, the vast majority of his posts are supportive of Trump and critical of former President Barack Obama.

Before the January 6 riot, his last post shows Morgan attending dinner with fellow civil rights auditors, several of whom are believed to have traveled with him to Washington, DC.

A facebook post of eight civil rights auditors having dinner together in Mobile, Alabama in December, 2020. Facebook

Unauthorized press passes are being used to mount legal defenses

According to the complaint against him, Morgan told an FBI special agent in March that he traveled from Maxwell, Texas, to Washington, DC, on January 6 to witness "something unprecedented."

He claimed that he merely wanted to record the event, according to court documents.

"Me and several other auditors, we were gonna go, and I said I really want to be there to report," Morgan claimed in a now-deleted video posted after January 6 and seen by Insider.

He traveled to the Capitol with five other civil rights auditors who sometimes referred to themselves as "independent patriots," his wife, Sheila Morgan, told special agents.

One was Matthew Wrosch, also known as the Michigan Constitutional Crusader, who provided Morgan and several others with unofficial press lanyards before the riot. This was to show that the men were "journalists" who were "disseminating information to the public," he told Insider.

The passes, however, were not authorized by any recognized body and do not count as media credentials. Nonetheless, these homemade passes and claims of being journalists are being used as evidence by several defendants to mount First Amendment free speech defenses in court, Insider previously reported.

Wrosch said that he had no intentions of actively participating in the riot. "In my eyes, we were just supposed to observe and record," he said. "When it's a government unrest kind of thing, we're not supposed to say s--t. We're just supposed to watch what's happening and record it."

But while Wrosch said he stayed "fifty feet away" at all times and "didn't get up close and get in the fray," Morgan joined the melee of rioters as they forced their way into one of the Capitol's entrances.

Footage recorded by Andrew Jackson Morgan Jr. shows rioters break a Capitol building window on January 6, 2021. Political Trance Tribune

In an hour of self-recorded videos seen by Insider, Morgan shows himself to be sandwiched between insurrectionists as they smash a Capitol window and fight with police officers. He can be heard throughout, encouraging them, yelling "keep moving" and "send helmets forward."

Several times, Morgan can be heard begging to be shot and teargassed. "I'm here first, y'all gonna slide in right behind me," he said. "I'm gonna take the bullet first. I want the bullet. Give me my bullet."

He urged people to "hold the line" and repeatedly asked to be let into the Capitol. "Hell yeah, we're going over. We're going in that building," he said.

"I bought into the provocateurs' trap."

A couple of days after the deadly insurrection, Morgan did a two-hour-long live stream about why he joined in with the storming of the Capitol. Insider recovered the footage.

In the live stream, he explained to his subscribers what had initially inspired him to attend. "I went on January 6 with the knowledge and belief that the election was rigged," he said.

Andrew Jackson Morgan Jr. does a live stream in the aftermath of the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. Political Trance Tribune

He then spoke, at length, about the media being a "Nazi propaganda machine," and "Q" being right.

The 60-year-old did admit that he joined the mob in pushing their way into the Capitol. "When I got up to the doorway, I participated in the heave-ho, heave-ho," he said. It felt like the "right thing at the moment," he added.

Morgan apologized several times for falling into "antifa's trap" and blamed his actions on "emotion" and "herd mentality."

"I was wrong," he said. "When I went on that Capitol grounds and 'antifa' sent that message out that what we're there for is to take the Capitol, I bought into it. I bought into the provocateurs' trap."

There is no evidence of antifa being responsible for the violence during the Capitol riot.

Morgan told his subscribers that he was prepared for any potential punishment. "If I did something heinous and wrong and I have to pay for it, I'm a grown man, I can pay for it," he said. "I'm not gonna scream and holler and cry. I did what I did out of a pure heart and pure intent. I wish I hadn't done it. I wish I hadn't fallen into antifa's trap."

He is charged with aiding and abetting the insurrection

Morgan may soon "pay for it."

His videos were supplied to the FBI on January 19 and he was then identified by special agents. On April 9, he surrendered to Austin agents and was charged for his role in the insurrection.

Morgan is now accused of knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building without lawful authority, violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, obstruction of an official proceeding, and aiding and abetting. If convicted, he could face several years in jail.

Experts say that a legal defense claiming to be a journalist is unlikely to stand in court.

Lucy Dalglish, the dean of the University of Maryland's Philip Merrill College of Journalism, told the Associated Press that journalists need to be credentialed and cannot claim to be reporting if there is evidence to suggest they were encouraging the violent mob.

For Morgan, the lessons learned from the events of January 6 might have come too late.

"I've learned a lot," he said in his live stream. "From this day on, my auditing is gonna be a lot different."

Read the original article on Business Insider
The New York City subway system closes from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. for cleaning. Seth Wenig/AP

New York Sen. Chuck Schumer is calling for a return to 24/7 subway service in New York City.

"The city that never sleeps is waking up from COVID, and so should the subway," Schumer said.

Currently, the MTA closes the subway from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. for cleaning.

Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called for the return to full 24/7 service on the New York City subway as the city and state move forward on plans to resume more normal operations.

"The city that never sleeps is waking up from COVID, and so should the subway," said Schumer, a Democrat from New York, according to the Associated Press.

Last year, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the MTA, the agency that operates the city subway system, would close stations from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. for cleaning.

The move was decried by advocates for New York City's homeless, which said the decision forced homeless people on city streets.

In February, the closing time was shortened from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m, the New York Daily News previously reported.

But as the city makes strides to return to normal as vaccination against COVID-19 in the city increase, the subway remains shut down for two hours.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat, has called for the city to resume most normal operations by July 1, but he doesn't have the authority to order round-the-clock subway service because the MTA is a state-run agency.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo last week announced mandatory midnight closing time for bars and restaurants in the state will be lifted this month. The curfew for outdoor restaurants and bars will end on May 17, and the curfew will end for indoor bars and restaurants will end on May 31. Seating in bars in New York City will resume on May 3, Cuomo said.

Restaurants at the end of this week will be able to seat 75% of their capacity indoors, and indoor gyms can shift to 50% capacity later this month.

Schumer pointed toward the billions of dollars of relief for the transportation industry as part of the COVID-19 relief packages as the reason why New Yorkers should expect the trains to operate at full capacity, according to the AP.

Cuomo and the MTA have not yet announced a date for a return to normal service. Cuomo's office did not return a request for comment Sunday morning.

Read the original article on Insider
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates  The United States on Sunday immediately denied a report by Iranian state-run television that deals had been reached for the Islamic Republic to release U.S. and British prisoners in exchange for Tehran receiving billions of dollars.

It wasn't immediately clear if the report represented a move by the hard-liners running the Iranian broadcaster to disrupt negotiations with the West amid talks in Vienna on Tehran's tattered nuclear deal.

It also wasn't known if there had been any ongoing negotiations with the West over frozen funds and prisoner exchanges, both of which accompanied the 2015 atomic accord.

More: US Navy fires warning shots in new tense encounter with Iran

Even after an initial American denial, an anchorwoman on Iranian state TV still repeated the announcement.

"Some sources say four Iranian prisoners are to be released and $7 billion are to be received by Iran in exchange for releasing four American spies," the anchorwoman said. She described the claimed deal as coming due to congressional pressure on President Joe Biden and "his urgent need to show progress made in the Iran case."

State TV did not identify the Iranians that Tehran sought to be freed.

State Department spokesman Ned Price immediately denied the Iranian state TV report.

"Reports that a prisoner swap deal has been reached are not true," Price said. "As we have said, we always raise the cases of Americans detained or missing in Iran. We will not stop until we are able to reunite them with their families."

Price did not elaborate. But Biden's chief of staff Ron Klain told CBS' "Face the Nation" that "unfortunately, that report is untrue. There is no agreement to release these four Americans."

More: Iran's top diplomat speaks bluntly on nuclear deal, Gen. Qasem Soleimani in leaked recording

"We're working very hard to get them released," Klain said. "We raise this with Iran and our interlocutors all the time, but so far there's no agreement."

Story continues

Tehran holds four known Americans now in prison. They include Baquer and Siamak Namazi, environmentalist Morad Tahbaz and Iranian-American businessman Emad Shargi. Iran long has been accused of holding those with Western ties prisoners to be later used as bargaining chips in negotiations.

Despite the American denials, there have been signs that a deal on prisoners may be in the works based on Iranian officials' remarks in recent weeks.

Although no formal proposal for a swap has yet been presented to officials in Washington, let alone been signed off on by the White House, the specificity of the reports from Iran suggested that working-level consideration of a deal is at least underway.

UK downplays word of deal for British-Iranian woman

State TV also quoted sources as saying a deal had been reached for the United Kingdom to pay 400 million pounds ($552 million) to see the release of British-Iranian woman Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.

British officials played down the report. The Foreign Office said the country continues "to explore options to resolve this 40-year-old case and we will not comment further as legal discussions are ongoing.''

Last week, Zaghari-Ratcliffe was sentenced to an additional year in prison, her lawyer said, on charges of spreading "propaganda against the system" for participating in a protest in front of the Iranian Embassy in London in 2009.

That came after she completed a five-year prison sentence in the Islamic Republic after being convicted of plotting the overthrow of Iran's government, a charge that she, her supporters and rights groups deny.

While employed at the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of the news agency, she was taken into custody at the Tehran airport in April 2016 as she was returning home to Britain after visiting family.

Richard Ratcliffe, the husband of Zaghari-Ratcliffe, told The Associated Press he was not aware of any swap in the works.

"We haven't heard anything," he said. "Of course, we probably wouldn't, but my instinct is to be skeptical at present."

Earlier Sunday, U.K. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told the BBC that he believed Zaghari-Ratcliffe was being held "unlawfully" by Iran.

"I think she's been treated in the most abusive, tortuous way," Raab said. "I think it amounts to torture the way she's been treated and there is a very clear, unequivocal obligation on the Iranians to release her and all of those who are being held as leverage immediately and without condition."

Ahead of election, a divide in Iranian politics

The announcement by state TV comes amid a wider power struggle between hard-liners and the relatively moderate government of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. That conflict only has grown sharper as Iran approaches its June 18 presidential election.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who pushed for the 2015 deal under Rouhani, has seen himself embroiled in a scandal over frank comments he made in a leaked recording. Zarif's name has been floated as a possible candidate in the election, something that now seems unlikely as even Iran's supreme leader has apparently criticized him.

Tehran is now negotiating with world powers over both it and the U.S. returning to its 2015 nuclear deal, which saw it limit its uranium enrichment in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. Iran has not held direct negotiations with the U.S. during the talks, however.

As the negotiations continue, Iranian diplomats there have offered encouraging comments, while state TV quoted anonymous sources striking maximalist positions contradicting them. That even saw Abbas Araghchi, the Iranian deputy foreign minister leading the talks, offer a rebuke on Twitter last week to Iranian state television's English-language arm, Press TV.

"I don't know who the 'informed source' of Press TV in Vienna is, but s/he is certainly not 'informed,'" Araghchi wrote.

Lee reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran, and Danica Kirka in London contributed.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: US says Iranian state TV report on prisoner swap deals is 'not true'
Stephen Miller on Fox News (Fox News)

Former Donald Trump strategist and architect of the widely-maligned migrant child separation policy Stephen Miller is behind a group suing the Biden administration for providing aid to Black farmers, arguing it gave them an unfair advantage over white farmers.

Mr Miller appeared on Fox News to discuss his lawsuit, arguing that Covid-19 relief intended to allocate $5bn to help Black farmers was discriminatory and that it was unfair to white farmers.

The $5bn is intended to help socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers with loan forgiveness. Qualifying recipients include Black, Hispanic, Native American, Alaskan native, Asian-American and Pacific Islander farmers and ranchers, but not white farmers and ranchers.

White farmers and ranchers have long been the recipients of substantial federal subsidies that make it possible for farms to operate and keep food prices relatively inexpensive.

"We filed two lawsuits. One lawsuit to ensure that farm aid is delivered irrespective of one's race and ethnicity," Mr Miller said. "The Biden administration has specifically excluded people solely based on skin colour. That's outrageous."

He then discussed his second lawsuit, a return to form for Mr Miller in that it aims to curb immigration into the country.

"Imagine you were living in an apartment building and a new landlord came in and he ripped off all the doors, he ripped out all the windows and he said that any lawbreaker, any trespasser, any vandal, anyone  even criminal  who wants to come into your building and your unit is free to do so," Mr Miller said, likening immigrants to criminals. "That is what President Biden has done to the country."

The US Department of Agriculture issued a statement to NBC News saying they were aware of and reviewing the lawsuit.

"We are reviewing the complaint and working with the Department of Justice. During this review, we will continue to implement the debt relief to qualified socially disadvantaged borrowers under the American Rescue Plan Act," the statement said.

Story continues

Tom Vilsack, the US Agriculture Secretary, said the money was intended to address longstanding inequalities faced by non-white farmers.

For generations, socially disadvantaged farmers have struggled to fully succeed due to systemic discrimination and a cycle of debt, Mr Vilsack said. On top of the economic pain caused by the pandemic, farmers from socially disadvantaged communities are dealing with a disproportionate share of Covid-19 infection rates, hospitalisations, death and economic hurt.

Mr Miller's group, America First Legal, is aimed at stopping the "radical activist left."

He founded the group alongside Mr Trump's former chief of staff Mark Meadows.

Read More

Republican Susan Wright makes US House runoff in Texas

House runoff in Texas set between GOP's Wright, Ellzey

Fox host Maria Bartiromo says China is secretly sending doctors and engineers over the US-Mexico border
China has imposed harsher penalties for medical insurance fund fraud in a new regulation coming into force on Saturday.

As China's first regulation on the supervision and management of medical insurance funds, it is promulgated to further ensure security and promote the effective use of the funds.

The regulation clarifies legal liabilities for every part on the chain, including administrative organs responsible for healthcare security, designated medical institutions and the people under the medical insurance system, said Shi Zihai, deputy director of the National Healthcare Security Administration.

Malpractices including fraudulently using medical insurance funds may face a suspension of reimbursement through the network for three months to 12 months and penalties equal to up to five times of the amount obtained falsely.




Democrats' best chance this year to pad their slim House majority suddenly evaporated Saturday night, as Republicans claimed both runoff spots in the special election for a fast-changing House seat outside Fort Worth.

Susan Wright, the widow of the late congressman, and fellow Republican Jake Ellzey took the top slots in the all-party primary and will face off in a yet-to-be-scheduled second round.

The Associated Press called a runoff spot for Wright late Saturday night, but has yet to call the second runoff slot because just 354 votes separate Ellzey and the third-place candidate, Democrat Jana Lynne Sanchez. But Sanchez conceded late Sunday morning.

"Democrats have come a long way toward competing in Texas but we still have a way to go," Sanchez said in her statement conceding the race. "Unfortunately, tonight we came up short, and two Republicans will be competing to represent this congressional district."

The National Republican Congressional Committee quickly hailed the victory, though theyll have to wait to see which candidate takes the seat. Wright was endorsed by former President Donald Trump just before the primary, while Ellzey represents a portion of the congressional district in the Texas state legislature.

But Republicans now wont have to worry about defending the rapidly diversifying district in an unpredictable special election, instead saving resources for next years midterm elections.

"Democrats socialist agenda that has opened our borders, destroyed thousands of energy jobs and wants to raise middle-class taxes by trillions of dollars eliminated any chance of them being competitive in this district," NRCC Chairman Tom Emmer said. "I look forward to welcoming a new Republican colleague to Congress.

Overall, Wright had 19.2 percent of the vote early Sunday morning to Ellzey's 13.8 percent and Sanchez's 13.4 percent. The fourth-place candidate, Republican Brian Harrison, a former Trump administration health official, trailed at 10.8 percent.

Story continues

This scenario quickly puts an end to Democrats' hopes of contesting the fast-diversifying 6th Congressional District outside Fort Worth. Democrats sensed opportunity in the seat, one of many across the country where support for former President Donald Trump fell significantly between 2016 and 2020.

Trump carried the district by just 3 points in 2020 after winning it by 12 points four years earlier. The late GOP Rep. Ron Wright won his race by 9 points last year.

But there were multiple credible Democratic candidates in the race, including Sanchez, nonprofit leader Shawn Lassiter and 2020 state House candidate Lydia Bean. Lassiter came in fifth with 8.9 percent of the vote. Bean trailed another Democrat, Tammy Allison, an attorney who raised less than $50,000 for the race by mid-April, far less than the other candidates.

And in an interview last month, Sanchez warned about a potential shutout, saying that it would set a discouraging tone for the Democratic Party going forward in 2021.

Nothing could be a worse omen for the Democratic Party than to have a winnable district like this with two Republicans in the runoff, Sanchez said, warning of a splintered vote. "That would be very embarrassing and very disheartening."

Republican candidates captured 62 percent of the total vote in the all-party race, while Democratic candidates got 37 percent.

The low turnout and drop-off from recent election performance suggest that motivating their base will not come as easily for Democrats in post-Trump era elections, especially compared to the high-turnout, box-office special elections of the Trump years that drove engagement from Democrats nationwide and saw big overperformances in deep-red districts.

Now, with Democrats in control of the White House and both houses of Congress, the Texas special election was a relatively quiet affair.

In the past, national Democratic groups have gotten involved in top-two primary races to avoid shutouts like this one. But the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and others declined to play in this race. Spending in the pricey Dallas media market would have been a costly investment  especially to compete in a district that wont exist in a year and a half, thanks to redistricting.

The Club for Growth has played an outsize role in the race so far and is likely to be very involved in the next stage.

The group already unleashed a barrage of attacks painting Ellzey as an anti-Trump Republican, in large part because he has received a donation from Bill Kristol, the conservative commentator and Trump critic.

Then the Club endorsed Wright, and David McIntosh, the groups president who has Trumps ear, pressured him to do the same. Trump made a last-minute endorsement last Monday, backing Wright and then taping a tele-town hall event for her later that week.

Other notable candidates in the race finished far back in the pack, including pro wrestler Dan Rodimer, who ran for Congress in Nevada in 2020; former Trump official Sery Kim, who lost endorsements after making disparaging comments about Chinese immigrants; and Michael Wood, who ran as an anti-Trump Republican with the support of Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.). Wood and Rodimer had about 3 percent of the vote apiece, while Kim had 1 percent.
Thousands of anti-coup protesters marched in Myanmar Sunday, calling for a "spring revolution" with the country in its fourth month under a military regime.

Cities, rural areas, remote mountainous regions and even rebel-controlled border territories have been in uproar since the military ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi in a February 1 coup.

The junta has aimed to suppress dissent through a brutal crackdown involving mass arrests and an escalating death toll.

Demonstrations kicked off early in commercial hub Yangon as activists called for a show of force and a "spring revolution".

Youths gathered on a street corner before marching swiftly down the streets in a flash mob -- dispersing soon after to avoid clashing with authorities.

"To bring down the military dictatorship is our cause!" they chanted, waving a three-finger salute of resistance.

In eastern Shan state, youths carried a banner that read: "We cannot be ruled at all."

Local media reported that security forces were chasing protesters down and arresting them.

"They are arresting every young person they see," a source in Yangon told AFP, adding that he was hiding at the time.

"Now I am trapped."

Bomb blasts also went off across different parts of Yangon on Sunday. Explosions have been happening with increasing frequency in the former capital, and authorities have blamed them on "instigators".

- Bloodshed across the country -

So far, security forces have killed 759 civilians, according to local monitoring group the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.

The junta -- which has labelled the AAPP an unlawful organisation -- says 258 protesters have been killed, along with 17 policemen and seven soldiers.

Violence erupted again on Sunday in Shan state's Hsipaw township, when security forces opened fire on protesters, killing at least one.

"He was shot in the head and died immediately," said one protester, who said he rushed to hide his friend's body in case authorities tried to take it away.

Story continues

"They are asking for his dead body, but we will not give them... We will have his funeral today."

In northern Kachin state, security forces also fired on protesters, even flinging grenades into the crowd.

A 33-year-old man was shot in the head, a fellow demonstrator told AFP, adding that many others wounded in the attack were treated in a "hidden area".

"They could not go to the hospital for treatment or they would have been arrested," the protester said.

Urban centres have become hotspots for unrest, especially in Yangon, where residents share videos of security forces beating up civilians on the streets.

State-run newspaper Mirror Daily reported that a woman accused of supporting an underground parallel government opposing the junta was sentenced by military tribunal to seven years in prison with hard labour.

As the junta throttles communications and information, local journalists have also been targeted and newsrooms have reacted by sending their staff into hiding.

The Myitkyina Journal -- based in northern Kachin state -- announced Sunday on Facebook it was ordered to shut down by the junta for publishing materials that were deemed "against national security, rule of law and stability".

"We promise to come back... if we have a chance," it said.

- Air strikes in the east -

The junta's violence against civilians has drawn the ire of Myanmar's myriad ethnic armies -- many of whom have been battling the military for decades in the country's border regions.

Among the most prominent opponents is the Karen National Union (KNU), which has admitted offering shelter to fleeing activists in the territory it controls along Myanmar's east.

Clashes have ramped up in Karen state between the KNU's fighters and the military, which has responded with serious artillery power and air strikes in towns next to the Thai border.

Thai authorities announced that the Myanmar military fired rocket offensives from the air to a KNU base on Saturday, and gunfire could be heard from the kingdom's bordering Mae Hong Son province.

Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing has justified the putsch by saying it was done to defend democracy, alleging electoral fraud in November's elections, which Suu Kyi's party won in a landslide.

The ongoing violence in Myanmar has raised alarm among the international community.

During his St Peter's Square mass Sunday, Pope Francis prayed that Myanmar could "walk the path of meeting, reconciliation and peace".

burs-dhc/leg
May 2As was still the practice back in 1965, NBA players roomed together on the road.

One late March afternoon that season, Cincinnati Royals center Wayne Embry was, like always, sharing his Philadelphia hotel quarters with Oscar Robertson as they awaited their playoff game with the Wilt Chamberlin-led 76ers.

"It was about 4 o'clock and the phone rang and it was my wife," Embry recalled Friday afternoon.

Seven years earlier he had married fellow Miami University student, Theresa "Terri" Jackson, a former Roosevelt High student in Dayton, who had graduated from Jefferson Township High. By 1965 they had three small children.

"Over the phone she tells me she and Yvonne  that's Oscar's wife  were going to Selma, Alabama to join Dr. King's march to Montgomery," Embry said.

That was two weeks after another planned march to push for the right of African Americans to vote had ended when the peaceful participants crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma and encountered a brutal attack by state troopers and a posse of deputized vigilantes, who swung nightsticks and used teargas while mounted lawmen charged the crowd on horseback.

Many marchers were injured on what became known as "Bloody Sunday."

Embry knew the next march  which was intended to go the 50.5 miles from Selma to the state capitol  would be dangerous too and he said he told Terri: "'You can't go! You've got three children at home!'

"But she said, 'Yes, we're going! We're leaving this evening. And don't tell Oscar. Yvonne is about to call him.'

"And as soon as we hung up, the phone rang again. It was Yvonne for Oscar.

"Our wives were very courageous to do that, but I know (Terri) felt compelled because she was working at a neighborhood association in Cincinnati and those were still Jim Crow times and there were a lot of injustices. The civil rights movement hadn't reached the top yet. There was still a lot of work to be done."

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He knew that well.

Even though he'd been a sports star at Tecumseh High School and Miami University and then became an NBA All-Star, he often had faced racial slights, indignities and even threats.

At Tecumseh in the early 1950s, he had been one of just two black students at the school and early on there were some taunts by a vocal few. The other student, a girl, transferred elsewhere and he wanted to leave, too, but his grandfather, the patriarch of the 70-acre farm the extended family shared just outside Springfield, wouldn't allow him to surrender.

"He believed in the 80/20 rule," Embry once told me. "If 80 percent of the people were good, 20 percent shouldn't rule."

He reiterated that thought when we spoke Friday: "He said, 'Let those who hate you, motivate you and do what you can do to rise above.'"

That's what Embry did and he became one of Tecumseh's most popular students and an inspiration to his teammates who soon had his back during prejudicial incidents.

When the team stopped at a restaurant in Springfield and Embry was not only served last, but given his food in a sack and told to eat outside, all the other players got up instead and walked out.

When a hotel manager in Cincinnati said Embry couldn't stay there with the rest of the team, the players and coaches threatened to leave until the place relented.

But the most hurtful incident may have been when Embry and some white friends worked for a farmer during the summer. They all were given a lunch, but when Embry finished with his glass, the farmer broke it so no one else would use it.

Although Embry loved the University of Dayton basketball team, listened to every game on the radio as a kid and dreamed of one day playing for the Flyers, he wasn't recruited by coach Tom Blackburn.

Instead he chose Miami over Ohio State and became one of the first black athletes on campus. He thrived there and in 1958 he began a career in the NBA that now  as an advisor to the Toronto Raptors  spans 63 years.

Although a bullet and a death threat where once left for him in Milwaukee, he again stood taller than his 6-foot-8 height and three years after his playing career ended there, he became the Bucks general manager, the first African American to hold the position in NBA history.

And 22 years later with the Cleveland Cavaliers, he again made history when he became the league's first black team president and CEO.

During those years Terri was carving her own path, serving as a chairman of the Urban League, both in Milwaukee and then Cleveland, while also guiding younger NBA wives through some of the same challenges she had faced.

Because of their life's work overcoming racial barriers and championing social justice, Wayne and the late Terri  she died last August 27 at age 82  are receiving one of Miami University's most prestigious honors.

On May 18 they will receive the Freedom Summer of '64 Award, which is given annually to notable leaders who have set an example while championing civil rights.

Previous winners include the late Congressman John Lewis; the Mt. Zion United Methodist Church in Philadelphia, Mississippi; broadcaster Joe Madison, a proponent of voting rights, a former NAACP board member and a Dayton Roosevelt grad and football standout; and Carolyn Jefferson-Jenkins, a civil rights activist, author and the first woman of color to serve as the president of the League of Women's Voters.

The award pays tribute to the 800 students who gathered for two weeks in June of 1964 at the Western College for Women in Oxford  it's now a part of Miami University  to be trained non-violent techniques to use when facing threats while registering African American to vote in the South and especially in Mississippi.

Two of the people taking part in the sessions  24-year-old Mickey Schwerner and 20-year-old Andrew Goodman  were killed, along with 21-year-old Mississippian James Chaney, by the Ku Klux Klan and associates as soon as they got to Philadelphia, Mississippi.

Their deaths and the work of the young people trained in Oxford that summer  as well as the marches and other pursuits led by people like Dr. Martin Luther King  helped pave the way for the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

It's also hoped the Freedom Summer of '64 award ignites a social justice spirit and commitment in current students, faculty and everyday citizens.

Following the 11 a.m. ceremony in front of Millet Hall to honor the Embrys, the formation of a new Wayne Embry Scholarship will be announced and a statue of Embry launching his trademark hook shot  made by Tom Tsuchiya who sculpted the bronze likenesses of Cincinnati Reds' legends at Great American Ball Park  will be unveiled near the front entrance to the arena.

While Embry has been honored many times before, including at Miami  where he's in the Athletics Hall of Fame and his No. 23 jersey has been retired  and at the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis on Martin Luther King Day two years ago, he said this award moves him most:

"This means much more because my wife is being honored, too. She's the one who had the courage to fight for social justice and equality back in the late '50s and '60s. She did a lot of good for a lot of people."

Mississippi Training Session

Back in June of 1964, Western College for Women  already in operation for 109 years and a decade before it merged with Miami University  hosted what was then known as the Mississippi Training Session for 800 students.

It was sponsored by the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and much of the training took place in Peabody and Clawson halls on campus.

While Schwerner and his wife Rita were helping with in the Oxford sessions, he got word a church in Philadelphia, Mississippi that was helping with voter registration had been torched.

He and Goodman headed there immediately, but soon after arriving, they and Chaney disappeared.

Two days later  on June 23  their burned out car was discovered. This was all happening as the training sessions were still going on in Oxford.

Two month later, the bodies of the trio were found buried in an earthen dam on a nearby farm.

While the incident horrified a nation, Mississippi authorities arrested no one. Eventually, thanks to U.S. Justice Department investigators, some 18 suspects were indicted for violating the murdered men's civil rights.

Seven defendants were found guilty, but all were out of jail within six years.

It wasn't until 41 years after the fact that then 80-year-old Edgar Ray Killen, a KKK organizer and a Baptist preacher, was convicted of three counts of manslaughter and sentenced to 60 years in prison. He died behind bars three years ago.

Miami University has made several efforts to honor the three slain men and celebrate the efforts and spirit of the student volunteers who filled busses and cars  even after it was announced their fellow volunteers likely had been killed  and headed from Oxford to Mississippi.

The lobbies of three residence halls on campus have been dedicated to the trio and there's a memorial on campus.

There's also a walking tour ("Walk with Me") in which students take visitors to various Freedom Summer sites on campus while in the persona of the 1964 trainees and teachers whose letters and insights they've drawn on for their presentations.

'Still very hopeful'

The current racial strife  with the continued police killings of blacks, the social justice protests across the nation and the recent and rare conviction of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for the killing of George Floyd  has been on the mind of the 84-year-old Embry, just as it has been on so many others in our nation.

"I've hoped we don't regress back to some of those times in the '60s because they were turbulent when it came to the civil rights movement," he said. "We had the assassinations of our leaders, church bombings, the murder of those three young guys.

"I thought we made some good progress through the '70s and '80s with various affirmative action programs. But as for what we're going through today, I don't know if it's resentment stored up in a generation of people or what. But I'm still very hopeful that we can come through this."

He believes NBA players have a right to speak out on injustices "just like anybody else does. I think it's important as long as it's respectful and nonviolent. I think an athlete can be an example." He certainly was and he said a lot of goes back to those lessons he learned from his granddad.

They have helped him navigate life and especially to blossom at Miami, where he was a two-time All Mid-American Conference first team selection and the team captain and the MVP.

In three seasons (freshmen weren't eligible to play varsity then) he scored 1,407 points and grabbed 1,117 rebounds.

He later served on the Board of Trustees for 14 years and was the chairman for one.

But the most important thing he did at Miami was meet Terri.

"Me and my teammates were at the student union ad she was there with her roommates," he said. "I'd always been very shy, but my teammates encouraged me to meet her and they shoved me toward her.

"I finally did ask her out to a movie at the old Talawanda Theatre in Oxford  but we were both very nervous about it.

"We didn't have much conversation while we were walking down there to the show. In fact, the first words out of her mouth came when we got there. She said, 'You gonna fit in these seats? What are you gonna do with your legs?'

"We laughed about that over the years."

When he retold the story Friday, he was laughing again.

As it turns out, he answered her perfectly. He not only fit himself into the seat, he turned out to be a great, 62-years-of-marriage fit for her.

And, as will be evidenced May 18, he has been a great fit for the challenges of social justice and civil rights that have come along throughout his life.
Susan Wright, a congressional candidate for the US House of Representatives from Texas, said anonymous robocalls were accusing her of murdering her husband, who died of coronavirus in February (Susan Wright campaign Facebook)

Susan Wright, who received Donald Trumps endorsement to fill an open congressional seat previously held by her husband before his death from Covid-19, will enter an all-Republican runoff election in Texas after her Democrat contender left the race.

GOP candidates Wright and Jake Ellzey will advance to the runoff for the states 6th congressional district following a primary election battle among 23 candidates.

Susan Wright received 19 per cent of the vote in Saturdays election, followed by Mr Ellzey, with nearly 14 per cent. Democratic candidate Jana Lynne Sanchez received 13 per cent of the vote, shy of roughly 400 votes to qualify in the runoff.

Democrats have come a long way toward competing in Texas, but we still have a way to go, she announced on Sunday. Unfortunately, tonight we came up short.

Ron Wright  a member of the far-right Freedom Caucus who supported efforts to reject 2020s presidential election results  was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2019. He and his wife were hospitalised for Covid-19 for two weeks after testing positive for the disease in January. He died on 7 February, becoming the first sitting member of Congress to die from the coronavirus.

Louisiana congressman-elect Luke Letlow, who was set to be sworn into office in January, died on 29 December from Covid-19. In March, his widow Julie Letlow won a special election to fill his seat.

The Texas race was among the first hotly contested special elections under Joe Bidens presidency ahead of 2022 midterm elections.

Republicans have held the district  spanning a sprawling suburban enclave in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area  for more than 30 years, but the area has seen a decline in Republican dominance within the last two decades, with a Democratic candidate poised to enter a runoff race in future congressional elections.

Although a Democrat is not advancing to the runoff, yesterdays incredibly close margins showed that voters are invested in electing Democrats, and are fighting for the representation their communities deserve, Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa said in a statement on Sunday.

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In the 2012 presidential race, then-Republican candidate Mitt Romney won the district by 17 per cent, compared to Mr Trump taking it by only 3 percentage points in 2020.

The district includes three Texas counties, from pro-Trump rural areas to one of the largest metro areas in the nation, which has seen growing Hispanic and African American political power.

Texas will gain two congressional seats in 2022 following the once-in-a-decade Census results, revealing that the state saw its population spike by nearly 4 million people over the last decade to roughly 29.2 million residents.

The state currently has 36 seats, currently held by 22 Republicans and13 Democrats, with one vacant seat in the 6th district.

Elections for those seats and several other new seats in Colorado, Florida, Montana, North Carolina and Oregon will likely kick off a flurry of campaigns as candidates and Republicans look to shift the balance of power in Congress.

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When Joy Ufford and her late husband moved into Heart Village mobile home park in 1970, Joy was turning 40, their son was 6 or 7 and their two-bedroom trailer was brand spanking new.

Joy is 90 now and still lives in the same double wide. Her son Gregg, now 57, his wife and daughter also live there. Its in decent shape but, as Gregg will tell you, that trailer is never leaving Heart Village in one piece, if his family and other residents are forced out to make room for Jackson Countys new jail.

This trailer cant be moved, he said on recent afternoon as a cat nosed its way into the screened front patio. Its just way too old.

The same is true for many of the roughly 100 occupied homes at the east Kansas City mobile home court at 7000 E. 40 Highway.

While none have lived here longer than Joy Ufford, other long-timers may also have to leave their homes behind, should the jail land deal go through. Their mobile homes are not mobile anymore. Or their owners might not have the several thousand dollars it can cost to uproot and relocate those that are still roadworthy.

Neither the county nor the residents of Heart Village are looking forward to what this will mean in terms of expense and inconvenience to taxpayers and mobile home park residents, all in the name of providing Jackson County with a more efficient, safe and humane place to hold detainees awaiting trial.

But as things stand, that challenge seems virtually unavoidable. Jackson County officials seem set on the Heart Village site, even amid concerns about the sites record of flooding.

Its so far down the road now, I think its done, one county legislator told The Star last week, saying he did not want to be identified because of the confidential nature of pending real estate transactions. I mean, I think wed be tilting at windmills to think an alternate site might be chosen.

More than 40 were considered by the countys consultants and this one punches all the buttons, another top county official said privately.

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Meaning its mid-way between the two county courthouses  in Kansas City and Independence  and has easy highway access for transporting inmates to their court dates. Its on a bus route and close to inner city neighborhoods, where the families of many detainees live, making visiting inmates more convenient than if the jail was built farther away.

And at 99 acres, the site is big enough to accommodate a large, single-level facility that could be expanded, with surrounding green space for recreation and set back from neighbors.

But what of the people who live there now? If the jail deal goes through, what will happen to them? Where would they go? How would they afford it?

Residents have been dwelling on those questions since The Star first reported last month that Heart Village was the preferred location for a new facility to replace the 40-year-old Jackson County Detention Center in downtown Kansas City.

But they havent gotten many answers to questions about their futures. Neither their landlord nor the county will publicly acknowledge that the parties have signed a letter of intent to consummate a land deal, so no information has been forthcoming.

They are left to fret.

I like where I live, said 58-year-old Allison Wilson, a Heart Village resident the past 20 years. Were low income, a lot of us. Some are elderly.

The Heart Mobile Village trailer park is the preferred site for a new jail. Some residents of the park, which is located off East U.S. 40, southeast of Blue Valley Park, say they dont know what they would do if forced to move out.

Moral duty

In their public pronouncements and off-the-record conversations, county officials acknowledge that they have a moral obligation to help Heart Villages residents find new homes, if the project moves forward.

I believe the county should be making peoples lives better, not worse, said county legislator Jalen Anderson, one of the only elected officials who has been willing to acknowledge on the record that a sale is in the works for this particular property.

Saying they are bound to keep quiet about pending real estate transactions until deals are finalized, most of Andersons colleagues have only publicly acknowledged that theres a tentative agreement to buy an unidentified site. But in private they express the same concerns that Anderson has.

If we are going to move forward with this property, I think that we should provide adequate moving costs to wherever they would like to move to, he said. We should be in the business of making sure that their living situation is taken care of and that we are not hurting our own citizens.

But the amount of compensation, the form it might take and who will arrange it is unknown at this point.

We want to be generous, said a high-level official who is part of those private discussions. It would not surprise me if they will live rent free for a year somewhere else.

Legislator Crystal Williams seconds that.

Requiring people to upend their lives means we must make sure we add value to their situation, she said.

The people who live at Heart Village have not heard those assurances directly from anyone associated with the county or Park Holdings LLC, the Wichita-based company that bought Heart Village in April 2019 for $3.4 million, land records show.

Residents will likely be kept in the dark until Park Holdings and the county hear later this month whether an independent appraisal supports the undisclosed purchase price that was agreed upon.

If that appraisal is positive, the county will then go public, officials say, and the residents of Heart Village will have a better idea of what their fates might be as the transaction moves toward completion, possibly in the fall. If not, their wait could grow longer as negotiations continue.

Or the deal could fall through.

Nobodys got a real clue whats going on, said Jeannie Anderson, who has lived at Heart Village for 14 years and until recently was responsible for cutting all the grass.

She said she was fired in late April, in part, because she put a Star reporter in touch with the Uffords and other residents.

They said I created too much drama, she said.

Owner Rick E. Hodge Jr. did not respond to requests for comment on that or any other aspect of this story.

Are we upset? Hell, yeah, Anderson said. This has been a community for 60 years, and theres people that have been here 50 plus years.

While patrolling the trailer park on the company riding mower, she got to know many of them.

Were old. Were disabled. Were low income, everything. And theyre picking on us, you know. Do you think anybodys going to be able to afford to move?

No.

On Friday, she was served with an eviction notice. Shes not sure what shell do next.

Jeannie Anderson, left, said she doesnt know where shed go if she were forced to move out of her home in the Heart Mobile Village trailer park. Neighbors Joy Ufford and her son Gregg Ufford chatted on Andersons porch recently. The Uffords also have no idea what they will do if forced to move.

Hot dogs and floods

Spread across a floodplain just north of Interstate 70 and east of the Blue River, Heart Village got its start in the late 1950s when property owner Sam Licata asked for the citys permission to convert his private airstrip there into a mobile home park.

It remained in the Licata familys possession until two years ago. The private streets are named after kin. Lenn Drive for Leonard Licata, Sams son who would later take over the place. Monaco and Baldwin, the married last names of two daughters, became street names as well, and so on.

Anderson, the Uffords and others have fond memories of the Licata family, particularly Leonard, who ran the place until his death in 2017.

He was friendly, kept their rent affordable and rewarded his employees with gift cards at Thanksgiving and holiday bonuses. At Christmas, he would sometimes host dinners for anyone in the park whod come.

When he owned the place, Jeannie Anderson said, Deidre (a former park manager) and I would go get 100 hot dogs and 100 buns and everything. And wed have a little weenie roast and community stuff. You know, I mean, it was a good place to live, just like the sign says.

The sign facing the road leading into the park does indeed say just that. Heart Village A Nice Place to Live.

Jackson County has identified the Heart Mobile Village trailer park as its preferred site for a new jail and has signed a letter of intent to buy it. Some residents of the park, which is located off East U.S. 40, southeast of Blue Valley Park, say they dont know what they would do if forced to move out.

Gregg Ufford remembers it being that way when he was a kid. Back in the 1970s, all 400-plus pad sites on the pancake flat terrain had trailers on them.

It was full up, Joy Ufford said.

Kids tore down Monaco, Lenn and the numbered streets that crisscrossed them on their Stingrays and trick bikes.

A bunch of us kids grew up down here, he said. We had a bus stop down there. It was a nice place to grow up when you were a kid, but then we had a flood in 1976 that didnt even get into the house. But then in 1990 we had a bigger flood.

The place flooded several times between those dates as well, but the big one in May 1990 delivered a wallop. Brown water from the Blue River topped the banks and filled the basin several feet high. Trailers around the perimeter were ruined. Residents evacuated.

Nearly 100 trailer homes sat half under water, The Star reported. Boats replaced cars and walkers turned into waders as residents pushed through the water to get back into their homes, although no one knew when they would be able to stay.

Most people who could move back did so. Other floods since then havent been so bad, but evidence of the big one in 1990 can be seen today in the many empty trailer pads and rusty electrical meter enclosures with nothing in them.

All around the outside (of the park), those people lost their homes, Joy Ufford said.

Darned if Gregg Ufford can figure why the county would want to invest upwards of $300 million building a jail there now when theres a flooding risk.

I wouldnt put a prison down here until I put in about 20 feet of dirt, he said. I dont know what theyre thinking.

Theyre thinking about bringing in a lot of dirt, though not necessarily 20 feet of it. One county legislator estimated that the dirt work would cost about $10 million.

The county would also need the federal governments confidence that the runoff from that fill dirt, more paved surfaces and a big new building wouldnt lead to more flooding downstream.

There are also zoning considerations and other details to weigh, none of which has been touched on in open public discussion before the nine-member county legislature, which will ultimately decide whether to go forward.

That lack of a public dialogue troubled Williams when fellow legislator Jalen Anderson brought up the pending land deal unexpectedly at the end of the legislatures regular meeting on March 22.

We should be transparent sooner rather than later, because of the impact that it may have on constituencies that we represent, she said.

Back at Heart Village, residents have been increasingly unhappy with how Park Holdings has been managing the property. For two weeks in April, the garbage wasnt picked up.

Service resumed later, supposedly after a past-due bill was paid, Jeannie Anderson said.

Theyve also been worried that their water might be shut off because Park Holdings has not been paying the bill, to which all the residents contribute monthly based on their usage. Park Holdings collects tenants payments and then is supposed to write a single check. But that hasnt been happening.

Heart Village is severely delinquent, water department spokeswoman Heather Frierson said.

Residents became concerned about a water shutoff after The Star reported last month that the city had filed a lien against the company for $111,000 in past due water fees. (On Thursday, Park Holdings made its first partial payment since last June. A balance remains.)

But thanks to COVID-19, Frierson said losing water service is one thing that residents shouldnt worry about, even though its a commercial property, which would normally be subject to a service cut.

Due to tenancy, we treat this as a residential, she wrote in an email. We will not be turning water off at this time. KC Water has not conducted residential water shut-offs since March of 2020 due to the pandemic.
Indiana State Police are investigating a deadly shooting involving the Porter County Sheriff's Department.

Video Transcript

- And new this morning as well, Indiana State Police are investigating a deadly shooting involving the Porter County Sheriff's Department. It happened last night in South Haven. Police say deputies responded to a disturbance and after several hours entered a home.

They say Alexander Tuzinski was holding a gun. At some point, he was shot and died of his injuries. The deputy's names have not been released.
Vice President Kamala Harris. CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images

The Biden administration has selected Kamala Harris to lead the National Space Council.

The council was previously led by former VP Mike Pence during the Trump administration.

Harris intends to put her own "personal stamp" on the council, a senior official said.

See more stories on Insider's business page.

The Biden administration on Saturday appointed Vice President Kamala Harris to chair the National Space Council, according to senior administration officials.

Harris confirmed her new position on Twitter, writing: "As I've said before: In America, when we shoot for the moon, we plant our flag on it. I am honored to lead our National Space Council."

According to an official, Kamala intends to put her own personal stamp on the council. Her priorities are focused on policies including the advancement of STEM education, cybersecurity, supporting the long-term sustainability of commercial space activity, and diversity in the workforce, CNN reported.

The council was first created by the executive order by President George H.W. Bush. Following the Bush administration, the council was essentially demobilized until it was reestablished by another executive order from President Donald Trump in 2017, per Politico.

The Biden administration plans to operate the work under that same executive order from 2017 but intends to review it to see if changes are necessary, according to CNN.

Following the announcement, Bill Nelson will be instated as the 14th NASA administrator.

Nelson welcomed the news in a statement released by NASA: "The Vice President is the perfect person to lead the federal government's space policy, which is increasingly complex, with many nations in space."

Harris recently showed her interest in US spaceflight when making two calls to astronauts aboard the International Space Station. Harris virtually spoke with astronauts, Shannon Walker and Kate Rubins, to mark Women's History Month, CNN reported.

Commenting on the likely differences between Harris' and Pence's approach, an official told CNN: "I'll just say without drawing too much of a contrast, I think her approach to this is just going to be to get the job done and use this to lead our space policy. And not really focus, perhaps, as much on big displays, but on getting the work done."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Warren Buffett called SPACs a "killer" and criticized stock-trading app Robinhood for encouraging gambling during Berkshire Hathaway's annual meeting in Los Angeles Saturday.

Why it matters: The criticism by Buffet comes as SPACs, or special purpose acquisition companies, and Robinhood have been facing scrutiny from regulators after soaring in popularity over the past year.

Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free

What they're saying: Buffett said at the event that SPACs "won't go on forever, but it's where the money is now and Wall Street goes where the money is."

"SPACs have been working for a while and if you secure a famous name on it you could sell almost anything," Berkshire Hathaway's chair and chief executive said.

Buffett's longtime lieutenant Charlie Munger called SPACs "a moral failing." "It's not just stupid, it's shameful," he added.

On Robinhood, Buffet said there is "nothing illegal to it, there's nothing immoral, but I don't think you build a society around people doing it." He said it was "taking advantage of the gambling instincts of society, and it isn't admirable."

The 90-year-old investor said he was looking forward to reading the company's public offering filing.

"It's become a very significant part of the casino group that has joined into the stock market in the last year or year and a half," Buffett said.

Munger said it's "deeply wrong" and "god awful that something like that brought investments from civilized men and decent citizens."

The other side: "There is an old guard that doesnt want average Americans to have a seat at the Wall Street table so they will resort to insults," Robinhood said in an emailed statement.

"The future is diverse, more educated and propelled by engaging technologies that have the power to equalize. Adversaries of this future and of change are usually those who've enjoyed plentiful privileges in the past and who dont want these privileges disrupted.

"Their criticisms are unfortunate but they prove why Robinhoods mission is in fact critical.

"The new generation of investors aren't a 'casino group.' They are tearing down old barriers to investing and taking control of their financial futures. Robinhood is on the right side of history."

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Carrie Lam, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), on Saturday said the HKSAR government will continue its commitment to creating jobs, improving labor welfare and boosting protection of workers' interests.

In a video speech on social media marking the International Workers' Day that falls on Saturday, Lam expressed gratitude for the contribution of the labor sector to Hong Kong's prosperity and stability.

As Hong Kong's job market was under grave pressure due to the dual blows from the 2019 social unrest and the COVID-19 pandemic, the HKSAR government has adopted an array of measures to stabilize employment, including multiple rounds of anti-epidemic funds and over 300 billion Hong Kong dollars (38.62 billion U.S. dollars) in economic relief packages, Lam said.

Lam said the government has worked to improve the labor welfare, noting that it has submitted a bill to the Legislative Council on increasing workers' statutory holidays from 12 to 17 days in phases.

The government is also working to improve the mandatory provident fund schemes, and increase the penalty for violations of the occupational safety and health regulation.

Lam also said that presently, epidemic control remains the top priority for the HKSAR government, and urged the public to receive the COVID-19 vaccines at an early date in order to make Hong Kong's social and economic activities to return to normal as soon as possible.
May 1After 10 years with the Greater Limestone County Chamber of Commerce, the current president has decided to step down and the search for the Chamber's next president has begun.

Jennifer Williamson said she's grateful for everything she's accomplished and everyone she's been able to work with over the last decade, but she's decided to focus on her family and children.

"I am so proud of where the Chamber is currently and proud of our accomplishments we have achieved together during my time at the Chamber," Williamson said. "... The Chamber is strong financially, we have a great team of Board leadership, staff members and volunteers at the Chamber, and the future is bright for the Chamber and our community. I'm looking forward to seeing our Chamber and community continue to thrive."

The Chamber Board of Directors has formed a search committee to find a new president for the Chamber. In addition to supervising Chamber employees and handling Chamber finances, the job description calls for someone who can work with members and community entities to achieve the Chamber's mission to "advance economic growth, prosperity and quality of life" in Limestone County.

They're asked to do this through support of business, industry, agriculture, tourism, community service organizations and by promoting "quality, balanced growth" in the area. The new president will also serve as the primary spokesperson for the Chamber and oversee Chamber events.

"We'd love to see them continue to lead us through the growth that the community is experiencing," said Ray Neese, chairman of the Chamber's Board of Directors.

The deadline for resumes is May 21, but Neese said they plan to take their time to ensure they have the best qualified candidate for the position, as "whoever fills it is going to have big shoes to fill."

During Williamson's tenure as president, several new programs and events were added to the Chamber calendar, including the State of the County, State of the City and State of Education addresses; workforce expos; and most recently, the Athens-Limestone County Christmas Parade. The Chamber has also moved to a new office with room to house Limestone County Economic Development Association at the same location and provide additional space for new businesses to launch, according to the Chamber.

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Neese praised Williamson for her work with the Chamber, calling her "a great, great leader of the community and Chamber." Williamson, meanwhile, attributed her success to the many individuals who have worked with her during the past decade.

"Many individuals in this community have become mentors to me, and for that I am forever grateful," she said.

Visit tourathens.com to learn more about the Chamber and view a copy of the full job description.
A California woman used force and hateful language against a Black delivery driver, authorities say

The California woman who police said accused a Black delivery driver of speeding and followed him, now faces a hate crime charge, according to Yahoo! News.

The 35-year-old woman, identified as Julie Walrand, was arrested on April 18 after Berkeley police received reports of a disturbance. According to the police, Walrand and her boyfriend followed the driver because they believed him to be speeding.

The chase led to a confrontation in which Walrand used force to stop the driver from leaving and used hateful language disparaging people of color, authorities said.

Julie Walrand (via KRON4/YouTube Mikael Thalen)

The driver, Kendall McIntosh, told KRON-TV that Walrands boyfriend stood behind the truck to stop him from leaving, and that she used racial slurs against him and jumped inside the vehicle, grabbing the steering wheel, according to Yahoo!.

Read More: Woman pleads guilty to hate crimes for running down Black boy, Latina girl

What constantly was running through my mind was you know it could be me in handcuffs instead of her so no matter what the situation is, just protect yourself, McIntosh said. If you feel like you have to videotape it or anything, definitely do that because I felt like if there wasnt a video she probably couldve gotten away with saying this.

I initially thought it was just somebody having a bad day. I thought me ignoring her, she goes her way, I go my way, McIntosh continued.

Kendall McIntosh (Courtesy of Yahoo! News)

McIntosh had just finished his shift and was going to help another driver on Delaware Street in Berkeley, until Walrand pulled alongside his van and began shouting Who the f do you think you are? Who do you think you are driving down my street like this? KTVU reported.

Read More: Mass. man charged with hate crime after trying to run over Black children

I was scared I didnt know how it was going to run out so I thought the best thing to do was leave the situation, McIntosh said. He left to continue making deliveries and returned when he learned officers had arrived at the scene, according to KTVU.

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I never wanted this to happen. I didnt want to get to this point, but theres too many incidents out here in America, said McIntosh. Theres similar stories like this where there is no video, no recording and people get away with that type of stuff. Its just not right.

Julie Walrand (via VladTV)

Walrand was arrested for false imprisonment, battery, using offensive words and threatening a person based on their perceived characteristics, police said.

Read More: California man arrested for assaulting elderly Black man over BLM sign

According to a news release, Berkeley police said Walrand faces a hate crime charge because she is accused of committing a crime against a person, group, or property motivated by the victims real or perceiving protected social group, reported Yahoo!.

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The post Woman who called police on Black delivery driver faces hate crime charge appeared first on TheGrio.
May 2JUNEAU  The Alaska House of Representatives is deep in debate on a state operating budget that includes plans for a massive federal aid package. Aside from that package, the budget is not significantly different from a proposal introduced earlier this year by Gov. Mike Dunleavy.

Lawmakers worked Friday evening and most of the day Saturday, considering amendments on the floor of the House. On Saturday evening, it wasn't immediately clear whether lawmakers would finish their debate that day or whether it would continue Sunday.

The House's version of the budget will be compromised with the as-yet-unwritten Senate version before May 19, lawmakers say, then sent to Dunleavy. The governor may veto the budget, effectively sending it back to lawmakers, or he may cancel individual line items. He cannot add items.

The amount of this year's Permanent Fund dividend has not yet been set, but on Friday morning, leading House lawmakers proposed a $500 dividend in a separate spending bill. Under the House's budget plan, that figure  which would cost $355 million  could be paid without breaking a limit on spending from the Alaska Permanent Fund.

On Saturday, the House was one vote short of approving a $2 billion budget amendment that would have broken that limit and added a $3,000 Permanent Fund dividend to the budget.

The amendment, which failed 20-20, was sponsored by Rep. Kevin McCabe, R-Big Lake.

"This is where you get to put your vote where your mouth is on Facebook and every other social media. You get to vote for the full PFD," he said.

He and other lawmakers argued that the state should follow the state's traditional Permanent Fund dividend distribution formula. That formula has not been used since 2016 but remains in state law.

Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, D-Sitka, opposed the amendment, pointing out that approving such a large dividend would require breaking a second law  the limit on annual spending from the Permanent Fund.

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Breaking that limit reduces the amount of money available for dividends and services in the future, he said.

"Everybody loses when we start spending down the Permanent Fund. Everybody loses no matter what your priority is," he said.

In the state budget year that starts July 1, the Permanent Fund will contribute $3.1 billion to the state treasury. All taxes  including oil taxes  are expected to contribute another $1.6 billion.

That $4.7 billion is close to the cost of providing existing state services with no dividend.

But this year, the state is also receiving $1 billion in economic aid from Congress that may be spent flexibly. House lawmakers have proposed using some of that aid to replace tax dollars in the state budget, freeing those dollars for use in the dividend.

The resulting budget spends about $4.2 billion for the operations of state agencies. Because lawmakers have not advanced Dunleavy's plan to borrow money for construction projects, at least $125 million is needed for the state's capital budget, which funds construction and renovation projects. Some lawmakers support a figure closer to $200 million.

That leaves about $350 million uncommitted and easily available for the dividend.

The Alaska Senate's budget proposal remains unfinished; it will be unveiled once the House finishes its work.

The Alaska Legislature's regular session ends May 19.
Musselman will instead tackle the Appalachian Trail in pieces, among the other trails she will call home until late August.

I sort of have the free reins to decide what trails I want to be on each day and how to really construct this trip, Musselman said.

Depending on the day, Musselman says she might hike anywhere from two to 10 hours per day. Or she may take a rest day.

In addition to hiking and camping, Musselman will be taking video and photography for the brewery. There also will be an educational component to her content, showing how to set up shelters, prepare for emergencies and how to practice good environmental protection principles.

Some of my big picture goals is how can we get more people outside to access benefits of outdoors and how can we talk about how spending time outside really benefits our own mental health and well being, Musselman said.

She also has a goal of connecting with others while out on the trail. Musselman said this was the perfect opportunity for her.
By the assessment of Appalachian Power Co., its monthly bill for an average residential customer was one penny less at the end of 2019 than it was a decade earlier.

A report from the State Corporation Commission looks at a different time frame, from 2007 to 2020, and concludes that bills went up by $42.42 a month, an increase of nearly 64%.

The details quickly get complicated. But this much is clear: Appalachian is seeking a series of future rate hikes  either from the SCC or the Virginia Supreme Court  that would add another $22 to the tab for someone who consumes 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity a month in their home.

It started a year ago, when the utility sought an increase in its base rates that would up the average residential customers bill by about $10. The SCC denied that request, but Appalachian is asking the Supreme Court to reverse the commission and allow the increase.

The rest of the possible increase comes from rate adjustment clauses, often called riders because of the way they catch a ride on the monthly bill, adding charges for things such as the costs of fuel or delivering electricity to a customer.
For two days, about 70 exhibitors, ages nine to 19 from Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford, Campbell and Nelson counties would gather in the glare of fluorescence and the rattle of animal pens, as churning metal fans kicked up sawdust and the wet-wool smell of sheep and cattle.

Guiding Major beside her with gentle taps from a slender pig whip, Emma and other exhibitors walked their hogs around the ring, working to position their animals between themselves and the judge, maintain eye contact with him and keep their hogs sleek and clean of sawdust and dirt.

Major, a belted pig with a bold, pink stripe around his middle, literally shined. Admittedly, some of that was from his rigorous washing before he entered the ring, with show glo swine spray and Champions Choice oil liberally applied and his hide and skin brushed.

He smells better than I do, Emma joked.

Leaned up against the side of the trailer after the showmanship final drive, Emma was flushed with adrenaline and spring sun, fresh off a win in the ring, the culmination of months of a regimented schedule with her hogs  each day feeding them three square meals, providing walking time, washing and plenty of brush downs.

Im on a high right now, Im really, really happy, she said,
I was a terrible math student. My father was good at math. He would explain a problem to me and I sometimes would still not get it. He loved and was good at golf. I didnt and wasnt. He was not a natural public speaker. I am. He was not that good a writer. I will leave the judgment on my ability to readers.

Everyone has different skill sets. Students with math skills ought to be encouraged as some might end up in the space program or other areas that benefit humankind. Those with fewer skills can be helped.

Promoting equal outcomes in math and other subjects can only advance mediocrity, of which we have quite enough.

When I was in school achievers were praised and rewarded. There were honor rolls and at graduation a valedictorian and salutatorian. Those are mostly gone, apparently because of equity. What we encourage we will get more of and what we discourage we will get less of.

If Virginia follows through on its math restructuring proposal, it will likely increase the exodus many are taking from public schools into home and private schools where their children can get a real education, assuming more politicians will allow them a choice.

Readers may email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub.com. Look for Cal Thomas latest book Americas Expiration Date: The Fall of Empires and Superpowers and the Future of the United States (HarperCollins/Zondervan). Thomas column is provided by Tribune Content Agency.
The Japan Sumo Association will hold a first-aid study group on May 7 following the death of a lower-division wrestler, who suffered acute respiratory failure after hitting his head during the sport's last grand tournament in March.

Hibikiryu, whose real name was Mitsuki Amano, died Wednesday at a Tokyo hospital. The 28-year-old in the fourth-tier sandanme division was injured in a loss on March 26 when he was stretchered off the ring at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan and hospitalized.

The injured wrestler remained motionless face down in the ring for a period of time and was only shifted to a face-up position when a doctor entered the ring to attend to him.

Security guards and sumo elders serving as ringside judges at grand tournaments will take part in the training at Ryogoku Kokugikan.

Sources close to the matter said a member of the JSA's judging department has suggested having a doctor near the ring to deal with such emergencies.
A huge shout out of gratitude for providing financial assistance through the revolving loan fund program, Hess said. It will help me bring The Occasional Collective to fruition by getting the building up to code and providing the much-needed improvements.

Many micro, startup and small businesses are considered not yet bankable by traditional commercial lenders for lacking enough collateral or capital investment to secure a loan. Because of that, NEF and the Iowa Revolving Loan Fund partner with other micro development organizations, nonprofits and financial institutions to encourage entrepreneurship in Nebraska and southwest Iowa. Together, the groups support the development and growth of an ecosystem where micro and small businesses are leading the way in job creation, asset development and community vitality. The Iowa West Foundation and the Charles E. Lakin Foundation are among NEFs top stakeholders.

Its about investing in the community and providing an environment that is conducive to new ideas that can be brought back to main street, Reiff said. Our organization and partners are committed to helping micro and small business owners who, while talented and innovative, may feel like opportunities for advancement are out of their reach.
In her letter, Garcia wrote that to date, no Iowa schools have claimed expenses for testing supplies or services but that enough funding was available if needed. The Test Iowa Initiative has been funded under the Federal Emergency Management Agency, she wrote, and there are other funds available  including millions from the CARES Act passed under the Trump administration. Her letter does not address why, if those funds have not been needed, they also were not sent back to the federal government.

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Garcias letter rejecting the $95 million does note that we ask should the allowable use of this funding change, the state would have the opportunity to seek reconsideration of this funding.

Republican Party of Iowa Chairman Jeff Kaufmann praised the governor for trying to get life back to normal and pushing to get Iowa kids back in school while providing the last line of defense for Iowans against the radical policies coming out of the Biden administration.

But Senate Democratic Leader Zach Wahls of Coralville said returning federal COVID funding during a public health disaster is like drilling holes in a sinking boat.
IN THE NEWS

Teens death impetus for legislation

The Iowa House voted unanimously to make it a crime to fail to disclose the location of a body with the intent to conceal a crime. The impetus for the bill was the death of Noah Herring, 15, of Tiffin, in Coralville Lake in April 2020. Although three teens and an adult were present when Herring drowned, none of them called 911, and they withheld information about his disappearance, delaying the discovery of his body for four days.

Vaccine passports: The Iowa House approved legislation to ban vaccine passports that would require the disclosure of whether Iowans have received a COVID-19 vaccination. The bill would prohibit state and local governments from producing ID cards with information regarding whether the cardholder has received a COVID-19 vaccination.

Vaccine hesitancy: Iowa health officials said Tuesday that 80 of the states 99 counties declined some or all of their COVID-19 vaccine doses for next week, showing that demand for immunizations is dropping dramatically.
The following editorial was published by the Dubuque Telegraph Herald on April 25:

A bill by the Iowa Legislature regarding drivers education instruction would create more problems than it would solve.

There are lots of things about which Mom and Dad know best. Driving might or might not be one of them.

Yet Senate File 546 would eliminate the requirement that students receive driving instruction from a certified professional before procuring a license to drive. Instead, the measure, which is awaiting signature by Gov. Kim Reynolds, shifts the role of instructor to parents, all but eliminating the need for drivers education.

When it comes to teen drivers, heres something we can all agree on: Safety should be the top priority. We need to keep students safe as they are learning and develop safe drivers for the long term. Parents as the sole instructors would not be the best way to accomplish that.

Currently, state law requires anyone younger than 18 to take a 30-hour drivers education course approved by the Iowa Department of Transportation and complete at least 20 hours of driving practice with a parent or instructor.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP)  An Omaha police officer has been charged with felony counts and placed on leave after being accused of using a gun to threaten teens who pounded on doors in the officer's neighborhood late at night.
Like an old house, an old mall shows its age mainly where you cant see.

Its not that Platte River Mall isnt safe or lacks for attractive spaces, says Alan Karre, who knows its gems and its warts as the malls maintenance director for two-thirds of its 49-year life.

But he and new mall co-owner Mike Works say the mall has an expensive list of needs thats already long and growing longer.

For the most part, the things that need to be fixed are things youre never going to see, said Works, partner in Rev Development LLC with fellow Lincolnite Justin Hernandez

Karre led two Telegraph reporters through the malls innards and atop its roof last week, in advance of critical City Council votes Tuesday on Revs requests for city help with its $74.95 million redevelopment plan.

Karre, now the malls director of engineering under Rev, joined the mall staff on April 25, 1988.

Thats just over 16 years after Idaho developer Harry M. Daum cut the ribbon on a 241,000-square-foot shopping center five years in the making.

A succession of out-of-state owners owned what was simply called The Mall until Works and Hernandez became its first Nebraska owners last November. Both have west central Nebraska ties.

The previous owners mall manager, DP Management LLC of Omaha, gave way at years end to Terrahawk Group of Omaha. DP is building a mixed-use apartment-commercial project at West A Street and Lakeview Boulevard.

Though the main malls interior remains well-kept, west central Nebraska old-timers  and natives who visit or move back  know little has changed since Daum opened it on April 12, 1972.

With a couple of exceptions, every store on the west side has its back turned to shoppers arriving in the malls cavernous parking lot.

The mall entrance and indoor promenade remain straight, with no built-in curves or internal greenscaping like at Scottsbluffs mid-1980s Monument Mall.

People who remember the original tenant lineup  places like Orange Julius, The Swiss Colony, North Platte Saddlery and Skaggs Drug Center  still can point to where those businesses once operated.

Some things have changed. The Skaggs spot, later Osco Drug, was rebuilt in 2005 into the multiplex movie theater that Golden Ticket Cinemas will take over and reopen by fall.

The promenades carpet was replaced with porcelain tile about then, Karre said. And 2005 was when the last out-of-state owner built the current main entrance, redid the roof and gave the mall its present name.

But we havent really had anything (done) after that date, he said.

Its been even longer than that when it comes to that 1,400-stall parking lot.

Karre said the last repaving of any kind was done on a small portion in 1994, three years before the malls purchase by the New York owner who recently sold it to Works and Hernandez.

Patches, cracks and breakups are common on all sides of the mall, and the front sidewalk and curbs leading through the parking lot from South Dewey Street are still original from 1972.

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Our front parking lot, its just worn out, he said. I keep patching it as good as I can, but patches can only do so much.

Water and sewer lines below the parking lot to the main mall and existing outbuildings likewise would date to the malls opening, Karre said.

A climb on a steep wooden staircase to the roof reveals more signs and unintended monuments to the malls age.

The AWAPLAN roofing membrane installed in 2005 has held up so far, Karre said. But its warranty has expired, and a portion of its asphalt-treated polyester needs to be replaced above the Ashley HomeStore entrance.

Thats $50,000 just by itself, he said.

A small number of the original 1972 air conditioning units are still in use, Karre said. The rest are still there, left where they sat as newer units were installed.

But the east anchor space once occupied by J.C. Penney  the malls last original anchor when it closed in 2017  needs a complete HVAC overhaul that would cost $250,000 alone, Karre said.

The old Penneys space still has its 1972 air conditioning, as does about half of the vacant north anchor space that has had just two tenants, he said.

Herbergers, which replaced J.M. McDonald there in the 1980s, shut down in 2018 due to its parent companys bankruptcy.

Also invisible from ground level are rusting areas along the roof edges and countless pipes held up above the surface by concrete blocks and small piles of wood.

One has to go into back rooms inside the mall to spot cracked floors, broken drop-down ceiling tiles and service doors that dont close well from rust and corrosion.

Public bathrooms are well-kept but havent been updated to the standards of the 1990 Americans With Disabilities Act, Karre said.

Problems like those would be dealt with as Rev gradually guts most of the main mall and turns it into an outward-facing strip mall over the next few years.

Its that long deferred-maintenance list, though, that accounts for virtually all of the $16.63 million in city help Rev hopes the council will approve.

Its all needed if were going to upgrade everything like we want to do to make the mall what it should be, Works said.

More by Todd von Kampen

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Both are important. But the nights most pivotal item is an ordinance facing first-round debate to declare the 1972 mall an enhanced employment area.

Without it, the city cant collect a temporary 1.95% EEA occupation tax at the mall  and only at the mall  toward the massive costs of replacing its worn-out paving and redoing 49-year-old water, sewer and electric lines.

Yes, the redevelopment plan also seeks tax increment financing (a far more familiar technique here) for the rest of the $15.63 million Rev wants over time from the city to help repay their estimated bill to update the main malls infrastructure.

But it isnt an either/or between TIF and EEA. Its both/and. The infrastructure rebuild to revitalize our mall is that huge.

If the council approves the whole package, North Platte will have its best chance to regain the range of shopping and eating options weve lost since 2015 and must drive to Kearney to find.

But if the council rejects the whole plan, The Mall will just keep fading away.

Some of Revs plans would get done if the city approves only TIF and the QGF loan, mall co-owner Mike Works says.
16 items in this article A COVID-19 patient receives care at an oxygen langar run by the NGO Khalsa Help International, in Ghahzibad, India. Photo: Ajay Aggarwal/Hindustan Times via Getty Images

India is facing a deadly second-wave coronavirus outbreak, with official infection rates topping 300,000 cases a day and epidemiologists saying the actual number is probably much higher. With just 2 percent of the population vaccinated, states are running out of vaccines. Hospitals are at capacity and running out of oxygen, and makeshift crematoriums are being set up to burn the dead.

Other countries, including the United States, are sending aid in the form of oxygen support, PPE, rapid tests, and vaccine materials. In addition, charities, private businesses, and regular people from around the globe are racing to find ways to help Indias sick and its frontline workers. If you are looking to help, the most effective way is by donating money to organizations both international and on the ground in India. Similar to our list of organizations and funds that support the Asian, South Asian, and Pacific Islander communities, weve compiled a list of organizations where you can donate to help with the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. This guide is by no means complete, so well be updating it continuously.

Unicef UNICEF is rushing staff and supplies like critical oxygen concentrators, PPE kits, and diagnostic testing systems to help stop the spread of COVID-19 and support Indias front-line health-care workers. Donate to UNICEF Buy

United Way Worldwide Through its India COVID-19 Relief Fund, United Way Worldwide is supporting health-care workers with essential medical supplies. In addition, they are providing food, shelter, and hygiene kits to the most vulnerable people in India, specifically in Baroda, Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata. Donate to United Way Buy

The Salvation Army Donating to the Salvation Army helps it continue to support government vaccine rollouts and provide PPE, sanitation supplies, oxygen, solar-powered refrigerators for vaccines and medications, and additional personnel to relieve overworked hospital staff. Donate to Salvation Army Buy

Khalsa Aid International This international NGO provides humanitarian aid in disaster areas and civil conflict zones around the world. It is currently working to support frontline medical workers and vulnerable communities across India with oxygen concentrators and other essential supplies. Donate to KhalsaAid Buy

Indian Red Cross Society The Indian Red Cross responds to disasters like the current coronavirus outbreak by delivering emergency medical supplies and providing emergency services across the country. Donate to Indian Red Cross Buy

Care India Care India is a global humanitarian organization working in India to provide emergency relief, additional health workers, hospital beds, oxygen supply, and more. Donate to CARE Buy

Project HOPE This U.S.-based global health nonprofit is working with local partners to provide PPE and critically needed medical equipment to help front-line health-care workers fight the spread of COVID-19. Donate to Project Hope Buy

Americares Americares is working with several states in India to support health-care workers and slow the spread of COVID-19. The organization says its providing PPE, ventilators, oxygen concentrators, pulse oximeters, thermometers, and other critical medical materials. Donate to Americares Buy

The International Medical Corps Working in conflict areas worldwide, the International Medical Corps has launched a campaign to set up isolation facilities as well as provide medical equipment, PPE, and other essentials. Donate to International Medical Corps Buy

Oxfam India Oxfam India is supplying PPE, safety kits, and medical equipment to hospitals and health-care centers. Its are also working with local policy-makers to aid in vaccine distribution and provide direct cash payments to marginalized households. Donate to OXFAM INDIA Buy

Feeding From Far Feeding From Far is an initiative that has been providing cooked meals and ration kits to the poor and unemployed people struggling to feed themselves since the first COVID lockdown in India. Your donation will help it prepare and distribute ration kits that feed a family of five for an entire week. Donate to Ketto Buy

Making the Difference Mumbai-based organization Making the Difference uses donations to provide medical supplies for public hospitals and nursing homes, and to deliver meals to day workers and families in quarantine. Donate to Making The Difference Buy

HelpNow HelpNow was organized by young students to provide a safe 24/7 logistics network to transport COVID patients, drugs, phlebotomists, health-care workers, and medical supplies throughout India. It needs donations to help them scale their efforts in more communities. Your money will go toward purchasing BLS oxygen ambulances, PPE kits for the ambulance staff, recruiting more drivers, and offering free ambulance services to the poor. Donate to Ketto Buy

Rapid Response This India-based organization is delivering dry goods such as rice, lentils, sugar, and salt and safety kits to poor families, migrant workers, the elderly, and front-line workers. Donate via Ketto Buy

Mission Oxygen Sheena Sood, founder of Abacaxi, a fashion label that makes one of our favorite masks, posted several ways to help India on her Instagram. Among them is Mission Oxygen, a company raising money to help local hospitals across the country access more lifesaving oxygen cylinders and concentrators. Donate via Ketto Buy

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Before interstate highways, there were just plain roads. Most of them started with Paleo-Indians footpaths going through the thickets. And those turned into horse-and-wagon trails.

The Old Federal Road, designed in 1803 as a postal route, stretched through Creek territory in lower Alabama. By 1805, a second Federal Road, called the Georgia Road, headed north into Cherokee lands connecting Savannah to Knoxville.

The first federally funded road, the National Road, started six years later. A major transportation route in early America, it stretched from Maryland to Illinois. A steady stream of pioneers moved westward along that trail. But roads as we think of them today started with the invention of automobiles. At first, cars used the same paths meant for buggies, and that made for rugged, bumpy traveling.

Novels set in the early 1900s tell about driving on those primitive trails. The narrator in Faulkners The Reivers describes the emergency gear in his grandfathers car: The smell-tight five-gallon gasoline can, the funnel and chamois strainer in the toolbox with the tire tools and jack and wrenches that came with the car, and the lantern and axe and shovel and coil of barbed wire and the block and tackle, along with the tin bucket to fill the radiator when we passed creeks.
When writing the article on this years Top Oil Wildcats, one of the hottest candidates had to be dropped out of the list. Not because the prospect turned out to be sub-commercial, far from it, it remains one of Africas most interesting untapped plays, potentially opening up a new country with no previous exposure to the world of energy. As Senegal and Mauritania started to break their way onto the energy maps of Western Africa, Guinea Bissau has remained a relative outlier. At the same time it needs to be pointed out that lack of officially recognized discoveries does not necessarily mean lack of hydrocarbons, as can be attested by the Atum prospect. Atum remains one of the hottest plays in offshore Africa, an overlooked gem that would only need a little bit of political stability to shine.

Recent big discoveries in Senegals offshore, such as FAN-1 and SNE (the latter being the largest oil discovery globally in 2014), shortly thereafter followed by new plays in Mauritanias offshore such as Orca, have unearthed an untapped frontier area that is rich in both oil and gas. Over the past decade Mauritania and Senegal have advanced quite well in terms of appraising their offshore territory, however the southern flank of the MSGBC Basin (short for Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau and Guinea-Conakry) has been lagging behind. The root causes of this are institutional, although Guinea Bissau adopted a new Petroleum Law in 2014, its implementation was never really tested in real life. In countries where peaceful handover of power is still a questionable concept, the anticipation of hydrocarbon discoveries to come, coupled with a heightened sense of political infighting, has created a cumbersome challenge.

Related: U.S. Rig Count Increases To 440 Rigs



The hydrocarbon story of Guinea Bissau is a fairly standard one for a small West African nation.

The tiny country has no commercial discoveries up to date, with official 2P reserves estimated at 12-13 million barrels (equivalent to the Sinapa oil discovery within Block 02). The last offshore wildcat that Bissau had seen dates back to 2007 when the UK-based firm Premier Oil spudded the Eirozes-1 well in the Esperanca block. Drilled into a total depth of 2250 metres in water depth of 100 metres, the well turned out to be dry. This failure has prompted Premier Oil to leave Guinea Bissaus offshore in December 2007  thereafter Svenska Petroleum assumed operatorship over the block. Whilst the Atum prospect, located farther out in deeper waters, has been known for quite some time already, financial issues of license-holding firms and the general lack of appetite for genuine frontier drilling has kept the ambition down.

The Atum prospect is located in the westernmost part of Block 02, partially spilling over into Block 04. It is abutted from the left by the Anchova prospect and from the right by the Sardinha prospect (you have guessed it right, the fishy concept extends to Atum, too, the name of the blocks means tuna). What is new about the Atum prospect? First and foremost, Atum is assumed to become Guinea Bissaus first-ever deepwater well. Second, Atum is an analogue of Senegals SNE-1: it, too, is a shelf-edge play, in similar water depths (900 metres vs 1100 metres) and targeting the same Upper Albian deposits. The unrisked prospective resources of Atum are assessed at 471 MMbbls, i.e. very similar to those of SNE (563 MMbbls). Should the prospective drillers also aim for the Anchova prospect next to Atum, the combined reserves total would increase to 568MMbbls. Related: Three Things That Will Drive Oil Prices In May



Atum has up to now suffered from one main deficiency  lack of a financially robust oil major. Throughout the 2010s, the Swedish Svenska Petroleum was seeking to farm out interests in Blocks 02 and 04A to fund its ambitious drilling plans. Struggling to go at it completely alone, Svenska reached an agreement in August 2019 with the Chinese CNOOC. CNOOC was to purchase 55.55% of the Sinapa and Esperanca license blocks (i.e. Block 2 and Blocks 4A/5A) for the duration of the exploration phase, to be converted into a regular 50% participating interest should the project be deemed commercially viable.

The transaction was assumed to be concluded at some point in Q3 2019, once all the authorities of Guinea Bissau provide all regulatory approvals  needless to say, at that point (just as now) Block 02 was the most promising offshore play that Bissau had. Upon receiving all required approvals, drilling the Atum prospect in Block 02 was supposed to take place in Q1 2020, an ambition that never materialized.

Domestic political turmoil is also one of the main reasons underlying Guinea Bissaus inability to move swiftly enough on regulatory approvals. For a brief period in early 2020 the West African nation had two presidents simultaneously, pitting the camp of Umaro Embalo, the winner of the presidential elections, and Domingos Simoes who refused to acknowledge the results of the ballot and had Cipriano Cassama elected as interim president. It was the President that was bound to approve CNOOCs farm-in into Block 02 of Guinea Bissaus offshore and with both parties fully focused on tripping up political opponents rather than kickstarting the countrys oil and gas sector, the end result was worse than anybody could have forethought.

Against this background, not only did CNOOC quit the intended deal, Svenska Petroleum sold all of its Guinea Bissau acreage (78.57% in Blocks 02, 04A and 05A) to the Norwegian PetroNor in November 2020. It seems likely that PetroNor, joined by the embattled Australian company FAR (21.42% interest), would also prefer to have a go at Atum with a heavy-hitting partner. The acreage license covering exploration works in Block 02 was extended by further 3 years into 2023, therefore the road is clear for interested parties. With this, the spudding of the Atum-1 wildcat is most likely to take place in 2022.

By Viktor Katona for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
President Biden is coming under fire for his attack on oil and gas once again as Canada pleads to keep the cross-border Great Lakes oil pipeline open. Canada is battling against the state of Michigan to keep the cross-border pipeline open as calls to enhance the joint response to climate change seem to be at odds with the two countries oil industries. To create meaningful policy change towards clean energy the U.S. and Canada must work together to support their oil and gas sectors while establishing a clear strategy for the eventual movement away from fossil fuels.

It is important to remember that the U.S. relies heavily on Canada for much of its crude oil imports, consuming around 3.7 million barrels per day, or about 80 percent of Canada's crude output.

Line 5 is supposed to close by May 13, according to Michigans governor, to eliminate the risk of a major leak. As much as 540,000-bpd oil and natural gas liquids pass through this line, making it essential for oil transportation between the two countries. However, the 70-year-old pipeline presents an extreme environmental risk due to its age.

The pipeline currently provides energy to Michigan, Ontario and Quebec, to an area of around 40 million people, meaning the disruption caused by this closure would be significant.

This is the second major pipeline that has prompted a dispute between the U.S. and Canada since President Biden came to office earlier this year. The first was the cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline project in January. The pipeline was expected to transport 800,000 bpd of crude between Alberta and refineries in the U.S.

Related: Three Things That Will Drive Oil Prices In May



Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed disappointment in this decision and Alberta Premier Jason Kenney called the decision a gut punch and an insult; threatening legal action to recover the $1.5 billion investment by Alberta for the project.

A significant proportion of jobs were lost in relation to the cancellation of Keystone, and the closing of line 5 threatens Canadas oil and gas industry further.

Officials from both sides have been formally discussing the potential decommissioning of the pipeline for months, mostly in joint conversations over climate change and policy cohesion. Yet Canada seems to have received little response on the matter from the White House to date.

If deemed necessary, Ottawa could go so far as to invoke the 1977 Transit Pipelines Treaty to stop the closure that would hinder the transit of Canadian oil. This would be the first case of this treaty being enacted.

Canadian Natural Resources Minister Seamus ORegan stated, We have signaled very clearly that this is nonnegotiable, In addition, Line 5 is very different from Keystone XL and we fully support it, and we will defend it, he said. We made our case with Republicans as well as Democrats.

Canadian Enbridge Inc. is instead suggesting that the infrastructure be updated to mitigate the potential for an oil spill by building a tunnel under Lake Michigan. The tunnel, Enbridge claims, would make vital oil transportation infrastructure safer, in line with Bidens energy policy idea of Build Back Better. Enbridge is also criticising Michigans move as it will imply the need for thousands of long-haul vehicles to transport the oil that currently flows through the pipeline.

If the pipeline closure goes ahead it will have a detrimental effect on Canadas oil and gas industry, which has already taken a hit from the cancellation of Keystone. It will also imply the halting of vital oil and gas imports to the American market. The question is whether Biden will respond to Enbridges counter proposal to invest in the existing infrastructure to mitigate the risk of a spill without hindering oil transportation between the two countries.

By Felicity Bradstock for Oilprice.com

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In his first address to Congress on Wednesday, President Joe Biden unveiled his ambitious and expensive economic stimulus plan in what is essentially the third blockbuster domestic funding proposal. Biden has already hit the road to sell his jobs, infrastructure and policing initiatives that add up to about $6 trillion and reflect a desire to restore the federal government to its old role during the New Deal and Great Society. Biden, however, faces an uphill climb trying to sell his plans--both from Republican and a cross-section of Democratic lawmakers alike.

Biden now faces bipartisan pushback against his ambitious economic plans, including from his own party particularly from powerful West Virginia Democrat, Sen. Joe Manchin, signaling the long slog ahead facing the White House's sweeping domestic agenda.

Big government is back

In his 1996 State of the Union address, former President Bill Clinton famously declared that "the era of big government is over." That declaration marked a radical shift for Democrats then trying to show attention to fiscal responsibility.

But Biden is now looking to turn back the hands of time, and has declared that Big Government is back

Biden has been unabashedly rolling out new, liberal federal programs, and has already notched one legislative achievement on his belt with the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill as well as a $2.3 trillion infrastructure bill, dubbed the American Jobs Plan.

And now he wants to throw in the American Families Plan for good measure.

Related: U.S. Power Demand Wont Recover To Pre-Pandemic Level Until 2022 About a month ago, the President signed into law the American Rescue Plan, designed to provide immediate relief to American families and communities. According to the White House, ~161 million payments of up to $1,400 per person have gone out to American households. The Rescue Plan is projected to lift more than five million children out of poverty this year, effectively cutting child poverty by more than half.

However, Bidens government feels that more needs to be done, which is what the American Families Plan is meant to accomplish.

The government is now touting the $1.8 trillion American Families Plan as an investment in American families to help them cover basic expenses, lower health insurance premiums, and advance the American Rescue Plans historic reductions in child poverty. The pay would be equal to two-thirds a workers average weekly wages, up to $4,000 per month, with workers in the lowest wage cohort having 80% of their average weekly wages replaced.

Overall, the American Families Plan includes $1.8 trillion in investments and tax credits consisting of about $1 trillion in investments and $800 billion in tax cuts for American families and workers.

Higher corporate tax

And now, the million-dollar question: How will Biden pay for his ambitious plans?

Biden has proposed raising the corporate tax rate from 21% to 28% and forcing multinational corporations to pay significantly more in taxes.

Wall Street, however, is quite skeptical that Bidens plans will see the light of day and has adopted a wait-and-see mode as investment firms encourage clients to see how lawmakers carve up the plan.

Related: IEA: Electric Vehicle Sales Are Soaring Globally

As Evercore ISI head of U.S. public policy research, Sarah Binahci has noted, There is a vast difference between what Biden proposes and what can eventually pass Congress.

For starters, Biden and the Democrats will have to win Sen. Manchin over.

Manchin, a pivotal swing vote in the 50-50 Senate, has raised concerns about the price tag along with the proposed tax increases, and is demanding for a bipartisan approach that will see Senate Democrats work hand in hand with their Republican counterparts.

In total, Biden has outlined almost $6 trillion in spending--a good $4 trillion on top of what Congress has already approved and a staggering sum given the countrys record deficits. Democrats have managed to muscle through a COVID-19 relief bill through both chambers essentially on party-line votes. Whether they will manage to do the same with the American Families Plan in the face of mounting opposition remains to be seen.

By Safehaven.com

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Despite lengthy lockdowns and closed borders across South America, the continent is one of the worst affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Three countries, Brazil, Argentina and Colombia rank among the top 12 nations for cases while Brazil and Colombia are in the top 12 countries globally by deaths. A third devastating viral wave is spreading across South America, triggering further lockdowns and restrictions on movement aimed at slowing the viruss spread as the health systems of many countries struggle to cope and are pushed to breaking point. The regional economic fallout has already been devastating, causing South Americas 2020 gross domestic product, according to the IMF, to shrink by almost 7%, making it one of the worst-performing regions globally. The pandemic battered South Americas hydrocarbon sector. Energy companies were forced to shutter operations in response to the March 2020 crude oil price collapse and to comply with government efforts to contain the coronavirus. That only magnified the economic damage, particularly in those countries like Colombia and Brazil, which are economically dependent on crude oil production. There are growing fears that the latest viral wave engulfing South America will force further lockdowns and oil industry shut-ins. The arrival of a third viral wave in South America, which is believed to have initially emerged in Brazils Amazon, is severely impacting the continent. It not only appears to be more infectious and lethal but is endangering the continents anticipated economic recovery, with the IMF earlier this year forecasting South Americas GDP will expand 4.4% during 2021. Brazil, at over 14.5 million confirmed COVID cases, has the highest number in South America and ranks third globally, behind the U.S. and India. Latin Americas largest economy has reached over 398,000 fatalities, putting Brazil behind the U.S. and ahead of Mexico. Viral outbreaks on offshore oil rigs have already forced Brazils national oil company Petrobras to temporarily suspend some operations impacting production and delaying first oil at the Mero oilfield in the offshore Libra Block. For the first quarter of 2021, Brazils oil output declined by 5% year over year, illustrating how severely the latest viral outbreak is impacting petroleum industry operations. Data from Brazils petroleum regulator (Portuguese) shows March 2021 hydrocarbon output declined 0.2% month over month to 3.6 million barrels of oil equivalent daily, which was also 93,551 barrels less than January. There are growing concerns that the latest COVID outbreak in Brazil could derail the countrys massive petroleum, which appeared immune to the pandemic. That would have a deep impact on Brazils economy, causing growth to slow and be significantly less than the 3.7% estimated by the IMF for 2021.

Colombia, Latin Americas fourth-largest economy and third-largest oil producer, reinitiated lockdowns in many of its major cities around two months ago as a third wave took a deadly toll on the Andean country. Those events along with the rapidly rising case count, which according to the World Health Organization has reached 2.8 million confirmed COVID cases and almost 73,000 fatalities, are threatening Colombias economic recovery and crucial oil industry. Colombias economy shrank by almost 7% during 2020 and was expected to grow by 5% this year, but the latest developments are imperiling that forecast. The governments 2021 budget deficit has blown out to over 9% and its finances are in ruin. Economically crucial oil production, which accounts for over 30% of exports by value, 3% of GDP, and 17% of fiscal revenue, remains soft with Colombia only pumping 745,769 barrels per day during February 2021, a worrying 15% less than a year earlier.

Related: Oil On Guard Over Yemen As Saudi, Iran Meet In Secret

Poverty, in what was Latin Americas second most unequal country before the pandemic, is soaring with it estimated that up to 49% of the population is living in poverty. That in turn is fueling a marked uptick in violence, lawlessness, and crime. Oilfield invasions are rising as is petroleum theft, which Colombias national oil company Ecopetrol stated at the start of 2021 was 46% higher than a year earlier. Major cities were swamped by recent protests against President Duques planned tax reform, unwillingness to implement the three-year-old peace agreement with the FARC, and rising violence. According to Colombian think tank Indepaz (Spanish) there have been 33 massacres since the start of 2021 or nine more than for the same period a year earlier. International ratings agency Fitch, which rates Colombia just one notch above junk status, believes increasing taxation will potentially adversely affect corporate credit and blunt the urgently needed economic recovery. Fitch asserted that Colombias tax system remains more burdensome for business than other Latin American countries. The ratings agency later made a statement describing tax reform as essential to stabilizing government finances. Growing political turmoil and simmering discontent with the Duque administration will spark further protests which along with community blockades could interrupt oil industry operations, just as they did in 2019 and 2020. Bogotas tax reform, if approved, will likely remove many of the incentives and tax breaks offered to energy companies operating in Colombia. That along with rising violence and growing insecurity will make Colombia an unattractive jurisdiction for foreign oil companies.

Peru which experienced violent protests targeting its oil industry during 2020 is struggling to recover from the pandemic, a major economic slump with GDP last year plunging 11%, and a deep-rooted political crisis. The protests which rocked Perus onshore oil industry in the countrys Amazon Basin were a direct result of Limas neglect of the regions impoverished communities despite the oil industry generating considerable government income. Lima committed to a six-year $1.7 billion program to aid communities in Loreto to end the violent protests which included invasions of the Bretana oilfield operated by Canadian driller PetroTal and state-owned pumping stations.

There are renewed fears of another wave of resource nationalism in Peru if leading presidential candidate Pedro Castillo, a former union activist and school teacher, emerges victorious from the presidential runoff to be held in June. He has campaigned on a platform focused on widespread nationalization, alarming the local oil industry and foreign investors. A resurgent pandemic is weighing heavily on Perus outlook and amplifying the headwinds facing the countrys oil industry. According to the World Health Organization Peru has nearly 1.8 million confirmed COVID cases and registered 59,000 deaths. The reactivation of Perus hydrocarbon sector is crucial to bolstering the economy and assisting the economys return to growth. While 2021 GDP is predicted to expand 8.5%, political turmoil, the threat of resource nationalism, and the fallout from the pandemic could derail Perus economic recovery.

Coronavirus is severely impacting all aspects of economic and social life in South America, amplifying many of the structural weaknesses that existed before the pandemic emerged. The social costs of the pandemic in the region are uneven and heavily skewed toward low-income groups, who have also proven to be the most vulnerable to contracting the virus. It is placing considerable stress on the regions fiscally weak governments, stretching underfunded health systems to breaking point, causing poverty to soar, and leading to a higher incidence of crime and violence. It has battered South Americas economically crucial petroleum industry, which many governments are hoping will spearhead a broad economic recovery, especially with oil having rallied nearly 34% since the start of 2021. The latest viral wave triggered fears that South Americas much-vaunted economic recovery is under threat and that the oil industry in many countries on the continent will not make a full recovery, possibly for years, further damaging local petroleum-dependent economies.

By Matthew Smith for Oilprice.com

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A Supreme Court hearing began this week that could seal the future fate of gas pipelines across the United States. It could also change the balance of power between federal and state authorities in a way that federal authorities would hardly like. The case involves the proposed PennEast pipeline, a 120-mile, 1-billion-cu-m piece of infrastructure that will take natural gas from the Marcellus shale across Pennsylvania and New Jersey. New Jersey is opposing the pipeline. PennEast and FERC want to use eminent domain to condemn the state and private land they need to build the infrastructure.

On the face of it, it is a simple casejust another pipeline dispute of the sort that has been enjoying growing popularity among environmentalist groups and politicians in the past few years. In this case, the politicians want to stop PennEast from receiving easements for 40 parcels of federal land. The only way for PennEast to receive these easements, then, is to sue New Jersey. What makes this case different is that its outcome could have major implications for the industry.

As Forbes Christopher Hellman explained in an article from earlier this week, the argument of the New Jersey political pipeline opponents is that under the 11th Amendment to the Constitution, states have sovereign immunity against lawsuits brought against them by private parties such as companies. In other words, PennEast simply has no right, under the Constitution of the United States, to sue New Jerseys politicians on the pipeline issue.

A counter-argument, used by a district court in 2018 to rule in favor of the natural gas project, is that PennEast is not acting on its own with its plans to carry 1 billion cubic meters of natural gas across two states. It is acting, the court ruled, under the auspices of a government authority: the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Related: How Russia Could Kickstart Another Oil Price War

Forbes Hellman notes this was not a first, either: since the passing of the Natural Gas Act in 1938, FERC has on more than one occasion delegated its powers to invoke eminent domain to energy companies. From PennEasts perspective, then, since federal power supersedes state power and since FERC has approved the New Jersey pipeline, it has every right to sue the state for that land.

New Jersey appealed the district court ruling, and the appeals court found in its favor. It said that the state had sovereign immunity against lawsuits brought against it by private entities such as PennEast, noting that the power to invoke eminent domain as delegated to it by FERC was a completely different matter from its right to sue a state.

Thus, the federal governments ability to condemn State land  is, in fact, the function of two separate powers: the governments eminent domain power and its exemption from Eleventh Amendment immunity, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit said in its decision. A delegation of the former must not be confused for, or conflated with, a delegation of the latter.

And this is what makes this case so fascinating and so important for the industry. If the Supreme Court sides with PennEast, it would mean that the power to invoke eminent domain supersedes states sovereign immunity. But if it sides with New Jersey, it would be very bad news for energy companies because it would mean that pipeline projectsfederally approved projects, no lesswill be banned left and right on the grounds of sovereign immunity from lawsuits seeking to clear the way for eminent domain.

In truth, New Jersey has conceded in its brief to the Supreme Court that the federal government has the constitutional power to seize state property such as land. However, it has been argued that the federal government does not have the right to delegate that power to private parties. According to PennEast, however, this is not true.

Related Video: Guess What? Offshore Oil Is Cleanest Producer

It was well-established at the founding that the sovereign eminent-domain authority was delegable. Thus, conceding federal eminent-domain power but contesting its delegability is not a valid option, the company said in its own brief to SCOTUS.

It is still in the early days. But for now, the Supreme Court appears to be equally open to hearing both sides of the story. According to media reports, some see a 70-percent chance for the court siding with PennEast, citing one Supreme Court Judge, Stephen Breyer, as saying that gas pipelines had a decades-long history and he was wondering whether a ruling in favor of New Jersey would cause disruption to this existing infrastructure.

Chief Justice John Roberts, however, sees things differently, according to a report by the Engineering News-Record. According to him, based on a previous SCOTUS ruling that corporations are people, New Jerseys argument that it has sovereign immunity from private party lawsuits has a solid standing: PennEast is registered in Delaware and the 11th Amendment, on which New Jerseys argument hinges, says that states cannot be sued by citizens of other states.

Things will only get more interesting as court hearings progress. The ruling is expected in mid-summer.

Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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Healthcare workers who had blocked for three weeks Argentinas vast Vaca Muerta shale play in a strike to demand higher pay lifted the blockades this week and moved to block other parts of the province.

Healthcare workers in Argentina began to strike earlier this month in an effort to get the government to acknowledge and reward their work during the COVID-19 epidemic. The protesters blocked Argentinas largest shale play, Vaca Muerta, in the Neuquen province on April 7, disrupting operations. Some 20 days later, they said they had lifted the blockades around Vaca Muerta, while industry sources on the site told Reuters that traffic is starting to return to normal.

The strike and the roadblocks slowed down oil and gas production at Vaca Muerta and disrupted fuel distribution in the area.

Vaca Muerta, Spanish for dead cow, has been dubbed the Argentinian Permian, although its geologic properties have been compared more appropriately to the Eagle Ford.

The healthcare workers have not yet accepted government proposals for higher wages as they deem them insufficient, but have agreed to move the roadblocks away from Vaca Muerta.

We are going to move to different parts of the province. We will continue evaluating what other measures to take to ensure that the government understands our concerns, considering that we are getting hit by a second wave of COVID-19 cases, Marco Campos, a spokesman for the healthcare workers, told Reuters.

The workers, however, are not ruling out the possibility that they might return to blocking Vaca Muerta in the future.

Due to the three-week roadblocks, production of natural gas in Argentinas most important shale play dropped by 3.5 million cubic meters per day and crude oil output fell by around 10,000 barrels per day (bpd), according to estimates from Argus. The blockades also paralyzed some drilling rigs and fracturing equipment.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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The expected impact

Bidens college plan could decrease the amount of debt and the number of students who have to take out student loans to complete college. Thomas Hudson, president of Jackson State University in Mississippi, says decreasing college costs and the burden of student debt would change the landscape for HBCUs.

One of the factors in lower retention rates is finances  students just not being able to afford college year to year, Hudson says. What it does is it traps students in a pretty tough cycle of debt where they are paying more for their education, and it puts them in a state where they have to go further into debt or they have to take (semesters off).

About 45% of high school graduates enrolling in a four-year college in 2021 are expected to take on student loans. Those who get a bachelors degree from a four-year public college could graduate with an average of $38,147 in student loan debt, according to an upcoming NerdWallet study. That ever-growing debt burden leaves some student advocates to say the American Families Plan doesnt go far enough.
Still, the mood was far more upbeat and lively than the previous years meeting, which was held during the deepest trough of the financial crisis created by COVID-19.

Underscoring how much better things are, earlier Saturday, Berkshire released quarterly financial results that showed that the revenues and profits of its operating companies are strongly rebounding.

A year after the pandemic took the economy off a cliff, Buffett said, business is now very good in a great many segments of the economy.

Some of the toughest questions Buffett faced related to how he responded early in that crisis.

The investment sage has previously espoused the belief that investors should be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful. But he didnt seem to take that advice last year.

He bailed on all his massive holdings in the U.S. airline industry. He sold some bank stocks, too. And he did not take advantage of the bargain prices in the stock market to load up on the stock of companies that he believes in.

He also didnt load up on his own stock. While Berkshire ultimately bought back almost $25 billion worth of its own shares in 2020, most of those purchases came as the stocks price was coming back up.
Telehealth is great, but that doesnt always work for pregnancy, she said. Because you have to be weighed for every visit. You have to check your blood pressure. And when youre dealing with high-risk patients, things can change in the matter of a visit.

2. More birthing options. COVID-19 created stress for women planning prenatal visits or childbirth at hospitals: fear of pandemic germs, and worry that they might be separated from their babies in the wake of a positive virus test. There is also uncertainty around whether a partner would be allowed to be in the room. All of these things contributed to women considering home births or other options.

Davenport-Williams noticed more interest in home births. Many have been afraid to even attend prenatal visits or go to the hospital to deliver, she said. Theres more movement around freestanding birth centers. I see that as something thats changing. In the last year, advocates have sounded alarms as the already limited places to give birth on the South and West sides continued to diminish. In the wake of this, midwives are hoping to open a birthing center on the South Side.
Nebraskas history is filled with interesting stories about Native Americans. Perhaps the most well-known is the story of Ponca Chief Standing Bear, who was tried in court in 1879 for returning to his homeland to bury his son against federal orders. The U.S. attorney had argued that Standing Bear was not a person under the law.

Standing Bear is famously quoted as saying in court, I am a man. The court agreed for the first time that an Indian is a person. Representing Nebraska, a statue of Chief Standing Bear is on display in the U.S. Capitols National Statuary Hall.

The Omaha Tribe also has a great historic figure. Dr. Susan La Flesche was the first female Native American doctor, and she opened a hospital on the Omaha reservation in 1913. While Dr. La Flesches achievements as a physician are remarkable, she was not considered an American citizen because of her race. For her many accomplishments, she will soon have her own statue on Nebraskas Centennial Mall in Lincoln.
Government is already way too big and invasive in peoples lives. I would have said We the People but, Biden informed us that We the People is the government. How absurd and audacious.

Lastly, Ive heard it said that when the parasite, the government in this case, overwhelms the host (We the People), the host dies! God help We the People!

Jim Bassett, Bellevue

Its for us to decide

Is it a false argument, when arguing constitutional decisions, that we believe we know what the framers of our Constitution thought?

We treat them as as deities, their words etched in stone tablets. Or, we interpret what they said, in their day, as to how it should apply in the present.

But they were human beings, capable of changing their minds based on what they knew at the time in their society. But what if they knew, then, how our society and technology have changed? Would they have a different constitutional view if they had high-capacity, rapid-fire weapons killing so many colonists, instead of a flint lock musket? Or a military with the destructive power that was unthinkable in their time?
The World Bank Country Director, Mr Pierre Laporte, has lauded the government for its effort at promoting development through education to support national growth.



He pledged the banks support for the education transformation agenda of the government to meet the requirements of the 21st Century job market.



Mr Laporte, who made the commendation during a courtesy call on the Education Minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, in Accra, said the support to the country would come in the form of collaboration for the provision of resources and skills needed to enhance the socio-economic development of the country.



Continuous support



The Country Director highlighted some of the projects being undertaken by the bank and assured the minister that it would continue to assist the country in its bid to reduce poverty.



The interventions include a secondary education improvement project whose goal is to improve access to senior secondary education in underserved districts and also ensure the quality of education in low-performing senior high schools.



He urged the government to also consider strengthening and expanding digital technology and skills for the accelerated transformation of the country.



Response



In his response, Dr Adutwum mentioned skills development in junior and senior high schools, bridging the intersection between science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and technical and vocational education, and training (TVET), increasing gross tertiary enrolment ratio from 18.8 per cent to 40 per cent by 2030, as some of the areas that were being transformed by the government.





Other initiatives include increasing enrolment in STEM-related programmes in the universities to 60:40 in favour of STEM, and reducing learning poverty through assessment and intervention.



The minister, who is also the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Bosomtwe in the Ashanti Region, further assured the Country Director of the governments readiness to promote critical thinking in schools and also ensure a total transformation of the economy through education.





He expressed appreciation to the World Bank for its unflinching support to the country over the years and urged the institution to continue with the various assistance which the minister said were achieving results.









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The Chairman of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Jean-Claude Kassi Brou, has proposed the establishment of a major laboratory in the sub-region that would enable member countries to produce vaccines to deal with emerging diseases and viruses.



He said there was also the need for West African leaders to take lessons from the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic by instituting pro-active measures that would prevent diseases from spreading by equipping and supporting their scientists.



Dr Kassi Brou made the proposals in an interview with journalists in Accra last Thursday after visiting the new office of the ECOWAS Regional Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERERA) in Accra.



ERERA is the regional regulator for cross-border electricity interconnections in West Africa.



Its general mission is to regulate cross-border electricity exchanges between ECOWAS member states, while overseeing the implementation of necessary conditions to ensure rationalisation and reliability, and also contribute to the setting up of a regulatory and economic environment suitable for the development of a regional market.



Working together



Dr Brou said vaccine discovery and production cost lots of money and, therefore, would be appropriate for the entire West African sub-region to pool resources to embark on such a venture.



I say collectively because we have a better chance to succeed in doing so. You know developing a vaccine costs a lot of resources, having the capacity to produce them also costs a lot of resources, so each country can do it, yes, but its going to cost a lot. However, if we share it by working together, find ways to do it collectively, it becomes more manageable, he added.



According to him, having a standard laboratory in the region to discover and produce vaccines was a challenge that ought to be addressed collectively by ECOWAS member states.



PEGAS RANA MOTTORS

We have to invest in research to develop our capacity as a region to have labs that are going to be able to produce vaccinesso we could discover vaccines, produce vaccines when there are specific threats, Dr Brou said.



Establishment of mechanisms



Dr Brou further emphasised the need for the sub-region to establish mechanisms that would be able to identify threat of disease outbreaks and also build the capacity of various health agencies, bureaus and offices to be able to respond when diseases do emerge.



ECOWAS as a regional bloc would encourage and foster the spirit of working together to address specific issues that affect us all because a virus does not know borders, he said.



Dr Brou commended the government for taking proactive steps to contain the spread of COVID-19 while expressing appreciation to ERERA for the role it plays in helping to address the energy challenges in the ECOWAS region.



The Chairman of ERERA, Professor Honore Bogler, also thanked the government and Dr Brou for his visit to its staff in the country and for the cooperation and support received so far in Ghana.





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Mr Simon Osei Mensah, Ashanti Regional Minister, has reiterated the government's commitment to improve the welfare of Ghanaian workers.



He said workers were the movers of the Ghanaian economy and the government would continue to work closely with organized labour to fashion out mutually beneficial strategies that would aid the agenda of improving the lives of all Ghanaians.



Mr Osei-Mensah stated this at the 2021 May Day celebration organized at the Regional Coordinating Council in Kumasi.

This years May Day celebration was on the theme Economic recovery in an era of COVID-19: The role of social partners.



The Minister said as partners in the national development, trade unions and for that matter, workers had a crucial role to play in national economic recovery efforts especially in this era of covid-19 pandemic.



Mr Osei-Mensah stressed that the government would always work in partnership with organized labour to achieve the desired goal of equal opportunities and improvement in the lives of every Ghanaian, including all categories of workers.



He commended Ghanaian workers for their continued dedication and sacrifices towards the building of the Ghanaian economy and asked them to continue to work hard to move the economy from its present situation for the betterment of all.



The Minister reminded them of the effect of the coronavirus pandemic and said the government would do all it could to reach mutually acceptable grounds in respect of their welfare and social lives.







Source: GNA









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The Executive Director at Child Rights International, Mr. Bright Appiah has urged the public to stop giving money to street children.



According to him, it is criminal to give money to street children, saying that the laws will deal with people who are caught in that regard.



He noted that some parents see begging on the streets as a lucrative business and therefore intentionally send their children there to beg for money.



Mr Appiah was speaking on Atinka TVs morning show, Ghana Nie while discussing Ghanas Social Protection System Under Perspective moderated by Ekourba Gyasi Simpremu.



"Its a criminal offence if you give money to street children. When you are caught, the law will deal with you. What we need to look at is the welfare of those who by virtue of their situation cannot locate their family, the state should come in. But for the foreigners who beg on the streets, the law must deal with them as well as those who bring their children on the street to beg purely on a criminal level, he said.



Mr. Appiah urged all those who want to give money to the street children to send it to the Social Welfare or homes so that all vulnerable children will benefit from it.



I will never encourage anybody to give money to children on the street. If you have any money to give, donate it to the social welfare system to help vulnerable children, he said.













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Government is to expand the Kpone Barrier to Miotso stretch on the Accra-Aflao road into a six-lane route.



The project includes the construction of four interchange points at the T.T Brothers Junction, the Kpone Barrier, Dawhenya to Afienya junction and the Prampram junction



The work, to be executed by BHM, a British construction firm, will begin in July this year is to address the heavy traffic congestion experienced on the 17-kilometre stretch and is expected to be completed in 18 months.



The Accra-Aflao road has become a huge bother to the travelling public for years now as the gridlock there consume hours of productive time of its users.



The Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Akwasi AmoakoAttah, disclosed this when he witnessed the chaotic traffic situation at the Kpone barrier on Tuesday as part of his duty tour of the Greater Accra Region



The Kpone area, he explained, was a very strategic point for travellers using the Abidjan-Lagos corridor, hence the need to eliminate inconvenience and suffering.



He indicated that the two to three man-hours lost due to the traffic congestion could be used for productive ventures and so such a loss must not be allowed to continue.



Mr. Amoako-Atta noted that the Ministry has identified all such roads along the corridor that gives the travelling public headache and would be addressed as part of governments 2020 to 2021 year of roads agenda.



He said the road would begin as a dual carriage way with additional four lanes per each side to serve as linking roads to adjoining communities.



The four interchanges would ease the traffic congestion at the T.T Brothers junction, the Prampram Junction, the Dawhenya junction and the Kpone Barrier to help address the challenges  he said.



The Minister urged the contractor to concentrate more on the Kpone Barrier intersection so as to bring relief to the people adding addressing the Kpone Barrier challenge would be a big relief to businesses and the travelling public.



He charged the Kpone Katamanso Municipal Assembly to revoke the temporary permit issued to people with containers along the road reservation to avoid any delay to the project.



The project must be completed or schedule, nothing would be allowed to stand in the way, please advise them to remove their containers, if they refused called me, I will bring the Bulldozers to remove them myself he warned.



Mr Amoako-Atta charged the residents and motorists to offer their utmost support to the contractor to enable him to complete the project on schedule.



He said the Technical Committee of the Ministry would meet on Monday to approve the construction of a Bailey bridge at Kpone to link the area to Tema to ease the pressure on the Tema-Dawhenya road.



The Communication Director of the construction firm BHM, Mr Bruce Morten, said steps were being taken to provide temporary access roads to ease traffic congestion while the work, especially while the interchanges were being constructed.









Source: The Ghanaian Times









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OccupyGhana has watched with shock, a video on YouTube (now pulled down) of a religious event held in Accra from Friday, 30 April 2021, dubbed Pneumatica Night 2021, and organised by the Christ Embassy Youth Church, Airport City, which event packed thousands of adherents into the air-conditioned tent called Fantasy Dome, with minimal mask wearing and absolutely no social distancing.



We are not opposed to the holding of religious events. But we need no reminders that the dangerous and murderous COVID-19 is still present and active with us. That is why the government has imposed protocols by law, which demand compliance, even by churches; and our local churches have largely been exemplar in this regard. On the contrary, we are seeing the colossal human disaster that is unfolding in India, caused largely by unrestrained political activities and religious events that did not respect COVID-19 protocols.



That is why we are shocked that the authorities could either actively or negligently allow this event to be held in Accra, especially by a religious organisation whose leader actively denies the virus and preaches against the protocols.



The government must answer to Ghanaians whether or not this event was held on its blind side, and if so, how that was possible? Was the police present at the event, and if so, why? Were government officials invited and were they present? Were the venue owners present, and did they take any steps to prevent or stop this?



While the authorities investigate this matter, we call on the government to immediately stop any further meetings and apply the law on COVID-19 protocols to the organisers of this event to the fullest extent possible.



The key lesson from covid is this: If you pile thousands of people together, maskless, COVID spreads! We all should have learnt that by now! Even more, studies have shown that air-conditioners may help spread the virus.



We hope that the authorities have learned the painful lesson on how the kids-glove treatment of Aisha Huang all but killed the fight against Galamsey, that the way the government treats such a flagrant breach of our laws will tell Ghanaians how serious we are about this fight.



Still in the service of God and Country



OccupyGhana

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The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has urged the Zongo community to be inspired by Tafsir, one of the oldest methods of teaching and learning, to prioritise education in the Zongos.



The Tafsir is the process of breaking down and interpreting complex texts of the Holy Quran for clear understanding, and this method of teaching and learning, has existed since the advent of Islam.



The Vice President attended one of such events over the weekend, when he joined the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu for the closing session of the Chief Imam's annual Ramadan Tafsir.



Addressing fellow Muslims at the gathering, Dr. Bawumia said Tafsir, which was used in the olden days to provide information and education, underlines the importance of seeking knowledge, as directed by Prophet Muhammad, and urged members of the Zongo community, particularly the youth, to be inspired by that and take education more seriously.



"The Tafsir, is a forum for spreading and seeking knowledge and it is in line with the important call by The Prophet Muhammad S.A.W. for education to be taken seriously. Beyond listening to the Tafseer, it is important for us, to continue to take education seriously in order to transform our communities," Dr. Bawumia advised.



"In today's competitive and technological world, seeking education should be a priority for all. It is a right and a must for all, especially the young ones."



Dr. Bawumia commended the National Chief Imam and other clerics for their commitments to the promotion of education and urged the young generation to emulate them



"If we look at what the National Chief Imam and other Sheikhs have done and continue to do to promote education within Zongos, the young ones, cannot do otherwise. If our Sheikhs, even at their advanced age, continue to dream about building schools and generally about education, the young ones have no reason not to prioritise education today."



"We are beneficiaries of the knowledge of our Sheikhs today because they took their education seriously yesterday. Let us also take education seriously today so others will also benefit from it tomorrow."

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The Asuogyaman District Programme Officer of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Mr Prosper Swanzy, has urged Ghanaians to take interest in nation building, cohesion and peaceful coexistence.

He said Ghanaians must also pay attention to the core values and principles in the countrys democratic development.



He was speaking at the district launch of the 2021 NCCE National Constitution Week last Wednesday.



The celebration, which was instituted in 2001, is to ensure that the Constitution becomes a living document embossed on the minds and hearts of Ghanaians in pursuit of democracy and good governance.



Common destiny



Mr Swanzy urged Ghanaians, irrespective of their ethnic, religious and educational background, to live as one people with a common destiny.





He said Ghana was on a historic journey to establish a framework of government to secure for posterity the blessing of liberty, equality of opportunity and prosperity for all Ghanaians.



We Ghanaians have solemnly declared our commitment to freedom, justice, preservation of fundamental rights and freedoms as well as the unity and stability of our nation.



This framework of government came into force on January 7, 1993, as the 1992 Constitution of Ghana. Years on our practice of democratic governance has survived, Mr Swanzy stated.





April 28



Mr Swanzy explained that April 28 was adopted as the commencement date for the activities because that was the day a national referendum was held to endorse the Constitution in 1992.





He said the NCCE was seeking to use the celebration to create an increased and sustained interest and participation of all Ghanaians in the democratic dispensation for the achievement of good governance, social and political stability for national unity and development.



For his part, the NCCE District Accountant, Mr Francis Matey, reminded Ghanaians never to drop their guard on the observation of COVID-19 protocols.



He also urged Ghanaians to take a keen interest in the ongoing COVID-19 vaccination.









Source: Graphiconline.com









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Audio Attachment: Listen to Jacob Osei Yeboah (JOY 2012) on Peace FM News

Jacob Osei Yeboah, popularly known as JOY 2012, a 2012 and 2016 independent Presidential candidate has described as marvelous' work done by the Electoral Commission in the 2020 elections.



His comment comes after some media watchers questioned the mode of communication used by the country's Electoral Management body during the 2020 elections at a post-election review, Tuesday, April 27.



The Executive Secretary of the National Media Commission (NMC), Mr. George Sarpong addressing a forum of stakeholders from political parties and Civil Society groups, said the EC needs a media Advisory Committee to correct it poor mode of communication and just issuance of Press releases.



He smells danger ahead if the Commission refuses to restructure its communication mode.



JOY 2012 Rebuts



However, JOY 2012 sees nothing wrong with the Commission's way of sending out information.



According to him, the EC Chairperson, Jean Mensa did an excellent job and needs commendation not condemnations.



He said the Electoral Commission in 2012, right from the Voter registration exercise to the elections had a very smooth communication.



I havent seen any peaceful election which was organized in this manner. This is the only election with no queues . . . Let the Citizen Know was fantastic, he said.



ECs let the Citizen Know series



The Electoral Commission (EC) on Wednesday July 8 2020 launched LET THE CITIZEN KNOW Platform at its headquarters in Accra.



Addressing the media at the event, the EC Chairperson, Madam Jean Mensa reiterated the objective of the Electoral Management Body to be fair and transparent in its dealings with the populace ahead of the 2020 Election.



The initiative was used to give updates to Ghanaians on the ongoing Registration Exercise.



"Through you, our dear friends in the Media, we intend to engage with the citizens twice a week, on Wednesday and Friday starting today."



"Using the 'LET THE CITIZEN KNOW' Platform, we will provide the citizens with updates ranging from the number of persons who register per day nationwide, to details on male/female ratios, to the number of persons who use the guarantee system, number of persons who use a form of identification, to name a few," she told the media in her speech.



She said since assuming office in 2018, the Commissioners have endeavoured to bring the Commission to the doorstep of key stakeholders by informing them about their operations.



















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.

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A Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress(NDC), Peter Boamah Otukonor, has asked the government to be more serious with the fight against galamsey activities



He wants the government to put in place pragmatic measures having decided to take up the galamsey fight once again.



Speaking on Okay FM's 'Ade Akye Abia' program, he advised the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to consult the NDC if they lack ideas and proposals to fight the galamsey menace.



"When the NPP government wanted to retain power, they promised to fight galamsey and even went ahead to set a task force which has failed woefully in tackling this illegal mining menace.



"This government has clearly lost the galamsey fight, but they are behaving as if they are on top of their game," he said.



He maintained that the NPP government has not shown commitment to end this deadly menace, which is causing havoc to especially water bodies and reserved forests.



"The government should just be smart about it and ensure that they legalize galamsey to enable them regularize it," he added.



"If this government lacks ideas to fight this menace, they should contact us (NDC) or just set up a committee to go through the NDCs manifesto for proposals," Otukonor added.



200 Soldiers Deployed



President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has reiterated his will to end the galamsey menace in his second term.



This he has done by ordering for the deployment of 200 military men to guard some river bodies in the country.



In a statement by the Ministry of Information, the operation commenced on Wednesday, April 28th, 2021, on the River Pra in the Central and Western regions of Ghana.



The Ministry of Defence and the Ghana Armed forces are expected to provide a detailed brief of developments and sustainability efforts on Friday, 30th April 2021.



This s to ensure that mining within water bodies is immediately stopped. This latest action to fight galamsey comes after the Stakeholder Dialogue on Small Scale Mining on April 14.



Watch Video Below





Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline.com/[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.

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The Convention People's Party (CPP) has called on the Electoral Commission (EC) to put structures and systems in place to ensure greater transparency in results collation and management.



That, it said, would remove all doubts and deepen stakeholder trust and public confidence in electoral outcomes.



The General Secretary of the CPP, Nana Yaa Akyimpim Jantuah, made the call in an interview with the Daily Graphic on the sidelines of a high-level post-election stakeholders review workshop on the 2020 Presidential and Parliamentary elections organized by the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO).



The EC through its Director of Training had earlier in a presentation indicated that the Commission in 2020 conducted the most successful, well-coordinated, and seamless elections in the history of Ghana.



Misgivings



The CPP General Secretary said going forward, the EC and other stakeholders must strive to work together to eradicate misgivings and other issues that people were not happy about with regard to the 2020 general election.



"There should be more transparency, more unity and peace. Nobody should lose his or her life because of a ballot." she said.



Nana Yaa Jantuah said it was also necessary that political parties were funded by the state, stressing that the modalities should be spelt out, especially given the monetisation of the political party processes in the last elections.



Electoral violence



A member of the Research and Policy Committee of the People's National Convention (PNC), Mr Sulemana Seidu, for his part, condemned incidences of violence that characterised the election processes, especially during the collation of results in some constituencies across the country.



He expressed his disappointment at the rise of electoral violence in parts of the country, which consequently led to the loss of lives and destruction of properties following the December 7, 2020 election.



He called on the security agencies to comprehensively investigate those incidents, and the perpetrators made to face the full rigors of the law to deter others.



On political party financing, he called for public funding of political parties, especially parties with the requisite structures to enable them function as expected.



Mr Seidu, who is also the Ashanti Regional Secretary of the PNC, asked the EC to make it part of its arrangement to assist political parties with representations at the polling stations with logistics to help them to monitor elections in a manner that guaranteed transparency.





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.

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The Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, says contrary to pessimistic views that the introduction of the Free Senior High School would compromise quality education, data from WASSCE result released by the West African Examinations Council proves otherwise.



Speaking at the closing session of the National Chief Imam's annual Ramadan lectures (Tafsir) in Accra, Dr. Bawumia spoke about where government's commitment to promoting quality education, indicating that the remarkable record of the first batch of beneficiaries of Free SHS among four West African countries, proved that government has not compromised quality education.



"When the Akufo-Addo government introduced the Free SHS policy, some people opposed it and said quality education would be compromised. But the 2020 West Africa Senior High School Examination shows that if anything, the free senior high school has improved the quality of education in Ghana."



"The WAEC with countries like Sierra Leone, Gambia, Nigeria, Ghana; the results show that of the total number of students who took the exam, there was a total number of 465 who got A in all their 8 subjects. Of the 465 in all these countries, 411 came from Ghana. The other 54 came from Nigeria but Nigerian students were 70% of all the students who took the exams but Ghana got 411 8As and they (Nigeria) got 54 8As."



"That tells you the quality that we have produced. We should not underestimate what we are capable of and we should not underestimate what we are capable of."



"Free SHS is helping our students and of course helping our parents as well because they dont have to pay."



Dr. Bawumia urged all, particularly members of the Zongo community and other deprived communities to seize the equal opportunity and access to education the Akufo-Addo government has provided.

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.

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The practice of hunting lions raised in captivity has long been controversial in South Africa

South Africa on Sunday revealed plans to ban the breeding of lions in captivity for trophy hunting or for tourists to pet, advocating a more "authentic" experience for visitors.

The decision was in response to recommendations contained in a government study into the controversial practice.

The panel studied the rules governing the hunting, trade and keeping in captivity of lions, elephants, rhino and leopards.

Environment Minister Barbara Creecy told a news conference that the study recommended a halt to the "domestication of lions through captive breeding and keeping."

"We don't want captive breeding, captive hunting, captive (cubs) petting, captive use of lions," the minister said.

The decision, which is yet to be formulated into policy, is likely to set the government on a collision course with the powerful multi-million-dollar industry of captive lion breeding.

The minister said the recommendations were not aimed at stifling the hunting industry.

"Legal regulated hunting of the iconic species under the regulatory environment will continue to be permitted," she said.

But the report urged a stop to "tourists' interaction with captive lions, including cub petting", Creecy noted.

The practice of hunting lions raised in captivity has long been controversial in South Africa, where a large number of animals are confined to pens ringed with electric fences.

Campaigns to ban the importation of captive-bred lion trophies have in recent years gathered steam in the United States, Australia and several European countries.

The minister said the tourism industry was susceptible to negative perceptions.

'Authentic' hunting

"The intention here is to ensure that those who are interested in... authentic wildlife hunting" will have such an experience and "will not be hunting animals that have been taken out of the cage," she said.

South Africa counts between 8,000 and 12,000 lions at some 350 farms, where they are raised for hunting, tourism and academic research, according to estimates by wildlife groups.

They are also raised for their bones, used in medicine and jewellery in Southeast Asia, according to wildlife charities.

By contrast around 3,500 lions live in the wild in the country, according to the South African-based Endangered Wildlife Trust.

The global animal charity World Animal Protection hailed the government's decision as "courageous".

"Thousands of farmed lions are born into a life of misery in South Africa every year in cruel commercial breeding facilities," said Edith Kabesiime, World Animal Protection's campaign manager for Africa.

"This is a win for wildlife" and will ensure that "lions remain where they belongin the wild," she said.

Louise de Waal, director of the award-winning documentary feature film "Blood Lions" exposing the trade, said she was "extremely happy" at the government's decision.

The panel also recommended the phasing out of captive rhino breeding and an examination of the future use of rhino horn stockpiles.

Home to about 80 percent of the world's rhino population, South Africa has long attracted poachers, but it also counts more than 300 private rhino breeders.

Explore further S.African MPs seek end of captive lion trophy hunting

 2021 AFP
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India's COVID-19 tally reached 19,164,969 on Saturday, with a single day spike of 401,993 cases, the health ministry said.

This is the first time when over 400,000 new cases were recorded in India in 24 hours, and a record number of 3,523 deaths since Friday morning took the total death toll to 211,853.

There are still a total of 3,268,710 active cases in the country, with an increase of 98,482 active cases through Friday, as 15,684,406 people have been cured and discharged from hospitals so far across the country.

The COVID-19 figures continue to peak in the country, but the federal government has ruled out imposing a complete lockdown. The capital Delhi has been put under a second successive week-long lockdown till May 3.

The number of daily active cases has been on the rise over the past few weeks, after once coming down to below 10,000 in January.

Over 154 million vaccination doses (154,989,635) have been administered to the people in India.

Online registration began on Wednesday for vaccinating people aged above 18. This would be the third phase of COVID-19 vaccination, which begins on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Indian government has ramped up COVID-19 testing facilities across the country, as over 288 million tests have been conducted so far.

As many as 288,337,385 tests have been conducted till Friday, out of which 1,945,299 tests were conducted on Friday alone, said the latest data issued by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Saturday.

The national capital Delhi, which has been one of the most COVID-19 affected places in the country, witnessed over 27,000 new cases and 375 deaths through Thursday.

So far as many as 16,147 people have died in the capital due to COVID-19, confirmed Delhi's health department.

India is set to receive its first doses of Sputnik-V, the Russian-made vaccine, on Saturday.




In this image made from NASA TV video, the SpaceX Dragon capsule floats after landing in the Gulf of Mexico near the Florida Panhandle early Sunday, May 2, 2021. SpaceX returned four astronauts from the International Space Station on Sunday, making the first U.S. crew splashdown in darkness since the Apollo 8 moonshot. (NASA TV via AP)

SpaceX safely returned four astronauts from the International Space Station on Sunday, making the first U.S. crew splashdown in darkness since the Apollo 8 moonshot.

The Dragon capsule parachuted into the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Panama City, Florida, just before 3 a.m., ending the second astronaut flight for Elon Musk's company.

It was an express trip home, lasting just 6 1/2 hours.

The astronauts, three American and one Japanese, flew back in the same capsulenamed Resiliencein which they launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in November.

"We welcome you back to planet Earth and thanks for flying SpaceX," SpaceX's Mission Control radioed moments after splashdown. "For those of you enrolled in our frequent flyer program, you've earned 68 million miles on this voyage."

"We'll take those miles," said spacecraft commander Mike Hopkins. "Are they transferrable?" SpaceX replied that the astronauts would have to check with the company's marketing department.

Within a half-hour of splashdown, the charred capsuleresembling a giant toasted marshmallowhad been hoisted onto the recovery ship, with the astronauts exiting soon afterward. NASA and SpaceX managers marveled at how fast and smooth the operation went. The company's senior adviser, Hans Koenigsmann, said "it looked more like a race car pit stop than anything else."

In this image made from NASA TV video, the SpaceX Dragon capsule parachutes into the Gulf of Mexico near the Florida Panhandle early Sunday, May 2, 2021. SpaceX returned four astronauts from the International Space Station on Sunday, making the first U.S. crew splashdown in darkness since the Apollo 8 moonshot. (NASA TV via AP)

Hopkins was the first one out, doing a little dance as he emerged under the intense spotlights.

"It's amazing what can be accomplished when people come together," he told SpaceX flight controllers at company headquarters in Hawthorne, California. "Quite frankly, you all are changing the world. Congratulations. It's great to be back."

The 167-day mission was the longest for a crew capsule launching from the U.S. The previous record of 84 days was set by NASA's final Skylab station astronauts in 1974.

Saturday night's undocking left seven people at the space station, four of whom arrived a week ago via SpaceX.

"Earthbound!" NASA astronaut Victor Glover, the capsule's pilot, tweeted after departing the station. "One step closer to family and home!"

Hopkins and Gloveralong with NASA's Shannon Walker and Japan's Soichi Noguchishould have returned to Earth last Wednesday, but high offshore winds forced SpaceX to pass up a pair of daytime landing attempts. Managers switched to a rare splashdown in darkness, to take advantage of calm weather.

In this image made from NASA TV video, the SpaceX Dragon capsule lands into the Gulf of Mexico near the Florida Panhandle early Sunday, May 2, 2021. SpaceX returned four astronauts from the International Space Station on Sunday, making the first U.S. crew splashdown in darkness since the Apollo 8 moonshot. (NASA TV via AP)

SpaceX had practiced for a nighttime return, just in case, and even recovered its most recent station cargo capsule from the Gulf of Mexico in darkness. Infrared cameras tracked the astronauts' capsule as it re-entered the atmosphere; it resembled a bright star streaking through the night sky.

All four main parachutes could be seen deploying just before splashdown, which was also visible in the infrared.

Apollo 8NASA's first flight to the moon with astronautsended with a predawn splashdown in the Pacific near Hawaii on Dec. 27, 1968. Eight years later, a Soviet capsule with two cosmonauts ended up in a dark, partially frozen lake in Kazakhstan, blown off course in a blizzard.

That was it for nighttime crew splashdownsuntil Sunday.

Despite the early hour, the Coast Guard was out in full force to enforce an 11-mile (18-kilometer) keep-out zone around the bobbing Dragon capsule. For SpaceX's first crew return in August, pleasure boaters swarmed the capsule, a safety risk. Leisure boats stayed away this time.

Support teams work around the SpaceX Crew Dragon Resilience spacecraft shortly after it landed with NASA astronauts Mike Hopkins, Shannon Walker, and Victor Glover, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Soichi Noguchi aboard in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Panama City, Florida, Sunday, May 2, 2021. NASA's SpaceX Crew-1 mission was the first crew rotation flight of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket with astronauts to the International Space Station as part of the agency's Commercial Crew Program. (Bill Ingalls/NASA via AP)

Once finished with their medical checks on the ship, the astronauts planned to hop on a helicopter for the short flight to shore, then catch a plane straight to Houston for a reunion with their families.

"It's not very often you get to wake up on the space station and go to sleep in Houston," chief flight director Holly Ridings told reporters.

The astronauts' capsule, Resilience, will head back to Cape Canaveral for refurbishment for SpaceX's first private crew mission in September. The space station docking mechanism will be removed, and a brand new domed window put in its place.

A tech billionaire has purchased the entire three-day flight, which will orbit 75 miles (120 kilometers) above the space station. He'll fly with a pair of contest winners and a physician assistant from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, his designated charity for the mission.

In this image made from NASA TV video, the SpaceX Dragon capsule is retrieved from the Gulf of Mexico near the Florida Panhandle early Sunday, May 2, 2021. SpaceX returned four astronauts from the International Space Station on Sunday, making the first U.S. crew splashdown in darkness since the Apollo 8 moonshot. (NASA TV via AP)

In this image made from NASA TV video, the SpaceX Dragon capsule is retrieved from the Gulf of Mexico near the Florida Panhandle early Sunday, May 2, 2021. SpaceX returned four astronauts from the International Space Station on Sunday, making the first U.S. crew splashdown in darkness since the Apollo 8 moonshot. (NASA TV via AP)

In this image made from NASA TV video, Commander Mike Hopkins egresses the SpaceX Dragon capsule after being retrieved from the Gulf of Mexico near the Florida Panhandle early Sunday, May 2, 2021. SpaceX returned four astronauts from the International Space Station on Sunday, making the first U.S. crew splashdown in darkness since the Apollo 8 moonshot. (NASA TV via AP)

Support teams work around the SpaceX Crew Dragon Resilience spacecraft shortly after it landed with NASA astronauts Mike Hopkins, Shannon Walker, and Victor Glover, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Soichi Noguchi aboard in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Panama City, Florida, Sunday, May 2, 2021. NASA's SpaceX Crew-1 mission was the first crew rotation flight of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket with astronauts to the International Space Station as part of the agency's Commercial Crew Program. (Bill Ingalls/NASA via AP)

NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins is helped out of the SpaceX Crew Dragon Resilience spacecraft onboard the SpaceX GO Navigator recovery ship after he, NASA astronauts Mike Hopkins, Shannon Walker, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Soichi Noguchi, landed in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Panama City, Florida, Sunday, May 2, 2021. NASA's SpaceX Crew-1 mission was the first crew rotation flight of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket with astronauts to the International Space Station as part of the agency's Commercial Crew Program. (Bill Ingalls/NASA via AP)

NASA astronaut Victor Glover is helped out of the SpaceX Crew Dragon Resilience spacecraft onboard the SpaceX GO Navigator recovery ship after he, NASA astronauts Mike Hopkins, Shannon Walker, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Soichi Noguchi, landed in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Panama City, Florida, Sunday, May 2, 2021. NASA's SpaceX Crew-1 mission was the first crew rotation flight of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket with astronauts to the International Space Station as part of the agency's Commercial Crew Program. (Bill Ingalls/NASA via AP)

NASA astronaut Shannon Walker is helped out of the SpaceX Crew Dragon Resilience spacecraft onboard the SpaceX GO Navigator recovery ship after he, NASA astronauts Mike Hopkins, Shannon Walker, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Soichi Noguchi, landed in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Panama City, Florida, Sunday, May 2, 2021. NASA's SpaceX Crew-1 mission was the first crew rotation flight of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket with astronauts to the International Space Station as part of the agency's Commercial Crew Program. (Bill Ingalls/NASA via AP)

This photo combination provided by NASA shows from left, Expedition 64 Flight Engineers and SpaceX Crew-1 members Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, Shannon Walker and Soichi Noguchi. SpaceX is targeting the predawn hours of Sunday, May 2, to bring back three NASA astronauts and one from Japan, after dangerously high wind scuttled a pair of earlier attempts. (NASA via AP)

NASA astronauts Shannon Walker, left, Victor Glover, Mike Hopkins, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Soichi Noguchi, right are seen inside the SpaceX Crew Dragon Resilience spacecraft onboard the SpaceX GO Navigator recovery ship shortly after having landed in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Panama City, Florida, Sunday, May 2, 2021. NASA's SpaceX Crew-1 mission was the first crew rotation flight of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket with astronauts to the International Space Station as part of the agency's Commercial Crew Program. (Bill Ingalls/NASA via AP)

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Soichi Noguchi is helped out of the SpaceX Crew Dragon Resilience spacecraft onboard the SpaceX GO Navigator recovery ship after he, NASA astronauts Mike Hopkins, Shannon Walker, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Soichi Noguchi, landed in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Panama City, Florida, Sunday, May 2, 2021. NASA's SpaceX Crew-1 mission was the first crew rotation flight of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket with astronauts to the International Space Station as part of the agency's Commercial Crew Program. (Bill Ingalls/NASA via AP)

Bill Spetch, manager of the NASA International Space Station Transportation Integration Office, and NASA astronaut representative Joe Acaba watch a dolphin swim next to a ship Saturday, May 1, 2021, as NASA and SpaceX teams prepared for the splashdown of the SpaceX capsule in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Panama City, Fla., Saturday, May 1, 2021. (Bill Ingalls/NASA via AP)

In a photo provided by NASA, NASA and SpaceX support teams board a helicopter at Pensacola, Fla., Saturday, May 1, 2021, to head to a ship in the Gulf of Mexico. A SpaceX capsule carrying four astronauts departed the International Space Station late Saturday, aiming for a rare nighttime splashdown to end the company's second crew flight. It would be the first U.S. splashdown in darkness since Apollo 8s crew returned from the moon in 1968. (Bill Ingalls/NASA via AP)

SpaceX's next astronaut launch for NASA will follow in October.

NASA turned to private companies to service the space station, after the shuttle fleet retired in 2011. SpaceX began supply runs in 2012 and, last May, launched its first crew, ending NASA's reliance on Russia for astronaut transport.

Boeing isn't expected to launch astronauts until early next year.

Explore further SpaceX making 1st US crew splashdown in dark since Apollo 8

 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). Your standards are high, and you give with great mindfulness. Unless and until you get the feeling that youre adding something to the project that your group would not have otherwise, you will not be satisfied.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Once your heart sets a quest in motion, its pretty difficult to stop the search. However, since things often show up when youre not looking for them, youll benefit from a break and a distraction.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Youre open to the magical, wonderful happenings, but youre also aware of the stomach-churning risks involved. One wont happen without the other, and most likely, the risk comes first.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Anger wont stay with you long. It cant. Its too destructive to carry around. Its a bomb you either have to throw or diffuse. The way to turn it off is to honestly ask yourself, What has been lost?

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Thoughts are the seeds of a reality thats as solid as the building youre in. Someone thought, There should be a building here, and now there is. Theres a thought youve had lately that someone will one day stand inside.
GALWAY  A month after the states April 1 deadline for communities with police departments to submit mandatory police reform plans, the village of Galway in Saratoga County is the only Capital Region community that has yet to comply.

As of this past week, about a dozen municipalities out of 494 with police departments have yet to submit plans to the state, and many of them small and rural, like tiny Galway. That number is down from nearly 40 agencies that hadnt submitted their plans as of April 7, a week after they were due to be filed; state officials said they are contacting the communities that havent complied.

Village Mayor William Hyde did not respond to several requests for comment last week. Minutes from Village Board meetings show that then-new police chief Jeff Devine raised the need for the village to develop the plan last October, but there are no other references to it in board minutes.

By any policing standard, Galway is small. The village has a population of about 200. It sits at a crossroads on state Route 147 within the larger town of Galway. The police chief is part-time, and the chief and one part-time officer work about 10 hours per week, with their main duty being writing speeding tickets and other traffic enforcement.
Editor:

We often hear about the police interactions with the mentally ill at a crisis point. The stories are tragic for all involved. The incidents may result in injury or death to the patient, or arrest of a very sick individual because no other option is available. If the police succeed in successfully bringing the patient to the hospital they are discharged instead of admitted.

I want to be clear, these are cases that make the news but are not the norm of mental illness. They are the result of a disease that continues to progress into more severe symptoms from a lack of treatment. Barriers to appropriate services are the primary cause of these episodes, as well as contributing to the increased homeless population, the increased numbers of overdoses (both intentional and accidental) and an overall lack of productivity and happiness. I am not talking about people suffering because they refuse treatment. These cases are actually fewer than you would expect. I am talking about willing patients being denied treatment. These desperate people are refused admission to a psychiatric bed, a hospital bed or supportive housing. Only 10% of people suffering from addiction are able to find treatment services, and the services available are often woefully inadequate.
More than 25 cartoonists behind strips from Blondie to Zippy the Pinhead are celebrating 'No Pants Day' on Friday in a way that helps charities get clothing to those in need.
South Jersey readers will most remember him, perhaps, for his successfully fighting to close both the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station in Lacey Township, and the B.L. England power plant in Upper Township. An opponent of all fossil fuels, he was also instrumental in stopping South Jersey Gass plans to build a natural gas pipeline through part of protected forest in the pinelands, so that the B.L. England plant could convert from coal and oil to natural gas.

Tittel came by his advocacy in a less common way than most Baby Boomers. Both his parents and grandparents were activists in labor, anti-war and other movements in North Jersey.

Im the conservative, Tittel said. In my family, Im definitely a lot more conservative than my parents and grandparents.

When he was 4, he participated in a sit-in at Woolworths, Tittel said. It was 1961. I understood a lot of it  that it was about in the South, not everybody could sit at that lunch counter.

The first environmental activism he participated in was on the first Earth Day, he said, when he organized fellow seventh graders in Hillside to help clean up the Elizabeth River.
Schlosser, the chief psychologist for the N.J. Association of Chiefs of Police, said its the combination of traumatic events and the daily stress of the job that really starts to add up.

A lot of people are always worrying about the big bads, like an officer-involved shooting, which are very serious, of course, he said, But Id say more frequently, its the kind of cumulative trauma of repeated exposure to stressful events with negative outcomes.

He added that 2020 was particularly tough for officers because of constant anxiety related to the COVID-19 pandemic and nationwide protests as a result of numerous high-profile deaths involving police.

Putting on a blue uniform doesnt make you Superman, Schlosser said. Youre still human underneath the blue uniform. You still have weaknesses and you have family that you care about and you have concerns. Theres almost just a layer of stress that everybody has, both citizens and law enforcement. And then you have the (Derek) Chauvin situation, the anti-police sentiment, the riots, the civil unrest and the incredible divide in our country.

Through resources such as the resiliency program, Schlosser says, improving the mental health in law enforcement may also improve community relations.
 Flash

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) warned on Sunday that the United States "will face worse and worse crisis" after U.S. President Joe Biden called the DPRK's nuclear program a "serious threat," reported the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Kwon Jong Gun, director general of the Department of U.S. Affairs of the Foreign Ministry, said in a statement released by the KCNA that the U.S. president made a slip of the tongue last week about the DPRK in his first Congressional speech in which he called Pyongyang a "serious threat" to the security of the United States and the world.

"His statement clearly reflects his intent to keep enforcing the hostile policy toward the DPRK as it had been done by the U.S. for over half a century," Kwon said.

"The U.S. will face worse and worse crisis beyond control in the near future if it is set to approach the DPRK-U.S. ties, still holding on the outdated policy from Cold War-minded perspective and viewpoint," Kwon warned.

"Now that what the keynote of the U.S. new DPRK policy has become clear, we will be compelled to press for corresponding measures, and with time the U.S. will find itself in a very grave situation," he said.

Kwon also said the U.S.-claimed "diplomacy" is a spurious signboard for covering up its hostile acts, and the "deterrence" touted by it "is just a means for posing nuclear threats" to the DPRK.

In a separate statement issued on Sunday, the DPRK foreign ministry also slammed Washington for criticizing the DPRK's human rights record, saying it amounts to insulting the "dignity of our supreme leadership."

Last week, U.S. State Department Spokesperson Ned Price released a press statement in which he "smeared the statewide anti-epidemic measures in the DPRK" for protecting the life and security of the people from the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic as "human rights abuses" and "even faulted the dignity of our supreme leadership," the DPRK statement said.

As the United States openly expressed its intention to stifle the DPRK with a "resolute deterrence," "denying our ideology and social system and abusing the 'human rights' as a tool for interference in our internal affairs and a political weapon for overturning our social system, we will be forced to take corresponding measures," it added.
UPPER TOWNSHIP  Firefighters on Friday rescued five people from a burning mixed-used building with help from bystanders.

Around 12:20 p.m., the Seaville Fire Rescue responded to the unit block of Route 50 for a report of a structure fire in the Seaville section of the township, firefighters said.

The Fire Rescue upgraded the fire to a second alarm when it was discovered multiple occupants were trapped on the second floor of the building, where a significant fire was located.

The Marmora Volunteer Fire Company, Tuckahoe Volunteer Fire Company, Upper Township EMS and New Jersey State Police provided aid.

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Approximately five bystanders were seen attempting rescue efforts, and Seaville firefighters helped them pull four children and one adult from a second-floor window of the apartment.

Another occupant from a separate apartment on the floor escaped without injury, firefighters said.

The fire was brought under control within 40 minutes, firefighters said. The adult who was rescued was taken via helicopter to the Temple University Hospital Burn Center. Additionally, a firefighter taken to a local hospital for minor injuries was released.
ATLANTIC CITY  Michael Wright has come a long way from the student he was just a few years ago.

Previously struggling in the classroom, the ACIT senior has since been a member of Stockton Universitys GOALS Gear Up, a college prep program that has provided Pleasantville and Atlantic City-based students with resources and mentoring to guide them to their next level of education.

Wright will attend Rowan University as a musical engineering major. He, along with six other Gear Up seniors, made his college announcement Saturday at Stocktons Atlantic City campus.

I think it was very beneficial because before, I didnt know where I wanted to go, Wright, an Atlantic City resident, said of the program. It also helped academically. I was terrible in school, but now Im doing well.

The program, started in 2019 with funding from the New Jersey Office of Higher Education, serves students from seventh grade to their first year of college. It offers workshops ranging from career and major exploration to studying and note taking habits.

Program director Destiny Talley wrote the grant for the program, which is funded by the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education. She said its already proven to be incredibly important for the community.
Instead, the state will administer an abbreviated test in the fall, something called Start Strong, Murphy said. The federal Department of Education has told New Jersey it will accept the results of that brief test in lieu of the extensive Student Learning Assessment data.

The teachers union said Start Strong tests may be a lite version of the regular Every Student Succeeds Act assessment but have the advantage of taking up just a single class period.

This will be the second straight year that children dont receive the NJ Student Learning Assessment. Last year, New Jersey canceled the standardized test due to the COVID pandemic.

The full assessment would have been invaluable in determining each students gaps in learning and where to direct remedial work for greatest efficiency. It would have yielded data comparable to that of years past, making clear the effect on students of school closures and online instruction.

Now families will have to wait at least two years for this information essential to supporting their childrens educational progress. For many children, it will come too late or not at all.
Its hard to imagine how two middle schoolers could commit such heinous acts. But when the governor shut down schools, places of worship and faith-based organizations, some kids had nowhere to turn to learn character, morality and good citizenship.

Ansari, an immigrant to this country, was deprived of the security the nation once promised him. We cannot afford to let the neglect of state officials deprive another hardworking family of their rights once again.

Don Guardian

Atlantic City

Charge parents in crimes

Concerning the disgraceful store invasion and subsequent death of Mehmood Ansari at his Atlantic City Boardwalk souvenir shop, where in Gods name were the parents? Were they always working or were they passed out on the sofa recovering from a night of partying?

They had to know something, especially when their kids are out all hours of the day and night.

If you raise your children to be irresponsible, disrespectful and disgusting, thats exactly what you will get. The parents should be charged with at least neglect.
"The biggest shock to us was he had no antibodies," Laurie Sporn said. "He had 18 when they should be in the high hundreds or thousands."

"We never thought of the possibility the vaccine wouldn't work," she said.

In early April, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center reported findings of a study done on patients at its Hillman Cancer Center that showed people with cancers affecting the blood, bone marrow or lymph nodes were at a higher risk of COVID-19 vaccine failure, and that the risk was particularly acute among those with chronic lymphomatic leukemia, such as Sporn.

The study results mirror those done elsewhere, including the United Kingdom, and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society recently noted that some blood cancer patients "may not get optimal protection from vaccines" and may be more susceptible to COVID-19 infections even after being vaccinated.

Sporn said her dad had been extremely cautious, and not venturing out during the pandemic, but after getting the vaccine felt he was OK and went out for meals twice with friends he hadn't seen in ages.

"These are his best friends," she said.
Listening to President Bidens State of the Union speech last Wednesday brought to mind a talk he gave in Rock Island some 40 years ago. He had come on his own initiative  and at his own expense  to urge my re-election to the Illinois Senate in 1980.

I lost that election, but I have never forgotten his generosity or the energy and clarity (not to mention the length) of his speech. He carried with him a sizable binder, filled with topical information and notes which lay open before him as he talked. He referenced it but briefly, but it was obvious he had enough information to keep him going for hours.

Time has altered his delivery in some respects. His speech is not as crisp and clear as it was all those years ago (age will take its toll that way) but he still speaks with focus and feeling. Last weeks speech was a bit longer than the one he gave back then, but it was more clearly organized and specific.

In rhetorical terms, it was both a blueprint for a recovering nation and an emotionally patriotic call to action. Commentators called it Rooseveltian in phrasing and ambition. As he ranged from topic to topic, he kept returning to a recurring theme, urging Congress to take action  bipartisan action  on the many bills he outlined.
 Flash

India's COVID-19 tally reached 19,557,457 on Sunday, with a single day spike of 392,488 cases, said the federal health ministry.

As many as 3,689 deaths were recorded since Saturday morning, taking the total death toll to 215,542.

There are a total of 3,349,644 active cases in the country, with an increase of 80,934 through Saturday, while 15,992,271 people have been cured and discharged from hospitals so far across the country.

The COVID-19 figures continue to peak in the country, but the federal government has ruled out imposing a complete lockdown. The capital Delhi has been put under a second successive week-long lockdown till May 3.

Delhi, one of the most COVID-19 affected places in the country, witnessed over 25,219 new cases and 412 deaths through Saturday. As many as 16,559 people have died in the national capital due to COVID-19, confirmed Delhi's health department.

Meanwhile, a total 290,142,339 COVID-19 tests have been conducted in India till Saturday, out of which 1,804,954 tests were conducted on Saturday alone, according to the latest data issued by the Indian Council of Medical Research on Sunday.

The third phase of vaccination for people aged above 18 in India began on Saturday. So far over 156 million vaccination doses have been administered in India since the country kicked off its nationwide inoculation drive in January.

Two types of vaccines are being administered to the people in India, including the Covishield vaccine made by the Serum Institute of India and the Covaxin vaccine made by Bharat Biotech International Limited.

India received the first batch of the Russian-made Sputnik-V vaccine on Saturday.
It's your turn. The community needs you.

That sentiment is borrowed. It was voiced by Scott County Health Department Director Amy Thoreson during Thursday's Q-C COVID-19 Coalition press briefing.

It sums up what officials say is needed as public health officials and private care providers struggle to find a message to reach residents of the Quad-Cities who have not yet made the choice to get one of the three COVID-19 vaccines.

According to the public health departments of Iowa and Illinois, Rock Island County and Scott County haven't reached the 30% plateau of fully vaccinated residents.

Scott County is close, as the Iowa Department of Public Health reported Friday that 51,455 residents are fully vaccinated. That's 29.7%.

The Illinois Department of Public Health reported Friday 39,811 Rock Island residents are fully vaccinated. That's 27.8% of residents.

While the battle to persuade people vaccines are crucial in the effort to significantly lower the rate of COVID-19 transmission raged on, the week also saw the reintroduction of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine after its use was put on pause due to concerns over roughly 15 incidents of blood clotting.
One supervisor who has participated in conversations with other CPD staff about the developing foot-chase policy told the Tribune some officers have expressed concerns they would not be able to chase suspects at all or need permission every time they engaged in a foot pursuit.

Neither scenario is included in the concepts being discussed, said the supervisor, who asked that his name be withheld because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

The supervisor said the concepts overall emphasize the need for officers to balance the risk and safety with a foot pursuit, and that officers have long been taught to make this calculation. But a specific directive on how to apply this thinking to foot pursuits would be new to the department.

At a news conference on Wednesday following the Civilian Office of Police Accountabilitys release of video footage of the Alvarez shooting, Brown said a new foot-chase policy was going through an internal review.

The Police Department will also collect input from the community, he said, and will be working with a monitor who is overseeing federal court-ordered reform of the department to complete the new rules.
They match well with what I see as a lasting trend of folks wanting to know more about where their food comes from, Naig said. So I think the timing is right to make a push here to see if we can support some growth.

The bill won bipartisan support in the House where it was approved 91-0. Rep. Chris Hall, D-Sioux City, a Kansas City Barbecue Society certified judge, said the backlog at lockers speaks to a greater interest in our state and many other places where people are looking to find a connection to local agriculture and to know where their food comes from.

Ingels also wants to build on the workforce side of the issue. HF 857 calls for the establishment a task force to look at the feasibility of offering an artisanal butchery program through community colleges or Iowa State Universitys meat science lab.

Weve talked to small lockers around the state and its tough for them to find skilled labor, Ingels said. Its a near universal concern Naig hears about when he visits with small processors.

In addition to looking at college-level programs, Naig said the answer may be apprenticeship programs to get people into lockers where they can work alongside skilled cutters to learn the trade.
This whataboutism isnt surprising coming from McCarthy. After a brief moment in which he acknowledged that Donald Trump bore responsibility for the riots, the Republican leader has been engaged in a cringe-making effort to cozy up to the former president, including by traveling to Mar-a-Lago to enlist Trumps aid in the GOPs drive to regain control of the House next year.

In last Sundays interview with Wallace, McCarthy took revisionist history to a new level, saying: "I was the first person to contact [Trump] when the riots was going on. He didnt see it. What he ended the call was saying  telling me, hell put something out to make sure to stop this. And thats what he did, he put a video out later." His assertion that Trump had been unaware of the riots strains credulity; a timeline assembled by The New York Times suggests Trump was well aware of the chaos by the time they spoke. And as for Trump putting out a video later, Wallace aptly replied: "Quite a lot later. And it was a pretty weak video."
The release of Illinois real population figures demonstrate just how risky the Democrats' current path is. The Census Bureaus Illinois estimates were off by 1.6%, and while that may not seem like much, it is one of the bigger gaps in the country. Also, as demographers know, the more localized the estimates, the greater chance for error.

In addition, legislative leaders continue to stonewall on the question of what set of numbers theyre planning to use. If they use data from the American Community Survey (which aren't even the Census Bureau's official population estimates) that is just inviting lawsuits. As the Chicago Tribune reported recently, a "number of groups advocating accuracy in counting the population, including racial and ethnic communities, found instances of wide variances when comparing the ACS estimates with actual 2010 census counts."

Its true some states believe the Census data itself may be off, in part because of Covid challenges and the failure of some state leaders to aggressively promote the count. There also are questions being raised about a new Census Bureau policy intended to protect privacy, which critics say could distort the data.

However, Illinois leaders worked hard to count everybody and got better-than-expected results.

This is complicated, and it looks like all the potential choices have some pitfalls. But the priority among lawmakers in Springfield should be to use the best data possible, not rely on problematic numbers just to keep control of the process.

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COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP)  Missouri lawmakers recently shut down attempts to pay for Medicaid expansion, in what is the latest example of a statehouse fighting to undo voter-enacted polices.

Critics argued during a contentious debate in the state Senate on Thursday that voters didnt understand the potential cost of the federal health insurance program. Supporters, including Democrats and some Republicans, said lawmakers were going against the will of voters who amended the Missouri Constitution last year to make thousands more low-income adults eligible for government health insurance.

The people voted for this. We put it in the Missouri Constitution. Thats what they voted to do, Democratic Sen. Jill Schupp said. Now we have people who took an oath to uphold the constitutions of the United States and the state of Missouri, and here we are with people turning their backs.

Its unclear how the decision will impact access to Medicaid once new eligibility rules take effect in July. Republican Gov. Mike Parson on Thursday tweeted that his administration will assess its options once the budget is finalized. Lawmakers expect a court battle.
When the bus travels around, it will have laptops and a printer and other resources on board. A goal of the bus is to always hand out books to children, and so the school system will always be in need of book donations.

To get the bus up and running cost the district about $75,000 and involved adding a generator, an air conditioner, furniture, technology and resource materials.

The bus will travel all around Petersburg and participate in events with local churches, apartments, neighborhoods, nonprofit organizations and city government. The district wants to partner with financial companies to help run workshops for parents.

Bell hopes to park the bus outside of the local Walmart and Target to meet families where they are and inform them of what the district is doing, instead of assuming parents know about everything happening in the schools.

But the district also wants to support parents. On-site, parents can create resumes with templates and learn the dos and donts of what to have on a resume.

Sometimes, people just dont know how to ask [or] who to ask, and so we want to be able to figure out what it is you need and if we dont have the answer, we know community partners who can answer, Bell said.
Sam Joehl, president of the American Council of the Blind of Virginia, said the COVID-19 pandemic illustrated the criticality for voters with print disabilities to be able to independently cast a remote ballot, which is an option that every other voter can exercise.

State offering students college financial aid help

RICHMOND  Gov. Ralph Northam says the state is offering free help to students and their families to apply for college financial aid.

The governors office said the coronavirus pandemic has led to a decline in completion rates of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA.

The Virginia College Access Network and the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia have partnered to offer one-on-one FAFSA assistance.

Students and families can go to virginiacan.org/fafsa to schedule a virtual meeting and connect with an adviser until June 30.

Virginia has seen 4,300 fewer high school seniors complete the FAFSA. Thats a drop of nearly 10% compared with last year. The decline also mirrors the 9% drop in FAFSA completion rates across the country.
In 1904, the forester for the Bronx Zoo noticed something unusual. Some of the zoos trees were sick. They looked wilted and scorched, with ugly cankers growing out of them. Hermann Merkel called in a mycologist, a fungus expert. By the time William A. Murrill figured out the cause two years later, the disease had spread as far south as Virginia.

And that is how the great chestnut blight began. Within just a few decades, most American chestnuts were gone, whole forests wiped out by something we couldnt see (at least not without a microscope).

Today, we dont fully appreciate what happened with the chestnut. Thats because were living in the arboreal equivalent of a post-apocalyptic horror, with no real memory of what came before. For us, the forests we see around us are normal, yet theyre not normal. They are what remained after their most dominant species was rendered functionally extinct.

This past Friday was Arbor Day, a day we set aside to think about trees (and maybe plant a few more). We also still are in a global pandemic. If we combine those two thoughts, Venn diagram-style, we wind up thinking about tree pandemics. Perhaps the greatest of those was the chestnut blight that swept through Virginia in the early 1900s and completely changed the look  and the culture  of Appalachia.
 Flash

A batch of COVID-19 vaccines donated by the Chinese government arrived at the Yangon International Airport on Sunday, according to a release from the Chinese embassy on Sunday.

The donated vaccines, promised by China earlier this year, was handed over at a critical stage of prevention and control against the pandemic, demonstrating the "Paukphaw" (fraternal) friendship and spirit of a community with a shared future, said the embassy, hoping that the vaccines can help protect life and health of Myanmar people and combat the pandemic.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, China and Myanmar have carried out effective cooperation, with China not only donating medicines and equipment, but also sending medical experts to assist Myanmar in combating the pandemic.
Friday, I solicited bids through GreenPal for my place in Grandin Court, which has a total lot size of one-fifth of an acre. Saturday, I received two bids, for $72 and $77. Both lawn-care companies that responded noted they were accepting only weekly recurring appointments.

Caballero agreed with me that those prices seem high. But vendors, not GreenPal, set the pricing, he noted.

I can assure you that when more vendors join the platform, more quotes will be available and the pricing will normalize, he said.

One of the partners in this region is East Coast Lawns. Loar, its owner, is a former sheriffs deputy and EMT. He currently has a pair of two-man crews that handle 60 regular lawn customers. Additionally, East Coast Lawns also has 600 customers for whom it provides non-yard maintenance and repairs.

Loar, 32, launched his business in 2017, because he was tired of being a wage slave. That had been the fate of his mom, a longtime registered nurse who had always worked for others. As she got older and her health declined, it forced her to give up her income. That future looked bleak, he said.

I saw myself as going down the same rabbit hole my mom did, he said. I wanted to do something I could call my own.
CHRISTIANSBURG  One of two Tazewell County men accused of making off with robot vacuum cleaners from the Christiansburg Walmart last year resolved his case with a guilty plea last week.

Jason Wade Mosley, 43, of Richlands, pleaded guilty to felony shoplifting in an agreement that dropped another shoplifting charge. At a Tuesday hearing in Montgomery County Circuit Court, Mosley was sentenced to five years in prison, with the entire term suspended. Judge Robert Turk said Mosley will be supervised by the probation office for five years.

The judge also told Mosley that he is banned from all Walmarts in Virginia.

Mosleys charges came from two incidents last summer in which two men were caught on security video removing robot vacuums from the Walmart in Christiansburg.

On June 20 and July 9, one man was seen opening the packaging for a childs car seat, removing the seat, and stuffing the box with vacuum cleaners  then putting the box in a cart and pushing out the stores door without stopping to pay, town police said last year. The other man helped load the box into an SUV, and both men then left in the vehicle. In all, 17 vacuum cleaners were taken, police said.
Botetourt County Republicans voting in Saturdays firehouse primary stuck with the incumbents in two contested races for the board of supervisors, even though one of those incumbents is still a newcomer to politics.

In the vote for Amsterdam District supervisor, held Saturday afternoon at Lord Botetourt High School, incumbent Steve Clinton decisively defeated challenger Jim Ludington.

Clinton, who has served 18 years total on the board, described the race as the most competitive intraparty challenge hes ever faced, and one that highlighted differing ideologies within the Republican Party. He felt validated that when it comes to local government, what people really care about are schools and transportation and a flourishing economy.

In the second vote, Saturday morning at Buchanan Elementary School, recently appointed Buchanan District supervisor Amy Stinnett White cruised to victory over her opponent, Will Smith.

I am humbled by the support, White said. I am humbled by the win today and it only makes me want to work harder for the community.
I think that  especially people that are around my age think of being involved in government as something elitist and as something that is not for them  and thats not the case, he said. Government is for everyone and especially local government because  thats your parks, your aquatic center, your flooding issues downtown, your local businesses that you support, and I think that people need to feel welcome to be involved.

Woodyard said hes interested in helping the residents of College Street, who have struggled for decades with flooding and property damage. The council is currently considering what can be done and how to pay for it. Woodyard also said that he is concerned that council may be pushing ahead with the Truman Wilson Park at an inopportune time.

I think its a lot of money, and you know when were talking about flooding on College Street, and other needs that our budget has, I think that maybe now is not the time, Woodyard said. Im not saying no to a $20 million park, but Im definitely not saying yes to it  especially at this time when we have other needs that could be perceived as more prevalent.

The November contest will significantly change town councils makeup. Three incumbents whose seats will be on the ballot Nov. 2 arent seeking reelection.
To win in November, we have to unify against the Democrats failures and march toward victory.

I have always tried my best to be an honest broker, and maintain civility when the going gets tough. So its frustrating to watch Republicans use inflammatory mailers, text messages, and ads in an effort to tear each other down. Our conservative principles are best exemplified by our records.

Its time we put an end to the manipulative politicking and restore character and integrity to what has been a turbulent primary season for Virginians..

With all the negativity going on out there, I decided it was time to step up and say something nice about my fellow candidates. Over the past few months, weve gotten to know each other at forums and other campaign events. While Ill be the first to say we dont all agree on everything, I do respect my opponents and have no fear in saying nice things about them.

Amanda Chase was nice enough to speak at my campaign kickoff in 2019. I havent agreed with everything shes said and done, but shes true to herself, and theres something to be admired about that.

Sergio de la Pena, has a beautiful family, and its inspiring to see how they travel with him and support him every step of the way.
It took courage for President Biden to announce that all American forces will be out of Afghanistan by Sept. 11.

He was criticized by both Republicans and Democrats, and the media, but the public seems to approve.

His assertion that 20 years of occupation and nation-building is enough was applauded by NATO allies whose troops also will be out.

Looking at Afghanistan from a historical and strategic perspective, a realist must conclude that the United States has no vital national interest in Central Asia. That includes not just Afghanistan, but also Pakistan, the Talibans principal supporter. Russia, Iran, and India have a major stake in preventing Afghanistans disintegration as a state.

America had no stake in Central Asia until al-Qaeda terrorists used bases in Afghanistan to attack the U.S. on Sept. 11, 2001. That made Afghanistan a temporary vital interest until U.S. forces drove al-Qaeda out of the country and ousted the Taliban government that had protected it.

Four months later, President George Bush decided that America would not withdraw but instead work to rebuild Afghanistan into a functioning democracy.

The U.S. stake suddenly became a long-term vital interest. That was a major mistake, in my view.
My great-grandmother Helen Hambrick was born in 1858 in Rocky Mount, Virginia. Before she died on my fifth birthday in 1946, she told me how as a little girl she had to hide under quilts from the Yankees when they ransacked her house.

Helens father, Giles Hambrick, and his brother, Joseph, were recruited at the beginning of the Civil War by Col. Jubal Early to wage war on the federal government.

On Jan. 6, 2021, 160 years later, two other men of Rocky Mount, fellow police officers Jacob Fracker and Thomas Robertson, took part in a second insurrection against the government of the United States. Unlike their predecessors, they made it inside the Capitol and photographed themselves with obscene gestures in front of a marble statue. They were recruited by Donald Trump,

No ones motives can be fully understood, even by oneself. Peer pressure surely incited the passions of these men, along with the excitement of armed conflict and the thrill of marching off cheered by adoring crowds.

If pressed, both pairs of insurrectionists probably would have said their fight was about states rights, or local rights, or gun rights, about resistance to anyone from outside telling us what to do, a matter of protecting our way of life.
In effect, a more muscular SCC could do what both politicians and the free market have failed to do  tie the retirement of coal to specific renewable energy investments in coal country. Democrats should support this because that would help underscore the economy part of the Clean Economy Act.

Republicans should support this because they represent all those coal counties. They also have been among the most vocal in highlighting a legitimate concern as solar farms proliferate  how much farmland or timberland do we want to take out of production? They dont seem concerned when that land gets paved over for a new big box store, but its still a legitimate question. (More rooftop solar would help alleviate this problem, but we digress).

The coal counties, though, have lots of brownfields and former mine sites that could be used for solar farms or wind farms without taking farmland out of production. Del. Terry Kilgore, R-Scott, sponsored a bill this past session  now signed into law  creating a mechanism to provide grants for renewable energy projects on such land.
Thousands rally against Myanmar junta, calling for 'spring revolution' Anti-coup protesters in Myanmar marched again despite a bloody crackdown by the military junta

Thousands of anti-coup protesters marched in Myanmar Sunday, calling for a "spring revolution" with the country in its fourth month under a military regime.

Cities, rural areas, remote mountainous regions and even rebel-controlled border territories have been in uproar since the military ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi in a February 1 coup.

The junta has aimed to suppress dissent through a brutal crackdown involving mass arrests and an escalating death toll.

Demonstrations kicked off early in commercial hub Yangon as activists called for a show of force and a "spring revolution".

Youths gathered on a street corner before marching swiftly down the streets in a flash mob -- dispersing soon after to avoid clashing with authorities.

"To bring down the military dictatorship is our cause!" they chanted, waving a three-finger salute of resistance.

In eastern Shan state, youths carried a banner that read: "We cannot be ruled at all."

Local media reported that security forces were chasing protesters down and arresting them.

"They are arresting every young person they see," a source in Yangon told AFP, adding that he was hiding at the time.

"Now I am trapped."

Bomb blasts also went off across different parts of Yangon on Sunday. Explosions have been happening with increasing frequency in the former capital, and authorities have blamed them on "instigators".

- Bloodshed across the country -

So far, security forces have killed 759 civilians, according to local monitoring group the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.

The junta -- which has labelled the AAPP an unlawful organisation -- says 258 protesters have been killed, along with 17 policemen and seven soldiers.

Violence erupted again on Sunday in Shan state's Hsipaw township, when security forces opened fire on protesters, killing at least one.

"He was shot in the head and died immediately," said one protester, who said he rushed to hide his friend's body in case authorities tried to take it away.

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"They are asking for his dead body, but we will not give them... We will have his funeral today."

In northern Kachin state, security forces also fired on protesters, even flinging grenades into the crowd.

A 33-year-old man was shot in the head, a fellow demonstrator told AFP, adding that many others wounded in the attack were treated in a "hidden area".

"They could not go to the hospital for treatment or they would have been arrested," the protester said.

Urban centres have become hotspots for unrest, especially in Yangon, where residents share videos of security forces beating up civilians on the streets.

State-run newspaper Mirror Daily reported that a woman accused of supporting an underground parallel government opposing the junta was sentenced by military tribunal to seven years in prison with hard labour.

As the junta throttles communications and information, local journalists have also been targeted and newsrooms have reacted by sending their staff into hiding.

The Myitkyina Journal -- based in northern Kachin state -- announced Sunday on Facebook it was ordered to shut down by the junta for publishing materials that were deemed "against national security, rule of law and stability".

"We promise to come back... if we have a chance," it said.

- Air strikes in the east -

The junta's violence against civilians has drawn the ire of Myanmar's myriad ethnic armies -- many of whom have been battling the military for decades in the country's border regions.

Among the most prominent opponents is the Karen National Union (KNU), which has admitted offering shelter to fleeing activists in the territory it controls along Myanmar's east.

Clashes have ramped up in Karen state between the KNU's fighters and the military, which has responded with serious artillery power and air strikes in towns next to the Thai border.

Thai authorities announced that the Myanmar military fired rocket offensives from the air to a KNU base on Saturday, and gunfire could be heard from the kingdom's bordering Mae Hong Son province.

Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing has justified the putsch by saying it was done to defend democracy, alleging electoral fraud in November's elections, which Suu Kyi's party won in a landslide.

The ongoing violence in Myanmar has raised alarm among the international community.

During his St Peter's Square mass Sunday, Pope Francis prayed that Myanmar could "walk the path of meeting, reconciliation and peace".

burs-dhc/leg
Wright was asked to stop or else be told to leave the restaurant but "continued to be loud and disruptive." The manager then requested Wright be ordered to leave. Wright refused and resisted arrest, according to the release.

Three body camera videos of the incident provided by the Sioux City Police Department and containing explicit language, show a commotion inside the restaurant, with an officer telling Wright that he must either leave or face arrest. Wright tells the officers "I'm leaving" as an officer begins wrestling with him; it isn't quite clear what prompted the officer to grab him.

(Additional police body camera videos can be seen here and here. Please note that these videos contain strong language.)

Wright in the footage maintains he did nothing wrong, and onlookers can be heard agreeing with him and arguing with officers. A struggle ensues, with tables and chairs in the restaurant getting knocked over and glassware being broken.
While there is some protection after the first shot, it's not clear how long that lasts, and it is nowhere near what full immunization offers.

"There's a 36-fold difference of getting fully vaccinated versus partially," Dr. Anthony Fauci said at a news briefing Friday.

And then there's the question of whether the country can obtain herd immunity  meaning 70% to 85% of the population is immune  if the number of people who don't get a second vaccine dose keeps rising.

"I am concerned about it," said Jahre. "In order to get durability, you need to have that second dose."

And to get to where we want to be in terms of herd immunity, "you need to have durability, you need to have sustainability. And it's very important that people follow through with that second dose," Jahre said.

"It's certainly an issue," Wen said of the 8% not getting a second dose. "We need people to be fully vaccinated for the protection of others as well."

People also need to know, according to Wen and others, is that if you are among the 8% who have gotten only one shot of Moderna or Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, it may not be too late to get that second shot.
As we learned last month in Dolly Butzs compelling series, Stolen lives, four Northeast Nebraska women are among thousands of Native American women whose deaths were never fully explained.

When family members of Paulie, Lenice, Ashlea and Kozee asked how their loved ones died, they were routinely stonewalled, rebuffed or ignored. They had suspicions, but officials werent forthcoming  at all levels.

And why?

In order to put an end to the epidemic, authorities need to share what theyve learned. The news may not be what families want to hear, but it could explain what led to the deaths and why these mysteries dont have resolution.

While searching for her own answers, Butz encountered many of those same closed doors. Records werent produced, calls werent returned, questions about any investigations conducted weren't answered.

At a time when Americans are seeking more transparency, this would seem an easy place to start.

We cant imagine how family members feel when theyre not afforded closure. We hope, though, theyll get the answers they seek.
Rural hospitals are vital care providers and economic engines

The nearly 1 in 5 Americans who live in rural areas rely on local hospitals as critical sources of care. But too many rural hospitals struggle to remain open. A report from the Center for Healthcare Quality found 40 rural Iowa hospitals at risk of closure before the pandemic. Recent forecasts project total 2021 hospital revenue could drop $122 billion from pre-pandemic levels.

We must ensure rural hospitals have needed resources and payment flexibility to avoid cash flow challenges. A promising payment tool is the rural community hospital demonstration model championed by Sen. Chuck Grassley. The model targets facilities lacking economies of scale because of their size but may be too large to qualify for programs to help the smallest hospitals.

The models reimbursement is based on service costs in rural hospitals with fewer than 51 beds and provide 24-hour emergency care. Without this model, many rural hospitals would be in jeopardy.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services found the financial benefits of the model saved many facilities from altering or downsizing their operations, improved financial security, continued to support local economies and provided high-quality care.

Despite unprecedented challenges, rural hospitals remain committed to ensuring local access to high-quality, affordable care. Thanks to the rural community hospital program, rural community hospitals will continue serving as community anchors and lifelines of care. -- Jason Harrington, president and CEO, Lakes Regional Healthcare, Spirit Lake; chair, Iowa Hospital Associations board of officers and trustees.

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Despite much of the world being shut down in 2020, some industries managed to thrive. One of those that benefited the most was golf, as 2020 g
The Washington Post, New York Times, and NBC News all issued corrections over the weekend, saying that Rudy Giuliani did not receive a direct warning from the FBI that he was a target of a Russian disinformation campaign. The outlets had all made the claim after Giulianis office and home were raided by the FBI earlier this week as part of a criminal probe into his dealings with Ukraine. They were all attributed to anonymous sources.

All the corrections were pretty similar. An earlier version of this article misstated whether Rudolph W. Giuliani received a formal warning from the F.B.I. about Russian disinformation. Mr. Giuliani did not receive such a so-called defensive briefing, wrote the New York Times. The Washington Post expanded its correction a bit to include a claim it had made about One America News. An earlier version of this story, published Thursday, incorrectly reported that One America News was warned by the FBI that it was the target of a Russian influence operation. That version also said the FBI had provided a similar warning to Rudolph W. Giuliani, which he has since disputed. This version has been corrected to remove assertions that OAN and Giuliani received the warnings, reads the Posts correction.

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NBC published the most extensive correction, detailing how it got the story wrong and making clear that the briefing for Giuliani had been, in fact, prepared but never delivered:

An earlier version of this article included an incorrect report that Rudolph Giuliani had received a defensive briefing from the FBI in 2019 warning him that he was being targeted by a Russian influence operation. The report was based on a source familiar with the matter, but a second source now says the briefing was only prepared for Giuliani and not delivered to him, in part over concerns it might complicate the criminal investigation of Giuliani.

Giuliani is now calling on the media outlets to reveal their sources who lied and targeted an American Citizen. Giuliani has denied any wrongdoing and said the raids illustrated a corrupt double standard by the Justice Department. There was no justification for that warrant, it is illegal, unconstitutional warrant, Giuliani told Tucker Carlson on Fox News.
Far-right news channel Newsmax has issued an apology to an employee of Dominion Voting System for its false claims that he helped rig the election so Donald Trump would lose the November election. Newsmax apologized to the companys director of product strategy and security, Eric Coomer, for claiming that he rigged the companys voting machines to help Joe Biden win the election. Newsmax has found no evidence that Dr. Coomer interfered with Dominion voting machines or voting software in any way, nor that Dr. Coomer ever claimed to have done so, Newsmax said in a statement. Nor has Newsmax found any evidence that Dr. Coomer ever participated in any conversation with members of Antifa, nor that he was directly involved with any partisan political organization.

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The apology came months after Coomer filed a defamation lawsuit against Newsmax, which was one of several right-wing outlets that spread lies about the election, often centering on Dominion. Many of the stories specifically mentioned Coomer, who said he had to go into hiding after receiving death threats from Trump supporters. On behalf of Newsmax, we would like to apologize for any harm that our reporting of the allegations against Dr. Coomer may have caused to Dr. Coomer and his family, reads the statement that was posted on Newsmaxs website.

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After the apology, Cooomer dropped Newsmax from his defamation lawsuit against the Trump campaign, lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell, columnist Michelle Malkin, and One America News Network, among others. Coomers attorneys said he reached a financial settlement with Newsmax but the terms were not disclosed. Dominion has also sued Fox News for $1.6 billion and has filed lawsuits against Giuliani, Powell, and Trump supporter Mike Lindell. Dominions CEO, John Poulos, said that the claims aired by Fox News caused us severe damage and undermined trust in American democratic institutions. Fox News has denied any wrongdoing.

Newsmax isnt the first to backtrack on false claims of election fraud after it was faced with legal action. But polls show the damage has been done and many Trump supporters continue to believe the lies that the presidential election was rigged. According to a CNN poll released Friday, 70 percent of Republicans say they dont think Biden won enough votes to be president. A Reuters/Ipsos poll last month showed that 55 percent of Republicans blame illegal voting or election rigging for Trumps loss in November.
Shortly after the White House said it is getting ready to put forward a new strategy to deal with North Korea, Pyongyang is pushing back, warning that the United States will face a very grave situation and a crisis beyond control in the near future if it continues to pursue a hostile policy against the country. Pyongyang issued three statements Sunday aimed against the United States and South Korea in what could mark a renewal of rising tensions between the three countries.

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As far as North Korea is concerned, President Joe Biden made a big blunder in calling the countrys nuclear arsenal a threat last week. In his Wednesday address to a joint session of Congress, Biden vowed to respond with diplomacy and stern deterrence to the nuclear programs in Iran and North Korea, saying they amount to a serious threat to Americas security and world security. Pyongyang said Bidens words were intolerable and marked more of the same from Washington. His statement clearly reflects his intent to keep enforcing the hostile policy toward the DPRK as it had been done by the U.S. for over half a century, Kwon Jong Gun, head of the Foreign Ministrys department of U.S. affairs, said in a statement, using the acronym to refer to the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. He went on to warn that North Korea would press for corresponding measures, and with time the U.S. will find itself in a very grave situation without going into details about what that might entail.

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The statements from North Korea came shortly after the White House said it had completed a review of policy toward North Korea and will be pursuing a tactic that is different from the two previous administrations. Biden will be pursuing a strategy that is somewhere between Trumps direct outreach to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and former President Barack Obamas strategic patience that aimed to get Pyongyang to the negotiating table through sanctions. The White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, said on Friday the administration would seek a calibrated, practical approach that is open to and will explore diplomacy with North Korea.

In a separate statement, a spokesman for North Koreas Foreign Ministry said the Biden administration is criticizing the countrys human rights record as a political weapon for overturning our social system. Ned Price, the State Department spokesman, last week called North Korea one of the most repressive and totalitarian states in the world. Meanwhile, Kims powerful sister, Kim Yo Jong, issued a statement criticizing South Korea over its failure to stop activists from using balloons to send anti-Pyongyang messages across the border. We regard the maneuvers committed by the human waste in the South as a serious provocation against our state and will look into corresponding action, Kim Yo Jong said in a statement. Biden and his South Korean counterpart, are scheduled to meet in Washington later this month.
Sen. Mitt Romney didnt quite get a friendly welcome from his fellow Utah Republicans on Saturday. Audience members at the states GOP convention loudly booed and jeered Romney when he took the stage. Shouts of traitor and communist could be heard in the audience as delegates tried to shout him down so loudly that it often became difficult for the former presidential candidate to speak. According to video of the event, the crowd started booing as soon as Romney took the stage and only got louder as he tried to speak and they made their feelings clear about the senator who voted to convict former President Donald Trump in his two impeachment trials.

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As the crowd booed, Romney did not shy away from mentioning the former president. Im a man who says what he means, and you know I was not a fan of our last presidents character issues, Romney said as the crowd continued jeering. Arent you embarrassed? an evidently frustrated Romney asked the crowd as the shouting continued. The crowd only settled after Utah GOP chair Derek Brown got on the microphone and asked delegates to show respect for Romney. The senator insisted the boos rolled right off him. Oh yeah, you can boo all you like, but Ive been a Republican all my life, Romney said. My dad was a governor of Michigan, my dad worked for Republican candidates that he believed in. I worked for Republicans across the country and if you dont recall, I was the Republican nominee for President in 2012.

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Sen. Mitt Romney is booed by Utah Republicans at their state convention #utpol #utgop pic.twitter.com/FLi1W6iZ9L  Bryan Schott (@SchottHappens) May 1, 2021

Despite all the booing, a resolution to censure Romney for his two votes to convict Trump failed. But it was close. The vote on the resolution that said Romney consistently publicly criticized President Trump and that his comments not only hurt President Trumps reelection but hurt other Republicans on the ballot ultimately failed 798-711. Don Guymon, a party delegate from Davis County who submitted the censure resolution, said that the close vote reflects how there has been a turn of the tide against Romney.

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The widow of the first member of Congress to die after contracting COVID-19 won first place in a special election for her late husbands seat. Republican Susan Wright, whose husband, Ron Wright, died in February obtained 19.2 percent of the vote, still far less than the 50 percent required to avoid a runoff. She will now face off against a fellow Republican, Jake Ellzey. That means Democrats have been fully locked out of the race for the states Sixth Congressional District that Donald Trump carried by just three points last year after winning it by 12 points in 2016. It marked a big disappointment for Democrats who saw the district as an example of traditional GOP strongholds that could begin to sway Democrat amid changing demographics.

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Republican Jake Ellzey had 13.8 percent, a slight edge of 0.4 percent, or 354 votes, over Democrat Jana Lynne Sanchez in the chaotic election that had 23 candidates, including 11 Republicans, 10 Democrats, a Libertarian, and an independent. Nothing could be a worse omen for the Democratic Party than to have a winnable district like this with two Republicans in the runoff, Sanchez said in an interview last month. That would be very embarrassing and very disheartening. On Sunday, Sanchez acknowledged defeat, saying her campaign came up short. 

Wright died in February, weeks into his second term and his wife was long seen as the favorite. She got a big boost last week when Trump decided to join the fray and publicly backed Wright, giving her an advantage over the other candidates who were running as allies of the former president. Only one of the Republican contenders, Michael Wood, ran on an explicitly anti-Trump platform and he only got 3 percent of the vote. In the final days of the campaign, Wright was the victim of a false robocall condemned by several campaigns that accused her of killing her husband for the life insurance payout.

This marks the second time the widow of a member of Congress who died from the coronavirus won an election to take on her husbands seat. Julia Letlow, a Republican from Louisiana, straight up won the race in March to take over the seat left vacant by her late husband, Luke Letlow, who died of COVID-19 complications days before he was scheduled to take office.

*This story has been updated with new information since it was first published.
N azanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is to be freed by Iran with the UK paying 400 million to Tehran, according to an anonymous official quoted on Iranian state TV.

The channel reported that deals have been reached to release prisoners with Western ties held in Iran.

The official also said a deal with the US will see a prisoner swap in exchange for the release of 7 billion dollars (5 billion) in frozen Iranian funds.

Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe will be released after the payment of a military debt the broadcaster said.

UK officials have downplayed the prospect of Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffes imminent release.

Her husband Richard Ratcliffe said the family had not been updated.

The Foreign Office said legal discussions are ongoing and that governments position had not changed over the weekend.

They added that Iran had made the claim before without the mother having been released.

Mr Ratcliffe, who has campaigned for the release of his wife after her detention in 2016, said: Weve heard nothing.

Earlier, the Foreign Secretary said the treatment of Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe by Iran amounts to torture and accepted she is effectively being held hostage by the Middle Eastern state.

Raab / PA Media

Dominic Raab told the BBCs The Andrew Marr Show she was being subjected to a cat and mouse game by the Iranians.

Asked if she could be described as a hostage, he replied: I think its very difficult to argue against that characterisation.

It is clear that she is subjected to a cat and mouse game that the Iranians, or certainly part of the Iranian system, engage with and they try and use her for leverage on the UK.

The British-Iranian dual national was sentenced to a fresh jail term of one year on Monday and handed a year-long travel ban in Iran on a new charge of spreading propaganda against the regime.

She has already served a five-year prison sentence after being detained on charges relating to national security in 2016.

The mother-of-one, who lived in north London before her arrest, was detained at Tehran airport after travelling to Iran to introduce her daughter to her parents.

She and her family believe she is being held as political leverage to try to force the UKs hand in a long-running financial dispute between the UK and Iran.

Richard Ratcliffe, the husband of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, pictured during a protest outside the Iranian Embassy in London / PA Wire

It dates back to the 1970s when the then-shah of Iran paid the UK 400 million for 1,500 Chieftain tanks.

When the shah was toppled in 1979, Britain refused to deliver the tanks to the new Islamic Republic but kept the cash, despite British courts accepting it should be repaid.

Asked about the debt on Sunday, Mr Raab said: Its not solely about that.

That is not actually the thing thats holding us up at the moment, its the wider context as we come up to the Iranian presidential elections and the wider elections on the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) which, inevitably from the Iranian perspective, the two are considered in tandem.

Nazanin is held unlawfully, in my view, as a matter of international law. I think shes being treated in the most abusive, tortuous way. I think it amounts to torture, the way shes being treated.

On Tuesday, Mr Ratcliffe said ministers were enabling the abuse his wife has suffered through their reluctance to do anything that might upset Tehran.

He urged the Government to target members of Irans leadership with new Magnitsky sanctions, which focus on people involved in some of the gravest human rights abuses around the world.

I think thats proportionate, that is not extreme  these guys need to feel that this is a bad tactic, he added.

Mr Ratcliffe, commenting on the lack of British representation in court at his wifes most recent hearing, said: What we got told was that they (the UK Government) didnt want to do something provocative that could could cause harm to Nazanin.

And I was like, Are you effing kidding me? You either stand up and protect her or you allow it to happen.

They are taking her to court for the second time on a second stage of nonsense when youve invoked diplomatic protection  you need to show that your protection should be taken seriously.

And the failure to do that will have emboldened the Revolutionary Guards to follow through and give her the sentence  and they gave the maximum they could.

The timidity of the Government will have been a contributing factor.

The report in Iran raised the prospect that there was co-ordinated action between Tehran, London and Washington.

Last Monday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson acknowledged we are working with our American friends on this issue.

Labour MP Tulip Siddiq, who represents Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffes constituency of Hampstead and Kilburn, said her family were not getting their hopes up over her possible release.

She told Sky News: Theres just been one failure after another on the part of the government to release her and bring her back home, so (her family) are not being too hopeful when Ive spoken to them.

Lydia Parker, of Amnesty International UK, said: Its extremely unclear what is actually happening.

We sincerely hope this isnt just more cruel games from the Iranian authorities.

If this is indeed a sign that the end is in sight, we once again call on the UK Government to intervene as forcefully as possible to ensure that Nazanin is released at the earliest possible moment.
To make America great again, we must return to these. There is a direct correlation between the lowering of these factors and the lowering of the quality of life. Ironically, oft times it is now workers who most oppose collective bargaininga variation of Stockholm Syndrome.

Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}}

In our area, public school employees make up a great number of those affected by this new legislation, and are arguably among the most essential to our families.

An MIT Review of Economics and Statistics last July found that states with collective bargaining saw more of the money earmarked for education actually reach classrooms, which in turn helps student learning. Between 1990 and 2011, dozens of states reworked their formulas for funding schools with a goal to send more money to neglected districts.

But extra dollars dont reach schools automatically. Some localities receiving more from the state decided simply to replace some of their own spending with the new state money.

A Brunner-Hyman and Ju study shows this was less likely in states with strong collective-bargaining teacher organizations. In these, all or most of the state money earmarked for schools was spent on schools. By advocating for their members, theyre also advocating for students, replicating prior researchshowing that school funding increases benefit students.
SCOTTSBLUFF - Friends of the Midwest Theater Board of Directors would like to invite the community to join us for the 75th Anniversary Celebration of the Midwest Theater. The theater will be celebrating all week long, May 3 through May 9, with a number of great community events.

The festivities begin on Monday, May 3, with a screening of Gilda the film that was shown on opening night  May 3rd, 1946.

In this unrated film, Johnny Farrell (Glenn Ford), a small-time American gambler, arrives in Buenos Aires, Argentina. When he is caught cheating at a game of blackjack, Farrell manages to talk his way into a job with the casinos owner, the powerful Ballin Mundson (George Macready). The two form an uneasy partnership based on their mutual lack of scruples until Mundson introduces Farrell to his beautiful new wife, Gilda (Rita Hayworth), who just happens to be Farrells ex-lover.

Members of the Friends of the Midwest Theater will receive free candy at this screening, and the public is invited to enjoy free popcorn and free admission to watch the film at 7:30 p.m.
Mobius has laid down 400-route miles of fiber. Route miles are the number of miles that are spanned by a telecommunications network. They are the total geographic distance between cities or other terminal points.

Within the 400 route miles Mobius has been able to take fiber to the small rural towns of Crawford and Whitney, as well as to Agate Fossil Beds, and to the Sanders ranch.

We are very proud of what we have done and continue to look for ways to continue deploying fiber in rural Nebraska, Mayer said.

Mobius has just recently taken fiber to Belmont, Nebraska, a community of eight people, 11 miles southeast of Crawford.

GOVERNMENT HELP

With the high cost of laying a mile of fiber, Mobius has taken advantage of money from the CARES Act and is hoping there will be more coming in the future.

We were awarded $1,344,400 in DED Cares Act Grants in 2020, Mayer said. With it, we deployed over 75 miles of fiber to the home and connected approximately 100 homes/businesses. We had a 25% match but with increased costs it was closer to 50% match.
Legislation designed to launch a study of the impact that installation of commercial air filters would have on academic and behavioral performance in Nebraska classrooms gained 41-2 first-round approval Tuesday.

Sen. Eliot Bostar of Lincoln, sponsor of LB630, said there is mounting evidence nationally that air pollution has a detrimental effect on the development of brains along with causing damage to children's lungs with an accompanying negative impact on classroom performance.

Lincoln Public Schools supported his proposed study at the bill's public hearing before the Legislature's Education Committee earlier in the session.

Bostar won wide support for his bill during legislative debate, although Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha said she would prefer assigning the study to the University of Nebraska with a research grant rather than contracting for such a study through the Nebraska Department of Education.

Speaker Mike Hilgers of Lincoln expressed support for the proposal, suggesting it would provide a means to "look at old problems with new solutions."

Sen. Mike Flood of Norfolk said he views the proposal as "a pilot project (that could) contribute to the learning environment."
LINCOLN  Federal officials are giving Nebraska more than $50 million to work on the flood-damaged Spencer Dam on the Niobrara River.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced the award on Friday. The money is intended to cover 75% of the cost of the project, with the rest to come from state and local sources.

A surge of ice boulders and floodwater overwhelmed the 93-year-old dam during the disastrous March 2019 flood, causing the structure to collapse and killing a man who lived just below it. Some ice chunks were measured up to 2 feet thick and 20 feet long after the dams collapse.

Mark Becker, a spokesman for the Nebraska Public Power District, which owns the dam, said nothing has been done with the remains of the structure since then. The Niobrara River has cut a new route around what is left.

He said the district plans to decommission the dam and remove as much of the structure as possible. Detailed plans will be drawn up in the next few months, now that the federal money has been approved.
Moreover, the available guidance specifically related to serial communications further indicates that both the Meyer thread and the Reisig thread are the kind of email communications that violate the law because they constitute deliberations rather than a minimal exchange of correspondence or minimal electronic communication. In both instances, debate went back and forth between a commissioner and the County Highway Superintendent. On multiple occasions in both threads, all five commissioners were included. Both threads reveal communications that elicited responses and further communications, leading to the inference that the purpose of the email is to circumvent the purpose of the Act, which, as my client noted in the April 3 editorial, is that citizens may exercise their democratic privilege of attending and speaking at meetings of public bodies. Members of the public were denied that opportunity when the debates in the threads took place, but each and every one of these communications played out in front of the entire board, most in real time.
There are different stories and legends as to who first discovered actual coffee. One interesting legend involves Sheikh Omar who was exiled from Yemen to the desert. There wasnt much food available, and he stumbled upon a berry bush and ate the berries. But they were too bitter and not palatable. To make the seeds taste better he roasted them, but they became too hard to consume. In a last-ditch effort, he boiled the now hard seeds, and the water became dark and fragrant. Omar then drank the liquid, his hunger subsided, and he had energy for days. When word of his magical concoction reached his homeland, he was asked to return from exile and was made into a saint.

The first real evidence of coffee becoming a beverage appeared in the 1400s in the records of Ahmed al-Ghaffar in Yemen. Coffee was used by Sufi to stay alert during religious rituals. Some believe that the coffee plant was brought to Yemen from the African coast during trade, but nobody knows for sure who was the first to bring it to Arabia.
A judge considered several emotional victim impact statements when deciding whether to accept a not guilty plea by reason of insanity in the Appalachian Trail murder case in Southwest Virginia.

Judge James Jones accepted a plea made by James Jordan, 31, on murder and assault charges. Jordan will remain in custody and receive mental health treatment. Jordan was charged in connection with the May 2019 death of Ronald S. Sanchez Jr., 43, of Oklahoma, and the stabbing of Kirby Morrill of Canada, near the Wythe and Smyth county line.

Mr. Jordan is mentally ill, I understand, Morrill wrote in a victim impact statement. And while I have some compassion for mental illness in general, I am sure youll forgive me for saying that I can find none for him. Many mentally ill people are not violent, nor cruel. Mr. Jordan is a murderer. It is anguishing to have him labeled not guilty in any fashion, though I accept the legal ramifications of those words are very different from the effect they have on me.

If Jordan is unable to recognize his actions harmed people, Morrill asked Jones to use his power to keep that man under lock and key. Keep him from harming anyone else. He has demonstrated that he is an unwavering danger to those around him, and I cannot bear the thought of him inflicting upon anyone else what he has on me. And on Ron.
ABINGDON, Va.  A federal grand jury in Abingdon returned an indictment today charging 23 individuals with their roles in a large conspiracy to defraud the United States government by filing fraudulent claims for more than $499,000 in pandemic unemployment benefits, mail fraud and associated offenses. According to court documents, the defendants conspired to file claims for pandemic unemployment benefits through the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) website. The scheme involved submitting claims for various individuals who were not eligible to receive pandemic unemployment benefits, including for numerous inmates incarcerated in southwest Virginia regional jails. Conspiracy members lied on the filings as part of the scheme to make filers appear eligible for benefits. Because pandemic unemployment benefits were paid weekly, each of those filings re-verified and re-certified the false statements on numerous occasions throughout the scheme. In all, the conspiracy filed fraudulent claims for approximately 37 individuals, causing at least $499,000 in false claims to be have been paid. In addition to those indicted, eight co-conspirators have already entered into plea agreements with the United States. Those charged by the grand jury today include: Jeffrey R. Tackett, 29, one count of conspiracy to defraud the government, one count of emergency relief fraud, one count of mail fraud conspiracy, one count of mail fraud, two counts of aggravated identify theft, one count of obstruction of justice, and one count of making false statements.

Jimmy W. Barnette, 28, one count of conspiracy to defraud the government, one count of emergency relief fraud, one count of mail fraud conspiracy, one count of mail fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, and one count of making false statements.

George L. Buckles, 31, one count of conspiracy to defraud the government, one count of emergency relief fraud, one count of mail fraud conspiracy, one count of mail fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, and one count of making false statements.

Joshua S. Carroll, 31, one count of conspiracy to defraud the government, one count of emergency relief fraud, one count of mail fraud conspiracy, one count of mail fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft.

Darrell D. Davis, 66, of Lebanon, Va., one count of conspiracy to defraud the government, one count of emergency relief fraud, one count of mail fraud conspiracy, one count of mail fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, and one count of making false statements.

Melinda R. Davis, 58, of Lebanon, Va., one count of conspiracy to defraud the government, one count of emergency relief fraud, one count of mail fraud conspiracy, one count of mail fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft.

Eugene A. Grizzle, 19, one count of conspiracy to defraud the government, one count of emergency relief fraud, one count of mail fraud conspiracy, one count of mail fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft.

Joseph N. Hall, 42, one count of conspiracy to defraud the government, one count of emergency relief fraud, one count of mail fraud conspiracy, one count of mail fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft.

Wesley W. Hickman, 24, one count of conspiracy to defraud the government, one count of emergency relief fraud, one count of mail fraud conspiracy, one count of mail fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft.

Jacob B. Hicks, 35, one count of conspiracy to defraud the government, one count of emergency relief fraud, one count of mail fraud conspiracy, one count of mail fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft.

Timothy H. Hileman, 29, of Castlewood, Va., one count of conspiracy to defraud the government, one count of emergency relief fraud, one count of mail fraud conspiracy, one count of mail fraud, one count of aggravated identify theft, one count of obstruction of justice, and one count of making false statements.

Ajay Johnson, 25, one count of conspiracy to defraud the government, one count of emergency relief fraud, one count of mail fraud conspiracy, one count of mail fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft.

John C. Johnson, Jr., 33, one count of conspiracy to defraud the government, one count of emergency relief fraud, one count of mail fraud conspiracy, one count of mail fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft.

John C. Johnson, Sr., 57, one count of conspiracy to defraud the government, one count of emergency relief fraud, one count of mail fraud conspiracy, one count of mail fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft.

Randall D. Johnson, 41, one count of conspiracy to defraud the government, one count of emergency relief fraud, one count of mail fraud conspiracy, one count of mail fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft.

Marissa L. Kiser, 26, one count of conspiracy to defraud the government, one count of emergency relief fraud, one count of mail fraud conspiracy, one count of mail fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft.

Curtis E. Mullins, 25, one count of conspiracy to defraud the government, one count of emergency relief fraud, one count of mail fraud conspiracy, one count of mail fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft.

Danny L. Mullins, 49, one count of conspiracy to defraud the government, one count of emergency relief fraud, one count of mail fraud conspiracy, one count of mail fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft.

James B. Mullins, 31, one count of conspiracy to defraud the government, one count of mail fraud conspiracy, one count of mail fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of making false statements..

Steven J. Mullins, 33, one count of conspiracy to defraud the government, one count of emergency relief fraud, one count of mail fraud conspiracy, one count of mail fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft.

Veronica S. Mullins, 47, one count of conspiracy to defraud the government, one count of emergency relief fraud, one count of mail fraud conspiracy, one count of mail fraud, three counts of aggravated identify theft, one count of obstruction of justice, and one count of making false statements.

Patrick A. Payne, 42, one count of conspiracy to defraud the government, one count of mail fraud conspiracy, one count of mail fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft.

Jeffery D. Wiseman, 27, one count of conspiracy to defraud the government, one count of mail fraud conspiracy, one count of mail fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, and one count of making false statements. Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar of the Western District of Virginia, Jonathan Mellone, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge, Philadelphia Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General and Acting Special Agent in Charge is Darrell J. Waldon of the Internal Revenue Service- Criminal Investigation made the announcement. The Department of Labor-Office of the Inspector General and the Internal Revenue Service  Criminal Investigation, the Norton Police Department, and the Russell County Sheriffs Office are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. Murphy is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###
The Humane Society of Cowlitz County saw record-breaking pet adoptions last year as people sought companionship while self-quarantining or working from home due to the airborne coronavirus.

About 52% more pets at the Cowlitz County shelter were adopted in 2020 than two years prior, according to shelter data.

The number of pets that came into the shelter stayed relatively the same from 2018 to 2020 at an average of about 3,400 a year, according to the organization, but the amount of adoptions increased by almost 500 pets in two years.

With more pets adopted, animal advocates anticipate a growing need for limited pet resources, particularly for low-income pet owners.

Adoptions rise

According to the humane society's Executive Director Charmaine Nawrocki, twice last year the shelter had no adoptable dogs available because they had all found homes.

All of the adoptable cats were taken at one point as well  a first in the organizations roughly 40-year history.

There were a couple times when we didnt have animals available for adoption because they were either going back home and being reunited with their family members or they were being adopted, Nawrocki said.

The shelter has one location in Longview and provides animal control for all of Cowlitz County, except Kalama where the police department offers animal services.

Pets returned

Nawrocki said people considering a new pet should think about their typical pre-pandemic lives and routines before getting a pet.

We dont want to see them coming back to the shelter because they dont have the right time for them," she said.

The shelter anticipates it will receive more animals as more people are vaccinated and return to work, she said.

According to shelter data, returned pets declined during the pandemic, but now are returning to pre-COVID levels.

About 73% fewer people returned strays and pets to the shelter from Castle Rock and 50% fewer from Woodland from 2019 to 2020. Longview and Kelso dipped about 20% each. Returned animals in the first quarter of 2021 mirror those in 2019.

Programs halted

Returned pets also may increase because non-emergency surgeries  including spaying and neutering  were paused in Washington and Oregon from around March through about mid-May 2020.

Nawrocki said the pause is expected to fuel unwanted pregnancies, particularly in cats.

Even a slight delay can increase the amount of cats you see in your neighborhood 10-fold, she said.

The pause also created a backlog of shelter surgeries. Spay and neuter appointments are completely booked through June at the Cowlitz County shelter.

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Wahkiakum Animal Advocates Group President Rebecca Hompe said her organization has received complaints from pet owners who cannot find veterinarians available to spay or neuter pets until July.

Hompe said the nonprofit formed in 2019 to assist the Wahkiakum County Sheriff's Office with animal control calls since the county does not have a dedicated shelter.

Behavioral changes

Animals brought to the Cowlitz County shelter recently have had more challenging behavioral issues, Nawrocki said.

Separation anxiety and fear of new surroundings have become more common as pets are used to spending all their time with owners.

Shelters across the country are developing rehabilitation programs to help animals adjust to being alone, she said. Nawrocki said the Cowlitz County shelter doesnt offer these programs because of a lack of staff and resources.

Oregon Humane Society Public Information Officer Laura Klink said the organization has a free animal behavior help line at 503-416-2983 to receive advice from trainers, as well as free online training open to anyone.

Klink has attended in-person behavioral classes with her own dog at the Portland facility.

"It's really great when you understand why your dog is doing something and when you as a pet owner have the skills to manage and redirect that behavior," she said.

The Portland organization is constructing a rehabilitation center to provide a quiet, long-term space for traumatized animals to learn to trust people and become ready to be adopted into a new home, according to its website.

Pet support

Nawrocki said animal advocates predict in the next 30 years shelters will shift their primary focus from adoptions to providing low-income resources.

The cost of pets' medical bills can burden owners, she said.

A lot of times, we see people release animals to the shelter because they cant afford the veterinary care, she said.

According to the U.S. Census, about 13% of the county lives in poverty.

Hompe said she's heard pet owners in Cowlitz County battle with whether they feed themselves or their pets.

The Wahkiakum Animal Advocates Group offers pet food, collars, leashes and emergency medical funds to owners in Wahkiakum and Cowlitz counties in Washington; and Columbia County in Oregon, Hompe said. In January, the organization received and distributed more than 1,000 pounds of pet food during a donation drive.

People can request free pet food from the Cowlitz County humane society during open hours.

The Oregon Humane Society supplies pet food to local food banks, so people can grab pet food with their own food.

The Portland organization also is building an affordable animal hospital to treat pets and bill owners on a sliding scale.

Nawrocki said she would like to create a full-time veterinary team at the Cowlitz County shelter to include a surgical doctor, medical doctor for general care, and technicians and assistants.

The shelter offers discounts for microchipping, spaying and neutering cats for people with lower income. The shelter can only treat cats because it does not have the resources to work on dogs, Nawrocki said. Normally it costs $45 to neuter and $60 to spay cats.

Klink said shelters aim to keep owners and pets together despite the hardships, especially after enduring the pandemic together.

"We've all bonded with all pets really closely over this past year," Klink said. "During those really stressful days, having that dog or cat to pet, that forms a pretty solid and unbreakable bond."

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South Hills (15301)

Today

Thunderstorms this morning, then variable clouds during the afternoon with still a chance of showers. High 77F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Cloudy with occasional rain showers. Low around 65F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.
Voters in Brazos Countys Emergency Services District No. 1 approved implementing a 1.5% sales tax within the jurisdiction on Saturday.

The proposal passed with 150 votes  or 60%  to 72 votes  or 40%  of the ballots cast. Advocates of the proposal said it is designed to generate funds for hiring paid firefighters. ESD1 includes much of southern Brazos County, including Millican and portions of the Wellborn area.

In Robertson County, voters in the Calvert ISD passed a bond proposition that would provide new school facilities and update current facilities. According to unofficial results from Robertson County, 381  or 64%  voted in favor of the bond, while 212  36%  voted against it.

Elsewhere in the area

 In Robertson Countys Hearne ISD trustee, Place 4 race, Donya Moore received 75 votes (73%) to Mark L. Harts 28 votes (27%).

 In Grimes County, Rachel Foy was elected to Anderson-Shrio CISD trustee Position 5. Foy received 104 votes (64%) to Lonnie Owens 59 votes (36%).
Richwood, TX (77531)

Today

Sunshine and clouds mixed. High 89F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies during the evening will give way to cloudy skies overnight. Low 78F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.
Since the Wood River Vision 2020 board did its community needs survey, two providers have retired and another one closed, she said in an interview. Wood River now has one licensed in-home provider in town and a couple out in the country.

Rather than being in competition with area caregivers, Stick Creek Kids wants to complement them, Troyer-Miller said.

Because each family has a different need, and for some families, that in-home experience is exactly what they need, because it meets their childrens needs and their scheduling needs, she said.

We want to work in tandem because we know a centers not going to be good for everybody, Troyer-Miller said said.

Recently, when Stick Creek staff members received CPR training, an in-home provider was welcome to join them.

When educational opportunities are given to Stick Creek teachers, other caregivers are certainly invited, Troyer-Miller said.

So its really about collaboration to meet the needs of the community, she said.
She said hiring interns can also benefit a business in other ways than just finding future employees.

By hiring an intern, full-time staff can delegate their tasks to allow for time to take on more creative high-level work that would otherwise go untouched, Johnson said. Interns also bring in a fresh, new perspective to the company and can provide insight and individual skills to supplement the full-time teams work.

At the chamber, Johnson said, internships have played an important role in its operation.

She said the chamber hired Courtney Lierman as an intern during her senior year at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Lierman is now chamber vice president in charge of talent pipeline.

Johnson said Liermans degree in advertising and public relations, along with her personality, work ethic and drive, fit perfectly with our needs.

We offered her a full-time position immediately, she said. We are keeping our fingers crossed that our next intern who starts in May will be equally perfect for our organization.

Developing high-demand, high-skill and high-paying career opportunities in Grand Island has been identified as essential to the future economic growth of our community, Johnson said.
China policy: B+

On China, a policy still in development, it would be fairer to give an incomplete. But so far, contrary to the GOP mantra of Biden as soft on China, Biden has been tough in a far shrewder way than Trump.

Biden recognizes that a coherent China strategy must extend beyond exporting more soybeans and imposing trade sanctions (he hasnt lifted Trumps but is working on a smarter trade policy). To compete with China, America needs far better infrastructure, a huge public and private investment in R&D for cutting-edge technologies and a functional government.

Not yet clear is where Biden sets red lines on the explosive issue of Taiwan or the South China Sea, and how he can, or should, back up his human rights demands on Hong Kong and Xinjiang.

Russia relationship: A+

What a relief to have a president who doesnt fawn over Vladimir Putin. Biden has talked tough on Ukraine and imposed sanctions where needed, although he has yet to convince Germany to harden its stance toward the Kremlin. One can only hope hell tell Putin face to face that the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in prison will poison their relationship for good.

Ending Afghanistan war: C-
Paris, TX (75460)

Today

Showers and a few thunderstorms likely. High around 80F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall possibly over one inch..

Tonight

Thunderstorms likely this evening. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms overnight. Low 71F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
Paris, TX (75460)

Today

Mostly cloudy skies early will become partly cloudy later in the day. High 89F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Clear to partly cloudy. Low 73F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.
"My heart breaks for Kenosha this morning in the wake of a shooting that took three lives and injured at least two others," Evers said in a statement. "I want to thank the first responders who reacted quickly and are still working to investigate and find those involved in this senseless tragedy."

George Stoner, Somers village president, said he received a call overnight when the shooting happened.

Its just a tragedy. Its just a tragedy that these things are happening in America, he said. My heart and prayers go out to the families.

Crime scene observations

On Sunday morning, the tavern and surrounding streets were surrounded by police tape, and the body of one of the men killed lay covered with a white sheet just outside the door of the tavern. A witness said he believed the body of a second victim was on the bars fenced patio. Evidence markers were scattered through the parking lot and down 15th Street east of Sheridan Road.

Peter Ploskee, who lives in a house across the street from the bar on the corner of Sheridan and 15th Place, said he woke up to the sound of gunfire.
A judge Saturday set bail at $500,000 for a 28-year-old Plano woman who was charged with aggravated battery to a child in connection with dropping her 5-year-old daughter off a six-story parking garage, according to the DuPage County states attorney office.

Jerica Crawford, of the 3400 block of Clason Street, will have to post 10%, or $50,000, of the bail amount in order to be released from jail, a release from the states attorneys office said. Judge Paul Marchese also granted a motion from prosecutors for her to see a clinical psychologist.

About 4:40 p.m. Feb. 23, Winfield police officers responded to a call at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital for two people who fell off the top of a parking garage on the southwestern part of the campus, the statement said.

The officers found Crawford and her daughter on the ground next to the parking garage. They were both injured and taken to a hospital.
During his tenure in Field Operations, Dantzler provided key leadership in the modernization of field offices as he orchestrated and facilitated the installation of systems furniture and local area networks. He envisioned and set up the first NASS Regional Data Collection Centers and conceived and established the first Administrative Service Center.

Everywhere he went, Dantzler left a positive image and impression of NASS. He had an innate ability to bring people together  not tell them what to do but lead them toward a shared vision. Walking in the halls of the South Building at USDAs headquarters in Washington, Dantzler called everyone by name, remembered spouses and childrens names and had a joke or memory to share. Every retirement, award ceremony, or birthday, he always made time and was sure to attend. He made a point to recognize the value and contribution of everyone in the organization. To know Dantzler was to know NASS.
South Carolina State University 1890 Research & Extension Program will invest in the advancement of its mission to improve quality of life with the development of the SC State 1890 Fund, program officials announced Monday.

The SC State 1890 Fund will elevate resources that will create opportunities of access for communities, families and individuals who are deeply connected to SC State 1890.

We are excited to launch the 1890 Fund, said Dr. Louis Whitesides, vice president and executive director of SC State 1890 Research & Extension. As we experience a tremendous rate of growth to better serve the citizens of South Carolina, the generous contributions donated to the fund will allow us to serve as a catalyst for progression in communities across South Carolina.

SC State 1890 administrators have already received its first investment from a significant strategic partner, the Palmetto Agribusiness Council (PABC), which supports the advancement and economic development of agriculture and forestry throughout the state. Members of the council contributed $1,500 to the 1890 Program, which serves as the public service arm of SC State.
Connor said he does not know if he ever mortally wounded anyone.

When I asked my father if he killed anyone in his two tours, he told me he honestly wasnt sure, though he had fired at enemy," Connor said. "I now understand, as I have the same answer."

"I fired at those shooting at me, but I cannot be 100% sure I killed any of them even after the firing ceased," he said. "I was in some situations in which I saw men under my command affirmatively kill an enemy fighter --we walked up and inspected the remains afterwards."

"As an officer, I felt my primary duty was in coordinating fires and leading, over focusing on using my own weapon," Connor said.

Connor said there were a few things that helped him get through his time overseas.

Faith in God was the ultimate reason and strength, as my faith grew, knowing death was close, particularly in Afghanistan," he said. Letters and communications from and to home were critical, as well as staying in touch with Orangeburg and updates about my three children. Faith in God was most important.

Connor recalls his return home well.
Tommy Hodges, executive associate dean for faculty and academic affairs, said the College of Education prides itself on its array of partnerships throughout the state.

A significant goal for the college is to support the diversification of the teacher workforce, with a keen awareness of the challenges rural communities face in recruiting education professionals.

He added, This partnership with Voorhees further solidifies our colleges commitment to these issues and leverages the expertise of both institutions in the recruitment and preparation of a more diverse workforce that benefits all of South Carolinas children.

The partnership is one of many efforts between South Carolinas institutions of higher learning to address the increasing teacher shortage in South Carolina. The partnership also targets underrepresentation among minority groups in classroom leadership by connecting Voorhees College, a historically Black college and university, with the statewide network of UofSC educational partnerships.

Ann Byrd, president and partner of the national nonprofit, said as CarolinaCAP moves into year two, this is an opportune time for Voorhees College to partner with us to expand the reach and impact of the program.
So the question for Biden and Kerry is, why do they now support unilateral emissions cuts when the Senates 1997 concerns remain unchanged?

China surpassed the U.S. in emissions in 2006, nine years earlier than the as early as 2015 time frame the Senate feared. In 1997, the U.S. was responsible for about 25% of emissions. Currently, China is responsible for about 25% of global emissions and the U.S. has slipped to about 15%.

India has also dramatically increased it emissions and even has plans to mine twice as much coal as the U.S. by 2024. As U.S. emissions decline as percentage of global emissions, the UN forecasts that global emissions are increasing with no end in sight. Finally, China and India fundamentally do not believe their development should be hindered by past emissions from developed countries.

The next question is, what will we get or achieve by spending hundreds of billions of borrowed or digitally created dollars on climate?

Will the climate or weather improve? How and when? Biden implied at a recent news conference that his infrastructure plan would reduce frequency and intensity of hurricanes hitting the U.S. Can this actually be true? Is there a guarantee?
But a history lesson was not her sole concern. Court-packing, the Notorious RBG observed, would destroy judicial independence: If anything would make the court look partisan, it would be that  one side saying, When were in power, were going to enlarge the number of judges, so we would have more people who would vote the way we want them to.

But, if the left will not listen to Justice Ginsburgs words, perhaps they will heed current justice, Stephen Breyer. Speaking just one day before Biden announced his commission, Justice Breyer gave a speech at Harvard Law School issuing a similar warning: If the public sees judges as politicians in robes, its confidence in the courts  and the rule of law itself  can only diminish, diminishing the courts power, including its power to act as a check on other branches.

Breyer is right. Court-packing is a brazen attempt by radical elites to undermine our very judicial system and overthrow the trust we have in its independence.

An independent judiciary is an essential check on the power of the executive and legislative branches and the fleeting political whims of the culture. If this politically motivated scheme to pack the Supreme Court is successful the judiciary will no longer be a safeguard for our most treasured civil liberties: religion, speech, press, etc.
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Gov. Mark Gordons office will develop the bulk of the next state budget without cuts thanks to improved revenue projections released last week, an official said Friday.

The news comes on the heels of a string of budget cuts over the past year that were prompted by a downturn in the energy industry and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The standard budget that were going to build this year wont involve cuts, said Gordon spokesman Michael Pearlman, meaning the general fund and the budget reserve account  essentially the states two checking accounts will see zero reductions.

The decision from the governors office comes in response to the informal update to Januarys report issued by Wyomings Consensus Revenue Estimating Group (CREG). The informal update shows that the state has more money than the January report originally projected.

The revenue group is responsible for developing projections for Wyomings main sources of income. Its members provide revenue estimates in January and October of each year that may be used by the executive branch and the Wyoming Legislature in the states budgeting process.
Theres so much money sloshing around in the economy already that throwing more on just overheats the economy, she added. Its unhealthy economically, what the Democrats are trying to do.

In an uncommon moment of agreement with the Biden administration, though, Lummis reaffirmed her support for the presidents decision to withdraw all U.S. forces from Afghanistan by later this year. While her position puts her at odds with Wyomings sole congresswoman, Rep. Liz Cheney, Lummis argued the withdrawal fits squarely within her America First platform.

I have friends who fled Afghanistan and came to the United States, and they allege that the United States is propping up the wrong government in Afghanistan, and that government doesnt have the support of the Afghani people, Lummis said. So as long as we are propping up a government they dont support, we are going to fail. It doesnt matter if we stay another 10 years, 20 years or 50 years. In the context of Afghani history, we are going to fail, because we are propping up a government that the people of Afghanistan do not support.

The senator added she remains committed to a strong military, as well as an approach of peace through strength.
In the video of the debate on education Sommers came across as a sincere, concerned lawmaker.

Apparently many of his colleagues share his viewpoint.

His viewpoint is important because his leadership position allows him to decide which bills get debated on the floor of the House.

Any and all revenue bills must start in the House.

Rep. Steve Harshman, R-Casper, a former two-term house speaker said during the debate that the state is not facing an Armageddon and he wasnt about to go over any cliff. Plenty of solutions, he said, are available, including an increase in the sales tax.

A sales tax would be the easiest tax to put into effect because the mechanism is already in place.

The Legislature will be back in session in July to deal with the $1.3 billion in federal money which will include a chunk for public schools.

The money will allow the lawmakers to yet again delay the hard decisions regarding the long-term financial welfare of the public schools.

Peeking over the fiscal cliff has been a pattern in Wyoming state government.
The slow growth also suggests that people are interested in more than simply low taxes and few regulations. Lawmakers often point to those factors to argue against changing the status quo. But if success was simply a matter of batting away tax measures and loosening the rules, Wyoming would be flooded with newcomers. Where are they?

Fundamentally, its appropriate to ask ourselves two questions: Do we want to grow? And do we want to reach beyond our mineral economic base? There is no wrong answer here. But there are consequences with either choice. And both carry risk.

Of course, the choice isnt simply a matter of choosing to grow or remaining stagnant. There are ways to achieve the former while still protecting the quiet life and open spaces that Wyomingites hold dear. But that will require accepting some change and being OK with the idea that we could do at least a few things differently without losing the Wyoming way of life.

The risk that comes with change also offers benefits. There would be new amenities and more opportunities. But even more critically, steady growth would mean developing a more stable economy. Energy and fossil fuels would continue to be part of that mix, but also a segment within a broader constellation of opportunity that attracts newcomers while retaining young people.

We should hold on to what makes Wyoming such an amazing place to call home. But that doesnt prevent us from charting a course that points our state in the direction of greater success. A Wyoming with steady growth  and steady opportunity  is one that can flourish now and into the future.

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Visitors to Yellowstone might have noticed a small sign between Mammoth Hot Springs and Norris Junction that points down a side road to Sheepeater Cliff. A short drive down this road reveals an exceptional example of a common feature of volcanic flows: columnar jointing.

Sheepeater Cliffs is part of a basaltic lava flow that erupted north and outside of Yellowstone Caldera about 500,000 years ago. These sorts of lava flows, which are similar to those erupted in Hawaii, are common around the edge of the caldera, but they cant erupt in the caldera because the denser lavas from the basaltic magma chamber are blocked from rising to the surface by the overlying chamber of viscous rhyolite magma.

The name of the cliffs comes from a band of Shoshone Native Americans who frequented the Yellowstone area and were known as the Tukudeka, or Sheepeaters, because of the bighorn sheep they hunted. (For more information, check out this exceptional video by Yellowstone National Park).

The cliff is made up of a series of adjoining vertical columns. When viewed from the top, each column is hexagonal in shape, and all are of very similar size  so much so that it almost looks artificial.

Columnar jointing forms upon slow cooling of a volcanic or shallow intrusive deposit. As the lava or ash cools, it shrinks, like most materials (except water, which expands when it freezes). In the vertical dimension, adjusting to this shrinking is easy  the lava or ash flow simply subsides, or sinks. But in a horizontal direction, the contraction is much harder to accommodate, and so the rock fractures. If the cooling happens quickly, the rock breaks in random patterns.

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When the cooling happens over a long period of time, however, the fracturing is not random, but rather results in the formation of generally hexagonal columns. The hexagonal shape is favored because it does a good job of relieving the thermal stress created as rock cools; however, columnar joints may have as few as three sides and as many as eight.

The columns form perpendicular to the cooling surface. This means that, for example, vertical columns will form in a lava or ash flow erupted on flat ground  vertical columns form because the cooling surface is horizontal. But if the cooling surface instead is vertical or even undulating, the columns can be horizontal or curve. Observing the patterns of the columns can therefore help geologists understand the conditions that existed at the time the lava or ash was deposited.

For example, in some places, horizontal columns formed where a lava flow came into contact with a vertical wall of ice from a glacier. Once the glacier melts, the horizontal columns remain, providing evidence that ice once existed along that margin.

Although Sheepeater Cliff offers the most accessible view of columnar jointing in Yellowstone  you can walk right up to the rock  it is not the only place to observe this spectacular geological feature in the park. A few miles south of Sheepeater Cliff is Obsidian Cliff, a rhyolite lava flow that also contains columns. And the Calcite Springs overlook, near Tower Junction, provides outstanding views of two basaltic lava flows with columnar jointing in the canyon walls of the Yellowstone River.

Columnar jointing is present around the world, for example, at Devils Postpile in California; Devils Tower in Wyoming; the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon and Washington; Giants Causeway in Ireland; Svartifoss, in Iceland; Cape Stolbchaty, Russia; Kavadia mountain, India; and many other places. Columnar joining has even been observed on Mars.

The next time you happen upon columnar joints, take a minute to observe. What does it tell you about the environment in which the lava or ash was deposited? Can you tell where the cooling surface was? There are lots of fantastic stories preserved in these rocks.

Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This weeks contribution is from Michael Poland, geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey and scientist-in-charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory.

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Orlando Octave is vibrating on what is for him a new philosophical frequency.

Octave recently embarked on a spiritual journey. The groovy soca artistes open search for truth and enlightenment led him through the teachings of Christianity, Islam and Hinduism then eventually towards the Hebrew Israelites  a group who believe they are the descendants of the ancient Israelites written of in the Torah and Bible.

Octave was introduced to their teachings by a friend in 2014. He developed a deeper understanding for the groups philosophy during a pilgrimage he made to Israel in 2016.
More than 2,500 manufacturing sector workers showed up at the Divali Nagar site in Chaguanas to receive their first dose of the Sinopharm Covid-19 injection at the start of a public/private sector vaccination drive.

The Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers Association (TTMA) collaborated with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Trade to facilitate the process.
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.
There is a very bright light shimmering at the end of the vaccine tunnel. Now that we appear to be approaching that wonderful day when everyone can be vaccinated, the people who are our sitting Opposition, the United National Congress, want to know the cost. This cost they query regarding vaccine purchase, be it Sinopharm/Johnson and Johnson, or otherwise, could negatively affect their political image. Always remember, political image is everything.
The teens will participate in workshops and classes to hone their music skills. But due to COVID-19 protocols, the group will not perform at Carnegie Hall  a highlight of past programs  because the storied hall is still closed. Nor will the group be able to tour as part of the residency, which was another highlight of the program.
The state didnt have race and ethnicity data on 398,231 vaccinated people, or 13.6% of those vaccinated, as of Friday.

The way the health department categorizes other groups by race and ethnicity doesnt align with how the U.S. Census Bureau categorizes the general population by race and ethnicity.

The misalignment is not caused by race alone, said Dr. Joe Gerald, an associate professor with the University of Arizonas College of Public Health. Its not race, per se, but rather the conditions and structural inequities that these groups face. Some of it may be, they may be more likely to live in an area where theres a healthcare provider shortage. That kind of thing. So, it may be unrealistic to expect them to ever catch up fully.

Gerald pointed out that this trend is also evident in colorectal cancer screenings too, which is a prevention measure, much like a vaccine is. Its something that people who are sick can get to stay healthy.

Every year since 2000, white people 50 to 75 years old got this screening at a higher rate than any other racial or ethnic group.
But the number of migrants encountered, how they travel, where they come from, and how federal officials deal with them vary among Border Patrol sectors.

Even within Arizona, the differences are stark between the border near Tucson and the border near Yuma, where thousands of adult migrants and families are coming from countries like Cuba, Venezuela and Brazil, according to Customs and Border Protection data.

"Not the same border"

To clarify the situation, Interim Tucson Sector Chief Patrol Agent John Modlin answered reporters' questions in mid-April and the Arizona Daily Star analyzed CBP data, with a focus on the Tucson, Yuma and Rio Grande Valley sectors.

"This is not the same border as what you're seeing on the national news in the Rio Grande Valley," Modlin said. Very different whats going on over there and whats going on here."

The clearest difference among the sectors is the total number of encounters. In March, the Rio Grande Valley Sector saw about 62,000 border encounters, compared with about 19,800 in the Tucson Sector and 11,800 in the Yuma Sector.

The sectors also differ in whether migrants travel in large groups, as adults without children, as families or as children without their parents.
LETTERS: From calls for a third party, to calls for more support for police, this bunch of letters has a decidedly more conservative bent than usual. Check them out in our latest edition of Letters to the Editor.
I booked a room at the Hotel Tzekos Villas in Santorini, Greece, last year through Hotels.com. The reservation was nonrefundable. Due to the virus, we were unable to leave the U.S.

I called and emailed several times to cancel and get a refund or a voucher for a future stay. Neither Hotels.com nor the Hotel Tzekos Villas would refund our money. After calling several times and receiving no response, we disputed the charge with our Chase Visa Sapphire Reserve. The credit card issuer sided with Hotels.com. Can you help me get our $592 back or a credit?  Noemi Freeman, Aventura, Florida

A: Hotels.com should have helped you with a refund. After all, Europe was closed to Americans at the time you were supposed to visit. And if the hotel and the booking site couldnt assist you, then your credit card should have been able to help with a chargeback. It didnt.
Odds and ends: Inhofe signaled his intent to resist Democratic efforts to enforce stronger methane emission standards on the oil and gas industry. ... U.S. Sen. James Lankford told Newsmax TV that the federal governments enhanced unemployment benefits are the only thing hold the economy back. ... As it was, the U.S. economy grew 6.4% in the first three quarters of 2021, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. ... Inhofe failed in his bid to deny Colin Kahl the top policy job at the Pentagon. ... Lankford participated in a Senate hearing on the southern border, during which he reiterated concerns about the Biden administrations handling of the situation. ... First District Congressman Kevin Hern sent out a fundraising appeal saying, Today is Day 100 of the Biden presidency, and its been the disaster wed predicted it would be all along. ... Mullin was raising money last week on the threat of Democrats defunding police. ... Hern started a Friends of Fossil Fuels award for climate hypocrites who condemn products of fossil fuels but use them when the cameras arent on. The first went to Biden administration Climate Envoy John Kerry. ... Inhofe might be gung-ho when it comes to defense, but he took a healthy swipe at Pentagon management practices during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, asking a panel of efficiency experts for your No. 1 recommendation to fix this.
The program will start this fall on the OSU-Tulsa campus with two cohorts of business students.

OSU is really here to meet the needs of the business community and the greater Tulsa area, Shrum said. And we understand that theres a gap for bachelors degrees here.

With College Park and the previous Linked Degrees transfer program, also an OSU-TCC partnership, some progress has been made that will really facilitate the ability to get a four-year public university degree in Tulsa, she said.

OSU-Tulsa President Dr. Pamela Fry has done a great job of not only creating those programs but trying to build relationships in the community.

Shrum said continuing the community engagement and collaboration is going to be very important moving forward, as we understand what the needs are in Tulsa, from industry, from the community, and then setting our sights on the areas we are going to grow.

What are the greatest demands? What are the degree programs that can help to fill that gap? And not only just focusing on those 18-year-olds that are graduating from high school, but the adult learner. How do we meet those needs, and continue to expand what were doing already in Tulsa?

Starting out listening
With 60% of TPS schools at 50 years or older, these investments into roofing, exterior maintenance and accessibility are crucial, he said.

To that end, the proposition includes $44.1 million for interior renovations at Sequoyah and seven other schools across the district: Bell, Burroughs, Hawthorne, Skelly Upper and Walt Whitman elementary schools; plus Thoreau Demonstration and Wayman Tisdale academies.

One of 10 TPS campuses that are more than 90 years old, Sequoyahs current building, the former Cleveland Middle School, was built in 1926. Although Nero and the schools staff were grateful to move into the space a decade ago as part of Project Schoolhouse, their current buildings age is starting to show. Along with water-damaged, cracked walls, the 95-year-old building consistently has plumbing issues because of its aging pipes.

When you find a new house, you want to fix it, Nero said. We were so excited to move over from the old Sequoyah to Cleveland because it meant we could all be in the same building instead of having kids in 10 prefabs like we did over there.

However, what weve found since we got here is that even though we baby this building and we love it, the infrastructure is falling apart.
My doctor told me I will live to 110, he said.

Never forget

Not lost on Ray is the symbolic significance of making it to 100.

For a Holocaust survivor, someone once targeted for annihilation, its like the ultimate act of resistance.

I will never forgive and I will never forget, he said of what he would say to his former enemies, if he could talk to them now.

I saw it all with my own eyes, Ray added of the Holocaust. Anyone who says the Jews are making it up, let him come talk to me.

This week, in addition to his birthday, is another anniversary in Rays life. On May 2, 1945  76 years ago Sunday  he was officially liberated.

The story behind it is one he has shared often over the years, including at schools and churches.

Born Szasa Rako in Bialystok, Poland, Ray was captured for the first time after the start of the war, when he and his family were herded onto a box car with other Polish Jews.

He tried to persuade his family  his parents and three younger siblings  to jump from the train.

They wouldnt. So he jumped alone.
I know for sure two, because it happened right next to us, literally right next to us, Yatim said. But he was shooting pretty aggressively in the building, so I wouldn't doubt him hitting other people.

Yatim said the shooting began in a casino restaurant.

We got the hell out of there, thank God we're OK, but obviously we wish the best for everybody who's been shot, he said.

Webster said the casino is connected to a large hotel and conference center, the Radisson, also owned by the Oneida Nation.

Gambler Max Westphal said he was standing outside after being evacuated for what he thought was a minor issue.

All of a sudden we hear a massive flurry of gunshots  20 to 30 gunshots for sure, Westphal told WBAY-TV. We took off running towards the highway ... There had to have been 50 cop cars that came by on the highway. It was honestly insane.

Gov. Tony Evers issued a statement late Saturday saying he was devastated to hear about the shooting, but gave no details.
But this isnt the first time he has had to search for a sister. All three of his sisters have been taken before, and he regularly participates in searches for other Native American women.

For a long time, Indigenous people like Nokusece Wind and grassroots groups were the only advocates for the MMIW crisis, but over the past few years, the crisis has been given bigger and bigger platforms. Just this year, federal action and the Oklahoma Legislature have directed more funds and aid to combat the crisis and help victims.

Nokusece Winds oldest sister was a victim of domestic violence. Her ex-partner was convicted in Tulsa County of domestic assault after he ran over her leg with his car as she was trying to escape from him, court records state. She needed surgery to put two metal rods in her leg after the injury, her brother said.

He uses his first-hand experience and his search and rescue training to help find Indigenous people and bring them home. He acts as an on-the-ground advocate for families and victims, conducting searches, talking with law enforcement officers and spreading the word on social media.
Conviction carries a minimum 10-year prison sentence and hefty financial penalties.

Hitting the lottery: The Oklahoma Lottery projects record revenue of $340 million for the fiscal year ending June 30, up from $150 million four years ago.

The difference, say lottery officials, is 2017 law allowing a larger share of revenue to be paid out in winnings.

Educations portion is a smaller share but larger in actual dollars  about $80 million this year, by far the most ever.

Neighhhh!: Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter is challenging another federal law, this time the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act, which was tucked into Decembers coronavirus relief bill.

The bill creates the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, which in turn is to contract with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency to oversee drug testing and medication of race horses at tracks around the country.

The measure has the support of some racing blue bloods  and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky  but Hunter says it places an undue financial burden on Oklahoma. He also voices 10th Amendment  states rights  objections.
A free trade pact between Vietnam and the UK came into effect on Saturday, paving the way for 99 percent of tariffs to be eliminated after six years and for the kingdom to join a separate Trans-Pacific deal.

Today marks an important symbolic step in this partnership as the Vietnam-UK Free Trade Agreement enters into force, both countries said in a joint statement.

Vietnam and the UK have a strong and growing bilateral trade relationship and share a strategic commitment to global trade, the free flow of capital, and investments, according to the statement.

The Southeast Asian countrys share of total UK trade doubled between 2011 and 2020.

The free trade agreement covers 5.1 billion (US$7 billion) in trade and provides a platform to grow trade and investment, as well as certainty to UK and Vietnamese businesses.

Trade in goods ranging from clothing and footwear to seafood and pharmaceutical products can continue uninterrupted, as the accord secures access to staged tariff reductions between Vietnam and the UK.

The deal locks in the 65 percent of all tariffs that have already been eliminated on Vietnam-UK trade, the joint statement reads.

This will increase to 99 percent of tariffs after six years.

This includes eliminating tariffs for UK exporters of machinery, mechanical appliances, and pharmaceutical products.

The preferential tariffs of the free trade pact will provide identical opportunity for Vietnam to increase exports of key products such as phones and components, garments, footwear, and fish to the UK.

Vietnam will continue to receive duty-free tariff quotas for its 14 products, including rice, with improved market access.

Trade in services can continue to flourish since Vietnam has not only opened additional sub-sectors to UK service providers, but also made commitments deeper than those outlined in the WTO  offering the UK favorable access to the Vietnamese market.

Sub-sectors that have higher commitments under the agreement include financial services, telecommunications, and education services.

Both sides are committed to a high level of protection when it comes to intellectual property rights.

The pact also maintains access to public procurement markets in Vietnam, thereby allowing UK firms more opportunity to bid for public procurement contracts.

It also serves as a stepping-stone toward the UKs membership of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which has been effective since December 30, 2018.

Vietnam supports and welcomes the UKs application for accession to the CPTPP, as it is Londons priority, according to their joint statement.

This will bring us closer to the CPTPPs vision of advancing economic integration and supporting the liberalization of trade and investment globally, the statement reads.

According to the Canadian governments estimation, the full implementation of the CPTPP will help 11 member countries including Canada, Australia, Brunei, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam create a trade bloc equivalent to 495 million consumers and 13.5 percent of global GDP.

In September, Vietnam and the UK signed a refreshed bilateral strategic partnership agreement, which will sit alongside and complement their free trade accord.

The UK said it is committed to deepening its engagement in the Indo-Pacific as an energetic and dependable partner in the growing prosperity of the region, where Vietnam is a key partner.

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A series of flights were disrupted on Friday after a passenger on board a plane at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi opened the exit door of the aircraft, thereby inflating the emergency slide.

Bamboo Airways flight QH201, which was scheduled to leave Hanoi for Ho Chi Minh City on the VN-A22 plane at 5:50 am on Friday morning, was delayed for more than two hours due to the incident.

The incident happened at 5:30 am, when N.N.M., a 28-year-old passenger, opened the 3R exit door on the left side of the plane, causing the emergency exit slide to inflate, Nguoi Lao Dong (Labor) newspaper reported.

As a result, all the passengers aboard had to be taken back to the terminal while waiting for their flight on another plane arranged by Bamboo Airways.

Their flight departed later at 8:20 am, two hours and half behind schedule, according to Nguoi Lao Dong.

Three other flights were also delayed, including flight QH1970 from Ho Chi Minh City to Van Don, flight QH1971 from Van Don to Ho Chi Minh City, and flight QH242 from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi.

On March 18, a similar incident happened to flight QH1177, also operated by Bamboo Airways.

The flight was preparing to depart Tho Xuan Airport in north-central Thanh Hoa Province for Ho Chi Minh City at 5:00 pm, when passenger V.V.D., 59, from Thanh Hoa, opened the exit door, which in turn released the emergency slide on the side of the plane.

Due to the incident, the Bamboo Airways had to use another plane for the flight, as the emergency slide had to be repaired.

As a result, the flight was postponed for nearly two hours.

Anybody opens the exit door of a plane without permission will be subject to a fine of VND10-20 million (US$430-860), according to current regulations.

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The Indian variant of the novel coronavirus has been detected for the first time in Vietnam after a hotel employee was found having contact with experts from India before being confirmed as a COVID-19 patient last month.

Four Indian experts carried the B.1.617.2 mutant strain, which has been raging in India for the past several weeks, when they were quarantined at a hotel in northern Yen Bai Province, according to genome sequencing at Vietnams National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, which was announced by the Ministry of Health on Friday.

The four were confirmed as COVID-19 patients on April 18, 21, and 23, the Ministry of Health said in a report.

They had been quarantined at Nhu Nguyet 2 Hotel in Yen Bai since their arrival in Vietnam by plane on April 18.

The health ministry recorded another patient who is a Nhu Nguyet 2 employee on April 27.

The staff had come into direct contact with the four Indians.

All the five patients caught the same B.1.617.2 lineage, according to the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiologys genome sequencing.

Experts have said there is no indication of the Indian variant having heightened virulence.

This is the first time Vietnam has ever identified the double mutant Indian variant of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

The Indian variant is believed to be more transmissible  the characteristic of the UK mutant  and to lessen the efficacy of COVID-19 jabs  typical of the South African mutation. This explains its double mutant label.

The UK mutation was first reported in Kent, southeast England, in September last year.

Vietnam detected the first case of the mutant, a patient returning from the UK, on January 2.

The South African strain was first discovered in South Africa in December 2020. Vietnam recorded the first known case of the variant on January 31.

The SARS-CoV-2, the official name of the novel coronavirus, has mutated for thousands of times since it first emerged in China in December 2019, the health ministry said, adding that most catching the UK, South African, Brazilian, and Indian variants.

Vietnam has not yet recorded any case of the Brazilian mutation.

The Southeast Asian country announced the first six local infections in over a month on Thurday, according to the health ministrys data.

It confirmed seven additional domestic cases on Friday and another three on Saturday.

The ministry has registered 2,942 coronavirus cases, including 1,587 community transmissions, as of Sunday morning.

Recoveries have reached 2,549 while 35 patients have died so far, most having suffered critical comorbidities.

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A COVID-19 patrol team member in northern Vietnam has been found joining hands with an illegal immigration ring that had been busted after arranging for hundreds of people to cross the border between Vietnam and China.

Police in northern Lao Cai Province on Saturday said they were interrogating Ly Chu, a patroller of the team, who was also the head of a grassroots-level military command board, along with several others involved in the racket that was broken up on April 13, VnExpress reported.

The man, 33 years old, of the Mong ethnic group, had held the post since 2016 before he was arrested on April 22, together with his accomplice, Hoang Sang, said the local border guard command.

Two days earlier, police officers had detained kingpin Giang Mi as well as ring members Thao Thanh and Giang Nha.

After the outbreak of COVID-19 in Vietnam in early 2020, Chu was asked to join the patrol team to prevent and detect illegal border crossing.

Chu, therefore, knew clearly about the patrol schedule as well as the teams activities.

He later lent a hand to Mi in arranging for people to unlawfully enter Vietnam from China across the border and vice versa, investigators said.

Before every illegal entry and exit through the borderline, Chu checked the trails between the two countries and observed the activities of the border and customs forces of China to ensure the success of the border crossing.

Giang Mi is seen in police custody in Lao Cai Province, Vietnam. Photo: Tuoi Tre Contributor

Meanwhile, Mi sent Nha and Sang to sneakily leave Vietnam for China to pick up those who needed to enter Vietnam.

When they returned to a stream area near the border with Vietnam, they would phone Chu to ask him when they could cross the border to get into Vietnam.

After bringing people into Vietnam smoothly,

The ring used motorbikes to take people to a hamlet where they would be picked up by Vu Van Huan, a taxi driver, after bringing them into Vietnam smoothly.

Mi paid Huan VND500,000 (US$22) per trip, investigators said.

The racket usually operated from 7:00 pm until 4:00 am to avoid detection, local police said.

Mi paid Chu, Sang, and Nha from VND600,000 ($26) to VND1 million ($43) for every successful case of border crossing.

Such remuneration is far higher than the allowance of nearly VND9,000 ($0.4) per hour of border patrol previously paid to Chu.

Mi was aided by 23-year-old Vu Minh Toan, from northern Tuyen Quang Province, who led the rings activities in China, investigators said.

Since April 2020, the ring has smoothly organized 91 cases of illegal border crossing for around 200 people, according to local police.

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Next week Britbox screens 2019 UK comedy Home, about a couple who return from a holiday in France to find a Syrian refugee in their car boot.

There are two seasons which will drop.

After a family holiday to France, the plan is to return with a tan and vintage champagne. What they actually bring back will come as a complete surprise

This BAFTA-nominated comedy is written by and stars Rufus Jones (Flack, W1A, Hunderby, Holy Flying Circus). This British sitcom follows the story of a family who, upon returning from a holiday in France, finds themselves with an illegal immigrant from Damascus hiding in the boot of their car.

The modern comedy follows Syrian refugee Sami as he adjusts to his new life in Britain while he waits for his asylum application to be processed.

Home also stars BAFTA-nominee Youssef Kerkour (Gavin & Stacey, Criminal: UK, Baghdad Central), Rebekah Staton (Raised by Wolves, Spy, Pulling) and Oaklee Pendergast (Marcella, The Missing, Camping).

Tuesday 11 May on BritBox.

Related
Another US reality show is headed to Australia to shoot.

CBS dance contest Come Dance with Me, executive produced by NCIS: Los Angeles stars LL Cool J and Chris ODonnell, will feature Jenna Dewan (Step Up, World of Dance) as one of its judges.

Deadline reports Come Dance With Me will feature talented young US dancers will invite one inspirational, and untrained, family member or other adult who has supported their dance dreams, to become their dance partner for a chance to strut their stuff for a grand prize. Each week they will share their love of dance with their mother, father, grandparent or other hero on an uplifting and emotional journey to learn and perform challenging routines, with the assistance of professional choreographers, in a competition with other duos.

The show will be produced by CBS Studios and 3 Ball Productions but the Herald Sun also reports Eddie McGuires Melbourne-based JAM TV will assist in production.

The series will be filming in Melbourne from late May.

Related
Foxtel today confirmed its new-look Selling Houses Australia cast following the departures of Shaynna Blaze and Charlie Albone.

Real estate expert Andrew Winter will be joined by interior design expert Wendy Moore and landscape designer Dennis Scott.

Wendy Moore, who was rumoured as joining, will continue as General Manager of LifeStyle channels: LifeStyle, LifeStyle HOME, LifeStyle FOOD channels and FOX Arena. She was Home Beautiful editor in chief for more than 12 years, and judged judge on Sevens House Rules for seven seasons.

Dennis Scott had a 10 year career as a Rugby League player, with the Brisbane Broncos, Canterbury-Bankstown and Melbourne Storm. Post-career he undertook a mature aged carpentry apprenticeship and turned his hand to landscaping, realising his dream with his own Brisbane-based Lush Landscape Solutions company.

Foxtels Executive Director of Television, Brian Walsh, said: We welcome Wendy and Dennis to the Selling Houses Australia team who will bring their wealth of expertise and their own unique personalities to our much-loved flagship series with Andrew at the helm. With people spending more time in and on their homes, Selling Houses will continue to connect and thrive with our audience after an already incredible successful 13 years.

Selling Houses Australia joins a stellar line-up of local LifeStyle content including returning LifeStyle favourites Grand Designs Australia currently on air, and coming soon Scott Papes Money Movement, Love it or List It Australia, Gogglebox Australia and Find My Dream Home. As well as our new slate of Foxtel Original programming going into production Selling in the City and The Repair Shop.

Andrew Winter said: I am actually a person that has always liked change I mean I cant even keep a house that long. The timeline for Selling Houses Australia has been completely thrown with everything going on in the world, and I have been waiting impatiently and cant wait to get back out there. I am really looking forward to working with Wendy and Dennis and welcome them to the team because we are so ready to hit the road.

Production starts next week by Warner Bros International Television Productions (WBITVP).

It returns in 2022.

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Tyler, TX (75702)

Today

Considerable clouds early. Some decrease in clouds later in the day. High around 90F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

A few clouds from time to time. Low 73F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.
CO2 emissions are set for their second-largest annual increase in history this year as the world increasingly turns to coal-fired power (AFP via Getty Images)

Quitting coal-fired power is the single most important step the world must take as it gears up for a crucial set of UN climate talks taking place in six months time, an energy expert has said.

At the start of November, world leaders are due to meet in Glasgow for Cop26, a climate summit that will be key for getting countries on track for the global aspiration of limiting temperatures to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels by the end of the century.

Dr Fatih Birol, chief of the influential International Energy Agency, said ending coal, the dirtiest of the fossil fuels, should be the top priority for countries in the run-up to the talks.

I think it is for me the single most important issue today, he told The Independent.

He pointed to a recent analysis by the IEA which found that CO2 emissions are set for their second-largest annual increase in history this year as the world increasingly turns to coal-fired power in the second year of the Covid-19 pandemic.

I was disappointed that despite all the rhetoric and expectations that the world would come out of Covid in a more sustainable manner, we see that the economic recovery colour is brown, not green, he said.

The Independents Stop Fuelling the Climate Crisis campaign calls for more action to stop support for fossil fuel projects, including from the UKs financial and political systems.

Coal plants are today responsible for about one-third of all emissions and it is therefore important to do two things when it comes to coal, said Dr Birol. One, to not build new coal plants and second  maybe more critically  to come up with a plan for dealing with existing coal plants, especially in Asia.

He added that richer nations needed to come up with more incentives to encourage lower-income countries to shut down their existing coal power plants.

In Europe and the US, we have coal plants but they are on average about 40 to 43 years old, which is close to the retirement age of about 45 years. But in Asia, the average age is about 11 years old  they are far from retirement, he said.

Story continues

How are we going to provide incentives for early retirement for those coal plants, especially in countries with lower income levels? For me, this is a burning question.

NTB Scanpix/AFP via Getty Images

The UK, along with Canada, is leading a global effort to try to get countries and businesses to commit to phasing out the use of coal-fired power ahead of Cop26.

However, a report published earlier this month by the NGO Reclaim Finance said the initiative, known as the Powering Past Coal Alliance, was compromised by serious loopholes  rendering it not fit for purpose.

In addition to phasing out coal, countries must also drastically scale back on oil and fossil gas production if the planet is to meet its climate goals, Dr Birol added.

If the world is serious about reaching its net-zero target, we need to see the use of all fossil fuels going down drastically  or we need to find new technologies to use them in a carbon-free manner, he said.

Alok Sharma ... made me believe that the UK can pull off an excellent outcome for the world from Cop26

Dr Fatih Birol, International Energy Agency chief

He added that he hoped to see more countries coming forward with short-term emissions goals in the run-up to the conference.

We have to see countries who have not yet come up with pledges to reduce emissions to net-zero by 2050 come forward with this commitment, he said.

But more importantly, countries who have made that pledge must explain how they are going to halve their emissions this decade and the critical energy policies they are going to put in place to make those reductions happen.

Despite the ongoing need for more progress, he remains optimistic that the UK-led conference could prove a historic moment in the fight against the climate crisis, he added.

Two things make me optimistic, said Dr Birol. Firstly, I was very impressed with the recent climate leaders summit, which boosted international climate momentum.

And, secondly, I recently had a long and comprehensive meeting with Alok Sharma  [the UK minister appointed Cop26 president]  and his plans and ambitions made me believe that the UK can pull off an excellent outcome for the world from Cop26, and that Glasgow will go in the history books alongside Paris.

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Warren Buffett faces showdown with ordinary savers over refusal to act on climate crisis

Extinction Rebellion activists blockade Faslane nuclear base in Scotland
Since taking office, President Joe Biden's has tried to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal or craft a new one. Meanwhile, as Business Insider reports, tensions between Israel and Iran have escalated, with an undeclared naval war and continued Israeli strikes on Iran and its proxies.

While tensions between Israel and Iran have been omnipresent in the Middle East for decades, the prospect of open military conflict between the two countries has never seemed closer than it does now.

Over the past few months, the two rivals have escalated an undeclared naval war featuring unclaimed attacks on Israeli- and Iranian-owned ships. At the same time, Israel has continued its air strikes on Iranian weapons shipments transiting across Syria, and a damaging explosion on April 11 at Iran's Natanz nuclear facility was widely attributed to Israel.

All of this comes against the backdrop of US President Joe Biden's efforts to hold talks with Iran in order to explore the possibility of reviving the 2015 nuclear deal or crafting a new agreement to rein in Iran's nuclear program.

With a delegation of senior Israeli national security and intelligence officials in Washington this week for talks with the Biden administration on Iran, the spotlight is shining brightly on Israel's current approach to countering Iran and whether or not its disagreements with the US on this issue can be managed.

The last time friction arose in the US-Israel alliance over Iran, it was in the leadup to the Obama administration's eventually successful negotiations that led to the crafting of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, as the multilateral nuclear deal is formally known.

Israeli officials' concerns at the time were about both substance and process; they complained about being kept in the dark about the secret American overtures to Iran that preceded the formal negotiations, and the Israeli security establishment was almost uniformly of the view that the deal fell short in a number of critical areas.

Israel was concerned primarily about the JCPOA's sunset clauses  which allowed some of the deal's restrictions on Iran's uranium enrichment and overall uranium stockpile to expire over a 15-year period and progressively loosened the inspection and verification measures between years 10 and 25  as well as the lack of restrictions in the deal on Iranian research and development for key nuclear and ballistic missile technologies.

In the eyes of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his advisers, the deal's formula meant eventually assenting to an Iranian nuclear weapons capability, not blocking it.

The Israelis also believed that negotiating solely over Iran's nuclear program was mistaken, as the deal did not address Iran's non-nuclear regional aggression and support for terrorism, and that any deal that did not counter what they saw as Iranian belligerence writ large was inadequate.

Some in Israel, including Netanyahu, went even further, arguing that no deal with Iran was acceptable irrespective of its contours. Netanyahu made this point clear in his address to a joint session of the US Congress in March 2015, warning against the US entering the JCPOA.

With the advent of the Trump administration, the US and Israel were brought into alignment on Iran and the JCPOA. One of Donald Trump's signature moves as president was to withdraw from the JCPOA and enact a campaign of "maximum pressure" on Iran in the form of increased sanctions, policies that were supported by Netanyahu.

But while the JCPOA commanded little support within the Israeli security establishment, once it was finalized, the predominant view was that Israel was better off with the US remaining in the deal than withdrawing from it.

The deal was panned as widely flawed and there was no confidence in complete Iranian compliance, but Israel still found that the temporary reprieve from worrying about an imminent Iranian breakout capability allowed it to focus to great effect on countering Iran's non-nuclear activities.

The facts that Iran dramatically expanded its nuclear capability during the period after Trump's withdrawal from the deal, and that the US maximum pressure policy did not cause the fall of the regime in Tehran, also gave some Israeli security officials pause.

As a result, the Israeli national security establishment is not as uniformly opposed to the US engaging in talks with Iran as it was when Obama embarked on a similar venture.

One camp, led by Netanyahu, still views any deal with Iran as foolhardy and wants to do everything possible to arrest Iranian nuclear ambitions through direct action.

While most Israeli security experts view recent actions that have been attributed to Israel  such as the multiple explosions at Natanz and the assassination of Iran's leading nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, last November  as legitimate and necessary to roll back Iranian nuclear gains, for Netanyahu, they may have the concurrent benefit of raising the stakes for Iran in a way that makes it harder for the regime to negotiate with Washington.

Entering talks are more politically difficult for Iran's leaders if they are seen as capitulation to pressure. This in turn leads Iran to make demands, such as removing all sanctions before it agrees to talks, that are designed to get a political win but are unlikely to be met by the US

Other Israeli security figures, such as Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi and Defense Minister Benny Gantz, appear to prefer working with the US and trying to improve any theoretical new deal while dissuading a return to the JCPOA.

This camp has been influenced by the benefits Israel felt during the JCPOA's abbreviated tenure. As such, it is focusing on improving the restrictions on Iran's nuclear program, specifically by urging the US to eliminate any sunset clauses and negotiate hard limits on Iranian nuclear research rather than focusing solely on enrichment levels and centrifuge deployment. (Of course, whether Iran would agree to such stringent terms is another matter.)

Their thinking is that the Israel government's open confrontation with the US during the Obama era was a tactical mistake that did not end up benefiting Israel's interests vis-a-vis Iran, and that if Biden is determined to negotiate a deal, Israel's aim should be shoring up the cracks that characterized the last one.

There is yet another group within Israel's security establishment that is alarmed at Iran's shortened breakout time since the US exited the JCPOA, and thus advocates reviving the deal immediately in order to address an imminent crisis.

This camp, which includes former Mossad chief Tamir Pardo, favors following up the JCPOA with a new, stronger agreement that has a longer time horizon. This approach is motivated not only in wanting to put Iran's nuclear program back into a box  even if it is a rickety one  as quickly as possible, but also in wanting to stay in America's good graces and work with the US rather than against it.

So far, the US and Israeli governments have worked hard to avoid the type of fallout between the two allies that occurred in 2015. The Biden administration has made a concerted effort to keep Israeli officials in the loop and to improve regular coordination and consultation at high levels, despite its grumbling about Israeli military action that is raising the temperature in the region.

Israel, meanwhile, has made a concerted effort to cut off public criticism of the Biden administration's approach and its desire to explore a deal, despite Israel's disappointment that Trump's maximum pressure campaign against Iran has been abandoned and its clear skepticism about what it views as the Biden administration's naivete.

Whether the two sides can continue to manage their differences is an open question; what is certain is that the US and Israeli approaches will remain misaligned. That means Israeli actions against Iran's nuclear program are likely to continue, no matter the status of US-Iranian negotiations.
Last week, the European Parliament called for the better treatment and management of obesity as average obesity levels in the EU have risen by 161% since 1975. EURACTIV France reports.

With the launch on 20 April of the European Parliaments intergroup on obesity, the EU legislative body aims to make resilient health systems a reality by addressing obesity as a prioritised chronic disease.

According to the WHO, 39% of adults across the globe are overweight, while 13% of them are obese. Since 1975, the obesity rate has almost tripled. And according to Our World in Data, 22.82% of the EU population was obese in 2016 compared to just 9.3% in 1975, meaning there was a 161% increase in about 40 years.

Malta, Hungary, and Lithuania are the countries most affected by this obesity epidemic, with 28.9%, 26.4% and 26.3% respectively, while Austria, Italy and Denmark are faring best.

Compared to 1975, however, it is Cyprus, Ireland, and Portugal that have suffered the most from this obesity epidemic. In just 40 years, these three countries have seen their obesity rate increase almost fourfold.

Malta, on the other hand, has been able to manage the problem better, with an increase of only 85%, as have Latvia and Estonia, with increases of 76% and 67% respectively. However, France has seen its share of obese people increase by 145%, from 8.80% to 21.60%.However, obesity also comes with a series of health complications that can be fatal.

Cases of type 2 diabetes, in particular, of which 44% are attributable to being overweight or suffering from obesity, as well as heart disease (23%). Also, cancer, for which  depending on the area of the body  between 7% and 41% of the cases are caused by being overweight or obese, which results in the death of at least 2.8 million people each year worldwide.

Being overweight or obese is, therefore, recognised as being the fifth leading cause of death, according to the WHO.

In the EU, Bulgaria suffers the most from this problem with 125.14 obesity-related deaths per 100,000 inhabitants in 2017. It is followed by Romania with 109.7 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants and Latvia with 106.49.

By comparison, France recorded the lowest mortality rate with 28.03 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, followed by Sweden and the Netherlands with 31.84 and 33.37 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants each.However, the most worrying statistics for health professionals and policymakers are those relating to children.

In its EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child published on 24 March, the European Commission noted that over the last 30 to 40 years, highly processed and unhealthy foods have become increasingly accessible and affordable, leading to an increase in overweight and obesity. 

For example, one in three children in the EU aged between six and nine is overweight or obese, which can increase the risk of them suffering from diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular diseases or dying prematurely.

The countries most affected are mainly those in southern Europe, with 31.68% to 34.85% of children aged 2-4 in Greece, Italy, Spain, Bulgaria, Slovenia and Portugal found to be overweight in 2017. Only Belgium and the Netherlands had figures below the 20% mark.The Commission has decided to tackle the issue by launching its school fruit, vegetable and milk scheme, as well as the EU action plan on childhood obesity for the 2014-2020 period, which will be evaluated for follow-up.

The Commissions Farm to Fork strategy also calls on the food and retail industries to increase the availability and affordability of healthy and sustainable food choices, and the HealthyLifestyle4All campaign seeks to promote a healthy lifestyle for everyone across all generations and social groups, including children.
The first batch of Russias Sputnik V vaccine arrived in Azerbaijan on Sunday, TASS reported.

The drugs were delivered to Bakus Heydar Aliyev International Airport.

Representatives of Azerbaijans Foreign and Health Ministries and Russian Ambassador to Baku Mikhail Bocharnikov took part in the greeting ceremony.

"The vaccines delivery is a gesture of our friendship with Azerbaijan. Im glad that the Russian vaccine will contribute to Azerbaijans struggle against the coronavirus infection," the diplomat said. According to Bocharnikov, Sputnik Vs efficacy is 97%, and the vaccine has been registered in more than 60 countries.

The Russian envoy noted that the next batchs delivery is expected during this month.

In March, Azerbaijans authorities issued permission for using Sputnik V for vaccinating citizens.
The situation with COVID-19 in Russia remains tense, with more than 300,000 infected people under supervision, Health Minister Mikhail Murashko told Vesti program on Rossiya-1 TV channel on Sunday, TASS reports.

"The situation with coronavirus still remains tense. More than 300,000 patients remain under supervision," Murashko said.

The minister also noted that the May holidays were extended in the country to stop the infection spread.

To date, 4,823,255 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia, with 4,443,922 patients having recovered from the disease. Russias latest data indicates 110,862 fatalities nationwide. Earlier, the Russian government set up an Internet hotline to keep the public updated on the coronavirus situation
Over recent months, the steel market has retained positive momentum after its recovery in mid-2020, helping many steel producers record a strong performance in the first quarter of 2021.

Vietnams steel industry is now ranked in the top 15 biggest worldwide

In particular, locally-invested steelmaker Hoa Phat Group surpassed Taiwans Hung Nghiep Formosa Ha Tinh to become Vietnams largest steel producer after it produced two million tonnes of crude steel in the first quarter of this year, a 60 per cent increase on-year.

This success has shown the growth of domestic steel enterprises, breaking the monopoly created in 2018 when Formosa Ha Tinh became the leading crude steel producer with estimated output of over five million tonnes of crude steel, double Hoa Phats crude steel production, and reaching 3.44 million tonnes of hot rolled steel. Formosa was the only company in the domestic market that could produce hot rolled coil (HRC) at the time.

Steel businesses in recent years have invested hundreds of millions of US dollars to create high-quality products favoured by major markets around the world, and in 2018 CEO of Hoa Phat, Tran Tuan Duong, vowed that his group would not be inferior to Formosa and would not lose out in the competition.

At the Hoa Phat Dung Quat iron and steel production complex in the central province of Quang Ngai, the group has been pumping capital into installing a state-of-the-art closed blast furnace production line. It is capable of turning out high-quality steel using square billets, as well as hot- and cold-rolled steel, pipes, galvanised steel, and steel wire ropes using flat billets.

Valued at $2.26 billion in total investment value, the complex encompasses a deepwater port system that is accessible by 200,000 dead-weight-tonnage vessels.

Dinh Van Chung, deputy director of the Hoa Phat Dung Quat iron and steel production -complex, said that at present, the groups hot rolled steel products are out of stock due to supply issues.

Hung Nghiep Formosa Ha Tinh and Hoa Phat are the two largest billet producers in Vietnam today and are also the only two companies in the country supplying HRC steel. In terms of monthly output, Hoa Phat has surpassed Formosa since September 2020 by putting blast furnaces 3 and 4 at its Hoa Phat Dung Quat complex into operation. While Formosa Ha Tinh aims to produce 6.5 million tonnes of steel per year, Hoa Phat is confident to produce eight million tonnes of steel this year.

With the total registered capital of $10.5 billion, Formosa Ha Tinh reported a revenue in 2019 of VND72 trillion ($3.1 billion), a loss of over VND11.5 trillion ($500 million) which was more than four times higher than in 2018. As of 2019, its accumulative loss was about VND25.38 trillion ($1.1 billion).

Meanwhile, Posco Yamoto Vina JSC, the first big size structural steel maker in Vietnam producing special steel including high-grade section steel with the variety of dimensions and standards, reported losses of VND2.7 billion ($117,400) for 2019 and VND1.09 billion ($47,400) for 2018.

Meanwhile, in the first quarter of this year, a range of local steelmakers reported outstanding results thanks to a recovery in the global steel demand with eased restrictions that has elevated steel prices.

Hoa Sen said that its consolidated business results for March are estimated at $180 million of net revenue, up nearly 18 per cent on-year, leading to $20 million of profit after tax. It exported high-value batches of galvanised steel sheets during the initial months of the year to the United States, Mexico, Europe, and Southeast Asia with the local groups export volume exceeding 120,000 tonnes per month.

In the first quarter, Tien Len Steel Group JSC achieved consolidated net revenue of over $39 million and profit after tax of more than $4.8 million. Its revenue only increased by nearly 4 per cent while profit after tax reached over 30 times compared to the same period in 2020. With this result, Tien Len Steel has completed nearly half of its annual profit target.

Similarly, at the end of the first three months of the year, Me Lin Steel JSC recorded an after-tax profit increase of 41 times compared to the first quarter of 2020, reaching $674,000 thanks to high steel prices and reduction in financial expenses and sales.

The most outstanding is Thai Nguyen Iron and Steel JSC (TISCO). The increase in steel price and good consumption helped TISCOs revenue reach over $120 million, up nearly 40 per cent on-year. After a period of loss, the first quarter of this year recorded a growth of 50 per cent with a gross profit of over $10.2 million.

Also, listed-firm VNSTEEL-Ho Chi Minh City Metal Corporation posted revenues of over $47.8 million, up over 40 per cent over the same period of 2020, while its profit after tax gained over 10 times compared to last year to $2.5 million, marking the highest quarterly profit since it was founded.

Commenting on the development of the domestic steel industry, industry expert Nguyen Van Sua said, In the past 10 years Vietnams steel industry has developed strongly, and by 2020 it ranked 14th in the world, a good step forward on the world steel industry map. In 2020, Vietnams crude steel production hit a very high level of 19.5 million tonnes per year.

Market observers said steel prices have not shown signs of cooling down, with the main reasons being the high demand and decline in production in the likes of China and India. With the pandemic situation in Vietnam continuing to be controlled, the demand for real estate construction remains healthy.

VIR
When I think of feminists I tend to think of people like Kate Sheppard who campaigned tirelessly to get women the right to vote in New Zealand or Susan B Anthony who worked on countless campaigns to bring equal rights to both women and African American people in the United States.

However, today I want to talk about a surprising feminist who changed the way women are viewed and treated in countries all over the world  that feminist is none other than Jesus Christ.

Womens rights in history

In the Roman Empire in the first century, both Roman and Jewish women had very little rights. Roman women were not allowed to own property, control their own finances, participate in politics, or even vote. Essentially Roman women were considered the property of first their father, then their husband.

Jewish women did not fare much better as they had minimal property rights, needed provision and protection provided by men, and could be divorced for any reason but could not divorce their husbands  not that theyd be likely to want to as they wouldnt be able to fend for themselves.

Josephus, a Jewish historian, says in his major work  Antiquities of the Jews - Let not the testimony of women be admitted, on account of the levity and boldness of their sex.

It was into that context that Jesus was born and grew up, yet he did not go along with the cultural norms when it came to his treatment of women; the way he treated women was completely counter-cultural.

Jesus treatment of women

Jesus taught and interacted with women as well as men, he publicly engaged with them and spent time with them alongside men. His care and compassion for women as well as men is shown through many stories in the gospels.

Jesus heals women, eats with women, comforts women, teaches women  he certainly does not see them as second class citizens who are not worthy of his time or attention!

Even more amazingly it is to women whom Jesus first appears to after his resurrection and it is those women whom he charges with telling the disciples that he has risen just as he said he would! Jesus clearly valued the testimony of women!

Women have been valued by God since the beginning of time  starting of at creation where men and women were created in the image of God but the way God wanted his people to treat one another became distorted and instead of those in authority loving and serving those who submitted to them they abused that power.

One such example is when Jesus is asked about divorce and says, Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery. (Matthew chapter 19, verses 8-9).

Jesus is telling them that they need to be committed to the wife they married and that they shouldnt divorce for whatever reason they felt like as was the cultural practice at the time.

Women in the Early Church

Jesus treatment of and teaching about women profoundly effected how the early church treated women.

In Ephesians chapter 5, verses 25 and 28-29, Paul outlines the selfless love husbands should have for their wives, Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her...In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies.

He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church.

Men are charged with having the same selfless, sacrificial, whole-hearted love for their wives as Jesus shows to his church!

Another shockingly counter-cultural idea was that both spouses belonged to each other as opposed to just the wife belonging to the husband  this is expressed by Paul in 1 Corinthians chapter 7, verse 4,The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife.

The idea that a woman would have claim to her husbands body was unheard of but Paul  informed by Gods values  states that both spouses belong to each other equally.

Following in Jesus feminist footsteps

Wherever Christianity spread so did the ideas of equality, often imperfectly but in such an important and world changing way that much of the world has been shaped to seek after and pursue equal rights for women, as well as for people of all ethnicities and social classes.

This type of equality was not brought about by smashing the patriarchy, but instead by lifting women up to the position God had for them all along and inspiring men to model the loving and servant-hearted leadership that Jesus himself modelled during his life and death.

When I think of the kind of feminist I want to be I think of those who tirelessly campaign for the good of others seeking to bring out the best in people and bring out their God given potential  people like Kate Sheppard, Susan B Anthony, and most importantly  Jesus!
Firefighters will never forget the haunting moments they witnessed at a fire on April 4 at a diaper and dairy product trading house in HCM City in which four people died.

They entered the house full of flames while spraying water in an effort to extinguish the fire and lower the temperature, which was 800-1,000oC.

The first two dead bodies were found  the father, over 80 years old, and his son-in-law. It took the firefighter a lot of time and effort to find the other two people who were killed  Hong, a pregnant woman, and her 10-year old daughter.

"We saw the mother and daughter lying down hugging each other, and the girls face was on the mother's chest," Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Minh Thanh, Deputy Head of the Dong Da District Police, recalled.

Recent fires at so-called tube (tall and narrow) houses, have caused panic among local residents.

On February 4, five young men, while burning offerings after worshipping Kitchen God, caused a fire which burned down a house and killed four people on the days just before Tet.

A fire on March 30 in HCM City killed six family members, and three people died in a fire on March 25 in district 8 in HCM City.

Most recently, a fire on Ton Duc Thang street in Hanoi killed four people.

In Hanoi, 112 fires occurred in the first quarter of this year alone, including three big fires and four fires causing serious consequences, 42 medium sized fires, and 55 small fires, killing seven people and injuring 13.

In Hanoi, 112 fires occurred in the first quarter of this year alone, including three big fires and four fires causing serious consequences, 42 medium sized fires, and 55 small fires, killing seven people and injuring 13.

According to the Fire Prevention, Fighting and Rescue Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security, 618 fires were reported nationwide in the first quarter, including 573 civil cases, killing a total of 16 and injuring 30 people.

The police said that fires in residential quarters and tube houses that serve both trading and accommodation purposes caused the serious death toll.

Licensers forget fire-prevention rules

Many people in large cities live in tube houses. People who build houses have to obtain licenses from appropriate agencies. But most of them dont care about designing exits used to escape emergencies, even though many tragic fires, with no survivors, have occurred.

The Hanoi Construction Department said this attitude exists because, under current laws, only construction works (hotels, guesthouses, or lodging facilities) with five or more floors with total usable area of over 5,000 cubic meters have to have exit ways for fire fighting. Detached tube houses are not required to have them.

As a result, residents in urban areas, where land is very valuable, try to use every square centimeter of land for accommodation purposes, and neglect fire prevention and fighting items.

Fire prevention and fighting regulations exist in laws, decrees and circulars, and there are national standards. However, the standards on detached houses are lacking or are vague.

Senior Lieutenant Do Anh Quyen, Deputy Head of Tu Liem district Police, said local authorities, especially licensing and construction work management agencies, should set requirements for fire exits when considering tube house design.

Construction work in cities should ensure that buildings all have emergency exits. In many residential quarters, because of limited financial capability, many people put things on stairs which block the exits and easily allow fires to spread.

In most of the fires that caused deaths, the major reason was the lack of emergency exits. Some people could not even run to the balcony to shout for help.

Quyen said that people still neglect building emergency exits because it is not obligatory under current laws.

Early fire-warning technology

According to architect Tran Tuan Anh, CEO of Topdesign, detached houses, especially tube houses, need to be designed with many doors. In addition to windows and openings for ventilation, it would be better to have emergency exits or access at the front of every floor, and the attic.

One of the biggest concerns is that exits may expose homeowners to burglars or criminals. The problem, according to Quyen, can be solved with different methods, including fingerprint locks or electronic locks. If the electricity is cut, or if homeowners panic and cannot find their keys, they can open the doors with their fingerprint.

Also, he suggested installing the kind of door that can be opened only from the inside, not from the outside.

In some countries, people also have steel staircases that can drop down when homeowners need to use them and then roll back up.

Using 4.0 smart technologies in fire prevention and fighting will also be a wise solution to minimize risks to peoples assets and lives.

The technologies will allow homeowners to discover fire thanks to early fire alert systems. The alerts will be delivered to many people via messages, mobile phone calls and mobile apps, and to the nearest firefighting stations.

MobiFone Global has recently announced the development of a wireless automatic fire alert system on 4G and 5G platforms. When there is a sign of fire, audible alerts are immediately given at supervision points and information is sent to the command system.

Le Dung - Nguyen Le

Tube houses pose theft, fire risks for local neighborhoods Vietnam is now paying a high price for the "tube house" culture and the boom in matchbox house construction.
Experts have repeatedly warned that Long Bien Bridge is in serious state and is going to collapse. Meanwhile, Hanoi is programming the development of a creative city. What should be done with Long Bien?

Long Bien Bridge (photo Hien Anh)

Hanoi is called the city of rivers as it exists on the sides of rivers, including Red River, the source of life and a reflection of the capital city's history.

Long Bien Bridge was built in 1902. Only after 84 years did Hanoi have more bridges  Thang Long and Chuong Duong. The 1998 city plan called for nearly 10 more bridges.

From 2000 to 2015, Hanoi built four new bridges. Vinh Tuy Bridge, opened in 2010, had investment capital of more than $400 million.

The three other bridges, capitalized at $1.5 billion, were built with ODA capital. Of these, Thanh Tri Bridge, at $410 million, was built in 2007, Vinh Thinh at $400 million in 2014, and Nhat Tan at $650 million in 2015.

The transport development plan to 2030 was approved by the municipal authorities in 2016. In addition to existing bridges, it called for expanding or building nine bridges crossing the Red River.

The total investment capital for the bridges was estimated at VND100 trillion, while Hanois total budget collection in the 2015-2020 period was VND940 trillion. The total investment in transport infrastructure was VND5-7 trillion a year.

The state budget therefore did not allocate capital for the bridges crossing Red River in the 2016-2020 periid. During that time, only the construction of Van Lang Bridge was implemented under the BOT (build, operate, transfer) mode, capitalized at $65 million (10 percent of Nhat Tan).

In late 2020, Hanoi completed the upgrading of Thang Long Bridge surface ($27 million) and kicked off the second stage, expanding the Vinh Tuy Bridge with capital from the state budget.

In March 2020, Hanoi proposed building Tu Lien and Thuong Cat Bridges, capitalized at VND26 trillion as public investment projects and under suitable investment modes.

The city authorities estimate that the monetary collections from land in 2021-2023 may reach VND104 trillion, and a part of the money will be reserved to build these bridges.

However, traffic conditions have not improved. In the southern bank (inner city) area, there is still no road that links to the bridge piers. As for the northern bank, the bridge pier is in deserted, thinly populated places.

While other bridges have become overloaded by three to five times (Thanh Tri, Vinh Tuy and Chuong Duong), the investment efficiency and traffic capacity of the two bridges are very low.

For Tu Lien Bridge to become effective, it needs to connect Van Cao Road through the West Lake underground line (3 kilometers long, twice as long as Thu Thiem tunnel, with interpolated value of $1.7 billion). The total investment capital for the bridge and the underground line is up to $2.5 billion, or VND55 trillion.

The current situation is that the Long Bien Bridge is on the verge of collapse, and the railway sector doesnt have enough money to improve it.

Meanwhile, Hanoi can collect no more than $1 billion a year from land sales, and it needs to spend money on many items, not just on bridges.

Therefore, every bridge needs to enrich the city and not be a financial burden on the city and its residents.

Solutions

The problem is what Hanoi needs to do to have money when it doesnt need to sell land.

The Hanoi transport program has determined the location of Tran Hung Dao street underground space with a scale nearly the same as Thu Thiem tunnel. The estimated investment capital is $850 million, equivalent to Tu Lien Bridge. Despite the expense, it can bring major benefits.

On the southern bank, it connects underground with the Hanoi urban railway station, creating a 1 million square meter valuable service space and underground infrastructure for TDR (Transfer of Development Rights), worth up to billions of dollars.

On the northern bank, there would be a new Red River landscape space, 4 million square meters (five times larger than the old residential quarter) with a multi-billion dollar value. The TDR of the space alone would bring more than enough money to build the bridge, and link roads and urban railways that connect Hanois central area and Long Bien district.

The current situation is that the Long Bien Bridge is on the verge of collapse, and the railway sector doesnt have enough money to improve it.

It is necessary to "turn risk into opportunity" by consolidating the bridge combined with increasing the functions, and integrating national railways into urban transport. By doing so, the bridges will help the city become more prosperous.

Long Bien Bridge not only needs to be reinforced to prevent collapse, but also should be rehabilitated to create a new commercial hub, while the four railroad crossings through four streets (Tran Phu, Dien Bien Phu, Nguyen Thai Hoc and Nguyen Khuyen) need to be removed.

Tran Huy Anh

Red River needs to be planned under Thuan Thien principle In 1921, architect Ernest Hebrard visited Vietnam to plan the development of Da Lat and started field research in Hanoi.
Online knowledge is usually not thought to benefit agriculture, but not in the case of farmer Phan Van Hung who has earned half billion a year from farming techniques he learned from the Internet.

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Mr. Phan Van Hung (36, living in Cam Toai Dong village, Hoa Phong commune, Hoa Vang district, Da Nang) once worked as a tour guide and in computer repair and construction engineering before deciding to grow mushrooms.

Hung said he carved out his career from scratch in 2017. I was completely alien to mushroom growing techniques, so I had to rely on online videos and experiments for reference. After seeing some improvements in my skills, I started to pilot growing abalone and Ganoderma mushrooms on an area of over 20 square meters, and initial capital of 3 million dong."

His model began to gain ground so he looked into revamping its standards to yield even more with more holistic methods. In 2018, he invested VND50 million for the expansion of mushroom growing, which at that time also meant more challenges he had to face due to his lack of technical grasp and experience.

I did not feel discouraged by that. I kept on reading from the Internet and books, and tried to find the best method to apply. My mushroom harvest reached higher yields and started to make profits in 2019, said Hung.

Following up with the stability of abalone, lingzhi and oyster mushroom yield, in early 2020 Mr. Hung embarked on research in growing methods of cordyceps mushrooms. He invested more than VND120 million to build a system of cultivating this sort of mushroom on an area of 9 square meters.

After countless transplant experiment failures, Hung finally harvested 2 kilograms of cordyceps mushrooms in early 2021. They are currently being submitted for product quality analysis samples. He is the first person in Da Nang to successfully grow this precious mushroom.

Cordyceps mushrooms are priced at 6 million dong per kilogram and not many people can grow them as they require major technology such as an absolutely sterile and bright culture environment, as well as natural ventilation, stable temperature, and huge investment. I have been more than 90% successful, Hung said.

Hung's mushroom farm has an area of 550 square meters, providing 30 kilograms of daily abalone mushrooms to Da Nang market with the price of VND50,000/kg, while dried Ganoderma is sold for VND800,000 to VND1 million/kg to markets in Thua Thien - Hue, Quang Nam.

With other expenses deducted, my family earns annually 400 million dong and creates seasonal jobs for four local workers.

He also expressed that his success today is thanks to the treasure of abundant knowledge from the Internet, which is all ours for the taking. Alongside that is the local government's support in capital.

For the time being, Hung's farm products are picking up steam. The district has also given more than VND300 million for Hung to develop his models, and invest in equipment to boost efficiency," said Ms. Khanh Ms. Dang Thi Yen Khanh from the Agriculture Division in Hoa Vang district.

Ho Giap
Hanoi plans to turn the five suburban districts of Hoai Duc, Gia Lam, Dong Anh, Thanh Tri, Dan Phuong into inner districts in the next five years

and then three rural districts of Thanh Oai, Thuong Tin, Me Linh will become urban districts in the period of 2026-2030.

The Hanoi Party Committee has issued Program No. 04 on building new rural areas, which emphasizes construction of the countryside in the new model which meets urban criteria.

Under this program, the rural districts of Gia Lam, Dong Anh, Thanh Tri, Hoai Duc, Dan Phuong will be developed to become urban districts in the period of 2021-2025 and the rural districts of Thanh Oai, Thuong Tin, Me Linh will become urban districts in the period of 2026 - 2030.

To implement this program, Hanoi will mobilize over VND92 trillion, an increase of about 15% compared to the period 2016-2020. Of that amount, including VND83,7 trillion is from the state budget and nearly VND9 trillion is from businesses and social resources.

The city has established the Steering Committee to develop five rural districts into urban districts with 26 members, chaired by Hanoi Chairman Chu Ngoc Anh.

Hanoi authorities plan to build Dong Anh district as its satellite city. This issue will be carefully discussed by the newly established Steering Committee in the coming time.

Hanoi has 12 urban districts and 17 rural districts.

The urban districts include: Hoan Kiem, Dong Da, Ba Dinh, Hai Ba Trung, Hoang Mai, Thanh Xuan, Long Bien, Nam Tu Liem, Bac Tu Liem, Tay Ho, Cau Giay, Ha Dong.

The 17 rural districts are: Ba Vi, Chuong My, Phuc Tho, Dan Phuong, Dong Anh, Gia Lam, Hoai Duc, Me Linh, My Duc, Phu Xuyen, Quoc Oai, Soc Son, Thach That, Thanh Oai, Thuong Tin, Ung Hoa, Thanh Tri and Son Tay town.

Huong Quynh
People returning to Hanoi are subject to compulsory medical declaration after the four-day public holidays, according to a document on COVID-19 prevention and control work issued on May 2 by the Chairman of the municipal Peoples Committee.

A large number of people in Hanoi travelled to other localities during the holidays, posing high risks of spreading the viral disease in the community.

Anyone who shows signs of coughing, fever, shortness of breath, or other suspected symptoms of COVID-19 should go to the nearest medical facilities for timely instruction.

Meanwhile, heads of organisations and agencies in the city must be responsible for medical declaration of their staff, and local authorities for that of the residents.

The municipal police are assigned to direct their lower units to make a list of returnees after holidays, popularise COVID-19 prevention measures, and give strict punishment to any violations.

COVID-19 has become complicated in recent days as more people have tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 after coming into close contact with a patient in the northern province of Ha Nam.

The 28-year-old man tested positive for the virus after he finished 14 days of mandatory quarantine. He had returned Vietnam from Japan via Da Nang International Airport on April 7. He was quarantined for 14 days in Da Nang and tested negative for coronavirus three times before completing the quarantine period.

VNA
Vietnams national insurance database will be launched on June 1 following the Governments Decree No.43/2021.

Vietnam Social Security app

The database covers social, health, unemployment insurance as well as medical and social security information to ensure citizens rights and interests.

It is available for individuals and organisations nationwide to access the latest and correct insurance information, thus meeting requirements for socio-economic development.

It also stores basic information about individuals, households and employers.

The Vietnam Social Security (VSS) is responsible for building, updating, maintaining, tapping and managing the database. It will also work with ministries and agencies to collect and update information in the database.

The connection and sharing of information with the database must ensure State, family and personal confidentiality./. VNA
If you can stand there and not get in trouble for it, I should be able to set up my camp, Wager said.

For many like Wager, a shelter is not an option.

My take on it is that they have all been to the shelters and the shelters feel like jail with all the rules and other homeless people in the shelters arent nice all the time, Kirk said. They dont sleep well. That is the biggest thing we see. The other thing is substance abuse.

Shaun Lee, chairperson of the Heart of Texas Homeless Coalition, said the coalition would be against the ban as camps make it easier for them to find people and engage with them, adding there are many reasons homeless people dont seek a shelter.

Some find it hard to be in crowded spaces and prefer to stay in encampments, Lee said. Also, a large population of homeless individuals that work and often the only shifts available are third shifts and many shelters dont offer a day shelter offer for those working overnight.

Wager, who has been able to save up for a truck after getting a job, said balancing work is a big issue with shelters and has experienced it firsthand.
In Bellmead, Karen Coleman was elected to the Precinct 1 seat with 15 votes. She defeated Laura Guy, 15-14. Coleman had requested to have her name removed from the ballot. Incumbent Alfreda Love did not run for reelection.

Bellmead City Secretary Holly Owens said Saturday that Coleman would hold the seat, unless she chooses to step down. If she does, the Bellmead City Council would then appoint a replacement on a majority vote.

In Precinct 2, incumbent Travis Gibson got 53 votes, defeating Melvin Cleveland, who got 31.

Bryan Winget won the three-way race for Precinct 5 with 38 votes. Challengers Brandon Bledsoe and incumbent Doss Youngblood received 13 and 24 votes, respectively.

McGregor

Andrew J. Henderson Sr. ran unopposed for the McGregor City Council Ward 1 seat, receiving 11 votes. Steven Dutschmann, a business manager for Baylor Universitys science building, won the Ward 3 race with 48 votes, narrowly beating out David Taylor, who received 42 votes. Sherry Adams was elected to the councils at-large position with 129 votes, defeating Tony Ocampo, who received 101.

Lacy Lakeview

Lacy Lakeview Mayor Sharon Clark was ran unopposed for reelection.
Ward said after the initial pandemic shutdown people began flocking to outdoor activities. The couple set up contact-free equipment rentals. It gave Erin an idea.

People were just dying for that, you know, after being locked up for like a month, Ward said. So thats kind of what really gave me more of the idea of more of a year-round option for equipment where people can just go, get a kayak and get in the water.

Ward, who grew up in Waco, said her family loved to be out on the water paddling, kayaking and canoeing, but they always did it at Lake Waco.

She said most of her clients are locals during most of the year, but during summer about half of her customers are tourists. She said she expects the Brazos Park East location to draw mostly locals, at least at first.

You know, and with the craziness of life, you know, especially this past year I like the water because I get away from the chaos of people talking, of traffic, of the noise of life, Ward said. And when youre on the water you just hear the birds, people, the sun on your face. Im just calmed and focused on that.
I was so excited to get my COVID-19 vaccine in mid-April. As a remote student, I was unable to get vaccinated at the clinics on campus and had been scouring local pharmacies for appointments. I finally managed to book an appointment at a grocery store, and I was every bit as nervous as I was
His plan asks Waterloo to also give him any vacant or other residential lots acquired by the city during the contract period and five years after. He said this is because Waterloo will be hot for future developments. Weems would plan to take a small profit when he sells the properties, he said, but would give a very good deal to buyers.

Weems has no partners to help him finance or construct and renovate homes for the project, he said. He said he plans to contact the faith community, nonprofits and Habitat for Humanity to help execute his plan.

He did not share his plan to finance the $10 million project, but said he does not have the deep pockets needed to fund it with personal money. He said his marketing and development plan is quite unique and he does not want to publicly share the details. Weems said he wants a nondisclosure agreement with the city, which could ensure some confidentiality for his terms.

He said Mayor Quentin Hart was not interested in the project, and Weems did not receive interest from City Council members. The citys planning department told him they typically provide developers with a more limited number of lots at one time, he said.
The deal will only make financial sense for the university long-term if the endowment earns billions in the market and isnt depleted too quickly through campus spending. Taxpayers could be on the hook for the payments to the companies if the deal goes south.

In promoting the proposal as a win for the state, University of Iowa President Bruce Harreld noted that 21.5% of the money for the transaction would come from Iowa-based investors. Democratic lawmakers questioned whether the investors had ties to university officials or were supporters of Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds, who backed the deal.

But the school denied open records requests for the investors identities, saying their names were marked as proprietary and trade secrets by the bidders and therefore could not be disclosed.

Sand, a Democrat serving his first term, requested details of the four bids from companies that competed for the transaction and the list of investors, after university officials briefed him on the deal in 2019.

Sand filed a subpoena for several categories of documents related to the transaction in January 2020, after university officials declined his requests for information. A judge ordered the university to comply with the subpoena, but put the ruling on hold as the university appealed.
Sen. Lindsay Graham, R-S.C., ecently asserted, America is not a racist country. Within every society you have bad actors. More strikingly, he added, America is a work in progress. An interesting set of statements.

Lets see. Beginning in the latter half of the 19th century, from 1862 to 1968 its estimated there were over 4,700 lynchings in the U.S. and 73% of the victims were Black. During that time period the percent of Black people in the U.S. averaged about 15%. Quite a contrast. While we dont have many lynchings today, all you have to do is watch the news to see evidence of racism. Black men are much more likely to be victims of police traffic stops for minor offenses than whites. Racial profiling is widespread in police departments, although it is denied.

OK, what about other races? In 1882, the Chinese Exclusion Act banned further Chinese immigration and naturalization. The phrase yellow peril referring to Asian immigrants was popularized in the news. In the 20th century, a bushel of anti-Chinese laws were passed in various states limiting immigration. Now, ex-president Donald Trump made a hit with his minions who chuckled when he referred to COVID-19 as the Chinese Flu or the Kung Flu.
But that fact  that there is no 30x30 land grab in the works  did not stop (g)overnors of 15 Midwestern states including Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota, from sending a letter to President Biden  saying they have not been adequately consulted on the program.

Most likely because  once again  there is no program.

A few days later, however, Vilsack had to again squash completely phony press stories about how the Biden Administration hoped to drastically reduce Americas meat consumption as part of its recently announced climate change policy.

In fact, Bidens commitment didnt include any targets for agriculture or any other sector, reported the authoritative Agri-Pulse on April 27.

Mostly because there is no formal climate change program yet.

And, it seems, there will never be one if many of todays ag leaders and rural politicians continue to peddle their claptrap about land grabs and hamburgers. But thats what their deceits are really about; they like it just the way it is and tough luck to all who follow.

Which brings us back to Stegners experience of how most Americans see their role in the environment: We use it up. And as we do, we dont want to talk about it.

Not honestly, anyway.

The Farm and Food File is published weekly through the U.S. and Canada. Source material and contact information are posted at www.farmandfoodfile.com.

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Spurred by the protest of a single individual, the outbreak against authoritarian rule started in Tunisia when a man set himself on fire to protest a government policy. This individual act struck a nerve with Tunisias general population, ultimately toppling a long-standing dictator. Inspired by this, others in the Arab world undertook demonstrations and even armed rebellion, causing significant regime change. These uprisings became known as the Arab Spring. Unfortunately, few achieved lasting success. Old authoritarian leaders were toppled, but in the end replaced by other totalitarian governments. War still goes on in Libya, Syria and Yemen, strife still lingers in Iraq and Egypt. Time and time again, a bedrock principle of American foreign policy  that from democracy springs stability, allies and economic gain  has proven to be more myth than reality.

This does not mean that in cases of shocking violation of human rights and genocide U.S. policy should be one of indifference. President Clinton has frequently and freely acknowledged that one of the real regrets of his term in office was not intervening in Rwanda, where the majority ruling class engaged in massive slaughter of two minority groups. On the other hand, Clinton felt justifiable pride when, with the help of others, the war in Serbia and Bosnia was halted and a peace accord was reached in Dayton, Ohio. If we do choose to involve ourselves in the internal affairs of other nations, two rules would seem to emerge: Do not go it alone, multinational is always better than unilateral; and, secondly, when the task is done, leave.
While it is vitally important that we slow global warming by reducing the amount of carbon dioxide that is being added to the atmosphere from the burning of fossil fuels, what about the excess carbon dioxide that has already been added to the atmosphere? This carbon will continue to warm the planet for many years unless it is removed. The ocean removes some of it, but agriculture also has a huge role to play.

Farmers may hold the key to saving the planet by employing regenerative agricultural practices that remove atmospheric carbon and improve the soil. These practices include using winter cover crops to change atmospheric carbon into organic matter while holding the soil, employing no-till planting methods to reduce erosion and increase water infiltration, rotating crops to build up soil nutrients and a diverse population of soil microorganisms, and returning grazing animals to grasslands where they add natural nutrients and aerate the soil while the plants sequester atmospheric carbon.

In addition to saving the planet, these practices may also save the farmers. According to research conducted by the United Nations, the Earths top soil may be gone in 60 years. This dire prediction can be reversed by regenerative agricultural practices.

David Voigts, Jesup

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NSU alum Kastigar finishes 11th place in the 400IM at Olympic trials

Kastigar finished 11th overall and swam her fourth fastest time in her career as she clocked in at 4:51.28.
WENN Celebrity

The 'Magic Mike' actor is keen to wrap up his divorce with former wife Jenna Dewan by settling the financial details including the child support of their young daughter Everly.

May 2, 2021

AceShowbiz - Channing Tatum has asked a judge to set a trial date to settle the financial terms of his divorce from ex-wife Jenna Dewan.

The "Magic Mike" actor finalised his divorce from Dewan in 2019, but the former couple is still yet to come to an agreement over some financial details, including the terms of child support payments for the pair's seven-year-old daughter Everly.

According to E! News, Channing filed a request last week (ends23Apr21) for a judge to set a trial date, which his legal team say should take around five days to complete.

The actor has reportedly made the request over "issues" pertaining to "dissolution, child support, spousal support, attorney fees, division of some property, and reimbursements and credits."

Since their split, both Channing and Jenna have found love with other people - Jenna became engaged to Steve Kazee, the father of her 13-month-old son, Callum, while Channing enjoyed a relationship with pop star Jessie J before they split for good last year (20).

In a recent interview, Channing Tatum offered advice to fellow fathers. "I want dads not to be afraid to go into their daughter's world and discover who they are," he said. "When I became a single father, I had a lot of fear about connecting to Everly in every way that a little girl might want," he recalled.

"I didn't wear nail polish or know how to braid hair," he continued. "But now I do both. I jumped with both feet into this magical world, and I was rewarded with a kind of love that I don't think I would have ever been able to have otherwise."
While corn, soybean, and spring wheat prices continue to rally and show strength, durum prices continue to remain in a narrow range.

The durum market could be summed up as holding mostly steady, although its showing some increases in a few markets, Jim Peterson, marketing director with the North Dakota Wheat Commission. But those increases pale in comparison to what weve seen in spring wheat, corn, and soybeans and other crops over the last short while.

To put that in perspective, Peterson noted that spring wheat had a pretty good rally in late April just on ongoing weather concerns and concerns about acres. Durum, however, has not enjoyed a similar rally.

Comparing price appreciation since March 1 on the Minneapolis Grain Exchange Index, durum has gone from $6.50 up to $6.80 a bushel. On the other hand, spring wheat has gone from $6 up to $6.92.

Granted, thats current or spot market. If we look at new crop values, durum is $6.50 a bushel and spring wheat is right in that ballpark, if not a little bit stronger, with the recent rally, he said.

I think that spread is important because we are at the start of durum planting and theres still a lot of uncertainty about acres.

Peterson pointed out that the March survey indicated that acres would be down, which was a little bit of a surprise. However, the market hasnt really done anything to incentivize growers to plant additional durum. But if the industry or end users were concerned about durum acres, especially now when its still early enough with spring wheat planting, producers can respond and plant more spring wheat.
Dublin, April 09, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Construction in Saudi Arabia - Key Trends and Opportunities to 2025 (Q1 2021)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



Saudi Arabia's construction industry is forecast to recover in 2021, growing by 2.9%, after contracting by an estimated 0.5% in 2020. In 2022, the industry is projected to continue to recover, growing by 3.2%, and then expand by 4.3% over the remainder of the forecast period (2023-2025). Over this period, the industry's output is expected to be supported by the government's focus on the development of overall infrastructure, as well as energy and utilities construction projects, in a bid to diversify its economy away from oil.



With the collapse of oil prices and disruptions due to the COVID-19 outbreak, in December 2020 the government announced a SAR990 billion (US$263.9 billion) budget for 2021. The Kingdom's budget statement showed a cut to government spending of 7% in 2021, implying that the main policy goal for the Kingdom in the short term is to reduce the budget deficit, rather than boost economic growth. However, there is a huge pipeline of projects related to the long-term diversification plans under Vision 2030. This was underlined by the crown prince's announcement in January 2021 that the Public Investment Fund (PIF) is to invest SAR3 trillion (US$800 billion) on projects in the country over the next decade.



This report provides detailed market analysis, information, and insights into Saudi Arabia's construction industry, including -

Saudi Arabia's construction industry's growth prospects by market, project type and construction activity

Critical insight into the impact of industry trends and issues, as well as an analysis of key risks and opportunities in Saudi Arabia's construction industry

Analysis of the mega-project pipeline, focusing on development stages and participants, in addition to listings of major projects in the pipeline.

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the construction industry in Saudi Arabia. It provides -

Historical (2016-2020) and forecast (2021-2025) valuations of the construction industry in Saudi Arabia, featuring details of key growth drivers.

Segmentation by sector (commercial, industrial, infrastructure, energy and utilities, institutional and residential) and by sub-sector

Analysis of the mega-project pipeline, including breakdowns by development stage across all sectors, and projected spending on projects in the existing pipeline.

Listings of major projects, in addition to details of leading contractors and consultants

Key Topics Covered:



1 Executive Summary



2 Construction Industry: At-a-Glance



3 Context

3.1 Economic Performance

3.2 Political Environment and Policy

3.3 Demographics

3.4 COVID-19 Status



4 Construction Outlook

4.1 All Construction

4.2 Commercial Construction

4.3 Industrial Construction

4.4 Infrastructure Construction

4.5 Energy and Utilities Construction

4.6 Institutional Construction

4.7 Residential Construction



5 Key Industry Participants

5.1 Contractors

5.2 Consultants



6 Construction Market Data



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/i41k89

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.
Farmers markets help Stohrs introduce goat dairy products to SD

Stohr Diary invests in the dairy goat industry. Helps grow awareness to the benefits of goat dairy within South Dakota.
Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly prioritising a new contract for Kylian Mbappe rather than a move for Barcelona attacker Lionel Messi.

Paris Saint-Germain are not prepared to prioritise a move for Barcelona talisman Lionel Messi, according to a report.

The Argentine's contract situation at Camp Nou is yet to be resolved, and as things stand he will be able to walk away for free in two months' time.

PSG and Manchester City are thought to be the only two sides capable of pulling off a deal for Messi should he leave Barca this summer, although a recent report claimed that the six-time Ballon d'Or winner is indeed close to penning a new 10-year deal with the Blaugrana.

As a result, L'Equipe claims that PSG will focus their attention on their own players rather than trying to sign the Barca attacker, as they are yet to tie Neymar or Kylian Mbappe down to new deals.

Neymar has affirmed that a new contract at the Parc des Princes is in the works, and the report adds that PSG will now put all their time and energy into negotiations over Mbappe's deal, with the 22-year-old set to become a free agent in 2022.

Barca manager Ronald Koeman has insisted that he is not worried about Messi's future, and the 33-year-old is supposedly willing to take a pay cut in order to aid a summer move for Erling Braut Haaland.
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Some Colorado River tribulations today remind me of a folk story: A young man went to visit his fiance and found the family trembling and weeping. They pointed to the ceiling, where an axe was embedded in a rafter.

That could fall, the father quavered. It could kill someone!

Puzzled, the young man climbed onto a chair, and pulled the axe out of the rafter. Everyone fell all over themselves thanking him. But he quickly broke off the engagement, concerned that such inanity might be inheritable.

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This resembles ongoing dithering over the 1922 Colorado River Compact, a 99-year-old agreement among the seven states through which the Colorado River meanders, on how the consumptive use of the rivers water should be divided to give each state a fair share. The agreement was necessary to get federal participation  money  to build dams to control the erratic river.

The best they were able to do, given the sketchy information they had about each states future development and also about the flow of the river, was to divide the river into two basins around the natural divide of the Colorado River canyons: Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico in the Upper Basin; and California, Arizona and Nevada in the Lower Basin. Each basin would get to consume 7.5 million acre-feet of the rivers water.

This placed a responsibility on the Upper Basin states to not cause the flow of the river at Lees Ferry, Arizona  the measuring point in the canyons  to be depleted below the Lower Basins share.

A generous reading of that lawyerly clause in the compact would say the upper states should just be careful that their water development doesnt dip into the lower states allocation.

A less generous reading would say that if for any reason the flow at Lees Ferry fell below the average of 7.5 million acre feet  whether due to over-appropriation by the upper states, or to a natural cause like a 20-year headwaters drought  the lower states would place a call on the upper states, which would have to cut their own uses and send their water downriver, whether they caused the shortage or not.

To maintain that flow in a drought, the upper states would bear the full pain of the drought for the whole river.

Guess which interpretation the upper states chose for their own 1948 compact? Never mind that a compact call led by California for its share of water is nowhere mentioned in the 1922 compact. The axe was planted in the rafter.

They might better have asked how the 1922 compact creators themselves envisioned the unknown future. The transcripts of the 27 compact meetings show that the seven state commissioners and their Federal Chairman Herbert Hoover were concerned, as late as their twenty-first meeting, that they did not know enough about the rivers flows to make a permanent equitable division of the waters.

Hoover summarized their concern and their intent: We make now, for lack of a better word, a temporary equitable division, leaving the further apportionment of the rivers use to the hands of those men who may come after us, possessed of a far greater fund of information. They even included in the compact (Article VI) instructions for reconvening to consider claims or controversy  over the meaning or performance of any of the terms of this compact.

By the drought years of the 1930s, it was already obvious that the 7.5 million-acre feet compact allocations were unrealistic. That would have been a logical time for the upper states to pull the axe out of the rafter, before the river was so fully developed.

But they didnt, and as the compact began to take on the aura of something carved in stone on a holy mountain, the fear of the compact call gradually descended into expensive paranoia.

The vastly expensive 24 million acre-feet of storage in Powell Reservoir just upstream from Lees Ferry was created there to fulfill the Upper Basins self-assumed delivery obligation, come hell or low water.

But now, hellish low water has come to Powell, and upper states are developing costly demand management programs whereby someone yet unspecified would pay ranchers to fallow fields so their water can be banked in Powell against the dreaded compact call.

The seven states are now  finally  initiating negotiations on a more reality-based governance of the Colorado River. Lets hope they have the good sense to pull that axe out of the rafters before negotiating fair water use under it.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-02 13:58:05|Editor: huaxia

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ULAN BATOR, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia's national count of COVID-19 cases rose by 1,185 to 38,470 in the past 24 hours, the country's National Center for Communicable Diseases (NCCD) said Sunday.

Apart from one imported case, all the other new infections were locally transmitted, mostly detected in the country's capital Ulan Bator, the NCCD said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Mongolia's total death toll reached 126 with two new fatalities, and 1,026 more people were newly discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recoveries to 21,707, according to the center.

The Asian country launched a national vaccination campaign against COVID-19 in late February, with the aim of covering at least 60 percent of its population of 3.3 million. Over 887,200 people have been vaccinated against the virus in Mongolia so far. Enditem
English Lithuanian

On 27 April 2021, the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders of Telia Lietuva, AB (code 121215434, registered address: Saltoniskiu str. 7A, Vilnius, Lithuania) decided to allocate the Companys profit for the year 2020 and to pay out EUR 0.10 dividend per share.



Dividends will be paid to the shareholders who at the end of the tenth business day following the day of the Annual General Meeting that adopted a decision on dividend payment, i.e. on 11 May 2021 are shareholders of Telia Lietuva, AB.

The Ex-Date or the first day from when on regulated market (i.e. on stock exchange) with settlement period of T+2 acquired shares of Telia Lietuva, AB do not entitle to the dividends for the year 2020 is 10 May 2021.



From 25 May 2021 the dividends are paid out in the following order:

to the shareholders, whose Telia Lietuva, AB shares are accounted by a financial brokerage company or credit institutions, which provide securities accounting services, the dividend amount, after deduction of Personal or Corporate withholding income tax applicable by the laws of Lithuania, will be transferred to the shareholders accounts held with a respective financial brokerage company or credit institution;

to the shareholders, whose Telia Lietuva, AB shares on behalf of the Company are accounted by the authorised custodian AB SEB bankas, the dividend amount, after deduction of Personal or Corporate withholding income tax applicable by the laws of Lithuania, will be transferred to the shareholders accounts with AB SEB bankas or the accounts (IBAN) with other bank or financial institution as indicated by the shareholders (requests with account indications should be submitted to any branch of SEB bankas).

Dividends paid in 2021 will be taxed as follows:



dividends paid to natural personsresidents of the Republic of Lithuania and natural personsresidents of foreign countries are subject to withholding Personal income tax of 15 per cent;

dividends paid to legal entities of the Republic of Lithuania and legal entitiesresidents of foreign countries are subject to withholding Corporate income tax of 15 per cent, unless otherwise provided for by the laws.

Residents of the foreign countries, which have concluded agreements on Avoidance of Double Taxation with the Republic of Lithuania, could take advantage of reduced tariffs provided by such agreements by submitting Claim for Reduction or Exemption from the Anticipatory Tax Withheld at Source, form FR0021 (DAS-1). The form should be completed following the law requirements and presented to SEB bankas together with the brokers confirmation by 21 May 2021.



For additional information on pay-out of the dividends please contact AB SEB bankas by phone +370 5 268 2800.





Darius Dziaugys,

Head of Investor Relations,

tel. +370 5 236 7878,

e-mail: darius.dziaugys@telia.lt


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Big businesses and government agencies continue to mislead the public by referring to natural gas and oil production rather than by its more accurate and honest name extraction. Natural gas and oil cannot be produced, only extracted from an ever-diminishing supply that has been created by natural geological actions. Oil companies constantly drill new wells to make more money by producing more oil. If they could actually produce oil they would only need one well to produce as much as they need. Production from fracked wells can be really large for a while, but eventually production falls, often drastically, and wells become stripper wells or are shut down as uneconomical. This happens to all wells in all oil and gas fields.

This means in 50 years or possibly even in 20 years natural gas for heating homes and businesses will be in short supply or very expensive. So how to heat a home in winter? With our energy coming from green sources we may still have electricity, but have you ever seen a home heated by electricity? There was a time in the past when General Electric bragged about all-electric homes including electric heating, but it didnt work as it was too expensive financially, so research ended also.

New Mexico is blessed with its two national science/energy labs at Los Alamos and Sandia, which are staffed with highly skilled and intelligent engineers and scientists. Time to have them develop economical and efficient electric-powered heating systems for whole home and business systems before the natural gas begins to run out or gets too expensive for the average working family. This will work for new homes, but we must ask them to also develop small safe and efficient portable heaters that can be used in homes until old homes can be retrofitted, if that is possible. Also needed are heating wires that can be wrapped around water pipes to keep them from freezing. Go to a local supply store and youll soon find out that current products are inefficient and can be dangerous if installed by an amateur.

Government does not look far enough ahead, and many businesses look only to the near future as they need to make a constant present-time profit. After all, the wealthy heads of business can afford to pay higher prices, plus they have to keep their stockholders  who are predominantly wealthy people  happy. Plus like me a lot of them are older and will probably be dead before things get really bad, so why worry about it?

But you 20-, 30- and even 40-year-olds had better start thinking about your future. How will you heat your home if the natural gas runs out? Can you afford a new electric home or can you afford to retrofit your current home? Youre going to need somewhere to live for the next 50 years and so will your children. Time to contact your state and federal government representatives.

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THE mammoth efforts of three East Cork lads will help a Cobh-based suicide prevention charity to continue its good work in the community.

Breaking The Silence aims to connect people at risk of suicide with vital resources.

And Jack Wyse, Kyle Langford and Ciaran Cullinane took part in a one month challenge during the month of April to raise funds for it.

This is a fantastic initiative from three young lads who approached us with the idea some weeks ago, says John Mansworth, Chairman of Breaking the Silence.

The lads set out to cycle more than 430km, the distance between Cobh and Belfast, and at the same time were completing in a sea swimming challenge.

The trio, who cycle and swim together, were delighted to raise funds for a charity that does amazing work in Cork and beyond.

We are friends who got to know each other through secondary school, says Jack, 20. As the years went on, we grew closer.

Why did the lads decide to take on this worthwhile challenge for suicide prevention?

We decided to do it to raise awareness that people are suffering in silence and that theres help out there, says Jack.

Times can be hard for people sometimes, and especially during the pandemic.

In times like this especially, we want more people to speak up, says Jack.

We shouldnt be afraid to speak up, and should not be afraid to talk to a friend or a family member with whats on our mind.

The challenge we wanted to do is in itself a way to raise awareness, doing a physical challenge to prove that anything is possible once you put your mind to it, to reflect that mental health battles can be gotten through as well.

We can all make progress one step at a time.

With the swim and the bike for a month, we said wed take it day-by-day. Were almost there now, says Jack, speaking to me about the last leg of their challenge a few days ago.

With the physical aspect of the bike and the mental battle of the swim, we thought it would be a good test for ourselves and also prove that anything is possible with positivity and hope.

Jack adds: Over the years we have all been in that dark place.

But there are ways and means to see the light again.

How did the lads set about their challenge?

We cycled 30km every second day consecutively, says Jack. And we did a swim every second day.

The lads pushed the boat out.

On the weekends we went further and pushed for a 50km cycle because we were not working.

When we swim we go into the water with just our shorts; no wetsuits. We go in to the depth of our body height and we swim for 10 to 15 minutes.

They plunged into the ocean despite some poor weather.

The aim of this challenge is to show that everyone goes through bad times sometimes and its OK to feel down, says Jack.

You are never alone. We hope to raise 4,000 for Breaking the Silence.

Keeping negative mental thoughts at bay can present its own challenges. The Big Bad Wolf can be kept from the door with positive thinking.

Put it this way, says Jack. There are two wolves; one is negative, doubtful, unhappy, and feeling anxious, thinking nothing can go right and things will never get better. He is called the bad wolf.

On the other side theres a good wolf. Hes full of positivity, happiness, and hope, knowing that better days lie ahead and that anything is possible.

The two wolves represent everyday thoughts. Its just a matter of which wolf you feed.

Kyle understands the analogy of the bad wolf and the good wolf.

I know the effects it has. It is partly the reason why I undertook the challenge, he says.

Was the thought of the cycle/swim challenge daunting?

The challenge itself sounds daunting, says Kyle. But its mostly a mental challenge rather than a physical challenge.

Kyle has a positive attitude.

Your mind plays tricks on you, thinking that its going to be impossible with no previous training, but in reality the body adapts and overcomes any situation thrown at it.

The lads didnt mind being thrown in the deep end.

The day after the cycle, we head down to the beach and run into the water for at least 10 minutes, fully soaked.

They stick it out, come hell or high water.

Some days we try to stay in the water longer depending on what the temperature is, says Kyle.

This isnt just beneficial to our recovery from the cycle, but it is also a mental challenge in itself.

Kyle knows that team effort is rewarding.

Breaking the Silence is proud sponsor of Cobh Ramblers FC, says Kyle. Most importantly, we hope to raise awareness and maybe give hope to those people who are suffering in silence.

Ciaran isnt silent on why he is taking on the monumental challenge with his mates.

We felt we needed to do this challenge and raise awareness, after one of us had a really hard time mentally in the past year, says Ciaran.

It took him over a year to speak up and let us in; into whats going on.

The bad wolf is often lurking, waiting for an opportunity to surface.

Talking to people and seeking help was vital, says Ciaran. The person felt it was weak to speak up but we wanted to show that its not. It is brave and it is a real challenge.

The cycle/swim mission is a real challenge for a great cause.

We wanted to reflect the courage and strength it takes for those going through a hard time mentally to speak up, says Ciaran.

Thats why we combined the physical challenge of the cycle with the mental element of going into the sea every second day.

The three troupers have an important message for us.

Its okay to feel down and speak up; something that people, and young men in particular, find really hard.

Jack, Kyle, and Ciaran, brimming with positivity, are never out of their depth.

We wake up at 7.30am. then work 8am to 4.30pm. During the challenge, depending what day we were on, we cycled 30km or swam in the sea. The distance cycled in April was 430km; the equivalent of Cobh to Belfast.

And with the east Cork lads all in it together; working as a pack for a common goal, motivated and driven with positivity. they achieved mighty things to help break the silence.

ABOUT BREAKING THE SILENCE

Breaking the Silence is a Cobh-based voluntary group that works to help create a Suicide Safer Community by connecting the person at risk of suicide with life preserving resources.

It specialises in Suicide Prevention Training, and was started by volunteers in 2007 after a high number of deaths by suicide in the area.

Since being set up, Breaking the Silence has trained people all around Ireland.

It is recognised as a leading voluntary group on driving suicide awareness and provides free programmes across Cork city and county in the areas of suicide intervention and Prevention. i.e Suicide First-Aid.

The charity provides both safeTALk and ASSIST Training Programmes, both of which are world standard in this area.

John Mansworth, Chairman of Breaking the Silence, is full of praise and admiration for Jack, Kyle and Ciaran.

They wanted to physically and mentally test themselves with this gruelling challenge while raising money and awareness for Breaking the Silence, says John.

Given that they are either 20 or 21 is even more impressive.

We have been blown away by the engagement online as we followed their journey, and indeed by the donations as well.

We would also like to thank Cobh Ramblers FC for their support in this and also Jim Wyse who has helped the lads with bikes, gear, and support.

Donations can be made here: idoante.ie/cycle4bts.
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Two $9,000 American Harness Drivers Club events went to post on Saturday (May 1) at Freehold Raceway, with Tony Verruso and Joe Faraldo emerging victorious in their respective splits.

In the first division, Verruso floated Drazzmatazz away from the gate to land in third while Dave Offenberg and Fiji controlled first-lap splits of :28 and :56.4.

"After the steppy half, I moved Drazzmatazz off the pylons as we headed to the three-quarters," Verruso said. "We charged up alongside the leader, and when we headed for home, my horse was strong and we rallied to a solid 1:57.1 victory."

Fiji, who finished second, was disqualified to last, elevating Ooh Rah (Todd Whitney) to second and Always A Good Time (Joe Faraldo) to third.

Drazzmatazz, an eight-year-old RC Royalty gelding, is owned by Danbry Racing and trained by Vincent Stallworth. He paid $3.00 to win.

In the second division, Faraldo emerged victorious with 17-1 shot Presidente Zette, but only after first-place finisher Keystone Orion and driver Tony Beltrami were disqualified for leaving the course.

Faraldo ducked Presidente Zette in sixth early, and then found cover later in the mile as Pound Sterling (Bob Hechkoff) and Keystone Thunder (Matt Zuccarello) duked it out past three-quarters and into the final turn. In the lane, Presidente Zette  individually clocked in 2:00.4  rallied to victory, with Masster Blue (Verruso) and Inukchuk Chuck (Mark Schullstrom) rounding out the top three.

Presidente Zette, a seven-year-old Muscle Hill stallion, is owned by Cozette McAvoy and trained by Scott DiDomenico. He paid $36.60.

(with files from AHDC)
A gunman opened fire at a Wisconsin tribal casino complex, killing two people and wounding another in what witnesses described as a storm of bullets before police shot him dead.

Brown County Sheriffs Lieutenant Kevin Pawlak said the shooting at the Oneida Casino in Green Bay on Saturday night appeared to be a targeted attack.

He was targeting a specific victim who was not there, but he decided to still shoot some of the victims friends or co-workers, it appears, Mr Pawlak said at a news conference.

Oneida chairman Tehassi Hill told WLUK-TV he was in disbelief and called the shooting scary. He said the tribe prohibits firearms on its properties but added that (mass shootings are) kind of a regular thing in this country.

There is currently an active shooter situation at the Oneida Casino. Several Law Enforcement agencies are working to secure the location. Please do not go near the Main Casino on Hwy 172. We'll post information as it becomes available.  Oneida Casino (@OneidaCasino) May 2, 2021

Authorities have not released the identities of the gunman or his victims. The wounded person was being treated at a Milwaukee hospital, Mr Pawlak said.

The attack happened around 7.30pm in the restaurant at the casino complex operated by the Oneida Nation, whose reservation is on the western side of Green Bay about four miles from Lambeau Field, home of NFL side the Green Bay Packers. The complex includes a casino, conference centre, hotel and restaurant.

Jawad Yatim, a witness, said he saw at least two people shot.

I know for sure two, because it happened right next to us, literally right next to us, Mr Yatim said. But he was shooting pretty aggressively in the building, so I wouldnt doubt him hitting other people.

We got the hell out of there. Thank God were OK, but obviously we wish the best for everybody whos been shot.

Mr Pawlak was not sure if the gunman was a former restaurant employee but said it appears theres some relationship that had to do with employment.

Whether or not they all worked there, were still working on, he said.

Scene at Oneida Casino in Green Bay, WI is contained. There is no longer a threat to the community.



Only updates from @WisDOJ & @sheriffbc (Brown Co. Sheriff's Office) are official incident statements. All others unconfirmed. @WBAY @fox11news @WFRVLocal5 @NBC26 @gbpressgazette  Attorney General Josh Kaul (@WisDOJ) May 2, 2021

Gambler Max Westphal said he was standing outside after being evacuated from the building for what he thought was a minor issue.

All of a sudden we hear a massive flurry of gunshots  20 to 30 gunshots, for sure, he told WBAY-TV. We took off running towards the highway. There had to have been 50 cop cars that came by on the highway. It was honestly insane.

Mr Pawlak said authorities called for a tactical alert after receiving the report of an active gunman. That brings every agency from around the area to the casino, to the Radisson, he said of the large law enforcement presence.

Mr Hill told WLUK-TV security is tight in the casino but the tribe may have to consider tougher protocols depending on investigators findings.

Governor Tony Evers issued a statement late on Saturday saying he was devastated to hear about the shooting.

Our hearts, thoughts, and support go out to the Oneida Nation, the Ashwaubenon and Green Bay communities, and all those affected by this tragedy.

The Oneida is one of 11 tribes that operate casinos in Wisconsin under agreements with the state. Essentially, the tribes pledge a percentage of gaming revenue to the state in exchange for the exclusive right to offer casino gambling.
RADNOR, Pa., May 02, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The law firm of Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP announces that a securities fraud class action lawsuit has been filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York against Credit Suisse Group AG (NYSE: CS) (Credit Suisse) on behalf of those who purchased or acquired Credit Suisse American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs") between October 29, 2020 and March 31, 2021, inclusive (the Class Period).



Investor Deadline Reminder: Investors who purchased or acquired Credit Suisse ADRs during the Class Period may, no later than June 15, 2021 , seek to be appointed as a lead plaintiff representative of the class. For additional information or to learn how to participate in this litigation please contact Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP: James Maro, Esq. (484) 270-1453 or Adrienne Bell, Esq. (484) 270-1435; toll free at (844) 887-9500; via e-mail at info@ktmc.com; or click https://www.ktmc.com/credit-suisse-class-action-lawsuit?utm_source=PR&utm_medium=Link&utm_campaign=credit_suisse

Credit Suisse is a global financial services company based in Zurich, Switzerland. Greensill Capital (Greensill), who for filed for insolvency protection on March 8, 2021, was a financial services company based in the United Kingdom and Australia focused on the provision of supply-chain financing and related services. Archegos Capital Management (Archegos) is a family office investment fund run by Sung Kook Hwang. Archegos investment holdings are primarily in the form of total return swaps, a financial instrument where the underlying securities are held by the banks that broker the investments.

On March 1, 2021, Credit Suisse froze $10 billion in funds that were invested in Greensills financial products and held by its supply-chain investment funds. On March 8, 2021, Greensill filed for insolvency protection, as it found itself unable to repay a $140 million loan to Credit Suisse. According to the Financial Times, more than 1,000 investors in the Greensill funds marketed were unable to exit their positions. By March 10, 2021, media reports revealed that Greensill investors had retained counsel and intended to sue Credit Suisse for their losses because Credit Suisse continued to market the biggest of the funds as a fully insured, low-risk product despite a decision by insurers during the summer of 2020 not to renew coverage. As the market digested this news, the market price of Credit Suisse ADRs fell from its close of $14.70 per ADR on March 1, 2021 to close at $12.85 per ADR by March 12, 2021, a decline of almost 13%.

Then, on Friday, March 26, 2021, several of the large banks offering prime brokerage services to Archegos  including Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs and UBS  suddenly began liquidating billions of dollars worth of shares that Archegos had swap positions on at fire sale prices after Archegos had failed to meet a margin call. By the time Credit Suisse tried to liquidate its own holdings of stocks underlying Archegos swap contracts over the ensuing weekend, prices had already collapsed and Credit Suisse quickly racked up billions of dollars in losses. Credit Suisse issued a press release on March 29, 2021 conceding that the loss resulting from this exit . . . could be highly significant and material to our first quarter results. The Financial Times then pegged Credit Suisses estimated losses at between $3 billion and $5 billion, more than a years worth of Credit Suisses net profit. The Wall Street Journal reported on March 31, 2021 that Credit Suisse had a core capital buffer of 12.9% at year-end and [i]f the Archegos hit is $4 billion, that ratio could fall by roughly 1 percentage point to well below the 12.5% minimum targeted by the lender. The market price of Credit Suisse ADRs fell another nearly 20% following this news, declining from a close of $13.21 per ADR on March 25, 2021 to close at $10.60 per ADR on March 31, 2021.

The complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, the defendants concealed material defects in Credit Suisses risk policies and procedures and compliance oversight functions and efforts to allow high-risk clients to take on excessive leverage, including Greensill and Archegos, exposing Credit Suisse to billions of dollars in losses.

Credit Suisse investors may, no later than June 15, 2021 , seek to be appointed as a lead plaintiff representative of the class through Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP or other counsel, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. A lead plaintiff is a representative party who acts on behalf of all class members in directing the litigation. In order to be appointed as a lead plaintiff, the Court must determine that the class members claim is typical of the claims of other class members, and that the class member will adequately represent the class. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision of whether or not to serve as a lead plaintiff.

Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP prosecutes class actions in state and federal courts throughout the country involving securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duties and other violations of state and federal law. Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP is a driving force behind corporate governance reform, and has recovered billions of dollars on behalf of institutional and individual investors from the United States and around the world. The firm represents investors, consumers and whistleblowers (private citizens who report fraudulent practices against the government and share in the recovery of government dollars). The complaint in this action was not filed by Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP. For more information about Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP please visit www.ktmc.com.

CONTACT:

Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP

James Maro, Jr., Esq.

Adrienne Bell, Esq.

280 King of Prussia Road

Radnor, PA 19087

(844) 887-9500 (toll free)

info@ktmc.com
While it's usually her husband making the headlines, Cheryl Moreau is stepping up to take a prominent role in trying to get horse racing in Ontario back on track as soon as possible.

Cheryl and her good friend Shannon Henry have been trying to help as many horsepeople get vaccinated as soon as possible so Standardbred racing can safely re-open. Moreau told Trot Insider that she's willing to help anyone who might find the process challenging or is lacking a dedicated and reliable Internet connection.

"Frankly, depending on where people live, they might not have access to the Internet regularly. So I just wanted to assist anyone that has any kind of issue getting booked in for an appointment."

Different regions have different vaccination registration processes. The Halton system is a little different from those in neighbouring regions like Wellington and Waterloo, and Moreau is looking to bridge that technology barrier.

"I also reached out to the head of the Hamilton Medical Officer of Health, Elizabeth Richardson, asking if there's any way that public health would be open to having a pop-up clinic like they did with Cargill Meats [in Alberta]. There are sectors that are getting pop-up clinics."

"As I was talking to Shannon [Henry], I said, 'anytime you're talking to an Ontario-based trainer, ask them how many of their employees have been vaccinated and if they need help because if they need help I'm more than happy to do it.'"

Even before the call from Standardbred Canada to take action and contact elected officials, Moreau was sending daily letters to Ontario's decision makers asking for racetracks in the province to resume racing.

"We're just trying to make a push to show that we're getting ready to race, that we can do it safely and we want to do it safely. Any sitting member of parliament that would listen to me, I've been in their ear and mailbox."

Other provinces in Canada are set to commence live horse racing in a safe, spectator-free environment under strict protocols. On the thoroughbred side, Hastings Racecourse is set to kick off its 2021 season on Monday (May 3) while Hippodrome 3R brings live harness racing back to Quebec on Friday (May 7). One day later, Red Shores Racetrack & Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park starts its spring meet in Prince Edward Island.

"What I will say about Woodbine Mohawk Park is that when we were racing, we didn't have any community spread in the paddock. So what we've set in place, we've proven by our past history that it works. We need to really remind [government and health officials] of that and say, 'listen, we've done it.'"

"In my emails, I've tried to really make government understand that [unlike the Woodbine backstretch] we're not stabled there, we ship in with our horses, we don't touch anyone else's equipment, we don't have to be in contact with anyone. We can go in, race our horses, put them back on the trailer and head home."

Cheryl can be reached at 519-803-4867 or emailed at [email protected]. She wishes she could do more but due to the province's stay-at-home order her hands are tied in terms of in-person assistance.

"You can't go visit other people so I can't just bring my laptop to somebody's house and go through it with them, and I just think there are probably lots of people that want to be vaccinated and they don't even know how. And they might not even know that agriculture was part of Phase 2, which puts us in the mix.

"Also, anyone under 30 can still be vaccinated. They just have to go to a clinic, and they have to bring a proof of employment letter that they work in agriculture, signed by the person that they work for."

Please contact Cheryl if you need help booking your vaccine appointment, or are willing to help organize appointments for others.


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NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., April 13, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Demand for temporary workers in the United States is expected to increase 45.0% on a seasonally adjusted basis for the 2021 second quarter, when compared with the same period in 2020, according to the Palmer Forecast, released today. The significant increase in demand principally reflects economic recovery from the pandemic-related business lockdowns a year ago.

The Palmer Forecast indicated an 8.6% decrease in temporary help for the 2021 first quarter. Actual results as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) came in better than anticipated, with a decline of just 6.0%, largely reflecting lower unemployment rates and faster jobs growth, led by hospitality and leisure, but also supported across the board in business services, education, healthcare, warehousing, retail, construction and manufacturing sectors. Although temp help declined by 800 jobs in March vs. February, and was down 4.3% from a year ago, it is rapidly improving as compared with a decline of 7.8% in February versus the previous year.

There has been a strong rebound in the 2021 first quarter, with 149,000 temp help jobs added, or 49,700 on average per month. According to the BLS, 332,000 temp jobs were lost in 2020, the second straight year of declines, or an average job loss of 27,750 per month. The BLS also reported that 42,000 temp help jobs were lost in 2019, an average of 3,500 fewer jobs per month. In 2018, more than 99,000 temp help jobs were added versus 2017, an average of 8,200 per month. Additionally, 96,000 temp jobs were added in 2017 over 2016, an average of 8,000 per month, compared with 32,000 temp jobs added in 2016, or an average of 2,600 per month. In 2015, approximately 97,000 temporary jobs were added, compared with 162,000 new temp jobs in 2014.

The Labor Department reported nonfarm payroll employment increased by 916,000 jobs in March 2021, significantly better than consensus estimate increase of 618,000 jobs. For the first quarter 2021, non-farm jobs average increased to 539,000, but remained 4.46 % below a year ago. For 2020, nonfarm employment was down 6.17%, or 9,372,000 jobs, compared with 2019. To put this in perspective, there were 176,000 jobs added on average per month in 2019 and 2.1 million total jobs added for the year, which was less than the 220,000 added per month in 2018, and 2.6 million for that year. For 2017, a total of 2.1 million new jobs were created, versus 2.2 million new jobs in 2016.

The key categories of jobs created are as follows:

Total Non-farm jobs: +916,000

Hospitality and leisure: +280,000

Government sector: +136,000

Retail: +121,000

Construction: +110,000

Education and Health Services: +101,000

Professional and business services: +66,000

Manufacturing: +53,000

Temp Help: -800



In March 2021, the labor participation rate increased slightly to 61.4% from 61.2 % in February. The U3, commonly referred to as the unemployment rate, also improved slightly to 6.0% in March from 6.2% in February.

As reported by the BLS, the rate of unemployment for workers with college degrees ticked down 10 bps in March versus February, to 3.7%, and the unemployment rate for workers with less than a high school education decreased 190 bps to 8.2%. The U6 unemployment rate, which tracks those who are unemployed, as well as those who are underemployed and are working part-time for economic reasons, was down 40 bps to 10.7% in March versus February. The U6 rate is considered the rate that most broadly depicts those most affected by the last economic downturn and measures the rate of discouraged workers.

We have to keep prior year comparisons in mind, when the rapid decline in jobs occurred, so as welcomed as the increase is, it needs to be kept in perspective, said Greg Palmer, founder and managing director of G. Palmer & Associates, an Orange County, California-based human capital advisory firm that specializes in workforce solutions. One of the most revealing indicators to watch is the temp help penetration rate, because it measures temp help as a percentage of total employment. In March 2021, the temp penetration rate decreased 10 bps from February, to 1.92% of the total labor market, versus 1.57% pre-pandemic. The penetration rate cycle peak at 2.05% in December 2019 and a low of 1.3% in June 2009.

The temp help employment market improved substantially in March, and the trend most likely will continue as businesses reopen further, Palmer added. The uncertainty of both the third round of stimulus checks and unemployment benefits, as well as additional bail-out for businesses impacted by COVID-19 make the flexibility to hire temp help more attractive during uncertain times. The largest issue is the number of workers willing to work versus collect unemployment benefits. Staffing companies are reporting extreme difficulty in filling the many current open jobs they have. The American Staffing Association Staffing Index is also rebounding from an index low of 59.9 on May 10, 2020 to a strong close of 94 on March 27, 2021, an 11.3% increase year over year (average the last four previous weeks). This all adds up to further signs of recovery in temp help as we move further into 2021.

About the Palmer Forecast

The Palmer Forecast is based, in part, on BLS and other key indicators. The model was initially developed by the A. Gary Anderson Center for Economic Research at Chapman University and serves as an indicator of economic activity. Companies that employ temporary staff use the forecast as a guide to navigate through fluctuating economic conditions in managing their workforce to meet business demands.

About G. Palmer & Associates

G. Palmer & Associates, founded in 2006, provides advisory services in the human capital sector. Founder Greg Palmer has served on the board of the American Staffing Association and was president and chief executive officer of RemedyTemp, Inc., one of the nations largest temporary staffing companies, prior to its sale in June 2006. For more information, visit www.GPalmerandAssociates.com .
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.

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By KENNETH W. COSTELLO

I am not a party in the PNM-Avangrid (Joint Applicants) merger case before the Public Regulation Commission. I have, however, read the testimony submitted by the Joint Applicants.

Based on my past experience working for state utility commissions around the country when employed at the National Regulatory Research Institute for almost 30 years, I offer a few observations.

In ruling on the proposed merger, by law, the PRC should consider whether it advances the public interest. While there are different interpretations of the public interest, the one that is most prominent in utility regulation is the balancing of shareholder and customer interests.

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Regulations central purpose is to induce high-quality performance from utilities that recognizes the importance of having both a financially solvent utility and reliable utility services at affordable rates. Higher performance can lead to lower rates over time, higher quality of service and avoidance of excessive utility costs. These are what the PRC should emphasize when ruling on the merger proposal.

The most fundamental question before the PRC is: Will the merger be good for New Mexico? Although the merger will undoubtedly benefit PNM shareholders and top management, it is unclear whether it will benefit PNM customers.

The benefits identified by the Joint Applicants are more like safeguards against the risks that the merger would inflict on customers. Except for the crumbs thrown out  $24.6 million to customers in the form of a rate credit, which is less than 4% of the gains to shareholders (later, the Joint Applicants tentatively settled with some stakeholders for an increase in the rate credit to $50 million, which is still a pittance)  there are no demonstrated benefits to customers.

In legal terms, these benefits are speculative; they are not supported by any evidence. I suspect that the Joint Applicants realize that this distorted balance will not fly with the commission and represent only a starting point for negotiations that will inevitably follow.

In other words, the PRC should give primary consideration to the effect of the merger on PNM customers. Whether the merger would create new jobs, contribute to economic development, fund charities and other social activities should not be deal breakers. They should be secondary considerations compared with the direct impacts of the merger on PNM customers. Yet, based on their testimony, the Joint Applicants appear to have given little or no consideration to the interests of customers when crafting their proposal.

The PRC should also question whether PNM on its own, or through outsourcing, can achieve more cheaply the benefits that it ascribes to the merger. One of these benefits is PNM benefitting from the expertise and knowledge of Avangrid on renewable energy. Couldnt PNM develop these capabilities internally, or contract or coordinate with outside entities? These alternatives could avoid some of the risks to PNM customers that a merger would impose, such as inflating rates because of self-dealing that also reduces the competitiveness of renewable energy in New Mexico.

On the other hand, its conceivable that a merger is the preferred option to achieve those benefits. The PRC should demand the Joint Applicants demonstrate this.

We have seen around the country a number of merger proposals in recent years where the regulator and the participants failed to reach an agreement, notwithstanding all the conditions offered and agreed to by various stakeholders. The regulators simply rejected the deal and, in some instances, the companies withdrew their proposal. One regulator concluded that the asserted savings and benefits (from the merger proposal) have not been shown, by a preponderance of the evidence, to be certain or to be sufficient to offset the identified risks, uncertainties and potential costs associated with the (proposal)  . For these reasons, the commission cannot conclude that these savings and benefits are reasonable and in the public interest.

New Mexicos Public Utility Act gives the PRC the same authority to reject a proposed merger when inconsistent with the public interest. When PNMs shareholders and top management stand to benefit substantially, while customers receive speculative and likely (if at all) minimal benefits, it seems clear that the merger proposal fails to pass the statutory requirement.

If the Joint Applicants want the PRC to accept their proposal, they need to show much larger benefits to PNM customers.

Kenneth W. Costello lives in Santa Fe.
Lawton, OK (73501)

Today

Thunderstorms during the morning will give way to partly cloudy skies this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 86F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 68F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph.
Nacogdoches, TX (75965)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms this morning, then mainly cloudy during the afternoon with thunderstorms likely. High 87F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%. Locally heavy rainfall possible..

Tonight

Isolated thunderstorms during the evening. Cloudy skies after midnight. Low 74F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.
After a pair of heart breaking half-length setbacks the past two weeks, Mr Ham Sandwich avoided disappointment again by rolling to a solid three-quarter-length victory over Black Is Back in the $10,600 Class AA-Open Handicapped Pace at Buffalo Raceway on Saturday night (May 1). Mr Ham Sandwich covered the mile in 1:54 over the "fast" track, the fastest time of the meet.

Sitting fourth after the half-mile station, driver David McNeight III put Mr Ham Sandwich on the rim and took command from pacesetting Thor De Vie with a quarter to go. Powerfully striding to a two-length margin heading for home, Mr Ham Sandwich had no issues in turning back Black Is Back while Thor De Vie finished in third.

Owned by Rose Campbell and trained by Russell Bratt, it was the third victory in 11 attempts for the seven-year-old stallion. Mr Ham Sandwich has produced $22,333 in earnings this season and $268,305 lifetime. He paid $5.20 to win.

Stormont Rare has tried his luck at Northfield Park and Saratoga Raceway but nothing seems to beat the friendly confines of Buffalo Raceway.

Pushing his record to perfect three-for-three at Buffalo Raceway on the 2021 campaign, Stormont Rare had to battle down the stretch before eventually holding on by a head over the pesky Majestic Kat in the co-featured $10,400 Class A-Open Handicapped Trot.

After reaching the lead approaching the opening panel, Stormont Rare set fractions of :29, :57.3 and 1:27.2 but had to brace for the battle in the lane from Majestic Kat. On even terms in the drive to the wire, Stormont Rare was able to nudge ahead in the end to notch the victory over Majestic Kat in 1:57.2. Mugshots Bro took third place.

Owned by Mike Torcello and trained by Gerry Sarama, it was the third win in 10 appearances for the five-year-old gelded Stormont Rare (Glidemaster-Stormont Fred). The win increased his bankroll to $14,705 on the year and $65,379 lifetime. Jim Morrill Jr. drove the $4.40 winner.

Davis Jr. produced a triple while Kevin Cummings and Ray Fisher Jr. had driving doubles. Bratt and Maria Rice each had a pair of training wins.

Racing will resume on Wednesday night with an 11-race program to begin at 5 p.m. (EDT). There will be a guaranteed pool of $3,000 in the Pick 5 starting in the second race.

(Buffalo Raceway)
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This is the second in a two-part series focusing on Los Alamos National Laboratorys expansion into Santa Fe.

Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

The radio ad sounds ominous.

What you are about to hear is not based on a Steven King horror story, it begins. It is a true horror story that can affect you and your family.

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The ad, paid for by a woman in Eldorado, warns that even more surplus radioactive waste produced at Los Alamos National Laboratory will be shipped past your house along a route on N.M. 599 to Interstate 25 to U.S.285.

This will be an all-out invasion of nuclear weapons waste being dumped in your state for many decades to come, it says, ending with the unsanitary line, We are not the nations nuclear toilet.

Cindy Weehler, who paid for the radio ads with help from some like-minded people, said she wanted to let people know about the danger of harboring nuclear waste in New Mexico and risks associated with transporting it.

Accidents are rare, but they do happen, she said. Its something that our neighbors should know about, and they dont know.

The ads are scheduled to run on local radio stations in advance of a May 17 hearing before the state Environment Department over a Department of Energy application to expand the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in Carlsbad, where radioactive waste from LANL is shipped and stored underground.

Meanwhile, theres another privately funded campaign going on against LANL using a different media.

The Los Alamos Study Group, a longtime opponent of nuclear proliferation, has leased two billboards near the U.S. 550 exit off I-25 in Bernalillo, advocating against LANLs production of plutonium pits, the triggering device in nuclear warheads. One billboard reads, Plutonium bomb factory for New Mexico with a Dead End sign breaking up the middle of the text and a mushroom cloud in the background. The other has a photo of two young people riding bikes by a solar array juxtaposed with Edvard Munchs The Scream. The text reads Build strong communities  not plutonium bombs.

We dont think people around here understand how big this is, the Los Alamos Study Groups Greg Mello said of pit production at LANL. Our house is on fire.

Now, Mello and others are raising the alarm about LANLs recently announced expansion into Santa Fe.

In the past three months, LANL has announced 10-year leases at three office buildings in Santa Fe, marking its return to the city after 58 years. Lab Director Thom Mason said he hopes the leases will establish a permanent presence for LANL in Santa Fe.

We call it a takeover plan for Santa Fe, said Mello, wary of LANLs plans for the future.

Space issues

The lab says the old Firestone Building on Guadalupe Street that most recently housed the headquarters for Descartes Labs will become a workplace for about 75 employees, and function as a conference center and venue from which to launch community outreach.

It has some really wonderful collaboration and conference space, so, in addition to housing some of our staff in community partnerships, for example, it will also provide a great opportunity for community access to the lab, Mason said during a webinar last month.

Two buildings on Pacheco Street at the St. Michaels Drive intersection will serve as home base for a workforce that has grown accustomed to teleworking during the pandemic, Mason said. About 70% of lab workers transitioned to working off-site in the past year. The 500 lab employees using the space will primarily be workers serving back office functions.

Were also thinking carefully about what elements of our (Science and Technology) would make sense to have a toehold in the Santa Fe community as we make our plans to move into the facilities over the course of the next several months, Mason said.

Mason said LANL is simply running out of room in Los Alamos, a town established originally as a Secret City up the hill from Santa Fe where the worlds first atomic bomb was developed as part of the Manhattan Project.

We were kind of tapped out for space in the lab and in Los Alamos, so thats why we began looking further afield, he said. We looked for lease space within a 50-mile radius and were quite happy with how the (Santa Fe) business community was able to respond to some opportunities that are more or less ready to go.

The lab is made up of close to 900 buildings, including 13 nuclear facilities, comprising 8.27 million square feet of building space, according to a LANL fact sheet.

Santa Fe-based Nuclear Watch New Mexico points out that the lab is already operating with insufficient space.

According to an executive summary for a report LANL produced on the three newly leased properties in Santa Fe, office space at the lab is well over 98% full and the lab has experienced about 20% growth in the past five years.

We are estimating up to 2,800 additional personnel (504,000 square feet) required to meet mission, the report says.

The report indicates that the average age of all LANL buildings is 42 years. Fifty percent of them are more than 50 years old and 20% are 61 years old or older. It says that 82% of the buildings are substandard or inadequate.

In context

While the lab says its work in Santa Fe wont be involved directly in nuclear weapons research and development, that makes no difference to people such as Mello. About 78% of LANLs $3.7 billion budget is dedicated to weapons production.

No one talks about the context of this  bombs, he said.

Some do, and they shout it from the corner of Guadalupe and West Alameda streets every Friday at noon. Veterans for Peace, Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety and their allies moved their weekly demonstration from Cerrillos and St. Francis to the site of LANLs new downtown Santa Fe offices. Many of them raise the moral issue of having the presence of a bomb factory set up shop in the heart of the City of Holy Faith.

LANL also has a less-than-stellar safety record and is way behind on efforts to clean up hazardous material at the lab.

In February, the state Environment Department filed a civil lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Energy over what it says is a continuing pattern of delay and noncompliance with the cleanup of hazardous legacy waste.

We expect the states laboratories to up their game  financially and otherwise  to protect and clean up our environment, and operate with the highest regard for safety, Nora Meyers Sackett, the governors press secretary, said in a statement. We expect, and will continue to demand, more from them as responsible members of our communities.

However, the statement also included praise for LANL for its work with state officials on COVID-19 modeling and vaccine research during the pandemic.

New Mexico has long benefitted from the many invaluable scientific and technological advancements that come from the states national laboratories. Los Alamos and Sandia are also a source of high-paying jobs for thousands of New Mexicans and their families, the statement said.

Santa Fe city officials and the business community have extended a warm welcome to LANL, focusing on economic benefits that come with close to 600 well-paying jobs.

Pro-business Mayor Alan Webber, who made his millions as co-founder of the business trade magazine Fast Company, told the Journal that the hundreds of new jobs relocated to Santa Fe will benefit the city during the post-pandemic economic recovery. Importantly, well also see more long-term entrepreneurial connections between LANL and the Santa Fe startup community, he added.

During the mayors meeting with reporters last week, the citys economic development director, Rich Brown, said that the relocated LANL jobs pay between $90,000 and $110,000 per year. But he noted that many lab employees who will work in Santa Fe already live here or commute from Albuquerque, so those are already existing employees, he said.

LANL employed 12,367 people, according to its 2020 economic impact report. Fewer than half  43%  live in Los Alamos County. Twenty-three percent  2,896 employees  reside in Santa Fe County and, collectively, are paid salaries totaling $301.4 million.

Sixteen percent of the workforce comes from Rio Arriba County, while Bernalillo County, which includes Albuquerque, is home to 684 lab employees, or less than 6%.

A dirty business

City Councilor Renee Villarreal says it makes sense for local lab employees to work closer to home and it could potentially reduce carbon emissions by not having to commute so far.

But shes concerned about plans for plutonium pit production at LANL.

We cannot deny that LANLs expansion into Santa Fe is a direct consequence of the Labs expanding role as a nuclear bomb production site, she said in an email to the Journal. In other words, LANLs expansion into Santa Fe is also designed to relocate personnel so that plutonium pit production can be expanded on the Hill. And this gives me a reason to be concerned.

Villarreal reiterated her objection  and that of the Governing Body  to the National Nuclear Security Administrations refusal to conduct a new environmental study before proceeding with plans to produce pits. Last September, the NNSA, the federal agency that oversees the national labs for the Department of Energy, determined additional analysis is not required under the National Environmental Policy Act.

The last one was in 2008 and is woefully outdated, Villarreal said of the most recent comprehensive environmental study at the lab. LANLs expansion beyond its own boundaries is clearly a major change that demands a new (Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement, or SWEIS). Yet, the DOE completely ignores both the City and Countys formal resolutions calling for a new SWEIS.

County Commissioner Anna Hansen added that the Buckman Direct Diversion Board  a city-county board that oversees a joint water project that takes water from the Rio Grande for public use  also passed a resolution calling for a new SWEIS.

Because we get our water supply right down below LANL and were concerned about water quality, she said. We have unlined waste from 70 years ago that needs to be cleaned up. And I mean cleaned up, not capped.

Hansen said what she really wants is for LANL to change its mission to something other than weapons production.

Its hard enough that we have to live across the valley from a nuclear weapons manufacturer, because thats what they are, when we should be working on climate issues, when we should be working on feeding the world, she said.

Asked about her feelings on LANL expanding into Santa Fe, Hansen, who represents a district that includes a slice of the northern part of the city, said, I dont like LANL moving to Santa Fe and I do not want any nuclear weapons work done in Santa Fe County.

Big, as in billions

LANL touts its significant economic impact on surrounding communities and New Mexico in its annual analysis, highlighting the jobs it provides, workforce development efforts, collaborations with educational institutions and the money it spends with small businesses in New Mexico.

The lab says it accounts for $1.2 billion in salaries paid to New Mexicans and that it spent more than $413 million with small businesses in the state in 2020.

Forty percent of its employees are native New Mexicans and 31% of regular/term employees have at least one degree from a college or university, according to the report.

But they build bombs  and the waste produced in that effort gets shipped past neighborhoods and is dumped in another corner of the state. Thats the message Mello and Weehler are trying to get out.

But is anyone listening?

Mello is afraid not enough people are, distracted by the events of these times.

We have an environmental crisis, we have an economic and social emergency, and a pandemic. Everyone drifts along like these are minor problems, Mello said of issues relating to the lab. Even the little things are big. Everything is big.

Last week, the NNSA approved the project definition phase and conceptual design for Los Alamos Plutonium Pit Production Project. The cost estimate ranges from $2.7 billion to $3.9 billion and the work is scheduled to be completed in five years.
Description

Join the Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center of Nassau County (HMTC) for the next program in this series of virtual presentations by Holocaust Survivors. In this program, Survivor Sami Steigmann will share information about his pre-war life in Romania, his deportation to Transnistria and his liberation by the Red Army.
We accept obituaries only from the funeral home in charge. For information on submitting an obituary, please contact The Herald-Dispatch by phone at 304-526-2793 or email at obits@herald-dispatch.com. Obituaries for The Herald-Dispatch must be received by 2 p.m. to appear in the next days publication. Obituaries for the Wayne County News, which publishes on Wednesday, must be received by noon Tuesday.
Millicom signs agreements to conclude Africa divestiture program

Luxembourg, April 19, 2021  Millicom International Cellular S.A. (Millicom) announces that it has signed agreements for the sale of its operations in Tanzania and for its stake in the AirtelTigo joint venture in Ghana. Once closed, the transactions will complete Millicoms multi-year plan to divest its African operations and focus on its Latin America markets.

In Tanzania, Millicom has agreed to sell its entire operations to a consortium led by Axian, a pan-African group that was part of the consortium that acquired Millicoms operations in Senegal in 2018.

In Ghana, Millicom along with its joint venture partner, Bharti Airtel Limited, have signed a definitive agreement for the transfer of AirtelTigo to the Government of Ghana. Millicom will take a $25 million charge as a result of this agreement.

Millicom CEO, Mauricio Ramos, commented: Today Tigo is a leading provider of broadband services to consumers, businesses and governments in Latin America, where penetration and data speeds remain low by the standards of more mature markets. Through our investment-led strategy, we are bringing reliable high-speed mobile and fixed broadband to the communities we serve in the region. With todays announcement that we are divesting our remaining African businesses, we close a chapter in our history and open another solely focused on the Latin American region.

Financial details were not disclosed, and completion of each transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.

-END-

For further information, please contact:

Press:

Vivian Kobeh, Corporate Communications Director

+1 786-628-5300

press@millicom.com Investors:

Michel Morin, VP Investor Relations

+1 786-628-5270 investors@millicom.com







Sarah Inmon, Director Investor Relations

+1 786-628-5303 investors@millicom.com

About Millicom

Millicom (NASDAQ U.S.: TIGO, Nasdaq Stockholm: TIGO_SDB) is a leading provider of cable and mobile services dedicated to emerging markets in Latin America and Africa. Millicom sets the pace when it comes to providing high-speed broadband and innovation around The Digital Lifestyle services through its principal brand, TIGO. As of December 31, 2020, Millicom operating subsidiaries and joint ventures employed more than 21,000 people and provided mobile services to approximately 55 million customers, with a cable footprint of more than 12 million homes passed. Founded in 1990, Millicom International Cellular S.A. is headquartered in Luxembourg.

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APPLAUSE

Sherri Burr is the recipient of New Mexico Press Womens 2021 Communicator of Achievement Award. The award recognizes members who have distinguished themselves within and beyond their profession. Recipients are living members in good standing for at least two years in New Mexico Press Women and the National Federation of Press Women. Burr was elected president of NMPW in 2018. She has been a law professor for more than 30 years, worked as a columnist for The Albuquerque Tribune and is the author of multiple books.

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New Mexico author Jennifer Hull is the recipient of New Mexico Press Womens 2021 Zia Book Award for her nonfiction book Shook: An Earthquake, a Legendary Mountain Guide, and Everests Deadliest Day. Shook tells a story of resilience, nerve and survival on the deadliest day on Everest. Dave Hahn, a Taos resident, is a legendary figure in mountaineering. Elite members of the climbing community have likened him to the Michael Jordan, Cal Ripken, or Michael Phelps of the climbing world. Yet, none of his experience could have prepared him, his crew, and clients for the earthquake that shook Everest and all of their lives on the morning of April 25, 2015. The book was published by UNM Press in 2020. Hull, a cum laude graduate of Cornell University, has taught K-12 students as well as college freshman at the Taos campus of the University of New Mexico. The Zia Book Award rotates annually among three categories: nonfiction, fiction and childrens literature. The awards committee  chaired by Patricia Conway and including Judith Schiess Avila, Lynn Hopkins, and Judy Kowalski  also selected the following three books as finalists:

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 Norma Libman for The Story of the Story: What I Wrote and Why

 Sharon Niederman for Backroads & Byways of New Mexico

 Menese Wall for We Demand the Right to Vote

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Dr. Benjamin Diven, medical director of the Dona Ana Community College Emergency Medical Services program, has been given the Tim Fleming Medical Director of the Year award by the New Mexico Department of Health.

The award, which recognizes a physician who serves the EMS system through meritoriously executing their duties as an EMS medical director, and was given in an April 8 ceremony.

Diven was recognized for being an outstanding representative and leader of the EMS community through teaching, providing medical direction and serving on the state Medical Director Committee.

Diven is also the medical director for the Las Cruces Fire Department, Dona Ana County Fire and Rescue Department, New Mexico State University Fire Department, NMSU Police Department and Mesilla Valley Regional Dispatch Authority. He is a former paramedic and graduate of the UNM School of Medicine. He was an emergency room physician with Memorial Medical Center, started the first occupational medicine practice in Las Cruces, served as the EMS medical director for the City-County ambulance service, medical director for the NMSU Campus Health Center, and started his service as DACCs medical director of the EMS program in 1990.

Diven is married with three children and six grandchildren. He has also published an autobiography on his experience with severe bipolar disorder.

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Petra Tovar Sanchez has been named the recipient of the Estrella Brillante Awardfrom the Hispanic Womens Council in recognition of extraordinary service to the organization.

Tovar Sanchez, 92, was born in Dawson, New Mexico. After graduating from high school, she attended New Mexico Highlands University and completed a bachelors degree in three years. She embarked on a 30-year teaching career, teaching elementary school students in Bernalillo, Algodones and Albuquerque.

HWC commends Tovar Sanchez for keeping us connected to our traditions and culture.

The Hispanic Womens Council is a non-profit, intergenerational organization established in 1988 to promote, support and create opportunities for Hispanic women. More information is available at www.nmhwc.com.

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Sandia National Labs licensing expert Bob Westervelt  who has worked to transfer lab technologies in the medical, solar and hydrogen production fields  has received the 2021 Outstanding Technology Transfer Professional Award from the Federal Laboratory Consortium.

The consortium, a network that honors significant technology transfer accomplishments among more than 300 federal laboratories and research centers, recognized Westervelt at a virtual award ceremony earlier this month. Among his many achievements recognized by the consortium are several creative licenses for New Mexico tech companies and an innovative license prioritization procedure for Sandia. Westervelt was instrumental in licensing the X-Ray Toolkit, or XTK, an image-processing and analysis software developed at Sandia that is used by the military, bomb squads and emergency response teams. Technicians use the software with scanners to look inside and analyze suspicious objects. Westervelt said Sandia offers the software to military and law enforcement for free. In addition, no-cost test and evaluation licenses were provided to X-ray scanner manufacturers so they could make sure XTK worked with their hardware. Companies willing to give high-quality training to end users could also obtain low-cost licenses. Westervelt is also proud of licenses that went to New Mexico start-ups such as Eden Radioisotopes, a company working to build a reactor that will produce medical isotopes; BayoTech, a company that makes mobile hydrogen generators; and mPower, which is developing flexible solar cells smaller than the width of human hair.

Westervelt also created the concept of High Value Licensing, which has been utilized at Sandia to prioritize licenses that will have the most impact. It works by analyzing potential license opportunities by those that are routine, those that are important to Sandias national security mission, those that could have financial return and others that are high-risk, high reward.

ETC.

New Mexico Press Women has announced three new members of its board of directors:

 Adam Biederwolf graduated from the University of New Mexico in spring 2020 with a bachelors of business administration. He currently works at Cision PR Newswire as an account executive. This spring, he began working on his masters of business administration at UNM, and will serve NMPW as chair of the Communicator of Achievement Process.

 Colleen Keane is an award-winning New Mexico freelance reporter. She regularly reports for the Navajo Times. Prior to working for the Times, she brought attention to the largest

release of radioactive waste in the country, which swept through Navajo Nation lands in her documentary, The River That Harms. She serves as the NMPW scholarship chair.

 Leonie Rosenstiel has won awards for her fiction (New Mexico Press Women) and her non-fiction (South-West Writers) work. Her latest books, Pretense of Perfection: A Daughters Journey Through Family Myth and Pretense of Protection: My Mothers Nightmare Journey through Legal Guardianship, are scheduled for publication during 2021. She serves as the NMPW public relations chair.

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New Mexico State University student Xavier Dominguez is the recipient of New Mexico Press Womens $1,000 Doris Gregory Memorial Scholarship this year. Dominguez, a freshman studying journalism and mass communication, specializes in video reporting and producing, and in using graphics to supplement his stories. As a Las Cruces High School student, he was twice named a PBS NewsHour Student Journalist of the Year. He was also the KRWG Public Media Scholar in 2020, a highly competitive paid internship. Dominguez spent his high school summers in Washington D.C., having earned fellowships from PBS and another organization.

Fellow NMSU freshman Sarah Roderick is the runner up for the award and will receive $500. Roderick is earning a degree in agriculture and extension studies.

The award is named for Doris Gregory, an award-winning member of NMPW and the National Federation of Press Women in the 1950s and 60s. A correspondent for the El Paso Times for 12 years, Gregory was also a public relations professional, a magazine editor, and an association executive. The Doris Gregory Memorial Scholarship, established after her death from cancer in 1969, is awarded every year to New Mexico college or university students studying communications and journalism. NMPW thanks the following donors to the fund: the Northern Chapter of NMPW for making contributions in the name of Roslyn K. Roz Pulitzer and Don Strel, two of its photographer members who passed away last year, the Albuquerque Chapter of NMPW, and the press women members and friends who contributed on Giving Tuesday 2020. Recipients are evaluated based on a career goals essay, work samples, academic progress and faculty or employer support.

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Ron Behrmann has been selected by Albuquerque Mayor Keller and City Councilor Brook Bassan to serve on the Balloon Museum Board of Trustees. The City Council confirmed the appointment on April 19, and Behrmann will serve as a trustee for the Anderson/Abruzzo International Balloon Museum until July 31, 2022.

Items for consideration for Briefcase should be e-mailed to gporter@abqjournal.com.

Editors Note: An earlier version of this story misspelled the surname of baseball player Cal Ripken. The story has been updated.
OTTAWA, ON, May 2, 2021 /CNW/ - The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on Orthodox Easter:

"Today, people of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic churches in Canada and around the world will celebrate Easter, also known as Pascha.

"On this holy day, family and loved ones traditionally attend the Paschal Divine Liturgy to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, finding hope in his victory over death. This year, as we continue our fight against the global COVID-19 pandemic, I encourage those marking the occasion to come together and celebrate using virtual ways to help keep each other and our communities safe.

"I also invite people to reflect on the many contributions that Christian Canadians have made to our country. Through kindness, compassion, and generosity, they help build a better, and more diverse Canada. Together, we can create a healthier, stronger, and more resilient future for all Canadians.

"On behalf of our family, Sophie and I wish all those who are celebrating a very joyful and blessed Easter."

This document is also available at https://pm.gc.ca

SOURCE Prime Minister's Office

For further information: PMO Media Relations: [email protected]

Related Links

http://pm.gc.ca/


Vietnams digital economy to hit 52 billion USD by 2025

Vietnams digital economy will likely reach 52 billion USD in value by 2025, according to the e-Conomy SEA 2019 report by Google, Temasek and Bain & Company.













Vietnams digital economy will likely reach 52 billion USD in value by 2025. (Photo: VNA)

With the gross merchandise value (GMV) of its internet economy accounting for over 5 percent of the country's GDP in 2019, Vietnam is emerging as the most digital of all economies in the region, the report said.



Last year, the Vietnamese internet economy continued to record double-digit growth, at 16 percent year-on-year, the highest in Southeast Asia.



The report noted all sectors except travel continued to grow in 2020, of which transport and food, and online media grew 50 percent and 18 percent compared to 2019. Only online travel dropped 28 percent in terms of GMV, but is expected to grow 25 percent by 2025.



This years seismic consumer and ecosystem shifts have advanced the internet sector in unimaginable ways, putting it in a stronger position than ever, the report said.



Nguyen Quang Dong, Director of the Institute for Policy Research and Communication Development, said digital service industry is recording the fastest growth and is suitable with Vietnams strengths such as a young population who love technology and social networks.



Digital technology and the digital economy will be key drivers helping Vietnam increase workplace productivity, escape the middle-income trap, and realise the objective of becoming a middle developed economy by 2040, the official said.



Vietnams internet infrastructure and digital payment services remain limited, however, while the country still lacks a legal framework for digital assets, he said, stressing that the legal model of the 20th century no longer suits the digital economy.



Dong also underlined the need to promote international cooperation, especially in joining the building of new regulations and their enforcement through legal frameworks for the region.



A study by the Institute for Global Leadership under the US-based Tufts University revealed that Vietnam ranks 48th out of the 60 countries and territories globally in terms of rapidly switching to a digital economy, and 22nd in digitisation development.



Over the last five years, with the boom of smartphones, the internet, and social networks, digital technology and digital transformation have developed rapidly in Vietnam, shaping a fledgling, dynamic digital economy with great potential.



Vietnams digital economy is made up of four main groups: e-commerce, online tourism, digital communications, and logistics technology.



The country, together with Indonesia, holds the lead in digital economy growth in Southeast Asia.



The two pacesetters are both posting growth in excess of 40 percent a year.



Vietnams internet economy is also booming, reaching 12 billion USD in 2019 and recording a 38 percent annual growth rate since 2015.



Another study by Australias Data 61 forecasts that Vietnams GDP may add an additional 162 billion USD in 20 years if the countrys digital transformation is successful.



Experts said Vietnam possesses strengths in human resources and Government support, so the country could create a dynamic wave to further strengthen the development of its digital economy.



The Party and State have outlined orientations for building policies and programmes to actively join the Industry 4.0, focusing on applying and developing science and technology, promoting innovation, and improving the quality of human resources.



The Prime Minister on December 30, 2020 issued the National Strategy on the Industry 4.0 by 2030, to fulfil the goals set in a Politburo resolution which outlines policies guiding Vietnams active involvement in Industry 4.0.



The strategys objectives are to take full advantage of opportunities presented by the Industry 4.0 and fundamentally master and broadly apply advanced technologies in different social and economic fields.



Under the strategy, Vietnam will the top 40 performers in the Global Innovation Index (GII), the top 30 in the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)s Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI), and the top 50 in the United Nations e-Government Development Index (EGDI) by 2030.



The country also aims to raise the proportion of the digital economy in national GDP to 30 percent and boost productivity by 7.5 percent annually on average. Other targets is to achieve universal access to fibre-optic internet and 5G services, completion of digital government development, and the establishment of smart cities in key economic zones across the north, central, and southern regions, and connection with regional and global networks of smart cities./.
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Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

Two violent incidents at Santa Fe Rail Runner Express stations stuck with police officials. The two crimes, which left one person dead and sent two to the hospital, occurred within a week last month.

Now, city officials, Santa Fe police and Rail Runner staff have come together to tackle public safety at the stations. Last week, the parties had a cooperative meeting to devise a game plan to increase security at the stations.

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Augusta Meyers, spokeswoman for Rail Runner Express, said the service plans on upgrading the camera systems at the Santa Fe stations to high-definition versions. Rail Runner is also trying to figure out how to give Santa Fe police live access to the stations camera feeds.

Meyers anticipates the camera upgrade to Santa Fe stations will take 30 to 45 days.

In addition to cameras, Meyers said Rail Runner is working with Santa Fe polices patrol schedule and will fill in the patrol gaps at the stations with a floating security guard. The guard will likely be present at the stations 30-45 minutes prior to a trains arrival and departure.

Were going to keep communicating with them as needed, Meyers said. We felt this meeting went well and all parties came to a consensus as to what needs to be done to step up safety at SF Rail Runner stations.

Meyers also encouraged people to report any suspicious activity on Rail Runner stations or trains to the conductors, ticketing agents or customer service.

Mayor Alan Webber, who called the meeting, said it was productive.

I think having two events like that in close succession was a warning sign that something was wrong, and I wanted to get together the right group of people to address it, he said.

Webber said several community members also wrote to him about concerns.

Assuring safety

Community members should know the city is working with the responsible authorities to make sure the Rail Runner is a safe and secure way to travel, Webber said. The Rail Runner is an asset to Santa Fe and its important to make sure the people who use it can be safe, he said.

Webber mentioned that there have been flare-ups in other communities surrounding the Rail Runner stations that have been solved by using more public safety resources. Santa Fe hasnt seen this before, but the city isnt going to wait and see if it continues. They want to address it directly.

I hope folks realize we want the best for everybody, he said. Whether you are using the Rail Runner or meeting somebody at the station, we want everybody to feel safe, and its a joint effort from all parties.

There isnt a set timeline for the additional security measures, but Deputy Chief Paul Joye said Santa Fe police have increased proactive patrols near the stations.

Joye said the police department also recommended adding more security cameras at the stations. There have also been talks about security patrols in the parking lots.

The parking lot at the N.M 599 station is where one of the violent crimes occurred. A 73-year-old man was shot in the face while waiting in the Rail Runner parking lot for his wife, according to the police report.

The last known condition of the man was that he was taken to the University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque, where he was in critical condition. The suspect remains at large as of press time.

Joye said people should feel safe to use the Rail Runner stations and he believes these crimes to be isolated incidents.

A week prior to the parking lot shooting, David Hernandez, 24, was fatally shot after confronting a man over the price of methamphetamine. Matthew Arellano, 22, is charged with the murder of Hernandez and is currently awaiting his preliminary hearing in First Judicial District Court.

Crime statistics

Santa Fe has had five murders this year, compared to one through the first three months of 2020. Joye said he thought that was an anomaly, but it still puts Santa Fe on pace with some years where the city had a higher number of homicides.

In 2010, police investigated 12 homicides and there were 13 in 2007.

Joye said an arrest has been made in four of the five homicides this year. He noted that, in each case, the victim and suspect knew each other.

These werent just random people and random acts, Joye said.

He also said he cant draw a direct connection between the rate of homicides and the easing of pandemic restrictions.

I dont feel we know enough to be able to link it to the lifting of COVID measures, Joye said.

He added that there was never a threat to the public at large with these homicides.

In addition to homicides, aggravated assault/battery cases were up more than 50%, from 74 through the first three months of 2020 to 114 this year. Simple assault cases dropped 29% from 224 to 283.

Larcenies were also up from 224 in the first three months of 2020 to 283 through March of this year.

There has also been an increase in criminal sexual penetration of a minor compared to 2020s crime statistics through the first three months of the year. In 2020, there was just one such reported case through March. In 2021, there were five.

Again, Joye said the numbers can vary. For instance, in 2019, there were eight cases of criminal sexual penetration of a minor, compared to 26 in 2018.

New unit ready to roll

The city is also implementing an alternative response unit, which will have the expertise of a police officer, paramedic and a case manager to respond to some calls. Currently, the rollout for the unit is anticipated to be May 4. Initially, it will operate two days a week. The Santa Fe Fire Department is also involved with the program.

The services might not necessarily be mental health-related and unit members are undergoing crisis-intervention training. Joye gave the example of a panhandling call, where the unit could respond and help that person with housing or employment resources.

If I could request that people just are patient with the program, and let us develop it, and learn and figure out how we can make this work the best way that it can work, Joye said. There are a lot of people who have very high expectations, and we have high expectations, but we also dont want to rush anything at the expense of doing it the right way.

Joye said the unit has the ability to self-dispatch to determine if theres a type of call thats applicable to it. The unit will be able to see dispatch calls from the police and fire department, read the narratives, and determine if it is a good fit to help.

The pilot program will be consistently evaluated, Joye said, and a second unit may be launched this summer.

Were excited about it, and I think its a promising program, Joye said.
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Kim Yo-jong, a sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un / Yonhap



The sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un slammed South Korea for failing to stop anti-Pyongyang leaflets flown by a defector group last week, calling it an "intolerable provocation" and warning of "corresponding action."



Kim Yo-jong made the remarks in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency, saying that the South Korean government "again did not stop the reckless acts" and expressed "displeasure" over the matter.



"'Defectors from the North' in South Korea recently scattered leaflets against the DPRK again, an intolerable provocation against it," Kim said in the statement. "However, the South Korean authorities again did not stop the reckless acts of the 'defectors from the North,' winking at them."



DPRK is the acronym of the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.






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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  Charles Marquardt and Jonathan Soule were looking for a big bold science show to produce.

What landed in their lap is extraordinary.

The duo is behind the six-part series called Human: The World Within.

The series takes a deep dive into the incredible universe thats inside the body to discover the biology that all humans share: heart, brain, eyes, blood and tears. The series uncovers the science behind how our bodies work and how whats inside powers every moment of our lives.

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Jad Abumrad, host of the popular podcast Radiolab, narrates the journey through this foreign universe and reveals what makes us tick.

The series will premiere at 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 5, on New Mexico PBS, channel 5.1.

Marquardt says breaking the series into six sections happened naturally. Each episode focuses one of the six bodily systems  nervous, circulatory, digestive, immune, sensory and reproductive.

He says production was approached from the standpoint of making the information easy to digest.

Each story you can relate to, Marquardt says. Its incredible to see that though we are all different, we share the same systems.

Soule says he was drawn to the project because he didnt know exactly what was happening in his body at any given time.

Its a universal subject and its fascinating, Soule says. I wanted to learn more about this machine that is working every second of the day.

Soule says the project started nearly two years ago and filming began in January 2020.

We got half of our episodes filmed and then the pandemic hit, he says. We started to focus on the stories that we had. Then once the world opened up again, we captured the remaining stories. It made for a unique challenge. Its more of an important story to tell. We live in these very fragile, but resilient bodies.

Soule admits that it was tricky to make the science relatable and was aware of not making the stories bogged down in technical terms.

We wanted to be smart about the information, he says. We didnt want it to be a sixth-grade science film. The challenge constantly was us asking Is this engaging? 

Marquardt credits all the experts who worked on the project for moving the series forward with information and storytelling.

Our test audience was our family, he says. I have young kids and an 80-year-old mother. If they could easily understand all while being engaged, then we were on the right track.

After a few years of working on the project, Soule found the relationship between the heart and the brain most interesting.

Its the most interconnected system in our body, he says. We think of the heart as symbolic. Both the brain and heart have a connection to our emotions. We talk about deep grief and great loss and how it actually changes the physical shape of your heart. Yet the heart is very adaptable and it can repair itself with the brains help.

ON TV

The six-part series, Human: The World Within premieres at 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 5 on New Mexico PBS, channel 5.1
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Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

New Mexico will request drought relief money from the U.S. Interior and Agriculture departments as the state endures one of the worst droughts since the 1950s.

More than half of New Mexico is experiencing exceptional drought.

Water managers use that category to indicate widespread crop losses, reservoir and river shortages and water supply emergencies.

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Last month, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced an interagency working group that will focus on worsening drought in the West.

The group will provide immediate financial and technical assistance for impacted irrigators and Tribes, and will also help build long-term drought resilience.

Intense droughts threaten major economic drivers in rural communities such as agriculture and recreation, disrupts food systems and water supplies, endangers public health, jeopardizes the integrity of critical infrastructure, and exacerbates wildfires and floods, Vilsack said.

Rolf Schmidt-Petersen, New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission director, said federal money could be distributed to farmers and ranchers.

It could help them make it through this year, so that the economic impacts are not so severe that they can no longer farm, Schmidt-Petersen told the commission Friday.

Irrigation districts across the state have told farmers that the annual allocation of water for crops will be severely limited because of the drought.

ISC Chair Mark Sanchez and State Engineer John DAntonio, who is also chair of the New Mexico drought task force, will be state liaisons to the federal agencies.

We have drought in the Lower Rio Grande, Middle Rio Grande, Upper Rio Grande, and in the Pecos in spades, and wed like to have a consistent voice that goes out to (Interior and Agriculture) seeking funding, Schmidt-Petersen said.

A summer forecast of high temperatures and minimal precipitation will likely do little to alleviate the drought.

An April 26 report compiled by USDA statistician Longino Bustillos in Las Cruces said the weather has forced some farmers to delay planting row crops because of dry soil.

The limited precipitation that has been received was not significant enough to reverse current dryness, Bustillos wrote in the report. Considering the costs of the inputs needed to produce a crop like corn or cotton, it is possible that some producers could opt to not plant this year.

The USDA estimates that 57% of New Mexicos pastures and rangeland are in very poor or poor condition, compared with 34% last year.

Theresa Davis is a Report for America corps member covering water and the environment for the Albuquerque Journal.
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Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  Over the course of his life, Aubrey Dunn has changed political affiliations the way some switch out cars.

Dunn has been a registered Democrat, Republican and Libertarian, and is now running as an independent for a vacant Albuquerque-area congressional seat.

The former state land commissioner, whose father and grandfather were both state lawmakers, has expressed disenchantment with the two-party system and says he feels invigorated without a party affiliation.

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You can speak pretty freely as an independent, Dunn told the Journal.

Although few independent candidates have ever been elected to the U.S. Congress, there are some exceptions, including U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who was first elected to the U.S. House as an independent in 1990.

And Dunn, a rancher and retired banker, said the unique circumstances surrounding the special election to fill New Mexicos open 1st Congressional District seat could increase the chances of a political upset in the Democratic-leaning district.

I dont think anybody has any idea whats going to happen, he said in an interview.

Dunn was a Republican when he was elected New Mexicos state land commissioner in 2014 but switched his party affiliation to Libertarian before leaving office when his term expired in 2018.

That came after conflicts with GOP legislators over his attempts to curb the use of underground water for oil and natural gas drilling operations.

Previously, he said he had left the Democratic Party after former Gov. Bruce King narrowly won a bitter 1994 primary election but was then defeated in that years general election.

Dunn did not seek reelection as land commissioner in 2018. He considered running for an open U.S. Senate seat that year but withdrew from the race to make room for former Gov. Gary Johnson, a fellow Republican-turned-Libertarian.

During this years race, some pundits have suggested that Dunn could peel away votes from Republican nominee Mark Moores, a state senator from Albuquerque.

But Dunn rejects the spoiler label, suggesting he might have better odds than Moores to win the race.

I think theres some conservative Democrats who wont vote for a Republican but might vote for an independent, Dunn said.

Dunn, who owns a cattle ranch near Corona, said he was drawn to this years special election in part because its expedited timeline did not require a lengthy campaign cycle.

He has indicated support for some Democratic-backed policies, such as eliminating the defense of qualified immunity for law enforcement officers accused of criminal wrongdoing.

But Dunn is also anti-abortion and opposes a federal ban on semi-automatic firearms, according to his responses to a Journal questionnaire.

Despite being outraised by both Moores and Democrat Melanie Stansbury, Dunn said, his elevated name recognition as a former holder of statewide office could offset the financial disadvantage.

And he has reported giving his congressional campaign a $65,000 loan, which has been used in part to air a television ad featuring Dunn stepping in cow manure and bemoaning the political BS in Washington, D.C.

Whether that message resonates in the largely urban congressional district is unclear, but Dunn is clearly relishing a candidacy free of party loyalties.

I think we have a really good shot as an independent in a strange time, Dunn said.
Oscar-winning actress Olympia Dukakis died Saturday in New York City, her family has announced. She was 89.

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Dukakis' brother Apollo wrote on Facebook Saturday that she had passed away after "many months of failing health." Her representative, Allison Levy, confirmed her death to the Washington Post.

Born to Greek immigrants in Lowell, Mass., Dukakis grew up in the Boston suburbs of Somerville and Arlington and worked as a stage actress for decades -- playing a range of roles and running a regional theater on a shoestring budget -- before becoming a breakout movie star in the 1980s.

"I did not become an actor in order to become famous or rich. I became an actor so I could play the great parts," she said.

At 56, Dukakis won a best supporting actress Oscar for her portrayal of the tart-tongued Rose Castorini in 2987's Moonstruck. The film was also nominated for best picture, and Cher won an Oscar for her performance in the lead role; screenwriter John Shanley won an Academy Award for the script.

After Moonstruck, she became a sought-after character actress, playing a wealthy Southern belle in "Steel Magnolias," a tough high school principal in "Mr. Holland's Opus" and Kirstie Alley 's wisecracking mother in "Look Who's Talking."

In "Tales of the City," a miniseries based on Armistead Maupin's books that aired in the 1990s, Dukakis played a bohemian San Francisco landlady who shares marijuana with her tenants and eventually reveals that she is transgender.

"The fun part is that people pass me on the street and yell lines from my movies: For 'Moonstruck' they say, 'Your life is going down the toilet.' Or from 'Dad,' they say, 'How much are those pork chops?' They say, 'Do you know who you are?' It's real funny," she told The L.A. Times in 1991.

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She is said to have improvised the toilet line.

During her acceptance speech at the 1988 Academy Awards ceremony, Dukakis gave a shout-out to her cousin Michael, a frontrunner in the Democratic primaries who would formally secure his party's nomination a few months later.

"OK, Michael, let's go!" she shouted.

"I felt as though I had run the first leg of a very important race and it was time to hand off that baton to Michael so that he could run the second leg," she wrote in her 2003 autobiography, "Ask Me Again Tomorrow: A Life in Progress."

Michael Dukakis would lose the general election to President George H.W. Bush, but both cousins remained politically active, with Olympia acting as a patron for the arts and an advocate for liberal causes that included women's rights and the environment.

She also taught acting and continued to act into her 80s. According to IMDB, she appears in a 2021 film called Not to Forget, which is listed as being in post-production.

"I love transforming," Dukakis told the Globe and Mail in 2013. "It's the fun part of acting. It's the easy part, actually. But it's getting harder and harder for actors to do. You have to have a look, it has to be current, the body has to look this way. This is the enemy of transformation."
AS we are locked in and under strict curfew for at least the next month, there are thousands of families in our own country living in poverty and going hungry in this pandemic period.

How are we helping struggling families in Trinidad and Tobago during this time, one may ask?
Britain's royal family shared on social media a new photo of Princess Charlotte in honor of her sixth birthday Sunday.

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"Wishing Princess Charlotte a very happy sixth birthday today," the post said.

The photo shows the smiling child with her long, blonde hair loose around her shoulders. She is wearing a floral print dress.

The portrait was taken by her mother, Kate Middleton, who married Prince William in 2011.

Charlotte is one of three children. Her siblings are Prince George, 7, and Prince Louis, 3.

William is second in the line of succession for the British throne behind his father Prince Charles , eldest son of the current monarch, Queen Elizabeth II
What is assumed to be a new intercontinental ballistic missile is displayed during a ceremony to mark the 75th anniversary of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party of Korea in this capture image of Korea Central Television broadcasting, Oct. 10, 2020. Yonhap



By Nam Hyun-woo



North Korea spouted bellicose rhetoric against both Seoul and Washington, Sunday, following President Joe Biden's address to both houses of Congress, and his administration's completion of a policy review on the North, breaking its weeks-long wait-and-see stance.



Experts said Pyongyang may attempt to rattle its neighbors and the U.S. with a number of low-profile provocations before the May 21 summit between Biden and South Korean President Moon Jae-in. These could involve the closure of North Korea's own organization on inter-Korean relations or the launch of short-range missiles.



North Korea released three statements targeting Washington and Seoul  two from its foreign ministry and one from Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of the North's leader Kim Jong-un.



Kwon Jong-gun, director general of the Department of U.S. Affairs at the North's Foreign Ministry, threatened that the U.S. will face "a very grave situation" because "the U.S. chief executive made a big blunder."



During his first address to Congress, Biden said North Korea and Iran's nuclear programs were "serious threats to America's security and world security," and pledged to address those issues with "diplomacy" and "stern deterrence."



Kwon responded that diplomacy and stern deterrence were "a spurious signboard for covering up its hostile acts" and "a means for posing nuclear threats" to the North, and the Biden administration's new North Korea policy will bring "corresponding measures."



"Now that the keynote of the U.S. new DPRK policy has become clear, we will be compelled to press for corresponding measures, and with time the U.S. will find itself in a very grave situation," Kwon said. DPRK stands for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.



Previously, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Friday that the Biden administration had completed its North Korea policy review. She said the U.S. goal remains the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, but the administration's policy "will not focus on achieving a grand bargain, nor will it rely on strategic patience."



In a separate press release, the North's Foreign Ministry condemned a statement by U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price last week, which expressed concern over the human rights situation in the North and called the reclusive regime "one of the most repressive and totalitarian states in the world."



"This becomes an evident sign that it is girding itself up for an all-out showdown with the DPRK, and this is also a clear answer to how we should approach the new administration in the U.S.," the release read.





Park Sang-hak, head of a North Korea defectors' activist group, Fighters for a Free North Korea, holds a placard criticizing the North's leader Kim Jong-un in this undated handout photo. The group said Friday that it had flown balloons containing leaflets and booklets condemning Kim into the country twice between April 25 and 29. Courtesy of Fighters for a Free North Korea
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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  National Dance Institute (NDI) New Mexico is launching a weeklong series of live events to recognize its community of students, families, educators and supporters.

Event Week Celebration is a fun and interactive prelude to NDI New Mexicos 2021 Virtual Gala Brand New Day! The gala will be live-streamed, free of charge, at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, May 8, according to an NDI New Mexico news release.

Daily activities will take place Monday, May 3 through Saturday, May 8 as part of Event Week Celebration. The activities will range from online dance lessons to family activities, panel discussions and car parades. The celebration is an opportunity for students to engage with NDI New Mexico instructors, school teachers and each other. The goal is to give students the ability to enjoy the pride and support they receive from audiences when they perform live at annual galas in Albuquerque and Santa Fe as well as performances around the state.

Event Week Celebration culminates with NDI New Mexicos annual fundraising gala, which is free of charge and virtual this year. The galas title Brand New Day! is a reflection of new opportunities in 2021 for New Mexico children and a careful return to NDI New Mexicos in-person programs in schools around the state, as well at The Dance Barns facility in Santa Fe and The Hiland Theater in Albuquerque, according to the news release.

Culminating year-end events are important milestones for children in our programs, as well as joyful community celebrations that thousands of New Mexicans enjoy each year, NDI New Mexico executive director Russell Baker states in the news release. The Event Week Celebration strives to fill what would feel like a springtime void with positive, healthy, youth- and arts-centered moments for people of all ages, and to enable communities around the state to connect with NDI New Mexicos messages of joy and excellence.

The live-streamed Brand New Day! program will feature hundreds of NDI New Mexico children from around the state dancing to original choreography, according to the news release. Attendees will hear testimonials and insights into how the organization adapted in 2021 to deliver on its mission and serve 8,900 students. NDI New Mexico also will present new features this year for its gala donors and sponsors.

Event Week Celebration is underwritten by Thornburg Investment Management. Each day of the celebration will be themed. There will be morning and evening activities either online or in person. The activities will allow NDI New Mexicos community an opportunity to learn dance moves, participate in games, and compete for prizes. Participants can share their experiences by uploading photos and videos to NDI New Mexicos official website and social media feeds.

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At Thornburg, we are proud to continue our support of NDI New Mexicos mission to help children develop discipline, a standard of excellence and a belief in themselves that will carry over into all aspects of their lives, Erin Cave, director of social responsibility for Thornburg Investment Management, says in the news release. We are excited to celebrate the hard work and success of hundreds of dancers at this years gala, ushering in a brand new day and the future of New Mexico.

Events will begin with Get Moving Monday! on May 3. It will be followed by Thank a Teacher Tuesday! on May 4, Wellness Wednesday! on May 5, Throwback Thursday! on May 6, Friday Fun! on May 7, and Super Saturday! on May 8.

A full list of activities and online events can be found at ndi-nm.org/event-week-2021.

The purpose of NDI New Mexicos programs is to help children develop discipline, a standard of excellence and a belief in themselves. NDI New Mexico is founded with the knowledge that the arts have a unique power to engage and motivate children. For more information on NDI New Mexico, call 505-670-3002 or visit ndi-nm.org.
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Wisdom and intuition might see us through routine situations in our lives but they are counterproductive for public health programmes.

It is scientific evidence which should guide the decisions which ultimately save lives in a public health crisis.

Last year, India went into a national lockdown when it had 500 cases. In retrospect, the public health response was a wise decision as the effective reproduction number (RT)  the number of people infected from infected persons  was its highest (3.75) on March 23, 2020.

A year later, despite a lower RT of 1.65, multiple super spreader events and poor compliance of appropriate behaviour, have resulted in the ongoing devastation we see around us  Covid cases which touch a new high each day, increasing deaths and a shortage of medicines and oxygen.

I want to think that the decision to go into lockdown in 2020 was based on evidence. Even if it was intuitive, it did help avert a major national health crisis.

Read: Indias economy slowing down, Covid-19 vaccine is the best bet

Cut to February 2021: there was the red flag of rising RT quite early in the month.

Even as cases rose sharply in Kerala and Maharashtra, the country failed to prevent mass gatherings at a time when it should have gone into war mode.

This inability to use data at this crucial juncture saw us obliterate our chances of restricting newer variants of the virus to a few areas.

Genomic sequencing

India has some of the best minds and research laboratories to study genomic sequencing and detect new variants of Covid-19.

When the The Indian SARS-CoV-2 Consortium on Genomics (INSACOG)  a grouping of 10 National Laboratories  was established by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, on December 25, 2020, it had a mandate to test 5% of positive samples from all states and 100% of positive samples from international travellers.

However, the governments press release from March 24 this year indicates that just 10,878 samples were shared by the states and UTs in three months, the same day when the country officially saw over 50,000 positive cases.

Today, India ranks 102 when it comes to genomic sequencing of Covid (See table), even falling behind smaller countries like Australia and Denmark when it comes to the absolute number of positive samples sequenced.

Read: Scientists have stepped up to battle the Covid-19 pandemic

This is mostly due to the poor resource allocation by the Government and lack of prioritisation to identify the role of newer variants in the earlier outbreak in Maharashtra. Much of the crucial time was lost when the state was undergoing through the surge in cases. As a result of the delay, the variants might have spread to other areas.

From March 27, the test positivity rate of India has jumped four-fold, from 5% to 21%.

Similarly, there has been a 12-fold increase in the daily deaths per million of the population, from 0.2 on March 28 to the current levels of 2.7.

Based on what we know about the RT and health system capacity, some cities, districts and states need to halt the speed at which the virus is spreading through a focused lockdown and aggressive containment.

Instead, we are ignoring scientific data when it comes to evolving a response to the second wave.

The national centre for disease control (NCDC) is a powerhouse of field epidemiologists; the National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE) at Chennai is the nucleus of laboratory surveillance and training health workers for epidemiology.

Ideally, the country would have benefitted from our own Anthony Fauci  someone from the ICMR or NCDC, given the autonomy to run a combined response against Covid-19.

But any attempt at reviewing state performance using data is hampered by the silent or poor reporting of figures.

The states that test at higher rates and have better reporting systems can also attract the necessary attention required for getting more resources.

States like Kerala, Punjab, Karnataka, Haryana and Gujarat are seeing an increase in RT compared to the previous week. Incidentally, these states also have the highest tests per million (TPM > 1600).

In contrast, states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, which are showing a decrease in RT, are directly correlated to having a relatively lower TPM when compared to earlier in the week.

Using the data-based approach promotes equity as detecting more cases by better testing strategy ensures that many vulnerable people get into the ambit of services.

And this absence of an evidence-based approach is not just found in the public health response. The current clinical guidelines also contain hydroxychloroquine, which has no evidence of being beneficial as a prophylaxis against Covid-19.

In contrast, it was extremely confusing to see the endorsement of the Coronil for fighting against the COVID disease. Also, some of the medicines in the health ministrys management protocol required evidence to be cited from the randomised control trial or published studies. Combining non-evidence based guidelines as part of the clinical management has only confounded the provision of quality care.

Vaccination

The country could also benefit from a data-driven approach when it comes to vaccination.

The speed with which India started the vaccination programme even ahead of the results of phase-3 from Covaxin and Covieshield without bridging study was not matched with the speed of coverage subsequently.

The results from phase 3 of Covaxin were announced recently with vaccine efficacy of 78% (95%CI: 61-88) against mild, moderate, and severe Covid-19 disease. The best time to fight against the virus was when the transmission was low in India while the other countries were witnessing second and third waves.

Instead of ramping up the vaccination pace, the country did not take extraordinary measures in facilitating the foreign firms from outside to collaborate with Indian manufacturers.

While the supply constraints still exist, more confusion is created by expanding the age group to younger people without setting up a clear date by when the process can start.

Read: Seven states see symbolic start to 3rd phase of Covid-19 vaccination drive

Indians are prone to cardiovascular diseases at least a decade earlier when compared to patients in the west. Young people with comorbidities should be included in the vulnerable group for vaccination. The government should have prioritised vaccinating them along with the existing 45 years and above.

Indias response to the pandemic has relied on an unscientific approach, relying on a system that was never built to address the health needs of crores of its citizens.

For example, one in three adults has hypertension. Yet, neglecting its detection and treatment, the focus has been on increasing government expenditure in footing the reimbursements of complications resulting from high blood pressure.

Similarly, more than 60% of the healthcare needs are met by the private sector. Yet, there are no efforts to shift the patient base by building reliable and stronger public health systems.

By neglecting all the data suggesting growing out of expenditure and treatment costs in private hospitals, the curative services are mostly outsourced to private health systems.

In a health emergency such as Covid-19, the private health care system is demonised, while the governments inability to prioritise public health is rarely questioned.

The way forward

For starters, the country has failed to use the full potential of those at the NCDC and NIE in managing the Covid response. The scientists and public health experts should be entrusted with complete autonomy to manage the pandemic.

The office of the principal scientific advisor has enabled data access only yesterday (May 1). The data from NCDC and ICMR, when made available to Indian researchers, can provide useful analysis and valid inferences to guide our Covid policy.

India takes pride in computation skills, data analysis and is home to some of the best scientists in the world. Epidemiological evidence should be aligned with genomic sequencing results to halt the onslaught of the virus and prevent the spread of newer variants of concern.

India is a global leader in vaccination due to the strengths in micro-planning and mobilisation efforts. The expertise of WHO-NPSP and UNICEF, which was used to fight polio, measles, and rubella, should be used as part of the coalition to expand vaccination coverage swiftly.

We can have specialists at every block of India and create fully functional intensive care units with sufficient oxygenated beds in every hospital at the block level.

Isn't it time to convert all block-level hospitals into 250-500 bedded hospitals according to population and permanently hire all the required qualified and trained staff? Also, isnt it the time to provide them with amenities and salaries that of the private sector or what is comparable to the West?

Using evidence-based practice and guidelines and having well-trained workers are not a luxury but a dire necessity in catering to the public health needs of the country.

(Giridhara R Babu is a professor of Epidemiology at the Indian Institute of Public Health, PHFI, Bengaluru)
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During his deployment to Afghanistan as a member of the Arizona National Guard in 2007, Chris Manning started to question the federal government.

He was part of surge of troops sent to the Middle East. Manning had assumed his mission was to hunt for Osama bin Laden and try to dismantle al-Qaida.

Instead, he and his platoon spent most of their deployment providing security for civil engineers who were meeting with Afghan leaders and government officials to discuss how the U.S. could help them with road construction, water treatment facilities and other projects.

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I started to see foreign policy firsthand, and I saw a lot of things the government was doing didnt make sense, Manning said in an interview. There was a lot of mission creep, what we call it when the military takes on tasks that the military shouldnt be doing.

That questioning of foreign policy guided Manning to the Libertarian Party. He is now the partys candidate for New Mexicos vacant 1st Congressional District, which will be decided in a June 1 special election.

Despite living in Farmington, which is over 100 miles from the 1st Congressional District, 37-year-old Manning said he believes he could fairly represent the district in Congress. But he acknowledged his long-shot chances.

The U.S. Constitution requires that members of the House of Representatives live in the state they represent but not necessarily the same district.

Manning said the first Libertarian presidential candidate he voted for was former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, who was the partys candidate for president in 2016.

Manning was tapped to be the Libertarian candidate after previously being the candidate for New Mexicos 3rd Congressional District, which represents northern New Mexico.

Hes young and energetic, committed to the social reforms Libertarians value and the fiscal responsibility we also promote, said Chris Luchini, the state party chair.

In response to questions from the Journal, Manning said he wants to pass the Justice for Breonna Taylor Act to end federal no-knock warrants, civil asset forfeiture, qualified immunity and the drug war, including decriminalizing the use and possession of all drugs. He also called concerns about climate change unwarranted alarmism. He said the country should convert to nuclear power, and New Mexico should eliminate corporate income tax.

Mannings votes for president have been George W. Bush in 2004, Barack Obama in 2008, Mitt Romney in 2012, Johnson in 2016 and none of the above in 2020.

I didnt think anyone had earned the vote, Manning said.

Manning grew up in Kirtland and graduated from Kirtland Central High.

He was a high school athlete, and won back-to-back individual track and field state titles in the javelin in 2001 and 2002, setting a state record his senior year. After high school, he continued to compete in the javelin at Mesa Community College outside Phoenix. He then attended Arizona State University, where Manning ultimately graduated with a bachelors degree in secondary education while serving in the Guard. He currently works as a staff auditor for his familys accounting business.

What are the goals of his campaign?

Im a realist. Im never going to blow smoke  and say this is going to be a close race, Manning said. A lot of my running is to raise awareness for the Libertarian Party, to show those dissatisfied voters that there is an alternative to the Democrat and Republican parties.

Editors note: This article has been corrected to clarify Mannings position on corporate income tax.
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By Park Jung-won





The Seoul Central District Court's April 21 dismissal of a compensation claims case brought by wartime sexual slavery victims against the Japanese government has caused quite a stir in South Korean society. Not only the victims, but also many progressive lawyers and civic organizations have voiced their disappointment and anger, especially in light of a contradictory ruling on a similar case made weeks earlier by the same court.



Yet the court's decision, determining that Japan's sovereign immunity was applicable to the case, appears to be the result of careful examination and prudent restraint in accordance with international law in its present form. An eventual solution to this historically precarious issue will most likely be found using diplomatic, rather than domestic legal, means.



"Sovereign immunity" refers to the legal doctrine which holds that a sovereign state is immune from the jurisdiction of foreign courts. Equality of sovereign states has long been a fundamental principle of international law, and it is reflected by the maxim "one equal cannot exercise authority over another."



The court, by explicitly referring to the 1965 Claims Settlement Agreement, the 1993 Kono Statement, and the 2015 Comfort Women Agreement, made clear that it does not see itself as being in a position to resolve the thorny issue of forced sex slavery committed by another sovereign state.



The court's decision seems to be in line with the doctrine of "judicial self-restraint," in which the judiciary limits itself in carrying out reviews of cases related to highly political matters usually undertaken by the executive, such as military and diplomatic questions, because they are essentially not subject to trial in a court of law.



The rationale is that highly sensitive political matters should fall under the purview of the executive and legislative branches of the government according to relevant constitutional provisions, and that it is not appropriate for an unelected judiciary to review the legitimacy of measures taken regarding those matters.



The conclusion of treaties affecting vital state interests and national dignity necessarily requires a careful process of consultation and coordination between the executive and legislative branches. This is a normal democratic process constrained by constitutional checks and balances. The 1965 agreement, which normalized diplomatic relations between South Korea and Japan, involved 14 years of bilateral negotiations and was eventually ratified by South Korea's legislature, which then enacted appropriate laws enabling its adoption.



None of this means that a separate judicial decision by the Court made (by a different judge) on Jan. 8, in which Japan's sovereign immunity was denied, was essentially incorrect. It applied the doctrine of "restrictive immunity," which holds that sovereign immunity cannot be applied to crimes against humanity. This doctrine has in recent years gained much support in international legal circles, a trend which will likely continue in the future.



Yet despite the rapid development of international human rights law as a component of international law since the end of World War II, international law is unfortunately still "state-centric." Citizenship is considered a constituent element, alongside territory and governmental control, of statehood, and injury to the citizen of a state is regarded as injury to the state, not to the citizen per se.



This is an inherent limitation of an international society which lacks greater centralization of governance. Thus at present it will be difficult for any domestic court to apply the logic of restrictive immunity without it first being established as customary international law and granted legally binding force. Decisions such as the court's ruling this month in favor of applying sovereign immunity are therefore likely to continue to hold sway for the time being.



If the legal status quo is thus established, then one other thing is clear: President Moon Jae-in's administration deserves criticism for its irresponsible stances which created a political void and led to this situation. Japan's uncooperative attitude toward reconciliation of its past undoubtedly makes the issue difficult to resolve. But instead of taking charge, the Moon administration sat with folded arms as responsibility shifted to the judiciary in the name of a "victim-centric approach."



In 2017, during his first year in office, Moon discredited the 2015 agreement on the grounds that it had not secured strong support from the victims, but early this year he suddenly changed his position, saying that it was a state-to-state agreement on which further consultation should be made with Japan to find a solution more acceptable to the victims.



Moon (along with some other politicians) should be blamed for first stirring anti-Japanese sentiment to his political advantage, then changing position after presumably being pressured by the United States for causing a deterioration in relations between South Korea and Japan. The Moon administration should make every effort  using diplomatic, political and legislative means  to obtain compensation for the victims by bringing an obstinate and uncooperative Japan to the table.





Park Jung-won (park_jungwon@hotmail.com), Ph.D at the London School of Economics (LSE), is professor of international law at Dankook University.


So Long Hanover said so long to his opposition early in the $14,400 trotting feature on a special Kentucky Derby Day Saturday afternoon (May 1) card at Harrahs Philadelphia.

Pat Berry got the Donato Hanover gelding away quickly and put up fractions of :28.2, :58.2 and 1:27.3, with Bountiful Brittney, who won three of her previous four races, right behind him. However, the pocket-sitting mare could make no dent into So Long Hanover's advantage, as he scored by 1-1/2 lengths in 1:56.3 on debut for trainer Scott DiDomenico and owners Bottom Line Racing LLC and Triple D Stables Inc.

A pair of $12,600 co-featured events saw a division on each gait. On the trot, the sophomore Bar Hopping gelding Inaminute Hanover won his second straight local start, sweeping to the lead nearing the three-quarters and going on to post a lifetime best of 1:56.3 for the same connections of 2019 Hambletonian winner Forbidden Trade: driver Bob McClure, trainer Luc Blais and owner Determination.

On the pacing side, the Artspeak three-year-old Terry A Hanover employed almost identical tactics to Inaminute Hanover for trainer-driver Todd Schadel, brushing to the lead late on the backstretch en route to a 1:53.3 lifetime mark for owners Christine Schadel and Caitlin Solt.

Doug McNair posted a driving double for the second straight day, equalled by Corey Callahan.

Sundays (May 2) card will feature two $22,500 events for high-level pacers; post time is 12:40 p.m. Program pages will be available via the PHHA website.

(PHHA/Harrah's Philadelphia)
MGM Northfield Park has announced the addition of a $15,000 Pick-5 total pool guarantee for Sunday (May 2).

Beginning in Race 6, the $15,000 Pick-5 guaranteed total pool includes a carryover of $2,972.

This wager is being offered as part of the Strategic Wagering Program through the United States Trotting Association.

Race 8 starts the 50-cent (non-jackpot) Pick 6 with a $602 carryover.

Northfields Pick 5, Pick 4s, Pick 3s, 50-cent (non-jackpot) Pick 6 and 20-cent Super High Five offer a reduced takeout rate of just 14 percent.

Sundays post time is 6 p.m. (EDT).

(Northfield Park)
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Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

When state Rep. Melanie Stansbury found herself in distant second place after the first round of voting by the Democratic Partys state central committee, she started to work the phones.

Whether you are running a race where youve got hundreds of thousands of constituents you are trying to reach out to, or 200 (party officials)  at the end of the day, really, politics is about having conversations about the issues you care about, she said.

Twenty-four hours later, Stansbury staged a come-from-behind victory and was tapped as the Democratic candidate for the upcoming special election to fill New Mexicos vacant seat in Congress.

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I think all the candidates had conversations with (state central committee) members to say, If Im not your first pick for Round 1, will you consider me for Round 2,  Stansbury said. We had been having those conversations for many weeks. So when the vote was called the first night, we just called back through the list and had those same grassroots conversations with people.

Stansbury, 42, is hoping that strategy works again and leads her on a rapid rise in New Mexico politics. The Democratic Party of New Mexicos state central committee voted 103-97 on March 30 to nominate Stansbury ahead of state Sen. Antoinette Sedillo Lopez, who had a 15 percentage-point lead on Stansbury after the first round of voting, when there were eight candidates in the mix.

The 1st Congressional District seat is empty after former Rep. Deb Haaland resigned to serve as interior secretary.

The district includes most of Bernalillo County, all of Torrance County and small sections of Sandoval, Santa Fe and Valencia counties. Voter data plays to Stansburys favor: there are about 218,000 registered Democrats in the district and 132,000 Republicans.

The last Republican to win the seat was Heather Wilson, in 2006. The last Democrats to hold the seat were Haaland, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Sen. Martin Heinrich.

Early voting starts May 4 at the clerks office and expands to other polling locations May 15. Election Day is June 1.

Stansburys first election victory came in 2018, when she flipped a previously Republican state House district covering the Northeast Heights from Montgomery and Tramway to Lomas and Juan Tabo. She was part of a heavily female blue wave that year that moved the Roundhouse and the Albuquerque area further to the political left.

Since 2018, New Mexicos largest city has just two Republican lawmakers left in the Legislature. One is Stansburys main competition in the special election: state Sen. Mark Moores.

Work behind the scenes

Before returning to New Mexico to open a consulting business before the 2018 election, Stansbury worked in Washington, D.C., for eight years. She held positions in the White Houses Office of Management and Budget during the Obama administration and the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. She also worked as an aide to Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash.

Cantwell said in a statement to the Journal that Stansbury was critical to the passage of a Yakima River Water Basin bill, which Cantwell called the model for water management in the 21st century. The senator said Stansbury worked with a diverse group of stakeholders to balance the tribal, environmental and agricultural needs during times of drought.

Her ability to find common ground and bring people together who had previously only ever interacted in a courtroom proves she will be a strong advocate for all people in New Mexico, Cantwell said.

Stansbury said her behind-the-scenes work on public policy will be an asset if she is elected.

I think that the moment we are facing in our world and in our community right now really demands that we have someone representing our community who really deeply understands New Mexico and who also understands the systems of government at the federal, state and local levels, she said. And who understands the science to drive policy for our people.

In response to questions the Journal sent all candidates in the race, Stansbury said she supports universal health care and bans on high-capacity magazines and assault rifles. She said climate change is a pressing issue that needs to be urgently addressed, and she supports President Joe Bidens American rescue and jobs plans.

Early years

Stansbury was born in Farmington and raised in Albuquerque, graduating from Cibola High School before accepting a full-ride scholarship to St. Marys College of California, where she studied human ecology and natural sciences.

When she was growing up, Stansbury said, her family worked hard and struggled to make ends meet. Her mother worked as a heavy-equipment operator in a power plant and as a seamstress. Her father at one point worked in the extraction industry in the Four Corners region. As a teenager, Stansbury worked at her stepdads landscaping business and as a server at restaurants on nights and weekends.

Celerah Hewes, who has been friends with Stansbury since fourth grade, said her friends work ethic separated her from her peers. In high school, Hewes said, Stansbury acted and helped produce high school plays; she was on the mock trial team; and she earned straight As and worked as a waitress.

She never did anything halfway, Hewes said. It was always all in for whatever she took on.

She also said many of Stansburys interests, such as her environmental advocacy, were hatched at a young age. For instance, Hewes said when Stansbury was in elementary school, she would go around her apartment complex and try to collect cans and items from her neighbors so they could be recycled. To this day, Stansbury said she continues to be a champion for environmental causes.

She was always about doing something to better wherever shes been. And thats been an ongoing thread since Ive known her, Hewes said. Shes always (asked), How can we clean up where were at? How do we appreciate our surroundings? Thats always been a piece of what she was interested in.

After college, Stansbury returned to New Mexico and worked as an educator for a state-funded science program before going to graduate school at Cornell University, where she received a masters degree in development sociology and worked toward a Ph.D., which she hasnt finished as she left Cornell to work in Washington.

She is a self-proclaimed science and policy wonk.

Some of her proudest work in the Roundhouse, Stansbury said, was the New Mexico Water Data Act, which she said brings more science and data to the management of water in the state. She also worked to get firefighters and other first responders better access to care for post-traumatic stress disorder, and she partnered with utilities and environmental organizations on a power grid modernization bill for New Mexico.

Stansbury said shes also taken a leadership role by trying to organize the more than 30 Albuquerque-area lawmakers in the Roundhouse to better coordinate their capital outlay spending, which Stansbury said has pumped more money into local law enforcement.

And she was involved in removing the co-pay that students had for school meals.

Taking away that co-pay opened up the opportunity for thousands of kids across the state to get free lunches, she said. Thats another thing that Im really, really proud of.

Melanie Stansbury

Democratic

OCCUPATION: New Mexico House of Representatives

CITY OF RESIDENCE: Albuquerque

EDUCATION: Master of Science in development sociology, Cornell University; bachelors degree in Human Ecology and Natural Science, St. Marys College

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE: 20 years of experience working with communities across New Mexico and the U.S. on water, science, natural resources, and community development in the public, private and nonprofit sectors  including as a legislator in the New Mexico House of Representatives and as a policy staffer in the White House Office of Management and Budget and U.S. Senate.

CAMPAIGN WEBSITE: melaniefornm.com
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New Mexico is dependent on a volatile revenue stream. Each year we cheer revenue windfalls or scramble to adjust to shortfalls as the boom-and-bust cycle of the oil and gas industry impacts our ability to plan and pay for public education, health care and other essential services.

While regularly touting their revenue contributions to the state budget, the industrys PR campaign fails to mention the outdated policies that shortchange our citizens, create multibillion-dollar liabilities that jeopardize the states financial health for future generations and hamper sustainable development.

As the former director of the N.M. Legislative Finance Committee, chief economist at the N.M. State Land Office, chief financial officer at the city of Albuquerque, and an international public finance advisor, I focused on the development of revenue policies to fund public services while promoting a competitive, sustainable and resilient economy. Its a tall order, and actions like the creation of a Sustainable Economy Task Force, sponsored by Sen. Mimi Stewart and signed into law by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, are an important step in the right direction.

More needs to be done. I applaud President Joe Bidens review of the outdated federal oil and gas program and trust Interior Secretary Deb Haaland to carry it out in a way that benefits New Mexico. This review is critical for addressing climate change and improving fiscal planning and revenue generation.

Most of New Mexicos oil and gas activity occurs on federal public lands with antiquated royalty rates. The current royalty rate on federal public land, 12.5%, was set in 1920 and is far below the rate charged for offshore development, 18.75%, and the rates on state land in New Mexico, 18.5-20%, or Texas, 20-25%. A study from Taxpayers for Common Sense found that if federal royalty rates were increased to just 18.75%, New Mexico could have received an additional $2.5 billion over the last decade.

The minimum bid for federal leases is another place where taxpayers are getting a raw deal. The current minimum bid at auction is a paltry $2 per acre, and if no bids are received, noncompetitive leases are offered below the $2 minimum. These public lands belong to all of us, so we should be charging a fair market rate that reflects the true value of the resources.

During the previous administration, large oil and gas companies stockpiled thousands of federal leases and permits and have been assuring their investors they have enough permits to last for years. Thats why its essential we update these rates now.

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Finally, the review allows our state leaders to plan for the unfunded cleanup of abandoned oil and gas wells. New Mexicos 73,000 wells could cost up to $10 billion to clean up, but current financial assurances from industry cover only about 1% of those projected costs. We need to ensure oil and gas companies post a realistic bond or financial assurance to be held responsible. That way, when companies declare bankruptcies, we protect our precious groundwater from pollution and taxpayers dont foot the bill.

Former U.S. Sen. Tom Udall said, Public lands and their natural resources belong to the American people, and its only fair to ask those who profit from them to return a fair share to taxpayers.

I agree. Now is the time to take a forensic look at the way we collect payments for public resources  for the sake of our planet and our states balance sheet.

These low rates benefit no one but the oil and gas industry and disadvantage development of alternative energy sources such as wind, solar and geothermal energy. New Mexico deserves better.
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Editors note: The Journal continues Whats in a Name?, a twice a month column in which staff writer Elaine Briseno will give a short history of how places in New Mexico got their names.

Enchant: to influence by or as if by charms and incantation, bewitch; to attract and move deeply; rouse to ecstatic admiration

These are definitions according to Merriam-Webster but the word has deeper meaning for New Mexicans.

For decades, the countrys 47th state has been known as the Land of Enchantment. Its sometimes hard to explain the allure of New Mexico to new arrivals and those who have never been here, but alluring it is, despite often finding itself on the bottom of one list or another.

Its laid-back approach to life, its infinite vistas, stunning sunsets, multi-cultural communities who, daily, breathe life into their traditions, and its underlying rebellious spirit have been known to cast a spell on visitors and residents alike. To understand how New Mexico earned this title, we have to travel back more than 100 years to the height of the railroad because its the railroad that most likely first coined the phrase.

State Historian Rob Martinez said the phrase was used in 1906 by Lilian Whiting in her book The Land of Enchantment: From Pikes Peak to the Pacific, which describes her travels through Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and California. Whiting was a journalist, editor, author and a celebrated spiritualist.

In the opening of her book about this region, she has this to say:  the inhabitants represent the best quality of American life; the opportunities and advantages already offered and constantly increasing are greater than would at first be considered possible. This entire Southwest can only be accurately defined as the Land of Enchantment.

Durwood Ball, editor of New Mexico Historical Review and an associate professor in the University of New Mexicos history department, said its possible she drew inspiration from the railroad companies. He notes that in the books acknowledgements, Whiting gives thanks to several executives of railroads that served the region, including the Santa Fe Railway, and the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad.

Maybe they were funding her, he said. Did it come out of their marketing department or did she make it up? What they (railroads) wanted was passengers and tourist traffic; the fares.

He may be right. A brief in the Oct. 15, 1904, edition of the Albuquerque Journal, and several other papers, marked the 10-year anniversary of the Santa Fe Railway route that ran from Chicago, to Los Angeles and on to San Francisco. The brief said the train would resume daily service running through southwest land of enchantment.

Whitings book was promoted in New Mexico and the phrase picked up steam in the late 1920s as a way to drive tourism. The tagline appeared in newspaper advertisements in an attempt to lure tourists to celebrations in Acoma, Taos and Gallup, and it was referenced in a speech about Carlsbad Caverns.

In August 1927, the Albuquerque Journal put out a call for the public to buy advertising space describing what New Mexico, the Land of Enchantment had to offer. The Journal planned on running these ads in 40 other newspapers across the United States in an attempt to boost tourism and civic pride.

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The motto was obviously gaining popularity going into the 1930s, but there wasnt a consensus yet. Officials were toying with the idea of branding New Mexico the Sunshine State,  license plates from 1932 bear that slogan  but gave up that idea when Florida adopted the nickname in 1934.

The Land of Enchantment slogan stuck around.

By the 1940s, the phrase was everywhere in New Mexico. State Motor Vehicle Commissioner J.O. Garcia ordered the phrase be stamped on all license plates in 1941. This year marks the 80th year in which the slogan has appeared on license plates.

The state waited nearly 60 more years before making the nickname official in 1999.

The phrase may have emerged as a gimmick to attract tourists, but that doesnt make it any less true. Writers, photographers, tourists, actors, artists and spiritual leaders migrate to New Mexico yearly, seeking to immerse themselves in its enchantment.

Cody Johnson, spokesman for the New Mexico Tourism Department, said the state has added the phrase to its New Mexico True campaign. He said the state conducted a study with people outside New Mexico and the term Land of Enchantment consistently scored well.

In terms of people seeing New Mexico as an exciting place people should visit at least once and a place they would feel welcome, he said.  The Land of Enchantment is an idea that persists.


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External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar landed in Abu Dhabi early on April 18  just a day after his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi had reached Dubai. Jaishankar had a meeting with Emirati Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi on April 18. Qureshi too travelled from Dubai to Abu Dhabi the next morning and met Sheikh Abdullah in the evening.

The visits of Jaishankar and Qureshi to the United Arab Emirates around the same time fuelled speculation about the Emirati Governments behind-the-scenes efforts to bring the two South Asian neighbours back on the table of negotiation. Qureshi did lend credence to the speculation, as he told Gulf News during an interview that the representatives of India and Pakistan had sittings in the UAE. Neither Jaishankar, nor the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi confirmed or denied it.

The speculation about the UAE mediating between India and Pakistan has in fact been making the rounds ever since the armed forces of the two South Asian nations agreed on February 25 to stop firing across the Line of Control (LoC). Jaishankar hosted the Emirati Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah in New Delhi just a day after the Director General (Military Operations) of the Indian Army and his counterpart in the Pakistan Army had agreed to strictly adhere to the 2003 ceasefire pact.

Read: Pakistan ready to hold talks if India revisits some decisions: Foreign Minister Qureshi

Abu Dhabis envoy to the United States, Yousef Al Otaiba, almost confirmed the UAEs role in helping India and Pakistan de-escalate tension over Kashmir and making the two neighbours agree to stop flouting the ceasefire along the LoC. He said during a virtual discussion organized by the Hoover Institution of the Stanford University on April 14 that while India and Pakistan might not become best friend to each other, the UAEs goal was to make the two South Asian nations have functional relations with an open line of communication.

There have been some exchanges of positive vibes between New Delhi and Islamabad over the past few months. India allowed Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khans aircraft to fly through its airspace when he had to travel to Sri Lanka on February 24, just two days before the armed forces of the two countries agreed to maintain peace along the LoC. Islamabad had in 2019 turned down similar requests from New Delhi for overflight permission for aircraft carrying President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Khan said in Islamabad on March 17 that India would be economically benefited by having peace with Pakistan, which could give it direct access to Central Asia. The Chief of Pakistan Army, Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, on March 18 said that it was time for his country and India to bury the past and move forward. Modi wrote to his counterpart in Islamabad on March 23 conveying greetings on the occasion of the Pakistan Day. Modi wrote to Khan that India, being a neighbouring country, desired cordial relations with the people of Pakistan. Khan wrote back to Modi on March 30, thanking him for his greetings and conveying that people of Pakistan also desired peaceful, cooperative relations with all neighbours, including India. When Khan was tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection on March 20, Modi tweeted to wish for his speedy recovery. Pakistan of late also offered to provide ventilators and Bi-PAP machines to India, which was hit hard by the raging second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Read: Pak's demand on Article 370 won't help create conducive atmosphere for talks: India tells UAE

The formal bilateral dialogue between the two South Asian neighbours was restarted in March 2011 after the two-and-a-half-year-long hiatus following November 26-28, 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai. New Delhi suspended it again after the Pakistan Army personnel brutally killed two soldiers of the Indian Army along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir in January 2013. Modi invited the then Pakistan Prime Minister M Nawaz Sharif to attend his swearing-in ceremony and their first meeting on May 27, 2014. But the attempts to restart dialogue in 2014 and 2015 did not succeed. The Foreign Ministers of the two nations announced the resumption of dialogue on December 9, 2015. Modi made a surprise visit to Lahore to greet Sharif on his birthday. But then came the January 2-5, 2016 terror-strikes on the Indian Air Force base at Pathankot in Punjab and the Consulate General of India at Mazar-e-Sharif in Afghanistan  followed by the attack on the Indian Armys brigade headquarters at Uri in Jammu and Kashmir on September 18, 2016 and the retaliatory surgical strike by India on terror camps in Pakistan on September 26, 2016. India boycotted the SAARC summit, which was to be hosted by Pakistan in November 2016. So did the other nations, forcing the Pakistan Government to call it off. The tension between the two nations escalated over the attack on Indias paramilitary soldiers at Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) by the Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist outfit of Pakistan on February 14, 2019, the retaliatory strike by the Indian Air Force on a terror camp in Balakot deep inside Pakistan on February 26, 2019 and Pakistans protest over Indias August 5, 2019 move to strip J&K of its special status and to reorganize the state into two Union Territories.

The recent exchanges of positive vibes between New Delhi and Islamabad did ease the tension between the two nations a bit. But all these could just end up as yet another false start. Khan said that India would have to first make the move to restart the stalled dialogue with Pakistan. The Modi Government in New Delhi, however, put the onus back on Islamabad, stating that Pakistan would have to create conducive atmosphere for talks by taking credible, verifiable and irreversible action against terrorists using territory under its control for cross border terrorism against India. Khan and Qureshi said that Pakistan was ready to hold talks with India if the Modi Government rolled back its August 5, 2019 decision and restored the special status of J&K. New Delhi is learnt to have firmly conveyed to Islamabad that the Modi Governments decision to withdraw the special status granted to J&K under Article 370 of the Constitution was endorsed by Parliament of India and irreversible. India conveyed to the UAE that Pakistans rhetoric on restoring the special status of J&K would in fact make it difficult for it to mobilize public opinion in favour of resumption of talks.

New Delhi has since long maintained that the 1972 Simla Agreement between India and Pakistan and the 1999 Lahore Declaration by the two sides had left no scope for the United Nations or any other third party to play any role in resolving the outstanding issues between the two South Asian neighbours. The Modi Government steadfastly rejected offers publicly and repeatedly made by the then US President Donald Trump in 2019 to mediate between the two South Asian neighbours. It, however, appears to be comfortable with the UAEs informal and behind-the-scenes role to facilitate its back-channel talks with the Khan Government in Islamabad.

Islamabad started making peace overtures to New Delhi soon after Joe Biden took over as the new US President on January 20 this year. The words of Khan and the more powerful chief of Pakistan Army, Gen Bajwa, were not backed by any credible action on the ground to address New Delhis core concern. Former Indian Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadav continues to be on death row in Pakistan. Apart from some cosmetic action against Hafiz Saeed and Zaki ur Rahman Lakhvi of the Lashkar-e-Tayyiba to get out of the grey-list of the Financial Action Task Force, the anti-India terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan continues to be operational. Still, the Modi Government did not straightaway reject the overtures from Islamabad  obviously to deny Pakistan any chance to portray India before the new US administration as an inflexible and stubborn nation. Keen to avoid any regional instability disturbing its plan for early withdrawal of the US troops from Afghanistan, the Biden Administration was quick to laud the February 25 agreement between the armed forces of the two South Asian neighbours to stop cross-LoC firing.

New Delhi too took into account another factor when it refrained from outrightly dismissing the peace overtures from Islamabad  if the ceasefire along the LoC holds and keep the western border relatively calm, it will lessen, albeit to a limited extent, the pressure on the Indian Army, which has been engaged in a stand-off with the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army along the disputed boundary between India and China in eastern Ladakh since April 2020.

The road towards real peace between India and Pakistan, however, remains long, potholed and prone to accidents. No one in New Delhi has any iota of doubt about that.
Things began to change, parents said. Surveillance cameras were installed to record both video and audio, for what David Centner said were security and insurance purposes. Leila Centner once remarked that children should be kept away from windows, for fear of radiation from 5G cell towers, another baseless conspiracy theory. (The windows at the preschool now have electromagnetic frequency shielding blockers, David Centner said in response to a question about the schools 5G concerns.) The school opposed feeding children sugar and gluten and required that students have different shoes for indoors and outdoors. Some parents said they thought such ideas odd but inoffensive  unlike what began to happen with the schools response to the coronavirus.
A new type of a tactical guided missile was launched from the North Korean town of Hamju, South Hamgyong Province, in this March 26 file photo released by the Korean Central News Agency. North Korea said Sunday that U.S. President Joe Biden made a "big blunder" after he called Pyongyang's nuclear program a serious threat, warning the U.S. will face a "worse and worse crisis beyond control." Yonhap



North Korea said Sunday that U.S. President Joe Biden made a "big blunder" after he called Pyongyang's nuclear program a serious threat, warning the U.S. will face a "worse and worse crisis beyond control."



Kwon Jong-gun, director general of the Department of U.S. Affairs of the Foreign Ministry, made the remarks after Biden pledged in his first congressional address last week to work with allies to address "serious threats" from the North and Iran through diplomacy and stern deterrence.



"It is certain that the U.S. chief executive made a big blunder in the light of the present-day viewpoint," Kwon said. "Now that what the keynote of the U.S. new DPRK policy has become clear, we will be compelled to press for corresponding measures, and with time the U.S."



DPRK stands for the North's official name, Democratic People's Republic of Korea.



The official also said that the U.S. "will face worse and worse crisis beyond control in the near future if it is set to approach the DPRK-U.S. ties, still holding on the outdated policy from Cold War-minded perspective and viewpoint."






Four astronauts are taking the red-eye home to Earth on Saturday.

Saturday evening, a crew of four  three NASA astronauts and one from Japans space agency  will push off from the International Space Station in a capsule built by SpaceX. The astronauts will circle the planet a number of times over the hours that follow until they splash down early Sunday morning along Floridas Gulf of Mexico coast.

NASA has not conducted a nighttime splash down like this since 1968, when Apollo 8, the first mission to send astronauts around the moon, returned to Earth.

Q: When are the astronauts leaving and how can I watch?

A: The astronauts return to Earth has been repeatedly delayed because of weather. Forecasts in the splashdown zone had not been favorable, but NASA said that ideal conditions were expected over the weekend.

The astronauts will get into the capsule, and the hatch will be sealed at 6:20 p.m. Eastern time. They will then undock from the space station at 8:35 p.m. Eastern time.

NASA will stream live coverage of these operations starting at 6 p.m. on NASA TV.

Q: When will the astronauts splash down on Earth?

A: The approximate timing of the splash down is 2:57 a.m. Eastern time Sunday. The agency has scheduled a news conference with NASA, SpaceX and other officials for 5 a.m. Sunday.

Q: What happens during the astronauts trip home?

A: Itll be a long trip. The astronauts will board the Crew Dragon and the hatch will close at 6:20 p.m., but then more than two hours will pass before the capsule leaves as the astronauts check that there are no air leaks from either the capsule, named Resilience, or the space station. Resilience is to autonomously undock at 8:35 p.m. and then perform a series of thruster firings to move away from the space station.

It will then circle the planet until Florida lines up in the correct position for it to splash down in the Gulf of Mexico.

Just before 2 a.m., as it prepares for its return to Earth, the Crew Dragon will jettison what SpaceX calls the trunk section of the spacecraft  the cylindrical compartment below the gumdrop-shaped capsule. The trunk will burn up in the atmosphere.

Five minutes after the trunk is detached, the capsule will fire its thrusters to drop out of orbit.

Once it is low enough in Earths atmosphere, parachutes will deploy to gently lower the capsule into the sea.

Q: What is the space debris risk to the astronauts?

A: Typically, the risk of space junk hitting a spacecraft going to or from the space station is small. It is generally a pretty short trip  about a day  and a spacecraft like Crew Dragon is pretty small, so its not a big target for a wayward piece of debris.

But when another group of astronauts, Crew-2, launched last week in a different Crew Dragon, they had a bit of a scare when mission control at SpaceX headquarters in California told them that there was a piece of debris headed their way. They put their spacesuits back on and got back in their seats just in case the spacecraft was hit, which could cause depressurization of the capsule.

Mission control then provided a reassuring update: Further analysis indicated the closest approach of the space debris was not that close after all. Still, as a precaution, the astronauts waited until they were told that the space junk had passed by.

The next day, a NASA spokesperson said the debris had passed by at a distance of 28 miles  not very close at all.

Then, the U.S. Space Command, which tracks orbiting debris, made a more perplexing update: The piece of debris that supposedly passed by the Crew Dragon never existed at all. A Space Command spokesperson said a review was underway to determine what caused the spurious warning.

Q: Who are the astronauts?

A: There are four astronauts on Crew-1:

 Victor Glover, 45, selected by NASA in 2013 to be an astronaut, is on his first spaceflight. He is also the first Black NASA astronaut to be a member of a space station crew.

 Michael S. Hopkins, 52, a colonel in the U.S. Space Force, is the commander for the flight. (Hopkins is also the first member of the newly created U.S. Space Force to go to space.) He was one of nine astronauts selected by NASA in 2009. He has made one previous trip to the International Space Station, in 2013-14, spending 166 days in orbit.

 Soichi Noguchi, 56, an astronaut with JAXA, the Japanese space agency, is completing his third trip to space. He was a member of the crew of the space shuttle Discovery in 2005, on the first shuttle launch after the loss of Columbia and its seven astronauts more than two years earlier.

During that visit to the International Space Station, Noguchi made three spacewalks. That included one to test techniques developed to repair damage to the heat tiles on the shuttle similar to what had doomed Columbia when it reentered Earths atmosphere. In 2009-10, he spent five months in orbit as a member of the space station crew.

 Shannon Walker, 55, has had one previous stint on the space station, in 2010. Walker has a doctoral degree in space physics from Rice University, where she studied how the solar wind interacted with the atmosphere of Venus.
Taiwan on Sunday delivered to India 150 oxygen concentrators and 500 oxygen cylinders to assist the country in its fight against a devastating second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Taipei Economic and Cultural Center (TECC) said more batches of medical equipment and supplies will be airlifted to India soon.

"To express strong friendship with India in its fight against a new wave of Covid-19 pandemic, Taiwan is delivering critical medical supplies to India. The first batch of 150 oxygen concentrators and 500 oxygen cylinders have arrived in New Delhi on Sunday," the TECC said.

The TECC is Taiwan's representative office in India.

Also Read | More Covid-19 aid lands in India as Canada, Brazil struggle with outbreaks

"On behalf of the government of Taiwan, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in India wishes to reaffirm the friendly bilateral relations between Taiwan and India," it said in a statement.

"Taiwan's deployment of medical supplies is testament to the close collaboration and partnership across multiple agencies on both sides. It also reflects the robust relief efforts and contributions made by the government and people of Taiwan to bring humanitarian relief to India," it said.

India does not have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, but both sides have trade and people-to-people ties. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory.

Taiwan's aid to India came amid reports of violations of Taiwan's airspace by Chinese military jets.

"While the contribution is modest, we hope that it will bring comfort and relief to the patients in need and ease the burden on the healthcare workers who are working tirelessly to fight the pandemic," the TECC said.

Also Read | UK sends 1,000 more ventilators to India

It said President Tsai Ing-wen on April 27 conveyed solidarity with India and expressed deep concern about the country's situation.

"As India logged a record-breaking daily surge of coronavirus infection for consecutive days, Tsai said that Taiwan 'stand with India' during this difficult time while offering to provide help," the TECC said.

Meanwhile, Uzbekistan too supplied 100 oxygen concentrators as well as remdesivir and other medicines to India.

As India battles a devastating second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, several countries around the world are sending medical supplies to help it tide over the situation.

The leading countries that have announced assistance to India include the US, Russia, France, Germany, Australia, Ireland, Belgium, Romania, Luxembourg, Singapore, Portugal, Sweden, New Zealand, Kuwait and Mauritius.

Some of the countries have already delivered the supplies.
Courtesy of Dickson Phua



By David A. Tizzard








By Evelyn Jeong







Freedom means everything in my life. That's why I escaped from North Korea. I escaped for freedom. Both a free mind and a free lifestyle are required to have freedom, where you can travel anywhere and where you can join any religion. Instead of obeying someone else's rules, you can follow your own rules. While society may say one thing, you can disagree and make your own path. Life is yours, no one else's, so own it. Freedom is also independence, where you can find your own boundaries and make your own experiences, and by doing so, you will have a diverse mindset. To be free of money, where being rich doesn't make you happy, although it could be helpful, but following dreams and making friends is the real source of happiness. This is how I see freedom.







Most North Koreans choose to go to South Korea, but I wanted to go to America because I wanted to learn, study, and contribute to the democracy of the U.S. and live the American dream, as my mom strongly recommended. However, still stuck in Thailand, I was interviewed four times at the Bangkok refugee camp, and my mission to reach America seemed very far.







What trapped me in Thailand was waiting to be assigned to my foster parents in the United States. I was left alone for the very first time and soon felt very lonely. There was no one to take care of me when I was sick and I had memories of the loved ones I missed, such as my grandmother, which haunted me in my isolation. This loneliness taught me a valuable lesson, that family is everything in this world. I first discovered Christianity in Thailand from missionaries who were from China. I thought they were crazy, since they would close their eyes and talk to someone who was not there! After a few months I started accepting their beliefs, because they told me if you believe in God you would feel better.







After what seemed like an eternity, I finally gained my assignment to an American foster family and flew out to the U.S. full of hope. This hope quickly diminished when I realized a new type of isolation: I was not going to be able to communicate with other people in the United States.







Nov. 6, 2014, a day I will never forget, my arrival to the United States. I was both nervous and tired when my new American foster family welcomed me. I was not able to speak English at all, making it a very frightening period of time for me. However, with the help of my foster parents and my determination to learn, I was able to learn English quickly.







Getting to America, my plane landed near a bunch of farms, making me think America was all farmland and poor. But after going a few miles, we reached the city, and I was completely shocked and surprised to see how many cars there were and how huge the buildings were.







When I first met my foster family, they looked like giants, even their daughter who was younger than me. I always looked up to them. To celebrate my arrival with a first meal in America, my foster mom made an apple pie, but I never had cinnamon or cooked apples before. After one bite, the taste was so weird and foreign that I had to secretly throw it away.







I knew no English when I first got to America, and I am still learning more even today. Once in America, I was told to start High School ESL classes to learn the language. My foster family was a big help in learning English, since they would take turns every fifteen minutes to help me read books that we got from the library. I had to use a phone translator to talk to my foster family for a long time. After a while, I could have simple conversations in English, but important things needed translating.







I started American education as a freshman in high school. I was surprised about how diverse the school was, in just one classroom. My ESL class had people from countries around the world. I was happily surprised by my American teacher, who was a tall, handsome and muscular man, but his one flaw was that he was married and tattooed! Studying the world map was very eye opening! I had never even heard of Africa while in North Korea. High school overall was fun  but I do not want to go back.







Having gone through so many traumatic experiences and living in a foster family, I've learned how to deal with mental health problems. My main way is opening up to friends so I can feel understood, calm, and loved. We all have people around us who can help, we just have to ask. Also, I see a therapist, who helped me overcome my depression, loneliness, and anxiety, and I recommend finding help to anyone who experiences these feelings, since I have felt them all. Hey guys, I came from North Korea. If I can fix my mental health, so can you! Let's be happy together.







Since my arrival in the U.S., I have become so thankful for my foster family and for my new friends who helped me overcome my emotions and language barriers.



















.



Evelyn Jeong is a North Korean defector living in the United States. She is now in South Korea on an extended trip to see family and friends. She will be a featured speaker at the Asia Regional Conference hosted by Freedom Speakers International on May 15, 2021. Above is an excerpt of her remarks as prepared for FSI's International Freedom Conference on April 3.Her remarks were edited by Casey Lartigue Jr., co-founder of FSI and editor of Voices from the North
Local lockdowns "couldn't be ruled out" amid concerns about case numbers in Donegal, a government minister has said.

Junior Minister Pippa Hackett said all options must be open after a meeting was held between Donegal representatives and public health chiefs.

The meeting was called after figures from the National Public Health Emergency Team showed that Donegal had the highest incidence rate in the country at 293.4 per 100,000 population.

The national 14-day incidence rate is less than half that at 127.3 per 100,000 people.

The Milford and Letterkenny electoral areas have particularly high Covid case numbers, around five times the national average.

Ms Hackett said it "couldn't be ruled out", adding that her own county of Offaly went into a local lockdown last year.

Read More Giving birth in a pandemic: Four women tell their stories

"I think what we need to do is work with the people in Donegal," she said.

"It's Donegal this week, it could be another county or another area in another few weeks.

"Weeks ago Offaly was on one of the highest on the list, and, as a result, we did open up a walk-in test centre that has been effective.

"So I mean absolutely looking at what we can do as a State to support people in Donegal, to get through this. We should be looking at all options, and you could also maybe look at how we could use the rapid testing, maybe on a pilot basis in Donegal.

"I think lots of these options need to be looked at."

Sinn Fein's Padraig McLochlainn, who represents the county, said last night's meeting with health chiefs was "useful".

"We outlined clearly to the Minister for Health and to the chief medical officer that the vast majority of the people are adhering to the public health guidelines," he said.

"They have made huge personal sacrifices. Donegal had 1,600 cases per 100,000. We got that down to around 150. We were actually the bottom half of the table...and we've had some difficulties recently. But overall, our people have done tremendously well.

"I raised with the Minister for Health, the need for more than just one mass vaccination centre for a county the size of Donegal.

"The reality is that we do need more vaccination centres in the county. We need more walk-in test centres and an upsurge in effort by the government.

"It's okay for the Minister for Health and for the chief medical officer to challenge the people of Donegal about their responsibilities, but they have responsibilities too and they need to live up to them."
Watertown, NY (13601)

Today

Partly to mostly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 88F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 69F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.
3,000 worth of clothing was stolen from a city centre store back on Christmas week 2019 and now one of the women involved in the theft has been sentenced to five months in prison.

34-year-old Elaine Goldsmith of 34 Boyces Street, Cork, pleaded guilty at Cork District Court to the charge of stealing 3,000 worth of mens and childrens clothing at Michael Guineys on Oliver Plunkett Street on December 21, 2019.

Judge Olann Kelleher asked if she had repaid that amount.

Frank Buttimer, solicitor, said she had managed to gather 400 from very limited resources.

He also said that other parties were also involved in the offence.

Sergeant John Kelleher said Goldsmith has 17 previous convictions for theft.

Mr Buttimer said, She has a very difficult background in terms of health and social circumstances. But she is back at home now having lived at hostel accommodation at the time.

Judge Kelleher said this was the defendants 18th theft conviction.

The rest of the money will never be paid back to the shop, he said.

The judge said he took account of her background circumstances and but for these issues he would have imposed a much longer prison term.
A political row erupted after at least two foreign diplomatic missions in New Delhi accepted oxygen cylinders from the youth wing of the opposition Congress amid the raging second Covid-19 wave  leaving the government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party red-faced.

The activists of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) led by its president B V Srinivas delivered oxygen cylinders to the Embassy of Philippines and the High Commission of New Zealand.

Read | Delhi HC urges 'iron-hand' approach with black marketeers, hoarders of Covid essentials

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, however, claimed on Twitter that the Embassy of Philippines had none suffering from Covid-19 and the IYCs delivery of oxygen cylinders to it was an unsolicited supply for cheap publicity. He also tweeted that giving away oxygen cylinders at the time of crisis was simply appalling.

MEA checked with the Philippines Embassy. This was an unsolicited supply as they had no Covid cases. Clearly for cheap publicity by you know who. Giving away cylinders like this when there are people in desperate need of oxygen is simply appalling. @Jairam_Ramesh https://t.co/G3jPE3c0nR  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) May 2, 2021

The diplomat-turned-politician took to Twitter to defend the BJP Government after the Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member Jairam Ramesh retweeted the IYC leaders tweet, which had a video of the cylinders being delivered at the Embassy of Philippines. While I thank @IYC for its stellar efforts, as an Indian citizen Im stunned that the youth wing of the opposition party is attending to SOS calls from foreign embassies. Is the MEA sleeping @DrSJaishankar? posted Ramesh.

While I thank @IYC for its stellar efforts, as an Indian citizen Im stunned that the youth wing of the opposition party is attending to SOS calls from foreign embassies. Is the MEA sleeping @DrSJaishankar ? https://t.co/iEG49baE9l  Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) May 1, 2021

Jaishankars post was contested by the IYC, which posted screenshots of the online communications of the Embassy of Philippines with its activists before the delivery of the cylinders. The IYC also tweeted a Facebook post by the Embassy of Philippines, which acknowledged the receipt of the two cylinders and thanked the activists of the Congress' youth wing.

We got a request for an urgent requirement of Oxygen Cylinders for 2 Covid patients in Philippines Embassy The Cylinders were delivered at the embassy on a much solicited request Post delivery embassy thanked us on Facebook. All screenshots attached with names and number masked pic.twitter.com/0sZb5ihnFG  Youth Congress (@IYC) May 2, 2021

Ever since the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic hit Delhi and adjoining areas along with the rest of the country, Srinivas and his team of IYC activists have been responding to distress calls on social media from the families of the patients infected with the coronavirus, delivering either medicines and oxygen cylinders, or arranging beds at the Intensive Care Units of the hospitals.

The High Commission of New Zealand in New Delhi too posted on Twitter early on Sunday, seeking help from Srinivas and the IYC to procure oxygen cylinders. We have reached the New Zealand High Commission with oxygen cylinders. Please open the gates and save a soul on time, Srinivas tweeted after some time.

We have reached New Zealand High Commission with oxygen cylinders. Please open the gates and save a soul on time. #SOSIYC https://t.co/BzGwj0eKBQ pic.twitter.com/0UVM6GWS0r  Srinivas B V (@srinivasiyc) May 2, 2021

He later updated that the High Commission of New Zealand had opened the gate and accepted the cylinders.

Update- New Zealand high commission opened gates of the embassy and accepted cylinders. Also, they thanked the #SOSIYC team for this quick relief as patient inside embassy was critically ill. https://t.co/BzGwj0wm0q pic.twitter.com/vu6TUhD1r8  Srinivas B V (@srinivasiyc) May 2, 2021

The High Commission later deleted the original tweet seeking help from the IYC, apparently after taking note of Jaishankars response to the tweet by Ramesh. It, however, later posted: We are trying all sources to arrange for oxygen cylinders urgently and our appeal has unfortunately been misinterpreted, for which we are sorry.

"The Chief of Protocol and Heads of Divisions are in continuous touch with all High Commissions/Embassies and MEA is responding to their medical demands, especially those related to Covid. This includes facilitating their hospital treatment, Arindam Bagchi, the spokesperson of the MEA, said. Given the pandemic situation, all are urged not to hoard essential supplies, including oxygen.
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Eva Mirabal was a firebrand, a painter and muralist and likely the first female Native American cartoonist.

Seemingly born with a spirit of adventure, this Taos Pueblo woman joined the Womens Army Corps during World War II and raised two children all in her brilliant but brief life.

Lois Rudnick and Mirabals son Jonathan Warm Day Coming have chronicled her legacy in Eva Mirabal: Three Generations of Tradition and Modernity at Taos Pueblo (Museum of New Mexico Press, 2021.)

After her 1968 death, Mirabals two sons discovered a treasure trove of her life story housed in an enormous pine box she had nailed shut. The artist had placed scores of drawings, photographs, newspaper clippings and hundreds of letters related to her life and work from curators, gallery owners, friends, boyfriends and teachers across her 48 years of life.

The author of Mabel Dodge Luhan & Company: American Moderns and the West, Rudnick initially had no interest in writing another book. But the more she learned about Mirabal, the more she was charmed.

Literally, I fell in love with her, Rudnick said in a telephone interview from Santa Fe. She was this extraordinary woman who went out and said, If I want to be a WAC, Im going to be a WAC. It was her boldness.

That determination surfaced early when Mirabal asked her parents to let her attend the Santa Fe Indian School under Dorothy Dunn. Art was in her blood; her father Pedro Mirabal had posed for the Russian painter Nicholai Fechin, as well as members of the Taos Society of Artists. He also sat for a bronze by Mabel Dodge Luhans third husband Maurice Sterne. Her fathers artist friends gave her art supplies.

Joining the Army was not the typical trajectory for a Taos Pueblo woman in 1943.

She was basically the only WAC fully-charged as an artist, Rudnick said. She was doing murals for the Air Force bases. They created her own space as a studio for her. I just found it all remarkable.

Mirabal also decorated canteens and dance halls.

She was soon penning her own cartoon series with G.I. Gertie. Her sergeant said he didnt have to teach her anything; she already possessed the skills.

When radio interviewers asked about her Native background, she barked, Were not dead!

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She said, Pay attention to us! Ours was the first original American art,  Rudnick said. She was right.

When one of Mirabals superiors asked if she dreamed about returning home, Mirabal replied, We have a war to win, corporal!

She gained such a reputation and had so much confidence and poise, Rudnick said. She came from a world so entirely distanced from an army.

After the war, Mirabal worked as a visiting professor of art at Southern Illinois Normal College. When she returned to Taos, she studied at the Taos Valley Art School under the G.I. Bill.

Mirabals husband Manuel Gomez was a career Navy man who spent most of their marriage away from his family. Essentially a single parent, Mirabal juggled supporting her sons Jonathan and Christopher, and funding her art supplies with caring for both the Gomez and Mirabal properties. She grew increasingly bitter about her marriage.

Mirabals son Jonathan Warm Day Coming (an illustrator, painter and childrens book author) remembers his mother working at a drawing table someone had given her.

She treated it almost like housework, a daily thing, so it must have been important, he said in a telephone interview from Taos. She needed to be alone, so we left her alone.

She passed on her legacy to her sons when their father told them to clean out the family shed. It was there that they found the nailed plywood box in a corner.

We drug it out onto the lawn, Warm Day Coming said. We found a painting in there and papers about her art. Thats when we found the painting on the (book) cover.

My eyes were wide open then, he continued, How beautiful her work was.

That painting, Prairie Fire, with its traditionally-clothed horseback riders galloping in and out of abstracted, writhing flames, was Mirabals last.

Despite her powerful persona, Mirabal died of alcohol poisoning, spending her final years in and out of VA hospitals. Jonathan says he thinks she began drinking during the war to fit in. She continued to paint as part of her therapy to help with her depression and addiction.

When Mirabal died, her sister Tonita eventually took the boys in.

She just treated us like her kids, Warm Day Coming said. If she hadnt been there, I think we would have been adopted out.

Before her death and the discovery of her papers, Warm Day Coming knew nothing of Mirabals life before she became a wife and mother.

She was absolutely of an adventurous spirit, Rudnick said. I attribute it to her name Fast Growing Corn (Eah-Ha-Wa); she could not wait to get out there.
France on Sunday delivered to India 28 tonnes of ready-to-use medical supplies including eight large oxygen plants as part of the first phase of its solidarity mission to the country which has been grappling with record coronavirus cases.

The French embassy said each of the eight plants can continuously supply oxygen to a 250-bed hospital round-the-clock for a dozen years and that they produce medical oxygen from ambient air.

"The oxygen plants will be delivered to 8 Indian hospitals, 6 in Delhi, one in Haryana, and one in Telangana, based on needs as identified by the Indian authorities," the French embassy said in a statement on Saturday.

A special cargo flight brought the supplies to Delhi from France.

French ambassador Emmanuel Lenain said more supplies will come soon from France and that both countries stand together in this fight against the pandemic.

The embassy said the medical supplies were worth more than Rs 17 crore.

Read | More Covid-19 aid lands in India as Canada, Brazil struggle with outbreaks

"We stand by India in these difficult times, just as India has always stood by France. In Spring 2020, when French hospitals were facing acute shortages, India provided life-saving help through the export of critical medical drugs," Lenain said.

"The French people have not forgotten. India has, in fact, been at the forefront of international cooperation against the pandemic, including through sharing its massive vaccine production capacity with the countries most in need," he said.

The French supplies also comprised 28 ventilators and 200 electric syringe pumps to be distributed to several hospitals to enhance their ICU capacities.

Spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs Arindam Bagchi said the assistance by France is a testament to the strategic partnership between the two countries.

"A testament to India-France strategic partnership & friendship! 28 tonnes of medical equipment including 8 hospital-level oxygen generators and other medical supplies arrives from France. Deeply appreciate the support from France. Will bolster our oxygen capacities," he tweeted.

A testament to strategic partnership & friendship! 28 tonnes of medical equipment including 8 hospital-level oxygen generators and other medical supplies arrives from France. Deeply appreciate the support from . Will bolster our oxygen capacities. pic.twitter.com/CoGHpxEla2  Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) May 2, 2021

Separately, Belgium also sent 9000 vials of Remdesivir to India on Sunday.

The US on Saturday night sent to India a third flight that brought over 1000 oxygen cylinders, regulators and other medical equipment.

Two American military aircraft on Friday brought to India large amounts of emergency medical supplies which included 423 oxygen cylinders with regulators, 210 pulse oximeters, 17 large oxygen cylinders, 8,84,000 Abbott rapid diagnostic test kits and 84,000 N-95 face masks.

As India battles a devastating second wave of coronavirus pandemic, several countries around the world are sending medical supplies to help it tide over the situation.

The leading countries that have announced assistance to India include the US, Russia, France, Germany, Australia, Ireland, Belgium, Romania, Luxembourg, Singapore, Portugal, Sweden, New Zealand, Kuwait and Mauritius.

Some of the countries have already delivered the supplies.
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Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

While Spring is in the world my blood approves, the poet e.e. cummings wrote, and so I thought dreamily to myself in the back room of the recently reopened El Nido in Tesuque. I was under the influence of the blooming trees outside, the cozy old restaurants Sinatra soundtrack, and a lush, tingling serrano-and-cucumber-infused El Nido-Rita on the rocks with a red chile rim ($17).

Id headed to El Nido  just as I went to The Compound, Naths Inspired Khmer Cuisine, La Boca and Tender Fire over the past couple of weeks  to dine on the essence of spring. As the citys restaurant scene thaws out from its most difficult winter yet, Santa Fe chefs are showcasing the flavors of natures rebirth  grassy, earthy, tart and sharp  with a trove of exceptional dishes.

El Nido executive chef Jose Ziggy Montalvo Alas is serving a deceptively simple standout with a prosciutto-wrapped asparagus appetizer ($12). Sauteed spears are wrapped two at a time with thick ham, slightly charred, then bathed in a heavenly spread of bearnaise and anchovy sauces. A pliant poached egg and earthy tangle of microgreens top off the substantial small plate.

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For an equally delicate hit of spring, El Nidos parchment-wrapped grilled rainbow trout ($29) opens to reveal tender, tangy sliced artichokes over the buttery, sage and thyme-scented fish. A roasted baby carrot, more asparagus, and a garlicky mound of zucchini, pea and red pepper-studded quinoa are elegant companions.

Come late May, El Nido is set to introduce even more enticing warm-weather fare in the form of Su, a pop-up sushi and sashimi concept at El Nido headed by former Sushi Land East chef Masa Hattori. With last years permanent closure of Sushi Land East, that means Hattoris loyal following has an opportunity to sprout anew in Tesuque. (Su means nest in Japanese, to complement El Nidos moniker.)

Over at The Compound on Canyon Road, chef Mark Kiffins show-stopping pea soup ($13) is practically a rite of spring. Under the plate-spanning drawbridge of a skinny Parmesan cheese straw, a server pours a verdant green moat of soup, flavored with a heady, elemental wild mushroom escabeche and squares of smoked bacon. Creamy mascarpone smooths out the bowl. Other first courses are a tour de printemps  ramps and romesco sauce are sided with scallops ($24), the handmade tagliatelle is accompanied by truffles, shell peas and green garlic ($20), and a pastel-hued Little Gem salad is drizzled with Green Goddess dressing, and nestled with asparagus, more peas and a soft egg ($15).

No one is babying young spring vegetables more tenderly than Chef Nath at CHOMP Food Halls Naths Inspired Khmer Cuisine, where I was hypnotized by the forest-green color of a green vegetable curry ($18) last week. Lemongrassy, garlicky, redolent of turmeric, coconut and ginger, the life-affirming curry was packed with pineapple, green beans, asparagus, mustard greens, carrots, red pepper and even some kabocha squash. After I ladled it over brown rice for a sinus-clearing vegetarian feast, it was even better the next day with a cup of New Mexico Tea Companys jasmine green tea ($6 for 2 oz., nmteaco.com).

The mild, dulcet notes of lump crab are a perfect spring snack and La Boca chef James Campbell Caruso is resurrecting a throwback from the early days of the Marcy Street tapas stronghold in celebration. The lump crab cannelloni ($16) is a classy roll of house-made pasta that blankets a wealth of pale-pink crabmeat, bathed and baked in a smooth Manchego cream sauce. Pair the pasta with the alcachofas ($15), grilled long Roman artichokes served with sharp goat cheese, orange zest and mint.

Finally, make a midweek plan to snag one of Tender Fires wonderfully blistered sourdough pizzas Thursday through Saturday nights outside the El Rey Inn. There, on a grassy expanse accented by twinkling lights, picnic tables and a new bar, last summers artisan pizza king Ben Crosky has once again set up an outdoor shop with his blue-tiled wood-fired oven. Order online starting Tuesday, but be nimble about it  most of the menu tends to sell out by Wednesday night.

If you walk up to Tender Fire starting at 8 p.m. without a reserved pizza, you may still be able to snag a pizza that celebrates ultra-local farmers and the freshest greens around. The rightfully Santa famous cream-soaked nettle pizza ($17) is mild, bitter, chewy and creamy in all the right places, accented with green garlic, mozzarella and fontina, crushed red peppers and a sprinkle of Maldon salt. We loved the bolder rapini pizza flecked with pancetta, smothered in garlicky mozzarella and ricotta salata ($17), and vegans will flip over the weekly special ($16.50). In recent weeks, it has involved cashew cream, asparagus, pistachio, red onions and beet pesto  or several ways to eat the rainbow, as a spring-mad poet such as e.e. cummings might say.
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What to do if someone is at risk of dying by suicide
By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 05/02/2021



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[ Spoiler Warning: This report contains spoilers that reveal if Tiffany and Ronald are still together now or if the couple has broken up.]

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So are Tiffany and Ronald still together now or has the couple split up?

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Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.

couple Tiffany Franco and Ronald Smith will be starring on Season 6 of : Happily Ever After?, so what has happened between the couple since viewers last saw them on TLC? What do spoilers reveal about the couple's current relationship status -- are they still together?Tiffany was a 27-year-old from Frederick, MD, and Ronald was a 29-year-old from South Africa when they initially starred on : The Other Way's first season in 2019.Tiffany fell hard and fast for Ronald during a trip to South Africa with a friend that was not shown on the TLC spin off, and Ronald wasted no time in popping the question.But Ronald had some secrets when the couple got engaged. Ronald took his time in opening up about his criminal history and past gambling addiction.Ronald and Tiffany hit rock bottom together, but then Ronald entered a rehab program for six months and tried to rid himself of his demons.Tiffany had to decide whether she should uproot her eight-year-old son Daniel and move across the world for Ronald, in spite of her hunch there were more secrets about his dark past. She had so much at risk but was willing to do it for love.Tiffany did, in fact, fly to South Africa again on a Tourist Visa with her son Daniel. She said she was committed to Ronald but didn't know if her visit was going to become a permanent one."Unfortunately, the only Ronald I know is the Ronald that loves me but also the Ronald that put me through hell and hurt me and lied to me," Tiffany lamented.Tiffany hoped Ronald wouldn't relapse and disappoint her family again. She also needed to make sure Daniel would love his life in South Africa and feel comfortable.As the couple lived in South Africa together, they hit some bumps in the road -- including Ronald's wild bachelor party and Tiffany worrying his gambling addiction might turn into something else, such as alcoholism.The pair's financial situation was also pretty dire as Ronald struggled to find a well-paying job post-rehab.But Tiffany loved Ronald through it all and decided to marry him during her trip to South Africa.Tiffany attempted to like South Africa, but Daniel wasn't happy there and Tiffany -- who was pregnant with her second child -- couldn't imagine giving birth in one of the hospitals.After two months in South Africa, Tiffany therefore decided she was taking opportunities away from Daniel and wanted to give birth in America and live there long-term. Tiffany thought a life in South Africa was simply too dangerous for her little ones.Tiffany determined instead of moving her whole family to Ronald's native country, she'd return home and apply for a spousal visa.After giving birth to the couple's daughter Carley in Summer 2019, Tiffany revealed on Part 1 of : The Other Way's Tell-All special -- which aired in October 2019 -- that life in the U.S. was "so much harder" than she could have ever anticipated without her husband by her side.In Part 2 of the Tell-All special, Tiffany revealed she had already purchased plane tickets so she and her children could visit Ronald again in South Africa soon.Ronald, however, had yet to apply for the visa because he said it was going to cost him a lot of money."If Ronald's visa does not get approved, that's something we're going to have to face if it happens, but I'm not making a plan for that," Tiffany explained on the show.Tiffany said at the time she wouldn't accept anything other than Ronald coming to the United States because she simply wasn't ready to move her kids to another country. However, Ronald had a prior lengthy criminal record standing in his way stemming from his gambling addiction.Although the couple continued to live apart after the show, they documented their love story on social media, and there didn't appear to be any real trouble in paradise until earlier this year.According to a preview for : Happily Ever After?'s upcoming sixth season, there is trouble in paradise for Ronald and Tiffany, and Tiffany apparently considers dumping and divorcing her husband.Ronald and Tiffany announced they were "separating" in January 2020 and seemed to be headed for a divorce.Tiffany accused Ronald of "adultery" and manipulation and claimed he had suffered multiple relapses of the gambling addiction he had once sought treatment for before in a rehab facility.On January 28, Tiffany told her Instagram followers in regards to her marriage "some things are just irreparable," and Ronald claimed on social media at the time he'd be "filing for divorce in South Africa" after a year-and-a-half of marriage."Tiff only tried to do good, not really control me but more protect me from wrong [people], places and temptations, and the more I think about it now, it makes sense..." Ronald wrote on Instagram during."She was more the victim and I'll admit here I was a dick to her at times, worrying about me, me, me and not looking after her feelings or needs."But rumors of a reconciliation began to swirl on March 5, when Ronald posted adorable snapshots of Tiffany and himself seemingly in South Africa together.In March 11, Ronald uploaded a selfie of the couple as well as a photo in which they were embracing in front of a fountain during a date night at Monte in Gauteng, South Africa.Ronald then flat out confirmed the next day his marriage to Tiffany was back on and thriving in the comments section of his Instagram post."Hope the rumors are true and y'all found your way back to one another!!" one person wrote."Yes," Ronald replied.When an Instagram user asked Ronald to "please work it out" with Tiffany, Ronald responded with, "We are good."One person mentioned, "I thought they got divorced," and Ronald wrote back, "Guess not," with a smiley face.And finally, one fan wrote, "Happy you're back together," to which Ronald replied, "Yes."Tiffany revealed on a May 2020 episode of : Self-Quarantined that she was waiting for Ronald to get approved for a spousal visa so he could move to the United States."We got married over a year ago, but we only applied for his spousal visa four months ago. The coronavirus has affected the whole process of the visa. This virus is stopping everything, including my family being together," Tiffany told the cameras.Meanwhile, Ronald was living in Victoria, South Africa, and apparently FaceTimed or Skyped with his family in America often. Ronald said he desperately missed his family in the United States.On top of the distance and coronavirus "craziness," Tiffany said there were trust issues in her relationship but she and Ronald were working with a counselor to get past them.Tiffany and Ronald then reunited for the holidays in December 2020 after a tumultuous year.Tiffany apparently brought her two kids, her son Daniel from a previous relationship and Ronald's daughter Carley, to South Africa to visit her husband for Christmas.Tiffany had posted a family photo of Ronald, Daniel, Carley and herself outdoors on a bench and she captioned it, "Family," along with a red heart emoticon."Such amazing holidays with the family," she captioned another photo of herself and Ronald at the time.Ronald also confirmed on his own Instagram account the pictures were not "old" or throwbacks."Merry Christmas to everyone and your family hope you all enjoy it as much as i do," Ronald wrote."Just wanted to show everyone how blessed i am to be with my family and to be able to spend such a happy time with them and make memories, having fun, playing around, and just spending quality time as a family together hehe."There is little evidence on social media in 2021, however, that indicates the couple is still together now.Want more spoilers or couples updates? Click here to visit our homepage!
I know for sure two, because it happened right next to us, literally right next to us, Yatim said. But he was shooting pretty aggressively in the building, so I wouldnt doubt him hitting other people.
Yes, along most or all of the coast

Yes, but only places where an entry fee can cover their cost

No, people can continue swimming at their own risk

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Eddie Miller and Lonnie Graber won their respective $7,800 trotting events hosted by the Great Lakes Amateur Drivers Association on Saturday night (May 1) at MGM Northfield Park.

In the first split, Miller and Cowboy Country hugged the pylons from their back-row start to land in fifth while Curleys Son (Marion Chupp) and Shake It Off Lindy (Don Sherman) sparred for the lead through a :28 first quarter. At the halfway point, Curleys Son enjoyed a three-length lead, but had to brace for Cowboy Country, who angled out to challenge. Still, Curleys Son showed the way by the :57.4 half and 1:27.4 third stanza. But, when the field rounded the final turn, Cowboy Country asserted himself and went on to a 1-1/4-length win in 1:58.1 Curleys Son was an easy second, and Starsaboveallerage  who was parked the entire mile  finished third for Steve Oldford.

Cowboy Country, a six-year-old altered son of Break The Bank K, is trained by his driver for owners Rebecca Sugg and Steven Moss. He paid $13.60 to win. It was Miller's fifth driving victory in just 10 seasonal starts.

In the other division, Graber reined his first winner of the year  and the fourth of his career  when he guided 15-1 shot Time Outa Jail to a come-from-behind 1:58.3 victory.

A speed duel between Riverdancing Diva (Manny Miller) and Go Go George (Larry Ferrari) set the stage for the closers, namely Time Outa Jail, who used a three-wide move at three-quarters to rally from fifth for a 1-3/4-length score. Go Go George finished second, and Gonna Fly (Steve Oldford) was third.

Time Outa Jail, a 10-year-old Jailhouse Jesse gelding, is trained by Crist Hershberger for owners George and Rose Bonomo. He returned a $33.20 win mutuel.

(with files from GLADA)
The Republic of Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev holds a video summit with Korean President Moon Jae-in in this Jan. 28 photo. Courtesy of Embassy of Uzbekistan to Korea





By Doniyor Turaev







Four years ago, the Action Strategy in the five priority areas of development of the Republic of Uzbekistan in 2017-2021 (the Action Strategy) was adopted. Today there is no doubt about its constructability, as evidenced by the results of the reforms successfully carried out under the leadership of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.







Today, conclusions can be drawn regarding the results achieved by assessing how the effectiveness of the parliament's (Oliy Majlis) activities has increased.







In Uzbekistan, over the past four years, the powers and participation of the parliament in the implementation of reforms, in solving the most important socio-economic, political and legal problems have significantly increased. It should be emphasized that despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the activities of the Uzbek parliament in exercising its powers did not stop; to the contrary, it has intensified compared to previous years.







In particular, the following results have been achieved over the past four years:







First, the material and technical, information and analytical support of parliamentarians has been improved.







In July 2017, at a meeting with parliamentarians and representatives of parties, the Uzbek President raised a number of problematic issues that slow down the implementation of reforms and hinder the activation of the roles and proactivity of parliamentarians, local representative bodies and political parties in solving the socio-economic problems of the population, and also identified specific tasks for their elimination.







Since 2018, the Legislative and Parliamentary Research Institute has been doing its job of providing scientific, data and analytical support to the chambers of parliament. It provides assistance in improving parliamentary and legislative activities, taking into account the best practices of foreign countries and develops proposals for the implementation of international standards into national legislation, especially in the field of human rights.







Second, the quality of the legislative activity of parliament has improved.







In order to improve the legal support of ongoing reforms, systematize the legislative framework, improve the quality of rule-making activities, introduce modern digital technologies and elements of "smart regulation" into this process, the Concept for Improving Rule-Making Activities was adopted. Based on its requirements, the legislative activity of parliament is being improved, work is being coordinated to systematize and codify regulatory legal acts, revise the framework, and address inactive legislative acts.







Third, parliamentary oversight mechanisms have been strengthened.







In order to strengthen the mechanisms of parliamentary control, the provisions of the Law "On Parliamentary Control" (2016) have been improved. In particular, the changes were aimed at expanding the subjects, objects and forms of parliamentary control. Thus, the parliamentary control over the adoption and execution of the State budget has changed. For the first time in 2019, the State budget was adopted in the form of a law. The practice of reviewing the report of the Cabinet of Ministers on the progress of the implementation of the state program for the corresponding year has been introduced. Along with hearing information from members of the government at meetings of chambers, the practice of hearing information from heads of state economic enterprises was also introduced. The practice of hearing reports from the heads (khokims) of regions, districts and cities on the development of the respective territory at meetings of the Senate has also been introduced, and the norms governing parliamentary investigations have been elaborated.







Fourth, parliamentary powers in addressing the tasks of the country's domestic and foreign policy have been broadened.







Taking into account the practice of democratic countries, in order to increase the responsibility of members of the government to parliamentarians who have received a mandate directly from the people, a procedure has been established for approval of members of the government by the lower house.







Today, the Legislative Chamber considers and approves, upon the proposal of the Prime Minister, candidates for members of the Cabinet of Ministers (the Government) for their subsequent approval by the President.







In order to improve the legal foundations of parliamentary powers in solving the issues of country's foreign policy, the Concept of Parliamentary Diplomacy was adopted. It is aimed at determining the priorities, strategic goals and principles of the Oliy Majlis in implementation of country's foreign policy and parliamentary diplomacy.







Fifth, the parliamentary mechanisms of dialogue with citizens are being improved and the openness of the parliament is increasing.







Over the past period, a multidimensional dialogue of parliamentarians with people has been formed, including such areas as involvement of citizens in law-making, parliamentary control, work with citizens' appeals and accumulation of their initiatives.







It should be noted that at the initiative of the head of state, the "Mening Fikrim" ("My Opinion") portal of collective appeals was launched in 2018. Citizens can use the portal to submit appeals on issues related to the life of society, legislation, etc. The appeals that have received a sufficient number of supporting votes from the public are considered by the competent authorities  parliament, Cabinet of Ministers, local representative bodies.







Summarizing the above, one may note that the tasks defined in the Action Strategy are being implemented in a timely manner and step by step. Progress has been made in strengthening the role and effectiveness of the Oliy Majlis. These positive results indicate the need to continue and support the initiated course of reforms.







Doniyor Turaev is Deputy Director of the Legislation and Parliamentary Research Institute under the Oliy Majlis, the parliament of Uzbekistan.


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.
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) warned on Sunday that the United States "will face worse and worse crisis" after US President Joe Biden called the DPRK's nuclear program a "serious threat," reported the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Kwon Jong Gun, director general of the Department of US Affairs of the Foreign Ministry, said in a statement released by the KCNA that the US president made a slip of the tongue last week about the DPRK in his first Congressional speech in which he called Pyongyang a "serious threat" to the security of the United States and the world.

"His statement clearly reflects his intent to keep enforcing the hostile policy toward the DPRK as it had been done by the US for over half a century," Kwon said.

"The US will face worse and worse crisis beyond control in the near future if it is set to approach the DPRK-US ties, still holding on the outdated policy from Cold War-minded perspective and viewpoint," Kwon warned.

"Now that what the keynote of the US new DPRK policy has become clear, we will be compelled to press for corresponding measures, and with time the US will find itself in a very grave situation," he said.

Kwon also said the US-claimed "diplomacy" is a spurious signboard for covering up its hostile acts, and the "deterrence" touted by it "is just a means for posing nuclear threats" to the DPRK.

In a separate statement issued on Sunday, the DPRK foreign ministry also slammed Washington for criticizing the DPRK's human rights record, saying it amounts to insulting the "dignity of our supreme leadership."

Last week, US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price released a press statement in which he "smeared the statewide anti-epidemic measures in the DPRK" for protecting the life and security of the people from the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic as "human rights abuses" and "even faulted the dignity of our supreme leadership," the DPRK statement said.

As the United States openly expressed its intention to stifle the DPRK with a "resolute deterrence," "denying our ideology and social system and abusing the 'human rights' as a tool for interference in our internal affairs and a political weapon for overturning our social system, we will be forced to take corresponding measures," it added. (Source: Xinhua)


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The underlying premise of the New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act isnt complicated. But it is important. It is the public policy of this state, and the law declares that all persons are entitled to the greatest possible information regarding the affairs of government and the official acts of public employees.

That underpinning is central to two court cases wending their way through the judicial system that have significant implications on just how much you get to know about your government and public officials conduct.

The issues headed for the New Mexico Court of Appeals fall into two basic categories. One involves financial penalties that put teeth into IPRAs requirements that public agencies respond to requests within certain time limits. It may sound like a technicality, but intransigence and/or incompetence in failing to turn over public information in a timely manner can shroud it in secrecy just as much as outright refusal. Non-compliance needs to sting if it is to set an example for records custodians around the state.

District Judge Nancy Franchini of Albuquerque, in a lawsuit filed against Albuquerque Public Schools by the Albuquerque Journal and KOB-TV, earlier this month found nine separate violations by APS of the IPRA requirements in a case in which petitioners sought records related to the $350,000 buyout of former Superintendent Winston Brooks. Franchini sided with APS on not releasing an investigative report into complaints against Brooks, but after a three-day trial awarded the Journal $293,625 and KOB-TV $118,000 for the violations, all of which she found to be unreasonable. She had discretion under IPRA to award twice as much in so-called statutory damages. Franchini also said lawyers for the newspaper and television station could petition the court for attorney fees related to the violations. APS says it will appeal.

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It is worth noting statutory damages in IPRA were created to encourage compliance and penalize failure. They are not classic monetary damages in a civil case. The petitioners went to court seeking records  not damages. The Journal didnt claim it sold fewer newspapers because of APS refusal to produce records. KOB-TV didnt claim it lost viewers. The victim here is the public, which was deprived of information that should have been produced in a timely manner as required by law. Assuming APS eventually writes a check, the Albuquerque Journal plans to donate a significant amount to a literacy project and the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government.

Failure to produce records is nothing new for APS, and it hasnt learned much from years of litigation. In February, in a matter involving different records ranging from the district mill levy to APS police reports, the state Attorney Generals Office found the district repeatedly and flagrantly violated IPRA requirements. In the AGs words, APS has a systemic problem.

The big difference on matters of opinion

The second issue is how broad a net of secrecy public bodies can cast under the exception for matters of opinion in a personnel file. Rather than follow the plain language of the statute, district court trial judges in several cases, relying on earlier appellate decisions, have construed matters of opinion to mean virtually anything in a personnel file  essentially creating a safe harbor for factual findings of governmental misconduct.

The scope of the matters of opinion exception is at issue in both the lawsuit against APS and a separate lawsuit by the Santa Fe Reporter newspaper against the city of Santa Fe.

The APS case involves efforts by the Journal and KOB-TV to obtain factual portions of the investigative report commissioned by then-Board President Annalee Maestas that looked into complaints against Brooks. The petitioners argued the public  which paid $350,000 to Brooks in the wake of numerous complaints  is entitled to know the factual basis for complaints about him. Franchini ruled the entire report was protected from disclosure and declined to review it to see if the claim of exemption was justified. The Journal and KOB-TV will appeal that ruling.

The Santa Fe Reporter case deals with the hot-button issue of alleged police misconduct.

That newspaper in late 2018 asked the city for all documents that stated the factual disciplinary actions, if any, taken against a Santa Fe police officer involved in the notorious shooting of a mentally ill resident of Santa Fe. The newspaper also sought records concerning the fact of discipline against several other officers accused of misconduct. Intransigence? At one point the city responded it couldnt confirm or deny even the existence of such discipline records without creating a new public record which would also be exempted from disclosure as a privileged document concerning disciplinary action.

It is simply impossible for the public to gauge how the city handled the issue if it is done in secret  which is especially troubling at a time when police conduct is under a microscope.

District Judge Brian Biedscheid ruled some documents had to be turned over, but that many of the records were exempt under its broad application of the matters of opinion in a personnel file and should be withheld. He did award petitioners the right to seek attorney fees and said the records would be retained for appellate review as to whether they were properly withheld.

Wonky issues boil down to your dollars

So the issue is framed.

Will the matters of opinion exception be construed to protect only opinion from disclosure  an exemption that makes sense as it encourages and protects honest opinions in things like letters of reference and personnel evaluations.

Or, will the appellate courts endorse a much broader exemption that allows public agencies to sweep facts about official misconduct under the proverbial rug by labeling them matters of opinion?

Such an expansive ruling would seem contrary to the stated policy of IPRA, that you, the public, should get to know as much as possible about your government and the conduct of police officers, high-dollar superintendents and other public officials.

These issues might seem complicated, even wonky, but they merit close attention by the public. After all, its your government and your tax dollars.

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.